Martin Shaw

YouTube video by Peter McLennan Chris Knox: Songs Of You And Me - a documentary about Chris Knox (1995)

There's a biography of Chris Knox out this week - the author Craig Robertson contacted me a few years ago, as back in 1995 when I was at Ak Uni, I made a half hour documentary on Chris and he wanted to see it.
Anyway, I dug out the digital file and it's now online, enjoy! youtu.be/VQjvic02S8M?...

I've always been fond of my own signed copy of All Souls, with post-reading message. In that it turned up secondhand, maybe Javier's prophecy was correct!

Chris Knox: Not Given Lightly The story of the man, the music, the art, the attitude.

Auckland University Press now have an extract of long-awaited Craig Robertson's biography of Chris Knox — out this Thursday, 9 October! @audioculturenz.bsky.social aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/chris-knox/?...

The decision of The Berliner magazine to run an ad campaign for the Nova Festival Exhibition was taken against the explicit objections of its editorial staff and regular freelance contributors.

As we expressed in a letter to management, we freelancers consider these ads clear evidence of ownership taking a political stance on Gaza, having for months pressured the magazine to suppress editorial coverage of Palestine.

As such, we have no other choice but to protest the campaign by withdrawing our collective labour for the magazine's next issue. We demand that The Berliner withdraw the ads. If the ads continue, our protest will continue.

This morning, The Berliner began – against the will of its staff – posting a series of advertisements for the Nova Festival Exhibition. Our concerns having been dismissed and stonewalled, we have had no choice but to strike.

Nice: Javier Marías's Heart so White inscribed to John Le Carré
www.abebooks.com/signed-first...

Holding a copy of AUDITION, a novel by Pip Adam.

Last night I finished reading Pip Adam’s AUDITION. It’s conceivably one of the best pieces of fiction — particularly science fiction — I’ve read in a few years. It’s transformative and heartbreaking and experimental. It’s about giants and space travel and incarceration.

you probably have a point there. The sentiment of Maxwell Perkins I very much agree with though!

British people: “The one thing I know about Germans is they are very efficient.”

Germans: “We understand your impatience, Herr Flynn. Your email has been printed out and will be handed to the responsible person soon.“

Portrait of the Author in the Age of Conglomeration - Cleveland Review of Books I now realized that for thirty years I'd had an imaginary Pietsch perched on my shoulder, and as I reworked sentences I kept (unconsciously) turning to him and asking, "How about now? Would you take i...

Late to this from Vince Czyz, but such a good view of @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social's "Big Fiction" from an aspiring author's perspective. Not whiny either...instead the simple conundrum of facing an industry whose "first allegiance [isn't] to talent" clereviewofbooks.com/the-age-of-c...

Emily and I were briefly in Healesville today so we popped into Healesville Sanctuary and it is very important for you all to know that they currently have BABY TASMANIAN DEVILS

guy unmatched me after I told him I’d never read any Ingeborg Bachmann

SOME OLD FUCKER JUST TOLD ME TO CHEER UP AND SMILE

yeah was going to quote that one too!

Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton review – ocker crime caper plagued by more than a beleaguered ballsack The bestseller’s fourth novel could have tackled timely questions about true crime – but instead it offers a bleakly retrograde fable about being a good bloke

Some zingers here alright! (“His scrotum might be ornery, but his heart is in the right place”). And a subbie’s delight coming up with that header… www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

life achievement unlocked: visiting every poet’s grave mentioned in The Smiths’ Cemetery Gates

From serial-killer chiller to the history of play: 10 new books Our reviewers cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction titles

You luv to see it: @roffwrites.bsky.social’s Here Are My Demands is fiction-book-of-the-week in the Age/SMH! “meticulously constructed speculative fiction, which shows off a command of novelistic structure & form..philosophical ambit & sharp insights (of his debut)” www.theage.com.au/culture/book...

New Professor’s arrival crowns a year of success for Creative Writing at UTS Creative Writing at UTS welcomes acclaimed poet Professor Sarah Holland-Batt as its new Head, with her appointment capping a year of extraordinary successes for the program.

Delighted to be working with our new Prof and Head of Creative Writing at UTS. Great things ahead! www.uts.edu.au/news/2025/09...

From serial-killer chiller to the history of play: 10 new books Our reviewers cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction titles

You luv to see it: @roffwrites.bsky.social’s Here Are My Demands is fiction-book-of-the-week in the Age/SMH! “meticulously constructed speculative fiction, which shows off a command of novelistic structure & form..philosophical ambit & sharp insights (of his debut)” www.theage.com.au/culture/book...

What does it cost to produce a book? Why small presses in the UK are struggling - and what can be done about it.

Illuminating as ever from Sam and Eloise at @galleybeggars.bsky.social: UK small publishers are genuine cultural heroes I reckon... open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w...

My godfather died of this hideous disease. His daughters (my age now in their mid 50s) were both tested years ago & have gene, so made the horrible decision not to have children.

Scientists freaking rock!

Lithosphere is launched! Now in a (surprising) number of bookshops all over the country. Would love you to pick one up if you ever like to dip into poetry...

Was so delighted to fly Qantas by chance, & encounter in the inflight magazine Michael Williams’s choice of “The Australian book to read now” to be Lucy Nelson’s Wait Here!

I'm just mid-"Salvage" and am transfixed by it. Fabulous. Congratulations from the Northern Hemisphere @jennifermills.net.au.

isn’t it just!

Pink Shorts Press acquires Mills, Dovey and Dubosarsky anthology | Books+Publishing Purchase a subscription to view job ads and other premium content on Books+Publishing.

Also cool news: from Pink Shorts Press www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/202...

Authors among Creative Australia Fellowship recipients | Books+Publishing Purchase a subscription to view job ads and other premium content on Books+Publishing.

The @jennifermills.net.au news if you missed it www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/202...

This, exactly. GenAI, as I'm experiencing it in my working life, is a machine for shifting cognitive burden from one colleague (the AI user) to another (the person who receives, must interpret, and must almost always re-do the work).

UQP acquires O’Keeffe’s third novel | Books+Publishing Purchase a subscription to view job ads and other premium content on Books+Publishing.

Deal news! Delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Angela O'Keeffe's remarkable 3rd novel, Phantom Days, to UQP! This novel is mesmerising & magnificent...Angela is one of our best I reckon! www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/202...

Now as you all know, I would never represent a fart book. But a poo book? That’s something else entirely! Thrilled to announce @minon.bsky.social’s Make Them Say Poo, coming from @affirmpress.bsky.social