Everything about The Bradshaws is controversial, fluid, uncertain: their age - perhaps 30,000 years old, perhaps older, perhaps more recent - who painted them, what they mean. Richard Flanagan 000agebradshaws Change image and share on social
Under Malcolm Fraser's Liberal governments in the 1970s, large numbers of refugees fleeing Vietnam in wretched boats were taken in without any great fuss. Richard Flanagan 1970sboatflee Change image and share on social
Among many other reforms, Australians pioneered the secret ballot and universal suffrage. Richard Flanagan australianballotpioneer Change image and share on social
I grew up in a world that was clannish - old Tasmanian-Irish families with big extended families. Richard Flanagan bigclannishextend Change image and share on social
I realised that if I wished to write about the dark and not allow for hope, people would recognise it as false - because hope is the nub of what we are. Richard Flanagan darkfalsehope Change image and share on social
Look at the history of literature, and you find the history of beauty on the one hand and the IOUs on the other. Richard Flanagan beautyfindhand Change image and share on social
I love words because you can only live one life, but in a novel, you can live a thousand: you contain multitudes. Richard Flanagan lifelivelove Change image and share on social
I never know what I am writing. The moment you know what you're writing, you're writing nothing worth reading. Richard Flanagan momentreadworth Change image and share on social
What supposedly bound that Commonwealth together was a mysterious shared identity - Britishness. Richard Flanagan bindbritishnesscommonwealth Change image and share on social
My father, unusually for a PoW, talked about his experiences, but he talked about them in a very limited way. Richard Flanagan experiencefatherlimit Change image and share on social