The Australian modernist photographer Max Dupain is commonly known for his sweltering photograph Sunbaker, which offered the nation one of its most iconic beach images. In today’s episode, Helen Ennis reads her essay ‘Max Dupain’s dilemmas’, which was commended in the 2021 Calibre Essay Prize. It explores the breadth of Dupain’s work beyond Sunbaker, as well as his own grapplings with self-doubt and his complicated perspectives on life and travel.

Helen Ennis is Emeritus Professor at the ANU Centre for Art History and Art Theory and a past ABR Fellow. She is an independent photography curator and writer specialising in the area of Australian photographic practice. She is currently writing a biography of Max Dupain.

The Australian modernist photographer Max Dupain is commonly known for his sweltering photograph&nbsp;Sunbaker, which offered the nation one of its most iconic beach images. In today&rsquo;s episode, Helen Ennis reads her essay &lsquo;Max Dupain&rsquo;s dilemmas&rsquo;, which was commended in the 2021 Calibre Essay Prize. It explores the breadth of Dupain&rsquo;s work beyond&nbsp;Sunbaker, as well as his own grapplings with self-doubt and his complicated perspectives on life and travel.
Helen Ennis is Emeritus Professor at the ANU Centre for Art History and Art Theory and a past ABR&nbsp;Fellow. She is an independent photography curator and writer specialising in the area of Australian photographic practice. She is currently writing a biography of Max Dupain.

Welcome to The ABR Podcast, produced by Australian Book Review. Released every Thursday, The ABR Podcast features a range of literary highlights, such as reviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, and commentary. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, or Spotify Podcasts, or whichever app you use to listen to your favourite podcasts.

For more information about ABR, visit our website, www.australianbookreview.com.au

Welcome to The ABR Podcast, produced by Australian Book Review. Released every Thursday, The ABR Podcast features a range of literary highlights, such as reviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, and commentary. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, or Spotify Podcasts, or whichever app you use to listen to your favourite podcasts.
For more information about&nbsp;ABR, visit our website, <a href="http://www.australianbookreview.com.au">www.australianbookreview.com.au</a>

Welcome to The ABR Podcast, produced by Australian Book Review. Released every Thursday, The ABR Podcast features a range of literary highlights, such as reviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, and commentary. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, or Spotify Podcasts, or whichever app you use to listen to your favourite podcasts.

The ABR Podcast

ABR is delighted to introduce its brand-new podcast, The ABR Podcast.

Released fortnightly every Wednesday, The ABR Podcast will feature a range of literary highlights, such as reviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, and commentary. Subscribe on the iTunes, Google, or Spotify Podcasts, or whichever app you use to listen to your favourite podcasts.

ABR&nbsp;is delighted to introduce its brand-new podcast,&nbsp;The ABR Podcast.
Released fortnightly every Wednesday,&nbsp;The ABR Podcast&nbsp;will feature a range of literary highlights, such as reviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, and commentary. Subscribe on the iTunes, Google, or Spotify Podcasts, or whichever app you use to listen to your favourite podcasts.

The Australian modernist photographer Max Dupain is commonly known for his sweltering photograph Sunbaker, which offered the nation one of its most iconic beach images. In today’s episode, Helen Ennis reads her essay ‘Max Dupain’s dilemmas’, which was commended in the 2021 Calibre Essay Prize. It explores the breadth of Dupain’s work beyond Sunbaker, as well as his own grapplings with self-doubt and his complicated perspectives on life and travel.     Helen Ennis is Emeritus Professor at the ANU Centre for Art History and Art Theory and a past ABR Fellow. She is an independent photography curator and writer specialising in the area of Australian photographic practice. She is currently writing a biography of Max Dupain.

Helen Ennis on the Australian photographer Max Dupain

This week on The ABR Podcast, Tony Hughes-d’Aeth reviews On Alexis Wright by Geordie Williamson. Hughes-d’Aeth notes that Williamson mounts a spirited defence of Alexis Wright against what he terms ‘Australian philistinism’, in which the reader expects literature to ‘tell us stuff, neatly and efficiently’. Instead, Williamson suggests, Wright compels readers to ‘suspend their assumptions around what literature is or should be’. Hughes-d’Aeth commends Williamson for opening up Wright’s work: ‘More than anything,’ he observes, ‘Williamson writes in a way that makes you want to read Alexis Wright’. 

