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Hugh Mackay was in conversation with Alex Sloan on Hugh's new book, The Kindness Revolution. How we can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism. Hugh Mackay encourages us to find the best in ourselves and in our society in both good and troubled times.

Revolutions never start at the top. If we dare to dream of a more loving country - kinder, more compassionate, more cooperative, more respectful, more inclusive, more egalitarian, more harmonious, less cynical - there's only one way to start turning that dream into a reality: each of us must live as if this is already that country.

Following the ravages of 2020's bushfires and pandemic on our mental and emotional health and on the economy, Hugh Mackay reflects on the challenges we faced during that year of upheaval and the questions many of us have asked. What really matters to me? Am I living the kind of life I want? What sort of society do I want us to become?

Urging us not to let those questions go, and pointing to our inspiring displays of kindness and consideration, our personal sacrifices for the common good and our heightened appreciation of the value of local neighbourhoods and communities, he asks in turn: 'Could we become renowned as a loving country, rather than simply a "lucky" one?'

Absorbing, wise and inspiring, The Kindness Revolution is a distillation of Hugh Mackay's life's work. Written for our times, this truly remarkable book shows how crises and catastrophes often turn out to be the making of us.

Hugh Mackay AO is a social psychologist, and the author of 22 books, including eight novels. His non-fiction writing covers social analysis, psychology, communication and ethics. He has had a 60-year career in social research, and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for twenty-five years. He is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Society of New South Wales, has been awarded honorary doctorates by five Australian universities. Hugh is an Honorary Professor at the ANU Research School of Psychology.

Alex Sloan AM, the 2017 Canberra Citizen of the Year, is a regular conversationalist for ANU Meet the Author events.

Professor Frank Bongiorno AM, Head of the ANU School of History and author of award-winning books The Sex Lives of Australians: A History and The Eighties: The Decade That Transformed Australia, will deliver the vote of thanks.

In conversation with Hugh Mackay

Liz Hayes was in conversation with Alex Sloan on her memoir I'm Liz Hayes. Liz has graced our television screens for more than four decades. Millions of Australians kicked off their weeks with Liz co-hosting Channel 9's Today show, and now for over 25 years have settled into their Sunday nights to watch her investigative journalism on 60 Minutes.

From camping in grizzly bear territory to sipping tea with an Afghani warlord in an active warzone, Liz has almost seen it all. She has shared the stories of celebrities and movie stars, leaders and politicians, heroes and villains across the globe, but - after a lifetime of reporting on others - when tragedy struck her own family, Liz discovered that sometimes the hardest story to tell is your own.

Compelling and elegantly written, Liz's long-awaited memoir takes us behind the cameras and back to when Beth Ryan, the dairy farmer's daughter, became seasoned journalist Liz Hayes, and how life in the country gave way to 'controlled' crash-landings on US aircraft carriers.

Synonymous with her iconic 60 Minutes television introduction, I'm Liz Hayes, is a warm and authentic memoir about what's possible, and what it can cost you, when you choose a life of adventure.

Alex Sloan AM has been a journalist for over 30 years, including as a long-time broadcaster with the ABC. Alex, who was named Canberra Citizen of the Year in 2017, is deputy chair of The Australia Institute, a director of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and deputy chair of The ACT Writers Centre. Alex is a regular conversationalist in the Meet the Author series.

This event was in association with Harry Hartog Bookshop.

Meet the author- Liz Hayes

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Meet the author- Liz Hayes

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