Catherine Chidgey and The Book of Guilt

New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey asks, what if World War 2 had ended differently in her latest novel The Book of Guilt. Plus Kevin Wilson sends his characters on an American road trip in Run for the Hills and Australian author Josephine Rowe on her moving and slender novel, Little World.
What if the second world war had ended differently? This idea and more are explored in Catherine Chidgey's latest novel The Book of Guilt which is set long after the end of the war in 1970s England. Catherine is a New Zealand writer best known for her novels The Wish Child and Remote Sympathy which are also about World War 2 and she reveals her interest in this dark period in European history dates to her time at high school.
Run for the Hills is the latest novel by American author Kevin Wilson and it features his trademark quirkiness and heart. It's about a group of newly discovered siblings who take a road trip across the US to confront their father for abandoning them. Kevin says the seeds for this novel were sown in his previous novel, Now is Not the Time to Panic.
Australian author Josephine Rowe shares her approach to crafting a slim but clever book, Little World, which is about three people, seemingly disconnected over time and geography that's drawn together through a connection to the body of an almost-saint.

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ABC News

31 minutes ago

• ABC News

Raygun's Olympic breaking broke the internet and continues to polarise

Australia achieved its greatest-ever medal haul at the Paris Olympics, but 12 months on, the enduring memory is of a white, middle-class, 30-something B-girl in a cheap green-and-gold tracksuit crashing out of the breaking competition in the first round. Going by the name Raygun, Rachael Gunn seared herself into the collective imagination with a series of moves that failed to impress the judges but launched a torrent of memes, vitriol, and hot takes. Was she punking the Olympics? Was the routine, with its imitations of kangaroos and sprinklers, ironic – a playfully knowing appropriation of Australian iconography? Or was she simply having an off day? Whatever the case, Gunn's routine, the reaction to it, and how she subsequently carried herself, combined to create a confounding cultural moment. "To be honest, I get mental whiplash thinking about this topic," marketing strategist Christina Aventi tells Australian Story. "It's just a confusing mess. And it's hard to make sense of." There are so many strands to the Raygun phenomenon that it's hard to neatly untangle any of them. Even the initial responses to her routine were wildly varied and often contradictory. Back in Australia, some simply saw it as funny – something in the spirit of Roy and HG's The Dream – and didn't care if it was serious or a piss-take. But for others, the Olympics represent a rare opportunity for Australians to punch above their weight on the global stage, and thanks to Raygun, people all around the world were laughing at us. "It's clear that it really touched a nerve around our cultural, athletic identity," Aventi says. "It was our best performing Olympics yet, that was somewhat overshadowed by this routine that looked more eisteddfod than Olympics." There is, of course, a rich tradition of heroic Olympic failures — think Eddie the Eagle, Eric the Eel, the Jamaican bobsled team, even Australia's own Steven Bradbury, who speed-skated to victory, only because all his competitors crashed out. But as Aventi points out, Gunn does not fit neatly into that pantheon of losers. "They have backstories that people respond to really positively because they're hard-luck stories; they're against-all-the-odds stories," she says. "And in this case, we've got a uni professor who doesn't look like a breaker, who's wearing a green-and-gold tracksuit that looks like it's straight out of Lowes. "It just doesn't quite stack up to some of those other stories we love." Criticism of Raygun's routine did not just come from Australians with a bruised sense of national pride. For some in the international breaking community, her performance was insultingly amateurish. "The anger that came from Raygun's performance at the Olympics comes from a lot of different places," explains New York artist and breaking pioneer Michael Holman. "A slice of that pie came from people who knew what breaking was, saying, 'Wow, you know, that's not great breaking.'" But a bigger issue for Holman — and one that Gunn, an academic interested in the cultural politics of breaking, seemed oddly unprepared for — was that of cultural appropriation and insensitivity. "Part of the magic of hip hop culture is the fact that it was created by marginalised teenagers, poor and working-class black and Puerto Rican kids who came from nothing," Holman says. "So her being white and Australian and jumping around like a kangaroo, that's going to be a loaded gun. "Whether she intended it or not, the end result was mockery." She was ridiculed by US tonight show hosts, eviscerated by countless bloggers, and falsely accused of everything from gaming the system to being responsible for breaking not being part of the 2028 Olympics. There were concerns for her mental health in the days after the event. Australia's Olympic chef de mission Anna Meares defended Gunn publicly, calling out "trolls and keyboard warriors" for their misogyny and abuse. Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to her defence, although "Raygun had a crack" was perhaps not the most ringing of prime ministerial endorsements. Initially, Gunn seemed to handle the situation well. Although the criticism clearly stung, she appeared willing to make fun of herself, breaking into an impromptu routine and throwing kangaroo poses as the Australian Olympic team prepared for the Closing Ceremony. "I think there was a sense that it was a cultural moment," says journalist Jordan Baker, who covered the Paris Olympics for The Sydney Morning Herald. "She gave an unusual performance. It was fun. We'll rally behind her." It was a musical, of all things, that changed all that. Comedian Stephanie Broadbridge didn't even watch Gunn's Olympic routine but became fascinated by how she handled herself in the aftermath. Broadbridge had been through her own social media pile-on in 2023 when a video of her trying not to laugh as a male comedian told a joke was viewed more than 150 million times, provoking a torrent of cruel and misogynistic comments. She was traumatised by the experience and found something admirable in Gunn's refusal to apologise for herself. "Raygun never backed down, and I was like, I love this. This is such an interesting thing from a woman," Broadbridge says. "Women don't usually behave like that publicly, and I was so excited that there was one around my age doing that." Broadbridge looked at the heightened emotion around the Raygun phenomenon and decided it had all the elements of a musical. "She's the hero that Australia needed; the female Shane Warne. The one that's flawed but we love her anyway," she says. "I wanted to tell that story. I wanted an Australian larrikin story that was a woman." And that's when things got weird. Days before the opening performance of Raygun: The Musical, Broadbridge received a cease-and-desist letter from Gunn's lawyers demanding that the show not go ahead because it violated her intellectual property and could damage her brand. "The dance moves were copyrighted, the silhouette was trademarked. Basically, every element," Broadbridge explains. Baker says this was "the point where a lot of people lost sympathy for Rachael". "People who had backed her the whole way felt like this was a betrayal of their support for her," she says. "When the heavy-handed legal threats started coming, it seemed mean-spirited; it seemed like she was no longer even remotely trying to lean into the joke." When Gunn addressed the outcry in an Instagram video, it only made things worse. It seems that in Australia, a far greater sin than athletic underachievement is taking yourself too seriously. "When she's trying to halt a musical, when she's trying to trademark something like a kangaroo hop, that's about her," Aventi says. "I think if she stood for something a little bit bigger – maybe resilience, strength, owning your own truth – that would have given a different centre of gravity to the story. "I know she's been through a lot, but a little bit more vulnerability might have helped people warm to her a bit more. "I feel really uncomfortable saying that. It's like Lindy Chamberlain all over again – why should we expect someone to be vulnerable? But vulnerability is something that connects and opens people up." Now the dust has settled on Raygun's cultural moment, what have we learned? That Australians don't like people who take themselves too seriously? That we like our athletes to win? That we're suspicious of academics? That the internet expects women to behave in a certain way and reacts violently when they don't? Or was it just, as Shakespeare once wrote, "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing?" In the end, Broadbridge got to keep her musical, albeit with the lead's name changed to Spraygun and the title changed to Breaking: The Musical. And Gunn has her trademarked moves and a great story to tell someday. And after their crash course in public relations, she and her team might get the marketing right when she does. Rachael Gunn declined to be interviewed for this story. Watch Australian Story's Break It Down, 8:00pm, on ABCTV and ABC iview.

