Sean Turnell and Ma Thida both survived incarceration in Myanmar's notorious Insein prison. What hope do these important players in Myanmar’s government and politics hold for the return of democracy three years after the military seized power in a coup? In conversation with Catherine Renshaw.
How safe is it to blow the whistle in Australia? Recent high-profile prosecutions of whistleblowers - Witness K, David McBride, Richard Boyle have shown that blowing the whistle can land you in jail. And journalists who protect their whistleblowing sources risk gaining a criminal record. What is the cost to our democracy? Keeping the bastards honest has never been more dangerous for whistleblowers and the journalists who bring their stories to light.
Former Senator Rex Patrick – Advocate for whistleblowers
Anneliese Cooper - Lawyer with the Whistleblower Project
Moderator - Journalist Michael West
With more speakers to be announced
We live in an era of unprecedented access to information, yet power and authority often present fiction as fact.
As a writer and lawyer, Shankari Chandran recognises fiction’s limitations in delivering justice. But her interviews with survivors of Sri Lankan genocide inform her novels, which provide a powerful opportunity to explore and reveal stories, history, war and injustice. Fiction is a crucial space for truth-telling, especially when official channels are blocked.
In this lecture, hear the Miles Franklin Literary Award winner speak to her use of fiction as a living, communal archive.
