AustLit

'Adelaide playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer’s play, set in the not-too-distant future, poses a radical solution to climate change, writes Miriam Cosic It can’t be easy being creative in times of organic catastrophe. Human catastrophes, such as war, are different: the artist Goya and the poet Celan, among many, taught us how to ponder deeply the harm humans bring to each other.' (Introduction)

'Lee’s designs reflect the pain in the pages of Birch’s new books, and he loved them so much he inked one on his skin, writes Ellie Dudley Melbourne treasure Tony Birch and First Nations artist Jenna Lee have created three works of great beauty, writes Ellie Dudley know we are told not to judge a book by its cover. I’m well aware that the cliche is a cliche for a reason. But readers could easily make an exception for the three contemporary artworks that encase Tony Birch’s three new books.' (Introduction)

Confronted with a global pandemic, writer Lea McInerney experiences the freedom to create while receiving regular government payments In September 2020, two months into Melbourne’s second lockdown, I was doing my allotted hour of physical activity when a pleasant feeling that wasn’t just feel-good-exercise-chemicals flowed through me. A surprising thought followed: “I’m really happy.” I’d just had another weekday of the same routine: get up, eat breakfast, go to my desk, write more of the story I’m working on, knock off after six or seven hours, go for a walk, cook dinner, eat, chat, read, bed. Then the next day, start over again, same routine, same rhythm. On weekends, I’d scale things back a bit and do an hour or two of writing, go shopping for groceries and clean up around home. As I walked around the park that day feeling happy, I looked at the other masked walkers and wondered how they were getting on. Had their pre-Covid work selves changed dramatically like mine?' (Introduction)