Journalist Masha Gessen has written a damning biography of Vladimir Putin, leader of her native Russia, where she currently resides. In it, she reveals him as a corrupt dictator and charts his unlikely rise to power, as well as the dark deeds of his regime. Speaking in a Wheeler Centre event, she also talked about the new Russian revolution and predicted that Putin's reign will not last much longer., Neil Gaiman recently addressed the students at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, where he gifted them a treasure trove of advice about a career in the arts, from accepting failure and embracing uncertainty to secret freelancer business. But his most important advice? Make good art, no matter what., Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., Jeanette Winterson concluded our Ten series with an electrifying talk that covered memoir (she prefers the term 'cover version'), identity, the consolations of literature, and being the hero of your own life. , It's Friday High Five time! This week, we share seriously silly photos of serious authors, Mark Dapin's reflections on life as a Good Weekend columnist, take a chilling look at childhood psychopaths, read an interview with the New Yorker's art director, and look at how the digital world is making authors work overtime., Debut novelist Ruby J. Murray speaks to us about her writing career so far, the importance of having people to share your rejection letters with, and her favourite writing advice: you can't edit a blank page., When the Wheeler Centre's Michael Williams interviewed Jeffrey Eugeindes at the Comedy Theatre last night, they talked humour in fiction, dressing like James Joyce, becoming a writer, experiments with form ... and why you should never put a bandana on a character. , Michael Pollan, Snowblind, Christopher Paolini and The Emerging Writer
Neil Gaiman recently addressed the students at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, where he gifted them a treasure trove of advice about a career in the arts, from accepting failure and embracing uncertainty to secret freelancer business. But his most important advice? Make good art, no matter what., It's Friday High Five time! This week, we share seriously silly photos of serious authors, Mark Dapin's reflections on life as a Good Weekend columnist, take a chilling look at childhood psychopaths, read an interview with the New Yorker's art director, and look at how the digital world is making authors work overtime., Hannah Kent, deputy editor of Kill Your Darlings, has spent time living and writing in Iceland, the setting for her forthcoming debut novel, over the past eight years. She provides a perfect introduction to Icelandic literature – and next week's Wheeler Centre guest Sjón in particular – in this passionate appreciation., In this week's Working with Words, we talk to writer and cultural historian Maria Tumarkin about writing, the value of self-doubt and teaching creative non-fiction., Anna Krien is one of Australia's most exciting and talented young writers. Her first book, Into the Woods, was shortlisted for nearly every literary award in Australia. Her writing has been published everywhere from The Monthly to Frankie. And her new Quarterly Essay, Us and Them, is earning rave reviews. Anna paused for a breath to speak to us for our Working with Words series., In this week's Friday High Five, we ask, along with Naomi Wolf, whether singer Katy Perry is producing military propaganda. We share links to a new David Sedaris, the revelations of a ghostwriter, Salman Rushdie's defence of freedom of speech and a review that breaks the rules (and wins)., Geordie Williamson, this year's Pascall Prize Critic of the Year, talks to us about his career (and other bookish things) in the latest instalment of our Working with Words series., Debut Mondays, How Not to Get An Agent, Richard Ford, Jodi Picoult: Between the Lines, Dickens on Film and Dickens and Crime: Fiction and Film
Journalist Masha Gessen has written a damning biography of Vladimir Putin, leader of her native Russia, where she currently resides. In it, she reveals him as a corrupt dictator and charts his unlikely rise to power, as well as the dark deeds of his regime. Speaking in a Wheeler Centre event, she also talked about the new Russian revolution and predicted that Putin's reign will not last much longer., In the latest in our Working with Words series, we talk to Sally Warhaft about breaking into journalism, working in radio and trusting your instincts., We look at some of the most interesting opinions and articles on the ALP leadership spill from the past week, including contributions from Anne Summers, Michael Gawenda, Jessica Rudd and David Marr., In the latest in our occasional series Working with Words, we talk to Alan Hollinghurst about writing, his book-buying habits and reading his own reviews., Salman Rushdie has had to drop out of India's Jaipur festival due to threats of violence. But how real were those threats, and what's behind them? Australian/Indian publisher Kabita Dhara gives us her take., We look at the debates about Melinda Tankard Reist, what a feminist is – and the magazine profile that started it all., Parliament, polls and polemics in the year that was., The Fifth Estate, Quarterly Essay: The Big Whinge: Laura Tingle, Australia and the Monarchy, Bob Katter: An Incredible Race of People, Religion and Art: Old Friends, New Discussions, The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas and The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., Jeanette Winterson concluded our Ten series with an electrifying talk that covered memoir (she prefers the term 'cover version'), identity, the consolations of literature, and being the hero of your own life. , In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., Spain's Librería General de Arte Martínez Pérez, open since 1890, is one of those bookshops that looks like it's always been and always will be. So when Ailsa Piper received word of its closure, it felt like more than simply the demise of a business., Did video kill the literary star? Of course not. But it has helped make a couple, or at least helped their books along. In this themed edition of Friday High Five, we share five of the funniest bookish videos from around the web, including looks at the art of pencil sharpening and the smell of old books, and a quirky promotional book video featuring Hangover star Zach Galifianakis. , This amazing Madrid sculpture series, by Spanish artist Alicia Martin, uses 5,000 books per installation to create stunning works of art. The effect is a waterfall of cascading books. , In the first of a two-part series on cover design, Cate Kennedy shares her thoughts on three different covers for 'The World Beneath'., Beautiful Books: How to Design an Australian Classic and The Emerging Writer
Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself., Attack on slam poetry prompts impassioned backlash., Susan Mitchell on how Tony Abbott's faith formed his world-view., Bruce Guthrie on the newspaper's digital future, Video of Larissa Behrendt speaking on indigenous disadvantage, Have we become a nation of whingers?, Rowan McKinnon on why travel writing doesn't suck, The Human Experience in the Digital Age: Conversation, Relationships and Social Connection, Australia and the Monarchy, An Old Take on Justice: County Koori Court, Sex as a Weapon of War, Fighting Extinctions and Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate
Do you speak on your mobile for 30 minutes a day or more? If so, a major study reports you have a 40% higher risk of some brain tumours. Leading neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has gone public with his concerns that mobile phones may be causing a rise in brain tumours; and that we need better research to find out what we're facing. Author and scientist Devra Davis has written about the dangers of mobile use in 'Disconnect'. She also has tips on how to use your mobile safely., A new website, The Composites, will tickle your funnybone with its police composite sketch renditions of favourite literary characters. And we ask, what does it mean to faithfully adapt a literary character for the screen?, As Wikipedia blacks its English site out for a day and other sites obscure their text with black strips, we glance at the discussion surrounding online piracy and freedom of speech., In this era of outspoken bloggers, commenters and anonymous slanderers, where's the love?, Lisa Dempster writes about the Emerging Writers Festival's continued expansion into new cities, platforms and communities., Australian Poetry's Paul Kooperman talks about the organisation's inaugural year and its new programs for 2012., 2011 was the year that digital publishing came into its own, and readers and retailers adapted accordingly. and The Human Experience in the Digital Age: Conversation, Relationships and Social Connection
