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Cafe providing free meals to families faces shutdown

<p>Kirsty Parkes spends a lot of her time providing food and clothes to those in need amid the cost-of-living crisis by running a community cafe. </p> <p>But now, her beloved cafe may close if she doesn't receive urgent financial help. </p> <p>"We need to pay our bills in order to keep this going and if we don't pay our bills, people don't eat," Parkes, who has a big family of her own, told <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>Community Cafe in Sydney's south-west became a safe haven for dozens of men, women and children, with over 100 people showing up every day. </p> <p>The cafe is a place where people can get food, clothes and toiletries for free, as well as connect with others. </p> <p>"We want to help people restore their value and restore their dignity," Parkes said.</p> <p>"Our currency is just a little bit different. So instead of using money, we use manners. Because manners and kindness are free."</p> <p>However, with an increase in costs and a lack of donations, the beloved cafe may soon be forced to close. </p> <p>"Whether there's a rate rise, whether there's a petrol hike, all of these little things affect us tremendously and affect the numbers here," she said.</p> <p>"We need to come up with some funds really desperately before then just to keep us open," she added. </p> <p>She said that at this stage they require "around about $20,000. Our electricity bill alone is almost $10,000."</p> <p>She added that  Cabravale Diggers, who have been paying the cafe's rent, and Liverpool City Council, who have also been providing financial assistance, can't continue to hold responsibility for all of the bills. </p> <p>"We've had fantastic sponsorship, we have fantastic people that back us ... but they can't carry the burden of this," Parkes said.</p> <p>"This is something that the whole community needs to get behind and support."</p> <p>The cafe provides invaluable support for customers like Ted and Lola, who find it hard to find a similar community. </p> <p>"I go to church. Not even a church will help me," Lola said.</p> <p>"These people - I don't even know them and out of nowhere they're taking rich and poor, whoever turns up."</p> <p>"It's hard living on a pension. It's very hard," Ted added. </p> <p>Parkes added that as things are starting to run out, she has had to impose rations, which has been difficult for her. </p> <p>"We've had to then turn around and say 'look today, sorry we can only give you two loaves of bread because we just don't have enough for everyone that's going to come through the door'," Parkes said.</p> <p>"That stuff breaks my heart. It absolutely kills me because people are hungry."</p> <p>From Friday, customers may have to be turned away.</p> <p>"It's terrible. How can we close? We see over 120 people a day. It's terrible," one of the volunteers at the community cafe said. </p> <p>"The community needs it. We can't close. We absolutely cannot close."</p> <p> Those who would like to help the cafe stay open have been encouraged to visit their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Communitycafe.inc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook page</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p>

Caring

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Cafe targeted online for charging customer a "heating fee"

<p>A cafe in Melbourne has copped a wave of backlash online after allegedly charging a customer to heat up his muffin for breakfast. </p> <p>The disgruntled diner took to Facebook to complain about the extra fee on his $7 muffin at the cafe and claimed the first he knew of it was when he saw it on his receipt.</p> <p>His post went viral with hundreds of people slamming café etiquette and urging him to go to the ACCC.</p> <p>"A f***ing dollar to heat my muffin? It's cr*p like this that just makes you shake your head and question where it is all going," the customer wrote in his original post.</p> <p>The cafe has since hit back at the post, and the angry customer who wrote it, saying the extra charge had been an error despite Heat Standard $1.00 being written on the receipt.</p> <p>They also said the customer could have simply solved the issue in person rather than blasting them online.</p> <p>"We do not nor have we ever charged for any heating of our wonderful baked treats," the café spokesperson told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/real-life/article-13465591/Melbourne-cafe-targeted-angry-mob-charging-1-heating-fee-muffin-Aussies-reveal-hidden-charges-theyve-hit-amid-cost-living-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Daily Mail Australia</em></a>.</p> <p>"Unfortunately this has become a mountain of an issue that could have easily been resolved without a lynch mob caused by negligence at the hands of an influential keyboard warrior who ironically sells the idea of spiritual life practices and being grounded yet flipped out over a muffin."</p> <p>The original post racked up more than 870 comments before it was deleted, and more than 1,000 reactions.</p> <p>Some of those who saw it went on to slam the cafe by sending them threatening messages, commenting on posts on Instagram and calling their business phone to hurl abuse. </p> <p>"It's a sad world when a local cafe that aims for nothing more then customer satisfaction and community values to be upheld gets threatening messages from rogue vigilantes about wanting to see us go out of business over a muffin being prepared and served to quality standards," the cafe owners said.</p> <p>The cafe responded to the growing backlash online by announcing their muffins would be free on Tuesday.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font" style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; min-height: 0px;"><em>Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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How to write creative non-fiction history

<p><em>Discovering an old photo album from the 1920s, celebrated author and adjunct professor <strong>Paul Ashton</strong> embarked on a journey to turn historical research into engaging creative non-fiction, blending meticulous evidence with captivating storytelling. Here he shares he insights on the fascinating process. </em></p> <p>One afternoon my elderly father and niece came to my home for lunch. On their way they had seen something on a council clean up. ‘We thought you might be interested in this,’ said my father handing me a small, brown photo album. I was.</p> <p>The album contained around 100 undated black and white photographs. It became apparent quickly that this was the record of a road trip done in the 1920s or 1930s. A boy, two women and a man had gone on a trip from Sydney up through New England, to Tamworth then to Brisbane and back to Sydney. Shadows in some of the images indicate that they were taken by the man and at least one of the women. The album provided the basis for my first children’s book, Palmer’s Mystery Hikes.</p> <p>One photograph stood out for me. Hundreds of people were gathered somewhere in the bush. In the far left-hand corner in the background was an elevated table covered with a large white tablecloth. With a magnifying glass I could just make out ‘Palmers [something] Hike’. In 1932 Palmer’s men and boys’ department store, in Park Street in Sydney, had established a hiking club to promote the sale of hiking apparel. You bought a ‘mystery’ ticket from New South Wales Railways with which Palmer had an arrangement; turned up at Central Station on Sunday morning; and were taken to a mystery destination. From there you did a ten-mile hike to another station and were then trained back to Sydney. There were five hikes. The third one to the Hawkesbury River attracted over 8,000 people.</p> <p>Turning historical research into believable fiction or creative non-fiction has certain demands. How do you strike a balance between historical research and evidence and the narrative form? This is a big question and will ultimately depend on many things, including the availability of primary and secondary sources and the nature of the particular narrative. But perhaps the most important question is: how do writers use the past to give their work historical dimensions and insights?</p> <p>For me, the most critical element is context. And it’s the thing most missing in much historically based fictional literature. Evoking people, places and periods involves understandings of things such as continuity and change over time, historical process – like colonisation and suburbanisation – ideologies and superstitions. Where appropriate, these should form subtle backgrounds to the narrative. Fiction and creative non-fiction as historical modes of presenting history should also show – not tell.</p> <p>My edited collection, If It’s not True It Should Be (Halstead Press), explores writing history using fictional techniques. As Peter Stanley has written in that book, ‘those who seek to illuminate the past through the imaginative recreation of historical fiction … [are] motivated by the fundamental conviction that what links the fidelity of the historian and the imagination of the historical novelist is that the work of both should be offered and read as if it were true.’</p> <p><em>ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />Paul Ashton is adjunct professor and co-founder of the Australian Centre for Public History at the University of Technology Sydney and adjunct professor at the University of Canberra and Macquarie University. He has authored, co-authored, edited and co-edited over 40 books and is editor of the journal Public History Review. His series of creative non-fiction children’s histories – Accidental Histories – is being published by Halstead Press.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Books

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Think $5.50 is too much for a flat white? Actually it’s too cheap, and our world-famous cafes are paying the price

