Stories that matter
September 3, 2019
Are there authors you believe you should read simply because they’re considered one of the literary greats, or have appeared on best seller lists? For many years, Isabel Allende was that author for me. At uni, I’d studied the magic realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 100 Years of Solitude, but never quite managed to […]
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July 23, 2019
When author Judith Kerr passed away on 22 May 2019, there was an outpouring of accolades, obituaries and memories in print, online and across social media. I confess that while her picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and her semi-autobiographical novel, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, were vaguely familiar to me, I’d never […]
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May 21, 2019
Numerous tributes flowing in for Bob Hawke have recalled his response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. As Prime Minister, he allowed Chinese students to stay in Australia, rather than force them back to suffer the consequences of a Chinese government crackdown. I wonder how many lives Hawke’s decision saved, how many young men and […]
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April 18, 2019
Imagine you’re the new girl in town on your first day of high school. After travelling around Australia for a year, you’re feeling positive about settling in one place and making friends. Imagine your delight when the first girl you meet invites you to sit with her friends at recess. Imagine that by lunchtime, your […]
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March 20, 2019
In her poem, “What They did Yesterday Afternoon”, often quoted after tragedy strikes, Warsan Shire asks the ‘whole world’ where it hurts – and it answers, ‘everywhere’.* The world is hurting. If we’re honest, it’s been hurting for a very long time, but last Friday that pain become much more difficult to ignore. It’s not […]
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February 19, 2019
Writers in Exile #1: Victor Hugo
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For the past 20 years, my overseas travel has had a distinct cycling flavour, on account of my husband’s Italian heritage, and his obsession with bikes. One day I’ll design a literary tour instead, and visit not only the homes of famous authors, but also the settings of my favourite stories. That trip will have […]
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