Outspoken Maleny

Bob Carr in conversation

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We are delighted - honoured in fact - to open our 2026 series of conversations with former journalist and State Premier, Bob Carr, speaking about his ...

Emily Lighezzolo in conversation

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Maisie and Charlie meet at a life-drawing session as undergraduates: she’s the model, he’s an artist. Their immediate connection carries them acro...

Hugh Mackay in conversation

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh Mackay, social psychologist  extraordinaire - ‘the man who explains us to ourselves’ has a new book.Just Saying is a...

Peter Stevens in conversation about Lake Baroon Catchment Care

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are, tonight, discussing the new book written by Elaine Green, acclaimed local author of 14 books about community and local history. Unfortuna...

Bob Brown in conversation

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How to begin to introduce Dr Bob Brown? I mean, clearly, you all know exactly who he is and so any introduction is redundant. But, at the same time, t...

Heather Rose in conversation

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is a few years now since Heather Rose came to Maleny to speak about her memoir  Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here. The book revealed tha...

Chris Hammer in conversation

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These days Chris Hammer is best known for his ‘bush noir’ novels - a category which might even have been created to describe his books. They unrav...

Hugh White in conversation

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh White argues that, right now, we confront the world's most dangerous crisis in generations, with the old global order facing a direct challenge i...

Joanna Jenkins in conversation

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our ‘introducing author’ is the wonderful Joanna Jenkins.Her first novel How To Kill a Client, became a massive best-seller. In her new ...

Jane Rawson in conversation

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Rawson has an interesting backstory (see below) and much of her recent output has been fiction. In the case of  Human/Nature, however, she ...

Barry Traill AM (BJ) in conversation

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our introducing speaker tonight is Dr Barry Traill AM, (BJ). Barry is a long-term resident of Maleny, and is one of Australia’s most successful envi...

Debra Oswald in conversation

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our featured author tonight is Debra Oswald. Debra came to prominence, or maybe the right word is fame, with the production of the immensely popular t...

Steve MinOn in conversation

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our first guest tonight is the fascinating Steve MinOn. Steve’s debut novel is First Name Second Name, which won the Glendower Award for an emergin...

Rick Morton in conversation

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I'm going out on a limb here. I think Rick Morton’s Mean Streak is an important book. Its description of the creation, implementation and eventual ...

Siang Lu in conversation

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Siang Lu is the author of two novels, The Whitewash and Ghost Cities. The latter, which we'll be discussing, was inspired by the existence of several ...

Gina Chick in conversation

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gina Chick has written a memoir. It’s titled we are the stars, and it follows her life from when she was almost seven years old, all the way through...

Andrew Stafford in conversation

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Stafford’s book Pig City, about Brisbane music from the 70s through to the millennium, has been re-released for its twentieth anniversary. It...

Marko Newman in conversation

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Newman was born and raised in South Africa. As a young man he completed a post-graduate philosophy degree at Johannesburg University (University ...

Dr Norman Swan in conversation

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Norman Swan was born and raised in Glasgow, but he did his medical training at Aberdeen University, eventually going on to specialise in pediatrics...

Simon Cleary in conversation

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the autumn of 2023 Simon undertook to follow the course of the Brisbane River from its source to the sea, in the hope that, by walking its length h...

Hugh Mackay in conversation - The Way We Are

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh Mackay has long been recognised as Australia’s leading social psychologist. In The Way We Are, his self-described ‘final book’, he presents...

Carly-Jay Metcalfe in conversation

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tyyni and I have now read Carly's memoir, Breath, and are furiously recommending it to everyone we meet. It really is an extraordinary book, telling...

Bri Lee in conversation

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bri Lee writes investigative journalism, opinion, essays and art criticism. Her work has appeared in, amongst other places, The Monthly, Harper’s Ba...

Tony Birch in conversation

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Birch is the acclaimed author of four novels, including The White Girl and Ghost River, as well as three short story collections and two books of...

Melissa Ashley in conversation

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa is the best-selling author of The Birdman's Wife, which won many awards, including the Qld Premiers/University of Queensland Fiction Award an...

Mirandi Riwoe in conversation

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sunbirds is set in Java during the Second World War - at the time of Japan’s inexorable move southwards - it depicts the intricate web of identities...

David Marr in conversation

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When David Marr set out to research the life of his great-grandmother the last thing he expected to find was a photograph of her father, dressed in th...

Anna Funder in conversation

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A quote from Bookseller + Publisher: 'When researching a new book on George Orwell, powerhouse writer Anna Funder noticed an interesting omission—Ei...

Angela O'Keeffe in conversation

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Angela O’Keeffe’s new novel  The Sitter begins with ‘the author’ in an apartment in Paris, looking out towards the burnt shell of the Notre ...

Kim Mahood in conversation

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Mahood grew up in the 1950s and 60s on Mongrel Downs, a cattle station on the edge of the Tanami Desert. Much has changed in those parts in recent...

