Pardon My Speech

Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist, and a survivor with lived experience of complex trauma. She works in the field of public forensic mental health and in private clinical practice, largely focusing on treating clients with trauma.

Graeme Turner is Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland. He is one of the founding figures in media and cultural studies in Australia and a leading figure internationally. He has been writing books about Australian media, culture and society for many years, with a continuing focus on the idea of the nation. He has published thirty books, including Making it National (1994), Ending the Affair: The decline of Australian television news and current affairs (2005), Reinventing the Media (2016) and John Farnham's Whispering Jack (2021). His most recent book is The Shrinking Nation: How we got here and what can be done about it.

Lucinda Holdforth is the author of four books examining what makes good societies flourish. While working as a speech writer and adviser to senior leaders across government and business, she has written with wit and insight about the women who shaped the culture of Paris, the enduring value of manners, the language of democratic leadership and, most recently, the downside of modern virtues in 21st-Century Virtues: How They Are Failing Our Democracy (2023). Her books are lively provocations – wake-up calls – to think more clearly about the forces and conditions that make for a civilized world.

Amber Gwynne is a Lecturer in Writing at The University of Queensland and a former communications specialist in the Queensland public service. Her work has been published in Overland, Kill Your Darlings and Griffith Review, among other journals.