John Bush

Tenth, Exiles, by Jane Harper. I’ve enjoyed Harper’s outback noir since her first, and this was good, too, though it took a little longer to get going than her previous books, I thought. It picked up about halfway through and was satisfying, like Harper’s others

Ninth, The Fertile Earth, by Ruthvika Rau. In the way it casts characters against larger social and political forces and changes, this novel reminds me of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, but it is very different in style and voice. Rau’s narration richly evokes life in post-independence India.

Today we at the Paul Ramsay Foundation have released our 2024 Annual Review: www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/annual-review

I’m lucky and proud to work at PRF, where we wake up every day to make sure people and communities in Australia have what they need to thrive.

Would love people’s thoughts!

Details : Program Director, Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity : The University of Melbourne Careers at The University of Melbourne

The Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Program is seeking a new Program Director. Applications are open until 17 January 2025. jobs.staff.unimelb.edu.au/ci/en/job/91...

What did you make of it?

Sounds like an amazing book, Kate. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for your wonderful books, Charlotte, and this one in particular!

The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”: Climate Change is Already Forcing People From Their Homes The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.

The Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”

The complex, contradictory and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.

By @abrahm.bsky.social

Eighth, Stone Yard Devotional, by @charlottewood.bsky.social. To start, this reminded me of The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris, but it is its own work, anchored in local Australian experiences of class, religion and history. A moving, grounded novel, generous in spirit in the face of grief.

Seventh, The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, which I saw on the library shelf and decided to read again for the first time since year seven. It doesn’t flinch from the rampant sexism of the time in which it’s set, and also shows how the effects of a principled life can be undone rapidly.

Sixth, Caledonian Road, by Andrew O’Hagan. The first book for me this year that drew me back to it almost compulsively. Perhaps it was the combination of the meditation on aging (middle age particularly), the incisive at contemporary England, and the ever-growing sense of morbid dread… Very good

Fifth, For the Wellbeing of All, a compilation of quotations on eliminating the extremes of wealth and poverty. This book offers a reminder of the consequences of rising inequality, a clarion call to address it, and practical principles to apply in the endeavour.

Fourth, Bininj Kunwok Phrase Book, by Bininj knowledge holders in West Arnhem Land. A marvellous marker of a marvellous visit to Bininj homelands between Maningrida and Jabiru, and another reminder of the great stores of knowledge that sit outside of what I am familiar with already

Image a a cover of a blue book titled Understanding the Quality Use of Research Evidence in Education, by Mark Rickinson and colleagues

Third, and much more niche, Understanding Quality Use of Research Evidence in Education, by Mark Rickinson and colleagues. This is one of the outputs of the Monash Q Project, which we at the Paul Ramsay Foundation supported. I enjoyed its elegant and systematic distillation of a complex topic

A picture of the cover of a maroon paperback book titled, The Bookbinder of Jericho, by Pip Williams

Second, The Bookbinder of Jericho, by Pip Williams. It was nice to enter a world adjacent to the one in The Dictionary of Lost Words, and I particularly liked the exploration of class, formal education and intercultural conflict layered on top of gender. #booksky

It’ll be great to see yours, Kate! I’m finding it hard to recreate for the early books so many months later, but we’ll see how we go 😊

First, Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell. I really enjoyed this storywith its emotionally resonant family life and its insistence on the value or older ways of knowing at the cusp of modernity. My enjoyment was deepened for the way it also widens a story I had already come to enjoy, Shakespeare’s life

a cartoon of a boy reading a book surrounded by books . Alt: a cartoon of a boy reading a book surrounded by books

Over on the other place, on the model of @kelittlejohn.bsky.social, I used to do a yearly book thread. I gave it up this year as that became a pretty useless site for interactions. Going to give it a go here and see what happens…

Australian authors & illustrators - Macquarie Uni is researching authorship and generative AI; this survey is short and will help the researchers, if you're inclined to take part.

Thank you! Look forward to hearing your thoughts when you’ve had a chance to have a proper look

Ping @mesterman.bsky.social @poppyshel.bsky.social

Australian students need digital equity guarantee to avoid widening digital divide A new report calls for policymakers to address data and design inequities in digital tools to ensure all students can access and benefit from the highest quality edtech.

First proper post here:

I’m sharing a report released today from Leslie Loble and Kelly Stephens: ‘Securing digital equity in Australian education,’ which we at the Paul Ramsay Foundation have been pleased to support.

Would love to hear thoughts!

www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/news-resourc...

It has been a while! Very glad to see your name pop up here, too

Looks very interesting! I’ll have to look it up. Thanks for sharing, and hope you’re doing well

Looks super interesting, Kate! Is it Australian?