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-felton-143029">Emma Felton</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians <a href="https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/news/what-australians-wont-give-up-cost-of-living-crisis-report/">won’t sacrifice</a> – their daily cup of coffee.</p> <p>Coffee sales have largely <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/866543/australia-domestic-consumption-of-coffee/">remained stable</a>, even as financial pressures have bitten over the past few years.</p> <p>So too have prices. Though many of us became upset when prices began to creep up last year, they’ve since largely settled in the range between $4.00 and $5.50 for a basic drink.</p> <p>But this could soon have to change. By international standards, Australian coffee prices are low.</p> <p>No one wants to pay more for essentials, least of all right now. But our independent cafes are struggling.</p> <p>By not valuing coffee properly, we risk losing the <a href="https://bizcup.com.au/australian-coffee-culture/">internationally renowned</a> coffee culture we’ve worked so hard to create, and the phenomenal quality of cup we enjoy.</p> <h2>Coffee is relatively cheap in Australia</h2> <p>Our recent survey of Australian capital cities found the average price of a small takeaway flat white at speciality venues is A$4.78.</p> <p>But in <a href="https://pabloandrustys.com.au/blogs/drinkbettercoffee/global-coffee-prices">some international capitals</a>, it’s almost double this, even after adjusting for local <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/updates/purchasing-power-parity-ppp/">purchasing power parity</a>.</p> <p><iframe id="gaplH" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/gaplH/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>In London, a small flat white costs about A$6.96. Singapore, A$8.42. In Athens, as much as A$9.95.</p> <h2>The cafe business is getting harder</h2> <p>Over the past few decades, coffee prices haven’t kept pace with input costs. In the early 2000s, after wages, food costs, utilities and rent, many cafes <a href="https://www.coffeecommune.com.au/blog-why-are-cafes-so-expensive/">earned healthy profit margins</a> as high as 20%.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/industry/cafes-coffee-shops/2015/">most recent data from IBISWorld</a> show that while Australian cafe net profits have recovered from a drop in 2020, at 7.6%, they remain much lower than the Australian <a href="https://www.money.com.au/research/australian-business-statistics">average business profit margin of 13.3%</a>.</p> <p>For an independent owner operating a cafe with the <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/au/industry/cafes-coffee-shops/2015/">average turnover of A$300,000</a>, this would amount to a meagre A$22,800 annual net profit after all the bills are paid.</p> <h2>What goes into a cup?</h2> <p>Just looking at the cost of raw inputs – milk, beans, a cup and a lid – might make the margin seem lucrative. But they don’t paint the whole picture.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/584949/original/file-20240328-24-rlngpk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A takeaway coffee cup showing the price inputs, with wages and operation costs making up over 65% of the cost of a coffee" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Chart: The Conversation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://pabloandrustys.com.au/blogs/drinkbettercoffee/whats-in-the-cost-of-coffee">Data: Pablo and Rusty's Coffee Roasters</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Over the past few years, renting the building, keeping the lights on and paying staff have all become <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/ground-down-australia-coffee-shops-an-early-inflation-casualty-2023-07-10/">much bigger factors</a> in the equation for coffee shop owners, and many of these pressures aren’t easing.</p> <p><strong>1. Green coffee price</strong></p> <p>Increasingly <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/environment/brewing-crisis-how-climate-change-is-reshaping-coffee-production/3113886">subject to the effects</a> of climate change, the baseline commodity price of green (unroasted) coffee is <a href="https://perfectdailygrind.com/2024/02/demand-for-robusta-prices-record-high/">going up</a>.</p> <p>Arabica – the higher quality bean you’re most likely drinking at specialty cafes – is a more expensive raw product. Despite levelling off from post-pandemic highs, its price is still trending up. In 2018, it <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/675807/average-prices-arabica-and-robusta-coffee-worldwide/">sold</a> for US$2.93 per kilogram, which is projected to increase to US$4.38 dollars in 2025.</p> <p>Robusta coffee is cheaper, and is the type <a href="https://www.lavazza.com.au/en/coffee-secrets/difference-type-arabica-robusta-coffee">typically used to make instant coffee</a>. But serious drought in Vietnam has just pushed the price of robusta to an <a href="https://www.barchart.com/story/news/25094367/coffee-rallies-with-robusta-at-a-record-high-on-shrinking-coffee-output-in-vietnam">all-time high</a>, putting pressure on the cost of coffee more broadly.</p> <p><strong>2. Milk prices</strong></p> <p>The price of fresh milk has risen by <a href="https://cdn-prod.dairyaustralia.com.au/-/media/project/dairy-australia-sites/national-home/resources/reports/situation-and-outlook/situation-and-outlook-report-march-2024.pdf?rev=b0222df4b01b40d0ae36cf8ac7b01bc0">more than 20%</a> over the past two years, and remains at a peak. This has put sustained cost pressure on the production of our <a href="https://gitnux.org/australian-coffee-consumption-statistics/#:%7E:text=Coffee%20is%20a%20beloved%20beverage,approximately%206%20billion%20cups%20annually.">most popular drink orders</a>: cappuccinos and flat whites.</p> <p><strong>3. Wages and utilities</strong></p> <p>Over the past year, Australian wages have grown at their <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/media-releases/real-wages-growth-back">fastest rate</a> since 2009, which is welcome news for cafe staff, but tough on operators in a sector with low margins.</p> <p>Electricity prices remain elevated after significant inflation, but could <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heres-how-much-your-energy-bills-might-go-down-by-and-when/k8g00jheg">begin to fall mid-year</a>.</p> <h2>Specialty vs. commodity coffee: why price expectations create an industry divide</h2> <p>One of the key factors keeping prices low in Australia is consumer expectation.</p> <p>For many people coffee is a fundamental part of everyday life, a marker of livability. Unlike wine or other alcohol, coffee is not considered a luxury or even a treat, where one might expect to pay a little more, or reduce consumption when times are economically tough. We anchor on familiar prices.</p> <p><iframe id="oDbah" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/oDbah/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>Because of this, it really hurts cafe owners to put their prices up. In touch with their customer base almost every day, they’re acutely aware of how much inflation can hurt.</p> <p>But in Australia, a huge proportion of coffee companies are also passionate about creating a world-class product by only using “<a href="https://medium.com/@samandsunrise/why-is-specialty-coffee-so-expensive-6cf298935e4b#:%7E:text=Specialty%20Shops%20Feature%20High%20Grade%20Coffees&amp;text=Their%20coffees%20are%20hand%2Dpicked,even%20on%20the%20same%20tree.">specialty coffee</a>”. Ranked at least 80 on a quality scale, specialty beans cost significant more than commodity grade, but their production offers better working conditions for farmers and encourages more sustainable growing practices.</p> <p>Although not commensurate with the wine industry, there are similarities. Single origin, high quality beans are often sourced from one farm and demand higher prices than commodity grade coffee, where cheaper sourced beans are often combined in a blend.</p> <p>Running a specialty cafe can also mean roasting your own beans, which requires a big investment in expertise and equipment.</p> <p>It’s an obvious example of doing the right thing by your suppliers and customers. But specialty cafes face much higher operating costs, and when they’re next to a commodity-grade competitor, customers are typically unwillingly to pay the difference.</p> <h2>Approach price rises with curiosity, not defensiveness</h2> <p>When cafe owners put up their prices, we often rush to accuse them of selfishness or profiteering. But they’re often just trying to survive.</p> <p>Given the quality of our coffee and its global reputation, it shouldn’t surprise us if we’re soon asked to pay a little bit more for our daily brew.</p> <p>If we are, we should afford the people who create one of our most important “<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-cafes-bars-gyms-barbershops-and-other-third-places-create-our-social-fabric-135530">third spaces</a>” kindness and curiosity as to why. <!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226015/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-felton-143029"><em>Emma Felton</em></a><em>, Adjunct Senior Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/think-5-50-is-too-much-for-a-flat-white-actually-its-too-cheap-and-our-world-famous-cafes-are-paying-the-price-226015">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Young musician dies weeks after writing final song

<p>Cat Janice has died aged 31 with her family by her side.</p> <p>The young musician, who had a large following on TikTok, had been battling cancer since January 2022 when doctors diagnosed her with sarcoma, a rare malignant tumour. </p> <p>She was declared cancer-free on July 22 that same year, following extensive surgery, chemo and radiation therapy. </p> <p>The mum-of-one was sadly re-diagnosed with cancer in June last year and despite fighting hard in the second round of her treatments, Janice told fans in January that her cancer "won" and that she "fought hard but sarcomas are too tough".</p> <p>Janice's family have announced her passing in a statement shared to her Instagram. </p> <p>"From her childhood home and surrounded by her loving family, Catherine peacefully entered the light and love of her heavenly creator," they said. </p> <p>"We are eternally thankful for the outpouring of love that Catherine and our family have received over the past few months."</p> <p>Before she died, Janice publicly announced that all her music would be signed over to her 7-year-old son, Loren, to support him in the future. </p> <p>Just weeks before her death, she released her final song <em>Dance You Outta My Head </em> in the hope it would spread "joy and fun". </p> <p>"My last joy would be if you pre saved my song 'Dance You Outta My Head' and streamed it because all proceeds go straight to my 7-year-old boy I'm leaving behind," she said, before the song was released. </p> <p>The song went viral, and took he number one spot in several countries and the number five spot on the Apple Itunes globally.</p> <p>Her family have said that the love she received for her final song, was unbelievable parting gift she could have ever received.</p> <p>"Cat saw her music go places she never expected and rests in the peace of knowing that she will continue to provide for her son through her music. This would not have been possible without all of you."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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How to write a memoir

