‘Taut', ‘extraordinary delight', ‘absolutely bonkers': the best Australian books out in March
Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99
Diana Reid's breakout debut, Love and Virtue, tapped the millennial zeitgeist from all angles: a campus novel exploring class, power and rape culture. Her fast follow-up, Seeing Other People, dealt in similar grey areas, starring two sisters in their 20s, both drawn to the same women.
Signs of Damage is something of a departure: a thriller set in Europe across two time periods, as a family reckons with unknown trauma. It starts in 2008 in the south of France, where the Kelly family are holidaying when 13-year-old Cass goes missing. Something happens to her, but we don't know what. Sixteen years later, in Europe again for a friend's wedding, Cass is on a balcony when someone else tumbles off and dies – but she can't remember anything at all. The writing is taut, the mysteries abundant, and the trauma plot deftly handled and subtly subverted, in a book whose pages turn themselves. – Steph Harmon
Fiction, Text, $36.99
Memoir and nonfiction writer Robert Dessaix offers a window into his life in his new book, Chameleon. The author of Twilight of Love, A Mother's Disgrace and Night Letters, Dessaix writes with beauty, wit and infectious energy about his early experiences, particularly in Morocco, where he discovered and uncovered his homosexual masculinity.
Chameleon is an education on the role travel and literature can have in shaping our identities and imaginations; Dessaix delves into his long life to tease out the key moments, and books, that have made him the man and the writer that he is. – Joseph Cummins
Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99
Madeleine Watts' stunning second novel is about a young couple who go on a road trip through the American south-west, as the calamitous California wildfires rage across it. She's there as an academic obsessively researching the Colorado River: colonised, diverted and destroyed. He's there in his capacity at a land art organisation, surveying giant works as they take (or remove) shape across the desert. (The thrill of a novelist who can invent conceptual art you actually want to look at!)
Those who have road-tripped in America will be delighted to revisit some of these spots, rendered here vividly and with love. But as the climate crisis clouds their windscreen, grief ruptures the pair's relationship – and a mysterious, unfathomable loss unfolds in the rear view. – SH
Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99
The Theory of Everything is a frustrating, extraordinary delight. Frustrating because of how resolutely it defies convention: a short story told in fragments might make way for a poem, or a list, or a manifesto. There's no 'easy' narrative to settle into here; the story itself is elusive, seemingly one thing before becoming another. That's why it's extraordinary too.
Yumna Kassab, author of The Lovers and Politica, makes the reader work hard for the rewards. They're to be found in the book's form – experimental in the truest, most liberating sense – and in its incisive interrogation of the central themes (power, race, gender, wealth, freedom) delivered as sharp little punches to the gut. Kassab has written fireworks into these pages. – Bec Kavanagh
Cookbook, Hardie Grant, $60
When Melbourne chef Helly Raichura opened a restaurant inside her home in 2018, she named it Enter Via Laundry. Diners did precisely that, before sitting down to eat regional Indian dishes like the ones she'd known growing up in India..
Raichura has now poured her knowledge of India's long culinary history into a beautiful tome of 68 recipes structured into key historical periods, starting with pre-Vedic (before 1500BC). They include a cheat's guide to ghee, recipes for lentil fritters and samosa warqi (pastries stuffed with smoked lamb) and Enter Via Laundry's ever-popular khandavi (ribbons of chickpea flour in coconut sauce). – Emma Joyce
Nonfiction, HarperCollins, $35.99
Full disclosure: Alyx Gorman is Guardian Australia's lifestyle editor. But we must shout out this impressive work of journalism, which saw Gorman interview more than 130 people to explore 'the orgasm gap': the discrepancy between how often straight women orgasm during sex when compared with straight men. In Australia, the orgasm gap sits at about 26% for straight women – far higher than women who have sex with women, and men who have sex with men.
So why is this? Gorman not only interviews regular people about their sex lives, but also sex workers, sex therapists, scientists and academics, to unpick why straight women can be unsatisfied by the sex they're having – and what men can do to improve things. Men, buy this book. – Sian Cain
Fiction, UQP, $32.99
When Steve MinOn won the emerging category at the 2023 Queensland Literary awards, judges praised his manuscript for 'offering a fresh cultural perspective and challenging conventional notions of our national literature'. That's all well and good but it sort of glides over the absolutely bonkers main character: a dead man named Stephen Bolin (an anglicised almagamation of two Chinese first names, inspired by MinOn's own second name), who escapes from the morgue to walk his decomposing body to Far North Queensland, the town of his birth.
Accompanying these gruesome and occasionally very funny passages is the story of where Bolin came from: four generations of migrant families – from China to Scotland to the UK to Australia – brought to life in a truely original debut. – SH
Fiction, Penguin, $36.99
Few authors would admit to using a ghost writer. But portrait artist Vincent Fantauzzo has been open about enlisting Craig Henderson for his memoir, and with good reason: Fantauzzo is dyslexic, so he told his life story to Henderson in a series of difficult, emotional phone calls.
And what a story it is. Unveiled tracks Fantauzzo's life, from growing up with an abusive father in Melbourne's public housing system through to his current glittering career as one of Australia's most commercially successful artists. It's an underdog success story you can't help but root for, and a peer behind the curtain at Fantauzzo's most famous works – like the haunting portrait of Heath Ledger he completed one day before the actor's death. – Katie Cunningham
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Scotsman
09-06-2025
- Scotsman
'Dunfermline is no better or worse than its illustrious neighbour Edinburgh but it is utterly deserving of more love and attention'
Award-winning author Ben Atiken loves to ramble. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Not only physically through the miles he covers for his travel books but also literally through his meandering, charming and humorous writing style. And he combines the two superbly in his latest book Sh*tty Breaks. Over the course of the year Ben visited 12 of the least popular spots in the UK and Ireland according to official tourist board visitor numbers (or lack of them). But don't get the title wrong. This isn't an opportunity for Ben to take the mickey or stick the boot in further. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Instead, as the book's strapline shows, this is 'A Celebration of Unsung Cities' and a chance for Ben to prove that anywhere - like anyone - can be interesting and enjoyable if approached in the right fashion. Ben Aitken gets to know alpaca Arnie during his tour of the UK And among the cities visited was Dunfermline - his last stop on his whistle-stop tour. Leaving the station he was immediately struck by two things - the sight of a peacock called Angus outside a bakery on the high street and the number of institutions named after industrialist Andrew Carnegie. There was a hall, library, museum, leisure centre and pole dancing society (the latter of which he found was a wind up by someone washing their car in Comely Park Lane). Ben took time to admire the abbey, Abbots House ('a peach of a building'), the library, art gallery and Pittencrief Park. He bumped into the cousin of author Iain Banks, took a taxi out to Craigluscar Farm to try mini Highland Games and a ride on a hovercraft, which looked like a cross-breed between a bath tub and a hair dryer. Throughout his travels, food and drink figured highly and his visit included Dunfy pie, haggis bonbons at Garvock House Hotel and spicy haggis supper (lashed with brown sauce and vinegar) from Sauro's in Abbeyview. When compared to Edinburgh Ben mused Dunfermline was no better or worse - like all the cities he visited when compared with their more 'illustrious neighbours'. 'But they are different and inescapably unique and utterly deserving of more love and attention than they're currently getting. There's a dividend to be enjoyed by defying the norm and giving the underdog a chance.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Summing up his experiences of the cities at his official book launch Ben said: 'They weren't flawless, they weren't unblemished but where is and who is? I really think anywhere can be interesting, like anyone, if you ask them the right questions and give them enough time.' Ben Aitken's celebration of Dunfermline is included in his book on unsung cities And this is exactly what you get from Sh*tty Breaks as Ben steps out of the train or bus station on arrival, takes you by the hand and leads you through the local attractions and oddities while ensuring there is enough time to grab a pint here and savour a local delicacy there so you never lack for sustenance on his weird and wonderful wanderings. Ben admits to enjoying 'walking in a curious fashion'. And he doesn't mean backwards or without bending his knees but with his eyes peeled and ears to the ground. 'When you walk in such a fashion, things jump out at you, like bits of stimulating shrapnel.' So be prepared to be hit by these flying bits of shrapnel from all angles, whether from skiing and skinny-dipping in Sunderland, falling in love with Dunfermline, kissing an alpaca in Bradford, suffering jellied eels in Chelmsford to having more craic in Limerick than was wise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What I loved most was not the things Ben unearthed but the random assortment of characters he met along the way. Most of them thought he had lost his marbles when he explained he was writing about their cities and many, when asked the best part of where they lived, suggested it was going somewhere else. But, wherever he went, Ben's easy-going nature ensured he could always find someone to talk to so he could discover what really makes these places tick. This is an affectionate and humorous tour of our nation - an ode to the unfashionable and little loved. Many of us could extol the virtues of cities such as Bath, Oxford, York, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. But Ben shows through Sh*tty Breaks that there will always be something worth discovering and someone worth talking to no matter where you are. Ben Aitken is the author of six books. His latest, Sh*tty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, is published by Ikon Books and is on sale now.
