The Australian TV Book

The Australian TV Book
Author: Stuart Cunningham
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 239
Release: 2020-07-25
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1000247910

Television is the most pervasive mass medium of the industrialised world. It is blamed for creating alienation and violence in society, yet at the same time regarded as trivial and unworthy of serious attention. It is the main purveyor of global popular culture, yet also intensely local. The Australian TV Book paints the big picture of the small screen in Australia. It examines industry dynamics in a rapidly changing environment, the impact of new technology, recent changes in programming, and the ways in which the television industry targets its audiences. The authors highlight what is distinctive about television in Australia, and how it is affected by international developments. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Australian television today. Stuart Cunningham is Professor of Media and Journalism at Queensland University of Technology. Graeme Turner is director of the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland. They are editors of the leading textbook The Media in Australia and authors of many other works on the media.

The Australian Trilogy

The Australian Trilogy
Author: Bryce Courtenay
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1654
Release: 2000
Genre: Australia
ISBN: 9780670893898

The story of Australia's journey to nationhood. Bryce Courtenay's classic trilogy of novels, The Potato Factory, Tommo & Hawkand Solomon's Song, has won the hearts of Australians. These three books are presented together for the first time in this special collector's edition. Visit brycecourtenay.com

The Other Facts of Life

The Other Facts of Life
Author: Morris Gleitzman
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2004-03-08
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1742284930

Ben stared at the TV. He had never seen anything like it. Fascinating. Incredible. Awful. He had to do something. There are some things Ben doesn't understand, so his dad is sent in to explain the facts of life. But it's the other facts that are worrying Ben and he decides to find his own answers. He's deadly serious – and the results are very, very funny. On a quest to understand the big issues in life and determined to make those around him listen, Ben navigates his way through the distractions and self-obsessions of those closest to him. This clever and emotional story tackles a relevant issue and will challenge kids thoughts and perspectives, while keeping them thoroughly entertained with its blend of humour and heart. Don't miss out on this insightful and unforgettable tale. ------------------ PRAISE FOR MORRIS GLEITZMAN ‘Readers can't get enough of him.’ The Independent ‘A brilliantly funny writer’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A virtuoso demonstration of how you can make comedy out of the most unlikely subject’ Sunday Times ‘He is one of the finest examples of a writer who can make humour stem from the things that really matter in life.’ The Guardian

Creating Australian Television Drama

Creating Australian Television Drama
Author: Susan Lever
Publisher: Australian Scholarly Publishing
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2020-11-13
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 1925984885

Television drama has been the dominant form of popular storytelling for more than sixty years, shaping the imaginations of millions of people. This book surveys the careers of the central creators of those stories for Australian television—the writers who learnt how to work in a new medium, adapting to its constraints and exploring its creative possibilities. Informed by interviews with many writers, it describes the establishment of Australian television drama production, observing the way writers grasped the creative and business opportunities that television presented. It examines the development of Australian versions of the major television genres—the sitcom, the police drama, the historical series, docudrama, and social drama— presenting a ‘canon’ of significant Australian television drama productions that deserve to be remembered. It offers an account of the emergence of work by Indigenous writers for television and it argues for the consideration of television drama alongside histories of Australian film and stage drama. ‘For years, Susan Lever has been talking to Australia’s best television writers about their work, their craft and their industry. Now it’s all here in this book; a toast to a vital part of Australian culture.’ – Geoffrey Atherden ‘This is a wonderful book. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, it tells in fascinating detail, from the writers’ points of view, the story of Australian scripted television from its beginnings in the 1950’s, to the present. Better yet, Susan Lever has allowed the writers themselves to speak about the work, about their visions and processes, their joys and frustrations. I am delighted to see television drama, docudrama and comedy acknowledged so generously for their role in Australian culture.’ – Sue Smith ‘Brilliantly researched, lucid, comprehensive … the big picture on writers for the small screen in Australia.’ – Ian David

Plum

Plum
Author: Brendan Cowell
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2021-10-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1460713869

The wildly impressive, raucously funny and deeply moving second novel from award-winning writer, actor and director for television, theatre and film, Brendan Cowell, confirming the talent he showed in his bestselling debut novel from 2010, How It Feels. Peter 'The Plum' Lum is a 49-year-old ex-star NRL player, living with his son and girlfriend in Cronulla. He's living a pretty cruisey life until one day he suffers an epileptic fit and discovers that he has a brain disorder as a result of the thousand-odd head knocks he took on the footy field in his twenty-year-career. According to his neurologist, Plum has to make some changes - right now - or it's dementia, or even death. Reluctantly, Plum embarks on a journey of self-care and self-discovery, which is not so easy when all you've ever known is to go full tilt at everything. On top of this, he's being haunted by dead poets, and, unable to stop crying, discovers he has a special gift for the spoken word. With spectral visits from Bukowski and Plath, the friendship of local misfits, and the prospect of new love, Plum might just save his own life. From award-winning writer, director and actor, Brendan Cowell, Plum is a powerfully moving, authentic, big-hearted, angry and joyous novel of men, their inarticulate pain and what it takes for them to save themselves - from themselves. It's got a roaring energy, a raucous humour, a heart of gold and a poetic soul. 'Exploring masculinity and the healing power of language with great humour, grace and whimsy, Plum is a bighearted, raw and joyous take on what it means to be a man in modern Australia.' Sunday Times 'The audacious inclusion of literary outlaws ... the muscular viscerality of his language ... [Plum is] a Shire pastoral that yearns for a nostalgia fantasy of The Golden Days ... I wonder whether Plath was inspired by the great Peter Lum. Or if Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass observing a spear of summer grass while sitting in Shark Park one lonely Sunday afternoon.' Sydney Morning Herald

