GUEST POST: Dr David Faber on Harry Hodgetts: The flawed broker behind Don Bradman’s move to Adelaide by John Davis

From ‘Big Shot’ to ‘Swindler’, racier newspapers gloated when Harry Hodgetts was convicted of fraud and false pretences in September 1945. But how did things go so wrong for Hodgetts?

In Harry Hodgetts: The flawed broker behind Don Bradman’s move to Adelaide, John Davis writes the complex story of this hard-working, gifted social climber, his fall into bankruptcy and a prison cell, and the scandal that haunted Bradman’s reputation.

In this special guest post, Dr David Faber of Flinders University provides his reflections on this riveting biography.

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Launching 2024 SALA Feature Artist Monograph JULIA ROBINSON

In August, we attended a celebration of Julia Robinson the artist, as well as Julia Robinson, the 2024 SALA Feature Artist monograph, by Leigh Robb, Hannah Kent and Jess Taylor.

We’re pleased now to be able to share Julia’s speech from the evening, sharing her memories of SALA’s humble beginnings, and how the festival helped her realise that pursuing art was a viable career choice.

Read her speech below.

Banner image: Bitter Roseroot (detail), 2018, gourd, silk, thread, pins, braid, brass, gold plating, steel, padding, mixed media, 120 x 80 x 60 cm, collection Museum of Contemporary Art. Photo: Sam Roberts.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Julia Archer wins the June WWWC!

We’re pleased to announce the winner of the June WWWC: Julia Archer. Responding to the prompt ‘down by the river’ Julia’s winning piece ‘The Gallery Goer’ follows a down on his luck fellow making the most of things.

Read her winning entry in full below. This is Julia’s second WWWC win – her first was in May 2023. Read that entry here.

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Celebrate Art: Wendy Sharpe: Many lives

In Wendy Sharpe: Many lives we find that Wendy Shape’s art has touched many people’s lives around the world. Sharpe believes that there is a possibility of a spirit world parallel to our own and she brings that forward in her art. 

Wendy Sharpe’s exhibition Spellbound is showing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until Sunday 11 August 2024. We asked work experience student Isobel to flick through the pages of Wendy Sharpe and pick some of her favourite images to share with readers who can’t get to the show. Read on below to see what she chose to spotlight.

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AUTHOR Q&A: With Sonya Spreen Bates

When work experience student Sam picked up a copy of Out of This World by Sonya Spreen Bates, he was quickly drawn into a fast-paced middle grade story about family, fitting in, and finding your place in the world.

In a special blog post, Sam interviews Sonya about the book, her writing process, and her tips for budding young authors out there.

Read the interview in full below.

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