Brian Cox is best known today as Logan Roy. Last year he published a memoir about his life and his acting,Putting the Rabbit in the Hat.

Brian Cox is best known today as Logan Roy. Last year he published a memoir about his life and his acting,Putting the Rabbit in the Hat.

But you’ll be able to get to know the Scottish actor even better when he appears at the Melbourne Writers Festival and Sydney’s Antidote this September.

Along with comedianJenny Slate and authorMohsin Hamid,he is one of three international guests who will appear in person at the writers’ festival when face-to-face sessions return after a two-year hiatus imposed by the pandemic.

The cover of Little Weirds by Jenny Slate.

The cover of Little Weirds by Jenny Slate.Credit:

Slate is the writer,comedian and actor who had a bestseller with her bookLittle Weirds and created theMarcel the Shell with Shoes On series of short comic films. Last year Marcel graduated to the big screen in a film featuring Slate,Thomas Mann and Isabella Rossellini.

Hamid has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize – for his second novel,The Reluctant Fundamentalist,and his most recent,Exit West. His latest novel,The Last White Man,which begins intriguingly with a man’s skin changing colour,has been compared to Franz Kafka’sThe Metamorphosisand will be published in August.

Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker will also be appearing at the two festivals,albeit by live video cross,to discuss his latest release – a book calledGood Pop,Bad Pop,a memoir and meditation on music prompted by objects he found while clearing out his home and billed as “not a life story. It’s a loft story”.

MWF artistic director Michaela McGuire said the four “are just the beginning of an extraordinary line-up” for the festival.

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Last year,the extension of Melbourne’s sixth lockdown meant the festival,the 35th,was cancelled only a couple of weeks before it was due to begin. While the previous year’s in-person festival had also been cancelled,organisers had sufficient notice and different workplace restrictions to allow them to migrate some events online.

This year,the writers’ festival has revised its format,switching to a four-day event beginning on September 8 after several years of running for 10 days. The full program with more than 150 events will be announced on July 27. The box office for the Cox,Slate,Hamid and Cocker’s events is open.

You can purchase tickets for the Melbourne Writer’s Festival here.Purchase tickets for Sydney’s Antidote here.

The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger.Get it delivered every Friday.

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