The Suspect

The Suspect
Author: Michael Robotham
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2014-04-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316252247

The psychological thriller that marked the debut of one of contemporary suspense fiction's most compelling heroes: "A gripping first novel...taut and fast-moving" (Washington Post). Renowned psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin has it all -- a thriving practice, a devoted, beautiful, fiercely intelligent wife, and a lovely young daughter. But when he's diagnosed with Parkinson's, O'Loughlin begins to dread the way his exceptional mind has been shackled to a failing body, and the cracks in his perfect existence start to show. At first, O'Loughlin is delighted to be called in to a high-profile murder investigation, hoping his extraordinary abilities at perception will help bring a killer to justice. But when O'Loughlin recognizes the victim as one of his former patients, an emotionally disturbed young woman who nearly brought ruin upon him, O'Loughlin hesitates -- a fateful decision that soon places O'Loughlin at the top of the lists of both a bullish detective and a diabolical killer.

D is for Down Under: An Australia Alphabet

D is for Down Under: An Australia Alphabet
Author: Devin Scillian
Publisher: Weigl Publishers
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2016-08-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1489652086

AV2 Fiction Readalong by Weigl brings you timeless tales of mystery, suspense, adventure, and the lessons learned while growing up. These celebrated children’s stories are sure to entertain and educate while captivating even the most reluctant readers. Log on to www.av2books.com, and enter the unique book code found on page 2 of this book to unlock an extra dimension to these beloved tales. Hear the story come to life as you read along in your own book.

Clanlands

Clanlands
Author: Sam Heughan
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Total Pages: 492
Release: 2020-11-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1529342023

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER With a foreword by Diana Gabaldon. Two men. One country. And a lot of whisky. As stars of Outlander, Sam and Graham eat, sleep and breathe the Highlands on this epic road trip around their homeland. They discover that the real thing is even greater than fiction. Clanlands is the story of their journey. Armed with their trusty campervan and a sturdy friendship, these two Scotsmen are on the adventure of a lifetime to explore the majesty of Scotland. A wild ride by boat, kayak, bicycle and motorbike, they travel from coast to loch and peak to valley and delve into Scotland's history and culture, from timeless poetry to bloody warfare. With near-death experiences, many weeks in a confined space together, and a cast of unforgettable characters, Graham and Sam's friendship matures like a fine Scotch. They reflect on their acting careers in film and theatre, find a new awestruck respect for their native country and, as with any good road trip, they even find themselves. Hold onto your kilts... this is Scotland as you've never seen it before.

Boy Swallows Universe

Boy Swallows Universe
Author: Trent Dalton
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2018-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1460708415

'The best Australian novel I have read in more than a decade' Sydney Morning Herald 'Astonishing, captivating ... a wild, beautiful, heart-exploding ride' Elizabeth Gilbert The bestselling novel that has taken Australia, and the world, by storm. Winner of Book of the Year at the 2019 Indie Book Awards, winner of a record four Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019, including the prestigious Book of the Year Award, and winner of the 2019 UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, NSW Premier's Literary Awards Brisbane, 1985: A lost father, a mute brother, a junkie mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crim for a babysitter. It's not as if Eli Bell's life isn't complicated enough already. He's just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to be a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way - not the least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary Brisbane drug dealer. But now Eli's life is going to get a whole lot more serious: he's about to meet the father he doesn't remember, break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day to rescue his mum, come face to face with the criminals who tore his world apart, and fall in love with the girl of his dreams. A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe will be the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novel you will read all year. Awards: 2019 ABIA Book of the Year Award, Winner 2019 Indie Book Award, Winner 2019 UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Winner 2019 People's Choice Award, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Winner MUD Literary Prize 2019, Winner 2019 ABIA Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year, Winner 2019 ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, Winner 2019 ABIA Audiobook of the Year, Winner 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Longlisted 2019 Colin Roderick Award, shortlist Reviews: 'Boy Swallows Universe is a wonderful surprise: sharp as a drawer full of knives in terms of subject matter; unrepentantly joyous in its child's-eye view of the world; the best literary debut in a month of Sundays.' The Australian 'Boy Swallows Universe hypnotizes you with wonder, and then hammers you with heartbreak.' Washington Post 'This thrilling novel' New York Times Book Review 'Marvelously plot-rich ... filled with beautifully lyric prose ...At one point Eli wonders if he is good. The answer is "yes," every bit as good as this exceptional novel.' Booklist 'Dalton's splashy, stellar debut makes the typical coming-of-age novel look bland by comparison ... This is an outstanding debut.' Publisher's Weekly (starred review) 'Extraordinary and beautiful storytelling' Guardian

The Twentieth Man

The Twentieth Man
Author: Tony Jones
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Total Pages: 476
Release: 2017-07-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1760639060

He was the only one left alive; now it was his turn to die. In September 1972, journalist Anna Rosen takes an early morning phone call from her boss at the ABC, telling her about two bombings in Sydney's busy CBD. It's the worst terrorist attack in the country's history and Anna has no doubt which group is responsible for the carnage. She has been investigating the role of alleged war criminals in the globally active Ustasha movement. High in the Austrian Alps, Marin Katich is one of twenty would-be revolutionaries who slip stealthily over the border into Yugoslavia on a mission planned and funded in Australia. It will have devastating consequences for all involved. Soon the arrival in Australia of Yugoslavia's prime minister will trigger the next move in a deadly international struggle. Tony Jones, one of Australia's most admired journalists, has written a brilliantly compelling thriller, taking us from the savage mountains of Yugoslavia to Canberra's brutal yet covert power struggles in a novel that's intelligent, informed and utterly suspenseful.