Culture
Books
Blast off for stories that will move you to laughter, tears, and fear
Ceridwen Dovey’s latest speculative stories, all set in space, unfold with fierce clarity and breezy wit.
- by Carmel Bird
Latest
Anna Funder on the ‘beautiful letters’ she received from men who read Wifedom
The Miles Franklin winner took on a “terrifying project” when she wrote about George Orwell and his oft forgotten wife.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Tony Birch wins Book of the Year for timely novel about one of Australia’s great challenges
Birch says that while his book wasn’t written “with that issue in mind”, it had become timely given the crucial discussions under way.
- by Jason Steger
The 13 must-see events at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival
With the Melbourne Writers Festival kicking off today, here are some of the events that should not be missed.
- by Jason Steger
Exclusive
Literature
The Weirdo books once had a ‘prettiest girls list’. Now, they are re-recording the audiobooks
The best-selling children’s book author is revising his Weirdo audiobooks to remove a “prettiest girls” list. “I was ranked low on a list and it affected me for years,” he says.
- by Kerrie O'Brien and Marika Dobbin-Thomas
How pop music met its Waterloo in ABBA
What is it about ABBA’s songs that generate so much ardour? English music writer Giles Smith tries to find out.
- by Michael Dwyer
Our safe, white scene has rules if you want to be a ‘multicultural’ writer
Spare a thought for the authors who don’t look like their publishers in the middle-class literary world.
- by Amra Pajalic
Death threats are an occupational hazard: Geoffrey Robertson
The leading human rights lawyer will grapple with state of the world in a new live show.
- by Kylie Northover
Opinion
WordPlay
My recent crossword sparked beef. Was my food clue a trifle fishy?
With words always gaining new meanings, setting crosswords is no piece of cake.
- by David Astle
A glorious debut novel with shades of Zadie Smith and George Saunders
After winning the 2016 Vogel’s Literary Award with a collection of short stories, Murray Middleton spent eight years on his first novel.
- by Helen Elliott
The letters between two great writers revealing their hidden stories
Years of correspondence between Shirley Hazzard and Elizabeth Harrower reveal much about their unusual friendship.
- by Gail Jones