- Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow, Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University
A divisive documentary, a top-tier Australian drama, a queer baseball comedy and more.
Ahead of the release of Charles Spencer’s controversial memoir, Dennis Altman picks 5 reads shedding light on the British monarchy.
How did our politics become so personal? Performance Politics considers 70 years of books and documentaries, from the Whitlam era to now.
The Queer Bookshelf, a personal journey and quest to document queer writing, is smart and generous – but has some surprising omissions.
Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson have not written another biography of Rupert Murdoch, but a forensic account of how his empire intimidates and destroys.
Most of Errol Flynn’s films now seem B-grade at best – but Patricia O'Brien’s biography of this Tasmanian devil is compulsive reading.
While the US president has been at odds with the UK prime minister over Iran, the royals were able to bring the charm to Washington.
We live in an era that increasingly seeks to cancel authors for their political views, even when these views are not reflected in their creative works.
MAGA mouthpiece and kingmaker Tucker Carlson was an early voice on the Mexico wall, Putin, Orban and South Africa – as well as RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard. What next?
Sean Kelly’s Quarterly Essay asking what Labor stands for today focuses excessively on the prime minister, ignoring the wider party.
Even for those not interested in royal gossip, Andrew Lownie’s joint biography of former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson is a fascinating – and revealing – read.
Standouts this month include the latest season of The Diplomat, addictive British reality TV and a political thriller starring Rebecca Ferguson.
The British royals are no strangers to scandals - and they are likely to be able to manage this one.
Left-wing Jewish political journalist Rachel Shabi delivers a nuanced take on antisemitism, legitimate criticism of Israel and the role of race and colonialism.
Whether you like Nordic noir, horror, feisty feminists or gardening, our experts have rounded up the best of what’s new to streaming.
From the new seasons of Andor and Black Mirror, to The Narrow Road to the Deep North – May’s must-watch TV proves time flies when your options are this good.
Ten political observers nominate their favourite books about the hustings hustle.
What is the gut-level appeal that saw Trump win two elections? One progressive researcher spent six years in America’s whitest, second-poorest district to find out.
Donald Trump has suggested the US might be interested in joining the Commonwealth. But would Trump’s America be welcome?
New series from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand dominate this month’s suggestions for what you should stream next.
We’ve invited writers, from fields as diverse as wildlife ecology, politics and literature, to nominate their best books of 2024. And this year, the Books & Ideas team share their own picks, too.
Our film and TV experts review a host of new streaming picks, including the final season of acclaimed mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows.
Ta-Nehisi Coates said going to Palestine, shortly before the Hamas attacks, was ‘a huge shock’ – and he felt a responsibility to yell about what he saw there. In The Message, he does just that.
The passions aroused by Israel’s escalating response to the Hamas attacks have revived centuries-old stereotypes, blurring the distinction between opposition to Israel and hatred of Jewish people.
Don Watson predicted Trump’s presidency in his 2016 Quarterly Essay on the US election campaign. In High Noon, he hits the election trail again.
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