Thomas Williams Hipsterdom’s fixation with kale, vinyl records, typewriters, beards and locally-produced organic food is often the subject of ridicule, but its adoption by the so-called mainstream is leading researchers to consider how alternative consumption patterns are changing communities and cities. Dr Fiona Allon, senior lecturer in the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies at … Continue reading
Vasilis Ragousis Renowned journalist and author Caroline Overington sent a powerful message on the flaws of the death penalty at a Sydney Writers’ Festival event on Saturday morning. She began with a film of a young black boy, surrounded by white men as they strapped him to the electric chair. The child was not tall … Continue reading
Danielle Williams Is humanity doomed? If you spent any time at the Curiosity Stage at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on Friday, you could be forgiven for thinking it is. Following closely on the heels of a packed session on narcissism, James Boyce drew similar crowds with his talk, ‘On how Original Sin made the West’. … Continue reading
Oyuntsetseg Olonbayar “The Writers’ Festival is a really readers’ festival; it is a place and opportunity given to us to get together to talk about one of the greatest pleasures – a love of reading,” says novelist and UTS academic Debra Adelaide. The Simple Act of Reading, edited by Dr Adelaide, is a collection of … Continue reading
Mark Seymour David Hicks could have been released from Guantanamo Bay and returned home sooner if the Australian Government had asked, his former defence lawyer, Michael Mori, believes. Lieutenant Colonel Mori told a full room at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on Friday that the government “knew Hicks hadn’t violated Australian law, but that became a … Continue reading
Cara Wagstaff “I bought an orange once when I was in Japan. It was wrapped in several layers of beautiful rice paper, and then placed into a little box. The box was an extraordinary piece of paper engineering that folded into itself so it closed without tape or string,” Zoe Sadokierski said. Ms Sadokierski, … Continue reading
Laura Boyd From the way the audience leaned forward in their seats as he spoke, you would think Andrew Ford was addressing a group of old friends, rather than the crowd gathered to hear his Curiosity Lecture ‘On Elvis’ Hips’ on Thursday. Indeed, for many, his voice is a familiar one that has guided them … Continue reading
Jana Bohlmann Vincent Van Gogh is most famous for his expressionistic visions of natural beauty, like Starry Nights or Sunflowers. However, alongside his portraits of fellow artists and images of bowls of flowers, Van Gogh also liked painting shoes. Boots with Laces was the most controversial of his shoe series – even the eminent philosophers … Continue reading
Kate Parry With her trademark gregarious laugh, Margaret Pomeranz was ready for a raucous Co-Conspirators session with daughter-in-law Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz, ostensibly about their collaboration on a beautifully produced cookbook, Let’s Eat, stuffed full of stories of family, the film industry and food. But after nearly 30 years as a critic on ABC TV’s At … Continue reading
Amanda Smuin On Thursday afternoon, Australian writer Liane Moriarty talked about what it’s like to be a suburban Sydney mum and an internationally bestselling author. Ms Moriarty has an impressive list of accomplishments. She is the author of six bestselling novels including Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot and The Hypnotist’s Love Story. … Continue reading
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