Big Histories

Sydney Writers' Festival Live and Local

Big Histories

What if we could change our future by rewriting our pasts?

For author Amitav Ghosh and researcher Luke Kemp, navigating the present means understanding the past. In two books, The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis and Wild Fictions, Amitav considers human history through our relationship with the environment, while Luke retells the collapse of empires to find solutions for our current existential crises in Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse.

Revisit the past to find solutions for the present with Amitav and Luke in conversation with host Clare Wright.

Breakfast will be provided. The doors to the library will open at 7:50am.

Sydney Writers' Festival - Live & Local 2026

Sydney Writers' Festival is Australia's largest celebration of books and ideas, bringing the world’s finest authors and esteemed thinkers together for insightful and exhilarating conversations and discussions.

Join us for Live & Local 2026, streamed live by Sydney Writers' Festival and delivered locally to the Subiaco Library on Thursday 21, Friday 22, Saturday 23, and Sunday 24 May. Prepare to be invigorated and engaged by conversations, debates and discussions featuring some of the world’s finest writers and thinkers.

Additional information

Getting to the event:

Subiaco Library has limited parking bays available. For more information on getting around Subiaco visit the city’s website.

Access and inclusion:

Subiaco Library is wheelchair accessible for additional information please contact Subiaco Library on 9237 9300.

Ticket information:

You are not required to bring a ticket with you. In the case of a booked-out event, names may be checked at the door.

Further information:

For more events and programs at Subiaco Library visit the City of Subiaco events calendar, follow the Subiaco Library on Facebook or join the Cultural Services e-newsletter database by emailing library@subiaco.wa.gov.au