John Birmingham in conversation with Simon Thomsen

ABOUT THE EVENT: On Tuesday 1st December at the Red Mill Distillery, Balmain, join John Birmingham in conversation with Simon Thomsen. In Another Country, John Birmingham maps One Nation’s Australia and explores where our politics goes from here. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT THE BOOK The rise of One Nation isn’t a sudden eruption. In this intimate, perceptive and funny essay, John Birmingham gives us the deep history and the present moment. Using personal stories, insights from political insiders and overarching analysis, he shows who is thinking about voting One Nation and why. This is an essay about nostalgia, rage and the efforts to build an unstoppable movement to change Australia. “When a person who has been told their whole life that they are an autonomous economic actor, responsible for their own success, suddenly discovers that they cannot afford a home, they need two jobs to cover the grocery bill, they can’t get ahead, can’t afford childcare, can’t retire, they don’t necessarily conclude: ‘The political economy of labour has shifted in favour of capital.’ Instead, they tend to think, ‘Something has gone terribly wrong.’ And then somebody like a Hanson, or a Farage or a Trump, comes along and says, ‘No. It’s not you. It’s them. The migrants. The trans kids. The Others.’” —John Birmingham, Another Country ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT JOHN BIRMINGHAM John Birmingham’s books include He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, Leviathan: The Unauthorised Biography of Sydney, On Father and many works of fiction, including the Axis of Time and Cruel Stars series. He is the author of two previous Quarterly Essays, Appeasing Jakarta and A Time for War. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT SIMON THOMSEN Simon has been editor of Startup Daily since 2019. He hosted the Startup Daily show on streaming service ausbiz.com.au from 2020 to 2023, and now, the weekly podcast Startup 360. He was previously associate editor of Business Insider Australia, a national restaurant critic, editor of The Good Food Guide, and newspaper proprietor during a 30-plus-years career in journalism and publishing. He’s also an investor in early stage startups. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT THE VENUE Address: 176 Mullens Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 Red Mill is based in the historic White Bay Steelworks, just across from the inner-west icon, the White Bay Power Station. Red Mill makes small batches of high-quality Rum to age in a special barrel program, blended and bottled in their wonderful, industrial home. Visiting Red Mill is a chance to see the workings of an artisanal distillery, in the historic surrounds of this remarkable building. Refreshments available to purchase include wine, beer and a signature Red Mill cocktail. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique venue. Attendees are asked to arrive at 6.30pm to secure an optimal spot as seating is unallocated. Please note that the event will only commence at 7pm, as stated on your ticket. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ TERMS & CONDITIONS Refunds Please note that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or postponed due to extenuating circumstances. Refunds are not issued within 48 hours notice of event date. Humanitix fee is nonrefundable. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This event is presented by Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain. With thanks to our venue partner Red Mill and Echo Publishing ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sign up to Roaring Stories newsletter Follow Roaring Stories Facebook | Instagram | Twitter