Griffith Review: In The Neighbourhood

The Age

Saturday January 5, 2008

Bill Perrett

Griffith Review: In the Neighbourhood

Ed., Julianne Schultz

Griffith University/ABC Books, $19.95

THE GRIFFITH REVIEW can be relied upon for interesting collections of titbits around a loose theme and this number is no exception. The neighbourhood in the title is the Asia-Pacific region. As well as fiction and poetry, there is a piece by Jane Camens on literary contamination - the interpenetration of European and Asian writing, something that has been the subject of theory for a while but is now a practical publication and marketing phenomenon. Peter Mares reports on the dislocation of a Fijian family under the Australian Migration Act and Wayne McLennan on Thai boxing. Michael Wesley writes about the changes and need for planning in regional politics. We recently elected a Mandarin speaker to run the country; it seems that we have little choice but to consider our neighbourhood and this is an entertaining way to start.

© 2008 The Age

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