What's your question for our final Deakin lecture, the Politics of Climate Change with Malcolm Turnbull, Mark Dreyfus, Nick McKim and Baroness Valerie Amos?, What's your question for our Innovating the Cities panel?, What are your questions for tonight's Ethics of Climate Change session?, What are your questions for tonight's Innovation, Energy and Climate Change in the Developing World session?, What are your questions for Tim Costello at tonight's Innovation, Energy and Climate Change in the Developing World lecture?, What are your questions for tomorrow night's Innovation, Energy and Climate Change in the Developing World session? and Tim Jackson on building the new green economy
Rebecca Starford, managing editor of Kill Your Darlings, writes back to Geordie Williamson's Long View essay on Australian rural writing, and wonders: what does this trend of privileging the rural story say about our culture more generally?, Enrolments in Australian history subjects are perilously low, with universities cutting their programs back as a result. But who killed the subject for the students who are staying away in droves? Some say the fault lies with the way Australian history is taught in schools., On a day characterised by varying levels of Australian introspection, we compile our recommended Wheeler Centre viewing on the issue of national identity., This week, everyone's talking about the call by The Sunday Age and publisher Michael Heyward to value our Australian literature, past and present. We look at the discussion so far – and some possible ways forward., Parliament, polls and polemics in the year that was., The story is the thing, according to the former PM., Bill Gammage describes a carefully-tended mosaic estate., The Fifth Estate, Quarterly Essay: The Big Whinge: Laura Tingle, Australia and the Monarchy, Left Turn, Walter Lippmann Memorial Lecture: Lindsay Tanner and Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate
Clementine Ford attended Bettina Arndt's Lunchbox/Soapbox on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men at the Wheeler Centre last Thursday. Clementine tells why she vehemently disagrees with Arndt's views on men, sex – and whether women should say 'yes' to their partners even when they're not in the mood., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself., In a follow-up to last week's much-debated article on the politics of Lego, writer and philosopher Damon Young makes his argument for why Lego for girls may be dodgy, but doesn't prohibit free play., Kirsten Tranter wrote for us last International Women's Day, on the under-representation of women in Australia's literary pages. One year on, she tells us about what's changed, what hasn't - and the development of The Stella Prize., Lego says its new Lego Friends line, with pink and pastel bricks, and playsets that include puppies, a beauty parlour, and curvy fashionplate figurines, was a necessary way of wooing girls. But was it really? And is it worth it? We talk to Monica Dux, Damon Young and Penni Russon., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at the VIDA re-count, Sh*t Publishers Say, writing as a career, Lionel Shriver on feminism and odd book titles., Sex as a Weapon of War and The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas
Mark Mordue on what art has to teach us about feeling., A preview of the adaptation of Shaun Tan's visual masterpiece., Readings on Amy Winehouse, Conversations with two music pioneers, Singing the praises of the VPLAs... es., Dylan don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, Writer-musicians and musician-writers, Patti Austin, Robert Glasper, Antonio Sanchez and Renaud Garcia-Fons
News broke today that the much-talked-about television adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections has fallen through, with HBO rejecting the star-studded pilot. To cheer you up, we look at some literary adaptations currently in the works, from Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman as Hemingway and Gellhorn, to the first images from the set of Ang Lee's Life of Pi., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at a quirky pie chart of the themes in a Murakami novel, new covers for Lolita, the cultural meaning of The Hunger Games, and the good and bad of US food culture. And 35 years on, Armistead Maupin reflects on writing Tales of the City - recalling an editor who kept charts to ensure the series' homosexual characters 'didn’t suddenly outnumber the hetero ones’., This week's links to news, reviews and articles includes a Game of Thrones feast of pigs' heads and 'eyeballs', Rachel Cusk's divorce memoir and Stephen Colbert's new kids' book, as endorsed by Maurice Sendak., A new website, The Composites, will tickle your funnybone with its police composite sketch renditions of favourite literary characters. And we ask, what does it mean to faithfully adapt a literary character for the screen?, This week, everyone's talking about the call by The Sunday Age and publisher Michael Heyward to value our Australian literature, past and present. We look at the discussion so far – and some possible ways forward., Bret Easton Ellis has advice for 'Psycho' remake., New Tintin film draws on the boy-hero's wartime legacy., Dickens on Film, Dickens and Crime: Fiction and Film and Life of Dickens
Stella Rimington has been called Britain's most famous spy and is rumoured to be the inspiration for Judi Dench's Bond character M. But Rimington scoffs at Bond; she's more of a Le Carre woman. And like Le Carre, she's a spook-turned-spy novelist, with her bestselling Liz Carlyle series. Here, we learn about the 'quiet revolution' that enabled her to be the first woman to head a major intelligence agency, the 'tap on the shoulder' that brought her into the business, and juggling her personal life with the everyday business of espionage., What’s bigger news than the awarding of a major prize? The decision not to award a major prize. The literary world is agog with the news that the Pulitzer prize for fiction will not be awarded in 2012, for the first time in 35 years. , The private dick is alive and well., Is there such a thing as highbrow and lowbrow anymore?, Magazine benefiting the homeless launches its annual fiction edition., César Aira tips the conventional wisdom on its head., Why read fiction?, Jodi Picoult: Between the Lines, Dickens on Film, Dickens and Crime: Fiction and Film, Life of Dickens and Erotic Fan Fiction
Enrolments in Australian history subjects are perilously low, with universities cutting their programs back as a result. But who killed the subject for the students who are staying away in droves? Some say the fault lies with the way Australian history is taught in schools., In the latest in our occasional series Working with Words, we talk to Alan Hollinghurst about writing, his book-buying habits and reading his own reviews., The problem of biography., A new Paris exhibition remembers one of colonialism's worst practices., Stalin's daughter's life sums up a tragic century., Citizen reporters from JFK to Tahrir Square. and Jane Austen's premature death may have been related to arsenic.
Australian Poetry's Paul Kooperman talks about the organisation's inaugural year and its new programs for 2012., Rewriting the poetry canon is a fraught affair., Attack on slam poetry prompts impassioned backlash., Artists, designers and wordsmiths invited to submit Festival branding ideas., Swedish poet is a typically left-field Nobel winner., A delegation of Norwich poets running workshops in Melbourne and What are your favourite poems?
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., The literary world is in a furore following the axing of the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, during Campbell Newman's first week of office. Is this the first blow in a new cultural war? What does it mean for writers? And what about the new grassroots movement for an alternative prize, headed by authors Krissy Kneen and Matthew Condon? We look at what's going down in the Sunshine State., Local author nominated for bad sex award., A new prize seeks to sideline a discredited Booker., Swedish poet is a typically left-field Nobel winner., The world's biggest literary prize has its fair share of idiosyncrasies. and Premier Ted Baillieu announces the winners of the VPLAs.
