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Finding faith in fiction

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Finding faith in fiction

Recently one of Australia's best-known poets, Les Murray, passed away at the age of eighty.

Murray grew up in a Presbyterian household but converted to Roman Catholicism later in life. His Christian convictions — though not overt — are scattered throughout his poetry.

James and the panel remember Murray and discuss how his faith influenced his writing.

Author Neil Gaiman said "Fairy tales are more true: not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." How does fiction tell the truth? And how do we interpret poetry and prose in holy texts like the Quran or the Bible?

Kim Scott is a Noongar man, the author of four novels and twice winner of the Miles Franklin award. Scott says that language fills him up both spiritually and creatively, particularly the language of his ancestors on Noongar country. What role does language play in belonging to a community? What happens when there's a disconnect between the two?

More Information

Listen to Les Murray's archive interview, and young adult author Claire Zorn speaking at the Sydney Writer's Festival on Soul Search.

Hear to Kim Scott’s full interview with RN’s Daniel Browning here.

Lyn McCredden, Professor and head of the Writing and Literature group at Deakin University. Author of several books, including Intimate Horizons: the sacred in Australian Literature.

Natasha Moore, Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity. Doctorate in English Literature from Cambridge. Author of the book Victorian Poetry and Modern Life: The Unpoetical Age.

Omar Sakr, Acclaimed poet and editor. Author of These Wild Houses, and his latest collection of poetry just released is called The Lost Arabs.

Presenter:

James Carleton

Producer:

Alice Moldovan

Broadcast 
Islam, Christianity, Christianity, Fiction, Books (Literature), Religion
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