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Ocean

Two Families on a Collision Course: A Memoir

2025 PROGRAM

Two Families on a Collision Course: A Memoir

DATE: 

Saturday 29th March

LOCATION:

Darley Smith Building

COST:

$22

In Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, acclaimed author Lech Blaine explores the fraught intersections of faith, family, and identity in a gripping memoir.

On one side, Michael and Mary Shelley are devout fundamentalist Christians who reject what they see as the indulgences of Australian culture—sports, swearing, and alcohol. On the other, Lenore and Tom Blaine are publicans with a raucous, rugby league- obsessed household, raising both their biological and foster kids, including Lech himself.

This sensational tale, woven with Lech's signature wit and keen insight, chronicles these two families’ profound tensions and unexpected connections. It is a story of love, loyalty, and the clash of worldviews, offering an unflinching look at the ties that bind and the beliefs that divide.

Host: Steve Cannane

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

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