If you missed our recent debate, Animals Should Be Off the Menu, you can get a taste of it with this report on some of the night's highlights. And if you were there, feel free to chime in with your comments on your thoughts and experiences., Lisa Dempster tried veganism five years ago as a 30-day trial – and hasn't looked back (or craved animal products) since. She talks to us about how Peter Singer sent her into a tailspin, why she's a vegan ('it’s hard to be a meat-eating environmentalist'), and how changing her diet wasn't as hard as she'd expected., Novelist Charlotte Wood is a passionate food-lover (and meat-lover), with her own food blog and a forthcoming non-fiction book on food. We spoke to her about food and ethics – and her recent experiments in cooking and eating offal, and going vegetarian for a month (her own version of FebFast). , For Cristy Clark, her journey from vegetarian, to vegan, to ecotarian began with a chicken – and ended with an egg. She shares her journey through ethical eating and the many minefields she navigated along the way., An Afghan man claims a book about him has ruined his life., The Archbishop of Canterbury weighs in on the Occupy debate., A defence of public interest journalism., Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline and A Good Death is a Human Right
It's Friday High Five time! This week, we share seriously silly photos of serious authors, Mark Dapin's reflections on life as a Good Weekend columnist, take a chilling look at childhood psychopaths, read an interview with the New Yorker's art director, and look at how the digital world is making authors work overtime., When the Wheeler Centre's Michael Williams interviewed Jeffrey Eugeindes at the Comedy Theatre last night, they talked humour in fiction, dressing like James Joyce, becoming a writer, experiments with form ... and why you should never put a bandana on a character. , Did video kill the literary star? Of course not. But it has helped make a couple, or at least helped their books along. In this themed edition of Friday High Five, we share five of the funniest bookish videos from around the web, including looks at the art of pencil sharpening and the smell of old books, and a quirky promotional book video featuring Hangover star Zach Galifianakis. , What are the books that you loved when you were younger, but now make you cringe with embarassment? We've asked bookish folk like Kirsten Tranter, Michaela McGuire, the Wheeler Centre's Jenny Niven and Ronnie Scott that very question – and the answers have included R.L. Stine, Sweet Valley High, Judy Blume and Michael 'Jurassic Park' Crichton., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., Hey girl, we've got a themed Friday High Five treat for the citizens of the internet. Ryan Gosling! Puppies! Cats! Surely this combination is a perfect internet storm?, We talk to much-loved comic novelist Toni Jordan in the latest in our Working with Words series. She tells us about her Miles Franklin longlisting, teaching creative writing and tells prospective writers, 'If you’d rather play Angry Birds than read, you’re not in love with words enough'., Unexpected Passions, Unexpected Passions, Unexpected Passions and Erotic Fan Fiction
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., Emerging Writers' Festival director and Arab book fair frequenter Lisa Dempster shares her experiences from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2012., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at the VIDA re-count, Sh*t Publishers Say, writing as a career, Lionel Shriver on feminism and odd book titles., On the eve of our first Debut Monday of 2012, Chris Flynn writes about the weirdness of becoming an author. Especially when you’ve been making your living as a reviewer – and now it’s your turn to be reviewed., Kicking off our new occasional series, Working with Words, we talk to Hilary McPhee about publishing, writing and other bookish things., In yesterday's Guardian, Ewan Morrison warned of the coming fall-out for writers and publishers when the 'self-e-publishing bubble' inevitably bursts. Here in Australia, the bubble has barely floated into view. We look at Morrison's argument and how self-e-publishing is playing out in Australia - talking to Matthia Dempsey, Angela Meyer and Lisa Dempster. , We talk to Penguin publisher Ben Ball about the thinking behind the company's return to accepting unsolicited manuscripts - during the first week of every month, starting 1 February 2012. and Beautiful Books: How to Design an Australian Classic
On a day characterised by varying levels of Australian introspection, we compile our recommended Wheeler Centre viewing on the issue of national identity., We look at the debates about Melinda Tankard Reist, what a feminist is – and the magazine profile that started it all., David Nichols takes to the Big Apple, bad pretzels and all., The story is the thing, according to the former PM., Global headcount hits another milestone., Tanveer Ahmed on gets on his soapbox about occidentalism., What goes up must come down., Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline, The Human Experience in the Digital Age: Conversation, Relationships and Social Connection, Australia and the Monarchy and The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman
2010 carbon emissions grow by record amount., The opposition refuses to adhere to the government's preferred legislative timetable., Cooler tongues should prevail in global warming debate, says the Opposition Leader., Treasury chief on why taxing carbon is the only credible policy choice, Two scientists claim climate denialism has no basis in science, Sophie Cunningham on our capacity for denial and What changes do you think the new Victorian government will make?
In the latest in our Working with Words series, we talk to Sally Warhaft about breaking into journalism, working in radio and trusting your instincts., In this era of outspoken bloggers, commenters and anonymous slanderers, where's the love?, Conrad Black calls the kettle black., 'The Australian' editor-at-large responds to criticism of the newspaper published in the current 'Quarterly Essay'., Where others see weakness in the PM's leadership style, the former Victorian police commissioner sees strength., What's wrong with political journalism, and how to fix it. and A preview of a two-day conference on how technology is changing journalism.
In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak., On a day characterised by varying levels of Australian introspection, we compile our recommended Wheeler Centre viewing on the issue of national identity., We search the world for libraries with street cred., In this era of outspoken bloggers, commenters and anonymous slanderers, where's the love?, In some cities, liveability looks a lot like survival, David Nichols discovers., David Nichols takes to the Big Apple, bad pretzels and all., Our liveability series continues with visits to two lesser-known, but eminently liveable, towns., Quarterly Essay: The Big Whinge: Laura Tingle, Is Docklands an Eyesore? And can Artists and Developers be Friends?, The Voice of Faith and Public Reason: Raimond Gaita, The Voice of Faith in the Conversation of Citizens: Stanley Hauerwas, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Democratic Multiculturalism: Tariq Modood, The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas and The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman
In this week's Friday High Five, we look at five interviews (or interviewers), ranging from the good to the so-bad-they're good. An Esquire journalist falls for Jon Hamm's dark eyes 'like a snake-hunting eagle'. A GQ journalist inhabits Bridget Jones as she flirts with Chris Evans and imagines having his babies. Melbourne's Three Thousand gets surprisingly real with Bret Easton Ellis. And we admire the journalistic chops of Jon Ronson and Lynn Barber., We look at the lastingly significant news story of 22 February 2012: the death by Syrian rocket fire of legendary conflict reporter Marie Colvin and photojournalist Remi Ochlik., A wrap of how the Wheeler Centre covered the news., An Afghan man claims a book about him has ruined his life., The Archbishop of Canterbury weighs in on the Occupy debate., A defence of public interest journalism., 'The Australian' editor-at-large responds to criticism of the newspaper published in the current 'Quarterly Essay'. and Katherine Boo
The private dick is alive and well., Sizing up the shadow economy., The truth is out there, as Kris Mrska is reminded time and again., Forget your shiver-me-timbers - this is the real McCoy., When Jay Bahadur was told to kickstart his career in a "crazy place", he chose the craziest of all., Novel mystery is stranger than a Larsson novel mystery. and "There is a social question to be asked about young people with nothing to lose."
