Valentine’s warning as AI fuels ‘insidious’ love scams
Criminals are feeding Australians' social media information into AI to create targeted romance scams ahead of Valentine's Day.
Books
Three recent, excellent crime novels set in Scotland, have caught the eye of book reviewer ANNA CREER.
While an apology from Adelaide Festival is welcome, a dumped Palestinian-Australian author says her words continue to be "twisted" by an unapologetic premier.
A leading writers' festival has offered an invitation and issued an unreserved apology to Randa Abdel-Fattah over her ditching that triggered its 2026 collapse.
Update
Legal action looms for premier in writers’ week fallout
A writer dumped from a major literary festival is threatening defamation action against a premier over what she alleges is a "vicious personal assault".
Update
Writers’ festival cancelled after swell of outrage
The axing of a Palestinian-Australian author has led to the cancellation of one of Australia's premier writers' festivals as its embattled board stepped down.
Books
Author and alien theorist Erich von Däniken dies
Swiss author Erich von Däniken, whose books offered up extraterrestrial explanations for humanity's mysteries, has died.
Dozens of authors have withdrawn from a major Australian festival over a decision to remove its only Palestinian writer because of "cultural sensitivities".
The board of a major festival has cancelled the appearance of a prominent Palestinian author citing 'cultural sensitivity' following the Bondi terror attack.
Book reviewer COLIN STEELE reflects on his top five books for 2025.
This year’s most borrowed title from ACT Libraries' 1.4 million borrowed items was Orbital by Samantha Harvey.
Children's author David Walliams says he has not been informed about allegations raised by his publisher after HarperCollins said it was cutting links with him.
British comic and children's author David Walliams has been dropped by his publishers after allegations of harassment of its female employees.
"Garner mixes the mundane with the profane, juxtaposing washing the dishes with the creativity of writing." COLIN STEELE reviews the collected diaries of "national treasure" Helen Garner.
The posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, has sold one million copies worldwide.
Why are there so many murder mysteries set at Christmas, asks book reviewer COLIN STEELE.
“My father, who was in advertising, had heard of this new little industry that was just developing called market research and he made an appointment for me to go to a job interview." ROD HENSHAW talks to social psychologist Hugh Mackay.
Jane Harper is credited with creating a new sub-genre of crime fiction, Australian rural noir, writes book reviewer ANNA CREER.
Airbrushing and exhortations: Ita Buttrose reflects on her life in media – well, some of it, writes DENIS MULLER.
