If the organisers of the ‘SWF off-piste’ had attended the Sorrento Writers’ Festival, they would have witnessed an informed contest of ideas. With speakers such as Greg Sheridan, Paul Kelly and Josh Frydenberg, it was hardly a “lefty literary event”. In contrast to the lack lustre election campaign that relies on slogans and talking points, speakers at the Sorrento Writers’ Festival debated the major issues of our time. In the House of Representatives, a member of parliament can move the member who is speaking ‘be no longer heard’. At the Sorrento Writers’ Festival, experts with alternate views were not only heard but also engaged in respectful debate.
First published as a letter to the editor, 29 April 2025