In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak., In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., This amazing Madrid sculpture series, by Spanish artist Alicia Martin, uses 5,000 books per installation to create stunning works of art. The effect is a waterfall of cascading books. , French satirists bruised but unrepentant., Gareth Pugh on the importance of ideas., Mark Mordue on what art has to teach us about feeling., A Bairnsdale exhibition of book art showcases entries from across the world., Beautiful Books: How to Design an Australian Classic, Is Docklands an Eyesore? And can Artists and Developers be Friends?, I Wanna be Close to You: Art, Intimacy and Our Obsession with Eating and Religion and Art: Old Friends, New Discussions
Jeanette Winterson concluded our Ten series with an electrifying talk that covered memoir (she prefers the term 'cover version'), identity, the consolations of literature, and being the hero of your own life. , Father Bob to bow out in February., Protests in Egypt take a tragic turn., Hanifa Deen finds herself back on the burqa treadmill., Justin Bieber linked to coming apocalypse, Verily I say unto thee, happy birthday to ye, God in the classroom - the debate continues, Religion and Art: Old Friends, New Discussions, The Voice of Faith and Public Reason: Raimond Gaita, The Voice of Faith in the Conversation of Citizens: Stanley Hauerwas, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Democratic Multiculturalism: Tariq Modood, The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman and Faith, Multiculturalism and the Community of Nations: Panel Discussion
We look at the lastingly significant news story of 22 February 2012: the death by Syrian rocket fire of legendary conflict reporter Marie Colvin and photojournalist Remi Ochlik., A defence of public interest journalism., What's wrong with political journalism, and how to fix it., Sighs demeaned complications for covert communication (6, 7), Online journalism takes more great leaps, Think you could write a better headline?, Oakes uses Walkleys to decry Gillard's Wikileaks stance, Quarterly Essay: The Big Whinge: Laura Tingle and Katherine Boo
In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., Rebecca Starford, managing editor of Kill Your Darlings, writes back to Geordie Williamson's Long View essay on Australian rural writing, and wonders: what does this trend of privileging the rural story say about our culture more generally?, Who says Twitter is dumbing us down? When the Wheeler Centre's Jo Case asked the Twitterverse for reviewing dos and don'ts, she stumbled on a goldmine of smart advice from writers, reviewers and editors. Here, she shares her booty., Geordie Williamson, this year's Pascall Prize Critic of the Year, talks to us about his career (and other bookish things) in the latest instalment of our Working with Words series., As we launch our new series of long-form reviews - The Long View - Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams discusses the lack of publication opportunities for extended arts criticism, and why we've decided to do something about it., The problem of biography. and Lit critic on the rise of the book review
We revisit yesterday's Children's Book Festival, with photos from the event plus reactions from the blogosphere., In a bumper instalment of our Working with Words series, the very funny Andy Griffiths talks the serious business of writing. He shares some trade secrets, career milestones and book-buying habits ... and tells us the most surprising thing he's ever read about himself., In a follow-up to last week's much-debated article on the politics of Lego, writer and philosopher Damon Young makes his argument for why Lego for girls may be dodgy, but doesn't prohibit free play., Lego says its new Lego Friends line, with pink and pastel bricks, and playsets that include puppies, a beauty parlour, and curvy fashionplate figurines, was a necessary way of wooing girls. But was it really? And is it worth it? We talk to Monica Dux, Damon Young and Penni Russon., This week's links to news, reviews and articles includes a Game of Thrones feast of pigs' heads and 'eyeballs', Rachel Cusk's divorce memoir and Stephen Colbert's new kids' book, as endorsed by Maurice Sendak., Bret Easton Ellis has advice for 'Psycho' remake. and Dolly Parton does her bit for child literacy.
As an opinionated lady who shares those opinions for a living, writer and broadcaster Clementine Ford is no stranger to debates about freedom of speech. She explains why freedom of speech is often misread to mean a licence to spread bigotry – and why true freedom of speech can never be over-rated., 2010 carbon emissions grow by record amount., Father Bob to bow out in February., Susan Mitchell on how Tony Abbott's faith formed his world-view., Police and state-sponsored militias operate with impunity, says Human Rights Watch., The opposition refuses to adhere to the government's preferred legislative timetable., Cooler tongues should prevail in global warming debate, says the Opposition Leader., Foreign Aid is a Waste of Money, Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline and A Good Death is a Human Right
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., The shortlist has been announced for this year's Orange Prize for Fiction. The Guardian has compared the judges' selection favourably to the Pulitzer picks, suggesting that the Pulitzer 'study the Orange Prize playbook'. We take a peek at the chat about the contenders and hear from Kate Grenville on how her 2001 Orange Prize win changed her life., What’s bigger news than the awarding of a major prize? The decision not to award a major prize. The literary world is agog with the news that the Pulitzer prize for fiction will not be awarded in 2012, for the first time in 35 years. , The literary world is in a furore following the axing of the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, during Campbell Newman's first week of office. Is this the first blow in a new cultural war? What does it mean for writers? And what about the new grassroots movement for an alternative prize, headed by authors Krissy Kneen and Matthew Condon? We look at what's going down in the Sunshine State., The longlist has been announced for Australia's most prestigious (and controversial) literary award, the Miles Franklin. What's in? What's left out? And who's best placed to take out the prize? We take a look at the list and the conversations around it so far., Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself. and Kirsten Tranter wrote for us last International Women's Day, on the under-representation of women in Australia's literary pages. One year on, she tells us about what's changed, what hasn't - and the development of The Stella Prize.
Jeanette Winterson concluded our Ten series with an electrifying talk that covered memoir (she prefers the term 'cover version'), identity, the consolations of literature, and being the hero of your own life. , When the Wheeler Centre's Michael Williams interviewed Jeffrey Eugeindes at the Comedy Theatre last night, they talked humour in fiction, dressing like James Joyce, becoming a writer, experiments with form ... and why you should never put a bandana on a character. , The Wheeler Centre's Jo Case reviews Joshua Cody's brilliant memoir of cancer, sex, mortality, art and New York. She calls it a virtuoso performance by the young composer; a brilliant meditation on the position of illness (and art) within a life and on the way we craft our own stories., Hannah Kent, deputy editor of Kill Your Darlings, has spent time living and writing in Iceland, the setting for her forthcoming debut novel, over the past eight years. She provides a perfect introduction to Icelandic literature – and next week's Wheeler Centre guest Sjón in particular – in this passionate appreciation., The shortlist has been announced for this year's Orange Prize for Fiction. The Guardian has compared the judges' selection favourably to the Pulitzer picks, suggesting that the Pulitzer 'study the Orange Prize playbook'. We take a peek at the chat about the contenders and hear from Kate Grenville on how her 2001 Orange Prize win changed her life., Rebecca Starford, managing editor of Kill Your Darlings, writes back to Geordie Williamson's Long View essay on Australian rural writing, and wonders: what does this trend of privileging the rural story say about our culture more generally? and In this week's Friday High Five, we look at a quirky pie chart of the themes in a Murakami novel, new covers for Lolita, the cultural meaning of The Hunger Games, and the good and bad of US food culture. And 35 years on, Armistead Maupin reflects on writing Tales of the City - recalling an editor who kept charts to ensure the series' homosexual characters 'didn’t suddenly outnumber the hetero ones’.
