André Dao: Anam

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Melbourne-based writer, editor and artist André Dao, discussing his debut novel Anam, winner of the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. As writer, podcast host and co-founder of Behind the Wire – an oral history project documenting the stories of adults and children detained by the Australian government – Dao has been recognised with accolades including a Walkley Award and a Quill award. His debut novel blends fiction and essay in the story of a new father attempting to piece together his family history, weaving together his grandfather's imprisonment in 1930s Hanoi, his grandmother's struggles to raise her children in a new country, and his own family's story of legacy and expectation. For Melbourne City Reads, celebrate the release of Anam as Dao joins Leah Jing McIntosh to pose questions about how we remember the past and how it shapes our present and future. The Melbourne City Reads series is generously supported by George and Rosa Morstyn.

Celebrate local literary culture and the authors who shape it. Rediscover the world through writers’ eyes at monthly events, featuring authors discussing their new books. The Melbourne City Reads initiative is a collaboration with Melbourne city bookshops Dymocks Collins Street, Hill of Content, Mary Martin Bookshop, Paperback Bookshop, and Readings. The Melbourne City Reads series is generously supported by George and Rosa Morstyn.