Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.

Deb is reading Astragal by Albertine Sarrazin

If Patti Smith recommends a book I tend to take note. A chance encounter with a glossy magazine with Smith espousing the life-changing charms of Astragal found me jotting down the name Albertine Sarrazin, and searching Readings’ shelves for my target. ‘Oh, it’s THAT book. Of…

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Vogliamo Tutto (We Want Everything) by Nanni Balestrini

This book from Italian writer Nanni Balestrini was first published in 1971. Vogliamo Tutto (We Want Everything) focuses on the ‘hot autumn of 1969’ that started with a big strike at Fiat, Turin, and sparked nearly 10 years of radical action in Italy. This is the first English translation of the work, and is published by a new Melbourne-based press, Telephone Publishing. The book is designed by Warren Taylor, a lecturer…

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The Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) kicks off today and runs for ten days (21 - 31 August). Here’s our recommended reading list to read your way through the festival!

This House of Grief: The Story of a Murder Trial by Helen Garner

As Helen Garner will be giving the opening address of this year’s festival (find out more here), it seems fitting to start with her utterly compelling new narrative non-fiction book.

On the evening of 4 September 2005…

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I’m passionate about picture books and this month there are several stand-outs. From Bob Graham, a story with plenty to say in a few carefully chosen words and his trademark style: Vanilla Ice Cream. The worlds of a tiny sparrow from India and a little girl in Australia collide in slow motion to show us the beauty of a big wide world and the joy of tiny connective moments within it.

Melbourne artist Tai Snaith gave us one of…

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The latest installment of our book advice column where you can ask our wise bookseller Agatha all your tricky (book-related) questions.

Agatha, I have a question about your namesake, Agatha Christie. Where do I start? Are her books an acquired taste or can you jump straight in? Who is the ideal ‘Agatha Christie’ reader?

Well, I daresay it’s lovely to get a question about my namesake. I have long adored the works of Agatha Christie. She was a dynamic woman…

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Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Sri Lanka’s Secrets: How the Rajapaksa Regime Gets Away With Murder by Trevor Grant

At the Altar of the Road Gods: Stories of motorcycles and other drugs by Boris Mihailovic

The Fights of My Life by Greg Combet with Mark Davis

The Golden Age by Joan London

Optimism: Reflections on a Life of Action by Bob Brown

The Book of Paul: The Wit and Wisdom of Paul Keating by…

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The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have announced their Book of the Year Award winners for 2014! Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers.

Here is the full list of winners and honour books in each category:

Older Readers: Wildlife by Fiona Wood

Honour books:

Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near

The Sky so Heavy by Claire Zorn

Younger Readers: A Very Unusual Pursuit by Catherine Jinks

Honour books:

My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg

…

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The Triple R Radiothon is back on for 2014!

This year Triple R are getting back to basics and celebrating the core values that the station were founded on in 1976 that remain every bit as relevant thirty-eight years later – the things that make Triple R unique!

These values are reflected in Triple R’s local focus and independence. The station’s volunteer broadcasters remain free to be vocal with their opinions and to make their own programming and content choices…

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Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on or the music we’re loving.

Nina is reading Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay is little known here in Australia, but she’s a rising literary star in the US (a quick Google search will reveal feature articles on her in the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, Time, Jezebel, Huffington Post…

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Here are our top picks for what to see at the Melbourne Festival this year!

Bronte Coates is intrigued by Marzo.

My normal response to people in masks is a straight-up nope! But Marzo has managed to draw me in somehow. Co-created by Dewey Dell (an Italian artists’ collective), Yuichi Yokoyama (a manga artist) and Kuro Tanino (the Artistic Director of Japanese theatre company Niwagekidan Penino), this is ‘an impeccably stylized dance work with a stunning visual aesthetic –…

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