Louise Martin-Chew in conversation

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Louise speaks about her biography of Butjala artist Fiona Foley, a 'beautifully composed, intimate first-person account of the artistic practice of Ba...

Alexander McCall Smith in conversation, a snippet

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as Sandy, is one of the world’s most-loved authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and ...

James Kirby in conversation

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of compassion, what comes to mind? Kindness, understanding, tenderness, empathy, maybe warmth? Compassion can be all those things – b...

Chris Sarra in conversation

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chris is a Gurang Gurang/Taribelang man and former Queenslander of the Year. His memoir tells the remarkable story of how a young boy from Bundaberg g...

Joanna Jenkins in conversation

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joanna is the author of the fast-paced and witty thriller How to Kill a Client. Gavin Jones is dead. As an in-house lawyer who controlled millions of...

Heather Rose in conversation

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Heather Rose is the award-winning author of Bruny and The Museum of Modern Love. Her new memoir, nothing bad ever happens here is deeply personal col...

Peter Hudson in conversation

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Hudson is a landscape and portrait painter living and working in Maleny. Since the late 1990s he has explored aspects of the natural world, astr...

Kate Holden in conversation

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re failing this continent. We have been for some time. The latest State of the Environment Report only confirms what we’ve all known for years....

Katie McMahon in conversation

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Katie’s first novel, The Mistake, was exceedingly well-received, with cover notes by such luminaries as Liane Moriarty - I absolutely loved this nov...

Norman Swan in conversation

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Outspoken is delighted to bring Dr Norman Swan to Maleny for a conversation about his new book, So You Want to Live Younger Longer? Trained in paediat...

Fiona Robertson in conversation

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fiona Robertson is a writer and doctor (yes, two doctors for the price of one!). Her short fiction has been published in literary magazines and anthol...

Kári Gíslason in conversation

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kári Gíslason was born in Iceland. He’s the author of four books, two non-fiction and two novels. The Promise of Iceland tells the story of return...

Kevin Rudd in conversation

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Honourable Kevin Rudd AC. Mr Rudd was first elected as Prime Minister in 2007. Early initiatives of his government were the signing of the Kyoto P...

Linda Jaivin in conversation

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese history is long, sprawling and gloriously messy. It is full of heroes who are also villains, prosperous ages and violent rebellions, extraordi...

Warren Ward in conversation

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Warren is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland. His writing has appeared in many publications and he is a winner of the N...

Kevin Smith in conversation

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin grew up on the western edge of the Snowy Mountains, in a small sawmill village. He has worked primarily in drama and theatre, as actor, writer a...

Scott Ludlam in conversation

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The tag line on the cover of Scott’s remarkable new book, Full Circle, says simply: ‘Australia lost a Senator, the world gained a luminous writer’...

David Williamson in conversation

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David Williamson is the most produced playwright in the history of Australian theatre. Now, after 50 years of mainstage productions and numerous film...

Anthony Mullins in conversation

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anthony is a BAFTA and AWGIE award-winning screen-writer. His first short film STOP! was selected for Official Competition at Cannes, and one of his f...

Hugh Mackay in conversation

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh Mackay is probably Australia’s best-known ‘social psychologist’. He’s written twenty-two books, including Advance Australia… where?, Th...

Luke Stegemann in conversation

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Stegemann is an award-winning Australian Hispanist, author of The Beautiful Obscure, recipient of the Malaspina Award for his outstanding contri...

Ian Lowe in conversation

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Lowe AO is a bona fide Australian treasure. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society (and former Head of Science) at ...

Melanie Myers in conversation

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Melanie is a Brisbane-based writer, editor, academic and occasional actor. She is a graduate of QUT’s nationally acclaimed acting program and has a ...

Russell McGregor in conversation

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Russell McGregor is Associate Professor of history at James Cook University in Townsville. He has published extensively on the history of settler Aust...

Dr Karl in conversation

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While he’s best known for his radio and television work Karl also has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery. He...

Katie McMahon in conversation

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're delighted to introduce debut novelist Katie McMahon, talking about her novel, out in March, The Mistake. While Bec and Kate are sisters, the...

Marian Wilkinson in conversation

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Marian Wilkinson is regarded as one of the most distinguished journalists in Australia. She has won two Walkley Awards and was the first executive pro...

Leigh Robshaw in conversation

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Leigh Robshaw is a journalist, free-lance writer, copywriter, business blogger and sub-editor. She writes for a remarkable range of magazines and publ...

Clare Bowditch in conversation

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Clare Bowditch is a musician, an actor, radio presenter, educator and now author (on her website she calls herself music maker/story baker/educator). ...

Mary Garden in conversation

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Garden was born and raised in New Zealand, but has lived in Australia for much of her adult life. She also spent several years in India, on a spi...

Anna Funder in conversation

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Before turning to writing full-time in the late 1990’s, Anna Funder worked as an international lawyer for the Australian Government, focusing on hum...

