Editorial: Tell me Australia, which is worse: signing bombs or making anti-bomb signs? preview.mailerlite.io/emails/webvi...

It has begun. Another ‘Great Game’. Russia moving pieces along the border.

This should have all Australians up in arms. Even with 'updated definitions' of terrorism, the term is almost never applied to white violence. Which is bizarre considering White Australians were, and still are, the first 'terrorists' of this land.

As an Afghan, it's some twilight-zone-shi* watching NATO allies bicker over who was more committed to the twenty year invasion and occupation of your homeland. Fighting over a legacy of countless war crimes and genocidal conduct? No need! You're all stormtroopers, bruv.

The River Has Roots is just beautiful. Amal’s writing is sharp and wonderfully lyrical, her voice wistful and witty. The world and characters are delightful, with a poetic, fairytale charm. On my first night of reading, I stopped three pages in, suddenly realising I wanted to savour the story [1/3]

The director of that Stranger Things doco never answers the question of whether she witnessed the Duffers using ChatGPT / AI. After avoiding the question, she only admits that she didn’t witness “an unethical use” of AI. But did she witness an ‘ethical’ use of it in the writers room?

For Aussies (and anyone else) wanting to access Bluesky and all its features without the privacy / security compromise that comes with the recent age verification measures. No need to comply with dodgy facial scans or upload ID documents to some third party service. A free, secure, easy-to-use VPN.

Re Frankenstein (2025) – while the visuals and costuming were beautiful, the plot changes completely undermined the monster’s motivations, life experiences and overall arc, resulting in a lacklustre third act that leaves you wanting. Even the ‘touching’ conclusion felt unearned and jarring.

Hope Randa sues their asses 🔥

Really enjoyed ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ by @rianjohnson.bsky.social. That call scene where Blanc and the priest are speaking to the lady from the construction company was masterful storytelling. The way it shifted from comical to deeply vulnerable in an instant. Such a tender, human moment. Very powerful.

For the aussies that haven’t done the bluesky age assurance check, are we only missing out on DM functionality on here? Not at all comfortable handing over ID docs or face scans to Amazon, and don’t plan on doing so.

The framing in this article is absolutely abhorrent and rooted in racist, gendered stereotypes about Afghans. To portray Afghan men as the enablers of the Taliban ("Afghan men simply rolled over") and afghan boys as a "future generation of jihadis" is white feminism at its most dangerous. [1/2]

"It's so confusing isn't it? So much going wrong, so much to say, and all of it happening so quickly. The pace of oppression outstrips our ability to understand it. And that is the real trick of the Imperial thought machine. It's easier to hide behind 40 atrocities than a single incident." - Nemik

British SAS Soldiers in Afghanistan “shot toddlers in their beds”. Just another day.

“The cover-up allegations are among the most severe to be raised at an ongoing inquiry into claims that 80 people were summarily killed by members of three different British SAS units operating in Afghanistan.”

In 2026, we are launching Australia’s First Muslim Literary Journal, online and in-print. We’ve been working hard behind-the-scenes with some of your favourite writers to bring you new and exciting work in 2026! ✨

Alien: Earth was brilliant. It’s such a treat to watch Noah Hawley tell a story and with his new series he hits it out of the park. Very much my cup of tea. One of my favourites pieces of sci-fi tv since Raised by Wolves. If you’re a fan of Alien or Hawley, it’s a must watch.

🎶 Another one bites the dust 🎶

#Auslit peeps, I’ve been tinkering with a custom auslit feed for us. How would you feel if it limited posts, via specific tags, to only: industry news, opportunities, books recs (and film/tv), advice/research, and a once a month self-promo post where you can share new writing?

Predator Badlands was great fun. Exactly what I wanted: great action, cool monsters, and a story with heart. Has you cheering and whooping at certain points. If it looks like it’s your cup of tea, then rest assured that it is. Enjoy! ⚔️

Seven years late to the party (on the dot), but I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Apostle’ by Gareth Evans. Did for me what Midsommar couldn’t. Liked the religious commentary too.

Aussie biscuit lovers: tried Raspberry Jammie Dodgers on the weekend and they’re the closest thing I’ve had to Jam Fancies in years. Really good! A worthy replacement.

NSW Dept of Education is officially rolling out their Al tool for students and teachers in Term 4 2025. This will be absolute chaos. Students already have an over reliance on LLMs. They are hamstringing an entire generation's capacity to develop high order thinking skills. Utter Idiocy #auspol

Spring in Sydney, Part 2.

