Past Programs
Censorship - 2007
Banned books in Australia: from moral crusaders to national security Read Transcript
24/08/2007
From the moral conservatism that led to the banning of books like Lady Chatterley's Lover to the more recent banning of the book Defence of Muslim Lands, this panel discussion delves into the history of censorship in Australia.
Post-Soviet writing in Russia
18/05/2007
At the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal, Ramona Koval spoke to three expatriate Russian writers – David Bezmozgis, Bakhyt Kenjeev, and Mikhail Iossel – about Putin's Russia and whether the political climate there is affecting Russian writers today. Are they feeling the weight of Putin's repression?
A recent report from Russia is that journalists from its largest independent radio news network have been instructed to report "positive" Russian news at least 50 per cent of the time. Journalists working for the Russian News Service were also informed that opposition leaders could not be mentioned and the US was to be portrayed as an enemy.
The words and letters portfolio - Arts Minister Senator George Brandis
10/05/2007
In this election year, we've invited the Federal Arts Minister and the Shadow Arts Minister to tell us what's in store for the publishing industry, and our literary culture, should their respective party win the election.
There's no doubt that writing is the backbone of the arts; and books are a defining part of our cultural landscape. Yet in discussions about arts policy, books and publishing are given scant attention.
Joining us today in our Canberra studio is the Federal Minister for Arts and Sport, Senator George Brandis.
Arnold Zable: From Socrates to Politkovskaya Read Transcript
29/01/2007
A familiar voice to many listeners is writer and storyteller Arnold Zable. But today he's with us in a slightly different role, that of president of Melbourne PEN - the international organisation that exists to advance the cause of writers worldwide and to highlight the plight of writers who are abused, imprisoned or killed because of their work.
Here's Arnold's reflection on the dangers of speaking out - from the case last year of the murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, all the way back to Socrates.
