Rick Morton, Siang Lu and an announcement
November 12
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I’m going to go out on a limb here. I think Rick Morton’s
Mean Streak is an important book. It’s also a difficult (but rivetting) book. It is, in fact, a horror show; its description of the creation, implementation and eventual dismantling of Robodebt is a long slow motion train wreck – one mendacious cruel scheming carriage after another inevitably, inexorably, piling into the one before it. But it’s also necessary. If we want to live in a society which works we need strong transparent institutions at its centre. Rick Morton has done something essential for all of us: drilled down into how something as individually damaging and nationally disgraceful as Robodebt could exist in a place like this. If you consider living in a civil society important, you should probably come and hear him speak.
Tickets are still available. |
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Outspoken presents
Rick Morton
in conversation
about his book
MEAN STREAK
Tuesday 12 November
Maleny Community Centre
6 for 6.30pm
Tickets $27.50 and $18 (students)
And, introducing:
Siang Lu
author of
Ghost Cities
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Rick Morton is the senior reporter at The Saturday Paper.
He has won two Walkley Awards for his coverage of the Royal Commission into Robodebt.
He's also the author of the wonderful
One Hundred Years of Dirt.
He asks you to consider what it might be like to live in a country whose government callously, but deliberately, condemns its poorest citizens to a Kafkaesque nightmare. As some sort of idealogical crusade. To raise funds. That same government who, when it was revealed what they had done, was obliged to pay it all back. Nobody, as you will be well aware, has been punished for what happened. Just this week it was announced that the NACC had been forced to reverse its decision not to investigate Robodebt because Commissioner Paul Brereton had not adequately removed himself from the process.
You can hear Rick Morton talking about this on the Saturday Paper's 7am here.
Rick grew up on a remote cattle station in far-west Queensland. His childhood gave him an insight into the nature of class in Australia and he writes very lucidly on the subject. When I was growing up, he says, ‘I didn’t know there was a hierarchy because I couldn’t see the rest of the ladder from where I was.’
Rick is a remarkable writer and a great speaker, don't miss this event!
Rick will be in conversation with Steven Lang.
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we'll begin the evening by
speaking with
Siang Lu
about his novel
Ghost Cities |
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Siang Lu is the author of two novels,
The Whitewash and
Ghost Cities. The latter, which we'll be discussing, was inspired by the vacant uninhabited megacities of China. It follows multiple narratives, including one in which a young man named Xiang is fired from his job as a translator at Sydney's Chinese Consulate after it is discovered he doesn't speak a word of Chinese and has been relying entirely on Google Translate for his work.
His first novel,
The Whitewash, won the ABIA Audiobook of the Year in 2023 and the Glendower Award for an emerging writer in the Qld Literary Awards.
Of Siang Lu, Chris Flynn wrote:
'A literary star is born in Siang Lu, although he'll probably be replaced by a white guy called Jeff at some point, so get in while you can.'
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We are very pleased, and grateful, to be able to announce that Outspoken is of one of six individuals and groups chosen as recipients of the 2024 'Gifted Program' operated by the Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Limited.
SCAF have donated $5000 to Outspoken so that we can continue to present our author events. |
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Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation is an independent organisation which provides funding opportunities to support the growth of the arts on the Sunshine Coast. You can find out more about them here. |
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ABOUT US
Outspoken is organised by Steven and Tyyni Lang.
All authors are in conversation with Steven Lang.
Events commence with a fifteen minute interview with our first author. This will be followed by approximately one hour of conversation with our headline author, including time for questions.
Please visit our website for more details and a list of our programmed events.
Maleny Community Centre will be running a bar so please come from
5.45pm to enjoy a drink.
Proceedings start at 6.30pm sharp, all finished (except book-signing) by 8pm.
For upcoming events, or to sign on to receive these emails, or for more information, please visit our website.
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These are one-off events and tickets will be strictly limited. If you would like to attend please make a booking as soon as is convenient. Please also tell anyone else you think might be interested.
We expect this event to sell out.
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We also very much appreciate the support of our local bookstore, Rosetta Books. They will be selling both of the author's books on the night |
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We also very much appreciate the support of our three local newspapers |
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