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Can We Help?: Vanishing words: the process of language change

The English language is full of strange contradictions and vanishing words. Have you ever wondered why we sometimes put words together that contradict each other, such as 'pretty awful' or 'terribly good'? If we can be 'ruthless', can we be 'ruthly' as well? Watch as Professor Kate Burridge explains these curious irregularities ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: Lots to love about 'Cloudstreet'

Judging literature is highly personal. What one person loves about a book can drive someone else crazy. Some books, though, just seem to appeal to everyone! Well, almost everyone. Find out whether this is the case with Tim Winton's novel 'Cloudstreet'.

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What's With Poetry?, Ch 3: Rhythm and metre

Have you ever had a song or a jingle that got stuck in your head? This can happen because of the rhythm in the song or the jingle. Rhythm helps us to remember a song, jingle or poem by reminding us of other songs, jingles or poems with the same rhythm. Once you get a rhythm stuck in your head it can be very difficult to ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: Just for girls? Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'

Gender and its representation is a significant concern for many writers, readers and critics. Some dismissed Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel 'Rebecca' as a romantic novel, but du Maurier insisted that she was exploring deeper issues of jealousy and power in relationships. Explore these different readings in this discussion. ...

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Wuthering Heights: Fantasy and realism

Do you think Wuthering Heights is a fantasy novel? Or is it all too realistic in its descriptions of hardship, cruelty and human frailty? John Bowen, Professor of Literature at York University notes, 'Gothic elements ... haunt the edges of the book.' Yet they never compromise the authenticity of the story. In this clip, ...

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Heywire: Fortissimo frogs frustrate family

How could words convey the nightly racket of hundreds of croaking frogs outside your bedroom window? Can you think of ways to engage readers' senses so that they 'experience' the frog chorus? A use of imagery is one of them. It's something we'll explore in this humorous story about the perils of frogs. Could you write or ...

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Jane Austen: Marriage and inheritance

How important is the wealth of a potential marriage partner to you? Why was the estate of a potential husband important in Jane Austen's novels? Consider the significance of marriage in middle and upper class England, as explained by the University of Oxford's Professor Kathryn Sutherland. This clip from the British Library ...

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First Tuesday Book Club: The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' is a dystopian novel set in the fictional Republic of Gilead. What are some hallmarks of dystopian novels? What are some similarities and differences between this novel and another dystopian novel mentioned in this video, Orwell's '1984'?

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Ways to tell stories

In this video, student writers Noa and Francis discuss the creative choices they made when writing the short stories they've recently had published. Why might structuring a story as a letter be a good way to tell a story about a personal experience? Why was it important for Francis to use a first person narrative voice ...

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ABC News: Julia Gillard addresses misogyny in parliament

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's 2012 address to Parliament, in which she described the Federal Opposition's criticism of her support for controversial politician Peter Slipper as being misogynistic, proved to be one her most memorable. The speech went viral and was reported widely in international media, scoring over ...

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Heywire: Keeping the fat cats out of the dairy

Writers construct representations of people and events to suit their purposes. Once we understand this, we can evaluate the validity of those representations and decide whether we agree with them or not. In her Heywire audio story, Chelsey Landford speaks of the hardships facing dairy farmers. Explore her representations ...

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Jane Austen: The novel and social realism

Why did Jane Austen spend so much time detailing the lives of everyday people in her classic novels? Listen as Professor Kathryn Sutherland from the University of Oxford provides valuable insights into the intentions and techniques of one of Britain's best-known authors. This clip from the British Library is one in a series ...

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Macbeth: Are you a man or a mouse?

Let's get inside the devious mind of Lady Macbeth! Bell Shakespeare's Kate Mulvany and John Bell explore the methods Lady Macbeth uses to manipulate her husband. This delightfully despicable character knows just which buttons to press! Listen in on the conversation with James Evans and see for yourself.

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Wuthering Heights: Landscape

The moorland near the West Yorkshire town of Haworth in northern England shapes the characters, settings and events in Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights. Professor John Bowen reflects on the significance of the moor and the importance of setting to Emily Bronte and her sisters, Charlotte and Anne. This clip is one ...

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Wuthering Heights: Violence and cruelty

Why might Emily Bronte have included numerous instances of cruelty in Wuthering Heights? Listen as John Bowen, Professor of Nineteeth-century Literature, considers the reasons behind the brutality in the novel. This clip is one in a series of four from the British Library.

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Heywire: Visits from a Christmas Island crab

Discover the lush beauty and extraordinary wildlife of Christmas Island, a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean more than 1,500 kilometres off the Western Australian coast. In this Heywire audio story, Isabelle Bolland shares some of her experiences of life on Christmas Island and reminds her audience that there is far ...

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Wuthering Heights: Who is Heathcliff?

Heathcliff is one of the main characters in Emily Bronte's classic novel, Wuthering Heights. As Professor John Bowen from the University of York notes, we know very little about this mysterious character and his apparent contradictions. Ms Bronte offers suggestions about Heathcliff's background but provides few details ...

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Radio National: Noongar people speak about a sense of place

Some places hold special importance for us. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a very strong sense of connection to their ancestral lands. They are important elements of their history and culture. In this audio clip, listen to two Noongar speakers talk about their connection to place.

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Did Shakespeare really write his plays?

Did you know that there are some people who believe that Shakespeare did not write his own plays? They are called the anti-Stratfordians. Find out about why this group think someone else may have written Shakespeare's plays and see if you agree.

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Come to a poetry slam!

Do you love words and the way they sound out loud? Have you ever been to a poetry slam? The Bankstown poetry slam is a monthly spoken word competition that celebrates the cultural diversity of south west Sydney. Slam poets perform original poems on any subject in front of a live audience. Recently the first Poetry Slam ...