ANU Meet the Author series

Amy Remeikis, one of Australia's leading political journalists and incisive cultural commentators, will be in conversation with Virginia Haussegger on Amy’s new book, Screw Nice, a powerful examination of how the politics of civility attempts to shut down debate.

6pm, Thursday 6 August 2026
Tangney Rd, Cinema, Cultural Centre Kambri
(ANU Building 153), Acton, ACT, 2601

Amy Remeikis, one of Australia's leading political journalists and incisive cultural commentators, will be in conversation with Virginia Haussegger on Amy’s new book, Screw Nice, a powerful examination of how the politics of civility attempts to shut down debate. The imbalance between those in power and those who oppose injustice is growing. And yet, to stifle argument, those who hold all the power use demands for civility as weapons, to control discussion and negate the legitimacy of differing opinions.

To be heard, you must be polite and follow the rules. But those rules are different, depending on your income, religion, social status or gender. At a time when wars are killing civilians in obscene numbers; when women are being murdered every week by someone close to them; when politicians are reinventing history to suit their agendas; and when science is telling us we have to do something to protect the planet, the politics of civility is a tool used by those in power to suppress marginalised voices. It discredits those whose perspectives we need to hear. It is stifling important information. But when lies are treated as truth, the only thing we can do is speak up and screw nice.

Amy Remeikis masterfully illuminates the personal and the public to hold a mirror up to our society, political systems and treatment of those who don't hold political or financial power to show us the time for being silenced has to end.

Amy Remeikis is the Chief Political Analyst at The Australia Institute and a contributing editor for The New Daily. Amy has extensive experience as a journalist, author and as a former political reporter for The Guardian Australia. Amy regularly appears in national media and is the author of On Reckoning and Where it All Went Wrong.

Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning television journalist, writer and commentator, whose media career spans 30 years. Virginia is Deputy Chair of the media think-tank PIJI, the Public Interest Journalism Initiative and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra’s News & Media Research Centre.. Her latest book is Unfinished Revolution: The Feminist Fightback.

The vote of thanks will be given by award-winning journalist Alex Sloan AM, 2017 ACT Citizen of the year

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

Additional information:

Registration is required for this event.

Accessible parking spaces are available around campus should you require them.

By registering for this event, you are accepting our privacy policy.

A podcast will be made available after the event.

Free Event: Registration is required