Arts

Melbourne musician Gary Leonard Hammond embarked on an eight-week writing mission during the winter of 2024, while living in a rented loft above an old Victorian building in Melbourne’s CBD. He photographed his surroundings and wrote down his thoughts in a series of sonnets, free verse, poems, impressions and villanelles. His new book Dear Acquaintance

Bayside author Gary Seeary’s new book, Horty Brown & Co, is set in 1900s Melbourne, where the well-to-do strolled down fashionable Collins Street enjoying the opulence of the ‘Belle Epoque’, the beautiful era, while streets away the hardships of life went on. Through the eyes of 13-year-old Alistair Lundy, the story focuses on his friendship

A new book from the world’s number one thriller writer is definitely something to celebrate. Author Lee Child, of Jack Reacher fame, has just released Safe Enough, a collection of 20 nail-biting short stories. Each story comes with an introduction from the king of thriller writers, and features finely plotted, intimate portraits of humanity at

October is Mental Health Awareness Month, so it is a perfect time to think about how people handle stress in their lives. Psychiatrist Professor Ian Hickie and author and ABC radio identity James O’Loughlin (pictured) have just released a book to give some tips on this tricky issue. Called Minding Your Mind, it is based

The 2022 Creative Partnerships Awards have been announced; they recognise remarkable people who generously provide support to enhance the Australian arts and culture sector. This year, the Awards celebrate and acknowledge nine exemplary leaders in private giving, philanthropy and business partnerships with the arts:• Arts Visionary Award – Ulrike Klein • Philanthropy Leadership Award –

One of the world’s greatest ever music theatre creators, Stephen Sondheim left a real void when he died in November last year. But Melbourne Sondheim fans have a reason to rejoice next week. According to Melbourne cabaret maestro Trevor Jones, Sondheim was the greatest musical theatre composer and lyricist of the 20th century, which is

Evelyn Araluen’s Dropbear (University of Queensland Press) was named as the winner of 2022 Stella Prize for Australian women’s writing. The winner was announced at a special celebration of Australian women’s writing presented in partnership with State Library Victoria. The gala event marked 10 years since the inaugural Stella Prize was awarded. Acclaimed film and

Ben Kochan and Concetta Caristo are two ‘separate comedians’ and a de facto couple in love. Their devotion is obvious as they bounce on stage full of energy and adoration for each other in their Melbourne International Comedy Festival offering at Cooper’s Inn, Funny as Sin. But as is to be expected, in any relationship

Comedy genius Eric Sykes’s 1967 film, The Plank, famously presents a narrative almost entirely without dialogue. The action is made up of slapstick and sight gags. The Anniversary is a zany production that follows in the footsteps of Sykes’s iconic masterpiece. Created by Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias along with director Peter Houghton, the show

Not so long ago, Rove McManus was the biggest thing on TV. The three-time Logie winner seemed to disappear from our screens overnight in 2009. Comedian Patrick Marlborough ponders this question for his frenetic show Killing Rove. While he muses about Rove’s disappearance, the disturbing, giant, deepfake head of Rove’s sidekick, fellow comedian Peter Hellier,