<p><strong>How to start a memoir</strong></p> <p><em>My Story </em>by Russell Durling is my 85-year-old father’s account of the highlights of his life. He is writing and editing it, by hand, in several notepads I gave him as a Christmas gift to encourage the memoir project he had talked about for years.</p> <p>In it, my dad shares stories of summer jobs when he was a teenager, breaking up log jams on the Saint John River near his hometown of Meductic, New Brunswick. He’d move from log to floating log to reach shore again safely – and he loved every minute of this adventure, even when he’d land in the water.</p> <p>Reading an early draft, I learned new details of his history, like how when they were children, his cousin Clara had a pet crow. He also wrote about lessons learned from his Royal Canadian Mounted Police career, which was spent mostly in Nova Scotia, and shared insights about how to retire well. Pro tip from my father: to add a decade to your life, ditch the city (if you can).</p> <p>This memoir will be a treasure for our family, and I’m glad my father was finally able to start writing it, after spending a long time talking about wanting to. And I get it. Writing your life story can feel like a daunting project. But it’s worth it, both to the writer and their potential readers. If you’re having a hard time putting pen to paper, here’s advice on how to start a memoir.</p> <p><strong>First, ask yourself why you're writing a memoir </strong></p> <p>Esmeralda Cabral is a writer who works with people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves writers through her workshop, <em>Writing Your Life</em>. Often, she helps people create written treasures for their families, and sometimes they’re writing just for themselves. To her, and those she teaches, memoir writing can be a way of remembering and reflecting on experiences both positive and negative.</p> <p>“There is a clarity that comes when you put something down on paper,” says Cabral. “Remembering and writing helps us make sense of things. If you don’t write it down or tell it, it’s lost. And that’s a shame.”</p> <p>Begin by jotting down your reasons for writing your story. You could summarise those reasons on a Post-It and stick it on your fridge as an encouraging reminder to stay motivated. After all, there are many good reasons to write: to remember and reflect on your past, to capture your adventures, to share life lessons with family and friends, or maybe even to be published. Consider sharing your plan with a friend or family member who can check in and cheer your progress.</p> <p><strong>Where to start</strong></p> <p>You don’t have to start a memoir with day one. In fact, as much as your future readers love you, they may find that approach less than gripping.</p> <p>In her workshops, Cabral helps people to start a memoir by using a photo that is meaningful to them. She asks them to imagine sitting down with a good friend and telling them the story behind it. Or begin your writing with an event or story you are particularly interested in sharing. What grabs you as a big moment? Select a vivid memory and start there.</p> <p>“Plug your nose and jump in and write down all your memories as truthfully as you can,” summarises New York Times bestselling author Anne Lamott in <em>Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life</em>. Maybe start with a birthday party you remember, or your first-grade classroom. Try writing at the same time every day, so you can build a routine that will keep you putting words on the page.</p> <p><strong>Write what you want </strong></p> <p>In every life, there is light and shadow, joy and grief. If you are hesitant to write your memoir because you have difficult stories that might hurt others, there is a solution. First, “You don’t have to write about everything,” says Cabral. “It’s okay to have secrets that go with you to the grave.”</p> <p>Simply knowing you have the freedom to not go to the darkest of places in your writing can lift you over those psychological hurdles of hesitation. However, writing often takes on a life of its own. If you find yourself standing outside a door you had marked as “Do Not Enter,” consider Cabral’s advice: “Write about the hard things as if the person you are writing about is reading it. Be as kind as you can. Leave them with dignity.”</p> <p><strong>Who is your audience?</strong></p> <p>If you’re writing for your eyes only, as a kind of personal therapy, then you may be purposely opening doors and exploring what’s on the other side. That’s okay, too. You are creating a treasure for yourself, and that can be very healthy.</p> <p>Besides, whether the writing is for you or for others, you can always hit the delete button or visit the paper shredder later, if you wish. For now, just get it down.</p> <p><strong>Stop yourself from sticking to rules</strong></p> <p>Avoid letting worries over style or structure stop you from writing. If you care enough about grammar, you can ask someone you trust to read it over later on, or even hire a freelance editor if you’re really fretting over verb tenses. Remember, perfection in writing is not your goal.</p> <p><strong>Readers are interested</strong></p> <p>Writers also might hesitate to share stories because they fear they are boring. “I hear a lot of people say, ‘Oh no, that wouldn’t be interesting to anyone but me,’” says Cabral. But our life stories are of interest to others, whether they feel ordinary to us or if they really are extraordinary. They remind us we are all in this together.</p> <p>Writer Pauline Dakin, author of the award-winning 2017 memoir <em>Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood</em>, was surprised how much the unusual story of her childhood on the run connected with readers. She’s since heard from hundreds of people. “They often begin by saying, ‘My family wasn’t nearly as crazy as yours, but…,’” she says. “They are relieved to hear my story. It makes them feel they are not alone.”</p> <p>We are all far more interesting than we know, she adds. It’s just a matter of believing we have a story to tell.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/uncategorized/how-to-write-a-memoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Books

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Why you should encourage your grandchildren to write stories

<p>In an article published in <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41405103" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Language Arts</em></strong></span></a>, educators who were interested in encouraging children to write were asked why it was important for children to be encouraged to write. Their reasons were varied and interesting, and worth considering for anyone who has a young child in their life – let’s take a look at some:</p> <p><strong>1. To entertain</strong></p> <p>As humans, we tell stories for many reasons, but perhaps the foremost reason is that we want to entertain one another. By encouraging children to write their own stories, they can discover what entertains them, as well as what entertains others – well-told, engaging stories.</p> <p><strong>2. To stimulate the imagination</strong></p> <p>By creating from nothing a story full of characters and original plots, a child’s imagination grows and develops.</p> <p><strong>3. To search for identity</strong></p> <p>When children write their own stories, they can use the conflict and characters to take their first steps on their search for identity. The power simple stories can have on a child’s self-development is remarkable.</p> <p><strong>4. To improve reading and writing skills</strong></p> <p>Children need to read and write, so we may as well find a way to make it more interesting for them. Not only will writing help kids learn how to read, it can also help them understand literary devices (suspense, twist, dramatic irony, etc.), and grammatical structures.</p> <p>Now that we’ve explored some of the reasons creativity in writing in our kids, let’s find some ways to help get them started:</p> <p><strong>5. Inspiration exploration</strong></p> <p>When you’re spending time with your grandchildren, make a game out of looking for fun story inspirations. Interesting newspaper headlines, a unique-looking house, a colouring-in book. You could even keep a box full of story inspirations to explore together with your grandchildren.</p> <p><strong>6. Unblank the page</strong></p> <p>Anyone who has ever sat down to write knows there’s nothing more intimidating than a blank page. To help kids out, try giving them the opening line to a story. You can create these yourself, find a list of opening lines on the internet, or even borrow the opening line of a book on your own shelf.</p> <p><strong>7. Work all of the mind</strong></p> <p>If you find that your grandchildren have difficulty focusing on just words, encourage them to explore other aspects of their own creativity by using visuals. Storyboards, illustrations, or even writing the story as a comic book can help stimulate storytelling.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Kochie breaks silence on Lindt Café siege terror

<p>David ‘Kochie’ Koch spared no emotion as he spoke for the first time about how he was tracked down and whisked to safety by police on the day of the Lindt Café siege.</p> <p>The veteran TV presenter reflected on the crippling ordeal during an interview with M’s <em>Rush Hour with Leisel Jones, Liam and Dobbo</em>, which was secured by <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>“I’ve never talked about it,” Koch revealed when asked about the devastating events of December 15, 2014. “It had a massive impact on both Nat (Natalie Barr) and I.</p> <p>“The bloke involved in that (Man Haron Monis) was on our security watch list because he’d tried to get to me a few times,” Koch told the Triple M hosts.</p> <p>Six years before the siege, Monis had approached Koch and other <em>Sunrise</em> presenters as they chatted with fans outside the Martin Place studios.</p> <p>Monis was unhappy with a segment that had aired on the show and he allegedly accused the hosts of being “terrorists” before he was taken away by security.</p> <p>On the morning of the siege, Koch left the Channel 7 studios after <em>Sunrise</em> was over and went to a gym three blocks away.</p> <p>He was working out with a friend when the news of the hostage situation first broke.</p> <p>“I remember I got a call … (saying) ‘can I come to (the gym’s) reception,’” Koch shared.</p> <p>On the other end of the phone was the police, who were concerned that the TV presenter could be one of Monis’ targets.</p> <p>According to Koch, the police told him, “We’re coming to pick you up, take you home, you stay there until we tell you.’”</p> <p>Koch said the events that unfolded “had a massive impact” on him and led him to take his security much more seriously.</p> <p>“I have a car that I haven’t driven since because the police said it’s too distinctive,” he said.</p> <p>During the interview, Rush Hour co-host and Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones revealed she was very closely caught up in the terror attack, which claimed the lives of café manager Tori Johnson and lawyer Katrina Dawson.</p> <p>“I was actually supposed to be in the Lindt Cafe,” Jones, who was working at the nearby Westpac building at time, shared. “(But) I didn’t want hot chocolate, I chose coffee.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Cafe owner responds to extortionate avocado drama

<p dir="ltr">A Sydney cafe has responded after being slammed for their $10.90 side of avocado.</p> <p dir="ltr">Little Jack Horner, situated right in front of Coogee Beach, also charges $11.90 for halloumi and $9.90 for a side of bacon, all of which are meant to be shared.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cafe owner BJ McHatton spoke to <em>9Honey</em> about the avocado side dish that made waves.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The smashed avocado is portioned at almost one and a half avocados, as well as containing other ingredients to make it a dish, not just an avocado in a bowl," he said of the dish. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The price of avocados does fluctuate, two months ago we were paying double what we are today," he said, adding that the venue works with local providers who go to the market daily to provide them with quality produce.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Of course, this comes at a higher cost that allows us to have a quality offering for our customers.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He pointed out that this is the first price increase in 10 years, with "the hospitality industry as a whole all the way from the suppliers to the actual venues himself have seen prices explode over the last 12 months.”</p> <p dir="ltr">McHatton added that the cafe is in a prime location, with live music five nights a week, 160 indoor plants that are professionally cared for, and their efforts to support local teams, clubs, schools and charities all contribute to their prices.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously, running a business of this size, and in this destination has a lot of associated expenses. All of this has to be taken into account when we set prices for our products.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite increased media coverage, McHatton says they haven’t received any backlash.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Obviously being on a few radio stations and covered by a few news stations it has generated some interest on those stories. However, after reading the comments, most of them are supportive. Most people genuinely seem to understand how hard running a business is the associated cost to come with running a business," he told <em>9Honey</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, he expressed disappointment at the Google reviews that were allegedly left overnight by people who had never been to the cafe.</p> <p dir="ltr">"[It's] disappointing that people will go to the trouble of leaving a review having never actually experienced the venue. If anyone has ever been to our place, they know it's a lot more about an experience, which includes the food than just the food and the price," McHatton said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other reviewers have dubbed the food “grossly overpriced”, with one reviewer revealing their Easter lunch of two breakfasts and fruit juice was almost $100. Another added that the prices were "pushing close to that of what you would expect for dinner," though they did say the food "was great".</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-58292ee2-7fff-ec9e-cede-50a6da2915f7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Food & Wine

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“Coffee that makes people cry”: Sydney cafe charges $1500 for a single brew

<p>For most people, forking out $5 for a cup of coffee is to be expected, even threatening a daily budget in the midst of Australia’s cost of living crisis. </p> <p>But for one Western Sydney cafe and its wealthier clientele, that $5 has shot to $1500. </p> <p>Penrith’s Brew Lab Cafe is the place to be for coffee lovers seeking Australia’s “rarest coffee” in a unique after-hours experience that’s available by appointment only. </p> <p>As for why the beans set customers back so much, they’re apparently found growing at the base of a Panamanian volcano that’s 1700 metres above sea level, rating well above a 90 - which apparently signifies that they’re some of the best when it comes to coffee beans.</p> <p>And to top it all off, they fly first class. </p> <p>There’s a precise formula behind brewing the coffee, too, with pre-dampened filter paper, water boiled to 94 degrees, and carefully timed “pour over” sessions. It’s intended to be served black, with no additional sweeteners or flavours. </p> <p>“We order it once the customer has,” the cafe’s owner and barista Mitch Johnson told <em>9News</em>. “We then get in contact with the guys in Panama, they’ll roast the order individually, and then they’ll send it over on their private jet.”</p> <p>However, for those hoping for a hit of coffee flavour from their brew, they may find themselves a little disappointed. </p> <p>As Johnson explained, “most people when they drink it, say their first impression is that it's more like a tea than a coffee.”</p> <p>Unsurprisingly, they don’t see an awful lot of people flocking in to hand over $1500, but apparently do get “quite a few coming in once a week to try our $100 or $200 coffees.</p> <p>"It's not rare for us at all. There is an underground coffee scene in Sydney that is actively pursuing exotic brews such as this.”</p> <p>When speaking to <em>The Daily Telegraph</em> about their offering, Johnson added that it wasn’t just about the coffee itself, noting that “this is an after-hours experience, only served one-on-one where we close the doors and talk the person through the process.</p> <p>“This particular coffee, you drink it as it cools down and the flavours change and evolve, giving way to tastes of peach, strawberry, lemonade, rose and juniper.</p> <p>“It’s an exceptional coffee, the kind of coffee that makes people cry, I know that sounds crazy but it’s happened, it’s brought them to tears.”</p> <p><em>Images: 9News / Nine</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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“It's like they hate customers”: Restaurant surcharge ignites the internet

<p>It’s a common experience to look at a restaurant’s menu and find hidden charges laying in the fine print - from service fees to split bill and public holiday costs, it can feel like surcharges are everywhere.</p> <p>And while it’s legal for such establishments to expect as much from their customers, particularly when it comes to public holidays, one particular cafe has ignited a debate over what’s actually reasonable when it comes to such surcharges. </p> <p>An exasperated customer launched the conversation when they <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/134a652/how_much_is_too_much_for_a_public_holiday/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted to Reddit</a>, sharing an image of a menu they’d encountered while dining out in Brisbane, and the 25 per cent surcharge attached to it.</p> <p>“How much is too much for a public holiday surcharge?” they asked, before expanding with “what’s a fair go surcharge for a struggling business owner these days?”</p> <p>The comments flooded in from there, and one thing became clear: 25 per cent was well above what many were willing to pay, unless they could guarantee the extra fees were going directly into the wallets of the staff.</p> <p>One got right to the point when they declared, “25% = I eat elsewhere.”</p> <p>“I can understand [a] public holiday surcharge for 10% or 15%,” another said, “but isn't [it] that [being] open on public holidays often attracts much more business than usual, giving the restaurant an advantage such as higher cash flow?”</p> <p>“10% is fair, 25% is robbery,” one agreed. </p> <p>However, not all were of the opinion that walking away from such a cost was the only option, instead noting that “if I go out on a public holiday I am prepared for it to be exxy, I wouldn't have an issue with 25%.”</p> <p>And for some, the public holiday fee wasn’t the issue. Their problem? The extra 7% just to split a bill. </p> <p>“Even if I'm not split billing, f**k any place that charges extra for split billing, ESPECIALLY 7%,” one complained. “JFC, how are people not more upset about that part?”</p> <p>“25% is outrageous, as is 7% for splitting bills. It's like they hate customers,” said one. </p> <p>Another had a few questions about it, writing “that's higher than normal, but why is there a 7% surcharge for splitting the bill? It takes like an extra 30 seconds tops.”</p> <p>“Because people want it, and if they want anything you find a way to charge for it, even if it costs literally nothing,” came the reply. “Gotta get that hustle … Then they wonder why no-one comes back.”</p> <p>Unfortunately for the Redditors, restaurants and cafes in Australia have the freedom to set whatever surcharges they see fit as long as they don’t try to hide them on their menus. </p> <p>As the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has declared, “restaurants, cafes and bistros that charge a surcharge on certain days do not need to provide a separate menu or price list or have a separate price column with the surcharge factored in.</p> <p>“However, the menu must include the words ‘a surcharge of [percentage] applies on [the specified day or days]’ and these words must be displayed at least as prominently as the most prominent price on the menu. </p> <p>“If the menu does not have prices listed, these words must be displayed in a way that is conspicuous and visible to a reader. These measures apply to pricing for both food and beverages.”</p> <p><em>Images: Reddit</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Chatbots set their sights on writing romance

<p>Although most would expect artificial intelligence to keep to the science fiction realm, authors are facing mounting fears that they may soon have new competition in publishing, particularly as the sales of romantic fiction continue to skyrocket. </p> <p>And for bestselling author Julia Quinn, best known for writing the <em>Bridgerton </em>novel series, there’s hope that “that’s something that an AI bot can’t quite do.” </p> <p>For one, human inspiration is hard to replicate. Julia’s hit series - which went on to have over 20 million books printed in the United States alone, and inspired one of Netflix’s most-watched shows - came from one specific point: Julia’s idea of a particular duke. </p> <p>“Definitely the character of Simon came first,” Julia told <em>BBC</em> reporter Jill Martin Wrenn. Simon, in the <em>Bridgerton </em>series, is the Duke of Hastings, a “tortured character” with a troubled past.</p> <p>As Julia explained, she realised that Simon needed “to fall in love with somebody who comes from the exact opposite background” in a tale as old as time. </p> <p>And so, Julia came up with the Bridgerton family, who she described as being “the best family ever that you could imagine in that time period”. Meanwhile, Simon is estranged from his own father. </p> <p>Characterisation and unique relationship dynamics - platonic and otherwise - like those between Julia’s beloved characters are some of the key foundations behind any successful story, but particularly in the romance genre, where relationships are the entire driving force. </p> <p>It has long been suggested that the genre can become ‘formulaic’ if not executed well, and it’s this concern that prompts the idea that advancing artificial intelligence may have the capability to generate its own novel. </p> <p>ChatGPT is the primary problem point. The advanced language processing technology was developed by OpenAI and was trained using the likes of internet databases (such as Wikipedia), books, magazines, and the likes. The <em>BBC</em> reported that over 300 billion words were put into it. </p> <p>Because of this massive store of source material, the system can generate its own writing pieces, with the best of the bunch giving the impression that they were put together by a human mind. Across the areas of both fiction and non-fiction, it’s always learning. </p> <p>However, Julia isn’t too worried about her future in fiction just yet. Recalling how she’d checked out some AI romance a while ago, and how she’d found it “terrible”, she shared her belief at the time that there “could never be a good one.” </p> <p>But then the likes of ChatGPT entered the equation, and Julia admitted that “it makes me kind of queasy.” </p> <p>Still, she remains firm in her belief that human art will triumph. As she explained, “so much in fiction is about the writer’s voice, and I’d like to think that’s something that an AI bot can’t quite do.”</p> <p>And as for why romantic fiction itself remains so popular - and perhaps even why it draws the attention of those hoping to profit from AI generated work - she said that it’s about happy endings, noting that “there is something comforting and validating in a type of literature that values happiness as a worthy goal.”</p> <p><em>Images: @bridgertonnetflix / Instagram</em></p>

Books

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"Writing songs is my therapy": Ed Sheeran reveals further heartbreak

<p>In the wake of the tragic news of the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tragedy-strikes-ed-sheeran-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heartbreaking loss</a> suffered by his co-writer and touring partner, Ed Sheeran has taken to Instagram to share his struggle following a series of life-changing events – and how this has altered the course of his new album, Subtract.</p> <p>The singer shared how he “spiralled” into depression last year after his wife, Cherry, was diagnosed with a tumour during her second pregnancy, which couldn’t be treated until after she gave birth.</p> <p>The star explained that he was "trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album" for almost a decade, when the series of events changed everything.</p> <p>“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out.</p> <p>“And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts," he captioned.</p> <p>“Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth.</p> <p>“My best friend Jamal [Edwards], a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety.</p> <p>“I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air".</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPY7qyI6XB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpPY7qyI6XB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The four-time Grammy award winner shared that this album was a "trapdoor" into his soul, and a way for him to make sense of everything he's been through.</p> <p>Sheeran announced the birth of his second daughter, Jupiter, in May of last year.</p> <p>Subtract will be released on the 5th of May 2023, through Asylum/Atlantic.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Pugs and kisses! New London cafe takes the pug world by storm

