Maxine Beneba Clarke thought her memoir, The Hate Race, would be "a hard sell at the end of the day because it was a book about a little black girl". Booksellers proved her wrong.

If you didn't get these 2016 books for Christmas, pick up a copy for yourself.

Stephanie Owen Reeder explores the engaging escapades of a range of picture-book animals

Melbourne will get a taste of an Indian writers festival with a pop-up festival being held in February

She's already sold the film rights to her first novel, The Dry, but praise from the New York Times is more than welcome to Jane Harper.

Vin Diesel won't appreciate me saying this, but the Hollywood he-man is turning 50 this year. Not that he looks that old. Are you kidding me? My cousin Vinnie can bench-press 300 kilos. If your Whirlpool's broken, you could always scrub your laundry on that man's abs, but birthday candles don't lie.

The best pop songs start out like something you want and then build up to something so much more.

Literary news and events in Canberra.

Lauren Sams' novel is probably best read as a cautionary tale for new mothers.

Bringing back Harry Potter has returned J.K. Rowling to the top of the bestseller lists in a year when children's titles dominated sales in Australian bookshops.

The best of these highlights from The Conversation interrogate the reality behind news report beat-ups of academic findings.

Marcel Danesi maintains a healthy level of scepticism about the applications and future of the emoji.

Want to know about the making of George Lucas' films? This biography is the book for you.

The most memorable essays in Treasure Palaces capture how personal transformation can take place within the halls of these impersonal institutions.