Grand Ambition Launch

Written with never-before-seen documents from Paul Keating’s archive and drawing on long conversations and interviews with him over many years, this book explores the ambitions for Australia and its place in the world that guided Keating: arguably the last Prime Minister with a compelling long-term vision for the country.

James Curran is Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney specialising in political and foreign relations history. He is also a foreign affairs columnist at the Australian Financial Review where he was International Editor from 2023–2025. In 2025, Curran delivered one of the ABC’s Boyer Lectures on Australia’s current strategic dilemma. Prior to joining Sydney University, James served in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Defence and at the Office of National Assessments. In 2013, he was Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin and in 2010 was awarded a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University. Curran is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.

Andrew Burke is the editor of AFR Weekend, based in the Sydney newsroom. He has worked at the Financial Times in London, the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and reported from across Asia and the Middle East.

Drinks and nibblies provided.