WEBVTT - Talking Vision 724 Week Beginning 15th of April 2024 0:00:38.380 --> 0:00:44.150 From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's 0:00:44.150 --> 0:00:46.130 your host, Sam Colley. 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:51.790 Hello everyone. It's great to be here with you. And 0:00:51.790 --> 0:00:54.760 for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness 0:00:54.760 --> 0:00:55.870 and low vision. 0:00:55.870 --> 0:00:59.200 We are a referral organization, so we don't provide the 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:02.200 reading and writing support ourselves, but we help people to 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:05.500 find the best solution. And often that might involve helping 0:01:05.500 --> 0:01:09.070 them call the provider or institution that they're going just 0:01:09.070 --> 0:01:11.290 to break down some of those barriers so they feel 0:01:11.290 --> 0:01:13.060 comfortable to make that call. 0:01:13.180 --> 0:01:16.210 Welcome to the program. We've got a great show in 0:01:16.210 --> 0:01:19.510 store for you this week as we celebrate a special 0:01:19.510 --> 0:01:24.850 birthday with the 30th anniversary of the Reading Writing Hotline, 0:01:24.850 --> 0:01:29.590 who have spent the past three decades referring callers to 0:01:29.590 --> 0:01:34.690 the services they require to improve their literacy and numeracy. 0:01:34.780 --> 0:01:38.620 I catch up with the manager of the Reading Writing Hotline, 0:01:38.620 --> 0:01:43.180 Vanessa Iles, and that interview is coming up very shortly 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:48.250 after my conversation with Vanessa. It's almost time for the 0:01:48.250 --> 0:01:52.330 Melbourne Writers Festival coming up in early May, and we've 0:01:52.330 --> 0:01:55.450 got a couple of events at the Vision Australia office 0:01:55.450 --> 0:01:58.810 in Kooyong to let you know about. I'm speaking with 0:01:58.810 --> 0:02:03.730 the artistic director of the festival, Micaela McGuire. She'll tell 0:02:03.730 --> 0:02:06.640 us a little bit more about those events, but also 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:10.420 the festival more broadly, and that conversation is coming up 0:02:10.420 --> 0:02:13.930 later in the show. I hope you enjoyed this week's 0:02:13.930 --> 0:02:22.490 episode of Talking Vision. I began the interview with Vanessa 0:02:22.490 --> 0:02:27.260 by asking about the history of the Reading Writing hotline, 0:02:27.260 --> 0:02:30.350 as well as an overview of the hotline and the 0:02:30.350 --> 0:02:31.250 work they do. 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:36.260 Absolutely. Well, we started in 1994 and we came out 0:02:36.260 --> 0:02:40.610 of the International Year of Literacy, and that was a 0:02:40.610 --> 0:02:43.220 big acknowledgement that there's lots of people out in the 0:02:43.220 --> 0:02:46.910 community that need help with their reading and writing. Many 0:02:46.910 --> 0:02:49.490 of those people may have gone to school in Australia. 0:02:49.490 --> 0:02:52.190 And so it's not a language issue. It's a literacy 0:02:52.190 --> 0:02:56.660 reading and writing issue. And they often don't feel comfortable 0:02:56.660 --> 0:02:58.970 putting their hand up and saying, I'm struggling with my 0:02:58.970 --> 0:03:01.880 reading and writing. They might feel a bit of shame 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:07.400 and embarrassment around that. And so the ABC put a program, 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:11.330 ABC TV put a program together, which was a literacy 0:03:11.330 --> 0:03:14.450 program for adults that they could enjoy in their lounge rooms. 0:03:14.450 --> 0:03:17.630 So they had a workbook, they could watch the TV, 0:03:17.630 --> 0:03:19.700 they worked. You know, they had sort of an online 0:03:19.700 --> 0:03:22.340 teacher with some little skits. It was quite kind of 0:03:22.340 --> 0:03:25.940 a funny program. And then they needed teachers on, on 0:03:25.940 --> 0:03:28.580 the phone lines to help them if they got stuck 0:03:28.580 --> 0:03:31.640 with their workbooks. So that was sort of the genesis 0:03:31.640 --> 0:03:35.270 of the hotline. And we we assisted. That program was 0:03:35.270 --> 0:03:39.500 called the Reading Writing Roadshow, and it went for years 0:03:39.500 --> 0:03:42.500 on the ABC. It was very, very popular and ran 0:03:42.500 --> 0:03:45.320 quite a few times over the years. So at the 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:49.100 end of that program, people realized that they still they'd 0:03:49.100 --> 0:03:50.990 finish the program and then they're like, oh, now I 0:03:50.990 --> 0:03:52.820 want it. What? How do I get into a classroom? 0:03:52.820 --> 0:03:55.130 I've got my confidence up. How do I get into 0:03:55.130 --> 0:03:58.460 a classroom? And then the hotline just continued. So our 0:03:58.460 --> 0:04:01.970 job now really is to take calls from the public, 0:04:01.970 --> 0:04:05.510 from anyone who wants to improve their own reading and writing, 0:04:05.510 --> 0:04:11.540 and now digital skills through to community workers, family members, employers. 0:04:11.540 --> 0:04:14.390 Lots of people call us saying, look, I'm seeking some 0:04:14.390 --> 0:04:18.140 support for someone I know, and we help them sort 0:04:18.140 --> 0:04:20.870 of navigate. It's pretty tricky field out there. We get them, 0:04:20.930 --> 0:04:22.760 help them to find a class that's going to be 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:25.130 good for them and talk them through all the barriers 0:04:25.130 --> 0:04:27.470 that they might face that they're worried about, so that 0:04:27.470 --> 0:04:29.180 they can get into a classroom. 0:04:29.180 --> 0:04:34.070 And given it's kicked off in 1994, that's riding the 0:04:34.070 --> 0:04:38.030 wave of the internet, has that sort of became a 0:04:38.030 --> 0:04:41.570 fledgling medium and really, as we know, took off in 0:04:41.570 --> 0:04:44.750 the coming decades to where it is now, where it's 0:04:44.750 --> 0:04:51.260 an absolutely ubiquitous medium found in literally every corner of society. 0:04:51.260 --> 0:04:56.300 So that's also an interesting backdrop against which the hotline 0:04:56.300 --> 0:05:00.350 has found itself over the past three decades. So what 0:05:00.350 --> 0:05:05.360 sort of impact has this advance in technology had on 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.360 the various shapes that the hotline has taken over the 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:09.500 past 30 years? 0:05:09.770 --> 0:05:12.920 That's a great question, Sam. And I think people would 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:16.760 be surprised to know that we haven't changed that much. 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:19.520 And the reason for that is typically the cons of 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.820 calls we get from people where they might be struggling 0:05:22.820 --> 0:05:26.120 with their reading and writing. When you add a digital 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:29.570 layer on top of that, it actually is another literacy. 0:05:29.570 --> 0:05:32.900 So it actually compounds the problem for people already struggling 0:05:32.900 --> 0:05:35.480 with their reading and writing. And we know that, you know, 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:39.320 there's plenty of people, particularly in older generations in the community, 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:42.080 that read and write perfectly well and they, you know, 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:44.660 manage their day to day and their work life with 0:05:44.660 --> 0:05:47.990 those literacy skills. But once they have to go online, 0:05:47.990 --> 0:05:51.560 it's a whole different story. So what we find is, 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:55.010 while we do have a website available for people to access, 0:05:55.010 --> 0:05:58.610 and we have resources online that people can access, most 0:05:58.610 --> 0:06:02.270 people still really prefer a phone line because of the 0:06:02.270 --> 0:06:06.500 human connection. So we don't have a complicated phone menu where, 0:06:06.500 --> 0:06:08.210 you know, if you ring a bank, it often takes 0:06:08.210 --> 0:06:11.270 you five minutes listening to press four for this, press 0:06:11.270 --> 0:06:14.450 five for that. We've got a very straightforward phone line. 0:06:14.450 --> 0:06:16.700 People just ring through and speak with the teacher, and 0:06:16.700 --> 0:06:18.950 if we're on the phone, it'll go to a voicemail 0:06:18.950 --> 0:06:22.220 and one call back. So that's actually seems to be 0:06:22.220 --> 0:06:26.090 the medium that people still prefer. We do receive emails, 0:06:26.090 --> 0:06:30.110 but in terms of sort of really embracing this whole, 0:06:30.230 --> 0:06:33.650 you know, availability of now other platforms, it actually gets 0:06:33.650 --> 0:06:37.490 really complicated for people. And so we just keep it straightforward. 0:06:37.490 --> 0:06:41.330 We can send people resources in lots of different formats. 0:06:41.330 --> 0:06:43.130 They may want it in text or they may want 0:06:43.130 --> 0:06:45.620 it anymore. They may want it mailed to them. But 0:06:45.620 --> 0:06:48.800 in terms of actual accepting calls from people, the good 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.080 old phone line is still what works. 0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:51.590 Over the. 0:06:51.590 --> 0:06:56.360 Years. Vanessa, I'm curious to hear about people ringing in 0:06:56.360 --> 0:07:00.080 to the hotline and contacting you via the website and 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.380 email who are blind or have low vision. Could you 0:07:03.380 --> 0:07:07.370 go into a little bit of detail around that, and 0:07:07.370 --> 0:07:11.570 the sort of ways in which the hotline can help. 0:07:11.870 --> 0:07:14.270 As we do with all of the population? We have 0:07:14.270 --> 0:07:17.930 a really wide variety of calls from people who have 0:07:17.930 --> 0:07:20.820 vision impairment, and some of them may. Have had a 0:07:20.820 --> 0:07:23.250 vision impairment from birth. Some of them, it may be 0:07:23.250 --> 0:07:26.550 a gradually being lost and they're calling us because they're 0:07:26.550 --> 0:07:29.640 now struggling where they weren't before. Or it may have been, 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.770 you know, a sudden vision loss as a result of 0:07:31.770 --> 0:07:34.080 an injury. You know, one of the calls I can 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:37.680 think of we received was from someone who was experiencing 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:41.460 deteriorating vision, and they explained that, you know, they needed 0:07:41.460 --> 0:07:44.370 to be able to read manuals. They were fixing cars 0:07:44.370 --> 0:07:46.440 and they wanted to be able to read manuals, and 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:48.900 they really needed help with that. So I suppose the 0:07:48.900 --> 0:07:51.360 first thing we have to do is really unpack what 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:53.730 is the literacy help they need from what is the 0:07:53.730 --> 0:07:57.120 assistance they need with their vision or their deteriorating vision. 0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:00.270 And that can actually take quite a bit of time 0:08:00.270 --> 0:08:04.350 to unpack that information. And once we determine, then assuming 0:08:04.350 --> 0:08:07.350 there is some sort of literacy issue, and assuming they 0:08:07.350 --> 0:08:11.010 also want to go to a class to improve their literacy, 0:08:11.010 --> 0:08:15.030 then we'll talk them through what that involves, what RTOs 0:08:15.030 --> 0:08:19.410 might be. Sorry, RTOs are registered training organizations, so they 0:08:19.410 --> 0:08:22.350 might be tafes or they might be a private provider 0:08:22.350 --> 0:08:25.500 talking through what options are available and how it will work. 0:08:25.500 --> 0:08:28.200 So in that particular case, with that bloke that needed 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:31.260 help with reading a manual, it was really it wasn't 0:08:31.260 --> 0:08:34.890 a literacy issue, it was that his eyesight was deteriorating. 0:08:34.890 --> 0:08:38.010 And so in those cases, we refer callers through to 0:08:38.010 --> 0:08:41.790 Vision Australia to discuss perhaps some sort of adaptive technology 0:08:41.790 --> 0:08:44.550 or how they may cope with that. In another case, 0:08:44.550 --> 0:08:48.000 we had a call from a young woman who she 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:50.700 was in her 20s. She said that she really wanted 0:08:50.700 --> 0:08:54.840 to increase her literacy skills because she wanted to get work, 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:58.860 and she had what she described as a severe vision impairment. 0:08:58.860 --> 0:09:01.860 She left school when she was about 13, and so 0:09:01.860 --> 0:09:03.750 she felt that she didn't get all of the reading 0:09:03.750 --> 0:09:06.600 and writing skills that she needed. And so in that case, 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:10.500 we found out who was the providers in her area 0:09:10.500 --> 0:09:13.770 that would offer classes. And then with her permission, she 0:09:13.770 --> 0:09:16.140 she actually requested that we help her sort of with 0:09:16.140 --> 0:09:18.660 the next step. So then we rang there was a 0:09:18.660 --> 0:09:22.830 TAFE in this instance and spoke with the teacher consultant 0:09:22.830 --> 0:09:26.520 for students who have disabilities, and they explained that they've 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:28.920 got a really long kind of they do a functional 0:09:28.920 --> 0:09:32.040 assessment on what the requirements are. And so we could 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:34.770 talk that through with her. And then we eventually passed 0:09:34.770 --> 0:09:37.200 her over to the tape. But it's kind of, you know, 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:41.220 people often they're feeling embarrassed about their literacy skills to 0:09:41.220 --> 0:09:43.830 start with and they just don't know where to start. 0:09:43.830 --> 0:09:47.040 And so being able to unpack that information for them 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:49.500 and then to let them know the kinds of questions 0:09:49.500 --> 0:09:53.010 that the TAFE might ask to help them support her better, 0:09:53.010 --> 0:09:55.710 was really helpful for her. And then she felt confident 0:09:55.710 --> 0:09:59.010 to make that next step. We do hear from people 0:09:59.010 --> 0:10:02.850 that often they use their vision as a strategy for 0:10:02.850 --> 0:10:07.410 not acknowledging their limited reading and writing skills. So they 0:10:07.410 --> 0:10:10.680 might say they forgot their glasses or they're struggling with 0:10:10.680 --> 0:10:12.750 their eyesight. So it really takes quite a bit of 0:10:12.750 --> 0:10:14.310 questioning to unpack that. 0:10:14.310 --> 0:10:17.820 Of course, we will also stress that, as you've mentioned, 0:10:17.820 --> 0:10:21.780 it is a referral service where people can ring up 0:10:21.780 --> 0:10:25.260 and find a way to get the resources that they 0:10:25.260 --> 0:10:28.980 do need. And that's one of the most crucial aspects 0:10:28.980 --> 0:10:32.760 of the hotline, is to point people in the right direction, 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:36.810 but looking forward to the future now. Vanessa, what are 0:10:36.810 --> 0:10:42.570 some challenges but also opportunities that the hotline is looking 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:47.670 to address over the coming months, years, perhaps decades to come? 0:10:47.910 --> 0:10:48.420 Well, I. 0:10:48.420 --> 0:10:51.780 Think that one of the really big issues is that 0:10:51.780 --> 0:10:57.060 the literacy, numeracy and digital skill requirements are increasing in 0:10:57.060 --> 0:11:00.180 every aspect of our life. So whereas once upon a time, 0:11:00.180 --> 0:11:02.730 we may have been able to hold down a job 0:11:02.730 --> 0:11:05.550 that didn't require very much reading and writing, and we 0:11:05.550 --> 0:11:07.890 came home and we could spend time with our family. 0:11:07.890 --> 0:11:11.310 These days, we know that most jobs, even if they're 0:11:11.310 --> 0:11:16.920 predominantly a manual focus, will require significant reading and writing skills. 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:19.140 And then when you come home from work, you often 0:11:19.140 --> 0:11:22.020 have a whole lot of admin to do, which requires 0:11:22.020 --> 0:11:25.740 answering emails, which again requires literacy and numeracy. So we 0:11:25.740 --> 0:11:29.190 know that there's a really big increase in the skills required. 0:11:29.190 --> 0:11:33.270 And unfortunately, the increase in literacy and numeracy in the 0:11:33.270 --> 0:11:36.180 community is not increasing. So we can see there's a 0:11:36.180 --> 0:11:39.600 big role for us. As you really correctly pointed out, Sam, 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:42.960 we we are a referral organisation, so we don't provide 0:11:42.960 --> 0:11:46.410 the support, the reading and writing support ourselves, but we 0:11:46.410 --> 0:11:49.200 help people to find the best solution. And often that 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:53.160 might involve helping them call the provider or institution that 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.410 they're going just to break down some of those barriers 0:11:55.410 --> 0:11:58.530 so they feel comfortable to make that call. One thing 0:11:58.530 --> 0:12:00.570 we really want to work on, and I had a 0:12:00.570 --> 0:12:03.030 perfect example of this in my inbox this morning from 0:12:03.030 --> 0:12:06.450 an organisation we work with, is just the complexity of 0:12:06.450 --> 0:12:09.900 language that people use unnecessarily. And, you know, and that 0:12:09.900 --> 0:12:12.330 would be compounded, I imagine, for people with a vision 0:12:12.330 --> 0:12:16.590 impairment who, you know, may really tire from having to 0:12:16.590 --> 0:12:19.200 see so much text. And that is just, you know, 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:21.910 it's not. Necessary. So we're really pushing. We have a 0:12:21.910 --> 0:12:26.650 reader friendly handbook on our website and working with large organizations, 0:12:26.650 --> 0:12:32.410 government organizations, to get them to simplify unnecessarily complicated language 0:12:32.410 --> 0:12:35.020 so that it's more accessible to people. You know, I 0:12:35.020 --> 0:12:38.680 really nearly half of the population would really struggle with 0:12:38.680 --> 0:12:41.260 a standard government form that you have to fill out, 0:12:41.260 --> 0:12:43.840 and there's no need for it to be so complicated. 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:46.270 So that's one of the big challenges we face and 0:12:46.270 --> 0:12:48.820 something we're really advocating for at the moment. 0:12:48.820 --> 0:12:52.270 And for listeners out there who are looking to get 0:12:52.270 --> 0:12:56.590 in touch with the reading writing hotline, that number, of course, 0:12:56.590 --> 0:13:03.370 as people would have known over the years 1306506, but 0:13:03.370 --> 0:13:08.110 also for people to get in touch with you online, perhaps, Vanessa, 0:13:08.110 --> 0:13:10.990 if that's the way that they'd like to contact you, 0:13:10.990 --> 0:13:14.740 what is that website and email for people to get 0:13:14.740 --> 0:13:15.520 in touch? 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:21.730 Yeah, it's reading writing hotline.edu dot now. So I think 0:13:21.730 --> 0:13:24.640 for most people, if they type in reading into the 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:27.700 search engine, it'll come up somewhere within the first sort 0:13:27.700 --> 0:13:33.400 of page of responses. So reading writing hotline.edu dot o 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.890 u and you'll find us, there's a form on there 0:13:35.890 --> 0:13:38.680 that you can click and it'll send us an email. 0:13:38.680 --> 0:13:41.410 And there's lots of information on there about what happens 0:13:41.410 --> 0:13:43.780 when you call the hotline. What are some resources that 0:13:43.780 --> 0:13:46.090 might be available. You know, and it's a good starting 0:13:46.090 --> 0:13:47.230 point for people. 0:13:47.230 --> 0:13:51.190 Well, there's, you know, so much we could talk about Vanessa, 0:13:51.190 --> 0:13:54.430 but that's all the time we've got for now. I've 0:13:54.430 --> 0:13:59.440 been speaking today with Vanessa Iles, manager of the Reading 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:05.020 Writing Hotline, joining me today to celebrate the 30th anniversary 0:14:05.020 --> 0:14:08.530 of the hotline. And we wish them a very happy 0:14:08.530 --> 0:14:13.270 30th birthday and many successes, no doubt into the future. 0:14:20.030 --> 0:14:23.750 I'm Sam Culley and you're listening to Talking Vision on 0:14:23.750 --> 0:14:29.300 Vision Australia Radio, associated rating radio services around the country 0:14:29.300 --> 0:14:33.740 and the Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that 0:14:33.740 --> 0:14:38.900 conversation there with Vanessa from the Rating Writing Hotline. If 0:14:38.900 --> 0:14:42.590 you missed any part of that conversation with Vanessa, I'd 0:14:42.590 --> 0:14:46.400 love to hear it again. Talking vision is available on 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:53.780 the Vision Australia Radio website at RVA radio.org. That's RVA radio.org. 0:14:53.810 --> 0:14:57.140 You can also find the program on the podcast app 0:14:57.140 --> 0:15:01.430 of your choice or through the Vision Australia library. And 0:15:01.430 --> 0:15:05.060 coming up now I chat with Mikaela. I began by 0:15:05.060 --> 0:15:08.750 asking Mikaela to give us an overview of the Melbourne 0:15:08.750 --> 0:15:10.100 Writers Festival. 0:15:10.130 --> 0:15:14.870 Yeah, so Melbourne Writers Festival started in 1984, and we 0:15:14.870 --> 0:15:17.420 are running the most recent edition from the 6th to 0:15:17.420 --> 0:15:20.540 the 12th of May this year. We've got about 50 0:15:20.540 --> 0:15:24.560 public events featuring almost 100 writers from Australia to all 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:28.280 around the world, right here in Melbourne. It's the most 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:30.620 thrilling lineup that I've put together in all my years 0:15:30.620 --> 0:15:33.800 of directing festivals. This is my fourth Melbourne Writers Festival, 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:38.030 and we cannot wait to start welcoming audiences and authors 0:15:38.030 --> 0:15:39.140 to Melbourne very soon. 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:43.310 That's right, and it's a very exciting time. You've recently 0:15:43.310 --> 0:15:47.360 launched the program for the festival, so tell us a 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.240 little bit about your recent program launch. 0:15:50.630 --> 0:15:53.270 It was such a fun night. It was about two 0:15:53.270 --> 0:15:55.820 weeks ago now on a Thursday evening at the wonderful 0:15:55.820 --> 0:15:59.510 Crystal Palace and Courtyard in Carlton, which is a beautiful venue. 0:15:59.660 --> 0:16:04.730 We were surrounded by friends, colleagues from the industry, book talkers, readers, 0:16:04.730 --> 0:16:08.450 long time friends of the festival and authors. And honestly, 0:16:08.450 --> 0:16:10.190 it was the launch of my dreams. As soon as 0:16:10.190 --> 0:16:13.220 I started announcing the names of authors who'd be coming 0:16:13.250 --> 0:16:16.970 to join us in person, like Ann Patchett, for instance, 0:16:16.970 --> 0:16:20.060 there were audible gasps from the crowd. People were cheering 0:16:20.060 --> 0:16:23.930 and clapping. It's such an exciting lineup, and it's one 0:16:23.930 --> 0:16:26.030 of the nicest moments of the year for the festival 0:16:26.030 --> 0:16:27.920 team to be able to show off all of this 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.250 really hard work, and to finally stop keeping the secrets 0:16:31.250 --> 0:16:33.440 that we've been keeping about who we've got joining us 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:36.530 this year. But like I said, Ann Patchett just was 0:16:36.530 --> 0:16:39.290 met with the most amazing groups and cheers. She is 0:16:39.290 --> 0:16:42.770 such a beloved author of so many people, myself included. 0:16:43.130 --> 0:16:46.610 She runs a bookstore in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:50.990 which is legendary. She has published books like Bel Canto, Commonwealth, 0:16:50.990 --> 0:16:53.450 State of Wonder. I mean, she's such like a sort 0:16:53.450 --> 0:16:56.630 of cultural phenomenon. She's even mentioned in an episode of 0:16:56.630 --> 0:16:59.510 Lena Dunham show girls very early on. She's just this 0:16:59.510 --> 0:17:04.040 huge cultural touchstone for people universally beloved, and we are 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.320 so lucky to have her joining us here in Melbourne. 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.260 It's her first trip to Australia in almost ten years, 0:17:09.260 --> 0:17:11.450 and she'll be joined by her good friend and fellow 0:17:11.450 --> 0:17:14.720 author Meg Mason, who was the author of Sorrow and Bliss. 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:17.330 And they're going to be talking about something a little 0:17:17.330 --> 0:17:19.820 bit different this festival. They're not going to be talking 0:17:19.820 --> 0:17:21.980 about the books that they've published. They're going to be 0:17:21.980 --> 0:17:25.790 talking about the books that they never published, the second 0:17:25.790 --> 0:17:28.520 drafts of books that they kept stashed in a drawer 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.680 that they didn't feel could see the light of day. 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:33.800 And in any case, that's an entire other draft of 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:36.380 her book called The Dutch House that links into this 0:17:36.380 --> 0:17:40.250 year's festival theme, which is ghosts. And that particular event 0:17:40.250 --> 0:17:43.880 is called Spectres at the feast. But all throughout the program, 0:17:44.030 --> 0:17:47.060 we'll be looking at different sorts of hauntings, whether that's 0:17:47.060 --> 0:17:52.190 political ghosts or the ghosts of history, ghosts of past relationships, 0:17:52.190 --> 0:17:55.040 ghosts of our past selves, as well as the idea 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:59.150 of our future, our collective hopeful future as a sort 0:17:59.150 --> 0:18:01.850 of ghostly possibility. So these are the themes that have 0:18:01.850 --> 0:18:04.850 come out in the novels and the nonfiction books that 0:18:04.850 --> 0:18:06.590 will be part of the program. And this is the 0:18:06.590 --> 0:18:09.500 framework that we're using to ask authors to engage with 0:18:09.500 --> 0:18:10.880 each other on stage. 0:18:11.180 --> 0:18:12.560 And that's fantastic. 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:16.070 News to hear people like Ann Patchett heading along and, 0:18:16.070 --> 0:18:19.820 you know, having somebody of that stature at the Melbourne 0:18:19.820 --> 0:18:23.270 Writers Festival, that's a fantastic win for the team. But 0:18:23.270 --> 0:18:27.980 also that discussion that not only Ann Patchett will be having, 0:18:27.980 --> 0:18:31.970 but all the other authors around her about those, you know, 0:18:31.970 --> 0:18:36.050 second drafts, things I weren't confident enough to publish, things 0:18:36.050 --> 0:18:39.920 that didn't quite get there. That's a really interesting peek 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.830 into the behind the scenes of what it's like to 0:18:42.830 --> 0:18:45.470 be a writer. So those are going to be really 0:18:45.470 --> 0:18:47.900 interesting sort of sessions for sure. 0:18:47.900 --> 0:18:49.910 Yeah, I think that's right. I mean, a lot of 0:18:49.910 --> 0:18:52.280 our audience are just general members of the public who 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:55.130 love to read, who perhaps don't necessarily know that much 0:18:55.130 --> 0:18:57.710 about how books come together. So I think it it's 0:18:57.710 --> 0:19:01.550 really valuable to demystify the process, right, to let people 0:19:01.550 --> 0:19:05.930 know that, you know, these perfectly formed, magisterial pieces of work, 0:19:05.930 --> 0:19:09.020 you know, don't just flow forward from an author's fingers, but, 0:19:09.020 --> 0:19:11.660 you know, it's a really hard job. And years and 0:19:11.660 --> 0:19:14.990 years of work and lots of frustration grows into the 0:19:14.990 --> 0:19:17.540 finished products that we get lucky enough to find in book. 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.490 Bookstores or in libraries. The other thing, of course, about 0:19:20.490 --> 0:19:24.030 Ann Patchett is that she has the best audiobook narrators 0:19:24.030 --> 0:19:27.450 in the world. Meryl Streep does her most recent novel. 0:19:27.450 --> 0:19:30.600 Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Oh my God, 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:31.320 it's so great. 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:33.570 And, um, Tom Hanks does the Dutch house. 0:19:33.570 --> 0:19:36.720 Wow. Yeah. Wow. Okay, no, I want. 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.090 To go back to that launch. And, you know, those 0:19:39.090 --> 0:19:41.970 feelings of, you know, it all went so well, and 0:19:41.970 --> 0:19:45.210 that's an absolute dream come true with all these people 0:19:45.210 --> 0:19:48.990 coming together. And when you're involved in something like that 0:19:48.990 --> 0:19:51.630 and it goes off without a hitch. That's just such 0:19:51.630 --> 0:19:53.190 a wonderful feeling, isn't it? 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:57.690 It is. Yeah. There were definitely some hitches backstage, but 0:19:57.690 --> 0:19:59.730 as a festival team, that's our job. To make it 0:19:59.730 --> 0:20:02.850 seem incredibly smooth and polished on the outside. And it 0:20:02.850 --> 0:20:05.400 had such a lovely feel like it was just a 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:07.710 big room full of friends, uh, people who really love 0:20:07.710 --> 0:20:10.410 the festival and the ones who are most eager to 0:20:10.410 --> 0:20:11.970 hear about it. Very first of all. 0:20:11.970 --> 0:20:14.730 Now one of the other important things, the reason why 0:20:14.730 --> 0:20:18.930 we're catching up today is about, um, Virgin Australia partnering 0:20:18.930 --> 0:20:24.030 up as an accessibility and inclusion partner to the Melbourne 0:20:24.030 --> 0:20:28.590 Writers Festival in 2024. So could you go into a 0:20:28.590 --> 0:20:32.430 bit of detail about why the Melbourne Writers Festival has 0:20:32.430 --> 0:20:36.810 partnered with Virgin Australia Radio? Again, in this capacity. 0:20:36.810 --> 0:20:37.260 I feel. 0:20:37.260 --> 0:20:38.910 Like you're just asking for compliments. 0:20:38.910 --> 0:20:39.780 Oh that's okay. 0:20:40.830 --> 0:20:43.830 We love working with Virgin Australia Library. It's such a 0:20:43.830 --> 0:20:46.830 terrific partnership for us. We're really aware of the fact 0:20:46.830 --> 0:20:49.980 that it's not always practical or possible for people to 0:20:49.980 --> 0:20:53.100 get to our events in the city, so we're always 0:20:53.100 --> 0:20:55.680 looking to broaden the access and make the festival as 0:20:55.680 --> 0:20:58.320 inclusive as possible. Uh, like I said, you know, we 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:01.860 spend a year putting these festivals together. So as much 0:21:01.860 --> 0:21:04.740 as we're able to within our resources, we want to 0:21:04.740 --> 0:21:06.570 be able to make sure that they're able to be 0:21:06.570 --> 0:21:09.210 enjoyed by as many people as possible. So a big 0:21:09.210 --> 0:21:11.250 part of that is doing a couple of events with 0:21:11.250 --> 0:21:14.640 Virgin Australia Library in Kooyong every year. We've got two 0:21:14.640 --> 0:21:18.690 amazing events this year, and of course we also work 0:21:18.690 --> 0:21:20.910 with you to make sure that there's an audio guide 0:21:20.910 --> 0:21:24.390 available for our program guide that you can access through 0:21:24.390 --> 0:21:27.810 our website, just through the festival Information and Access part. 0:21:27.810 --> 0:21:31.320 But if you prefer to listen to the program guide, 0:21:31.320 --> 0:21:33.360 perhaps while you're having a cup of tea or doing 0:21:33.360 --> 0:21:35.550 something else, that's a really easy way for people to 0:21:35.550 --> 0:21:37.920 be able to get across the program, hear all about 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:40.500 what's happening, and decide which events they want to go to, 0:21:40.500 --> 0:21:42.720 and start marking them down and booking tickets. 0:21:42.720 --> 0:21:45.480 I would love to have a chat about the Vision 0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:49.110 Australia library events and the tour events. As you've mentioned 0:21:49.110 --> 0:21:54.150 that the Melbourne Writers Festival is involved with presenting. So 0:21:54.150 --> 0:21:59.010 let's start off with Toby Walsh's event Machines Behaving Badly. 0:21:59.010 --> 0:22:02.040 That's quite an interesting one for people out there. 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:04.260 Yeah, I mean, this is one of the biggest topics 0:22:04.260 --> 0:22:07.620 of the modern age, right, about how AI interacts with 0:22:07.620 --> 0:22:10.320 our everyday lives and what that's going to look like 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:13.800 in the rapidly evolving future. And Toby Walsh is a 0:22:13.800 --> 0:22:17.760 world leading AI expert. He's based in Sydney, and the 0:22:17.760 --> 0:22:20.430 machine's behaving badly as the title of his latest books. 0:22:20.430 --> 0:22:23.850 It's about the morality of AI, so he's going to 0:22:23.850 --> 0:22:26.820 be talking about all of the ethical considerations that we 0:22:26.820 --> 0:22:29.910 need to be bearing into mind as we make this 0:22:29.910 --> 0:22:33.720 technology more and more enmeshed with our daily lives. We've 0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:36.090 got a session elsewhere in the festival as well, talking 0:22:36.090 --> 0:22:38.790 about the role of art and how it intersects with 0:22:38.790 --> 0:22:42.600 AI particularly, you know, the question of whether ChatGPT can 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:44.760 write a great novel, which is something that, you know, 0:22:44.760 --> 0:22:48.960 I'm sure university students are grappling with all around the country. Yes. Um, 0:22:48.960 --> 0:22:51.270 but yeah, Toby is going to be chatting about, I guess, 0:22:51.270 --> 0:22:54.660 the unexpected consequences of these technologies. And he'll be in 0:22:54.660 --> 0:22:58.920 conversation with Elizabeth McCarthy, who's a fantastic broadcaster who was 0:22:58.920 --> 0:23:01.530 at Triple-A for a number of years and is now 0:23:01.530 --> 0:23:05.040 director of the Queenscliff Writers Festival as well. So she's 0:23:05.040 --> 0:23:08.070 a fantastic interviewer. And I think this conversation between her 0:23:08.070 --> 0:23:09.660 and Toby is going to be fascinating. 0:23:09.660 --> 0:23:14.010 And following on from that conversation with Toby will also 0:23:14.010 --> 0:23:19.080 be hosting a conversation with Louise Milligan in particular about 0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:22.020 pheasants Nest, her new book, which has come out. 0:23:22.020 --> 0:23:25.230 Yeah, so most people will obviously be familiar with Louise 0:23:25.230 --> 0:23:29.340 as her award winning journalist. I work on Four Corners. 0:23:29.340 --> 0:23:32.610 She's written non-fiction books, but this is her first foray 0:23:32.610 --> 0:23:35.490 into fiction, and David Marr said that it was a 0:23:35.490 --> 0:23:38.610 thriller that only a journalist could have written. So she's 0:23:38.610 --> 0:23:42.060 really drawn on the stories that she's reported on throughout 0:23:42.060 --> 0:23:44.760 her career to write this book, and it's about a 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:47.940 reporter who gets abducted, so it's meant to be very addictive, 0:23:47.940 --> 0:23:50.970 but distinctly Australian as well. I can't wait to read 0:23:50.970 --> 0:23:52.410 this one. I haven't had a chance to do it yet, 0:23:52.410 --> 0:23:55.110 but I'm looking for a really pacey thriller and this 0:23:55.110 --> 0:23:58.050 apparently will fit the bill. But we also really love 0:23:58.050 --> 0:24:01.050 the way that Louise's book fits in with that festival 0:24:01.050 --> 0:24:04.320 theme of ghosts, because I think she'll talk about the 0:24:04.320 --> 0:24:06.780 stories that she's worked on that have really haunted her, 0:24:06.780 --> 0:24:09.630 the victims that she's interviewed, who have stayed with her, 0:24:09.630 --> 0:24:12.600 and why she's been compelled to turn their stories or 0:24:12.600 --> 0:24:16.050 to draw inspiration from their stories to help write this book. 0:24:16.050 --> 0:24:20.100 And Mikaela. Chewing on a little secret. The Vision Australia 0:24:20.100 --> 0:24:24.480 Library readers do absolutely love a pacey thriller, so I 0:24:24.480 --> 0:24:28.500 think this one will be very highly sought after. So 0:24:28.500 --> 0:24:32.610 let's give people some details about those two events, though, 0:24:32.610 --> 0:24:37.230 of course, taking place at Virgin Australia's office in Kooyong. 0:24:37.230 --> 0:24:41.220 But also that's on May the 10th. So what times 0:24:41.220 --> 0:24:44.280 are those? And, you know, how can people sign up 0:24:44.280 --> 0:24:45.240 to head along. 0:24:45.450 --> 0:24:47.910 So you can book via the link on the Melbourne 0:24:47.910 --> 0:24:50.730 Writers Festival website, which is just you can just Google 0:24:50.730 --> 0:24:53.790 Melbourne Writers Festival, it'll take you right there or MWF. 0:24:54.030 --> 0:25:00.600 Com.au and Toby Walshs event is on at 6:00 and 0:25:00.600 --> 0:25:02.970 closes is at 8:00. 0:25:03.090 --> 0:25:03.450 All right. 0:25:04.260 --> 0:25:06.450 So perfect. You can do the double bill. Have a 0:25:06.450 --> 0:25:07.920 lovely Friday night at Kooyong. 0:25:08.190 --> 0:25:11.400 It'll be action packed. Hopefully. A lot of people head long. 0:25:11.400 --> 0:25:14.910 I'm sure it's going to be absolutely packed to the rafters. 0:25:14.910 --> 0:25:17.850 A lot of interest from a lot of people, especially 0:25:17.850 --> 0:25:21.960 with those sort of topics and really interesting topics of 0:25:21.960 --> 0:25:25.320 the time, but also a genre of novel that, you know, 0:25:25.320 --> 0:25:29.580 people really do get around at the Vision of Style library. 0:25:29.580 --> 0:25:32.820 So that couldn't fit better. It's absolute perfect fit. So 0:25:32.820 --> 0:25:36.870 looking forward to seeing how that goes. Now. The website 0:25:36.870 --> 0:25:42.270 that people can head to of course is mwf.com. Are 0:25:42.270 --> 0:25:46.230 you is there perhaps any emails or phone numbers that 0:25:46.230 --> 0:25:49.620 people could, um, perhaps get in touch with in case 0:25:49.620 --> 0:25:52.530 they'd like some more information or they're having a bit 0:25:52.530 --> 0:25:56.700 of trouble with registering or accessibility or something like that. 0:25:56.700 --> 0:25:57.780 And they want to let you know. 0:25:58.380 --> 0:26:02.250 Definitely. So the best phone number from Monday to Friday 0:26:02.250 --> 0:26:04.860 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.. Although please do leave 0:26:04.860 --> 0:26:07.140 a voicemail message now. Getting a manager will get back 0:26:07.140 --> 0:26:14.340 to you is 9999199, and anyone who uses T and 0:26:14.340 --> 0:26:19.620 phone 133677. And then they can ask for our regular 0:26:19.620 --> 0:26:26.010 number which is 99991199. Speak and listen. Users can also 0:26:26.010 --> 0:26:35.190 phone 1300 555 727 and ask for that number again, which is 99991199. 0:26:35.190 --> 0:26:38.820 And then we also accept calls via the National Relay Service. 0:26:38.820 --> 0:26:41.220 You've got to register for that online, but you can 0:26:41.220 --> 0:26:45.150 also call the National Relay Service at 133677. 0:26:45.900 --> 0:26:51.450 Okay, perfect. I've been speaking today with artistic Director Mikaela 0:26:51.450 --> 0:26:55.560 McGuire from the Melbourne Writers Festival, catching up with me 0:26:55.560 --> 0:26:59.940 today to chat about the upcoming festival and a couple 0:26:59.940 --> 0:27:03.780 of events that are taking place at the Vision Australia 0:27:03.780 --> 0:27:14.590 offices in Kooyong on the 10th of May. And that's 0:27:14.590 --> 0:27:17.650 all the time we have for today. You've been listening 0:27:17.650 --> 0:27:23.050 to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision Australia radio production. 0:27:23.050 --> 0:27:27.040 Thanks to all involved with putting the show together every week. 0:27:27.040 --> 0:27:30.400 And remember, we love hearing from you. So please get 0:27:30.400 --> 0:27:34.420 in touch anytime on our email at Talking Vision. At 0:27:34.420 --> 0:27:41.260 vision.org that's talking vision or one word at Vision australia.org. 0:27:41.260 --> 0:27:45.100 But until next week it's Sam Cowley saying bye for now. 0:27:48.860 --> 0:27:52.880 You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during 0:27:52.880 --> 0:28:01.790 business hours on one 308 4746. That's one 384 746 0:28:01.790 --> 0:28:07.010 or by visiting Vision australia.org. That's Vision Australia call.