ROBERT MANNE A Political Memoir. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
Robert Manne’s memoir charts the life of a public intellectual and independent thinker unafraid of a fight. A Political Memoir is an important work that says a lot about Australia and the sort of country we are. As well as some personal history, Robert Manne provides...
IRMA GOLD Shift. Reviewed by Naomi Manuell
Set in South Africa, the new novel from the author of The Breaking is both a family drama and deeply political. Irma Gold’s second novel explores the vital things we share through art and human connection. Arlie is a 30-something Melbourne photographer with a talent...
CLEM BASTOW and JO CASE (eds) Someone Like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writers. Reviewed by Kylie Mason
This diverse anthology challenges stereotypes by bringing together Autistic women and gender-diverse writers to share their experiences. In their introduction to Someone Like Me, editors Clem Bastow and Jo Case say: Spending time with these twenty-five essays, piecing...
RACHEL MORTON The Sun Was Electric Light. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Set in Guatemala, Australian Rachel Morton’s debut novel of a young woman searching for her place in the world is already a prize-winner. Ruth is in her thirties and is disillusioned with life. She had moved to New York because it was the ‘furthest place’ from her...
DAVID MARR My Country: Stories, essays and speeches. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
In this collection, David Marr presents 50 years of his thinking and writing about Australia. David Marr is one of Australia’s leading journalists, and he has been commenting on things Australian for over fifty years. In his preface he says, ‘Curiosity, mischief and...
2025 Last Days of Summer Giveaway #3
This is the third and final of this series of summer giveaways. So get cracking and don’t miss out on a chance to win! To go into the draw to win all four of these titles, simply email editors@newtownreviewofbooks.com.au with ‘Summer 3′ in the subject line and...
HELEN GARNER The Season. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Helen Garner’s account of a single season of her grandson’s AFL team is about more than football. Helen Garner may have begun her career as a novelist, but she has long been admired for her non-fiction, which has been defined by its fearless honesty and unflinching...
KIRSTEN KRAUTH and ANGELA SAVAGE (eds) Spinning Around: The Kylie Playlist. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Not just for Kylie fans: the editors of this anthology inspired by Kylie Minogue have assembled a diverse range of authors and genres. Each of the 24 writers featured in Spinning Around has taken a Kylie Minogue song – ranging across her repertoire from 1987’s ‘I...
ALINA BELLCHAMBERS The Order of Masks. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Spies, magic, intrigue, and the human cost of an expanding empire all feature in Australian author Alina Bellchambers’ debut fantasy. Growing up on the run from mysterious criminals with her mother, Mira has always dreamed of having safety and stability; of being able...
LARRY BUTTROSE Everyone on Mars. Reviewed by Sue Woolfe
Not just astronauts and science experiments: Larry Buttrose’s stories imagine what it would be like if we had to live on Mars. One of the most memorable opening lines in fiction is Ford Maddox Ford’s ‘This is the saddest story I have ever heard.’ The Good Soldier is...
MALCOLM KNOX The First Friend. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Malcolm Knox’s new novel satirises the brutal madness of the Soviet Union, focussing on Stalin’s notorious head of secret police, Beria. In the business of producing fiction, the novelist can never keep up with authoritarian political leaders. Such leaders offer an...
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