You, Me and the B52s

Prof the Hon Bob Carr is the longest continuously serving Premier in the history of New South Wales and served as Australia’s Foreign Minister. Since leaving politics Bob has led a distinguished career as a defacto diplomat, author and academic. He is the author of Thoughtlines, My Reading Life and Diary of a Foreign Minister and his political memoir Run for Your Life.

James Curran is Professor of Modern History at Sydney University. A former analyst with the Office of National Assessments, he has authored a number of books, including The Power of Speech, Unholy Fury: Whitlam and Nixon at War and David Campese: The Last of the Dream Sellers.  

Amanda Hodge is The Australian’s South East Asia correspondent, based in Jakarta. She has lived and worked in Asia since 2009, covering social and political upheaval from Afghanistan to East Timor. She has won a Walkley Award, Lowy Institute media award and UN Peace award.

Sam Roggeveen is director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program. He was the founding editor of The Interpreter and is editor of the Lowy Institute Papers. Before joining the Lowy Institute, Sam was a senior analyst in Australia's peak intelligence agency, the Office of National Assessments.

Peter Varghese is currently serving his second term as Chancellor of The University of Queensland. Varghese’s extensive career in public service and diplomacy spans 38 years and includes senior positions in foreign affairs, trade policy and intelligence. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

Maxine McKew is Hon Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. A former ABC and Bulletin journalist as well as Federal Labor MP, McKew can rightly claim to be among the first of the modern political disrupters - having defeated prime minister John Howard in the seat of Bennelong in 2007. She has written two books: Tales from the Political Trenches and Class Act.