Page, Screen, Controller: is 'The Last of Us' a Great Book?
About the session
What makes a work of literature great? Does it have to be a classic, part of the canon or does it even have to be a book, in the traditional sense?
The Last of Us is one of the most impactful video games of all time, and the source for the smash HBO series adaptation. In this in-depth discussion, we'll dive into the popularity of video games as a storytelling medium - one that far outsells both traditional books and movies - to explore what it means to 'have agency' or 'be immersed' in a story. It’s undoubtedly a work of art, but can we consider The Last of Us a work of literature?
Join us to explore these issues, where we'll also play with these unique aspects of the medium in a zombie-themed choose your own adventure; find out if you have what it takes to survive (at least for a little while) in the zombie apocalypse.
What to expect:
A 60-minute workshop with a small group providing opportunities for discussion and questions.
Being Human 2026
This project was produced in collaboration with the 2026 Being Human Festival. Founded in the UK as the only national festival of the humanities, Being Human is now a global celebration dedicated to demonstrating the breadth, diversity and vitality of the humanities.
About the speaker
Dr Alice Boer-Endacott
Dr Alice Boer-Endacott is an author, literary advocate, and lecturer in the applied humanities at the University of Melbourne. Alice's research explores literacy cultures. This encompasses examining the relationship between fiction and reader identity, the importance of critical thinking to inform robust public discourse and a healthier society, and book bans. She has served on the Board of LoveOzYA, a literary not-for-profit, appeared on panels for the CBCA, been a podcast guest for the Victorian Association for the Teaching of English, and presented the keynote address at the Conference of the Australasian Children’s Literature Association for Research. She shares her research via a monthly column, 'Ask Alice', which engages with and reaches various members of the Australian literary community.
Dr Cassandra Barkman
Dr Cassandra (Cass) Barkman is a lecturer in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne. She is deputy director of the MAGPIE (Melbourne Academic Games, Play and Interactive Entertainment) research initiative and her research involves analysing videogames and their relationship to narrative, pedagogy and genre.
Dr Seth Robinson
Seth Robinson is an award-winning writer, producer, and academic. He is the author of the novel 'Welcome to Bellevue' (2020). His work has featured in publications such as 'The Saturday Paper', 'Kill Your Darlings', 'Aurealis Magazine', 'TEXT', 'Meniscus', 'The Ultimo Prize Anthology', and 'The Mascara Literary Review', among others. In addition to his work with the MPHI, Seth lectures at the University of Melbourne. He currently sits on the board of literary journal 'Going Down Swinging', and is a guest reviewer on ABC Radio National's 'The Bookshelf'. He regularly appears at Australian writers festivals and conferences.
Further information
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