<p>London has welcomed its very first pug-themed cafe, right in time for Christmas.</p> <p>Adorably dubbed "CuppaPug", seven rescued pugs have been dressed up in an array of cute outfits by the cafe owners, giving customers and super pug fans the chance to spend hours with the beautiful and chunky pups.</p> <p>If that wasn’t enticing enough, you can play with the puggies and give them plenty of cuddles while they’re dressed like Santa and his helpers.</p> <p>The cafe's motto is "pugs' welfare first, café second" and is home to seven resident pugs in descending age. Gaston is the oldest at six years of age, followed by, Bruce, Bowser, Beau, Gizmo, Bebe and finally Baloo – who is just six months old at the time of writing.</p> <p>Co-owner of the cafe, Aaron says that: "Pugmas is so special to us here at CuppaPug!</p> <p>“For Matt and I, "Pugmas" is about bringing festive joy and pugs to people really needing a strong dose of Christmas fun.</p> <p>“We are Christmas-themed with a pink Christmas Santa, pink Christmas trees, lights and decorations and, of course, the pugs in their little Santa outfits.</p> <p>"People walk back from work with a miserable face but once they see the pugs playing, it makes them stop in their tracks and smile, usually taking a heap of photos too. A lot of kids who visit tell us it's the best day of their lives!</p> <p>"The pugs are so well behaved with children and parents often bring children who've had bad experiences with dogs to try to overcome it. Reactions from customers are overwhelmingly positive; we really are a joyous place!"</p> <p>CuppaPug are looking to introduce PugLates, and cocktails will also be available on the menu soon.</p> <p>10% of their entry fee goes towards rescuing and rehoming pugs, and they have pugs brought in who need adopting, partnering with The National Pug Protection Trust, who provide customers with information and advice.</p> <p>Customers often boast how therapeutic the experience is, especially when the pugs are having quiet time in their beds or on people's laps – but equally, there can be lots of chaotic fun when playing or training with the animals!</p> <p>For more information, head to <a href="https://www.cuppapug.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.cuppapug.com/</a></p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Two thirds of Australian authors are women – new research finds they earn just $18,200 a year from their writing

<p>Most Australian book authors do not earn enough income from their creative practice to make ends meet. They rely on other jobs and other support, such as a partner’s income.</p> <p>In the 2020-21 financial year, the average personal income in Australia was approximately $A70,000. Only one-third of authors earned this amount from all their sources of income combined. The average total income for authors, including all sources of income, was $64,900.</p> <p>And the amount they earned from their books alone was far, far less.</p> <p>In 2022, <a href="https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/projects/2022-national-survey-of-australian-book-authors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">we surveyed over 1,000 Australian book authors</a>.</p> <p>We found the average annual income authors derive from practising as an author is $18,200. That’s an increase from $15,100 seven years ago (adjusted for inflation). But it’s a modest increase from a low base: it represents growth of less than 3% per annum over seven years.</p> <p>Book writing is a profession dominated by women, who make up two thirds of all Australian authors. More than 80% of authors have attended university and almost half have completed a postgraduate degree – a high level of education that is not matched by high income.</p> <p>In our survey (which followed up on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-read-the-australian-book-industry-in-a-time-of-change-49044" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an earlier 2015 study</a>), we asked Australian book authors about their income and how they allocate their time, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on their career, their relationships with their readers and publishers, and more. We wanted to find out what has changed in the last seven years – and whether conditions are improving for Australian authors.</p> <h2>Authors’ earnings and ‘portfolio careers’</h2> <p>If you are planning a career as an author, what could you expect to earn?</p> <p>Education authors earned the highest average income from their practice as an author ($27,300), followed by children’s ($26,800) and genre fiction ($23,300) authors. Even though these figures are above the overall average for authors, they are not enough to live on, to support a family, or to pay rent or a mortgage.</p> <p>At the other end of the spectrum are poets, who earned an average of $5,700 from their creative practice. Literary authors earned $14,500, which is a decrease in real terms since 2015.</p> <p>To break this down, an author’s income from their creative practice includes advances from publishers, royalties on book sales, fees for live appearances, Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Education Lending Rights (ELR) paid by the government for the use of their work in libraries and educational institutions, prizes and fellowships, and rights sales for film, TV etc.</p> <p>Artists’ careers are often known as “portfolio careers” – which sounds more glamorous than the bracing reality of juggling multiple commitments. Some authors have another career as a journalist, medical specialist, academic, teacher or public figure that provides their main source of income.</p> <p>Several authors wrote about the uneven timing of income from their work. One literary author wrote:</p> <p>It’s difficult to capture the life and income of an author because for up to five years nothing might happen except writing, then for about 18 months there is a flurry of (a tiny amount) of cash and editing, and then a month or two of publicity.</p> <h2>The difficulty of spending time to write</h2> <p>We asked authors what prevents them from spending more time writing. Only 6% of authors reported no competing demands for their writing time. Domestic responsibilities affect almost two-thirds of trade authors (62%). One literary author wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>I managed to devote regular time to writing alongside a full-time job pre-children but the addition of a baby (now toddler) to life has rendered those opportunities non-existent. I now meet my obligations to my publisher by taking annual and sometimes unpaid leave to work on my author duties. It has certainly slowed my career and I can no longer devote time to learning experiences, networking, or applications for prizes, grants and residencies.</p> </blockquote> <p>Insufficient income is a factor for over half of all authors. Some commented that their ability to spend time writing was enhanced by other sources of financial security. A creative non-fiction author commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>Having my first book published the year before I turned 60 meant I faced less financial issues due to owning my own home, superannuation and financial support from my partner. However, if I was less financially established it would be very difficult to live on what I make as an author.</p> </blockquote> <p>The financial insecurity inherent to the profession may contribute to the recognised lack of diversity of Australian authors: a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/fewer-than-1-in-10-aussie-books-published-by-people-of-colour-report-finds-20221013-p5bpj4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> found only 7% of books published in 2018 were written by people of colour. As the UK Society of Authors <a href="https://www.societyofauthors.org/News/News/2019/May/Report-on-authors-earnings-diversity-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> a few years ago, “people from less privileged backgrounds who want to write are less likely to have additional sources of household income”.</p> <p>In the 2022 survey, we heard from established, prize-winning authors – including some who’d had a bestselling book earlier in their career – who were contemplating no longer writing books, due to dwindling opportunities for mid-list writers.</p> <p>We all stand to lose if established authors leave the profession.</p> <h2>Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic</h2> <p>Like many Australians, the majority of authors experienced disruption and hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Approximately one-third of authors reported large or modest increases in levels of financial stress.</p> <p>Authors promote their books through live appearances in bookstores, schools, libraries, writers’ festivals and other events. Over half of authors experienced a reduction in promotional opportunities for their next book. One creative non-fiction author wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>My book [was] released into closed bookstores and I still find myself questioning if there is anything I can do to improve sales, eight months on. It was, and is, devastating.</p> </blockquote> <p>The lockdowns meant that over one third of authors experienced a large decrease in income from paid appearances.</p> <p>We found it difficult to identify a single factor that meant authors were negatively affected by the pandemic. A range of factors could be influential: whether an author lived in a state which experienced lengthy lockdowns, whether they had a book released (and if so, if they had an established large readership base or not), whether they had carer responsibilities (which could include elderly relatives as well as children), and whether they were experiencing financial stress.</p> <h2>Small, good news – and what’s next?</h2> <p>One piece of good news is that authors are 10% more likely to be satisfied with their main publisher than they were seven years ago. Nearly one-third (31.6%) of authors are very satisfied with their main publisher – an increase from just 19.6% in 2015.</p> <p>Authors, large and small publishers, booksellers and libraries are working on joint initiatives to promote Australia’s reading culture in 2023. The industry awaits the federal government’s national cultural policy with anticipation.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/two-thirds-of-australian-authors-are-women-new-research-finds-they-earn-just-18-200-a-year-from-their-writing-195426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

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The 5,000-year history of writer’s block

