
What does it mean to be a storyteller in Australia today? Two of our most treasured authors, Tony Birch and Alice Pung, will appear in conversation with Paddy O'Reilly at Clunes, to discuss the thrills, dangers and possibilities of storytelling.
They'll discuss their most recent books, Common People and Close to Home, and explore how stories transport and transform us. Does form matter? Does genre matter? And what's the special significance of stories from, and about, home?
Presented in partnership with Clunes Booktown Festival.
Who?

Tony Birch
Tony Birch is the author of Ghost River, which won the 2016 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing, and Blood, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. He is also the author of Shadowboxing, and three short story collections – Father’s Day, The Promise and Common People.
Tony is a frequent contributor to ABC local and national radio, and a regular guest at writers’ festivals. He lives in Melbourne and is a Senior Research Fellow at Victoria University.

Alice Pung
Alice Pung is an award-winning writer, editor, teacher and lawyer based in Melbourne. Her books include Close to Home, On John Marsden, the memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter, and the novel Laurinda. She is the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson.

Paddy O'Reilly
Paddy O’Reilly is a writer from Melbourne. Her work has been published and broadcast widely both here and internationally. Her latest novel, The Fine Colour of Rust, is published in the UK, Australia and the USA.