The tropes of true crime are well known. There’s a dead body (often a woman’s), a town (often small) full of kooky characters, and an obsessive investigator. But what of the books that defy these conventions despite technically being true crime?
In January 1947, over 3,000 rare specimens of butterflies vanished from Australia’s most prestigious museums. In The Butterfly Thief, award-winning journalist Walter Marsh uses unpublished case files, dossiers, and private archives to tell the tale. As the story reveals a deeper history of gentleman explorers, scoundrels and grave-robbers, Walter asks an uncomfortable but vital question: What if Western museums were crime scenes all along?
In Slick: Australia’s Toxic Relationship with Big Oil, journalist Royce Kurmelovs delivers a riveting exposé of the global oil industry’s decades-long conspiracy to cast doubt on the science of climate change, and how the industry manipulated the Australian government into undermining global efforts to confront environmental catastrophe. Could this be the greatest true crime story of our time?
Royce and Walter are led in conversation by ABC Sydney’s Craig Reucassel.
Walter Marsh is the author of Young Rupert: the making of the Murdoch empire and The Butterfly Thief: adventure, empire, and Australia's greatest museum heist. A former staff writer and editor at The Adelaide Review and Rip It Up, his writing has also appeared in The Guardian, The Monthly, The Saturday Paper, Crikey, The Age and Australian Book Review.
Royce Kurmelovs is an Australian journalist and author of five books, including The Death of Holden and Slick: Australia's Toxic Relationship with Big Oil.
Craig Reucassel is an Australian writer and comedian who is best known for his work with The Chaser and for going through your bins on The War on Waste. Craig has also hosted climate change documentaries Fight for Planet A and Big Weather. In 2020, he directed the movie Big Deal, which looked into the issue of money in politics in Australia. He is currently the host of the ABC 702 Breakfast show in Sydney.
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This event is part of the Main Program and included as part of Platinum, Gold, Silver and Saturday Bronze Passes.
Subject to availability, a limited number of single tickets may become available 9 September.
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This venue is wheelchair accessible. Please visit our Accessibility page or email hello@bluemountainswritersfestival.com.au if you have any other accessibility requirements.