<p>Ann Patchett, who has written eight novels and five books of nonfiction, says that when faced with writer’s block, sometimes it seems that the muse has “<a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/titles#/thisisthestoryofahappymarriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gone out back for a smoke</a>.”</p> <p>It doesn’t matter whether you’re an award-winning novelist or a high schooler tasked with writing an essay for English class: The fear and frustration of writing doesn’t discriminate.</p> <p>My most recent book, “<a href="https://broadviewpress.com/product/a-writing-studies-primer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Writing Studies Primer</a>,” includes a chapter on gods, goddesses and patron saints of writing. When conducting research, I was struck by how writers have consistently sought divine inspiration and intercession.</p> <p>It turns out that frustrated writers who pine for a muse or help from above are adhering to a 5,000-year-old tradition.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <h2>The first writers look to the skies</h2> <p>The first writing system, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cuneiform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cuneiform</a>, arose in Sumer around 3200 BC to keep track of wheat, transactions, real estate and recipes. Scribes used clay tablets to record the information – think of them as early spreadsheets.</p> <p>Originally the Sumerian goddess of grain, <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Nisaba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nisaba</a> became associated with writing. She was depicted holding a gold stylus and clay tablet.</p> <p>As it was common for people to adopt a god or goddess for their professions, a new class of scribes latched onto Nisaba. Practice tablets from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/367648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schools that trained young scribes</a> invoke her name – “Praise be to Nisaba!” Poets trumpeted her influence and <a href="https://twitter.com/anctxtmodtablet/status/1097890316458360832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credited her for giving beautiful handwriting</a> to diligent students.</p> <p>Her Egyptian counterpart was <a href="https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/seshat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seshat</a>, whose name <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Seshat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">translates to</a> “female scribe.”</p> <p>Identifiable by a stylized papyrus as her headdress and a stylus in her right hand, Seshat guided the reed pens of scribes as priests communicated with the divine.</p> <p>Writing was all about communicating with the gods, and the Greeks and Romans continued this tradition. They turned to the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, known collectively as <a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/nine-muses-0013523" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Muses</a>. Calliope stands out most notably, not only because a musical instrument was named after her, but also because she was considered the foremost of the sisters for her eloquence.</p> <p>The Muses <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124242927020125473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have since evolved</a> into one overarching “muse” that serves as a source of inspiration.</p> <h2>Global gods and goddesses of writing</h2> <p>Gods and other legendary figures of writing are not limited to Western civilization.</p> <p>In China, the historian Cangjie, who lived in the 27th century B.C., is said to have created the <a href="https://www.ewccenter.com/cangjie-and-the-invention-of-chinese-characters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characters of the Chinese language</a>. Legend has it that he was inspired by the pattern of veins on a turtle. (Back then, the Chinese <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Oracle_Bones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often wrote on turtle shells</a>.)</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Fu_Xi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">competing story</a> says that cultural folk hero Fuxi and his sister Nüwa created the system of Chinese characters circa 2000 B.C. Yet it is Cangjie’s name that lives on in the Cangjie Input Method, which refers to the system that allows Chinese characters <a href="https://www.cangjieinput.com/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to be typed using a standard QWERTY keyboard</a>.</p> <p>In India, writers still invoke the elephant-headed Hindu god <a href="https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/blog/ganesha-chathurthi-birth-elephant-headed-god" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ganesha</a> <a href="https://www.thestatesman.com/features/common-writing-rooms-well-known-authors-lord-ganesh-1502544876.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before putting ink to paper</a>. Known as a remover of obstacles, Ganesha can be especially meaningful for those struggling with writer’s block. There’s also <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Sarasvati/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saraswati</a>, the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts, who’s renowned for her eloquence.</p> <p>In Mesoamerica, Mayan culture looked to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Itzamna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Itzamná</a> as the deity who provided the pillars of civilization: writing, calendars, medicine and worship rituals. His depiction as a toothless and wise old man signaled that he was not to be feared, an important characteristic for someone promoting an anxiety-inducing process like writing.</p> <h2>Enter the patron saints</h2> <p>In Christianity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-are-patron-saints-and-why-do-catholics-venerate-them-148508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patron saints</a> are exemplars or martyrs who serve as role models and heavenly advocates. Various groups – professions, people with a certain illness and even entire nations – will adopt a patron saint.</p> <p>Within the Catholic Church, a range of patron saints can serve as inspiration for writers.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/st-brigid-the-compassionate-sensible-female-patron-saint-of-ireland-gets-a-lot-less-recognition-than-st-patrick-176659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Brigid of Ireland</a>, who lived from 451 to 525, is the patron saint of printing presses and poets. A contemporary of the better-known <a href="https://theconversation.com/10-things-to-know-about-the-real-st-patrick-92253" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Patrick</a>, St. Brigid established a monastery for women, which included a school of art that became famous for its handwritten, decorative manuscripts, particularly the <a href="http://www.kildarearchsoc.ie/the-book-of-kildare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Book of Kildare</a>.</p> <p>Following St. Brigit in Ireland is St. Columba, who lived from 521 to 597 and founded the influential abbey at Iona, an island off the coast of Scotland. A renowned scholar, St. Columba transcribed over 300 books over the course of his life.</p> <p>The influence of patron saints dedicated to literacy – reading and writing – continued long after the Middle Ages. In 1912, the <a href="https://www.css.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">College of Saint Scholastica</a> was founded in Minnesota in tribute to <a href="https://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/whatley-saints-lives-in-middle-english-collections-life-of-st-scholastica-introduction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholastica</a> (480-543), who with her twin brother, Benedict (died in 547), enjoyed discussing sacred texts. Both Italian patron saints came to be associated with books, reading and schooling.</p> <h2>Objects charged with power</h2> <p>Some writers may think supernatural figures seem a bit too far removed from the physical world. Fear not – there are magical objects that they can touch for inspiration and help, such as talismans. Derived from the ancient Greek word telein, which means to “fulfill,” it was an object that – like an amulet – protected the bearer and facilitated good fortune.</p> <p>Today, you can buy talismans drawn on ancient Celtic symbols that purport to help with the writing process. <a href="https://www.moonlightmysteries.com/pewter-talisman-for-poets-writers-and-actors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One vendor promises</a> “natural inspiration and assist in all of your writing endeavors.” Another supplier, <a href="https://www.magickalneeds.com/product/talisman-for-poets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magickal Needs</a>, advertises a similar product that supposedly helps “one find the right word at the most opportune moment.”</p> <p>Others turn to crystals. A <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/831873886/healing-crystals-for-writers-writers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer’s block crystals gift set</a> available through Etsy offers agate, carnelian, tiger eye, citrine, amethyst and clear quartz crystals to help those struggling to formulate sentences.</p> <h2>What makes a writer?</h2> <p>What drove the creation of divine beings and objects that can inspire and intercede on the behalf of writers?</p> <p>To me, it’s no mystery why writers have sought divine intervention for 5,000 years.</p> <p>Sure, tallying counts of sheep or bushels of grain might seem like rote work. Yet early in the development of writing systems, the physical act of writing was exceedingly difficult – and one of the reasons schoolchildren prayed for help with their handwriting. Later, the act of creation – coming up with ideas, communicating them clearly and engaging readers – could make writing feel like a herculean task. Ironically, this complex skill does not necessarily get easier, even with lots of practice.</p> <p>The romantic image of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/genius-in-the-garret-or-member-of-the-guild-60175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer in the garret</a> doesn’t do justice to the tedious reality of churning out words, one after another.</p> <p>In his memoir “<a href="https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Writing</a>,” Stephen King reflected, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” At the suggestion of a friend, the writer Patchett attached a <a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/titles#/thisisthestoryofahappymarriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign-in sheet to the door of her writing room</a> to ensure she wrote every day.</p> <p>No matter how accomplished a writer, he or she will inevitably struggle with writer’s block. Pulitzer Prize−winning author John McPhee, who began contributing to The New Yorker in 1963, details his writer’s block in a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/29/draft-no-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2013 article</a>: “Block. It puts some writers down for months. It puts some writers down for life.” Another famous writer for The New Yorker, Joseph Mitchell, was struck by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-32602862" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writer’s block in 1964</a> and simply sat and stared at his typewriter for 30 years.</p> <p>I’ve even wrestled with this article, writing and rewriting it in my head a dozen times before actually typing the first word.</p> <p>Poet and satirist Dorothy Parker <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/obituaries/archives/dorothy-parker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">once said</a>, “I hate writing; I love having written.”</p> <p>You and me both, Dorothy.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5-000-year-history-of-writers-block-190037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

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“How do you write to your Queen?” Helen Mirren reveals contents of special letter

<p>Helen Mirren has revealed the secret letter she wrote to Queen Elizabeth when the actress was playing Her Majesty in the 2006 biopic <em>The Queen</em>. </p> <p>The Hollywood legend reflected on crafting the letter in an interview with the <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/radio-times-new-issue-cover-helen-mirren/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Radio Times</a>, saying she felt compelled to write after realising the intensity of the Queen's role firsthand.</p> <p>"I realised we were investigating a profoundly painful part of her life, so I wrote to her," she said. </p> <p>"How do you write to your queen? Was it Madam, or Your Highness, or Your Majesty?"</p> <p>"I said: 'We are doing this film. We are investigating a very difficult time in your life. I hope it's not too awful for you'. I can't remember how I put it. I just said that in my research I found myself with a growing respect for her, and I just wanted to say that."</p> <p>The 76-year-old actress won an Oscar and a Bafta for her portrayal in the film, which is set during the time Princess Diana tragically died. </p> <p>While she never received a response to her letter from the Queen, Mirren said she did receive a letter from the Queen's secretary.</p> <p>Upon opening the response she confessed, "I was very relieved subsequently that I had written that letter."</p> <p>Earlier this year, the actress told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/helen-mirren-interview-f9-golda-meir-1235097461/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> that she believes the Queen has watched the biopic.</p> <p>"At the time, it had never been done before, playing the queen. It was quite nerve-racking because I didn't know – no one knew – how the public would receive it, let alone the establishment in Britain," Mirren reflected.</p> <p>"But I got the sense that it had been seen and that it had been appreciated. I've never heard directly, and I never will," she added.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

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COVID changed travel writing

<p>In 2019, international travel and tourism was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jul/01/global-tourism-hits-record-highs-but-who-goes-where-on-holiday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a $1.7 trillion global industry</a>. A new cruise ship with space for <a href="https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles.cfm?ID=3443" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6600 passengers</a> was launched. And dog friendly holidays in the French Riviera were seen as the next big <a href="https://www.luxurytravelmag.com.au/article/these-are-2019s-top-travel-trends/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tourism trend</a>.</p> <p>On social media, travel influencers and bloggers vied for commissions and audiences, while the more “old school” travel writers and journalists continued to report from all corners of the world. The grey area around ethics and sponsorship was murkier than ever – and there was of course, an environmental cost: from the carbon footprint of frequent flyers to the social and cultural impact on <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/29/the-airbnb-invasion-of-barcelona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over-touristed destinations</a>.</p> <p>Still, the industry was booming.</p> <p>Then, along came COVID-19.</p> <p>For more than a decade, I had made my living as a travel writer, contributing to publications in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the UK. I’d visited 72 countries on the job. I’d paddled a kayak across the <a href="https://www.traveller.com.au/alone-in-the-isle-seat-auou" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tongan Vava’u archipelago</a>; written about Myanmar’s temples and <a href="https://meanjin.com.au/essays/borderlands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tijuana and the Mexican border</a>; been hosted on numerous “famils” (familiarisation tours) around the world and met the woman who would become my wife in a Buenos Aires bar while on an assignment to write about the <a href="https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2012/07/the-new-australians-of-south-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“New Australia”</a> utopian colony in Paraguay.</p> <p>When news of a virus emerged from a wet market in Wuhan in early 2020, all that stopped. As I slipped into the first of many lockdowns, initially I mourned for the travel life I couldn’t live anymore. Once upon a time, my editor would ring on a Friday afternoon to ask if I could fly to Vietnam on Tuesday.</p> <p>But during my enforced time at home, I realised the travel writing genre I was part of needed some serious re-thinking. The warning signs of a hubristic industry were hard to ignore. In 2019, for instance, the relaxation of regulations for climbers of Mount Everest had resulted in a <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/mount-everest-chaos-at-the-top-of-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“conga line in the death zone above 8,000 metres”</a> of people waiting to summit the peak.</p> <p>The image went viral.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Traffic Jam at the top of the world. A unique situation emerged near balcony when almost 236 climbers rushed to summit Mt Everest on 22 May,2019 following a short summit window. This has environment impacts as well <a href="https://twitter.com/ExplorersWeb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ExplorersWeb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateReality?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ClimateReality</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UNFCCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNFCCC</a> @climateprogress <a href="https://t.co/mHR37ycfvw">pic.twitter.com/mHR37ycfvw</a></p> <p>— The Northerner (@northerner_the) <a href="https://twitter.com/northerner_the/status/1131506158781517824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></p></blockquote> <p>The notion that the genre might have finally reached its nadir after thousands of years of exploration, exploitation and discovery is not a new concept. But the sheer volume of <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/7-ways-travel-listicles-are-ruining-travel-writing_b_5a2d9455e4b04e0bc8f3b5f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listicles</a>, luxury reviews and Instagram journeys masquerading now as legitimate travel writing is alarming.</p> <p>Pandemic enforced lockdowns got me thinking about how the experience of immobility wasn’t unique. Wars, pandemics, shipwrecks and even prison walls had prevented others from travelling in the past, yet many still managed to travel internally through their own <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Creative-and-Non-fiction-Writing-during-Isolation-and-Confinement-Imaginative/Stubbs/p/book/9781032152516" target="_blank" rel="noopener">isolation</a>.</p> <p>More than two and a half years later, I now believe that despite the angst borne from lockdowns and closed borders around the world, this pause due to COVID-19 has ultimately been a good thing for travel writing – and perhaps the broader travel industry. It has allowed us time to stop and take stock.</p> <h2>A history of re-thinking and re-imagining</h2> <p>Travel writing is one of the most ancient and enduring literary forms. Evidence of the travels of Harkuf, an emissary to the pharaohs, is written on tombs in ancient Egypt. Indigenous Dreaming stories <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-history-of-travel-writing/introduction/4CF0BFA6F65A206D5CEBCC35F3AD2A5F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“spoken or sung or depicted in visual art”</a> date back thousands of years.</p> <p>As Nandini Das and Tim Youngs write in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40165322-the-cambridge-history-of-travel-writing?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=UjsOKwdkaJ&amp;rank=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Cambridge History of Travel Writing</a>,</p> <blockquote> <p>Travel narratives have existed for millennia: so long as people have journeyed, they have told stories about their travels.</p> </blockquote> <p>In a literary sense, travel writing can be traced to the emergence of commerce and movable print technology in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. It went on to flourish in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romantic Era</a> of travel and exploration, from the late 18th century to mid 1850s.</p> <p>During this time, western travel writing was embroiled in the colonial project. The journals of Imperialist explorers such as William Dampier and James Cook were enormously popular, along with writers such as Richard Francis Burton and James Bruce who recounted their fantastical journeys to the public back home as they sought to conquer lands for “the mother country”.</p> <p>Travel writing continued to shift, changing forms and attracting different readers. The Grand Tour pilgrimage increased in popularity. Mark Twain’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocents_Abroad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Innocents Abroad</a> (1869), about his voyage on the “Quaker City” cruise ship, was the century’s best selling travel book.</p> <p>“People have been asking the melodramatic question, ‘Is travel writing dead?’ for the best part of a century,” notes contemporary travel writing scholar Dr Tim Hannigan.</p> <p>During the first world war, British travel literature seemed a requiem for a distant era. The war, observes cultural and literary historian Paul Fussell, “effectively restricted private travel abroad. The main travelers were the hapless soldiery shipped to France and Belgium and Italy and Mesapotamia”.</p> <p>But the end of the war, in fact, led to a significant re-thinking of the travel writing genre. Borders reopened, new countries and alliances had formed. People emerged from the isolation of war curious to see, hear and experience what this “new world” was like.</p> <p>This golden era of travel writing in the 1920s and 1930s was chracterised by a new inquisitiveness. Modernist and experimental styles emerged and, as literary scholar Peter Hulme writes,</p> <blockquote> <p>travel writing could become the basis of a writing career – perhaps because those who had just fought a war felt the need for the kind of direct engagement with social and political issues that travel writing and journalism seemed to offer.</p> </blockquote> <p>After the second world war, travel writing became more questioning of authority, with a quality of restlessness. Notable works incuded Eric Newby’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/118141.A_Short_Walk_in_the_Hindu_Kush?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=GkIrolRIA7&amp;rank=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush</a> (1958), Wilfred Thesiger’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825419.Arabian_Sands?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=Js8VkeOG67&amp;rank=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arabian Sands</a> (1959) and John Steinbeck’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33617956-travels-with-charlie-in-search-of-america?ac=1&amp;from_search=true&amp;qid=fwygWdt9sG&amp;rank=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travels with Charlie in Search of America</a> (1962), about his three-month journey across the US.</p> <p>In 1960s and 1970s, new books showed how travel writing could evolve again while still displaying the “wonder” central to its appeal: presenting narrated inner journeys, adventure and a richness and complexity that had not been seen before.</p> <p>Peter Matthiessen’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/764165.The_Snow_Leopard?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=MfFMUKo9xS&amp;rank=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Snow Leopard</a>, Robyn Davidson’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78895.Tracks?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=Ky3md4s1Az&amp;rank=4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tracks</a> and even the creative voice embodied in Bruce Chatwin’s controversial In Patagonia, (a postmodern blending of fact and fiction), showed how travel narratives, rather than offering insular and superior perspectives, could be subjective, creative and affecting.</p> <p>This new era of travel writing post-COVID, I’d argue, has the potential to adapt to a changing world in the same way the genre changed after the first world war.</p> <p>Environmental concerns, Indigenous presence, awareness of the “other” (and of being the “other”) and an acknowledgement of benefits and pitfalls of technology are all central concerns to travel writing today.</p> <h2>New ways to think about travel writing</h2> <p>The work of South Australian based literary academic Stephen Muecke is an interesting example of a different kind of travel writing. Muecke has had a long career of adopting co-authorship practices, embracing Indigenous and diverse voices within his narratives to highlight that there is always more than one perspective worth considering.</p> <p>In Muecke’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645145.2007.9634820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulaga Story</a> he writes about an ascent of Gulaga, or Mount Dromedary in southern NSW. Local Yuin Aboriginal people take him up the mountain to learn aspects of its Dreaming story and the totem of the Yuin.</p> <p>Muecke’s writing includes interviews with anthropologist Debbie Rose and sections of Captain Cook’s journal, from when Cook travelled along the NSW coast in the 18th Century. The latter offers a contrast between Cook’s initial surface appraisal and the deeper meanings of Indigenous knowledge.</p> <p>Muecke writes:</p> <p>Travelling whitefellas tend to think in lines, like the roads they eventually build and drive along, like the chronological histories they tell. Yet there are alternatives: being multiply present, for instance, as if by landing up in someone else’s somewhere, you still remain somewhere else. Maybe other people have been where you come from too; you arrive in their place and they tell you they have seen your city or your country.</p> <p>In <a href="https://re-press.org/books/reading-the-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reading the Country: Introduction to nomadology</a>, Moroccan artist Krim Benterrak, Muecke and Nyigina man Paddy Roe demonstrate how a co-authored, overlapping narrative from three distinct perspectives allows us to appreciate travelling along the northwest coast of Western Australia. Paddy Roe was from Roebuck plains, an area once inhabited by Indigenous people, though now it is silent except for the vast cattle studs.</p> <p>The three examine the different meanings of place in Roebuck Plains and how different people see and interpret it. Central to the book is the premise that their method is not the way of interpreting Roebuck plains. Their nomadology is an “archive of fragments”.</p> <p>Another more reflexive writer of place, English author James Attlee, wrote the book Isolarion while merely travelling along his street in Oxford. His is an example of <a href="https://theconversation.com/great-time-to-try-travel-writing-from-the-home-134664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vertical travel</a>, where the travel writer focuses on the close-at-hand details, rather than far-off experiences.</p> <p>Such books acknowledge the fraught nature of the travel writer who arrives from a western country or culture to write about other people and their sophisticated cultures. Attlee’s book is also a creative response to travel writing’s long carbon footprint.</p> <p>Will it still be appropriate for future travel writers to fly around the world on junkets (“famils”) racking up carbon miles amid a climate crisis? I think writers and editors should “go local” much more, as Attlee has, not just from an environmental point of view, but also from an authenticity standpoint. Of course, that doesn’t mean writers can only write about their home cities and states, but it would be a logical place to start.</p> <h2>The new travel writing – 5 of the best</h2> <p>Encouragingly, there are already many recent examples of travel writing that can further engage readers in this shift. Here are 5 of the best.</p> <ol> <li> <p>The Granta travel edition: <a href="https://granta.com/products/granta-157-should-we-have-stayed-at-home-new-travel-writing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Should we have stayed at home?</a> presents a diversity of modern voices and stories, ranging from Taipei alleyways, the history of postcards and an Indigenous perspective of South Australia.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/zero-altitude-helen-coffey-book-review-emma-gregg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zero Altitude: How I learned to fly less and travel more</a> by Helen Coffey explores the world without stepping inside a plane. Coffey uses bikes, boats, trains and cars to seek unexpected adventures while deliberately addressing the impact of how we travel.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.bradtguides.com/product/minarets-in-the-mountains-1-pb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe</a> by Tharik Hussain explores a “different” Europe to that of most travel writing of the past. Hussain travels through Eastern Europe with his wife and daughters encountering the region’s unique Islamic history and culture.</p> </li> <li> <p>Cal Flyn’s <a href="https://www.calflyn.com/nonfiction-books/islands-of-abandonment-nature-rebounding-post-human-landscape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islands of Abandonment</a> doesn’t look for places or experiences that might fit in a top listicle of summer holiday experiences. Instead, it explores the “ecology and psychology” of forgotten places such as uninhabited Scottish islands and abandoned streets in Detroit to observe the slow movement of nature when unchecked by human intervention.</p> </li> <li> <p>In <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/wanderland-9781472951953/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wanderland</a> Jini Reddy, an award winning travel writer who was born in Britain, raised in Canada, and whose parents are of Indian descent, decides to “take her soul for a stroll” away from office job in London in search of wonder, meaning and magical travelling on a random journey of inspiration “ricocheting” through Britain.</p> </li> </ol> <p>In much the same way that we’ve adopted little things like keep cups at coffee shops, and an awareness of ethical food and fashion choices, it is much easier today to find travel writing challenging the genre and exploring diverse perspectives. We’ll just have to do this writing alongside the Instagram influencers.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-changed-travel-writing-maybe-thats-not-a-bad-thing-183814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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To read or not to read? Is that the question?

