Mark Rubbo talks with Helen Garner about her new book, Everywhere I Look, a collection of her short non-fiction pieces.

What drew you to reportage?

I was faced with an immediate need to make a living, after I got the sack from teaching in 1972. Also, it has always felt natural. It suits me. It gets me into places and situations that I would otherwise be too shy to broach.

I remember asking Peter Carey once whether he drew…

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The winners of the Indie Book Awards 2016 have been announced.

Each year, independent booksellers from around the nation get together and vote for their favourite titles in four different categories, as well as their favourite book overall. Here are the winners for each category, along with comments from our booksellers.

The Fiction winner and the overall Indie Book of the Year winner is…
The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

‘One of the best books I’ve read in…

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The program for this year’s Clunes Booktown Festival (30 April to 1 May) has been announced. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of this wonderful festival.

For two days each year, the town of Clunes becomes home to the largest collection of new, second hand, rare and out-of-print small-press publications and collectable books in Australia. Readings will again be manning a stall over the weekend, along with a host of book traders from across Australia, and we’re hoping to…

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We’re so excited that Dennis Kelly’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda has arrived in Melbourne. A tearaway success on Broadway and in the West End, Matilda: The Musical has won five Tony Awards, and the music and lyrics are from Australia’s very own Tim Minchin.

Here, readers reflect on what makes Matilda such a timeless heroine.

“I absolutely adored Matilda as a child. I loved how smart she was. I loved how she went from being a pawn in…

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This year’s shortlist for the Stella Prize features some brilliant books from Australian women, including two story collections, one essay collection, and three novels. Here’s a guide to help you decide which one to read first.

Read this book if…

You love ‘time capsule’ fiction that provides a glimpse into history

Now in her 80s, Elizabeth Harrower is one of Australia’s most celebrated and interesting authors. She published four novels to critical acclaim, and then gave up writing up entirely…

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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

$14.99

Northern Iceland, 1829. A woman condemned to death for murdering her lover. A family forced to take her in. A priest tasked with absolving her. But all is not as it seems, and time is running out: winter is coming, and with it the execution date. Only she can know the truth. This is Agnes’s story.

Shortlisted, Stella Prize, 2014
Shortlisted, Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, 2016

A Few Days in the Country and…

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The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears and Dinalie Dabarera

The Bad Guys: Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Samurai vs Ninja: The Battle for the Golden Egg by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers

Pig The Winner by Aaron Blabey

The Bolds by Julian Clary

Iris and the Tiger by Leanne Hall

Illuminae: The Illuminae Files 01 by Amie Kaufman and…

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The Road to Ruin by Niki Savva

Balancing Act – Australia Between Recession and Renewal (Quarterly Essay 61) by George Megalogenis

Talking to My Country by Stan Grant

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosley

Political Amnesia – How We Forgot How To Govern (Quarterly Essay 60) by Laura Tingle

The Light…

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Cairo Kitchen by Suzanne Zeidy

$15.95 ()

In Cairo Kitchen, Suzanne Zeidy shares a combination of authentic street food and delicious home-style cooking – all set against the vibrant backdrop of Cairo. Illustrated throughout with pictures by award-winning photographer Jonathan Gregson, this cookbook is a celebration of this stunning city and its wonderful food.

Dorothea Lange by Elizabeth Partridge

$24.95 ()

This beautiful volume celebrates the life and work of one of the 20th century’s most important photographers, Dorothea…

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It’s not every day we get to hear about young adult books from young adults themselves, so we jumped at the chance to question fifteen-year-old work experience student Andras Kerekes on his reading habits.

How would you describe your taste in books?

Given enough time I’ll read just about anything as long as it’s not pure smut, but there does actually have to be a plot for me to consider it worth reading. Some people believe the only good books…

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