Creative nonfiction writers: is the calibre essay prize our most prestigious prize for nonfiction writing? The only other ones I know of are KYD and Island’s Nonfiction prizes #ozlit #auslit

Halfway through Black Doves on Netflix and I’m really, really enjoying it. Great writing, pacing, solid acting, good chemistry. Solid drama. Even the action is noticeably high quality. I can see why it was greenlit for a second season before the first had even premiered. Onto the final 3 eps!

Careful Israel, you’re running out of Muslim countries to strike

Spring in Sydney

Since Afghanistan is in the news again, a reminder that a terrible earthquake pales in comparison to the compounded manmade disasters afflicting Afghanistan, orchestrated and sustained by the West (destabilisation, sanctions, starvation, ecocide, etc) which are nearing a catastrophic tipping point.

New from me: On coffee, names and the magic brewed by your local barista.

While the world laments the four year anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, it’s important to remember that it was the US who made a deal with them in the first place. And it was the US who, in the 80s, funded the people who later became the Taliban. It all goes back to them.

ICYMI: at least 2 million Afghans have been kicked out of Pakistan and Iran in 2025 (so far) and sent back to a country that is being actively starved and sanctioned by the Western forces that occupied it for two decades and now those displaced people are being turned into a new global labour class

This is what comes to mind when I hear Julie Bishop’s name. I remember watching this live on tv. Years later and it’s just as bizarre. A truly “venomous glare” #auspol

Is it only when journalists are killed and children are starved that Palestinians finally become worthy of empathy? Pay attention to that conditional humanity, especially as the narrative shifts. It’ll reveal the ugly truth still festering behind “we have always been against this”.

I am so excited for this! I’ve been waiting patiently since they first announced it. Noah Hawley is an absolute genius and watching his work is such a treat. There are moments and scenes from Legion that still live on in my head and haunt me from time to time.

It was quite heartening to see Sydney turn up today. To witness Sydneysiders reaffirm that there are causes that will bring us together, no matter our creed or colour. A good reminder that hope is is not only defiant and powerful, but necessary. There is no resistance or change without hope.

I had to submit some words from my WIP for a thing. It’s still a first draft so the quality of writing varies quite a bit. There are sections that I’m really impressed with (‘oh wow, did I write that?!’) and there are other bits where I read it and cringe. Writing is weird, man

Loved this piece by Yassmin. A sharp, sardonic critique that playfully captures the sheer ridiculousness Sudanese people face in navigating a world that simply does not care about them. The level of patience it requires to not pull your hair out when facing this daily is otherworldly.

What a legend. Finished his book a decade ago, had it rejected over two hundred times yet still he persevered. Now it’s won Australia’s most prestigious literary prize. Makes you wonder: why couldn’t the literary establishment see his genius for ten years? Glad he proved them wrong. Legend!

The best bit in Superman (2025) is when Lex throws the pencil

Writing is super weird. It’s this deeply personal experience, where journey and craft are equally meaningful. Intrinsically valuable. But if your work is not externally validated - either critically or commercially - then you’re a delusional, incompetent buffoon, writing stories into the void. Yay!

Murderbot was a delight. Quirky humour, messy humans, and moments that are surprisingly tender, the show is a good reminder of the beauty that can exist within the flawed chaos that is our humanity. Observed through the judgemental lens of a non-human yet socially awkward robot. Very fun.

Winter in Katoomba

Amazing, mashallah. Aussie moths using the stars to navigate the night sky. Not unlike traditional peoples and cultures of the world. So much wonder and beauty in the day to day - even amidst the chaos and darkness.

I see we’ve returned to blatantly describing everyday Afghan men – fathers, brothers, husbands – as the “unpaid foot soldiers of the Taliban’s oppressive regime” and “enforcers of a system of gender apartheid”. Nature is healing #afghanistan

There is a child starvation crisis in Afghanistan, caused and sustained by the US and Europe. An estimated one million children could die amid ongoing shortages of aid and economic issues worsened by the freezing of funds (over $9 billion dollars has been frozen and withheld by the West since 2021).

John Morrissey’s stories are raw. Painted on a canvas, melancholic and blue, his stories are coloured by existential despair. He doesn’t offer characters much in the way of grace or gentleness, for their world, like ours, is largely devoid of that - especially for communities like his. (1/3) #auslit

These powers have also been used to indiscriminately to target Muslim men. From the anecdotes I’ve heard, cops use it to create an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and disempowerment. It retraumatises victims of police brutality and injustice, aiming to instil learned helplessness in victims #auspol

Ben Roberts-Smith is just one fruit from the rotten tree of Empire. It existed long before him and will continue to grow long after he’s gone. He is not an exception, he is the rule. The encouraged, celebrated and championed rule #auspol #afghanistan