Tag Archives: sydney writers festival

John Newton -‘The Oldest Foods on earth’

John Newton book cover

So here we all are, living in Australia – but do we really eat ‘Australian’ foods? The multi-cultural cuisine most of us like to define as Australian is one transplanted and remixed from an array of times and  cultures. But are we missing out on a fantastic array of foods that are growing naturally right under our noses? The foodstuffs of the original indigenous inhabitants of this vast continent?

There are now more than 50 chefs in Australia  serving up a taste of real native grown foods – and John’s favourite? Kylie Kwong – for her seamless melding of Asian and Australian ingredients.

John Newton

John Newton pic

Here is a short interview with John reading from his book ‘The Oldest foods on earth’

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Recorded at Sydney Writers Festival 2016

Hugh MacKay – ‘Beyond Belief’

 

beyond belief bookcover

Do you believe in God? Or do you believe in another ‘other’ power that is higher than ourselves?

Here is Hugh MacKay reading from his own book ‘Beyond Belief’in which he discusses the persistence even among a secular population of the belief in something other than our own existence, and how that influences our moral compass.

This recording and following interview was made at the Sydney Writers Festival this year. I put it to Hugh that writing about religion and spirituality was not a popular subject in a secular world – an observation he readily agreed with! Despite this perception, I believe Hugh has made an important contribution to philosophical discourse in this country and his book should be required reading  in educational institutions.

Hugh MacKAy pic

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Recorded at Sydney  Writers Festival 2016

James Rebanks – ‘The Shepherd’s Life’

 

The Shepherds life cover

I caught up with James Rebank at the Sydney Writers Festival.

He  read a short extract from his enchanting book ‘The Shepherd’s  Life’ about a way of life his family have carried out in the Lake District of England for more than 600 years.

He is optimistic that far from being a commemoration to a dying practise, his book celebrates a way of life and tradition which is increasingly being taken up by a younger generation.

The file starts with James reading in his beguiling Cumbrian accent and a short interview follows.

Audio Player

Recorded at Sydney  Writers Festival 2016