News.com.au

3 hours ago

• News.com.au

‘Drowning': YouTuber raises $200k from fans over ‘debt'

An Aussie influencer who says he landed himself in major debt after failing to read a contract properly has raised more than $200,000 after asking his fans for donations. Youtuber and illustrator Campbell Walker, also known as @struthless, asked for donations in a video last month titled: 'I'm drowning in debt and I need a lifeline.' In the video, he told fans he was $135,000 USD in debt due to a 'contract' which he would explain more about in a later video. 'The reason I'm in this debt is something I will talk about in another video,' he said. 'Long story short, read your contracts everybody, read your contracts. 'I guess I thought I was good with money or good with contracts or whatever but yeah, the evidence pointed otherwise.' After raising $200,000 the fundraiser was shut down and the video taken off YouTube. However, a month later, Mr Walker is yet to provide clarification around the debt – with fans now urging him to update them on the situation. 'Basically, the advice I've gotten is until my situation is solved, a video will make my situation worse,' Mr Walker replied two weeks ago to one fan asking for an update. Mr Walker did not respond to multiple requests for comment from about the fundraiser. The GoFundMe was slammed by some online with fellow YouTuber Lufah labelling the move 'shameful' – fearing it was becoming a trend. He spoke about US YouTuber Ian Danskin, who raised $155,000 from his followers after also landing in major debt. 'Are you kidding me,' Lufah said in a video about Mr Walker's fundraiser. 'The one million [subscriber] YouTuber …. just begging for money.' Some fans commented on the video expressing how they had been 'uncomfortable' with the fundraiser. 'Not gonna lie, as a fan of his over the years I do find it a bit disappointing/uncomfortable that he's done this,' one wrote. 'There are literally kids getting bombed right now, homeless folks, that need it so much more.' Another wrote: 'Bit conflicted too. Not going into detail about what exactly had happened, and then setting up your own GoFundMe page with a title in third person and a sad picture is a bit poor taste IMO. 'He's also opened a potential can of worms if people don't like his reason for getting into this debt now that all the money's been paid.' Other fans said they were more than happy to donate, given Mr Walker had supplied them with free and important content, particularly around mental health, on his YouTube channel for years. 'Cam has added so much into the world and into his community in the form of help and positivity. And as a community we are more than happy to help him and his family out during such a difficult time for them,' one wrote. Another wrote: 'There's no shame in asking for help. His content is free and quality.'

