Cory Taylor, author of Dying: A Memoir, has died

SUSAN WYNDHAM Cory Taylor, a fine Australian writer, has died within weeks of the rush-publication of her last book, Dying: A Memoir.

German music giant BMG buys iconic Australian record label Albert Music

BERNARD ZUEL A gut-wrenching decision means Albert Music, the company "built" by Easybeats and AC/DC, will no longer be locally owned, ending 131 years of a family business.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair: A sorcerer's tale from Cape York transforms waste into art

ANDREW TAYLOR A remote Indigenous community shares its stories and protects the environment with its ghost net art.

Comedy group Aunty Donna is not your father's sister or even your uncle's wife

LENNY ANN LOW Aunty Donna, a group of mostly hairy, funny men, do stupid, smart and clever comedy

You've waited 16 years for this. So what took The Avalanches so long?

CHRIS JOHNSTON In their first interview since completing the album the world waited 16 years to hear, The Avalanches explain what happened after they left us.

Frank Ocean hints at 2016 release for his new album Boys Don't Cry

Elie Choueifaty Frank Ocean has hinted at a July (or November) release for the much hyped, long rumoured Boys Don't Cry album.

The Corner Hotel in Richmond celebrates 20 years in photos

ANNABEL ROSS It was only in 1995, when The Corner Hotel was purchased by Tim Northeast and Matt Everitt, that it really came into its own.

Ngaiire's new album finds blastoma is the cure not just the disease

BERNARD ZUEL A childhood illness became the spur 25 years later for a career-changing move for Papua New Guinean singer Ngaiire.

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Waleed Aly rocks out on guitar to Prince's Purple Rain at Reclink's Community Cup

EBONY BOWDEN He's known for his wily political interviews and influential columns, but The Project's Waleed Aly turned rock god for a charity event in Melbourne on Sunday.

Leo Schofield's postponed Sydney Sings festival believed to have cost taxpayers $1m

Nick Galvin and Andrew Taylor NSW taxpayers are $1 million out of pocket and Sydney's singing community is in turmoil with the shock cancellation of the Sydney Sings festival.

Billy Crystal on Donald Trump, Muhammad Ali and watching When Harry Met Sally with Princess Diana

SARAH THOMAS As Billy Crystal departed the US for his Australian tour just days ago, Hillary Clinton appears to be nudging ahead in the polls.

Meet the man who makes it rain in Singin' in the Rain

ELISSA BLAKE In the world of showbiz, Alasdair Elliott is the guy who can rain on your parade. He can turn a sunny stage musical into a wash out.

Ranters Theatre's Come Away With Me to the End of the World ruminates on death and life

ANNABEL ROSS When readers of a certain vintage think of model volcanoes, they might recall an episode of The Brady Bunch.

Helpmann Awards 2016: Matilda The Musical gives grown-ups the slip in nominations

Debbie Cuthbertson and Louise Rugendyke Matilda The Musical leads Helpmann Award nominees with 13 nods, followed by Opera Australia with 10 and Melbourne Theatre Company with eight.

Zoe Coombs Marr brings Dave back in award-winning show Trigger Warning

ELISSA BLAKE What to do when every time you open your mouth, you offend someone? What way forward is there for a stand-up comic whose act is a showcase of everything you don't ever want to see in comedy again?

Election 2016: Turnbull government unlikely to win over arts sector at the ballot box

ANDREW TAYLOR The Turnbull government is unlikely to attract many votes from the arts sector, but are the alternatives any better?

National Art School head Michael Snelling says merger with UNSW 'on the cards'

ANDREW TAYLOR Sydney may be left with just one tertiary art school, with the head of the National Art School conceding the institution may be forced into a merger with the University of NSW.

Christo's 3km floating bridge victim of its own popularity

An influx of people to a small Italian town to see a big orange art installation has caused unforseen problems.

Victorian major events chiefs quit as government expands White Night to Ballarat

DEBBIE CUTHBERTSON Victoria's most senior major events executives responsible for managing and attracting sporting, cultural and tourism drawcards have departed.

Archibald Prize 2016: Natasha Bieniek's small portrait captures Wendy Whiteley's great life

ANDREW TAYLOR Natasha Bieniek's portrait of Wendy Whiteley may be one of the smallest entries in this year's Archibald Prize.

Why does it take the dying to remind us how to live well?

Leah Kaminsky Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor, who died this week, speaks out against the muzzle Western society had placed on discussing death. By Leah Kaminsky.

Brenda Niall's life of Archbishop Mannix wins Australia's oldest literary prize

JASON STEGER Brenda Niall has won Australia's oldest literary award for her acclaimed biography of Archbishop Mannix.

Bestsellers: Jane Harper holds off Annie Proulx in the independent charts

Jane Harper's debut crime novel The Dry is number one in the independent charts but faces a strong challenge from Annie Proulx's epic Barkskins.

Alain de Botton and his School of Life come to Sydney

SUSAN WYNDHAM Learn to live, die and converse better; the battle to #SaveOzStories; focus on Australian literature

Bookmarks: News and views from the book world

JASON STEGER Parallel importing, a literary prize and who's coming to the MWF.