Join Alice Pung and Bruno Lettieri in conversation, as they discuss books, reading and how to thrive in these challenging times. This is a live Zoom event.

In conversation with Bruno Lettieri, Alice will explore what it’s like to be a writer in lockdown. Where does inspiration come from during times of uncertainty? How does the lockdown affected writing? What are some silver linings?

Alice Pung is an award winning author. Alice was born in Footscray, Victoria, a month after her parents Kuan and Kien arrived in Australia. Alice Pung’s first book, Unpolished Gem, is an Australian bestseller which won the Australian Book Industry Newcomer of the Year Award and was shortlisted in the Victorian and NSW Premiers’ Literary awards. Alice’s next book, Her Father’s Daughter, won the Western Australia Premier’s Award for Non-Fiction and was shortlisted for the Victorian and NSW Premiers’ Literary awards and the Queensland Literary Awards. Laurinda was shortlisted for numerous awards in 2015.

Alice also edited the collection Growing Up Asian in Australia and her writing has appeared in the Monthly, the Age, and The Best Australian Stories and The Best Australian Essays. Her series of children's books, 'Meet Marly' from the Our Australian Girl series were published in 2015.Alice published Alice Pung on John Marsden in 2017 and Close to Home: selected writings in 2018. Alice is a qualified lawyer and still works as a legal researcher in the area of minimum wages and pay equity.

About Bruno Lettieri:

Bruno Lettieri founded the interview series Rotunda in the West while at Victoria University and interviewed Helen Garner, Arnold Zable, Michael Leunig and many more. He taught at Victoria University for many years and particularly loved teaching at the Sunbury campus where he taught Return to Study programs and Creative Writing, and began the first incarnation of Rotunda in the West series of conversations. He now freelances at festivals and libraries as Bruno Goes Everywhere.