Culture
Books
The Australian books that are hot property overseas
Interest in Australian writers from overseas publishers is increasing, according to a new report.
- by Jason Steger
Latest
Drought, ‘the neighbour that drops in every now and then’
Life in the Australian bush is more diverse and progressive than traditional stereotypes, as a new book documents.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Twitter might hate Jonathan Franzen, but serious readers love him
Like every good novelist, he’s a complicater. He insists that we’re all made from crooked timber, and there are no easy answers in life.
- by David Free
The one person Nellie Melba was so desperate to please
Facing tragedy at a young age would lead the operatic soprano’s life in an unexpected direction.
- by Robert Wainwright
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Heroes
Hubert Wilkins: Australia’s forgotten hero was a visionary
Spy, photographer, writer, cameraman, explorer, war hero, air ace: Hubert Wilkins deserves more credit for his many achievements.
- by Peter FitzSimons
Addressing the mess we’ve made of things
Delia Falconer’s essays are preoccupied with the end of the world as we know it.
- by Gregory Day
Vivid stories that challenge the texture of our times
SJ Norman’s stories are perfected for this muted moment.
- by Jessie Tu
A story about ‘top blokes’ and a novel longlisted for the Booker: what to read now
Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll
A shot in the direction of war, history and soap opera
Tom Keneally wants to demonstrate how the violence and injustices of historical upheavals can still reverberate.
- by James Ley
Seven hundred years later and we’re still reading the divine Dante
The great poem’s appeal is still strong: perhaps it’s the ultra-violence. Perhaps it’s the relevance to the world’s hell of 2020-21.
- by Jane Sullivan
In another masterful work, author Michelle de Kretser has remixed her ingredients
The two leading characters in Michelle de Kretser’s new novel are separated by the structure of the novel and the design of the physical book.
- by Susan Wyndham