Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Originally presented by The Wheeler Centre and RMIT Culture on Tuesday 4 March 2025.
Watch Twice Booker Prize-nominated author Rachel Kushner discuss her propulsive new eco-espionage novel, in conversation with Rebecca Harkins-Cross.
Rachel Kushnerโs new novel Creation Lake tells the story of Sadie Smith, an American spy-for-hire working in the secretive world of privately contracted surveillance. Tasked with infiltrating a commune of anarchists in rural France, she becomes entranced by a mysterious cult-leader-like figure named Bruno Lacombe who believes that freedom from the pain of the modern condition can only be achieved through a return to the ancient past.
Creation Lake is both a canny homage to French noir and an incisive critique of spy-novel clichรฉs โ more than that, it is stylish, witty and audaciously cerebral. Here, the two-time National Book Award finalist and Booker Prize-shortlisted author sits down to discuss this dazzling work of double-crossing, dark humour and dangerous games, with moderator Rebecca Harkins-Cross.
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ-๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
youtube.com/@WheelerCentre
๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐
The Wheeler Centre is where writers, storytellers, thinkers and readers connect through live events, insightful conversations and compelling stories in Melbourne.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐
Live and digital conversations, debates, readings, podcasts and discussions at The Wheeler Centre.
๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐
๐ Website: wheelercentre.com
๐ Instagram: instagram.com/wheelercentre
๐ Facebook: facebook.com/wheelercentre
๐Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wheelercentre.bsky.social
๐ LISTEN wherever you get your podcasts: tinyurl.com/TWCLISTEN
#WheelerCentre #WheelerCentreTalks #SmartConversations #InspiringTalks #LearnOnYouTube #YouTubeEducation #PublicTalks #Storytelling #books #writing #ideas
Originally presented by The Wheeler Centre and RMIT Culture on Tuesday 4 March 2025.
Watch Twice Booker Prize-nominated author Rachel Kushner discuss her propulsive new eco-espionage novel, in conversation with Rebecca Harkins-Cross.
Rachel Kushnerโs new novel Creation Lake tells the story of Sadie Smith, an American spy-for-hire working in the secretive world of privately contracted surveillance. Tasked with infiltrating a commune of anarchists in rural France, she becomes entranced by a mysterious cult-leader-like figure named Bruno Lacombe who believes that freedom from the pain of the modern condition can only be achieved through a return to the ancient past.
Creation Lake is both a canny homage to French noir and an incisive critique of spy-novel clichรฉs โ more than that, it is stylish, witty and audaciously cerebral. Here, the two-time National Book Award finalist and Booker Prize-shortlisted author sits down to discuss this dazzling work of double-crossing, dark humour and dangerous games, with moderator Rebecca Harkins-Cross.
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ-๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
youtube.com/@WheelerCentre
๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐
The Wheeler Centre is where writers, storytellers, thinkers and readers connect through live events, insightful conversations and compelling stories in Melbourne.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐
Live and digital conversations, debates, readings, podcasts and discussions at The Wheeler Centre.
๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐
๐ Website: wheelercentre.com
๐ Instagram: instagram.com/wheelercentre
๐ Facebook: facebook.com/wheelercentre
๐Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wheelercentre.bsky.social
๐ LISTEN wherever you get your podcasts: tinyurl.com/TWCLISTEN
#WheelerCentre #WheelerCentreTalks #SmartConversations #InspiringTalks #LearnOnYouTube #YouTubeEducation #PublicTalks #Storytelling #books #writing #ideas
