Colum McCann: The Truth Disconnect
Colum McCann | Sam Koslowski
Beneath the ocean’s surface, fibre-optic cables pulse with the entirety of our human existence – memes and messages, stock trades and state secrets. But when these fragile threads break, so too can the connections that bind us.
Award-winning author Colum McCann joins The Daily Aus’ Sam Koslowski to explore truth, misinformation and human connection in a world driven by technology, and his latest book Twist.
Together they’ll unpack the power of fiction to reflect societal truths, rupture, repair and resilience in an age of hyper-communication, asking: how do we navigate a world where information is abundant, but authenticity is elusive? And in an era of digital disarray, can we still mend the severed connections of our society?
LIVE EVENT & VENUE INFORMATION
The Roundhouse is located at UNSW Sydney's Kensington Campus. Please note this is a live event only, and will not be available via livestream.
TICKETS
ACCESS
Wheelchair Access
The closest accessible drop off point to the Roundhouse is the north entrance via High Street, Gate 2, follow the road to Third Avenue and turn onto 1st Avenue West. More information on getting there can be found via our interactive accessibility map available here.
Assisted Listening
The Roundhouse has a hearing loop. Patrons wishing to utilise this need to simply switch their hearing aid to the T (Telecoil) setting to pick up on the wireless signal.
Auslan & Captioning
Auslan interpreting services and/or live captioning can be provided for selected talks upon request.
Contact
To book and discuss access services, please call the Centre for Ideas on 02 9065 0485 or email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT & PARKING
The Roundhouse is easily accessible via public transport and the closest light rail stop is UNSW Anzac Parade (L3 line). The closest bus stop is UNSW Gate 2, High Street (348, 370). For more information, call the Transport Infoline on 131 500 or visit transportnsw.info.
Paid casual and visitor parking is offered via the CellOPark App and ‘pay by plate meters’ in all UNSW car parks. For more information head here, and the closest car park is the Western Campus Car Park is located here, on Anzac Parade next to NIDA. This car park can be accessed via Western Campus Drive through Day Avenue.
PROGRESS FOR ALL
Social cohesion, the connectedness of people to each other and their trust in the institutions that give society structure, is an important element of societal stability and security. As challenges to social cohesion increase, bridging divides to foster inclusive communities becomes an increasingly urgent and critical issue.
In the next decade, UNSW will continue efforts to strengthen societal resilience, security and cohesion. This will build on our significant education and research into human rights, justice, resilience, cohesion and inequality across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. We will focus on enabling access, ensuring equity and building trust in the digital age, through active participation in policy development, our deep research expertise, and genuine engagement with the people, communities and partners throughout our region.
You can read more about our objectives in our UNSW Strategy: Progress for All.

CONTACT
For all the other enquiries, please email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au or call the Centre for Ideas on 02 9065 0485.
The Centre for Ideas is happy to receive phone calls via the National Relay Service. TTY users, phone 133 677, then ask for 02 9065 0485. Speak and Listen users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 02 9065 0485. For more information on all other relay calls visit here.
Colum McCann
Colum McCann is the author of seven novels, three collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many international honours. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts. His work has been published in over 40 languages. He is the President and co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organisation, Narrative 4. His 2009 novel Let the Great World Spin has sold a million copies in the United States alone, and was voted on The New York Times Readers List, ‘100 Best Books of the 21st Century’. Apeirogon, published in 2020, became an immediate New York Times bestseller and won several major international awards. His first major non-fiction book, American Mother, was published in February 2024, and was a bestseller in Ireland, Italy and France.
Sam Koslowski
Sam Koslowski is the co-founder of The Daily Aus, Australia’s leading social-first news organisation for young Australians. He holds a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) from UNSW Sydney and worked as both a lawyer and journalist prior to co-founding TDA. Sam has been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list on two occasions, and co-authored a book on understanding the news with Penguin Random House. Sam is an Advisory Board Member at the Australian Human Rights Institute, and a member of the UNSW Media Degree Advisory Board.