University community booked for 2019 Sydney Writers' Festival
The University of Sydney community will join an eclectic mix of international and local authors for , from Monday 29 April to Sunday 5 May.
We鈥檙e thrilled to have such an extraordinary range of University of Sydney academics closely involved with this year鈥檚 program, enriching our sessions with their expertise.
As a proud 2019 Premier Partner, the University鈥檚 sponsorship reaches its eighth year, reaffirming its commitment to ideas and culture in the city as the festival returns to Carriageworks, a five-minute walk from the main Camperdown/Darlington campus.
We are proud to continue our partnership with the Festival and excited to see our scholars engage with some of the world鈥檚 most exciting writers and thinkers, right on our doorstep.
鈥淭he central ambitions of the Sydney Writers鈥� Festival聽鈥� to present new ideas, tackle important social issues and stimulate debate and discussion 鈥� are also at the heart of what we do at the University of Sydney," Professor Jagose said.聽
A major highlight of the partnership includes an that will see bestselling US novelist and Man Booker finalist Rachel Kushner join Professor Jagose to discuss her latest novel, The Mars Room,聽in the new Social Sciences Lecture Theatre on Thursday 2 May.
鈥淪ydney Writers鈥� Festival is delighted to bring Rachel Kushner to the University of Sydney,鈥� Ms McGuire said.
Rachel Kushner.
鈥淩achel Kushner is one of the most exciting and important novelists writing today. The themes she devastatingly explores in聽The Mars Room聽resonate perfectly with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences鈥� commitment to the transformational power of ideas and original thinking.鈥�
Another highlight will see recently-appointed Professor of Public Practice (Sociology and Political Theory)聽聽taking part in聽聽an unmissable evening of storytelling at Sydney Town Hall.
As part of its continued sponsorship, the University will support the program 鈥� a provocative series of events aligned with social justice issues 鈥� in which聽, his powerful new book about reconciliation; and former Olympic swimmer and first woman to sign a male-modelling contract,聽聽of athleticism and addiction,聽Godspeed.
Our speakers聽
The extraordinary breadth of expertise at the University of Sydney will be showcased at events featuring:
- joining acclaimed authors Alexander Chee and Rebecca Makkai to reflect on the literature of love, HIV and AIDS
- 聽joining five other poets responding creatively to Marcel Duchamp, the artistic giant of the 20th century who ushered in an age of conceptual art
- Arts/Law student聽聽presenting at the launch of聽Sweatshop Women聽鈥� the first ever collection of short stories, essays and poems developed exclusively by women of colour from Western Sydney
- Dr Anna Broinowski joining聽聽of how reporters and writers uphold the line between fact and fiction.
- 聽in conversation with Oxford University鈥檚 Jonathan Lusthaus, exploring the聽murky underworld聽of聽cybercrime
- 听补苍诲听聽joining a panel event on the future of disruption hosted by聽Griffith Review聽editor Ashley Hay
- 聽joining a debate on the legitimacy of the Russian threat
- 聽explaining how the solitary octopus became so smart
- 聽speaking to US novelist and scholar Jordy Rosenberg about his inventive debut,聽Confessions of the Fox
- 聽answering all manner of weird and wacky science questions
- 聽exploring how writers bring a religious voice to their narratives
- in conversation with memoirist Gabbie Stroud on how the current education system is letting down children and parents
- 聽in conversation with author and Stella Prize co-founder Sophie Cunningham on the value and meaning of nature in our cities and lives
- 聽and Dr Sam Shpall hosting short lectures as part of the free Curiosity Lecture Series
- Sydney Law School鈥檚聽聽discussing Australian defamation laws with journalist David Marr, former Melbourne University Press CEO Louise Adler and the ABC鈥檚 Osman Faruqi
- Sydney College of the Arts PhD candidate and creator of #IAmMyOwnGuardian聽聽discussing women鈥檚 rights and queer rights in Saudi Arabia with Four Corners鈥� Sophie McNeill and founder of the #WomenToDrive movement Saudi Manal al-Sharif
- 聽discussing his work translating Behrouz Boochani鈥檚聽No Friend but the Mountains, the book that won the 2019 Victorian Prize for Literature, Australia鈥檚 richest literary award
- Emeritus Professor and Former Dean of Sydney Law School聽聽discussing her memoir,聽Speaking Up
- talking all things mathematics at two special events with the ABC鈥檚 James Valentine.
The 2019 program also includes several University of Sydney alumni, including Sarah Ayoub, Charlie Garber, Rebecca Huntley, Ben Jenkins, Zoe Norton Lodge, Sarah McDonald, Andrew O鈥橩eefe, Jordan Raskopoulos, Chris Taylor, Holly Throsby and more.
Stay tuned
University of Sydney reporters 鈥撀犅爏tudents Abbey Lenton聽and Haydn Hickson 鈥� will capture the festival first hand through social media. To see their updates, follow the University of Sydney聽聽and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences聽听补肠肠辞耻苍迟蝉.
TOP IMAGE: by Jamie Williams, courtesy of the Sydney Writers' Festival.