Family: Stories of belonging

The storybook idea of family—dad, mum, kids, gran and grandpa—doesn’t always reflect the bonds that tie us most closely to one another in Australia today. Many of us find that the people with whom we feel the greatest kinship—a godmother, a brilliant teacher, a tight-knit group of friends—have no biological connection to us.

Family: Stories of Belonging (Text, 2023) is an uplifting collection of personal essays celebrating families in all their wonderful forms and featuring contributions from some of Australia's finest writers.

Editor Ian See and contributors Cath Moore and Alice Pung join host Bruno Lettieri in conversation.

Free, bookings required for every attendee.

About the artists:

Ian See is a senior editor at the University of Queensland Press. Since graduating from RMIT's Professional Writing and Editing program, he has worked in book publishing for 15 years. He is also a former bookseller at Readings, and was on the judging panel for the 2021 Stella Prize.

Cath Moore is an award-winning author, academic and filmmaker whose work has screened on SBS, Channel 7 and ABC TV. Cath also works as a story developer and script consultant both here and in New Zealand. She has contributed to anthologies Growing up African in Australia and Family-Stories of Belonging and has written for The Age newspaper, Huffington Post and SBS Life. Her debut novel Metal Fish Falling Snow won the 2021 Victorian and Queensland Premiers’ awards and Prime Minister’s award for YA literature.

Alice Pung OAM is an award-winning author, the writer-in-residence at Janet Clarke Hall, the University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University.

Alice is the bestselling author of the memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter, the novels Laurinda and One Hundred Days, the essay collection Close to Home, as well as the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson.

Alice's writing for children include the Marly books from the Our Australian Girl series, When Granny Came to Stay, and the bilingual children's picture book, Be Careful, Xiao Xin! (illustrated by Sher Rill Ng)

In 2022 Alice was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her services to literature.

Bruno Lettieri has hosted poetry tours, led literary walks and interviewed many authors at libraries, writing festivals and more. Bruno is known for creating a warm and welcoming environment for audiences and guests alike. His gallery of interviews is available at brunogoeseverywhere.com