Cirrus@Austlit

'A film shot in Blacktown, with eight different stories, from eight different cultural backgrounds, in nine different languages.'

'Welcome to ABC Arts' monthly book column. Each month, we'll present a shortlist of new releases read and recommended by The Bookshelf's Kate Evans and The Book Show's Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange — alongside freelance writers and book reviewers. This month, we're thrilled to present recommendations from Declan Fry and Khalid Warsame.'

'In 2015, John Bell stepped aside from Bell Shakespeare, the Australian theatre company he co-founded 25 years previously.

'At the time he made one thing very clear: he was not retiring.'

'John 'Jack' Fryer was a 19-year-old scholarship student from a tiny town in Queensland when he went to face the horrors of World War I alongside his three brothers.'

'An Australian filmmaker who went undercover to film a documentary about big game hunting in Africa is hoping the movie will help to end trophy hunting.'

'Hannah Kent's first two novels were bleak explorations of historical crimes: her 2013 debut Burial Rites told the story of the last person executed in Iceland; 2016's The Good People, steeped in Irish folklore, focused on the murder of a young child.' 

'Seeing Midnight Oil live is always an exhilarating experience, whether it be in a sweaty pub such as the former Selina's in Coogee Beach, a New York ballroom, or under the broad southern sky at a winery.'

'Great books can shape lives — so, it's no surprise that the people who inspire us to dive into the world of literature can also leave an enduring mark.'

'Pioneering Indigenous actor David Dalaithngu AM has died aged 68.'

'At just 17 years old, when David Dalaithngu first touched down in Europe, he was the toast of the town — a young, handsome Aboriginal film actor from the remote Northern Territory who could hardly speak English.'