Featured
The top AFR Magazine reads of 2024
From what Rich Listers teach their kids to why Saudi Arabia is luring so many Australians, here’s a collection of some of our best-read features this year.
Formula 1 is booming. So are romance novels about the sport
The sports romance genre is seeing a new trend thanks in part to the popularity of the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive.
- Gregory Leporati
Lin-Manuel Miranda on Mufasa and the secret to a Disney hit
The Hamilton creator, who crafted the soundtrack for the new prequel to The Lion King, reflects on writing songs that have universal appeal.
- Sarah Bahr
Think you’re cultured? Try this 2024 life and arts quiz
Test your knowledge of what went down this year with 40 questions from the Financial Times.
- Ludovic Hunter-Tilney
‘I saved a starving otter – and she saved me’
A new documentary captures the magic of an unlikely friendship amid the wilds off the west coast of Scotland.
- Judith Woods
Lunch with the AFR
The 10 most memorable Lunches with the AFR of 2024
From Young Rich Listers to BlackRock’s chief strategist and Donald Trump’s former daily intelligence briefer. These were the 10 most read Lunches with the AFR in 2024.
- Staff writers
Suburban pub grub suits Westpac’s new CEO
Living in Sydney’s inner west makes Anthony Miller an outlier among big bank chiefs. The former investment banker is determined to make his firm stand out, too.
- Updated
- Lucas Baird
How self-addressed envelopes made a fashion icon
Her clothes have been worn by stars like Cindy Crawford and Madonna, but Collette Dinnigan had an off-piste start to life - and reveals it may not be over yet.
- Bonnie Campbell
More From Today
Five health changes to try in the new year, according to experts
Here are some easy-to-implement tips we learnt over the past 12 months, from skipping the rinse after brushing to drinking tart cherry juice.
- Lindsey Bever
This Month
It’s a Wonderful Life is a ritual, but its darkness must be dealt with
The organisers of a festival celebrating Frank Capra’s classic holiday film are finally tackling the difficult subject at its heart.
- Erik Piepenburg
Don’t want to get fat at Christmas? Do what the French do
They don’t start stuffing themselves with mince pies as soon as the supermarkets begin playing festive music in September, for one thing.
- Charlotte Kan
Long dead, Jackson Pollock finally makes it to Paris
We all know about Blue Poles but a new retrospective at the Musée Picasso shows the troubled path the great abstract expressionist took to painting it.
- Tom McIlroy
Five grown-up films for a sequel-free Boxing Day
Hollywood’s obsession with rehashes carries on to the biggest day of the year for Australian cinema owners, but there are some flicks for discerning adults.
- Michael Bodey
What the Dickens have they done to the year 12 English syllabus?
Charles Dickens, George Orwell and Sylvia Plath will all disappear from the HSC English syllabus in NSW, but their replacements aren’t too shabby.
- Jonty Claypole
The drinking habit that’s more dangerous than bingeing
“High intensity” imbibing has traditionally been the reserve of students, but more middle-aged people are now taking part.
- Anna Tyzack
Australian authors dominate Christmas book sales
Tim Winton, Helen Garner, Joe Aston and Nagi Maehashi – or RecipeTin Eats, as her website is called – are leading sales and helping independent bookshops stay strong.
- Hannah Wootton
The hottest travel spots as the economy turns cold
Japan is cool, Bali is always warm, but Vietnam is so hot right now. The cost-of-living pinch is driving Australians to make sure their overseas holiday hits the mark.
- James Hall
Want to fly international business class every month? Try this job
Christina Werkstetter is Sydney Airport’s secret weapon when it comes to getting new airlines to fly into Australia. The perks aren’t half bad either.
- Fiona Carruthers
Do you know this week’s news? Answer these 10 questions
Have you been paying attention this week? Test your knowledge across politics, business and world news.
- Daniel Arbon
You’ve seen this book everywhere. TikTok is responsible
The romance novel “Icebreaker” has sold almost 2 million copies since publisher Anthea Bariamis discovered it on BookTok, a forum turning the fiction industry on its head.
- Lucy Dean
Was your drink spiked? How to recognise the symptoms and what to do
The festive period is riskier as people go out more often for office parties and end of year gatherings. Here are the signs to look out for.
- Emily Craig
Shiny baubles and practical must-haves to take you through summer
From diamonds to barbecues, this week’s Spend edit has been curated with everyone in mind.
- Eugenie Kelly
The seafood trend challenging prawns this Christmas
Sashimi is proving a new popular alternative on Australian holiday platters this year, though one traditional English product remains king.
- Tom Rabe
- Christmas Gift Guide 2024
- eBooks
Books to treasure or give this holiday season
Elevate your mood and mind with our selection of new coffee table editions, ranging from spectacular photography to quirky knowledge.
- Stephen Clark
- Christmas Gift Guide 2024
- Spend
Luxury items for the fashionista (who doesn’t mind to pay)
Who doesn’t want to look good, smell good, feel good? Help them do it – from a $500 fragrance to a $2000 silk robe.
- Eugenie Kelly
Crowded House to A Christmas Carol: shows to see in December
Nutcrackers and Messiahs abound this month, but a fitting way to cap this cost-of-living year might be a night with Ebeneezer Scrooge. Or there’s always Neil Finn.
- Michael Bailey
- Christmas Gift Guide 2024
- Style
It takes a village to fill a Santa sack. These experts are here to help
From under $50 to name your price, this selection of gifts is sure to provide the inspiration you’re looking for.
- Lauren Sams
- Christmas Gift Guide 2024
- Spend
38-diamond phone case: gifts for when the price doesn’t matter
Gift options are wide open when money is practically no object. Something from this gold-standard selection is sure to delight.
- Eugenie Kelly