Scotsman
07-06-2025
- Scotsman
How we all played a part in the creation of Michelle Mone
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you. I was about 20 minutes into watching the BBC's new Michelle Mone documentary when a familiar figure appeared on screen. More than 20 years ago I presented a series called 'The Talent' focussing on prominent Scots. Each episode followed an individual at home and work to try to understand the secrets of their success. The cast included chef Gordon Ramsay, actor Brian Cox, yachtswoman Shirley Robertson and a young entrepreneur from the East End of Glasgow. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This was still the early stage of the Michelle Mone story. The business was growing fast but had not yet become international or controversial. Michelle Mone shows off her OBE, awarded at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in 2010 (Picture: Dominic Lipinski/WPA pool) | Getty Images Button to summon butler I remember filming in cramped offices in a back street in Glasgow where boxes of Ultimo bras were piled high. Michelle was friendly and upbeat. Wearing her own product, she prodded her chest. 'It feels just like breast tissue. Have a feel if you want?' I declined the invitation. We were keen to film with her at home, to try to understand how she balanced raising a young family and working alongside her husband in the business, but that territory was firmly off limits. Instead we were offered the chance to catch up at Claridge's in London where Michelle was picking up an award. In her suite upstairs, she talked about her pride in moving from humble beginnings in Dennistoun to the plush surroundings of a luxury West End hotel. I recall her excitedly showing me a button on the wall that allowed her to summon her own butler. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Back then, there were no difficult questions to ask. The story was what it was. More than 20 years on, things are very different. The bra business has been sold, the old husband has been replaced by a billionaire and Michelle from Dennistoun is now Lady Mone of Mayfair. PPE Medpro, a company she is linked to, is also the subject of a National Crime Agency investigation over the supply of PPE during the pandemic. She denies doing anything wrong. A girl-power narrative Hindsight's a wonderful thing but there is no doubt Michelle Mone's rise to fame should have had tougher scrutiny at the time, but her apparent success was taken at face value. I suspect the problem was that many people wanted to believe the story. At a time when business was still driven by middle-aged men in suits, here was a young woman who possessed few qualifications but did have a seemingly endless supply of drive, determination and ambition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She wanted to build a good life for herself and her family and to be the woman to make a better product for women than the one currently being designed and marketed by men. What's not to like about that? She also emerged at a time when Page 3 was in decline and newspapers were under pressure to reduce their use of salacious photos of the female form. Then along came a female entrepreneur actively pushing images of women in underwear as part of a girl-power narrative. The whole thing was a gift.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Penny Lancaster swipes 'karma gets you' about new doc on the 'fall' of Michelle Mone - two decades after their dispute
Penny Lancaster swiped 'karma gets you' about the new BBC documentary on lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone. Thursday's instalment of ITV 's Loose Women saw panellists Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, Penny Lancaster and Brenda Edwards sit down and discuss the day's hot topics. During the show, Kaye brought up the BBC One documentary titled The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone. The two-part series delves into the story of the high-profile businesswoman who founded lingerie brand Ultimo. Her husband's, Doug Barrowman, company PPE Medpro has come under scrutiny after it was awarded contracts worth more than £200million to provide equipment during the pandemic upon Baroness Mone's recommendation. Any wrongdoing has been denied. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Penny Lancaster swiped 'karma gets you' about the new BBC documentary on lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone as she appeared on Thursday's instalment of Loose Women Penny, who married Rod Stewart in 2007, modelled lingerie for Michelle's underwear company, Ultimo in 2002 but was axed after two years (Michelle pictured in 2019) Penny, who married Rod Stewart in 2007, modelled lingerie for Michelle's underwear company, Ultimo in 2002 but was axed after two years, the Express reported. 'So she asked you to come and model her lingerie very early on didn't she?' Kaye asked. 'And then she, without telling you, replaced you with Rachel Hunter who was Rod's wife,' Kaye added. Penny silently nodded and admitted: 'I wasn't informed of the documentary, someone told me it was coming out. 'It didn't surprise me because karma gets you, I guess, but as far as any details I'm prepared to talk about. 'It would have to be the right time and place for that and I've put it behind me for the time being.' Kaye probed, 'I get that and I totally respect it, but it must have been a difficult period of your life I presume?' Penny nodded and agreed, 'It was a very difficult time, yeah, but you know.' During the discussion, Kaye read out a quote from Rod Stewart that he said 20 years ago about the lingerie situation. She read: 'Michelle really needs to be put in her place and if this is revenge, so be it, I'm sticking up for my old lady. 'Penny doesn't want to admit it but she has been hurt by all of this, she's been in tears, Penny is a beautiful girl, I love her and I hate to see her hurt in this way. 'She did nothing wrong, put yourself in her place. How do you think she feels to be told she's being replaced by Rod's ex-wife.' Penny explained that she prefers to 'rise above it and be the better one'. A spokesperson for Michelle Mone told MailOnline: 'I am deeply disappointed by the BBC's decision to broadcast a programme using misleading and one-sided accounts of my life and career. 'I hope that the programme does not discourage young women from pursuing their ambitions. The allegations relating to my husband's company, PPE Medpro, will be defended in court.'
