Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Friday 29 July
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
On September 11, 2001, we were told the world had changed forever. Ten years on, one of America’s finest journalists comes to Australia to reflect on the nature of that change.
In partnership with the Sydney Opera House and the US Studies Centre, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and acclaimed author Thomas Friedman speaks at the Melbourne Town Hall. A long-standing and influential commentator on the Middle East and global affairs, the best-selling author has a unique ability to capture the trends that will shape the future and bring complex issues to life.
Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about America and the world, the new Middle East, and for a preview of his new book That Used to be Us: What Went Wrong with America? And How it Can Come Back.
Thomas Friedman will be in conversation with Maxine McKew.
Featuring
Thomas Friedman
Journalist, columnist and author Thomas Friedman has been one of the world’s most influential media figures for over a decade. In his twice-weekly New York Times column he’s written widely on issues of trade, geopolitics and the environment. He’s published several books and has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize three times.
Maxine McKew
Maxine McKew is an author and Hon Enterprise Professor of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne.
Her most recent book, published by Melbourne University Press in 2014, is Class Act – a study of the key challenges in Australian schooling. This publication followed the success of her memoir, Tales From the Political Trenches, an account of her brief but tumultuous time in the Federal Parliament.
Maxine’s background traverses both journalism and politics. For many years she was a familiar face to ABC TV viewers and was anchor of prestigious programmes such as The 7.30 Report and Lateline. Her work has been recognized by her peers with both Walkley and Logie Awards. When she left journalism and made the switch to politics, she wrote herself into the Australian history books by defeating Prime Minister John Howard in the Sydney seat of Bennelong. In government she was parliamentary secretary for early childhood and later, for regional development and local government.