Game on
If Scrabble worshippers are to avoid sectarian disagreements, they must keep their holy book close at hand. Luckily for John Safran, he was blessed at an early age with a copy.
Endorsed
Game on
If Scrabble worshippers are to avoid sectarian disagreements, they must keep their holy book close at hand.
Follow the leader
A prized leash reminds Briohny Doyle of her much-loved foster canines – and why the phrase “walking the dog” is only ever half the story.
Love letters
Words my knockabout lover penned on whatever material was to hand stirred my heart like no email or text ever could.
Swings
That beautiful pause at the very top of a swing’s arc is an exhilarating freedom.
Engraving of Staffa
A shonky 18th-century impression of a Scottish island, captured in the days before photography, has bewitched me for years.
My mother's birthday cards
As Ceridwen Dovey roamed the world in her 20s, these handmade cards made her heart ache and her bedside brighter.
Picture frame
The present from Krissy Kneen’s sister holds more than just a photograph of them in happier times – the power of the memory within grants it magical qualities.
Brain coral
Wherever Michael Sala’s family moved, a piece of coral went with them. Now he thinks of it as a map of his writer’s mind.
Bookcrossing
Ailsa Piper never thought she'd find a book deliberately left by a stranger. One day, she looked up.
Wattle
Susan Chenery sees a floral burst of Australian light in the Italian winter.
The reason I'll never throw away my Sega Mega Drive
Tech is meant to be all about the future, but I can’t help feeling nostalgic when I contemplate my ancient gaming console.
My late father's whip reminds me of the importance of kindness
Objects have little weight to me, yet when my father died, I asked for his stockwhip.
Handwriting
Handwriting is more than mere instant gratification: it is character, it is personal history.
Mix tapes
There was a time when, track by track, life moved to a different, much more intense, beat.
My wooden spoon
It’s a humble implement with, potentially, a slightly dark past, but that won’t stop me serving up a dose of praise to an old favourite.
Carols by candlelight
Dim sims. Off-key soap stars. Stilted gags from breakfast-TV hosts. The things an Aussie Christmas is made of.
My purple dress
Finding a piece of clothing that called to her at a young age has helped Anwen Crawford endure the pressures of the world.
My cup and saucer
These mass-made, dishwasher-proof pieces of china are incredibly precious.
My dinghy
It was a lucky find, and the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Memory vessel
Every time we see a robin now, we think of Lachlan. Perhaps that is why I chose the oval container as a vessel of memory, for the glass bird on top is a robin.