Emerging Writers' Festival director and Arab book fair frequenter Lisa Dempster shares her experiences from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2012., Emerging Writers' Festival director and avid traveller Lisa Dempster reports on the blossoming, globally-minded literary culture of Sharjah's International Book Fair., Lisa Dempster writes about the Emerging Writers Festival's continued expansion into new cities, platforms and communities., As 2011 ends, we look back and forth with Melbourne Writers Festival's Steve Grimwade., Halloween hasn't lost its zest for mayhem., A postcard from the winner of the Ultimate Book Lover's Prize. and Artists, designers and wordsmiths invited to submit Festival branding ideas.
No jitters for these first-timers, Lara Fergus on balancing work and writing, Debut Monday author on her award-winning novel, Haunting book trailer for Bereft, Debut Monday author profiled by Jo Case, Debut Monday author on his writing method, Anna Dusk on the Journey to Publication and Debut Mondays
Journalist Masha Gessen has written a damning biography of Vladimir Putin, leader of her native Russia, where she currently resides. In it, she reveals him as a corrupt dictator and charts his unlikely rise to power, as well as the dark deeds of his regime. Speaking in a Wheeler Centre event, she also talked about the new Russian revolution and predicted that Putin's reign will not last much longer., The spirit of revolution catches fire., The story is the thing, according to the former PM., Amnesty TV showcases the strange personalities that lust for complete power., Forget your shiver-me-timbers - this is the real McCoy., Police and state-sponsored militias operate with impunity, says Human Rights Watch., When Jay Bahadur was told to kickstart his career in a "crazy place", he chose the craziest of all., Foreign Aid is a Waste of Money, The Fifth Estate, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman and Faith, Multiculturalism and the Community of Nations: Panel Discussion
The Archbishop of Canterbury weighs in on the Occupy debate., A new book celebrates the survival of a bold entrepreneurial experiment., The story is the thing, according to the former PM., The end of the great divergence., Sizing up the shadow economy., The origins of Occupy., Global headcount hits another milestone. and Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline
Wordsmith Michael Shmith entertained and educated us with last week's Lunchbox/Soapbox 'Away with Cliche'. We share some highlights of the event, along with a selection of the irritating words and phrases Michael would like to see banned, literally. (Yes, that last word was on his list.), Seventy new words make latest Collins edition., Could the government's woes be language-related?, Woot! New words for Scrabble fans., Bengal finches shown to be grammar nerds, Author v author and The ultra-competitive world of the spelling bee
That's a wrap! We finish our librarians' reviews of the Premier's 21 in dramatic style., High anxiety on drama queens, Scheherazade's stories to be told once more, How reliable is history's judgment?, Hannie Rayson on what our politicians can learn from theatre, Wheeler Weekly: Cartoon by Judy Horacek and Theatre criticism at Critical Failure
Rebecca Starford, managing editor of Kill Your Darlings, writes back to Geordie Williamson's Long View essay on Australian rural writing, and wonders: what does this trend of privileging the rural story say about our culture more generally?, Melbourne is projected to almost double in the next 40 years - and housing availability is already a fraught issue. How will we accomodate all the extra people? And how will it effect the way we live? We look to experts Rob Adams and Jane Frances-Kelly for answers. Rob and Jane, with others, will appear at our free Cities and Urban Planning event on Wednesday 15 February at 6.15pm., Melissa Cranenburgh, former editor of Bicycle Victoria's Ride On magazine, argues that we can learn to share the roads – if we see each other as people who ride bikes/drive cars, rather than as warring tribes of 'cyclists' and 'motorists'., We search the world for libraries with street cred., In some cities, liveability looks a lot like survival, David Nichols discovers., David Nichols takes to the Big Apple, bad pretzels and all., Our liveability series continues with visits to two lesser-known, but eminently liveable, towns. and Is Docklands an Eyesore? And can Artists and Developers be Friends?
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course., In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak., In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at a quirky pie chart of the themes in a Murakami novel, new covers for Lolita, the cultural meaning of The Hunger Games, and the good and bad of US food culture. And 35 years on, Armistead Maupin reflects on writing Tales of the City - recalling an editor who kept charts to ensure the series' homosexual characters 'didn’t suddenly outnumber the hetero ones’., In the second of our two-part series on book covers, we talk to Chris Womersley and Kalinda Ashton about their cover designs, and look at four different covers for 'The Slap'., In the first of a two-part series on cover design, Cate Kennedy shares her thoughts on three different covers for 'The World Beneath'., In some cities, liveability looks a lot like survival, David Nichols discovers. and Beautiful Books: How to Design an Australian Classic
The Wheeler Centre's Jo Case reviews Joshua Cody's brilliant memoir of cancer, sex, mortality, art and New York. She calls it a virtuoso performance by the young composer; a brilliant meditation on the position of illness (and art) within a life and on the way we craft our own stories., This week's links to news, reviews and articles includes a Game of Thrones feast of pigs' heads and 'eyeballs', Rachel Cusk's divorce memoir and Stephen Colbert's new kids' book, as endorsed by Maurice Sendak., Emma Forrest on time out of mind, Memoir overload: can we handle the truth?, David Astle turns an Allen Key on the language behind IKEA, Pentagon declares war on a book , A parent's struggle with orphan syndrome and Modern Day Nomads
Emerging Writers' Festival director and avid traveller Lisa Dempster reports on the blossoming, globally-minded literary culture of Sharjah's International Book Fair., Citizen reporters from JFK to Tahrir Square., Palestinians gain membership to UNESCO, but probably not to General Assembly., Protests in Egypt take a tragic turn., When Jay Bahadur was told to kickstart his career in a "crazy place", he chose the craziest of all., Many brow-beaten Libyans will welcome a post-'Green Book' world., "In the end, the gates yield, the crowd breaks in and celebrates its triumph." and Jewish Identity in the Hebrew Republic: A Voice from Israel: Bernard Avishai
He dropped acid with Timothy Leary, rejected J.R.R. Tolkein and flew to Bolivia to beat the CIA to discovering Che Guevara’s diaries. Barney Rosset, who died last month (aged 89), was the most influential publishing figure you never heard of., Salman Rushdie has had to drop out of India's Jaipur festival due to threats of violence. But how real were those threats, and what's behind them? Australian/Indian publisher Kabita Dhara gives us her take., As Wikipedia blacks its English site out for a day and other sites obscure their text with black strips, we glance at the discussion surrounding online piracy and freedom of speech., Focus on copyright reform., Rewriting the poetry canon is a fraught affair., Chinese artists and writers fight to have their voices heard. and A Chinese dissident chooses freedom over his homeland.
