AustLit

'This April ABR considers the importance of talk. In his cover essay, historian Frank Bongiorno argues that the Albanese government’s storytelling, not just its actions, directs the ‘possibilities of politics’. Sheila Fitzpatrick gives a moving portrait of her friendship with ‘recording angel’ Katerina Clark and G. Geltner pushes us to rethink our Middle-Ages chatter. Sascha Morrell comes around to the ‘winks and nudges’ in a major new biography of Frank Moorhouse and Frances Wilson insists Hilary Mantel will speak for herself in death. Glyn Davis tells us about a floating university and Morag Fraser puzzles over mothers. There’s Michael Hofmann on Nam Le’s 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem, Stuart Kells on rogue corporations, and Robyn Arianrhod on the moon.' (Publication summary)

'ABR’s annual double issue is packed with summer-reading features. To complement our Books of the Year feature (December issue), Australia’s top arts critics nominate 2023’s outstanding productions. Kevin Foster doesn’t pull his punches on David McBride’s whistleblower memoir, Emma Dortins reviews Kate Fullagar’s innovative biography of Bennelong and Arthur Phillip, and Frank Bongiorno considers Raimond Gaita’s tangle with life’s big questions. Gordon Pentland takes on Theresa May and Stuart Kells eyes Qantas. Ebony Nilsson unearths ASIO files to reveal ordinary lives and Peter Edwards considers political interference in official military histories. We review new fiction from Lucy Treloar, Max Easton, and Sigrid Nunez. As always, the summer issue features the five poems shortlisted in this year’s Peter Porter Poetry Prize.' (Publication summary)

'As spring slowly turns to summer, the November issue of ABR addresses questions of memoir, biography, and autofiction. Catriona Menzies-Pike engages with Richard Flanagan’s new hybrid work Question 7 while Zora Simic assesses Naomi Klein’s journey into the ‘mirror world’ in Doppelganger and Marilyn Lake reviews Graeme Davison’s ‘uncommonly good family history’. Also, Susan Sheridan reviews a new literary biography of Dorothea Mackellar and Kerryn Goldsworthy reviews Catharine Lumby’s biography of Frank Moorhouse. Memoirist Shannon Burns reviews Christos Tsiolkas’s tangy new novel The In-Between, Felicity Plunkett looks at Amanda Lohrey’s The Conversion, and Jelena Dinić pays tribute to Charles Simic.' (Publication summary)

'Two weeks out from the historic Voice referendum, ABR’s Indigenous issue features our strongest-ever representation of First Nations reviewers, commentators, interviews, poems, books, and themes. Lynette Russell and Melissa Castan discuss the mechanics of the Voice, Alexis Wright describes Indigenous time as interlinked and unresolved, members of the Indigenous Australian Dictionary of Biography describe their project, and Zoë Laidlaw explores university Indigenous histories. We interview Anita Heiss, Jeanine Leane reviews Melissa Lucashenko’s Edenglassie, Mark McKenna grapples with David Marr’s Killing for Country, Tom Wright weighs a biography of Donald Horne, and Declan Fry endorses Indigenous economics. Reviews from Claire G. Coleman, Julie Janson, and Jacinta Walsh lead a stellar First Nations line-up.' (Publication summary)