Tony Hughes-d’Aeth is the Chair of Australian Literature at the University of Western Australia and the Director of the Westerly Centre. He is the author of Like Nothing on this Earth: A literary history of the wheatbelt, published by the University of Western Australia Publishing, which won the Walter McRae Russell Prize for best work of Australian literary criticism in 2019. Here is Tony Hughes-d’Aeth with ‘Rethinking “on”: Sitting and listening to Wright’, published in the April issue of ABR. 

This week on&nbsp;The&nbsp;ABR&nbsp;Podcast, Tony Hughes-d&rsquo;Aeth reviews On Alexis Wright by Geordie Williamson. Hughes-d&rsquo;Aeth notes that Williamson mounts a spirited defence of Alexis Wright against what he terms &lsquo;Australian philistinism&rsquo;, in which the reader expects literature to &lsquo;tell us stuff, neatly and efficiently&rsquo;. Instead, Williamson suggests, Wright compels readers to &lsquo;suspend their assumptions around what literature is or should be&rsquo;. Hughes-d&rsquo;Aeth commends Williamson for opening up Wright&rsquo;s work: &lsquo;More than anything,&rsquo; he observes, &lsquo;Williamson writes in a way that makes you want to read Alexis Wright&rsquo;.&nbsp;
Tony&nbsp;Hughes-d&rsquo;Aeth&nbsp;is the Chair of Australian Literature at the University of Western Australia&nbsp;and the Director of the Westerly Centre.&nbsp;He is the author of Like Nothing on this Earth: A literary history of the wheatbelt, published by&nbsp;the&nbsp;University of&nbsp;Western&nbsp;Australia Publishing,&nbsp;which&nbsp;won the Walter McRae Russell Prize for best work of Australian literary criticism in 2019. Here is Tony&nbsp;Hughes-d&rsquo;Aeth&nbsp;with &lsquo;Rethinking &ldquo;on&rdquo;: Sitting and listening to Wright&rsquo;,&nbsp;published in the April issue of&nbsp;ABR.&nbsp;

This week on The ABR Podcast, Tony Hughes-d’Aeth reviews ‘On Alexis Wright’ by Geordie Williamson. Hughes-d’Aeth notes that Williamson mounts a spirited defence of Alexis Wright against what he terms ‘Australian philistinism’, in which the reader expects literature to ‘tell us stuff, neatly and efficiently’. Instead, Williamson suggests, Wright compels readers to ‘suspend their assumptions around what literature is or should be’. Hughes-d’Aeth commends Williamson for opening up Wright’s work: ‘More than anything,’ he observes, ‘Williamson writes in a way that makes you want to read Alexis Wright’.   Tony Hughes-d’Aeth is the Chair of Australian Literature at the University of Western Australia and the Director of the Westerly Centre. He is the author of Like Nothing on this Earth: A literary history of the wheatbelt, published by the University of Western Australia Publishing, which won the Walter McRae Russell Prize for best work of Australian literary criticism in 2019. Here is Tony Hughes-d’Aeth with ‘Rethinking “on”: Sitting and listening to Wright’, published in the April issue of ABR. 

‘Rethinking “on”: Sitting and listening to Wright’ by Tony Hughes-d’Aeth

This week, on The ABR Podcast, we feature a commentary by Florence Honybun on a ‘distinct trend’ towards progressive legalism in the Australian High Court. While Australians often look to US legal institutions to gauge the health of democracy, Honybun identifies a quieter ‘changing of the guard’ at home, and with it, ‘a shift in the jurisprudence informing its decisions’. In a suite of recent migration cases, the Court curtailed executive power over stateless migrants, signalling a more liberal, humanitarian turn. As migration pressures intensify, Honybun argues, Australians must become more alert to the consequential role of Australia’s highest court. 

Florence Honybun is a recent alumnus of Monash University and a former intern at ABR. She is currently a graduate at law at a national Australian law firm. Here is Florence Honybun with ‘Progressive legalism in Australia’s High Court: How migration, aliens, and punishment cases reveal a distinct trend’, published in the April issue of ABR.  

