Siri Hustvedt’s memoir ‘Ghost Stories’ chronicles the illness and death of her husband Paul Auster while exploring grief, memory, selfhood and the emotional architecture of long relationships.
(more…)
Category: Books and Reviews
-
Siri Hustvedt’s Ghost Stories will make you cry
-
Demagogues, despots and the rise of ‘phantom democracies’
Modern despots increasingly mimic the language and rituals of democracy while concentrating power through manipulation, spectacle, nationalism and the managed consent of their citizens.
(more…) -
Is Earth on its way to becoming the ‘Forbidden Planet’?
A 70-year-old science fiction film offers a stark warning for today’s AI race, showing how powerful technology can amplify humanity’s most destructive impulses. (more…)
-
Is AI the new God?
Paul Ham’s book, The Soul, A History of the Human Mind, is a stimulating challenge to our human ingenuity, which we must value in the face of soulless artificial intelligence systems and their narcissistic champions. (more…)
-
Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps humanises Palestinian lives
Francesca Albanese’s When the World Sleeps brings Palestinian lives into focus through personal stories of occupation, dispossession and resilience.
(more…) -
UQP has cancelled a children’s book, citing antisemitism
Writers and artists are being cancelled for their political views, even when those views are not expressed in their work, narrowing the space for cultural debate and free expression.
-
Climate policy must work for everyday Australians
In a new book out today, Thom Woodroofe argues that climate and energy policy must connect with everyday economic pressures if it is to build lasting public support.
-
Remembering David Malouf – a writer of wisdom, grace and generosity
David George Joseph Malouf AO, one of Australia’s most accomplished, internationally renowned and beloved writers, has died aged 92. (more…)
-
The forgotten war Australia would rather not remember
Michael Piggott’s ‘New Feller Master: Beyond the Trenches Australia’s Neglected WWI Story’, details Australia’s occupation of New Guinea and challenges familiar national narratives – confronting uncomfortable truths about power, race and legacy.
-
Louise Adler on Howard Jacobson’s Howl – a novel overtaken by ideology
The review that the mainstream media would not run – Louise Adler on Booker-Prize winner Howard Jacobson’s latest novel Howl. (more…)
-
Friendship, honey and the simple life: 100 years of Winnie‑the‑Pooh
A century after its creation, Winnie-the-Pooh endures not just as a children’s classic, but as a gentle meditation on friendship, community and how to live well. (more…)
-
Why we avoid thinking about nuclear war – and why we shouldn’t
Public denial and avoidance have dulled awareness of the nuclear threat. Annie Jacobsen’s book, Nuclear War: A Scenario confronts that reality directly, challenging readers to face what has long been ignored. (more…)
-
How Norman Lindsay wrote the The Magic Pudding to critique ‘Australian values’ – inspired by Nietzsche
Often read as a celebration of national character, The Magic Pudding is better understood as a critique of Australian culture, exposing its shallowness and complacency.
(more…) -
Labor’s 2025 landslide – but Australia remains divided
A new book on the 2025 election reveals Labor’s commanding win – but also a fragmented electorate, a weakened opposition and a volatile political landscape.
-
Randa Abdel-Fattah wins Jerusalem Peace Prize
Randa Abdel-Fattah has been awarded the 2026 Jerusalem Peace Prize, recognising her advocacy for Palestinian rights amid mounting political and institutional pressure.
(more…) -
The wisdom of David Solomon (plus priceless insights, grace and humour)
David Solomon’s ‘Footnotes’ reveals the stories behind Australian politics and journalism – including the moments that never made it into print.
(more…) -
Five books to help you understand Iran – recommended by experts
In a time of war, five expert-recommended books offer deeper insight into Iran’s history, politics and people – beyond simplified narratives. (more…)
-
Seven good films out of ten – a surprisingly strong year for the Oscars
For the first time in years, most of the films nominated for Best Picture are genuinely good. From Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the Oscars may finally be recognising cinema worth watching.
-
Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere exposes the business model of misogyny
Louis Theroux’s new documentary highlights how online influencers are repackaging misogyny, anti-feminism and male grievance as self-improvement – building profitable digital communities that shape how many young men understand gender and power. (more…)
-
Why patriotism should worry us more than it does
Often treated as an unquestioned virtue, patriotism can easily slide into nationalism, exclusion and hostility towards others.
(more…) -
Jimpa lovingly follows in the tradition of artwork about fathers who came out of the closet
Sophie Hyde’s film Jimpa explores the personal and generational impact of a father coming out, situating one family’s story within the wider history of gay liberation and changing identities.
(more…) -
Why Albert Camus still matters in an age of authoritarianism
Albert Camus wrote in the shadow of fascism, war and ideological violence. His defence of truth, democratic dialogue and human limits remains strikingly relevant in today’s era of authoritarian politics and “post-truth” public debate. (more…)
-
Lord of the Flies in the age of Trump
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies remains a bleak meditation on power, fear and civilisation. In today’s politics, its allegory feels newly unsettling. (more…)
-
Who will prosecute Geoffrey Robertson’s peerless plan for peace?
In his new book Geoffrey Robertson argues the UN Security Council can no longer defend democracy and proposes a new alliance of democratic states. The diagnosis is compelling – the path forward far less clear. (more…)
-
Saving Meanjin is a victory – sustaining it is the real test
Meanjin’s return to Brisbane under QUT stewardship has been widely welcomed, but it also exposes deeper tensions about arts funding, cultural value and what sustainability really means for literary journals.
(more…) -
What is the next chapter for Australia’s embattled writers festivals?
The cancellation of Adelaide Writers’ Week has exposed how culture wars, funding pressures and climate risk are reshaping Australia’s literary festivals – and putting their future in doubt. (more…)
-
Mark Carney – Values: an economist’s guide to everything that matters
Mark Carney argues that treating price as a proxy for value has driven crises in finance, health and climate. His book offers a roadmap for rebuilding trust, fairness and resilience.
(more…) -
Rivers Flow: Reflections on the Songs of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter curated by Kim Scott
A thoughtful collection of reflections reveals how the songs of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter continue to carry truth, memory and responsibility across generations.
-
Australia, bravery and the case for an Earth System Treaty
Rising inequality, climate instability and ecological collapse are not separate crises but interacting threats that demand coordinated global action.
(more…) -
Censorship doesn’t silence – it amplifies
Attempts to silence writers rarely erase them. More often, they expose insecurity, deepen division, and turn targets into symbols of resistance.