Denise Ho was always going to be an activist. The canto-pop superstar had built a massively successful music career and could’ve continued on her path of major-label success. But, in 2012, she became the first mainstream female singer in Hong Kong to come out as gay, and was promptly abandoned by much of the industry. She responded by setting up her own label and becoming a high-profile advocate for the LGBTQI community. In 2014, when huge pro-democracy protests broke out in Hong Kong, Denise’s activism went to a whole new level. She’s become one of the most prominent figures in the umbrella movement, spoken at the UN and all around the world, and continues to risk her own life and freedom on behalf of the cause. In this episode, she’s speaking with Benjamin Law at Antidote festival in 2019.

It's a Long Story

Denise Ho | Pop and Politics

Not a lot of women get to practice law in Afghanistan, but attorney Kimberly Motley is one of the very few. Raised in a poor, majority black neighbourhood in Milwaukee in America’s midwest, Kimberly has made a career defending particularly difficult cases, and in learning how to navigate the Afghani legal system, she has also developed a unique understanding of inter-cultural approaches to justice. She’s talking to Benjamin Law at Antidote festival in 2019.  

Kimberly Motley | The Law and 'Justness'

When 24 Year old Zadie Smith published her debut novel, White Teeth, in 2000, she became an instant literary superstar. Two decades and several more novels, short story and essay collections later, her voice remains every bit as relevant. Never one to follow a trend, her writing has earned a reputation for originality and intellectual independence. Head of Talks and Ideas Edwina Throsby spoke to Zadie Smith when she was visiting the Sydney Opera House in November 2019.

Zadie Smith | Class, race, family and belonging

Hello I’m Edwina Throsby Head of Talks and Ideas at Sydney Opera House and I’m here with some excellent news: this week we’re launching our new season of the podcast “it’s a long story”, where you can go deep with iconic writer Zadie Smith, Cantopop superstar and human rights activist Denise Ho, Miles Franklin winner Melissa Lukashenko, and loads more. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. 

Announcing: New Season It's a Long Story

Uncover fascinating stories of the Opera House’s rich cultural heritage and design legacy in our new podcast series exploring the building as a work of art, the artwork within it, as well as the decade of renewal and how we are transforming our icon for the 21st century and future generations. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  sydneyoperahouse.com/digital/podcasts/house-stories

Introducing: House Stories

Jess Hill & Sanam Maher Jess Hill and Sanam Maher, expert journalists on gendered abuse, come together in a cross cultural discussion to unpack male entitlement and female vulnerability. Hosted by Gina Rushton.

Abusive Cultures - All About Women 2020

Sometimes just a few words can change everything, but for many women, speaking up isn't easy. Join these powerhouses who found the courage to call out injustice, and be inspired to find your own voice.   Featuring Clementine Ford and Flex Mami and hosted by Edwina Throsby. 

Finding Your Voice - All About Women 2020

Feminists get a bad rap for being angry. But what would it be like if women were allowed to embrace their anger? American writer Soraya Chemaly has been calling for this shift for years. A prolific voice on the role of gender in culture and politics,  she has had a long career in media and technology. And, she has encountered a lot to be angry about. Her latest book, Rage Becomes Her is a celebration of female anger. It tackles the highly gendered way our culture regards anger, and questions why angry men are strong but angry women are crazy. This episode is part of a six-part ‘It’s A Long Story’ series featuring alumni from our All About Women festival. All About Women returns to Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2020.

Soraya Chemaly | Rage Becomes Her

Sohaila Abdulali did not want to write a book about her experience of being raped. It was a long time ago and she’d very much moved on with her life. But, after some articles she’d written about it went viral, she did write a book. 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape' is an incredible, genre-defying discussion of the troubling ways that rape and sexual violence are experienced and discussed. With no self-pity but much insight and a joyous character, she brings sensible, open thinking to an entirely taboo topic. Content Warning: this episode of It's A Long Story contains discussion of sexual violence. Support can be found at Lifeline: 13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au This episode is part of a six-part ‘It’s A Long Story’ series featuring alumni from our All About Women festival. All About Women returns to Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2020.    

