Join historian Mark McKenna in conversation with Jack Latimore.
Join historian Mark McKenna and host Jack Latimore for a compelling exploration of Mark's latest book, The Shortest History of Australia. In this powerful and deeply humane history, McKenna offers a new version of our national story: a modern Australia permeated by First Nations history; a multicultural society with an island mindset; a continent of epic beauty and extreme natural events; a country obsessed by war abroad but blind to its founding war at home; and a thriving nation-state still to realise its political independence.
McKenna’s wise and humane history reveals the surprising in the familiar, reframing the past so we can see the present more clearly.
Mark McKenna is one of Australia’s leading historians and a Professor of History at the University of Sydney. He is the award‑winning author of numerous influential works, including From the Edge: Australia’s Lost Histories, Looking for Blackfellas’ Point, An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark, and Return to Uluru.
His writing explores Australian history, memory, place and national identity, with a strong focus on Indigenous history and truth‑telling. Mark’s essays, including the acclaimed Quarterly Essay: Moment of Truth, have played a major role in shaping contemporary debates about Australia’s past and future.
Our host Jack Latimore (Birpai–Thungutti) is a Naarm/Melbourne‑based writer and journalist, and the current Enterprise Fellow for the First Nations Journalism Scholarship Project at the University of Melbourne. From 2021 to 2024, he was the first Aboriginal journalist to cover the Indigenous Affairs round in the 170-year history of The Age newspaper.
His work has appeared widely in Australian and international publications, including The Guardian, Rolling Stone Australia, GQ, Meanjin, Griffith Review, SBS and the ABC. He has been sign by Scribner Australia to write a book examining the 2019 police killing of Kumanjayi Walker, scheduled for release in 2027.
22 June 2026 / 7:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Join award-winning author Melissa Manning to explore her powerful new novel Frogsong, a moving story of love, loyalty and the ties that bind us.
Bentleigh Library and Youth Hub — 161 Jasper Road, Bentleigh
23 June 2026 / 7:00 PM — 8:15 PM
Ever wondered how a story takes shape? Join acclaimed authors as they unpack the twists and turns behind the writing process.
Glen Eira Town Hall — Auditorium, corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads, Caulfield
Glen Eira Storytelling Festival acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which we work and live. We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' spirit, imagination and rich history of storytelling and humour that is an inspiration to all Australians.
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