Arguably by
Christopher Hitchens $32.99 Paperback (Allen & Unwin)
He
raises hackles or receives resounding cheers, he's loved or hated but never
ignored. Christopher Hitchens is possibly the most provocative writer of our
time, fearless and forthright with no subject off limits. This volume of essays spans
a remarkable four decades of writing. From early articles in the New Statesman
where he worked alongside writers such as Ian McEwan and Martin Amis, through to
his pieces for Salon, The Atlantic and Vanity Fair, these articles display his
rare genius, indomitable wit and singular command of language. Issues from
Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan to Iran and literary musings on the leading writers
of the last fifty years form the richest tapestry a reader could ask for.
'Don’t mince your words’ is the title of one of his essays – and neither
does he!
Collected
Poems of Francis Webb ed. Toby Davidson Paperback $32.99 (UWA)
Francis
Webb (1925–1973) grew up in North Sydney with his paternal grandparents. In
1942, during his final year of secondary school, his writing first appeared in
the Bulletin, which led to friendships with Douglas Stewart, Nan
McDonald, Rosemary Dobson and Norman Lindsay, who illustrated his debut
collection A Drum for Ben Boyd. After a sea voyage from Canada to England
in 1949, he suffered the first of a series of breakdowns which increasingly
restricted his life but not his prodigious poetic gifts. (Once upon a time the
editor of this splendid collection of poetry worked with us in The Lane
Bookshop!)