A brief history of hot cross buns

Hot cross buns appear in your local supermarket on boxing day, but the tasty bun has long been associated with Easter, and perhaps dates back long before.

Trueish TV

Apple Cider Vinegar is part of a trend of ‘true-ish’ TV shows which may be ‘based’ on true events, but take extreme liberties with their source material.

The west is red

Far from making America “great again” Donald Trump’s presidency threatens to transform the USA into the Western counterpart of the authoritarian states it once took pride in opposing.

The ship of dreams

“The Ship of Dreams,” offers a poetic allegory about pride, hubris and the inevitable price that nature will demand from those with an inflated sense of power and invincibility.

10 complete unknowns

The Oscars were once the highlight of the cultural calendar, and while their importance has diminished as the entertainment industry has changed, this year’s ceremony will still garner some attention.

Remembering Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman, an acting titan of 1970s and ‘80s Hollywood with more than 80 screen credits to his name, has died at 95.

Sing together

Australia’s reputation as a singing nation has never quite matched countries like Estonia or Wales, where communal singing is an essential part of national identity, but reviving this proud old traditional can only unite a society at risk of breaking apart.

The joys of literary journeys

The best way to travel the world can be with the help of a few good books from the comfort of one’s armchair.

A season in hell

The Holocaust is often remembered in terms of overwhelming statistics, but the poetry written by victims of the Holocaust offers a poignant human insight into their individual ordeal.

Song and dance man

Bob Dylan once described himself as ‘just a song and dance man’ but he remains the greatest songwriter of our times and a new biopic – A Complete Unknown – does justice to his massive influence on music and youth culture.

The consolations of philosophy

A new book “Anxiety – a philosophical guide” outlines four strands of philosophical inquiry – Buddhism, existentialism, psychoanalysis, and critical theory – might offer comfort to the worried and distressed.

Room to dream

Best known for films such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive and the hugely influential television series Twin Peaks, American director David Lynch has died at the age of 78.