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Colors – Halsey Something I Need – OneRepublic Can't Get You Out of My Head – Kylie Minogue 21 Guns – Green Day Space Song – Beach House The Logical Song – Supertramp Replay – Zendaya When You Were Young – The Killers Crave – Paramore 1979 – The Smashing Pumpkins Ribs – Lorde Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) – Katy Perry Around the World (La La La La La) – A Touch of Class Uptown Girl – Billy Joel Hey, Soul Sister – Train Bring Me To Life – Evanescence We'll Be The Stars – Sabrina

Join Katrina Wang on the quest for the Belt of Deltora as she reminisces on this childhood classic. Remembered like a strange, half-dreamt memory, Emily Rodda's series Deltora Quest  is, dare I say, a staple of many Australian childhoods from the 2000s. The covers depicting wild, fantastical and wholly unique monsters are a stark memory in my mind, and for those who have watched the Japanese anime adaptation, the opening notes are a chorus of quite literal bells, clear and re

Donitella Navusolo explores the sentimentality of a childhood home that feels more special than the rest. Most of us have the one childhood home we remember more vividly than the rest. So, what makes that one place rise above all others in our memory? Ask anyone where home is for them, and out of all the houses they have lived in, they will usually have a favourite. The one with that creaky step on the staircase, or the one with the big tree they used to climb in the backyard

News Section Editor Chantelle Mackintosh highlights the issues of nostalgia and transphobia while discussing the differences between public treatment of J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman. Everyone knows of J.K. Rowling and Neil Gaiman, but we don’t spend enough time delving into their similarities, and more importantly, their differences. Both authors were born in the 1960s, both wrote highly successful novels that were adapted for the screen, and both had controversies around the

Creatives Section Editor, Nirvana Prasad, reflects on looking back on childhood experiences and the feelings that are elicited.  Childhood. It’s supposed to be a good time. When you think back on it, you should remember smiles, laughter, bright colours, happiness.  But things are never that simple, are they? Somewhere along the way, things stop being so fun. Life starts to become more stressful, less enjoyable. Maybe when you look back, your jaw clenches with a feeling you ca

Editorial Assistant Daniela De Vera ruminates on the new era of communication, and the therapist that lives inside our devices. I have a confession to make. Once, and only once, have I turned to the unending knowledge and capabilities of AI and asked for its advice on an infatuation I had at the time. My meticulous typing on my dilemma and the intricate circumstances was received by this thing ; a no face, no voice, no heartbeat thing with no feelings or experiences to share.

With a twist of humour, Amy Condren recalls the touching and unusual awakening of her love for dance. I will never forget the first time I heard ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears. Too young to enrol in classes, I sat on a lap in the middle tier of a school hall for Dynamic Dance end of year showcase in 2005. My spectacled older sister wore cowboy getup and tapped her feet nervously to ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’. When her chaps fell down on stage, I remember my mother’s tears. My brother wore r

Follow along with Deputy Editor Kayleigh Greig in her journey of inspiration, and find out if she catches the venomous snake or not.  2010 It seemed like the entire facility had ceased work. Men in hi-vis vests paced in the foyer, burly arms folded over their chests. Their furrowed brows hid under a thin layer of grease, their stubbled mouths downturned.  My mom, blonde curls cascading down her back, seemed as starkly contrasted as a daffodil in a graveyard. She grinned broad

In the height of the global discourse surrounding climate change, the author remembers the year she first felt the extreme turn of seasons. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about middle school. Specifically, eighth grade—when the winter hit so hard that people rushed to buy sweaters and jackets in a city that had never needed them before.  I grew up in the same town, in the same neighbourhood, and went to the same school until I graduated. It was a medium-sized city in Wester

Editorial Assistant and pop culture expert Amy Condren reminisces the popular TV show, Pretty Little Liars , discussing the show’s hits and misses. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! If you have not watched the show, read at your own risk.  Some things are at the perfect level of ridiculous where, if you squint , they become fabulous! At least, that is what I tell myself. Growing up with an endless stream of weekly episodes from the late 2000’s to early 2010’s golden era of teen TV, I c

Editorial Assistant Bethany Sharman gives a voice to your camera roll, inviting you to listen to its thoughts.  The sun sets, and I take the night shift. Again.  After all this time, I still can’t get used to the routine. Disturbed at 1 a.m. for a session of what feels like endless scrolling through the… what was it again? Oh yes, the #mems . You lie in bed giggling over your late night finds. Meanwhile the only thing I’ve  found is sleep deprivation.  But what do they always

When I first began re ading The Secrets of the Huon Wren, [1]   I was reminded of my grandpa. Claire Van Ryn’s award-winning debut novel interweaves the paths of journalist Allira and Nora Gray, the mysterious elderly woman whose story she gradually uncovers. How did she come to be alone, no family to keep her company? What is the significance of the baby doll she clutches so fiercely? How can Allira piece together these rambling fragments into a whole story? The book depicts

She was ranting about how her friend always loses their vape when she happens to have cherry blueberry on her, that every time she takes it out she’s like a microcelebrity. Once it apparently turned into a full-blown argument, so I eyerolled to show my interest. Then I remembered I love cherry blueberry, so I asked for a hit or two. I’ve been meaning to get it but I can’t get it at my local, and the one two blocks over is too expensive anyways, and I always forget to buy a ne

The air is warm when I step into the garden. A tentative summer splays out before me – jasmine and honeysuckle and freshly-cut grass, damp concrete, soil, and salt.    I bundle up my dress, holding it off the ground as I tenderly make my way down the concrete stairs.  “Hello, my darlings!” I call out through a smile, glancing down at the birds in between steps.  Soft, affectionate honks float through the air.  As I reach the lake, I feel around in my basket and produce a ha

Jane could hear the annoying alarm from John’s phone.  “Come on, we’ve been waiting forever.”  Then John’s urging joined the annoying choir.  “We really should leave it for another hour. The pavlova needs more time to cool down.”  “It’s been nearly three hours – I can’t wait another hour. It should be fine, right?” “Baking doesn’t work like that,” she said but she privately agreed that it took too long for a few pastries. “I mean, you could’ve told me it’d take that long in t

Jeremy Hinkle hated three things. Rats, family reunions, and pavlovas. And putting them all together meant only one thing: disaster.  You see, last night was the annual Hinkle family reunion at Aunt Theodora’s house. All of Jeremy’s uncles and aunts and cousins — even his parents — had been there. As usual, Aunt Theodora had prepared her famous pavlova.  But little did any of his uncles or aunts or cousins or even his parents know that Aunt Theodora had been dealing with a ra

01 Promises – Luke Hemmings 02 Untouched – The Veronicas 03 Riptide – Vance Joy 04 Slow Motion – Ullah 05 Clementine – grentperez 06 Earth And Sun And Moon – Midnight Oil 07 Minivan – The Rions 08 Lift – Shannon Noll 09 Que Sera – Justice Crew 10 I Said Hi – Amy Shark 11 A Moment in Time – Lokhee Nyx 12 Familiar Flavours – 700 Feel 13 Aussie Aussie – Birdz 14 Rager teenager! – Troye Sivan 15 Black & Gold – Sam Sparro 16 The Boy Prince – Winterbourne 17 Settle – Vera Blue 18 A

By Kayleigh Greig and Beth Nicholls ARIES 21 March - 19 April You can courageously conquer the goon bag all by yourself and I will happily  watch from the sidelines.  TAURUS 20 April - 20 May Whenever you say “crikey” it just makes people think of Steve Irwin. And in that comparison, I can tell you who comes out looking cooler.  GEMINI 21 May - 20 June Okay, I know you are OBSESSED  with trying out new combinations, but I think at some point you need to realise the Crocs migh

Sophia Kearns opens the cover on the Australian artifact that is Michael In Pictures Richard Simpkin shrugged off his beige coat as he sat down across from me, a Boston Red Sox cap pulled low over his brow and Michael in Pictures  tucked under his arm like a skater with his favourite deck—scuffed, treasured, never far from reach. Into a cozy café in Bondi Junction, he moved a little slowly, careful on his feet, a quiet concession to the diabetes he has lived with for a lifeti

Penguin Random House provided Grapeshot a copy of After the Siren , in exchange for an honest review of Darcy Green’s debut novel. Editor-in-Chief Beth Nicholls gives their thoughts on this queer romantic comedy. (Note: the book contains descriptions of anxiety and depression, including panic attacks and references to a previous self-harm attempt. There are also infrequent mentions of homophobic comments/language.) Now, I’m a rugby league lover until the end, and to be honest

Niamh McGonnell-Hall sits us down for a mug of Milo with a side serving of Australian-authored books.  Please note that these reviews contain minor spoilers.  Hear ye, hear ye. I come bearing even more reading recs for all you bibliophiles. For this issue, I will be leaving the phallic fantasies behind (partly) and giving you some Aussie recommendations to go with your healthy helping of pavlova.  The Hating Game - Sally Thorne    🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰/5 Now, I know I mentioned this las

Martha Florence remembers how Australian Modernism got its groove back: in typical Aussie style, two army boys took fake-it-‘till-ya-make-it to a whole new level Now we find, too lateThat these distractions were cluesTo a transposed versionOf our too rigid state. — “Palinode” Ern Malley It’s no secret Australia isn’t exactly up to speed with the rest of the world. We’re not the fashion capital or the literary publishing epicentre. We don’t have Hollywood and we’re seriously  

How much do you really know about shark nets? Editorial Assistant Imogen Grebert takes us through the pros and cons of this invention. Australia—a land of golden shores that meet city, rainforest and desert. Known for its remarkable beaches and people who just can’t seem to get enough of them. Fun fact: if you were to go to one new Australian beach every day, it would take you 32 years. However, despite all these things being said, beaches in Australia often encounter a probl

Section Editor Chantelle Mackintosh overviews the reasons behind the halting of shipments from AUSPost to the United States.  Australia Post has suspended most postage to the United States of America in retaliation against new tariffs on low-value parcels. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump details that from Friday 29 August, parcels valued under AUD$1,230 will attract tariffs. However, letters and documents with no commercial value and gifts valued under USD