Northern Girls is the first of Sheng Keyi’s novels to be translated into English. Keyi was born in southern China’s Hunan province in 1970, and like Northern Girls‘s protagonist Qian, she left in search of life in a bigger, brighter city. It is Qian’s search for identity — particularly that of being a young women…
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Most people assume dark circles under eyes signify a sign of lack of sleep. While this may be true, there are other reasons why one might be rocking the non-eyeliner induced panda eye. So why do dark circles exist? The skin underneath our eyes is the thinnest skin on our body, and because of the…
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Running Dogs is the debut novel by Australian author Ruby J. Murray, and is about the complex friendship between two women living in Jakarta. In the present day, it follows Diana, an Australian woman who has taken up a job working for an aid agency. From the beginning, Diana is haunted by the presence of…
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You may have seen Anna Rose recently on the ABC special I Can Change Your Mind on Climate Change or the Q&A that followed it. At 29, Rose is an inspiring figure. In 2008 she graduated with first class honours in law and arts from the University of Sydney, but it’s an initiative she worked on…
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Every Australian girl remembers the moment she read the classic Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette and Gabrielle Carey. My mother gave it to me when I was 13 – I think in a sneaky effort to warn me about the unromantic side of sex – and I remember being scandalised, intrigued and mystified all at…
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A friend recently posted the below video to Facebook because she was completely bemused by the content. I was too. Quite a few commenters had the same reaction — is this a joke? Could it perhaps be some sort of satirical viral marketing? Some sort of social media experiment? A previously unreleased skit from Saturday Night Live? According…
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In the past year or so, I’ve noticed what seems to be a new beauty product on the market – facial serums. I know they’ve been around for awhile, but it only seems recently that they are being pushed to be an everyday part of our skincare regime. I was curious to do some research…
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True by Finnish author Riikka Pulkkinen is a tender and heartbreaking examination of secrets families keep from each other, and how even if we try to file it away, the past always informs our present. The novel centres around a family who gather when the matriarch, Elsa, is dying of cancer and wishes to live out…
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Deborah Forster’s debut novel ‘The Book of Emmet’ was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, and her second book ‘The Meaning of Grace’ has recently been released. ‘The Meaning of Grace’ explores momentous issues surrounding family: parents who leave for various reasons, the complex bonds between siblings, the pull-push we feel towards our parents as…
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Lanolips 101 Ointment. This product consists of two ingredients: lanolin and lanolin oil. As the pretty sheep on the packaging suggests, lanolin is a natural product derived from fleece (the website stresses the practice is cruelty free and it’s suitable for vegetarians, but perhaps don’t gift the product to your vegan friend). As suggested by…
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Organic products seem oh-so du jour. Even organic apples aren’t reserved for farmer’s markets anymore, they instead hold pride in the produce section of Coles. And if you were to go for a spin around Coles, you’ll find many organic products –dishwashing liquid, toilet paper, laundry detergent. While some dismiss and critique organic products, they…
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Ever since my young sister spent three months in hospital due to complications following brain-surgery, I’ve been fascinated with books about illness and grief, particularly when it comes to memoir. It’s not that I’m a morbid person. It’s more that since I’m writing about the subject myself, I like to see how others approach it. …
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My older sister is pregnant, and I’m ridiculously excited. It’s the first time I’m going to be an aunty, so I’m already going weak-kneed at the sight of baby mittens. Mittens! So babies don’t claw themselves with their insanely, tiny, perfect fingernails! And don’t even get me started on minature Converse sneakers, they just about make…
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Nikki Lovell is the founder of the charity One Village, which aims to support Ugandan communities by providing educational, agricultural, infrastructural and health support. Lovell begun One Village after spending a Gap year in the small village of Namwendwa where she witnessed — and experienced — poverty first hand. She saw how a few simple changes and…
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