Big Ideas

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  • 4.4 (63)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
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Big Ideas

Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. Grab your front row seat to the best live forums and festivals with Natasha Mitchell.

  1. 12 HR. AGO

    From Gatsby to Huck Finn — American literature in an age of polarisation

    From To Kill a Mockingbird to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are no shortage of options to include on those lists of "The Great American Novel". But which is the real plot in the story of America? This event was recorded at the University of Melbourne on 24 October 2024. Speaker Sarah Churchwell Professor of American Literature and Chair in Public Understanding of the Humanities, University of London Author, Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and The Invention of The Great Gatsby, The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells, and more

    50 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Old, new, best, true — the joy, power and heartache of friends

    Friends are among the most important relationships we will have in our lives. So what makes someone a friend, how do we hold on to them, and how do they shape who we are? This event was recorded at the Sydney Writers Festival on 22 May, 2024. Speakers Gyan Yankovich Author, Just Friends: On the Power, Influence and Joy of Friendship Lifestyle editor, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Susan Wyndham Co-editor (with Brigitta Olubas), Hazzard and Harrower: The letters Former Literary editor, Sydney Morning Herald Melanie Kembrey (host), Editor, Spectrum (arts and culture publication), Sydney Morning Herald

    53 min

  3. 5 DAYS AGO

    Unconventional women — a hidden story of nuns

    Why did acclaimed actor Melissa Jaffer step away from the spotlight and the swinging 60s to enter a strict cloister of Australian nuns for 4 years? Sister Marian McClelland is the last of two surviving members of the same Australian order of contemplative nuns. They became nuns at a time of radical change for women worldwide and for the Catholic Church and have extraordinary stories to tell about how faith shaped their sense of identity and purpose. They join Natasha Mitchell with oral historian Dr Sarah Gilbert, author of Unconventional Women: The story of the last Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Australia. This event was organised by Melbourne University Press and hosted at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne. Speakers: Dr Sarah Gilbert Writer, researcher, producer, and oral historian Author, Unconventional Women: The story of the last Blessed Sacrament Sisters in Australia (Melbourne University Press, 2024) Sister Marian McClelland Order of the Blessed Sacrament sisters in Australia Melissa Jaffer Australian actor of stage and screen Further information: Sisters in arms: Catholic nuns through two millennia Jo Ann Kay McNamara Harvard University Press, 1998

    59 min

  4. OCT 28

    Candice Fox, Matthew Conon, Benjamin Stevenson – on the ethics of crime writing

    Literature on crime is huge. Many of you just love to read about a good murder. But do you prefer a soft touch around violent scenes? Or do you want to read it in the drastic, graphic language that shows crime the way it is? Writing crime stories can be a minefield: Do authors have to tell people, if they want to use them in their book? Particularly if they want to paint 'your character' the villain? Can you re-traumatise a victim when you turn their painful experience into a bestseller? A stellar panel of acclaimed crime authors tell how they found their own way to deal with the dilemma of the ethics of writing about murder and corruption. Presented at the Byron Writers Festival. Speakers Matthew Condon Award-winning journalist and author, host of two true crime podcasts – Ghost Gate Road and Dig: Sirens Are Coming Candice Fox Bestselling author, her latest book is 'Devil's kitchen' Benjamin Stevenson Award-winning stand-up comedian and USA Today best-selling author of the 'Ernest Cunningham Mysteries', including 'Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone' and 'Everyone on This Train is a Suspect' Rosemarie Milsom (host) Founding director of Newcastle Writers Festival, former award-winning print journalist with Fairfax Media and broadcaster with the ABC

    54 min

  5. OCT 27

    SOS Democracy with Jon Faine — Can democracy survive social media?

    From mis and disinformation to election interference, parts of the internet have become dystopian, due to a lack of regulation. What is this doing to our democracies, and how are governments around the world trying to reign the tech giants in? The 8th annual Sir Zelman Cowan Centre Oration was recorded on 10 October 2024. Speaker Jon Faine Vice Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Melbourne Former ABC Radio host Author, Apollo and Thelma

    57 min

  6. OCT 25

    SOS Democracy with Niall Ferguson and Barrie Cassidy — Is democracy doomed?

    Ninety years ago, in the face of communism, fascism, and the Great Depression, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, asked the question 'Is democracy doomed?' Today, we're asking that same question – with some answers that might surprise you. The 2024 Robert Menzies Oration was presented by the Robert Menzies Institute, recorded on 23 October 2024. The 2024 Henry Parkes Oration was recorded at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House on 22 October 2024. Speakers Sir Niall Ferguson Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University Barrie Cassidy Chair, Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

    54 min

  7. OCT 25

    SOS Democracy with Scott Stephens — Saving democracy with decency

    Democracy is in retreat, authoritarianism on the rise. But this has happened before. So how did big thinkers of the past respond to the threats to democracy, and what can we learn from them? The Humanities Research Centre 50th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture was recorded at the Australian National University on 31 July 2024. Speakers Scott Stephens Co-presenter (with Waleed Aly) The Minefield Digital editor, ABC Religion and Ethics Co-author of Quarterly Essay 87, Uncivil Wars: How Contempt is Corroding Democracy (2022) Editor of Justice and Hope: Essays, Lectures and Other Writings by Raimond Gaita (2023) Dr Kim Huynh Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Deputy Director of the Humanities Research Centre

    55 min

  8. OCT 24

    Spielberg, a tuba, and a shark named Bruce — the cultural impact of Jaws

    When you're swimming in the ocean, do you ever startle at a piece of seaweed? Mistake a wave for a fin? Does the thought of sharks cross your mind at all? Nearly 50 years ago, a little movie by the name of Jaws, changed everything. This event was recorded at the National Film and Sound Archive, in partnership with the Australian National University, on 28 February 2024. Speakers Dr Hannah Calich Postdoctoral research fellow, Australian National University Professor Kenneth Lampl Convenor, Composition for Film and Video Games, School of Music, Australian National University Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens Senior Lecturer in Science Communication, Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science Head of Popsicule, ANU's Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub

    52 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
63 Ratings

About

Feed your mind. Be provoked. One big idea at a time. Your brain will love you for it. Grab your front row seat to the best live forums and festivals with Natasha Mitchell.

Information

  • Creator
    ABC listen
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2024
  • Episodes
    1.4K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
  • Show Website
    Big Ideas

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