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Richard Glover will be in conversation with Karen Viggers on his new book How To Ruin A Child , a journey into the alarming, hilarious and ever-changing advice given to Australian parents.

Behind every generation of Australian mothers and fathers has stood an army of advisors - magazine columnists, expert authors, nurses, priests and government agencies. Most of those experts were very certain about their own rules. Any deviation would produce a dire result: you'd ruin a child. Yet, over time, the advice kept changing. Each generation was told that the last generation had it all wrong. How peculiar that most of the experts did not have children of their own.

And, for the current generation of parents, history offers a consolation. When relatives, and other critics, tell young parents that they are 'doing it all wrong', and that different (usually stricter) methods would make everything go smoothly, the experience of Australian parents over time is wonderfully reassuring. Parenting is tough, however you do it, and the outcome, however you get there, is usually a perfectly fine human.

'This brilliantly written, forensically researched, laugh-out-loud lampooning of parenting manuals should be a mandatory gift in every maternity ward'  Kathy Lette

'Raising kids has always been confusing and hard, and Richard Glover's exploration of advice for parents over the last century is fascinating and sometimes devastating to read. I especially love his top 20 tips for parents today - full of compassion and common sense' Maggie Dent

Richard Glover has written several bestselling books, including Best Wishes, a book about making the world a better, less annoying place and The Land Before Avocado, an account of the bizarre Australia of the late 60s and early 70s. Has been a regular columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Washington Post. He hosted the comedy program Thank God It's Friday on ABC Local Radio, and for 26 years, he hosted the Drive show on ABC Radio Sydney – leaving at the end of 2025.

Karen Viggers is a veterinarian and award-winning, bestselling Australian author of five novels: The Stranding,The Lightkeeper’s Wife, The Grass Castle, The Orchardists’s Daughter and Sidelines. She is co-host of the Secrets From the Green Room podcast for writers and readers. Karen's work is set in Australian landscapes and explores complex issues, including dying with dignity, displacement of First Peoples, wildlife conservation and clear-felling of native forests. and modern parenting

The vote of thanks will be given by co-founder, volunteer, board director and “busy Mum” Emma Pocock 

Books will be available for signing from 5.30pm and again after the event. 

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A podcast will be made available after the event.

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