This week, on&nbsp;The ABR Podcast, we feature a commentary by Florence Honybun on&nbsp;a &lsquo;distinct trend&rsquo; towards&nbsp;progressive legalism in the Australian High Court. While Australians often look to US legal institutions to&nbsp;gauge the health&nbsp;of democracy, Honybun&nbsp;identifies&nbsp;a quieter&nbsp;&lsquo;changing of the guard&rsquo; at home, and&nbsp;with it,&nbsp;&lsquo;a shift in the jurisprudence informing its decisions&rsquo;.&nbsp;In a suite of recent migration cases, the Court curtailed executive power over stateless migrants,&nbsp;signalling&nbsp;a&nbsp;more liberal, humanitarian&nbsp;turn. As migration pressures intensify, Honybun argues, Australians must become more alert to the consequential role of Australia&rsquo;s highest court.&nbsp;
Florence&nbsp;Honybun&nbsp;is a&nbsp;recent alumnus of Monash University&nbsp;and a former intern at ABR. She is currently a graduate at law at a national Australian law firm. Here is Florence Honybun with &lsquo;Progressive legalism in Australia&rsquo;s High Court: How migration, aliens, and punishment cases reveal a distinct trend&rsquo;,&nbsp;published in the April issue of&nbsp;ABR.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This week, on The ABR Podcast, we feature a commentary by Florence Honybun on a ‘distinct trend’ towards progressive legalism in the Australian High Court. While Australians often look to US legal institutions to gauge the health of democracy, Honybun identifies a quieter ‘changing of the guard’ at home, and with it, ‘a shift in the jurisprudence informing its decisions’. In a suite of recent migration cases, the Court curtailed executive power over stateless migrants, signalling a more liberal, humanitarian turn. As migration pressures intensify, Honybun argues, Australians must become more alert to the consequential role of Australia’s highest court.

‘Progressive legalism in Australia’s High Court: How migration, aliens, and punishment cases reveal a distinct trend’ by Florence Honybun

This week, on The ABR Podcast, we feature a special commentary by Dennis Altman on the new literary scams enabled by artificial intelligence. Altman recounts the multiple emails he has received from people ‘whose lives will not be complete if they are not given the opportunity to promote one of my books … to a global audience’. These emails are purportedly from authors as varied as Patrick Süskind and Annie Ernaux. Apparently, ‘geography places no limits on my potential fan base,’ Altman writes, ‘nor, I suspect, will mortality.’  

Dennis Altman is a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University. His most recent book is Righting My World: Essays from the past half-century, published by Monash University Publishing in 2025. Here is Dennis Altman with ‘“May today sink peace into your soul”: New scams in the literary world’, published in the April issue of ABR. 

This week, on&nbsp;The&nbsp;ABR&nbsp;Podcast, we feature a special commentary by Dennis Altman on the new literary scams enabled by artificial intelligence. Altman recounts the multiple emails he has received from people &lsquo;whose lives will not be complete if they are not given the opportunity to promote one of my books &hellip; to a global audience&rsquo;. These emails are purportedly from authors as varied as Patrick S&uuml;skind and Annie Ernaux. Apparently, &lsquo;geography places no limits on my potential fan base,&rsquo; Altman writes, &lsquo;nor, I suspect, will mortality.&rsquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dennis Altman&nbsp;is&nbsp;a Vice Chancellor&rsquo;s Fellow at La Trobe University. His most recent book&nbsp;is Righting My World: Essays from the past half-century, published by Monash University Publishing&nbsp;in 2025. Here is Dennis Altman with&nbsp;&lsquo;&ldquo;May today sink peace into your soul&rdquo;: New&nbsp;scams&nbsp;in the literary world&rsquo;,&nbsp;published in the April issue of&nbsp;ABR.&nbsp;

This week, on The ABR Podcast, we feature a special commentary by Dennis Altman on the new literary scams enabled by artificial intelligence. Altman recounts the multiple emails he has received from people ‘whose lives will not be complete if they are not given the opportunity to promote one of my books … to a global audience’. These emails are purportedly from authors as varied as Patrick Süskind and Annie Ernaux. Apparently ‘geography places no limits on my potential fan base,’ Altman writes, ‘nor, I suspect, will mortality.’  

Helen Ennis on the Australian photographer Max Dupain

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