Is there any finer way of spending an afternoon than sucking on a lobster leg, gargling chardonnay and listening to top-quality political gossip? Margot Saville went to lunch with Richo and the Faceless Man to get the Labor Party gossip.
Columns / Talking the Town
All the glitz, glamour and gossip from the nation’s biggest cultural events. Crikey‘s very own “Page Six” — if we had pages.
Talking the Town: for Guthrie, the gang’s all here, News notwithstanding
A coterie of bluechip Melbourne media upper-crusters packed Melbourne lunch spot Bottega for the launch of Bruce Guthrie’s Man Bites Murdoch.
Bennelong despatch: McKew serves it up to ‘good looking’ JA
Bennelong is one of the most ethnically diverse electorates in the country.
The Hawkeites assemble to help Blanche pick at the warts
It’s been 14 years since we have had a PM who could really deliver a speech, and it was fitting that the nation’s greatest speechwriter, Graham Freudenberg, was in the audience last night to hear Julia Gillard speak about Bob Hawke.
Turnbull launches Shitstorm in Sydney. The book, that is
If a week is a long time in politics, then it’s an eternity in book publishing. Last week, then PM Kevin Rudd launched the new Shitstorm book. This week Malcolm Turnbull launched it.
Alan Reid’s life, a history of Oz political journalism
Reading a biography of the controversial and legendary Australian journalist Alan Reid, it’s hard not to be nostalgic for the days when journos chain-smoked at their desks and wore hats.
Madam Lash book launch a spanking good time
Purveyors of a spanking were left wanting in Sydney last night. All the BDSM mistresses were at the launch of Sam Everingham’s excellent book Madam Lash, Gretel Pinniger’s scandalous life of sex, art and bondage.
Revellers caught in the ACT
Budget night in Canberra is meant to be a rowdy festival of unhinged advisers and journos binge-drinking in glorious fashion at some of the ACT’s most clique-ridden gossip houses. The truth is a little more pathetic.
Jan Murray on sex, lies and politics
Who among us has not fantasised about stabbing a politician, or one’s spouse, with a pair of scissors? Luckily, for Jan Murray, the-then wife of the federal tourism minister, she could do both.
Thumped, bumped and bumped off at ICAC
The difference between being thumped, bumped and bumped off is still a mystery, even after a whole day spent at the current ICAC hearing in Sydney into allegations of murdered Michael McGurk’s corrupt conduct.
Talking the Town: Pilger’s wrong to bag The West
Those expecting a fierce attack on media moguls from Australian ex-pat journalist John Pilger would have been disappointed at his Q&A session in Perth yesterday, writes Lawrence Apps.
Talking the town: Tony Abbott and Bob Ellis, in conversation. Yes, really.
It’s not often you go to a book launch where the author never mentions his own book, and spends most of the night talking about someone else’s, which is what happened with Bob Ellis and Tony Abbott last night.
Talking the Town: The Walkleys
Margot Saville spills all the all the glitz, glamour and gossip from last night’s Walkey Awards, on a night where two failing business models — music industry at the Arias and media — battled to stay relevant.
Talking the Town: Harry M, superstar
Not everyone in this town is wild about Harry M Miller, but he can really pull a crowd, with Lindy Chamberlain, Stuart Diver, Michael Kirby, Marcia Hines, Stuart Wagstaff and many more turning up to a Kings Cross nightclub for the launch of his autobiography last night.
Talking the Town: Ray Martin’s book launch
Last night we time-travelled back to a kinder, gentler time, at the launch of Ray Martin’s autobiography, complete with an introduction from Sir Michael Parkinson and music by Geoff Harvey.
Talking the Town: Don Watson’s Bendable Learnings launch
Management language has spread to the most unlikely places and has “seeded itself” — mainly through consultants, according to Don Watson. Margot Saville reports from his book launch.
Talking the Town: bookmaker Bill Waterhouse’s autobiography launch
There was no more fabulous place to be in Sydney yesterday than at Tattersall’s Club for the launch of colourful bookmaker Bill Waterhouse’s autobiography, What are the Odds? The Bill Waterhouse Story.
Thank God for Richard Wilkins!
On a day that Sydney’s dust storms felt like the end of the world, it’s appropriate that it was ended in the company of Max Markson’s notorious clients.
Talking the Town: The 86 Biggest Lies on Wall St launch
There was no better way to commemorate one year since the fall of Lehman Brothers than in the company of esteemed economics editor Ross Gittins and author John R. Talbott.
Talking the town: Hugh Evans live — not much to scoff at
Former Young Australian of the Year and Oaktree founder Hugh Evans delivered last night’s last night’s Sir Keith Murdoch Oration. And sadly for the cynics, he was clever, earnest, dead keen and nothing to scoff at, says Bhakthi Puvanenthiran.
Talking the town: Tony Abbott gets down on his knees
Margot Saville relives all the glitz and glamour (ahem) of Tony Abbott’s booklaunch.
Talking the town: talking heads at the Toxteth
Grumpy Old Women, in descending age order, confront Margot Saville with tales of God and pilates.
Talking the town: the Australian Book Industry awards
Like Christmas in the trenches, all hostilities were suspended last night as the local book industry got together for the Australian Book Industry Awards.
