Award-winning Australian author David Malouf dies aged 92 Erudite and urbane, Malouf — perhaps most famous for his portrait of mid-century Brisbane in his 1975 novel Johnno — will be fondly remembered for his immeasurable contribution to Australian letters.

www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

Acclaimed writer David Malouf dies aged 92 One of Australia’s most celebrated literary figures, David Malouf, has died.

Vale David Malouf. www.smh.com.au/culture/book...

University of Melbourne opens formal investigation into education researcher John Hattie John Hattie The University of Melbourne has opened a formal investigation into the prominent Australia-based education researcher John Hattie, backtracking on a decision months ago that concerns ab…

See this @kelittlejohn.bsky.social @darcy1968.bsky.social ? 😄
retractionwatch.com/2026/03/16/u...

www.abebooks.com/first-editio... ;)

Probably the fact that #Diogenes is my favourite philosopher & the third & fourth stages of the #Āśrama system appeal may have something to do with my reading of your novel. ;)

Griefdogg Meet Jeffrey hydrologist, husband of Martine, father o…

Wrote a mini-review of #Griefdogg as I truly appreciate original Australian novels. www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...

Shakespeare Bought One Property in London. Now We Know Exactly Where.

Shakespeare Bought One Property in London. Now We Know Exactly Where. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/w...

SPAIN. THE QUESTION. WRITERS and POETS of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND and WALES. It is clear to many of us throughout the whole world that now, as certainly never before, we are determined, or compelled, to take sides. The equivocal attitude, the Ivory Tower, the paradoxical, the ironic detachment, will no longer do. We have seen murder and destruction by Fascism in Italy, in Germany --- the organisation there of social injustice and cultural death --. and how revived, imperial Rome, abetted by international treachery, has conquered her place in the Abyssinian sun. The dark millions in the colonies are unavenged. Today, the struggle is in Spain. To-morrow it may be in other countries-- our own. But there are some who, despite the martyrdom of Durango and Guernica, the enduring agony of Madrid, of Bilbao, and Germany's shelling of Almeria, are still in doubt, or who aver that it is possible that Fascism may be what it proclaims it is: “the saviour of civilisation”. This is the question we are asking you: Are you for, or against, the legal Government and the People of Republican Spain? Are you for, or against, Franco and Fascism? For it is impossible any longer to take no side. Writers and Poets, we wish to print your answers. We wish the world to know what you, writers and poets, who are amongst the most sensitive instruments of a nation, feel.

In June 1937 Nancy Cunard, on behalf of various left-wing thinkers, asked 'writers and poets' to state where they stood on the Spanish Civil War. Although the focus was on Spain, the question was framed in terms of anti-fascist internationalism and commitment: 'ironic detachment will no longer do'.

Our young people “Where there is no vision the people perish.” With this proverb, the Cosmopolitan, a new Jamaican magazine, announced itself to the world in May 1928.

A complete honour to be able to write about Una Marson and her magazine, The Cosmopolitan, for @thetls.bsky.social: www.the-tls.co.uk/politics-soc... There is so much I didn't get to include, but hopefully this gives a taste of the importance & scope of Marson's Cosmopolitan - in Jamaica, & beyond.

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

Today is the 1st in a new series about how the greatest political writer of the 20th century, George Orwell, responded in real time to the epochal events of WWII. What did he get right, what did he get wrong & what did he fail to understand at all?

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

In short: "Why the I.L.P. more than another? Because the I.L.P. is the only British party—at any rate the only one large enough to be worth considering—which aims at anything I should regard as Socialism." There's much more to say on this topic but Bluesky's text limits are challenging ;) 5/5

I struggled to buy into DR's thesis - delivered very authoritatively but without sufficient textual sources - as he misrepresents Orwell in several ways. One example, read the actual text of ‘Why I Join the ILP’ and then re-listen to his commentary: www.marxists.org/archive/orwe... 4/5

Relying on Vol. 1 CEJL (1968) rather than CWGO Vol. XI (1998) has limited his textual sources considerably. The pacifist politics and tussles at The Adelphi (Murry; Plowman & Rees) should have been considered. 3/5

A few things: it struck me as odd he managed to talk about #Orwell's views c. 1938-1939 without mentioning 'Coming up for Air' (1939) or that the writer was in Morocco with Eileen from Sept 1938 until returning to Wallington April 1939. Is it possible DR has also missed Orwell's sense of humour? 2/5

I listened to David Runciman's thesis - considering his great uncle, Steven Runciman, was such good source on the teenage Eric Blair - with great interest. What did he get right, what did he get wrong & what did he fail to understand at all? 1/5

Animal Farm | Official Final Trailer | Andy Serkis | In Theaters May 1 | Angel YouTube video by Angel

Not sure the tags #Orwell #AnimalFarm are appropriate youtu.be/NN6J7l6ulYk?...

