Melbourne People

John Harms in conversation with Waleed Aly
‘Faith and Politics’

Date: Thursday 20 September 2007
Time: 6.30 – 8pm
Venue: Beckett Theatre, Malthouse
Entry: $10/$6 includes copy of Overland 188
Free entry for VU students and staff

As part of Victoria University’s Study Week, Overland presents John Harms in a conversation with Waleed Aly about religion, family and the different ways ordinary people come to politics.

It is also a launch of the new issue:

We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality – judiciously, as you will – we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors … and you, all of you, will be left to study what we do.—A senior Bush advisor to New York Times journalist Ron Suskind

In issue 188, Overland’s contributors identify, explore and contest the dominant political, personal, cultural and religious ‘realities’ of the day.

John Harms, columnist and author, considers the sometimes inexplicable link between politics and faith in a personal reflection on growing up Lutheran.

Katherine Wilson checks in to the National Security Summit to explore the big business that is national security, while Michael Head looks at the militarisation of Australian Society.

Jess Whyte calls for imagination and bravery in contesting dominant political narratives.

Fiona McGregor explores the tension between contemporary culture and tradition in Poland.

Rjurik Davidson speaks to two prominent authors in the world of speculative fiction, Kim Stanley Robinson and China Miéville.

And Terry Eyssens gives us a personal account of the alienation of labour and examines its manifestation in philosophy and literature.

Plus a speculative fiction feature with stories from: Ben Peek, Susan Wardle and Jill Sparrow & Paul Voermans