'In September we explore the ripple effects of Trumpian politics in Australia with Joel Deane on Melbourne’s lockdown rage, Ben Wellings on populism, and Emma Shortis on a second Trump presidency. James Curran takes issue with Clare Wright’s call for historians to ‘hold their tongues’ on the Voice and Desmond Manderson considers the political impact of the 1963 Yirrkala Bark Petition. Also in the issue, we have Nick Hordern on two books about Russia and Ukraine, Kieran Pender on the Facebook whistleblower, Penny Russell on Kate Grenville’s new novel, and Sarah Ogilvie on Australian contributors to the first Oxford English Dictionary.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the August issue of ABR! This month we celebrate great short fiction with the announcement and publication of the shortlist for the 2023 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize. The winner will be revealed at an online ceremony on 17 August. Also in the August issue, Dennis Altman explores some of the complexities facing Australian Jews regarding Australia’s relationship with Israel, James Ley reflects on J.M. Coetzee’s novel The Life and Times of Michael K forty years after its original publication, and Jonathan Green reviews a new biography of Rupert Murdoch. Elsewhere, Kevin Foster examines the first of two new books on the Ben Roberts-Smith case, Joan Beaumont reviews a new work of history from Robin Prior, and Shannon Burns considers a new book on Gerald Murnane.' (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'Welcome to the June issue of ABR! This month ABR examines politics and influence from the media to federal and international politics. Major features include David Rolph on Lachlan Murdoch versus Crikey, Mark Kenny on the Albanese government’s first year in office, Patrick Mullins on a new book on Scott Morrison, and John Zubrzycki on Narendra Modi’s new strategy for India. Raelene Frances reviews Ross McMullin’s new group biography Life So Full of Promise and Joan Beaumont reflects on the 1943 bombing of Berlin. Also in the issue, Robyn Archer takes us behind the scenes in our new ‘Backstage’ interview series, Kate Lilley pays tribute to John Tranter, and we publish the runner-up in the 2023 Calibre Essay Prize ‘Child Adjacent’ by Bridget Vincent.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the May issue of ABR. This month’s powerful cover feature is David N. Myers on the troubled state of democracy in Israel in the light of the recent protests. Meanwhile Gordon Pentland explores the impact of nostalgia on British politics and Marilyn Lake examines a new book on Gough Whitlam and women. Barney Zwartz reviews Chrissie Foster’s new memoir and Michael Easson looks at the history of the Macquarie Bank. Anthony Lynch reflects on poet Jordie Albiston’s posthumous work, Frank, and we review new fiction from Margaret Atwood, Max Porter, Pip Williams, and J.R. Burgmann. Also in the issue, we reveal the 2023 Calibre Essay prize winner.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the March issue of ABR. We examine everything from the new National Cultural Policy to Volodymyr Zelensky, Shirley Hazzard, First Nations incarceration, infidelity, exciting new fiction, machines behaving badly, TÁR, the young Robert Menzies, women’s cricket and much more. And while Australia is now set to receive its own Poet Laureate, ABR continues its longstanding commitment to the form, publishing four new poems and reviewing four verse collections.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the summer issue of ABR – the 450th in the second series, which began in 1978. It’s a blockbuster of an issue, commencing with a powerful account by author-journalist Zoe Holman about the current agitation in Iran following the murder of Mahsa Amini. Political scientist Timothy J. Lynch (writing from Laramie in Wyoming!) examines the recent US midterms and America’s seeming return to the centre. Turning to Australian politics, we have key articles by Mark Kenny, Dennis Altman, Frank Bongiorno, and Kim Rubenstein. We are also delighted to reveal the 2023 Peter Porter Poetry Prize shortlist. Shannon Burns reviews Cormac McCarthy’s brace of new novels, and Penny Russell critiques Alex Miller’s thirteenth novel. In our arts section, seventeen ABR regulars nominate their Arts Highlights of 2022 – to complement our highly popular Books of the Year feature (published in the December issue).' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the December issue of ABR. This month we celebrate the books of the year, as chosen by thirty-six ABR writers and critics including Frances Wilson, Tony Birch, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Yves Rees, and Sheila Fitzpatrick. The issue opens with a strong editorial by Peter Rose voicing concerns about the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and a thoughtful examination of Labor’s new anti-corruption bill by Stephen Charles SC. The issue also covers new works of biography and memoir with Zora Simic on Grace Tame’s memoir, Patrick Mullins on a biography of Lachlan Murdoch, and Jacqueline Kent on Bryce Courtenay. December also includes reviews of new fiction by Inga Simpson, Fiona McFarlane, Fiona Kelly McGregor (our Open Page interview subject), and much more.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the November issue of ABR. This month we look to history and politics with reviews of works on Australia’s political history (both recent and historical), biographical studies of historical figures (from the Macarthurs to a pioneering plastic surgeon) and historical fiction from Gail Jones and Maggie O’Farrell. Also in the issue is our cover feature by Ronan McDonald on the Cambridge Centenary Ulysses, James Dunk on historians and microbes, Kirsten Tranter on Heather Rose, Amanda Laugesen on language, Geordie Williamson on Geoff Dyer, Morgan Nunan on Shaun Prescott, and Kerryn Goldsworthy on Philip Salom.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the October issue of ABR. This month we turn to politics of various kinds – local, national, and international. Our cover features include Clare Monagle’s irreverent take on King Charles III, Gillian Russell on recent Northern Irish fiction, Claudio Bozzi on the turbulent state of Italian politics, Peter Goldsworthy on mortality and Salman Rushdie, and Gideon Haigh on a new biography of Daniel Andrews. Also in the issue are reviews of new fiction from Robbie Arnott, Ian McEwan, Kamila Shamsie, Jock Serong, and Eliza Henry-Jones. Graeme Davison reviews Jim Davidson’s book on Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith. Other highlights include David Jack on Chip Le Grand, Peter Rose on Shannon Burns, and Anwen Crawford on Jeff Sparrow.'  (Publication summary)

