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Literature

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Fasten your baubles. They can fall like rocks.

Arguments over which Christmas film to watch? This book might help

Alonso Duralde’s guide to Christmas movies sidesteps the made-for-streaming films and digs deep into Yuletide films, from classics to others you might not have thought of as Christmassy.

  • Tom Ryan

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Eight of the best biographies and memoirs of 2025

From politicians to music legends, here are eight biographies about fascinating identities and their impact on our world.

  • Nicole Abadee
Professor Clare Wright.

Bendigo Writers Festival unlikely to go ahead next year

The regional festival was decimated when a controversial code of conduct was issued, prompting authors to boycott the event.

  • Kerrie O'Brien
The State Library Victoria Reading Room.

State Library abandons controversial restructure plan

Ahead of a planned public protest on Saturday, a reorganisation of Victoria’s most significant public library has been dropped.

  • Kerrie O'Brien
Book Reviews 2025

Book Reviews

What’s good, what’s bad, and what’s in between in literature this year? Here we review the latest titles.

Kate Hudson, whose character was based on Pennie Lane, in Almost Famous.

Cameron Crowe’s memoir is filled with delicious anecdotes from rock’s golden age

A quarter of a century after Almost Famous presented a fictionalised account of Crowe’s early career, The Uncool reveals true stories from his time on the road with some of the biggest bands of the time.

  • Tom Ryan
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Christine Christian, president of Library Board Victoria, in the State Library.

The State Library won’t be frozen in time. Change keeps us relevant

Students, researchers and scholars want to use the library in different ways – hiring out the spaces and evolving its services are necessary if it is to survive as a temple of engagement.

  • Christine Christian
Helen Garner is one of hundreds outraged at proposed changes to services provided by the State Library of Victoria.

Helen Garner, Trent Dalton lead outcry against proposed State Library cuts

Planned changes include reducing the number of reference librarians available to the public, fewer computers for the public and a focus on digital.

  • Kerrie O'Brien
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Only losers chuck empties

While poets keep it brief.

Chris Masters speaks outside the Federal Court in June 2023. He and journalist Nick McKenzie from The Age won a defamation case filed by ex-soldier Ben Roberts-Smith against their reporting.

War Memorial director blames ‘communication breakdown’ for book-prize saga

The War Memorial’s governing council rejected celebrated journalist Chris Masters’ book about war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith despite an independent judging panel choosing him as the winner.

  • Matthew Knott

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/topic/literature-1m4g