Big Ideas

Blockbuster Australian children's authors Andy Griffiths (The Treehouse series), Hilary Rogers aka Maddy Mara (Dragon Girls) and bookseller Tamuz Ellazam join Natasha Mitchell to share the iconic kid's books they'll be voting for in ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books (vote now!) — and weigh in on current controversies in kid's literature.  Have children's books become too moralistic, too obsessed with teaching kids how to behave, or with imparting Very Important Messages? Is there a tension between education and entertainment in kid's literature? And why does all this matter?
How to vote in ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books. Don't forget you can also nominate books you love that aren't on the list of suggestions.
Speakers
Andy GriffithsAustralian Children's LaureatePopular children's author (The Treehouse series, The Bum Trilogy, the JUST! books, You & Me and The Giant Knucklehead, and more)
Hilary RogersAuthor, the Girltopia trilogyCo-author (with Meredith Badger as Maddy Mara) of the Dragon Girls, Max Beast, Itty Bitty Kitty series.Former children's publisher of Go Girl, Zac Power, Billie B Brown series
Tamuz EllazamManager, Readings Kids bookshop in Carlton, MelbourneResearcher into children's literature
Thanks to Chris Gordon and the Readings events team, and the Church of All Nations community venue.
Further reading
Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children (2026), by Mac BarnettA Beloved Children's Book Author Said Most Children's Literature Is "Crud." It Has Not Gone Well.Children's Book Community Responds in Outrage to Mac Barnett CommentsMac Barnett on Make Believe (video)Mac Barnett Responds Amid Continued Backlash
SOME FAVOURITE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK NOMINATIONS
Andy Griffiths
The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay the pudding Coles Funny Picture Book by E.W. Cole Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner  My Place by Nadia Wheatley & Donna Rawlins My Place in Space by Robin and Sally Hirst, illustrated by Roland Harvey Bamboozled by David Legge Unreal by Paul Jennings Magic Beach by Alison Lester Sunshine (and Moonlight) by Jan OrmerodAll Right, Vegemite! and Far Out, Brussel Sprout! by June Factor And more!
Hilary Rogers
The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky and Andy Joyner My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart Hating Alison Ashley by Robin KleinPlaying Beatie Bow by Ruth Park And more!
Tamuz EllazamThe Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Jenny Vivas Stay For Dinner by Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle PereiraOnce I was a Giant by Zeno Sworder Derek the Dinosaur by Mary Blackwood and Kerry Argent And more!

From the drama of her private world to the diplomacy of her position as queen. From the woman her family knew to the public figure the world saw. With unique access to royal family members, senior staff, and advisers Robert Hardman explores the parallel lives of Elizabeth as daughter, wife, mother and sovereign.
Inside the Life of Elizabeth II was presented by the Royal Society of Arts, UK
Speakers
Robert HardmanBritish author, journalist and documentary filmmakerAuthor of Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.
Emily AndrewsJournalist and royal commentator

Leading tech critic Cory Doctorow coined the term "enshittification" to describe the slow decay of the digital platforms most of us are now forced to rely upon to operate in the modern world. So why and how did the internet get bad, and is it too late for people, countries and governments to reclaim technology as a force for humanity and the common good?
This episode was recorded on 25 August 2026 at The Wheeler Centre, Australia's first dedicated centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, in partnership with RMIT University for Now or Never festival. Explore more discussions like this one on The Wheeler Centre podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @wheelercentre for updates.
Speakers:
Cory DoctorowJournalist, technology activist and author, Enshittifcation: Why everything suddenly got worse and what to do about it, The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI and more, podcaster, Who broke the internet? (CBC), and blogger craphound.com
Lisa GivenDistinguished Professor of Information Sciences, RMIT UniversityDirector of the Centre for Human AI Information Environments

She's the little girl in some of her father's most famous paintings, but life as the eldest child of artists John Brack and Helen Maudsley wasn't always easy. Clara Brack explores her childhood — and her parents' complex lives and relationship — in her new book The Secret Landscapes on not [pleasing your mother, which took her 20 years to write.
This event was recorded at the Willy Lit Fest on 13 June 2026.
Speakers:
Clara BrackAuthor, The Secret Landscapes — on not pleasing your mother
Gabriella CoslovichAward-winning freelance arts journalist (formerly of The Age), author, Whiteley on Trial

Philosopher Roman Krznaric, author of History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity, The Good Ancestor, and founder of the Empathy Museum has been looking backwards to help us all find a way forward. What he discovered in the global history of human solidarity and social movements was a wellspring of brilliant solutions to current challenges — democracy, fossil fuels, hyper-consumerism, water, AI, racism, even rage bait on social media, and more.  Join Roman with Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell at the 2026 Byron Writers Festival to challenge the 'tyranny of the now' with an exciting view of history as a source of radical hope.  
Speaker
Dr Roman KrznaricAuthor, History for Tomorrow (2024), The Good Ancestor (2020), What the Rich Don't Tell The Poor (2022), The Wonder Box (2011), Empathy (2014), How to Find Fulfilling Work (2012)Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human FlourishingResearch Fellow, Long Now FoundationMember, Club of RomeFounder, world’s first Empathy Museum.
Thanks to Jessica Alice, artistic director and CEO of the Byron Writers Festival, and the festival team.