Thomas H. Ford – The Conversation

Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo dancing in a scene from Shakespeare’s The Tempest – Johann Heinrich Ramberg. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

November 10, 2025

Grim, funny and unremitting, Evelyn Araluen’s The Rot is a book attuned to dark times

Thomas H. Ford, La Trobe University

The Rot is haunted by complicity, and haunting in its insistence on remembering every betrayal.

Kamilaroi artist Rhonda Sampson’s ‘Diyan Warrane’ artwork projected onto the Sydney Opera House during Australia Day 2023 celebrations. Bianca De Marchi/AAP

January 23, 2025

10 essential books to read on Australia Day – our expert picks

Lawrence Bamblett, Australian National University; Anna Clark, University of Technology Sydney; Benjamin T. Jones, CQUniversity Australia; Clare Wright, La Trobe University; Frank Bongiorno, Australian National University; Gregory Melleuish, University of Wollongong; Jane Lydon, The University of Western Australia; Thomas H. Ford, La Trobe University; Tim Rowse, Western Sydney University; Tom Griffiths, Australian National University, and Yves Rees, La Trobe University

A barbecue, a protest … or a good book? We asked some of our leading historians to choose an illuminating Australia Day read.

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