<P> In 2008, Melbourne was designated a UNESCO City of Literature, and this heralded the establishment of the Centre of Books, Writing and Ideas by the Victorian state government . </P> <P> On 26 November the centre was renamed "The Wheeler Centre" after a donation by Lonely Planet founders, Tony Wheeler and Maureen Wheeler . </P> <P> The Wheeler Centre officially opened on 12 February 2010 with a gala night of storytelling featuring several of Australia's most significant writers and performers including Paul Kelly, David Malouf, Cate Kennedy, John Safran and Shane Maloney . </P> <P> The centre presents several one - off events with speakers including Irvine Welsh, Peter Carey and Naomi Wolf in co-operation with resident organisations and external partners including Sydney Writers' Festival and the ABC . The Meanland series of talks is a partnership with literary journals Overland and Meanjin that look at how books will be affected by technological change . </P>

The wheeler centre for books writing and ideas