The Australian

4 hours ago

• The Australian

Telstra wins film prize but Aussie work lags globally

Telstra has been recognised among some of the world's best brands after its advertising campaigns scooped top awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Three recent campaigns from the telecommunications giant were recognised at the annual advertising awards festival, alongside global work for Apple, AXA, Budweiser, Dove and Vaseline. The telco's Better on a Better Network campaign, which consisted of 26 stop-motion films, each just 15 seconds long, dominated the Film awards category winning a Grand Prix for film craft in addition to two golds and one bronze Lion. Telstra's Christmas and business campaigns also picked up four more Lions, all in the film category. The plaudits extended to the creative companies behind the work, with Telstra's creative agency Bear Meets Eagle On Fire recognised as one of the top three independent agencies in the world, while production company Revolver won the Palme d'Or for film making, the first Australian production company to ever receive the award. Telstra was the most highly-awarded Australian brand at this year's awards, an accolade that left Telstra chief marketing officer Brent Smart 'speechless'. Mr Smart had previously told The Australian that the brand's recent advertising activity aimed to get audiences to rethink Telstra. 'We've been working hard to give the brand more personality, to make the brand more humble, more personable and more likeable,' he told The Australian last year. 'A lot of people judge Telstra based on the brand it used to be, not the brand it is today. I believe, if you want to change how people feel about the brand, you need to change how the brand feels,' he said. Telstra wasn't the only brand to win over the international judging panels, other local campaigns that picked up awards included Suncorp's Building a More Resilient Australia campaign by Leo Australia, Volkswagen RooBadge by DDB Australia, Coca-Cola's Meet me at the Coke Sign by Ogilvy Australia, Australian Lamb for Droga5 ANZ and the 36 Months campaign by independent agency SuperMassive, which lobbied the Australian Government to raise the minimum age for social media from 13 to 16. In addition to awarding the best work from the past 12 months, the annual festival also provides a glimpse into the themes and trends that will dominate the year ahead with some well-needed laughs likely to be hitting our screens through the next wave of advertising and marketing. 'Humour is back,' according to Suncorp EGM of Brand & Customer Experience Mim Haysom, who was a judge in the creative data award category. 'There were a large number of entries using humour this year, and using it effectively to cut through and create an emotional connection with audiences,' she said. 'Perhaps a counter play to the serious issues we are all feeling globally, the significant presence of humour, being used to tackle both business and social challenges was a delight to have in the mix.' Ms Haysom also said that while AI was a strong presence throughout the festival, featuring in 70 per cent of award case studies in the creative data category, its role and purpose was interrogated by the judges. 'We asked ourselves in the judging room, did AI serve as a genuine enabler for innovation and impact, or was it simply there for show? If you could remove the AI and the idea didn't stand on its own, it didn't make the cut,' she said. In response to the pervasiveness of AI and technology, there was a strong push for work that showcased the best, and worst, of humanity, according to Revolver executive producer and partner Pip Smart, a judge in the film craft category. 'The jury room for film craft instinctively steered away this year from anything that felt too slick, post produced or AI driven,' Ms Smart said. 'As a group we were drawn to work that showed humanity – anything hand crafted, and where emotional or humorous elements stood out. Originality was key.' She said work that was surprising, quirky and original caught the judges attention. However, there was also a big push to go beyond the creative aesthetics and reward the work that works, which impacted another significant theme to dominate the festival, as judges looked to award work that delivered results for businesses. Clerehan founder Esther Clerehan said for the Glass Lions category, which recognises work that creates change, the jury focus was firmly on the outcomes of the activity. 'The bottom line for the jury came down to impact. Brand alignment was also a recurring part of discussions but always the emphasis was on the impact of the work. Some work scored really well on creativity, but when the most weight is applied to the results, a clever idea can flounder if its case relies heavily on impressions and awareness,' said Ms Clerehan. Ms Haysom agreed. 'Impact was a non-negotiable for our jury, and most of the cases reviewed had incredible impact for business, customers, or in the case of those who were recognised with Lions, they had impact on both business and customers with strong outcomes against tangible metrics.' Impact was also a crucial theme for the creative strategy category jury, which included VML chief strategy officer Alison Tilling. She said the debut of the long-term brand platform award, while challenging to judge, provided a showcase of 'the greatest hits of advertising' with Dove's Real Beauty campaign scooping the Grand Prix. '(Dove) has written the playbook for consistently fresh work off a single platform over the past 20 years,' Ms Tilling said. 'What does it say when a 20-year-old strategy wins? I think it should scream loud and clear that when you have a strong positioning or theme you play to it clearly but with a strong sense of what's happening in culture at that moment.' Read related topics: Telstra