They seem to have removed this embed now, which is good, but yikes

I realise this is a story about racism, but I don't think the ABC ought to be embedding social media posts by an actual neo-Nazi publication without telling readers what that publication is. This is not just any "announcement" news. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

I went hunting for Australia's oldest playable musical instrument. Here's what I found.

And not a book in sight.

move slow and repair things

Good piece by @index.lamestream.com.au.ap.brid.gy about the strike at the ABC. www.lamestream.com.au/express-your... Stuff like this is almost breathtaking, if unsurprising:

#ABC #QualityNewsQualityJobs #Bendigo

The If You're Listening team is striking today, calling for fair pay and conditions, particularly for casual and fixed term staff. I'm lucky enough to have an ongoing role - many of my colleagues don't. As a result, this week's Thursday episode will be released on Friday.

I'm begging people to click through and look at this man with his cat if nothing else

I've known Wallace Kirsop since I was a child. He and my father were keen book collectors, bibliophiles. They'd met in the 1950s. A nice profile of a lovely man, with some astute observations on our public libraries @humanitiesau.bsky.social

Sometimes the origin of a story is just a passing comment, like a casual mention of the 92yo rare books expert who often just drops by the State Library with an extremely valuable book in his pocket to donate. I was very taken by this, so I found the guy. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The really insane thing about arts funding cuts like the ones currently devastating Victoria is how small the savings are. Jacinta Allen is presiding over generational damage to the arts scene, for a saving of around 1 day of transport infrastructure spending

One longtime Victorian arts leader tells the Guardian: “I think the wider cultural shock is [Melbourne] is going to go from the cultural capital to the least funded city in Australia.” New from me today:

I spoke to @gingerandhoney.bsky.social this week about the cuts to Victoria’s arts funding ecosystem. The cuts, the uncertainty and lack of transparency have left a cloud over what was Australia’s creative heart. The Melbourne Advantage is over. We’ll see if other cities pick up the pieces.

A look at sombre times in Melbourne’s arts scene via @gingerandhoney.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Such a pleasure to have a major news outlet doing these sorts of stories about the much ignored west of Victoria.

Continuing my little run of stories about overlooked places in far north-western Victoria: this story was a joy to write but Stu Walmsley’s pics really make it sing www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

"QUT will become the new custodian of Meanjin, Australia's most eminent literary journal, bringing the publication back to Brisbane 80 years after it relocated to Melbourne." So um, what the fuck was all that about then, UniMelb? www.qut.edu.au/news?id=203300

If you’re even asking the question at this point, you’re on the wrong side, jfc

Vale to an amazing man and legendary, brilliant cartoonist. The cartooning community is in mourning today.

Where it all went wrong: the case against John Howard is available for pre-order and you should get it just because it is going to make Alexander Downer very mad 😇 (You can also ask for it at your library 💖) You can pre-order it at any of your faves www.readings.com.au/product/9781...

Wrote a piece for @crikey.com.au on how the media stopped discussing climate change www.crikey.com.au/2026/02/02/c...

I’ve been in north-west Victoria reporting on the heatwave, but this one is a bit more personal www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti. "Please get the truth out about our son."

You have to read this. Firsthand affidavit from one of the women who was there and recording the video. She talks about how Alex Pretti was directing traffic when she arrived. She watched him be killed in front of her. She's afraid to go home, worried she'll be arrested.

I met an absolutely lovely academic who asked whether my department back home is affected by ICE -- a question dramatizing how little info is getting out. For the record, the small example I chose: My dept has a carpool to pick up grad students of color who can't safely commute to campus alone.

🚨 “The entire Israeli regime is complicit,” and the international community bears responsibility for “enabling the systemic torture” of Palestinians in Israel’s prison system, B’Tselem charges in Living Hell, its new report, which details life for Palestinians in Israel’s “network of torture...

Ah yes, famously events with interstate attendees, book sales, coffee carts, wine bars, hundreds of employed artists, dozens of staffers, thousands of daily visitors to the city and, yes, ticketed events, generate "zero revenue". www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...

Pulp have shared a statement on Adelaide Festival. They told organisers they would be withdrawing, were asked to delay their announcement, and are now satisfied that they will participate in this year's Festival.

From fires to floods. Just evacuated (and safe) from flash flooding in a caravan park at Wye River. No new coal and gas. thepoint.com.au/opinions/260...

We are calling on the Federal Parliament to reject the Federal Government's new proposed legislation, the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026. Read more: bit.ly/49kBGTu

Sharing my submission to the committee overseeing the rushed hate speech bill. I encourage you to submit by 4pm today(!). www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...

The new Adelaide Festival board has: - retracted the previous board’s statement about Randa Abdel-Fattah - rescinded her exclusion and invited her to the 2027 festival - apologised to Louise Adler - rescinded the decision to have a subcommittee review AWW operations

I gotta say, I'm not jazzed by the apology for "how the decision was represented" and "the distress this decision has caused" rather than apologising for the decision itself www.adelaidefestival.com.au/news/2025/ad...

The details in this piece from @instanterudite.bsky.social are quite something theshot.net.au/uncategorize...

In addition to supporting Palestinian writers like Randa Abdel-Fattah, and authors and artists who withdrew from AWW in solidarity, spare a thought for the "little" magazines like @overlandjournal.bsky.social, who have relentlessly stood up for Palestine and have been comprehensively defunded for it

No notes All the power and love to @cathywilcox.bsky.social

I wrote for @crikey.com.au on the Wilcox stuff www.crikey.com.au/2026/01/12/t...

When this blows over I might have to share some of the emails I’ve received over the days which really make me wonder why I am the one accused of hatred. There is deep unresolved trauma being spewed by some of these people and we cannot consent to living according to their warped reality.

Jesus Christ @lukeoneil47.bsky.social

Thanks to Tom Ballard for having me on his Serious Danger podcast. Full episode via seriousdanger.com.au

‘And, whatever the Board’s protestations that the two are not linked, how telling, how grim, is the dog whistle connecting Dr Abdel-Fattah’s name with the Bondi massacre.’

No really - where is he? Nearly 100 writers have now pulled out, so the festival obvs cannot proceed…

All this and it’s only 9 January

First withdrawal from the Adelaide Festival proper, DJ Haram www.indailysa.com.au/citymag/cult...

MEAA stands against racism in the media, entertainment and arts industries and condemns Adelaide Festival’s decision to drop Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. meaa.io/45xUCM6

“Cultural sensitivity” means destroying an entire arts festival rather than allowing a Palestinian person to come along and talk about her new novel.

Yesterday I wrote to the Adelaide Festival Board to withdraw my participation from Adelaide Writers Week. Their decision to intervene in Writers Week programming and cancel the participation of author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah is completely unacceptable.