<p>In June this year, a six-month-old interview went viral.</p> <p>Sarah Underwood is a 23-year-old British author whose debut YA novel, <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008518097/lies-we-sing-to-the-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lies We Sing to the Sea</a>, has been described as a “<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/lies-we-sing-to-the-sea/sarah-underwood/9780008558536" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sapphic reimagining of the Odyssey</a>”. In an interview with a student magazine at Imperial College London, Underwood said that she had never read the Odyssey. No, not even in translation.</p> <p>Mockery ensued. Underwood was declared “Twitter’s main character” for the day. In a tweet liked by 11,290 people, the literary writer Brandon Taylor shared screenshots of the interview, commenting: “Some people should not be allowed to write books.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some people should not be allowed to write books <a href="https://t.co/WIBaDDA272">pic.twitter.com/WIBaDDA272</a></p> <p>— Brandon (@blgtylr) <a href="https://twitter.com/blgtylr/status/1537175245530046465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Taylor’s acerbic takes are always a delight, and to any lover of reading the response to Underwood’s statement is understandable.</p> <p>But there is another way to look at it. Declarations of not-reading are not just complacent admissions of ignorance. Not-reading is not a simple absence of reading, a blank space where a text should be. It can be a mode of engaging with a text.</p> <p>After all, the decision not to read a text is based on a belief that we already know what it contains. We know (or think we know) what we are choosing to read or not read.</p> <p>In the case of the Odyssey, there is a lot of material to base that decision on. The orally-composed ancient Greek epic poem, first fixed in written form around the late 8th century BCE, is referenced in thousands of poems, stories, songs, films, video games, and other art forms. These works have been created over millennia, across hundreds of countries, languages and cultures.</p> <p>The Odyssey has been translated, rewritten, reimagined and riffed on in a myriad ways; it has meant many different things to many different people.The Odyssey is not the only text that has, as the author Geoff Ryman puts it, “kept on growing […] gaining meaning with each repeat”. More recent examples include multiple retellings of Jane Austen’s novels and L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), the subject of Ryman’s luminous novel of not-reading, <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/geoff-ryman/was" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Was</a>.</p> <p>The long, broad, multiplicitous reception histories of texts like these burst the boundaries of their “original” forms. As Ryman observes, they grow, fragment, and spread as “a thousand icons scattered through advertising, journalism, political cartoons, music, poetry”.</p> <p>Through ongoing engagements with these fragmentary, second-hand Odysseys, Sarah Underwood has constructed an image of the Odyssey. In his book <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Translation-Rewriting-and-the-Manipulation-of-Literary-Fame/Lefevere/p/book/9781138208742" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Translation, Rewriting, and the Manipulation of Literary Fame</a> (2016), Andre Lefevere says this is exactly what “the majority of readers […] mean” when they “say they have ‘read’ a book”. They mean “that they have a certain image, a certain construct of that book in their heads”.</p> <p>Pierre Bayard, the world’s funniest literary theorist (and one of the sharpest), takes this argument further in <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/how-to-talk-about-books-you-havent-read-9781596917149/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How To Talk About Books You Haven’t Read</a> (2007).</p> <p>He says that after a person has read a book, they have only the memory of it, an image in their head. But a person who hasn’t read the book may have a very similar image of it in their head, gleaned from second-hand sources, in much the same way that Albrecht Dürer drew his <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/356497" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Rhinoceros”</a> without ever having seen a real rhinoceros.</p> <p>Reading (or not-reading) is a fuzzy phenomenon that, as Bayard observes, “does not obey the hard logic of true and false”.</p> <h2>Filtered interpretations</h2> <p>But isn’t there something to be said for going directly to a text, rather than looking at it through a filter of other people’s interpretations? This idea also turns out to be a mirage.</p> <p>Even if Sarah Underwood had read the Odyssey in the original Greek, she would not have been accessing it directly. The text she read would be compiled by a <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/work-and-the-reader-in-literary-studies/F9FD2AC33A78BCF5A670BE71C9A7045E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">modern-day editor</a>, who has made thousands of interpretative choices, adjudicating between conflicting manuscript versions. Underwood’s reading would be guided by the introduction and notes in the edition she chose, and by her access to multiple other modern-day interpretative aids, such as dictionaries and commentaries.</p> <p>When the distinction between reading and not-reading is so blurry, an open declaration of not-reading can be seen as a rhetorical device, a position statement.</p> <p>In this context, Sarah Underwood is in good company. There are many other famous not-readers of the Odyssey, including the filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, who claimed they had only read the classic comics version before making <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-coen-brothers-wacky-odyssey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O Brother, Where Art Thou?</a>.</p> <p>In his epic poem <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374523503/omeros" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Omeros</a>, the Nobel Prize winner <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/derek-walcott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derek Walcott</a> has his poet-narrator address the spirit of Homer and admit</p> <p>I never read it<br />Not all the way through.</p> <p>Through this deliberately irreverent statement, Walcott positions himself at a subversive distance – not so much from Homer himself as from the appropriation of Homer’s work by a <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/classics-and-colonialism-9780715633113/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservative, colonial tradition</a> of reading Homer as the wellspring and property of “<a href="https://pharos.vassarspaces.net/2021/08/25/greek-myth-pharos-surveys/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western civilisation</a>”.</p> <p>Walcott’s claim to have “not read” Homer is actually a claim to have engaged with his work in a deliberately improper manner – that is, on terms other than those of the dominant culture. Instead, Walcott tells us, he has encountered Homer through the living voice of the author, through his complex reception history, and through the landscape and people of the Caribbean.</p> <p>By not-reading, Walcott <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/~andrewf/CONCEPT2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasts Homer out of the continuum of history</a> – out of the meanings assigned to him by a Western colonialist tradition – and gives him new life in a rich new context.</p> <p>Just like reading, not-reading can be simple or complex, reactionary or progressive. It can be complicit with a dominant culture, or resistant to it.</p> <p>The question of whether Sarah Underwood has or hasn’t read Homer is a red herring. What matters is whether she recontextualises the old stories in a way that responds to our contemporary concerns. And ironically, to find that out, we will have to read her book.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-read-or-not-to-read-is-that-the-question-185393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

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Cafe won’t let guests leave until they finish their work

<p dir="ltr">If you struggle a lot with procrastination then the only thing left for you to do is to book a ticket to Japan and head to this one cafe.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unless you procrastinate that too, but hear us out. </p> <p dir="ltr">Manuscript Writing Cafe in Tokyo is the one-stop destination for procrastinators looking to get their work done.</p> <p dir="ltr">There are 10 workstations and people are allowed to leave ONLY when they have finished their work.</p> <p dir="ltr">And the staff will make sure you have completed your projects as they come to check in on you at least six times an hour. </p> <p dir="ltr">They also bring with them free snacks, tea, coffee, water and high-speed wifi. </p> <p dir="ltr">Once you have completed all your tasks, you are given a paper with an orange stamp and you are free to leave. </p> <p dir="ltr">The video was shared to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@leanneinjapan/video/7095383871398694149?is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and has been viewed more than 624,000 times and has received around 120,000 likes with many commenting about how they need to be at the cafe all the time. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Yup, I definitely need to work there.. ah.. maybe later,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Kindness and torture at the same time,” someone commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I guess I'm bringing a sleeping bag,” another joked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ll go later,” another joked about procrastinating their visit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So essentially I'd be living there,” read another. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

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