Anne Summers in conversation

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I was born into a world that expected very little of women like me. We were meant to tread lightly on the earth, influencing events through our husban...

Melissa Fagan in conversation

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For all who know Brisbane, McWhirters, a once celebrated department store in Fortitude Valley, is an icon. For Melissa Fagan it is also the starting p...

Kerry O'Brien in conversation

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In his intimate ground-breaking memoir, told with wit and insight, Kerry O’Brien reflects on the big events he has observed, on lessons learned and ...

Shelley Davidow in conversation

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Shelley discusses her recently published memoir Shadow Sisters. During the terrifying years of Apartheid in South Africa, Shelley Davidow’s family...

Gillian Triggs in conversation

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Gillian Triggs has had a long and diverse career in International Law. Born in London she migrated along with her parents to Australia in 1958, when s...

Patrick Nunn in conversation

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Patrick Nunn is here to talk about his recently published book The Edge of Memory, Ancient Stories, Oral Tradition and the Post-Glacial World. Patric...

Kristina Olsson in conversation

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kristina Olsson is a Brisbane-based writer. She worked as a journalist for many years, writing for The Australian, The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Tel...

Josepha Dietrich in conversation

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We begin with Josepha Dietrich whose memoir In Danger was published by UQP earlier this year. By way of introduction I’m going to take the unusual s...

Gareth Evans in conversation

10 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Gareth Evans was a representative for the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives for twenty-one years, from 1978 t...

Steven Lang in conversation with Kate Evans

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast Outspoken organiser and interviewer swaps chairs and is interviewed by Kate Evans from ABC Radio National about his new novel, Hinterl...

Shelley Davidow in conversation

28 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Shelley Davidow is the author of Whisperings in the Blood, a memoir in which immigrant voyages, repeated from one generation to the next, form the bas...

A C Grayling in conversation

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A C Grayling is a genuine example of that much bandied about thing, a most remarkable man. Born in Rhodesia, raised in Nyasaland, he discovered a love...

Malachy Tallack in conversation

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Malachy Tallack is from the Shetland Isles, as far north in Scotland as you can go. He attracted a lot of attention with his first book, 60 Degrees No...

Kári Gíslason in conversation

19 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Kári Gíslason was born in Iceland. He’s the author of four books, two non-fiction and two novels. The Promise of Iceland tells the story of return...

Richard Fidler in conversation

19 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Fidler is best known these days for his Conversations with Richard Fidler on ABC radio. Conversations is the most podcast program on the ABC, ...

Elspeth Muir in conversation

02 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Tallking about her book Wasted, Text 2016 In 2009 Elspeth Muir’s youngest brother, Alexander, finished his last university exam and went out with s...

Mireille Juchau in conversation

02 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The World Without Us, Mireille's third novel, is set somewhere in the Hinterland of NSW's north coast, and concerns the Muller family, Stefan, Evangel...

Magda Szubanski in conversation

15 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s most beloved performers, most famous for her role in Kath and Kim as Sharon Strzelecki, but also for her work ...

Paul Williams in conversation

15 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Williams is Program Coordinator in Creative Writing at Sunshine Coast University and the author of several short stories and novels. His most rec...

Tim Flannery in conversation

08 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Tim Flannery is one of Australia’s leading writers on climate change. An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist...

Kate Holden in conversation

08 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Holden is the author of the memoirs In My Skin and The Romantic, Italian Nights and Days. In My Skin was nominated for many awards and was publis...

Kate Grenville in conversation

02 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most popular and best-known writers. Her novel The Secret River won the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize and was s...

Olivera Cimic in conversation

02 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Olivera Simic is the author of Surviving Peace, a Political Memoir, a heartfelt account of life before, during and after the Bosnian War and the NATO ...

Andrew MacMillen in conversation

22 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew’s journalism has been published in, amongst other places, Rolling Stone, Good Weekend, Wired, The Guardian, The Monthly, The Australian, Qwee...

John Birmingham in conversation

22 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

John Birmingham is the author of the cult classic He Died With a Falafel in His Hand; the award-winning history Leviathan; the Axis of Time series and...

Ellen van Neerven

24 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with last year’s David Unaipon Award winning author Ellen van Neerven about her debut novel Heat and Light. Ellen’s writing has app...

Henry Reynolds in conversation

24 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Henry Reynolds is Australia’s pre-eminent historian. In the early eighties he single-handedly changed the way Australian history was conducted when ...

Graeme Simsion in conversation

06 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Australian author Graeme Simsion’s first novel, The Rosie Project, was an international publishing phenomenon, selling over a million copies in more...

Sally Piper in conversation

06 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Sally's novel Grace's Table is a 'wise and tender novel about food, friendship and marriage...' It's a delightful slow burn of a book, which...

Karen Joy Fowler in conversation

08 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Karen Joy Fowler is the author of six novels and four collections of short stories. She's the winner of several major awards, including two Nebulas an...

Clare Dunn in conversation

07 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas