True Story

True Story
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Welcome to True Story Festival, a showcase of some of the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today.

  1. Sep 9

    Head On with Rebecca Huntley, Josh Piterman and Jackie Bailey

    In public, they looked poised, confident and fearless, but as high-profile social researcher Rebecca Huntley (Sassafras) and acclaimed musical star of Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera Josh Piterman (Behind the Mask) both admit, they have been haunted by trauma and anxiety. So how did they find a way to cope? They talk candidly with award-winning author and celebrant Dr Jackie Bailey. About the AuthorsDr Rebecca Huntley is a social researcher, former Director of the Mind & Mood Report, and author of The Italian Girl and Sassafras: love, loss and MDMA therapy.Josh Piterman is an international West End musical star, Holistic High-Performance Coach, author of Behind the Mask and host of the Behind The Mask podcast. Dr Jackie Bailey is an pastoral care practitioner, funeral celebrant, interfaith minister, and author of The Eulogy (winner of the 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Multicultural Award). ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. CreditsRecorded by Kingsley ReeveCurated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve SwartWith thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    Head On with Rebecca Huntley, Josh Piterman and Jackie Bailey

  2. Sep 9

    The F Word - Fascism with Michael Samaras, Dennis Glover and Siobhan McHugh

    It's bandied around a lot these days in conversations about the US and right-wing politics, but what exactly is fascism and why would it prompt Wollongong steelworker Jim McNeil to go and fight against it in the Spanish Civil War, just as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway did? Michael Samaras has uncovered a remarkable story of idealism and courage in Anti-Fascists: Jim McNeil and his mates in the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, Dennis Glover brings the subject into the modern day in his book Repeat: A Warning from History, drawing our attention to the perils of populists, dictators and authoritarianism. Hosted by Walkley-award winning author and podcast producer Siobhan McHugh. About the AuthorsMichael Samaras is a researcher, writer, and author of Anti-Fascists: Jim McNeill and his mates in the Spanish Civil War. Dennis Glover is a leading speechwriter and author of The Last Man in Europe and Repeat: A Warning from History. ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    The F Word - Fascism with Michael Samaras, Dennis Glover and Siobhan McHugh

  3. Sep 9

    The Rest is Her Story with Clare Wright, Yves Rees and Sita Sargeant

    From monuments to documents, men have been the main characters in our history. Now two powerful storytellers are reframing the narrative to celebrate the accomplishments of women. Join Stella Prize-winning historian Professor Clare Wright as she speaks to Yves Rees about ten trailblazing women whose connection with the United States changed the course of Australian history, and author Sita Sargeant, founder of the She Shapes History walking tours, for a fresh feminist perspective on the Australian cities and towns we thought we knew. About the AuthorsDr Yves Rees (they/them) is an award-winning writer, historian, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University, co-host of Archive Fever, and author of Travelling to Tomorrow and All About Yves. Sita Sargeant is a storyteller, activist, founder of She Shapes History walking tours, and author of She Shapes History: Guided Walks and Stories About Great Australian Women. ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    The Rest is Her Story with Clare Wright, Yves Rees and Sita Sargeant

  4. Sep 9

    You Better Believe It with Ariel Bogle, Cam Wilson, Tracey Kirkland and Jan Fran

    Nothing could be more topical than conspiracy theories, as recent events demonstrate; and in a so-called post-truth world, what role does scepticism have in determining who we trust and what we believe? To discuss these thorny, burning issues, we have assembled a formidable panel: Walkley award winner Ariel Bogle and her co-writer Cam Wilson, authors of Conspiracy Nation (which covers everything from pandemic origin theories to school shootings), and Tracey Kirkland, editor of Age of Doubt, in conversation with fearless media commentator Jan Fran. About the AuthorsAriel Bogle is a Walkley Award-winning investigations reporter at Guardian Australia, and co-author of ⁠Conspiracy Nation.Cam Wilson is Crikey's Associate Editor, writer of The Sizzle, and co-author of Conspiracy Nation.Tracey Kirkland is a career news journalist, Continuous News Editor for ABC News Channel, and co-editor of Age of Doubt and Pandemedia. ⓘ True Story Festival info  True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. CreditsRecorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    You Better Believe It with Ariel Bogle, Cam Wilson, Tracey Kirkland and Jan Fran

  5. Sep 9

    KEYNOTE: A Way Forward with Clare Wright and Jaymee Beveridge (Part 2)

    Stella Prize-winning historian Professor Clare Wright has long been a source of inspiring stories about our past with her award-winning accounts of the Eureka Stockade and the early Australian feminist movement as well as her television documentaries, radio programs, feature films and podcasts. Delivering this year’s keynote address, she tells the story behind the ṉäku dhäruk (bark petitions) created by the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land to stake their claim to their country, thereby sparking the beginning of the land rights movement that ultimately acknowledged legal native title. Following the address, Clare is in conversation with Jaymee Beveridge. About Clare WrightOAM, award-winning historian, author, broadcaster, podcaster and public commentator. Author of five works of history, including The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka (winner of the 2014 Stella Prize) and ⁠Ṉäku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions. ⁠ ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    KEYNOTE: A Way Forward with Clare Wright and Jaymee Beveridge (Part 2)

  6. Sep 9

    KEYNOTE: A Way Forward with Clare Wright (Part 1)

    Stella Prize-winning historian Professor Clare Wright has long been a source of inspiring stories about our past with her award-winning accounts of the Eureka Stockade and the early Australian feminist movement as well as her television documentaries, radio programs, feature films and podcasts. Delivering this year’s keynote address, she tells the story behind the ṉäku dhäruk (bark petitions) created by the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land to stake their claim to their country, thereby sparking the beginning of the land rights movement that ultimately acknowledged legal native title. Following the address, Clare is in conversation with Jaymee Beveridge. About Clare WrightOAM, award-winning historian, author, broadcaster, podcaster and public commentator. Author of five works of history, including The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka (winner of the 2014 Stella Prize) and Ṉäku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions. ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    KEYNOTE: A Way Forward with Clare Wright (Part 1)

  7. Sep 9

    From Ocean to Mountain with Vicki Hastrich, Anthony Sharwood and Caroline Baum

    Two of the best new Australian biographers talk about how they bring to life remarkable lives that deserve another look. Vicki Hastrich celebrates deep sea fishing champion and millionaire author Zane Grey, who spent time fishing for marlin on the South Coast of NSW, while Anthony Sharwood travels in the footsteps of his hero, Enlightenment freedom fighter Tadeusz Kosciuszko, from Poland to France, from the US to our own high country, to ask how his name got given to our tallest peak. They are in conversation with Caroline Baum, host of Life Sentences, a podcast about contemporary biography. About the AuthorsVicki Hastrich is a biographer and author of The Last Days of Zane Grey, the novels Swimming with the Jellyfish and The Great Arch, and the memoir Night Fishing.Anthony Sharwood is a Walkley Award-winning journalist and author of From Snow to Ash, The Brumby Wars, and Kosciuszko. ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    From Ocean to Mountain with Vicki Hastrich, Anthony Sharwood and Caroline Baum

  8. Sep 9

    True Locals with Jeff Apter, Erin O'Dwyer, Saul Griffith, Jeremy Lasek and Melinda James

    Non-fiction authors walk among us! Four local writers tell ABC Illawarra host Melinda James about their exciting new titles. Biographer Jeff Apter reveals the life of trailblazing music producer Lee Gordon. Journalist Erin O'Dwyer has the inside story on the true crime memoir she co-wrote with a former beauty queen and convicted drug dealer. Electrify Everything guru Saul Griffith explains how to Plug In! to cut household costs and carbon emissions. And journalist Jeremy Lasek looks at the people who powered the Illawarra's Yes23 referendum campaign. Plus, our True Locals share their 'must-read' non-fiction recommendations. About the AuthorsJeff Apter is a Wollongong-based biographer who has written over 30 books, including Lee Gordon Presents.Erin O'Dwyer is an award-winning journalist and co-author of Accessory (with Felicia Djamirze) and Swellbeing (with Blake Johnston).Saul Griffith is an engineer, entrepreneur, clean energy advocate, and author of Electrify, The Big Switch, and Plug In!Jeremy Lasek is an experienced local journalist and former media executive who writes for The Illawarra Flame. ⓘ True Story Festival info True Story is a festival of ideas celebrating the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today. Bringing writers and readers together in Coledale, the festival showcases trusted voices, gripping yarns, and local perspectives that illuminate our world. Credits Recorded by Kingsley Reeve Curated by Caroline Baum, Sarah Nicholson (South Coast Writers Centre) & Genevieve Swart With thanks to The Illawarra Flame The South Coast Writers Centre acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work, and we offer our respect to elders past, present and emerging.

    True Locals with Jeff Apter, Erin O'Dwyer, Saul Griffith, Jeremy Lasek and Melinda James
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About

Welcome to True Story Festival, a showcase of some of the best creative non-fiction writing in Australia today.

Information

  • Creator
    True Story
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © South Coast Writers Centre
  • Show Website
    True Story