Cirrus@Austlit

'It must be five years or more since a media group asked me to film an obituary for Clive James. I refused not because I didn’t believe his death was looming but because I thought I could talk about him when the time came, if need be. James, memoirist and interviewer extraordinaire, couldn’t be more conscious of the fact the announcement of his imminent death from leukaemia was premature. At the time it was based on the best information available.' (Introduction)

'Since its inception in 1994, Melbourne-based Text Publishing has engaged in the noble if fraught pursuit of unearthing and rebirthing long-forgotten Australian literary treasures. While sometimes the past is much better left there, we should be glad that Moira Burke’s Losing It has received a new lease on life.' (Introduction)

'In the field of Australian poetry publishing, hope is never lost. However small the print run, limited the critical response, minimal the financial return, presses have always started up and battled on, fuelled by idealism. The latest player has made an ambitious ­beginning. The poetry series from Perth-based UWA Publishing was “established in 2016 in ­response to the decline in poetry publishing ­nationally and to the high volume of quality submissions we receive”.' (Introduction)