MJBW is thrilled to partner with the Shalom Sydney Jewish Writers Festival 2023 to bring you the inimitable David Baddiel — British comedian, screenwriter, television presenter and author of the bestselling Jews Don’t Count and his hot-off-the-press polemic, The God Desire.
Event Topic: Literature & Writing
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An evening with Jonathan Seidler
Melbourne Jewish Book Week is opening their Schools Program to the public for one special evening.
Join Chanie Stock, Wellbeing Coordinator at The King David School in conversation with Jonathan Seidler, author and freelance journalist, as he discusses his memoir ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’. A deeply personal account of family, love and the power of music. The discussion will address issues of mental health and family trauma / suicide.
Tickets are free for school-age students.
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Book Chat: Lee Kofman on ‘The Writer Laid Bare’
In this wide-ranging Book Chat, author Lee Kofman discusses the inspiration behind The Writer Laid Bare — a work that is both reflective memoir and practical guide aimed at writers and deep readers. She shares her love of Chekhov, Ferrante and Knausgård, and her theory of writers as ‘builders or renovators’.
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Writing Lives: Ruth Weiss & Michael Cohen
First in our Writing Lives series, is an interview with Ruth Weiss, human rights campaigner, journalist, and activist in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. As a child, Ruth fled Nazi Germany with her family, arriving in South Africa only to witness oppression of a different kind. Ruth remains an outspoken voice against hatred in any form and, at 98, is finally receiving international public recognition for a lifetime of activism.
Ruth will be interviewed by South African born educator and historian Michael Cohen.
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Global Conversations: Javier Sinay in Conversation with Elissa Goldstein
The 1994 ‘AMIA Bombing’ was an attack on Argentina’s Jewish centre in which 85 people were killed. Join writer, editor and digital producer, Elissa Goldstein in conversation with award-winning author and journalist, Javier Sinay to discuss his remarkable essay in the May issue of the Jewish Quarterly. The essay examines the ongoing political intrigue surrounding this catastrophic crime and the reasons it remains unsolved.
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Shalom Auslander: American Jewish Humour with a Modern Twist
In this live event filmed at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, acclaimed American author Shalom Auslander digs deep in conversation with David Slucki, revealing how his upbringing in an ultra-orthodox community has helped shape him and his view of the world. Shalom uses humour to not just defuse but illuminate the trauma. Please note, the discussion contains expletives.
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Global Conversations: Devorah Baum in conversation with Andrew Dean
Dr Andrew Dean (Deakin University) will interview Devorah on her latest essay, ‘The Myth of the Jewish Literary Mafia’ featured in the Jewish Quarterly.
Devorah Baum is Associate Professor in English Literature at the University of Southampton. Her books include Feeling Jewish: a book for just about anyone (Yale University Press), The Jewish Joke (Profile) and the forthcoming On Marriage (Hamish Hamilton/Penguin). She co-directed the feature films The New Man and Husband. She guest edited the special issue of Granta #146 on ‘The Politics of Feeling’ and she has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times, Tate and the Jewish Quarterly.
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Global Conversations: Professor Steven Nadler in conversation with Dr. Rachael Kohn
Presented in partnership with The Jewish Quarterly, the latest entry in our series of Global Conversations is only a few weeks away.
Professor Steven Nadler, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has spent a great deal of his professional life researching and writing about Spinoza’s life, philosophy and relationship with his faith. In the current issue of The Jewish Quarterly, in an article titled ‘The Curse on Spinoza’, he provides new insights into Spinoza’s excommunication. He will be probed in this interview by renowned academic, broadcaster and author, Dr. Rachael Kohn, who also brings enormous research and knowledge to the topic.
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MJBW + JIFF present ‘The Last Chapter of A.B. Yehoshua’ (Film screening)
Writer A.B. Yehoshua, one of the key figures of the Israeli New Wave, has been called “the Israeli Faulkner” by The New York Times. Now 84 and widowed, he struggles with loneliness and health setbacks, yet his mind remains agile and his perspective clear.
Join us for a compelling live pre-screening introduction from Elliot Perlman, the bestselling author of Maybe the Horse Will Talk, The Street Sweeper, and Three Dollars. The Last Chapter of A.B.Yehoshua offers a rare and fascinating look at one of Israel’s most beloved writers, who passed away in June 2022.
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Book Chat: Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus on ‘Fancy Meeting You Here’
Ali and Michelle have been best friends for life. As ten year olds, they could be found ditching play time for writing club. Now, they write books together. ‘Fancy Meeting You Here’ is their latest novel — a charming and unconventional love story about trying to rewrite history.
In this Book Chat, Ali and Michelle explore how rom-coms have changed over the past two decades — and what elements of romantic comedies remain timeless.