Michelle de Kretser: Theory & Practice

Part of VERB Readers and Writers Festival 2026

Described by Ali Smith as ‘one of the finest writers alive’ Michelle de Kretser is among Australia’s most acclaimed authors, celebrated for her genre-defying, socially astute fiction. A multiple winner of Australia’s top literary awards, her work is renowned for its sharp intelligence and wit.

Her latest novel, Theory & Practice, blurs the boundaries of fiction, essay and memoir. Set in 1986, it follows a young woman researching Virginia Woolf who becomes entangled with Kit, a student in a ‘deconstructed relationship’. Exploring desire, jealousy and truth, it probes the gap between ideals and lived experience, tangling fiction and non-fiction.

Kate Duignan joins Michelle de Kretser to discuss a celebrated writing career and her triumphant new work.

10am Sunday 27 September 2026

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