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In Conversation with Carody Culver In Conversation with Carody Culver

Elaine Castillo: Moderation

In Conversation with Carody Culver
11 Oct
BOOK

ABOUT THE SHOW

Thirty-something Girlie Delmundo has a black belt in emotional repression. A social media content moderator and a first-generation eldest daughter, she deals efficiently with trauma every day, both online and in her extended Filipino-American family. But Girlie’s life takes a turn when she’s promoted to moderating virtual-reality theme parks – and when she finally meets a person she might actually like. 

Acclaimed US writer Elaine Castillo’s second novel is a wickedly witty skewering of Big Tech, an astute portrait of invisible labour, and an exhilarating Austen-style romance for the internet age.

PART OF BRISBANE WRITERS FESTIVAL

White logo with a bold geometric shape on the left and the text Brisbane Writers Festival in large, white, sans-serif letters on a black background.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elaine Castillo – Named one of “30 of the Planet’s Most Exciting Young People” by the Financial Times, Elaine Castillo’s novel Moderation was longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize in Fiction and named one of the Top Ten Books of 2025 by The Atlantic, Slate, and a Best Book of 2025 by The New Yorker, TIME, and more.
Two people in historical clothing sit on a sofa with a black dog; their faces are blurred with vertical streaks. The text reads: MODERATION, A Novel, Elaine Castillo. Author of HOW TO READ NOW.

Carody Culver is the editor of Griffith Review. She’s also a writer and a literary interviewer. Her work has appeared in Australian Book Review, Meanjin, Sydney Review of Books, Kill Your Darlings, Books+Publishing and more, and she’s been a contributing editor for Peppermint magazine. Her chapbook, The Morgue I Think the Deader It Gets, was published by Cordite in 2022.

BOOK

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES

Sun 11 Oct 2026
9:30AM

VENUE

Underground Theatre

TICKETS

Adult
$29.90*
Concession
$25*
*$7.20 transaction fee applies to all ticket purchases

DURATION

60 minutes

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Suitable for All ages

18 months and under free on the knee; all other ages must hold a valid ticket

ACCESSIBILITY

  • wheelchair_accessible

Accessiblity Information at Brisbane Powerhouse

Presented by Brisbane Writers Festival in partnership with Brisbane Powerhouse

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elaine Castillo – Named one of “30 of the Planet’s Most Exciting Young People” by the Financial Times, Elaine Castillo’s novel Moderation was longlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize in Fiction and named one of the Top Ten Books of 2025 by The Atlantic, Slate, and a Best Book of 2025 by The New Yorker, TIME, and more.
Two people in historical clothing sit on a sofa with a black dog; their faces are blurred with vertical streaks. The text reads: MODERATION, A Novel, Elaine Castillo. Author of HOW TO READ NOW.

Carody Culver is the editor of Griffith Review. She’s also a writer and a literary interviewer. Her work has appeared in Australian Book Review, Meanjin, Sydney Review of Books, Kill Your Darlings, Books+Publishing and more, and she’s been a contributing editor for Peppermint magazine. Her chapbook, The Morgue I Think the Deader It Gets, was published by Cordite in 2022.

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