Award-winner to lead True Story festival workshop

Award-winning documentary maker, writer, and researcher Belinda Lopez will bring her expertise to True Story Festival, leading a practical workshop focused on a storyteller’s most crucial skill – asking the right questions.

Belinda has spent over 15 years telling Australian and global stories focused on human rights, social issues, and untold histories.

"I’m interested in how big events in history and politics can change an individual person’s life — and for that reason I’ve always been drawn to audio documentary making," she says.

"There’s something about someone simply telling their story that helps us understand human rights and social issues as an actual lived experience, not only as ideas and ideologies."

Belinda has worked as a writer, journalist, and anthropologist, across outlets including ABC Radio National and The Sydney Morning Herald. Her writing, podcasts, and documentary collaborations received awards from the United Nations, Walkley Awards and the Australian Human Rights Awards.

After discovering True Story festival last year, Belinda is looking forward to being part of the team in 2025. "I remember sitting in the audience realising that I’d never been to a better festival! One that managed to combine such impressive authors and topics with genuine local community spirit. I'm grateful to be living here, and to be a part of it."

On Saturday, November 15, from 9:30am to 11:30am, she will present a workshop titled How to Ask the Right Questions. Focusing on the often-overlooked skill of interviewing, Belinda will share the approach she has developed to reveal impactful stories in a session for anyone interested in writing family and social histories, memoir, biography, documentary or journalism.

Thanks to Belinda for taking the time to tell us more.

What is your latest writing project?

I'm working on a nonfiction manuscript set in West Papua, Indonesia and Australia. It's been a labour of love for many years. It's one of those stories that insists on being told, no matter the challenges. 

What do you love about it? And what are the challenges? 

What drew me to the story is exactly what makes it challenging to tell: Interconnecting stories over multiple languages, eras and countries, exploring truth, justice, and the mistakes we keep making, over and over again. 

Your earliest reading memory?

Reading Roald Dahl, I'm not even sure which one — just blurred memories of living through his characters. I may have thought I was Matilda at one point. 

Who is the writer who changed your mind?

George Orwell, as a teenager. Back before I had any real mind to change. As I made my way through his nonfiction, fiction and essays, I felt like I was learning how to think critically for the first time. 

Your comfort read?

Jane Austen's greatest hits, at least once a year, starting with Pride and Prejudice, always. 

True Story's theme for 2025 is ‘But Seriously’ and the festival will be held over Saturday, 15 November and Sunday, 16 November at Coledale Community Hall. Tickets via Humanitix.

Workshops will be held on Friday, with Erin O'Dwyer, and Saturday morning, with Belinda Lopez.

Readers can also sign up for Belinda's newsletter: Story Doula