Today is New Year for millions of people around the world. 21 March marks the equinox and also one of the most ancient festivals still celebrated today - Naw Ruz. This festival is celebrated throughout central, western and southern Asia, the Balkans and the Caucasus. The reason that I am celebrating it is because it is also a holy day for Baha'is. It marks the end of the … [Read more...] about New Year: Some reflections
Biography
Glimpses of an Extraordinary Life
Warning: This post contains references to Aboriginal people who are now deceased. The Lone Protestor is the story of a remarkable Aboriginal man who lived in Europe during the interwar years. Anthony Martin Fernando’s protest about the terrible treatment of Aborigines in Australia was featured on the front page of the highly regarded Der Bund newspaper in Switzerland in … [Read more...] about Glimpses of an Extraordinary Life
The Ethics of Family History and Biography
Edmund de Waal’s book, The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance is a family history that has become a best-seller. It is a biography that follows the trail of small Japanese carvings as they were passed from owner to owner within the family while the family were entangled in the broader travails of nineteenth and twentieth century history. Edmund de Waal received an … [Read more...] about The Ethics of Family History and Biography
Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography by Jill Roe
There are times when a book creeps up on a reader, nudging itself forward, saying 'read me'. Jill Roe’s biography of Miles Franklin is one of those books. Over the last few years I came across references to this book in many other histories that I read. Then a couple of months ago I was doing some research assistant work and had to borrow it in order to check some page … [Read more...] about Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography by Jill Roe
Book Review: True North by Brenda Niall
I lost my carparking ticket so I bought a book. The person at the shopping centre information desk informed me that I could either pay $40 to get out of the car park or $10 if I bought something from the shops at the centre. It made sense to buy something but what? I was uninspired and just wanted to get out of the soulless place as soon as possible. I spotted a bookshop and … [Read more...] about Book Review: True North by Brenda Niall
