At the Melbourne Writers’ Festival this week, a panel of poets, writers and performers will read and reflect on the poetry of the first world war. Among them is Mark Seymour, the former frontman of Hunters & Collectors and a fixture on the Australian music scene for the past three decades.

Here, Andrea Baker talks to Seymour about his life-long fascination with war, the manipulation of language in songwriting, and saving Nick Cave on stage.

Mark Seymour is appearing at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival on Sunday August 31 at 2pm at Words & War: Passing Bells – The Poetry of World War One and playing at the Flying Saucer Club on Saturday August 30.

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Andrea Jean Baker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.