Upcoming and A-list Australian authors, media and politicians united for an intimate event with big ideas at the annual Melbourne University Publishing Dinner held during the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

“The annual MUP Dinner has become ‘a thing’ over the years. Verbs have been invented (“to be Onfrayed”), political foes have broken bread together, literary scandals have been forensically analysed, and arguments about “the public interest” have continued to generate passionate conversation amongst our guests and hard-working team,” shared host Louise Adler, CEO of MUP.

“A long time ago I asked Guy Rundle to help us think of some tag lines to describe MUP. He was the genius who came up with the precise definition of our mandate: to publish ‘books with spine’. We are proud that this remains our reason for being.”

Bob Carr, MUP author of Run for Your Life (July 2018), delivering a keynote address

This year, the keynote address was delivered by MUP board member and author Bob Carr, who previewed his new memoir Run for Your Life (July 2018) to a crowded dining room of guests and MUP authors with current titles.

This guestlist including Walkley Book of the Year award-winner Louise Milligan (Cardinal), Press Freedom Medal recipient Peter Greste, Christine Jackman (Inside Kevin 07), Chloe Shorten (The Secret Ingredient) with Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten (For the Common Good), Sarah Ferguson (On Mother), editor of The Guardian Lenore Taylor (Shitstorm), Joëlle Gergis (Sunburnt Country), Gareth Evans (Incorrigible Optimist), James Curran (Unholy Fury), Vogue Australia sustainability editor-at-large Clare Press (Rise & Resist: How to Change the World, coming October 2018), Lucy Mannering (Surviving Your Split), Clare Payne (One) and many more.

The MUP team: Emma Rusher, Jonathan Green, Louise Adler, Tessa Connelly and Sally Health.

Helene Carr and MUP authors Sarah Ferguson ('On Mother') and Louise Milligan ('Cardinal')

Literary Editor at The Age, Jason Steger

MUP author Louise Milligan, author of the award-winning 'Cardinal'

Gareth Evans, author of 'Incorrigible Optimist' and Vogue Australia sustainability editor-at-large Clare Press (Rise & Resist, October 2018)

MUP author and regular Gruen panellist Dee Madigan ('The Hard Sell')

Chloe Shorten ('The Secret Ingredient') and Leader of the Opposition Party Bill Shorten ('For the Common Good')

The Checkout Executive Producer Julian Morrow and Tony "I'll take that as a comment" Jones

Thinking of MUP author Blanche d'Alpuget (Author of 'On Lust & Longing') who couldn't be with us on the night

Conversations around the table

Journalists and MUP authors James Jeffrey ('my family and other animus') and Christine Jackman ('Inside Kevin 07')

Clare Payne (centre), author of 'A Matter of Trust' and 'One', with Tessa Connelly and Emma Rusher of MUP.

Tessa Connelly (MUP) with climate scientist and MUP writer Joëlle Gergis, author of 'Sunburnt Country'.