Culture
Books
Don’t judge a book by its cover: Warning over sexually graphic novel
When Alyshia Graham bought this book for her 10-year-old based on its cartoon cover, she had no idea it contained dozens of explicit sex scenes.
- by Frances Howe
Latest
One man’s mission to win Radio Birdman’s rightful place in history
Murray Engleheart’s account of the legendary Sydney band is full of passion.
- by Michael Dwyer
The animal that has shaped our world as it is today
Timothy Winegard has saddled up to write the story of the horse.
- by Candida Baker
State Library chief finally breaks silence on censorship accusations
Paul Duldig concedes a complaint was made about a writer’s pro-Palestine stance, but denies it was the reason for the cancellation of a series of workshops.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Who reads children’s books best? Kids or adults
Judging what works in books for younger readers is no easy matter.
- by Jane Sullivan
Exclusive
Racism
The young, black moderate who argues that ‘anti-racism’ is racist
“There’s a certain type of person that enjoys self-flagellation,” says author Coleman Hughes ahead of his Australian visit.
- by Michael Lallo
‘What the Kremlin hoped for’: Prominent author not given Australian visa
Acclaimed Russian-American writer Masha Gessen has not been allowed to enter the country over the weekend, following convictions in Russia handed down in absentia.
- by Gemma Grant
Opinion
WordPlay
The real urban dictionary: How fluent are you in street talk?
Avenues, roads, stroads? We need to decipher the spin of today’s city planners.
- by David Astle
There is a new book genre: the ‘destination thriller’
Margaret Hickey’s latest novel has a beautiful setting, but grisly occurrences.
- by Sue Turnbull
A compelling tale of one of our early bushrangers who struck gold
Frank Gardiner pulled off the country’s biggest gold heist, but his story epitomises the ambivalence that Australians had for bushrangers.
- by Pat Sheil
Family trauma and rich, awful people doing rich, awful things
Taffy Brodesser-Akner has followed up her bestseller Fleishman is in Trouble with a dysfunctional family story in the vein of Succession and The Royal Tenenbaums.
- by Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen