'In 2019, there will be no Vogel’s literary award. None of the manuscripts – the prize’s press release suggests – were up to scratch: ‘the judges’ decision speaks to their respect for the award and their desire to maintain the excellent standards of previous winning manuscripts.’ In other words: we’d be embarrassed to publish any of the submissions.' (Introduction)
'In the week since the release of the IPBES report that alerted us to the likely loss of a million species, there have been a spate of articles engaging with climate grief. Activist Rob Law wrote in the Guardian about needing to honour the pain and move through the sadness towards a sense of agency. Emily Johnson argued beautifully for the ways in which taking collective action can offset the sometimes overwhelming sense of loss.' (Introduction)
'In the wake of Christchurch, Australia has undergone a reckoning. To anyone with a finger on the political pulse, it came as no shock. The perpetrator only took into his own hands what the Australian government had enshrined in bipartisan policy for decades: the vilification of Muslims.' (Introduction)
