Before heading off for Easter holidays, I went along to see Dr Leslie Cannold speak at The Wheeler Centre as part of their Lunchbox/Soapbox series. Her speech was provocatively titled The Trouble with Feminists, which we were quickly told was that there aren’t enough of them.

Dr Cannold focussed on the fictional worlds created in literature as the battlefield in which female characters must fight for their entitled space.

‘But just like their real-life counterparts, fictional females don’t need to be good or virtuous or admirable to be entitled to half. In their case, to half of the space in stories our culture tells about itself to ourselves.’

Dr Cannold has written several books and chapters on various ethical issues including motherhood and abortion in Australia. Her first fiction novel was published last month, The Book of Rachael.

Other new speakers we have added in April are:

• Meyer Eidelson, historian and naturalist.
• Pelissa Tsilimidos-Thorne, NSW HSC English specialist.
• Jack Heath, author and boywonder.
• David Stavanger: Ghostboy, psychologist turned performance poet.
• Ken Haley, journalist and inspirational speaker who has travelled the world in his wheelchair.
• Dr Tony Birch, historian, short story writer and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at The University of Melbourne.
• Arabella Forge, dietitian and food writer.
• Mary Delahunty, author and former Education and Arts minister for Victoria.
• Karen Healey, contemporary fantasy author.
• Brian Falkner, recently migrated NZ author.

Please welcome our new speakers by clicking on their page.

Until next month, yours sincerely,

Esther Kennedy