Every year, thousands of young men and women think they would like a job as a wildland firefighter. And every year, tens of thousands of them do it — they fight the summer battles of wildfire on the forests and grasslands of the West. Some die. Some have the times of their lives. And many forge lifelong friendships and collect the memories of a lifetime.

From vanishing islands to talking flathead and nightmarish bushfires, Ben Walter’s visionary Tasmanian fictions are unique in the landscape of Australian writing. An unemployed man chooses only to apply for jobs advertised in The Economist; a failed mountain expedition is mocked by the dead bodies of past climbers; and a father and son travel urgently to witness the miracle of Lake Pedder emptying. In What Fear Was, Walter combines beautiful, mesmerising writing with surr...

Ethan and Joel Coen's The Big Lebowski was released in 1998 to general bafflement. A decade on, it had become a cult classic and remains so over 20 years later, inspiring a thriving circuit of 'Lebowski Fests' during which costumed devotees gather at bowling alleys and guzzle White Russians. Beyond its superabundance of deliciously quotable lines, how has the movie inspired such remarkable affection? And why does its critical stock continue to rise?The film's unlikely ancho...

This book employs the concept of human security to show what the term means from the perspective of women in Afghanistan.It engages with a well-established debate in academic and policy-making contexts regarding the utility of human security as a framework for understanding and redressing conflict. The book argues that this concept allows the possibility of articulating the substantive experiences of violence and marginalisation experienced by people in local settings as well as th...

In "The White Christmas and Other Merry Christmas Plays," Walter Ben Hare crafts a delightful collection of theatrical gems that capture the essence of the holiday spirit. Blending humor, sentimentality, and relatable characters, Hare's works offer a rich tapestry of narratives that explore familial bonds, the joy of giving, and the magic of Christmas. His literary style is accessible yet profound, steeped in the charm of early 20th-century dialogue and stagecraft, reflecting the era's cul...

IN these little plays I have tried to bring before the public the two dominant characteristics of the ideal Christmas season, kindness, expressed by "good will toward men," and the inward joy wrought by kind acts, and suggested by "peace on earth." As Yuletide draws near we like to think of the swell of Christmas feeling, kindness, peace and good will, that rises like a mighty tide over the world, filling it with the fresh, clean joys and generous impulses that produce the peace that passe...

Subtitled "An American Drama in Three Acts. A Play with a Punch." "A comedy drama of American life depicting the joys and sorrows, the heartaches and struggles and temptations of a small group of government employees working in a post office in a small city in the middle west. There is the stern inspector, the officious postmaster, the busybody mail clerk, the ambitious young clerk..., the kind hearted old man who carries the rural route, the raw recruit and the noble hearted, plucky littl...

Ye lords and ladies who have gathered here to see our little comedy of cheer, I bid you welcome to the Sunshine play, And hope 'twill drive your troubles all away. This delightful comedy is sure to brighten your day as we join an amusing group of characters while they recover from various ailments at the Sunshine Sanitarium.

Do you know what your money story is - your personal set of beliefs and experiences around money that directly influences how you earn, save and spend?Could your story be holding you back from the financial life you dream of?Meet 25 incredible real-life Money Diarists who are digging deep, opening up and sharing their intimate money stories with finance expert Victoria Devine - to lift the lid on how money really works in our lives so we can all understand it bette...

Even with the challenges involved (interest rates and crazy-high house prices, we're looking at you!), so many of us still really want to own property.Whether it's the security and financial perks of owning your home or the benefits of having an investment property, the appeal and rewards are many.But buying a property can also be one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make, so you want to get it right - right?Luckily, Victoria Devine has written Property with...

Through the She's on the Money podcast and online community, and her bestselling first book, millennial financial adviser Victoria Devine has helped thousands of Australians take charge of their financial futures.Investing is a huge part of building wealth, which is why Victoria's second book is all about learning how and why to invest, and taking confident action to create an investment portfolio that will set you up for security and prosperity later in life.Start...

'This is one of the best books I've ever read' - 5-star reader reviewCalico Road runs through a tiny Lancashire hamlet up on the edge of the moors, miles from anywhere. Its folk are an independent breed - and in 1827 they are a thorn in the side of the vicious mill owner in the valley below.Toby Fletcher's father ignored his bastard son while alive. Now Toby is the new owner of the rambling old inn, an unwitting keeper of its secrets. Then Meg Staley comes ...