Join one of Australia’s most-loved writers, Robert Dessaix, as he journeys with host Ailsa Piper through a writing life traversing memoir, essays and biography. Robert reflects on his latest work, Abracadabra, a collection of ideas, ruminations and stories previously told to captivated audiences, but never captured in print before.
Recipient of the 2022 Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature, Robert Dessaix has enjoyed a life in writing and translation that spans over 40 years. A decade-long presenter of the ABC’s Books and Writing show, Robert’s best-known books are the autobiography A Mother’s Disgrace, the novel Night Letters, the travel memoirs Twilight of Love and Arabesques, as well as his meditation on love, friendship, religion and mortality, What Days Are For.
Ailsa Piper’s theatre script, Small Mercies, was co-winner of the Patrick White Playwright’s Award. Her first book was the travel memoir, Sinning Across Spain, and her second was The Attachment, co-authored with Tony Doherty. She has written for Griffith Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and other publications, and is an accomplished audiobook narrator. Her next book will be published in July 2024.
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