Sohaila Abdulali | Changing the way we talk about rape

How we define ourselves comes from a place of difference. At least that's what Carolin Emcke writes about in her book, How We Desire, which investigates gender and identity. But her own identity? Now that’s more complicated. Emcke has been reporting from war zones since the early 2000s, where she's witnessed and written about some of the most horrific acts humans are capable of. She is a fearless and completely original thinker on all things from the effect that atrocity has on those who are compelled to report upon it, to the ethics of journalism, to what it means to be queer today. This episode is part of a six-part ‘It’s A Long Story’ series featuring alumni from our All About Women festival. All About Women returns to Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2020.

Carolin Emcke

Sarah Smarsh is the daughter of a teenaged mother, who was the daughter of a teenaged mother, who was the daughter of a teenaged mother. Born into a dirt-poor family in rural Kansas, Smarsh realised young that if she could get educated and not pregnant, she would be able to break the pattern of the women in her family. Her memoir, Heartland, is a wonderful tribute to those women, as well as a proud  insider’s look into a culture that is often mocked, reviled and misunderstood, and a searing critique of a political and economic system that entrenches inequality in America.  This episode is part of a six-part ‘It’s A Long Story’ series featuring alumni from our All About Women festival. All About Women returns to Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2020.

Sarah Smarsh | Growing up poor and female in America's heartland

Joan Morgan grew up in the Bronx alongside a growing hip hop movement in the 1980s. Coming of age in the 90s, as hip hop became an international cultural phenomenon, Joan Morgan became one of the first women to write about hip hop for magazines. In 1999, Morgan coined the term “hip-hop feminism” in her groundbreaking book When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost which applied a feminist lens to a nortoriously sexist genre. More recently, she penned a definitive analysis of The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, to mark the 20th anniversary of that classic, seminal album. 

Joan Morgan | Hip hop from a black feminist perspective

Tina Tchen doesn't remember the first time she met the Obamas. But what she does remember is the ground-breaking policies that she worked on with both Barack and Michelle during their time in the White House. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Tina has forged a top-notch career as a lawyer, activist and advocate, and has been focused on gender equity issues for over three decades, while raising two kids as a single mother. After #metoo she set up the legal defence fund for the group Time's Up, which to date has raised over $24 million dollars to support the legal cases of women who have been harassed at work.  She is a powerhouse, and she knows how to get things done. This episode is part of a six-part ‘It’s A Long Story’ series featuring alumni from our All About Women festival. All About Women returns to Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2020.

Tina Tchen | Making meaningful change

In this special episode of It’s a Long Story, host and ANTIDOTE festival curator Edwina Throsby is interviewed by Sydney Morning Herald Editor Lisa Davies about the 2019 festival. Discover the lineup here: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/festivals/antidote.html

SPECIAL EPISODE: ANTIDOTE 2019 Program Launch

Adam Liaw understands how Australian families eat. Emigrating to South Australia from Malaysia in the 1980s his childhood was a delicious mix of international cuisines. Adam’s precocious smarts fast-tracked his academic career, and landed him at law school well ahead of schedule. Moving to Japan in his twenties to work at Disney Asia, he was settling into Japanese culture. But everything changed when he applied on a whim for the second season of Masterchef Australia. Ten years, six books and one snow egg later, he now hosts award-winning SBS television series Destination Flavour. His columns and recipes provide a thoughtful culinary perspective and a solid knowledge of what you should put on the table tonight. Watch Adam with Yotam Ottolenghi

Adam Liaw | Every dish tells a story

Behind every big idea, there's a long story. Produced by Sydney Opera House as part of the Talks and Ideas program, Edwina Throsby interviews some of the world's most interesting thinkers and culture creators.

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It's a Long Story

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