Taking sides, for and against, says Simone Weil, is an intellectual leprosy that originated in the political world and contaminated all forms of thinking. Accordingly, this essay, translated into English for the first time, argues that political parties corrupt political life and should be abolished. Simone Weil was an acclaimed French philosopher, Christian mystic and
The longlist for the 2013 ALS Gold Medal has been announced. The ALS Gold Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year. The Medal was inaugurated by the Australian Literature Society, which was founded in Melbourne in 1899 and incorporated into the Association for the Study of Australian Literature
The Stella Prize, a new major literary award for Australian women’s writing, has announced its 2013 longlist. The Stella Prize celebrates Australian women’s contribution to literature. Named after one of Australia’s most important female authors, Stella Maria ‘Miles’ Franklin (1879–1954), the prize rewards one writer with a significant monetary prize of $50,000. After receiving a
A new awards program recognising the best in Australian and New Zealand book design will hand out its first accolade in March. Open to Australian and New Zealand designers, printers and publishers, the biennial Most Beautiful Books – Australia and New Zealand (MBBANZ) has been established by Monash University’s Faculty of Art Design & Architecture
It’s a scorching summer’s day and I’m midway through Winter when a text message arrives from friends holidaying in Germany. “It’s snowing. We had a spectacular train trip from Frankfurt to Bamberg. Blankets of snow everywhere and then the sun came out to make it even more beautiful. Christmas markets. Gluhwein and Christmas party for
Who needs flowers? February 14 is International Book Giving Day — and I’m in love. You would be too if you’d just scored a second-hand copy of Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks for just $4 and had done so with the intoxicating scent of Valentine’s Day flowers all around. The shop I’m in is called Bloomsbury,
I’m wielding a sleekly glinting Kyocera knife in my mind — like the Sword of Damocles — as I determine which of these crusty old cookbooks to cull or to keep. Most were bought for under a dollar at garage sales a zillion years ago — so we’re not talking MasterChef Professional. Just a bog-standard exercise to clear
What’s the best book to take camping? A waterproof one … as it turns out. Overnight, thanks to the worst floods and tornados to batter the east coast of Australia in 30 years, my ancient two-man tent turns into a leaky ark. I wake mid-storm in frenzy. Where’s my book? Is it dry? My hands
We cruise into town on a sunny Saturday morning and the first place we notice is Our Book Shop & Café Berry. It’s got a shady courtyard and a family atmosphere. Grandmothers, prams, couples, kids and dogs create a laid-back ambience, surprisingly peaceful. We’re just passing through and needing a pit stop. I’ve got five
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