Dolly Parton does her bit for child literacy., Bill Gammage describes a carefully-tended mosaic estate., Julia Gillard receives international kudos for passing carbon tax legislation., PARKing Day seeks to put the jungle back into the concrete jungle., Treasury chief on why taxing carbon is the only credible policy choice, A kind of 'cloud atlas', Reading for green thumbs and Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate
We wouldn't normally write about a press release. But graphic novelist Pat Grant's hilarious approach to his 'shameless publicity document' is a work of art in itself. Enjoy!, The Archbishop of Canterbury weighs in on the Occupy debate., French satirists bruised but unrepentant., New Tintin film draws on the boy-hero's wartime legacy., Legendary illustrator cancels Sydney appearance following tabloid schlocker., Controversial end-of-week best-of-web and Superheroes from around the world
If you missed our recent debate, Animals Should Be Off the Menu, you can get a taste of it with this report on some of the night's highlights. And if you were there, feel free to chime in with your comments on your thoughts and experiences., Lisa Dempster tried veganism five years ago as a 30-day trial – and hasn't looked back (or craved animal products) since. She talks to us about how Peter Singer sent her into a tailspin, why she's a vegan ('it’s hard to be a meat-eating environmentalist'), and how changing her diet wasn't as hard as she'd expected., Novelist Charlotte Wood is a passionate food-lover (and meat-lover), with her own food blog and a forthcoming non-fiction book on food. We spoke to her about food and ethics – and her recent experiments in cooking and eating offal, and going vegetarian for a month (her own version of FebFast). , For Cristy Clark, her journey from vegetarian, to vegan, to ecotarian began with a chicken – and ended with an egg. She shares her journey through ethical eating and the many minefields she navigated along the way., This week's links to news, reviews and articles includes a Game of Thrones feast of pigs' heads and 'eyeballs', Rachel Cusk's divorce memoir and Stephen Colbert's new kids' book, as endorsed by Maurice Sendak., A bar and café opens in the Wheeler Centre's basement., Tanveer Ahmed on gets on his soapbox about occidentalism. and I Wanna be Close to You: Art, Intimacy and Our Obsession with Eating
In the latest in our occasional series Working with Words, we talk to Alan Hollinghurst about writing, his book-buying habits and reading his own reviews., On a day characterised by varying levels of Australian introspection, we compile our recommended Wheeler Centre viewing on the issue of national identity., Is guilt preventing progress on indigenous issues?, The historian in his labyrinth, Trimming the nature strip of the quarter acre block, The Aussie bloke - where the bloody hell is he at?, Literary speed-dating gets queer, The Voice of Faith in National Identity: Speaking From India: Dipesh Chakrabarty and Jewish Identity in the Hebrew Republic: A Voice from Israel: Bernard Avishai
Neil Gaiman recently addressed the students at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, where he gifted them a treasure trove of advice about a career in the arts, from accepting failure and embracing uncertainty to secret freelancer business. But his most important advice? Make good art, no matter what., In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak., In our latest Working with Words, we talk to current Miles Franklin shortlistee Tony Birch about writing, teaching creative writing, finding your mentor on the page, and dreaming of being Atticus Finch's son., In this week's Working with Words, we talk to writer and cultural historian Maria Tumarkin about writing, the value of self-doubt and teaching creative non-fiction., Romy Ash talks the craft of writing, brutal edits and going to dinner with Roald Dahl's The Twits, in the latest instalment of our Working with Words interview series., We talk to much-loved comic novelist Toni Jordan in the latest in our Working with Words series. She tells us about her Miles Franklin longlisting, teaching creative writing and tells prospective writers, 'If you’d rather play Angry Birds than read, you’re not in love with words enough'., Emerging Writers' Festival director and Arab book fair frequenter Lisa Dempster shares her experiences from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2012., How Not to Get An Agent and The Emerging Writer
As Wikipedia blacks its English site out for a day and other sites obscure their text with black strips, we glance at the discussion surrounding online piracy and freedom of speech., In this era of outspoken bloggers, commenters and anonymous slanderers, where's the love?, The truth is out there, as Kris Mrska is reminded time and again., Anti-assisted dying campaigners condemn Pratchett doco, Prominent French intellectual condemns trial by media of ex-IMF chief, The Fifth Estate and An Old Take on Justice: County Koori Court
The longlist has been announced for Australia's most prestigious (and controversial) literary award, the Miles Franklin. What's in? What's left out? And who's best placed to take out the prize? We take a look at the list and the conversations around it so far., Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself., Lego says its new Lego Friends line, with pink and pastel bricks, and playsets that include puppies, a beauty parlour, and curvy fashionplate figurines, was a necessary way of wooing girls. But was it really? And is it worth it? We talk to Monica Dux, Damon Young and Penni Russon., We look at the lastingly significant news story of 22 February 2012: the death by Syrian rocket fire of legendary conflict reporter Marie Colvin and photojournalist Remi Ochlik., We look at some of the most interesting opinions and articles on the ALP leadership spill from the past week, including contributions from Anne Summers, Michael Gawenda, Jessica Rudd and David Marr. and We look at the debates about Melinda Tankard Reist, what a feminist is – and the magazine profile that started it all.
The literary world is in a furore following the axing of the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, during Campbell Newman's first week of office. Is this the first blow in a new cultural war? What does it mean for writers? And what about the new grassroots movement for an alternative prize, headed by authors Krissy Kneen and Matthew Condon? We look at what's going down in the Sunshine State., A new Paris exhibition remembers one of colonialism's worst practices., The story is the thing, according to the former PM., Bill Gammage describes a carefully-tended mosaic estate., Is guilt preventing progress on indigenous issues?, Popular kids' book translated for remote indigenous kids, Video of Larissa Behrendt speaking on indigenous disadvantage and An Old Take on Justice: County Koori Court
As we launch our new series of long-form reviews - The Long View - Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams discusses the lack of publication opportunities for extended arts criticism, and why we've decided to do something about it., A wrap of how the Wheeler Centre covered the news., The Wheeler Centre announces five names to feature in next year's Gala., A bar and café opens in the Wheeler Centre's basement., Fellowship program expanded to 20 in 2012., Take a look inside our new programme. and Michael Williams appointed Wheeler Centre director
Neil Gaiman recently addressed the students at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, where he gifted them a treasure trove of advice about a career in the arts, from accepting failure and embracing uncertainty to secret freelancer business. But his most important advice? Make good art, no matter what., This week, everyone's talking about the call by The Sunday Age and publisher Michael Heyward to value our Australian literature, past and present. We look at the discussion so far – and some possible ways forward., Dolly Parton does her bit for child literacy., Children's education is the key to breaking cycle of poverty, says John Wood., Publishers, booksellers and schools pitch in to try to close the gap in literacy., Video of our Intelligence Squared debate on funding private education and Is school funding reform class warfare?
