Telling stories can be an act of truly seeing the world around us, from Colombo to Tehran to Soweto. Author of Chai Time in Cinnamon Gardens, Shankari Chandran, returns with the gripping political thriller Unfinished Business -- where the busy streets of Sri Lanka's capital are dangerously alive. In Desolation, Hossein Asgari explores the power of storytelling after a man loses his brother during the violence and chaos of 1980s Iran. And Irma Gold's Shift delves into a family's love while living in one of South Africa's most famous, and notorious, townships. Together, Shankari, Hossein and Irma, in conversation with Nicole Abadee, will discuss how their characters are moulded, and their stories guided, by the places in which they live.
Hossein Asgari studied physics and creative writing. His debut novel, Only Sound Remains, was shortlisted for both the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards in 2024. His second novel, Desolation, was published by Ultimo Press in 2025. He currently works as a researcher at UniSA Creative.
Shankari Chandran was raised on Ngunnawal Country. She is an Australian Tamil lawyer and author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, Song of the Sun God, The Barrier, Safe Haven and Unfinished Business. In 2023 she won the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2023 for Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens.
Irma Gold is an award-winning Australian author, full-time freelance book editor and podcaster based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her books have been published in the US, UK, Canada, South America, Spain, China and Poland. She is the author of two novels, The Breaking and Shift, both of which have received widespread critical acclaim. Irma’s short fiction has been widely published in literary journals, and her acclaimed short fiction collection is Two Steps Forward. She is also the author of five children’s picture books, with another two forthcoming, and is the founder and co-host with Karen Viggers of the writing podcast Secrets from the Green Room.
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Concession Tickets apply for children under the age of 16, full-time students, Commonwealth Health Care Card holders, Commonwealth Seniors Card Holders and Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card holders. Please have your eligible card with you at the venue.
Concession 🎟️: $25
Adult 🎟️: $28
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- Next month, 25th October, 12:00 am, Gardening Across Generations - Canberra Writers Festival in Canberra
- Next month, 25th October, 05:30 am, Determination, Love and Dementia in Canberra
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