An Afternoon with Briohny Doyle and Gina Rushton

Cinematic, heart-breaking, often hilarious, Why We Are Here is a singular love story for strange days. Doyle's witty prose revels in the solace of the natural world, in conversing with writers who have lost and endured, and above all in the profound connection between a woman and her dog.

Briohny Doyle is the author of Echolalia, Adult Fantasy and The Island Will Sink. Her books have been recognised on lists for The Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and The Melbourne Prize for Literature. Her writing has appeared in The Monthly, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith Review, and The Age. She is a lecturer in creative writing at The University of Sydney, and a former Fulbright scholar.

Gina Rushton is a journalist. Her reporting has appeared in Australian Associated Press, BuzzFeed News, The Guardian, The Australian, The Saturday Paper, The Monthly, Crikey, Business Insider Australia and The West Australian.