One blogger takes a look back at the Intelligence Squared debate., Naomi Chazan on Israel, peace and the Arab spring, Nation-building efforts falling short?, The WikiLeaks effect, In praise of Private Bradley Manning, Informed debate & the information vacuum and Gillard commits Australia to Obama's timetable
Clementine Ford attended Bettina Arndt's Lunchbox/Soapbox on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men at the Wheeler Centre last Thursday. Clementine tells why she vehemently disagrees with Arndt's views on men, sex – and whether women should say 'yes' to their partners even when they're not in the mood., In the latest in our occasional series Working with Words, we talk to Alan Hollinghurst about writing, his book-buying habits and reading his own reviews., Michelle Griffin has issued a passionate defence of 'dirty books' for teens as a way for them to develop fantasy lives free of the 'shackles of banal commercialised sexuality'. We look at her reasons., What Men Really Think About... Masculinity and Erotic Fan Fiction
Conrad Black calls the kettle black., Faithfulness as natural as vegetarianism, says Christopher Ryan., What's spending got to do with happiness?, Mark Mordue on what art has to teach us about feeling., Low-income kids feel the brunt of the US's mental illness epidemic., Emma Forrest on time out of mind and Flunking the psychopath test
Cartoon newspaper seeks real-life volunteers, Wheeler Weekly: Cartoon by Oslo Davis, Wheeler Weekly: Cartoon by Oslo Davis, Office life isn't easy for a sentimental bunny, Oslo Davis on the simple pleasures of (second) childhood, Wheeler Weekly: Cartoon by Oslo Davis and Wheeler Weekly: Cartoon by Oslo Davis
Emerging Writers' Festival director and avid traveller Lisa Dempster reports on the blossoming, globally-minded literary culture of Sharjah's International Book Fair., As Italy's Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster continues to unfold, we look at a list of literature's most fabled shipwrecks., In some cities, liveability looks a lot like survival, David Nichols discovers., David Nichols takes to the Big Apple, bad pretzels and all., Bringing a unique novel to the screen, Rowan McKinnon on why travel writing doesn't suck, Travel Writing Festival Director shares her picks and Modern Day Nomads
In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at five interviews (or interviewers), ranging from the good to the so-bad-they're good. An Esquire journalist falls for Jon Hamm's dark eyes 'like a snake-hunting eagle'. A GQ journalist inhabits Bridget Jones as she flirts with Chris Evans and imagines having his babies. Melbourne's Three Thousand gets surprisingly real with Bret Easton Ellis. And we admire the journalistic chops of Jon Ronson and Lynn Barber., A new website, The Composites, will tickle your funnybone with its police composite sketch renditions of favourite literary characters. And we ask, what does it mean to faithfully adapt a literary character for the screen?, The truth is out there, as Kris Mrska is reminded time and again., Sesame Street's history of political flak and A TV adaptation of an Australian classic
Chinese artists and writers fight to have their voices heard., A Chinese dissident chooses freedom over his homeland., Liao chooses freedom of expression, Leading Chinese artist returns home after three months' detention, Was Mao's Red Book ghostwritten?, Chinese authorities muzzle leading writer and A Chinese writer speaks on creative independence
In this week's Friday High Five, we look at five interviews (or interviewers), ranging from the good to the so-bad-they're good. An Esquire journalist falls for Jon Hamm's dark eyes 'like a snake-hunting eagle'. A GQ journalist inhabits Bridget Jones as she flirts with Chris Evans and imagines having his babies. Melbourne's Three Thousand gets surprisingly real with Bret Easton Ellis. And we admire the journalistic chops of Jon Ronson and Lynn Barber., Our comments went American Psycho for Easton Ellis, When Bret comes to town, Andrew McCarthy returns to Bret Easton Ellis' world, American Psycho goes YA, Easton Ellis movie looking for Van Sant and A Bret Easton Ellis book reading
What do you get when you cross a bestselling YA book-and-film sensation with the humour of Stuff White People Like? The Hipster Games. This terrific little parody will tickle the fancy of literary lovers (and hipsters) everywhere. May the Trends Be Ever in Your Favour., In this week's Friday High Five, we look at a quirky pie chart of the themes in a Murakami novel, new covers for Lolita, the cultural meaning of The Hunger Games, and the good and bad of US food culture. And 35 years on, Armistead Maupin reflects on writing Tales of the City - recalling an editor who kept charts to ensure the series' homosexual characters 'didn’t suddenly outnumber the hetero ones’., We peer into the past and future of Express Media with General Manager Joe Toohey., Controversial end-of-week best-of-web, Under-aged but no longer under-exposed, Judging the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Christopher Paolini and Jodi Picoult: Between the Lines
Hannah Kent, deputy editor of Kill Your Darlings, has spent time living and writing in Iceland, the setting for her forthcoming debut novel, over the past eight years. She provides a perfect introduction to Icelandic literature – and next week's Wheeler Centre guest Sjón in particular – in this passionate appreciation., Why are women missing from the literary pages?, Literary magazines: who needs them? , Paris Review promo video that makes dessert of the literary journal, Board game marks new project for literary journal, Double-barelled Calibre winners and keeping you up-to-date with what's happening in the literary online world
When the Wheeler Centre's Michael Williams interviewed Jeffrey Eugeindes at the Comedy Theatre last night, they talked humour in fiction, dressing like James Joyce, becoming a writer, experiments with form ... and why you should never put a bandana on a character. , We revisit yesterday's Children's Book Festival, with photos from the event plus reactions from the blogosphere., Take a look inside our new programme., Eleven events in eleven days announced for the Wheeler Centre., Bernard Calleo on Hicksville, Tomorrow's Lunchbox/Soapbox - Shane Maloney: In Praise of Shoosh and Catherine Deveny tells Lunchbox/ Soapbox why becoming an atheist made her a writer
Debut novelist Ruby J. Murray speaks to us about her writing career so far, the importance of having people to share your rejection letters with, and her favourite writing advice: you can't edit a blank page., In our latest Working with Words, we talk to current Miles Franklin shortlistee Tony Birch about writing, teaching creative writing, finding your mentor on the page, and dreaming of being Atticus Finch's son., Much-loved writer and storyteller Arnold Zable speaks to us for our Working with Words series, about not losing your nerve, storytelling as empowerment and rafting with Huckleberry Finn., In this week's Working with Words, we talk to writer and cultural historian Maria Tumarkin about writing, the value of self-doubt and teaching creative non-fiction., Romy Ash talks the craft of writing, brutal edits and going to dinner with Roald Dahl's The Twits, in the latest instalment of our Working with Words interview series., We talk to much-loved comic novelist Toni Jordan in the latest in our Working with Words series. She tells us about her Miles Franklin longlisting, teaching creative writing and tells prospective writers, 'If you’d rather play Angry Birds than read, you’re not in love with words enough'. and Anna Krien is one of Australia's most exciting and talented young writers. Her first book, Into the Woods, was shortlisted for nearly every literary award in Australia. Her writing has been published everywhere from The Monthly to Frankie. And her new Quarterly Essay, Us and Them, is earning rave reviews. Anna paused for a breath to speak to us for our Working with Words series.
In this week's Working with Words, we talk to writer and cultural historian Maria Tumarkin about writing, the value of self-doubt and teaching creative non-fiction., The longlist has been announced for Australia's most prestigious (and controversial) literary award, the Miles Franklin. What's in? What's left out? And who's best placed to take out the prize? We take a look at the list and the conversations around it so far., Geordie Williamson, this year's Pascall Prize Critic of the Year, talks to us about his career (and other bookish things) in the latest instalment of our Working with Words series., Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself., As we launch our new series of long-form reviews - The Long View - Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams discusses the lack of publication opportunities for extended arts criticism, and why we've decided to do something about it. and Kirsten Tranter wrote for us last International Women's Day, on the under-representation of women in Australia's literary pages. One year on, she tells us about what's changed, what hasn't - and the development of The Stella Prize.
