Attica Presents is the free Melbourne Food and Wine Festival finale

Ben Shewry, the chef and owner of Ripponlea restaurant Attica, has released the program for his highly anticipated day of talks that will close the 2020 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (March 19-29).

Shewry will be leading a discussion on hope, community and resilience at the Queen Victoria Market on Sunday, March 29. Key speakers include Dark Emu author Bruce Pascoe; Nura Gunyu, cultural educator and sustainability advocate Noel Butler; artist Reko Rennie; and Leila Nimbadja and Clem Bresson of Maningrida Wild Foods.

Shewry says, "After the terrible summer we've just been through, I felt that our country is ready to listen to the deep, deep knowledge and intelligence of First Nations people – to hear about their connectedness to environment and country.

"These aren't necessarily the typical stories that you'll hear at a food festival but they are some of the most important."

Attica Presents, much like Shewry's WAW talks of 2014, are free, though registration is essential. Lunch, a dish of wattleseed dhal with condiments and Baker Bleu bread, is optional to pre-purchase for $30, with funds aiding the rebuilding of the Butler's home and education centre, lost to bushfires.

"The darl" pays tribute to former Attica employees Gurnam Singh and Sunny Sharma, who sponsored and made the original WAW lunch.

Sunday, March 29, 10am-1pm, registrations melbournefoodandwine.com.au.