'Welcome to the September issue of ABR. This month we look outwards, with articles on international politics and international relations. Our cover features include two compelling articles on Afghanistan by Kieran Pender and Kevin Foster, while James Curran examines Australia’s complicated relations with China. Elsewhere in the issue, Sheila Fitzpatrick reviews a new biography of Vladimir Putin and Luke Stegemann reviews two other books on Russia, including Fitzpatrick’s latest history of the Soviet Union. Alison Broinowski examines a new book by former foreign minister Gareth Evans. Also in the issue are reviews of new fiction from Sophie Cunningham, Siang Lu and Paul Daley along with Michael Hofmann’s appraisal of Elizabeth Hardwick’s uncollected essays. Other highlights include Tara McEvoy on Seamus Heaney in Australia and Michael Garbutt on Paris’s Museum of Mankind.' (Publication summary)

'Among the delights at the end of winter are the return of afternoons and the arrival of ABR’s fiction-laden August issue. This month we publish the three shortlisted stories for the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize alongside reviews of a fresh harvest of fiction by Edwina Preston, Robert Drewe, Eleanor Limprecht, and Scott McCulloch. Julieanne Lamond and Brigid Magner look at new studies of Gail Jones and Joseph Furphy, respectively, while Gary Pearce writes on the Joyce centenary. In politics, Mark Kenny analyses the Albanese government’s first chapter as Paul Strangio forecasts the challenges awaiting Daniel Andrews at the ballot box and Patrick Mullins examines Aaron Patrick’s autopsy of the post-Turnbull Liberal party. Catharine Lumby reflects on the life of Frank Moorhouse, while Ian Dickson reviews the letters of poet Thom Gunn. There’s an interview with Michael Winkler, new poetry by Jennifer Harrison and Vidyan Ravinthiran, and much, much more!'  (Publication summary)

'St Peter’s first words to the resurrected Christ, ‘Quo vadis?’ or ‘Whither goest thou?’, capture the spirit of these reorienting times. In our July feature, senior contributors and commentators nominate key policy reforms for the Albanese government. Abroad, Ben Saul dissects the Western response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while John Zubrzycki assesses the prospects of an Indian democratic recovery. In the new mood of rapprochement, Julia Horne and Penny Russell reconsider the relationship between academics and government. New books on the historical divisions of gender and class are examined by Shannon Burns and Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Translation comes in for scrutiny with Frances Wilson’s review of Lydia Davis’s second collection of essays and Humphrey Bower’s review of Alison Croggon’s Rilke. There are reviews of new fiction by Geraldine Brooks, Michelle Cahill, and Yuri Felsen – and much, much more!' (Publication summary)