The Voice of Faith and Public Reason: Raimond Gaita, The Voice of Faith in the Conversation of Citizens: Stanley Hauerwas, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Democratic Multiculturalism: Tariq Modood, The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas, The Voice of Faith and the Challenge of Reason in National and International Politics: Susan Neiman, Faith, Multiculturalism and the Community of Nations: Panel Discussion and The Voice of Faith in National Identity: Speaking From India: Dipesh Chakrabarty
Lego says its new Lego Friends line, with pink and pastel bricks, and playsets that include puppies, a beauty parlour, and curvy fashionplate figurines, was a necessary way of wooing girls. But was it really? And is it worth it? We talk to Monica Dux, Damon Young and Penni Russon., Gail Dines on how male desire is being manipulated and Monica Dux on Paid Parental Leave
In our Unexpected Passions series, Sam Pang talks to familiar faces about their hidden foibles. Last month, he talked to Adam Zwar about cats and Kate Langbroek about her love for op-shops. This Friday, he'll be shooting the breeze with Noni Hazlehurst and Melbourne muso David Bridie. To get you in the mood, the Wheeler Centre's Jo Case confesses an unexpected passion of her own: Project Runway., Unexpected Passions, Unexpected Passions and Unexpected Passions
In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., Snowblind, Cold Feet and A Shiver Down the Spine
In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., In yesterday's Guardian, Ewan Morrison warned of the coming fall-out for writers and publishers when the 'self-e-publishing bubble' inevitably bursts. Here in Australia, the bubble has barely floated into view. We look at Morrison's argument and how self-e-publishing is playing out in Australia - talking to Matthia Dempsey, Angela Meyer and Lisa Dempster. , Zoe Dattner discusses SPUNC's move into eBooks and new publishing models., 2011 was the year that digital publishing came into its own, and readers and retailers adapted accordingly., The lowdown on getting started in publishing by a local indie publisher., The librarian turns impresario and Should books carry advertising?
We revisit yesterday's Children's Book Festival, with photos from the event plus reactions from the blogosphere., We search the world for libraries with street cred., 'Our Story' program to promote the Australian experience., Jolly good fellows, The librarian turns impresario, Publisher e-book loan limit sparks outcry and Should e-book library loans be capped?
Despite the stereotypes about the arts and sports as fiercely warring tribes, there's a vast meeting ground in the middle. We draw on the wisdom of writers who love sports and the arts: Gideon Haigh, Malcolm Knox & William McInnes., The winner of the AFL's short story competition published in the 'Record'., "One hundred and fifty-seven departed, sixty return!" and Stage one of the Tour de France, 1924
It's Friday High Five time! This week, we share seriously silly photos of serious authors, Mark Dapin's reflections on life as a Good Weekend columnist, take a chilling look at childhood psychopaths, read an interview with the New Yorker's art director, and look at how the digital world is making authors work overtime., In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak., In this week's Friday High Five, we visit David Simon's blog, share rejected New Yorker covers, watch a savvy Belgian attempt to stop teens from texting-and-driving, read Jason Epstein on why books have a future, and view art made out of schoolbooks., Did video kill the literary star? Of course not. But it has helped make a couple, or at least helped their books along. In this themed edition of Friday High Five, we share five of the funniest bookish videos from around the web, including looks at the art of pencil sharpening and the smell of old books, and a quirky promotional book video featuring Hangover star Zach Galifianakis. , Hey girl, we've got a themed Friday High Five treat for the citizens of the internet. Ryan Gosling! Puppies! Cats! Surely this combination is a perfect internet storm? and We share five of our favourite links to news, reviews or articles that we’ve discovered over the past week. Includes Jonah Lehrer on creativity, arts funding boosted under Obama and a publisher's defence of chick-lit.
As we launch our new series of long-form reviews - The Long View - Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams discusses the lack of publication opportunities for extended arts criticism, and why we've decided to do something about it., On the eve of our first Debut Monday of 2012, Chris Flynn writes about the weirdness of becoming an author. Especially when you’ve been making your living as a reviewer – and now it’s your turn to be reviewed., Rewriting the poetry canon is a fraught affair., Reviews may be spiteful, but dishonesty is beyond the pale, A review of our Ingrid Betancourt event and A call-out for budding reviewers.
In some cities, liveability looks a lot like survival, David Nichols discovers., David Nichols takes to the Big Apple, bad pretzels and all., Our liveability series continues with visits to two lesser-known, but eminently liveable, towns., David Nichols finds a Celtic tiger with egg on its face., David Nichols goes a little gaga for Tel Aviv in the second instalment of this week's liveability series. and This week, David Nichols undertakes his own liveability survey, beginning today in Hong Kong.
Lisa Dempster writes about the Emerging Writers Festival's continued expansion into new cities, platforms and communities., A new fundraising method is giving the Emerging Writers' Festival a leg up., The Human Experience in the Digital Age: Conversation, Relationships and Social Connection and The Emerging Writer
As Wikipedia blacks its English site out for a day and other sites obscure their text with black strips, we glance at the discussion surrounding online piracy and freedom of speech., In this era of outspoken bloggers, commenters and anonymous slanderers, where's the love?, Focus on copyright reform., Libraries, online journalism, climate inaction, money and crime - a guide to the best-of-the-web. and The web's best resource is dominated by geeky 26 year-old men.
In this week's Friday High Five, we look at some of the chatter around Fifty Shades of Grey (including a debate about submission fantasies and feminism), Chris Flynn's article on critics and show-off snark, David Sedaris on books, Adam 'Go the F**k to Sleep' Mansbach on author blurbs, and how Lego might be becoming 'less sexist'., Michelle Griffin has issued a passionate defence of 'dirty books' for teens as a way for them to develop fantasy lives free of the 'shackles of banal commercialised sexuality'. We look at her reasons. and Erotic Fan Fiction
Emerging Writers' Festival director and Arab book fair frequenter Lisa Dempster shares her experiences from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2012., Lisa Dempster tried veganism five years ago as a 30-day trial – and hasn't looked back (or craved animal products) since. She talks to us about how Peter Singer sent her into a tailspin, why she's a vegan ('it’s hard to be a meat-eating environmentalist'), and how changing her diet wasn't as hard as she'd expected. and Emerging Writers' Festival director and avid traveller Lisa Dempster reports on the blossoming, globally-minded literary culture of Sharjah's International Book Fair.
Clementine Ford attended Bettina Arndt's Lunchbox/Soapbox on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men at the Wheeler Centre last Thursday. Clementine tells why she vehemently disagrees with Arndt's views on men, sex – and whether women should say 'yes' to their partners even when they're not in the mood. and As an opinionated lady who shares those opinions for a living, writer and broadcaster Clementine Ford is no stranger to debates about freedom of speech. She explains why freedom of speech is often misread to mean a licence to spread bigotry – and why true freedom of speech can never be over-rated.
In our latest Working with Words, we talk to current Miles Franklin shortlistee Tony Birch about writing, teaching creative writing, finding your mentor on the page, and dreaming of being Atticus Finch's son., The longlist has been announced for Australia's most prestigious (and controversial) literary award, the Miles Franklin. What's in? What's left out? And who's best placed to take out the prize? We take a look at the list and the conversations around it so far. and Christine Gordon, bookseller and Stella Prize committee member, delivered our Lunchbox/Soapbox on International Women's Day, to a rousing crowd response. Here is the edited text of her talk, where she shares the importance of women's stories to her life, and to feminism itself.
As we launch our new series of long-form reviews - The Long View - Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams discusses the lack of publication opportunities for extended arts criticism, and why we've decided to do something about it., Remembering a pioneering Australian essayist and Unpublished Manuscript Fellows' essay by Peggy Frew
