Books, balderdash and bowlderisation

The censorship of books by Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Ian Fleming and Agatha Christie to remove potentially “offensive” and addition of content warnings and disclaimers to books by Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Raymond Chandler and P.G. Wodehouse have provoked much debate about the balance between delicate modern sensibilities and artistic integrity.

AFL must waltz like the Matildas

The unprecedented popularity of the Women’s soccer world cup in Australia is a sign that Australia’s own football code needs to up its game to retain the interest of the next generation.

Blood-red and black

Melbourne University’s Ancient Lives exhibition presents around 100 objects from the University’s Classics and Archaeology collection, offering visitors insights into the hidden lives of women, children, slaves and artisans of the ancient Graeco-Roman world.

Remembering Tony Bennett

American crooner Tony Bennett drifted in and out of fashion over his long career, but he survived his contemporaries to become a much loved icon of the classic age of American song.

On the beach

Nevil Shute may fallen out of literary fashion but he remains one of Australia’s best and most popular writers, as a theatrical revival of his most famous book attests.

Remembering Milan Kundera

The death of Milan Kundera, that remarkable novelist, essayist, poet, philosopher and fearless critic of Soviet tyranny deprives the literary world one of its brightest stars.

Half a century of 2001

2001 reinvented the science fiction genre upon its release in 1968 and left an inedible mark on modern culture, not least in highlighting the dangers of misaligned AI.

100 not out for Vegemite

Launched in 1923 and marketed as everything from a children’s wonder food to a secret weapon, 80% of Australian households now have a jar of vegemite in a kitchen cupboard, though how many are ever opened is anyone’s guess.

Faith in the age of reason

Born 400 years ago, philosopher Blaise Pascal was one of the first philosophers to grapple with the role of faith in an age of science and reason

Remembering Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto’s sweet and sensual rendition of “The Girl from Ipanema” brought bossa nova to the world but she was never adopted by her home country of Brazil.

In praise of sophistry

Sophistry has negative modern connotations of arguing with falsehoods in bad faith, but understanding its ancient roots might help navigate uncertainty and political divisions with more grace than is usual today.

10 reasons to watch Succession (again)

Over the course of 40 episodes, the HBO hit Succession seamlessly mixed explosive comedy with dismal tragedy and – unlike so many hit shows – nailed the final episode to cement its place in TV history.