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Julian Burnside: Mind Your Language

When

Event Status

Unhappily, many people for whom language is a central part of
their life’s work are a bit careless about the way they use it. Go into
any court or any parliament any day and see whether you find the
language inspiring, or even intelligible. If we were carpenters, we
would probably leave our hammer and saw in the rain. The point of
language is to convey meaning. Ideally, it should do so accurately. Not
all writers honour this ideal. The purpose of language may be betrayed
by carelessness, foolishness or malevolence, by representatives of big
business, bureaucrats and politicians.

Julian Burnside will speak about
each, and will finish with some recent reminders that language can be
used powerfully and effectively if only we take enough care.

Featuring

Julian Burnside

Julian Burnside is a Melbourne barrister. He joined the Bar in 1976 and took silk in 1989. He specialises in commercial litigation, and has acted in many very contentious cases – the MUA Waterfront dispute; the Cash-for-Comment enquiry; cases for Alan Bond and Rose Porteous – but has be... Read more

Location

The Wheeler Centre

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.