#About the event
Duration: 60 minutes
7:45pm, Tuesday 12th May 2026
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
119 Lamington St, New Farm
In April 1912, a 28-year-old Australian nurse boarded the Titanic for its maiden voyage. She was a champion rower from rural South Australia, trained in Morse code, newly engaged to a doctor, and about to face one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history. She would spend that night helping others to safety, believing she herself might not survive.
Evelyn Marsden was the only Australian-born survivor of the Titanic, and yet for over a century, almost no one knew her name.
Lisa Wilkinson has been one of Australia's most recognised journalists and broadcasters for over three decades, and a consistent champion of women's stories throughout. Known for her curiosity and her ability to ask the questions others tend to avoid, she spent years researching Evelyn's story, unearthing previously hidden fragments of a private and humble life. The Titanic Story of Evelyn, published April 2026, is her first work of historical non-fiction.
Join us at The Calile on Thursday 14 May for an evening with Lisa in conversation with journalist and moderator Davina Smith, followed by audience questions and a book signing to close.
This event is presented in partnership with The Calile Hotel.
#Artists
Lisa Wilkinson
Lisa Wilkinson AM is one of Australia's most popular, admired and respected journalists. An early groundbreaking publishing career - Lisa was the youngest-ever editor of a national magazine, Dolly, at the age of twenty-one, then spent ten years as editor of the iconic and bestselling Cleo magazine - led to stints in all forms of media, including newspapers, TV, radio and online. She is probably best known, though, for her work in television, spending more than a decade as coa host of the Nine Network's Today Show, followed by five years as co-host of Network Ten's primetime news and current affairs program, The Project, her award-winning interviews regularly making headlines across the country. The Titanic Story of Evelyn is Lisa's second book, following her highly acclaimed, bestselling autobiography, It Wasn't Meant To Be Like This, published in 2021. Lisa is married to journalist, former Wallaby and bestselling author Peter FitzSimons. They have three children.
Davina Smith
Davina is a journalist and news anchor with more than 25 years’ experience. As the Nine Network’s Sydney daytime presenter, she was on air as history-defining events unfolded — including the Martin Place Siege, the Christchurch terror attack, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and disasters such as the Black Summer bushfires and the Lismore floods.
In 2025 she left her dream job and moved to the family farm outside Toowoomba. She now works as an investigative journalist for A Current Affair.
Her husband Mark is a Blackhawk loadmaster in the Army. They have two daughters, Rose and Hope, a cavoodle named Coco, and a very friendly Black Angus cow called “Friendly Cow.”
Davina is a passionate mental health advocate and ambassador for the Gidget Foundation and Lifeline. She contributed to John Brogden’s book Profiles in Hope - sharing the stories of fifteen Australians who survived suicide. She also campaigns for better, much needed support for military families.
