The teal wave that launched a thousand books

The success of the famous “teal” independent candidates at last month’s federal election has not only turned the political scene on its head, it also looks set to send a tidal wave through the publishing world.

The teal wave hitting bookstores nextCredit: Matt Golding

CBD is aware of five books being written about the campaigns that topped six of the Coalition’s generation next in well-to-do parts of Melbourne, Sydney and Perth with the highest-profile casualty of course being former treasurer and leadership heir-apparent Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong.

The whole thing is quite a tale and we reckon award-winning columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Niki Savva will be able to do it justice in her effort, to be published by Scribe at a date to be determined.

It’s not a book about the teals as such, Savva told CBD, but a broader look at the demise of Scott Morrison’s government, taking up where her Plots and Prayers left off . . . “But the teals are an important part of the story,” she said on Monday.

But there’s more - veteran political journo Margo Saville’s account of the battle for Wentworth in Sydney’s east where Liberal Dave Sharma was defeated by Allegra Spender should be out around November published by Crikey and Hardie Grant.

Freelance journo Brook Turner is also hard at work on what we hope will be a page, um, turner for Allen and Unwin while some of the foot soldiers from Monique Ryan’s Kooyong camp are also said to be working on their campaign memoirs, although details are sparse.

University of Melbourne academic Tim Dunlop is setting a cracking pace with his effort for NewSouth publishing with the working title Voices Of Us: What the 2022 Election Changed and What Will Happen Next.

But perhaps the most eagerly anticipated teals tome will be from the man who helped it all happen, Simon Holmes a Court, whose Climate 200 fundraising vehicle provided much of the financial grunt that helped the independents over the line.

It’s not clear when Holmes a Court’s book, to be published by Monash University Press, is out. But we predict it will attract more than passing interest.

Qantas delays Gold Logie’s return

Any dusty heads hoping to catch some post-Logies shut-eye on a Monday afternoon Qantas flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney were interrupted by an air hostess giving a congratulatory announcement for Hamish Blake.

A nice gesture for the nicest man in television and winner of Sunday night’s big gong, who was seated in the front row, well ahead of storied TV personality Richard Wilkins.

But not even a Gold Logie on board could get Qantas running on time. The flight departed late, as Qantas is wont to be these days - delays, customer fury, lost bags and widespread customer fury are now the norm for the under-performing carrier.

Oh, and upon arrival in Sydney, the glitterati had to wait it out on the tarmac while staff faffed around finding an air bridge.

Pants on fire

Liar, Liar, the podcast from Herald investigative journalist Kate McClymont and 60 Minutes’ Tom Steinfort digging into the disappearance of Sydney fraudster Melissa Caddick, has proven a hit, soaring up the charts and clocking three million downloads.

But not everyone is enthused. Caddick’s husband Anthony Koletti, an aspiring DJ whose lavish lifestyle was bankrolled by his wife’s fraud, has dropped what’s commonly known in the rap business as a “diss track”, taking aim at McClymont, the Herald, and Nine, owner of this masthead.

“Entertainment nine, media company with no spine/ fake news, that’s why you’re number twos,” Koletti mumbles over a melodramatic piano riff in a straight-to-YouTube release.

Koletti does his best to bust a rhyme around the whole saga – “Ben Fordham/Zero Snoredom . . . you’re no Kyle and Jackie O you’re a sheep.”

After numerous digs at the corporate watchdog, he finishes it all with a final flourish:

“Take me to Judge Judy, sue me, I’ve got zero f*cks to give.”

He’s no Kendrick.

Spotted

The return of Sydney’s rain hasn’t stopped the long lunches.

Over by the south wall of power-dining hotspot Machiavelli, Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam sat down for lunch with hard-headed corporate lawyer John Atanaskovic on Monday.

Then, former High Court judge Dyson Heydon came skulking in from the drizzle. Dyson, who’s had quite the fall from grace since allegations of sexual harassment made against him by former female associates were published by this masthead, initially sat alone.

After a few whispers from Atanaskovic, a delighted-looking Heydon joined him and McWilliam at the second-best table in the house. It’s just two months since the Federal Circuit Court found Atanaskovic bullied and humiliated a female general manager at his firm. No doubt, he and Heydon had much to discuss.

On your Marks

Former Nine chief executive Hugh Marks and partner Alexi Baker – who once reported to him as the network’s managing director commercial – have had a baby boy.

Baby Hamish is number five for Marks, who resigned from Nine Entertainment in 2020 as rumours swirled about his and Baker’s relationship.

Both have since made new lives around the NRL – Baker is now the league’s chief customer and digital officer, while Marks was recently drafted to lead collective bargaining negotiations with the players.

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