Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon To Speak In Sydney & Melbourne This Year

Melbourne Writers Festival and Sydney's Antidote Festival have today revealed some of the massive international names that will lead their 2019 events.

The iconic Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson will take part in both events with MWF Artistic Director Marieke Hardy saying the guests would "open three entirely different windows on the world".

“We are so thrilled and excited these exceptional human beings are joining us in Melbourne,” Hardy said.

“Each of them is a trailblazer. Kim Gordon revolutionised alternative music and changed perceptions about women in music. Deborah Lipstadt interrogates antisemitism on a global scale, while DeRay Mckesson puts his heart on the front lines in the war against racism. 

"We open ourselves up fully to hear their stories and their passions; what they fear, what they hope for and what they love.”

MWF19 will run from 30 August to 8 September.

The full MWF program is set to be revealed on 10 July. Tickets for the three aforementioned events are on sale now. Follow the link here for more details.

Meanwhile, Antidote has revealed its full line-up with other noteworthy speakers including Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie, Rappler founder Maria Ressa and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll.

Antidote 2019 will take over the Sydney Opera House on 31 August and 1 September. For full line-up, details and tickets, visit the festival website.