When Hilton Koppe was diagnosed with PTSD, the much-loved country doctor had no choice but to retire from general practice. In this session Hilton chats with courageous authors, Roz Bellamy and Jonathan Seidler about their own personal and familial experience with mental health, as well as with social worker, Romi Grossberg whose work with street kids in Phnom Penh has informed her holistic counselling approach, in view of family, culture, society, religion and nationality.
Event Type: MJBW2024
-
Shaping Identity, Writing the Soul: Memoir
How does our sense of self form, and how much of our identity is shaped by our genes, by the imprint of our forebears and by our own life experience?
In this session, Debbie Lee speaks with Hilton Koppe, Sandra Goldbloom Zurbo and Michelle Scheibner, three authors who follow different paths but find common ground in the process of writing memoir and revealing the soul.
-
When Fact Becomes Fiction: Bringing history to life
The scale of history can be overwhelming. Fiction allows us to focus on the individual. Our panel of Australian Jewish authors has recently published four acclaimed novels all with Jewish protagonists. A life in middle-class Vienna upended by the Great War; a woman leading an extraordinary spy ring in Palestine; a self-effacing Japanese diplomat saving Jews in the next war; a thriller set during the Cold War in the Soviet Union.
Supported by Golda’s Girls – in memory of Golda Isaac
-
Laugh a Little: An exposé on resilience
All of us go through good times and bad and develop coping mechanisms through life’s experience. But how much of our resilience is in-built and how much can be learnt with positive behavioural techniques, self-care and mindfulness? Hear from the experts about the power of laughter, the importance of alone time, and the ability to rebuild our foundations when rocked by a crisis, perhaps even coming back stronger as a result.
-
Don’t Look Away: New contemporary fiction
Unflinching, raw, honest. Hear from three of the hottest new voices on the contemporary literature scene, Nadine J. Cohen, Elise Esther Hearst and Jonathan Seidler, in conversation with Elissa Goldstein. They will be discussing their latest novels, books which don’t shy away from the beauty and the heartache of the human condition.
-
Modern Family: The ties that bind
Three authors, three very different books. But one common thread: families in the 21st century. From parenting together and apart, to how the concept of “family” has changed, to what happens when pregnancy doesn’t end with a baby, this session -featuring Katia Ariel, Isabelle Oderberg, Marina Kamenev, and Roz Bellamy as moderator – delves into familial themes, some comforting, some confronting and some unspoken.
-
Arnold Zable: A life in words
Few Australian authors are as greatly loved or widely revered as Arnold Zable. Recently recognised with the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, he continues to chart new territory on the map of our national consciousness. Join Arnold in conversation with Bram Presser as they discuss his storied life at the forefront of Australian literature and human rights advocacy.
-
In conversation with Hila Blum: On Love and Literature
Israeli novelist Hila Blum will speak to Tali Lavi about love and literature. Delving into How to Love Your Daughter, a masterful story of intense psychological suspense which dissects a fractured relationship between a mother and daughter, they will further explore the profound relationship between readers and literature and the ways upon which stories might work upon us.
-
Writing as a Jew: A practical workshop
Creative writing that draws on our various identities has been flourishing in recent decades. We can write as women, as queer people or migrants, and so on. But what specifically does it mean to be writing as a Jew, especially in the current wake of widespread antisemitism where our identity has been systematically devalued? This workshop will explore what writing as a Jew might mean to different participants and offer various starting points and strategies to engage with Jewishness in our works in ways that are meaningful both to us and to non-Jewish audiences. We’ll do this through a combination of theory, discussion and practical exercises.
-
The Beth Din of Books: Best reads from those in the know
Now an annual fixture on the Melbourne Jewish Book Week calendar, The Beth Din of Books brings together writers and critics Tali Lavi, Elissa Goldstein and Bram Presser as they preside over some of the best new Jewish books around. Fun, irreverent but deeply imbued with a love of the written word, the Beth Din of Books is sure to help you find your next favourite read!