'This month ABR sharpens its memory, looking back at Australia’s involvement in East Timor on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its liberation. We ask what the US invasion of Afghanistan revealed, how referendums have been lost and won, and if we’ve heeded the lessons of the pandemic. Bridget Griffen-Foley reviews a book on media moguls, Scott Stephens explains why 2024 looks a lot like 1939, and we consider ancient India’s transformation of the world. Shannon Burns, Michael Winkler, Heather Neilson and Alex Cothren review novels from Robbie Arnott, Brian Castro, Emily Maquire and Malcolm Knox. ABR Arts interviews pianist Angela Hewitt and reviews The Australian Ballet’s Oscar and MTC’s Topdog/Underdog. There’s Proust, Shakespeare, new poetry, poetry reviews and more.' (Publication abstract)