Cirrus@Austlit

'Debra Dank wasn’t planning to write a book. But in 2022, her PhD in narrative theory and semiotics was published as We Come with This Place, a lyrical and richly evocative account of Country, family and ancestors. What began as an academic project – one that Dank imagined only her children would read – went on to captivate audiences across the nation and collect a slew of top literary prizes.

'It’s easy to see why. Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman, an experienced educator, a partner, a mother and a grandmother – and while all these life experiences are present in her book, its narrative threads stretch much further. We Come with This Place weaves together a multiplicity of voices, entities and stories, all of which reflect the collectivism of Aboriginal culture. In this interview, which has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity, Dank talks to Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver about the strength of community, the solace of stories and the ever-­present salience of the past.'  (Introduction)

'Anne Zahalka has been making viewers look twice for nearly four decades. One of Australia’s most respected photo-­media artists, her practice explores shifting notions of Australian identity, challenges cultural stereotypes and highlights the changing ­relationship between people and the natural world. Back in 1995, Zahalka decided to turn her gaze towards a more personal subject. Her series Open House, recently exhibited at a major retrospective of the artist’s work, is a collection of tableaux vivants that depict Zahalka’s friends in the interiors of their homes, surrounded by the décor and detritus of their daily lives. In this interview, Zahalka talks to Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver about our intimate connections to objects and the strange temporal magic of the photographic medium.' (Introduction)

'Across nearly five decades, Richard Glover and Debra Oswald have been spinning the stuff of everyday life – family dynamics, growing pains, relationships, the ever-­amusing escapades of kids, pets, grandchildren and in-­laws – into stories for page, stage, screen and airwaves. For Debra, those stories take the form of incisive and sharply observed drama and fiction, from novels and award-­winning plays to her smash-­hit TV show Offspring, which lured more than a million viewers for its 2013 finale. For Richard, it’s real life that delivers the entertainment goods: his long-­running humour column, daily radio show and non-­fiction books such as the bestselling The Land Before Avocado find levity and insight in seemingly ordinary moments.

'These two seasoned storytellers also happen to be a couple, and each has been there for the creative triumphs and tribulations of the other. In this conversation, which has been lightly edited and condensed, Debra and Richard talk to Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver about the emotional acrobatics of writing for a living – and living with a writer.' (Introduction)

'Since she began writing in the 1990s, multi award winning Goorie author Melissa Lucashenko has been flipping the script. With grit, defiance and killer one liners, her novels relate the untold stories of Aboriginal Australians living ordinary lives. In the process, her work dismantles lazy stereotypes and exposes the realities of Australia’s colonial legacy.

'Her latest novel, Edenglassie, moves between mid nineteenth century and contemporary Brisbane to interrogate the myths of the past and explore how they’ve shaped our present. In this conversation with Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver – which has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity – Melissa reflects on the challenges and possibilities of historical fiction and the writer’s role in helping us understand who we are.' (Introduction) 

'For Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Geraldine Brooks, history is rich with stories and characters that can illuminate the complexities of human experience. At the centre of her most recent novel, Horse, is a particularly famous four-legged figure: Lexington, the legendary American racehorse. But part of what led Brooks to this story – and the complex layers of injustice that lay beneath it – was her own late introduction to horseriding. In this conversation with Griffith Review Editor Carody Culver, Brooks shares the genesis and evolution of her relationship with man’s second-best friend.' (Publication abstract)

'READER, I’VE TRIED. I’ve tried so hard not to begin this introduction by writing about my cats. But here I am, writing about my cats. I can’t stop myself.' (Introduction)

'IN 2008, FINNISH performance artist Pilvi Takala embarked on an audacious project called The Trainee. For one month, she worked as a marketing intern at the global accounting firm Deloitte. Instead of carrying out the usual responsibilities expected of this role, Takala did…nothing.' (Introduction)

'Melanie Cheng’s debut novel Room for a Stranger (Text, May) follows the unlikely friendship between an elderly Australian woman and an international student from Hong Kong. Reviewer Carody Culver spoke to the author.'  (Introduction)