Too young for social media, but old enough to be locked up As a nation, we have decided that a teenager cannot navigate a social media algorithm, but a 10-year-old can navigate a courtroom. For Australia's 2025 UN youth representative Satara Uthayakumaran, th...

Australia. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04... #Auspol

One Scroll of Parchment - Darcy Moore “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” George Orwell The information wrestled from the record of an 18th century Chancery suit (Blair v Drake 1754) involving Orwell’s great...

Latest research #Orwell #prosopography #Eton #Jamaica #Draper www.darcymoore.net/2026/04/03/o...

One Scroll of Parchment - Darcy Moore “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” George Orwell The information wrestled from the record of an 18th century Chancery suit (Blair v Drake 1754) involving Orwell’s great...

This is a work in progress for comment (& it is pretty rough). It amazed me that one scroll of parchment (from 1754) which I could have easily missed proved so invaluable. #Orwell www.darcymoore.net/2026/04/03/o... @thelong1930s.bsky.social @drnjwaddell.bsky.social @glosbio.bsky.social

"One key limitation experts like me have highlighted since 2024 is that restricting access to accounts does not address the actual harms posed by content, algorithms and other platform features."

Australia’s under-16 social media ban is facing early limits Australia’s under-16 social media ban has removed millions of accounts, but compliance gaps, loopholes and unanswered questions remain.

Funny that no-one is asking schools about their understanding of students and social media access since the U16s restrictions. There are way more than 70% of students happily posting to the banned sites. johnmenadue.com/post/2026/04... #Auspol

GB News has become Reform TV and no one stopped it Whether they are charged with keeping news impartial, our water clean or elections fair, Britain’s watchdogs seem to be sleeping

Whether they are charged with keeping our news impartial, our water clean or our elections fair, Britain’s regulators are dozing, writes Alan Rusbridger

Nineteen Eighty-Four OR 1984? - Darcy Moore My new book is a Utopia in the form of a novel. I ballsed it up rather, partly owing to being so ill while I was writing it, but I think some of the ideas in it might interest you. We haven’t definiti...

An answer to a question that's been laughing at me now for years. Long and short of it? Orwell wasn't that bovvered but preferred it spelled out.
www.darcymoore.net/2022/12/30/n...

'No Kings' protests against Trump draw crowds across US and Europe Huge crowds rally against US President Donald Trump from coast to coast in what organisers hope will be the largest single-day protest in US history.

The movement grows... www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Michael Winkler: Griefdogg + Louise Erdrich: Python's Kiss + Alex Miller: Journey to the End of Time + Mark Haddon: Leaving Home (REVIEWERS: Tony Birch and Shannon Burns) - ABC listen A rich mix of voices and stories in short fiction from acclaimed Native American writer Louise Erdrich; essays and memories from two‑time Miles Franklin Award winner Alex Miller; bleakly funny childho...

#Griefdogg by Michael Winkler is out next week. www.abc.net.au/listen/progr... www.textpublishing.com.au/books/griefd... #novel #reading

Underfunded public schools, overfunded private ones – the gap grows Private schools are pulling further ahead as funding policies deepen inequality across Australia’s education system.

The song remains the same regardless of who is in power at a state or federal level! #auspol #nswpol johnmenadue.com/post/2026/03...

My son’s school trip to Canberra’s in doubt. That should worry every parent Swimming lessons, the zoo excursion and overnight camps: these important markers of childhood are now out of reach for many families.

"...Australia is now the most expensive country in the developed world to send a child to high school – at almost four times the OECD average. We have built one of the most stratified school systems in the developed world, and we are still building it." www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

The Albanese controversy shows how universities have lost their way A cancelled venue for a UN rapporteur’s appearance highlights how universities are increasingly restricting debate about Israel and Palestine under pressure over antisemitism.

“While being involved in many contentious questions and campaigns I was always confident that senior staff would provide me with protection against critics from outside who every now and then demanded that I be sacked or disciplined or silenced.” johnmenadue.com/post/2026/03...

Albanese’s decision will follow him into the history books – and define us too Anthony Albanese’s refusal to assist Australian women and children in Syrian detention camps may prove to be the defining act of his prime ministership – not for its prudence, but for what it reveals ...

This excoriating piece was originally published in the Canberra Times. It strikes me that the most insightful phrase is "the limits of political calculation". johnmenadue.com/post/2026/03... #Auspol

@mediaconfidential.bsky.social @arusbridger.bsky.social @lionelbarber.bsky.social discussing (4.30min mark) requests for the provenance of @theobserveruk.bsky.social #Orwell branding, "the enemy of nonsense". @prospectmagazine.co.uk
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