The idea of Australia : a search for the soul of the nation

**Former publisher of __Griffith Review__ Professor Julianne Schultz challenges our notions of what it means to be Australian and asks timely and urgent questions about our national identity.** 'Schultz reflects on how we might shake off our fears, our mediocrity and our moral torpor, and rediscover the country we once promised to be' KERRY O'BRIEN 'A penetrating analysis' MELISSA LUCASHENKO 'A triumph of art, politics, literature, history, and the deepest scholarship...A towering achievement.' JENNY HOCKING What is the 'idea of Australia'? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a place that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy and insular? A lifetime of watching Australia as a journalist, editor, academic and writer has given Julianne Schultz a unique platform from which to ask and answer these critical questions. The global pandemic gave her time to study the X-ray of our country and the opportunity for perspective and analysis. Schultz came to realise that the idea of Australia is a contest between those who are imaginative, hopeful, altruistic and ambitious, and those who are defensive and inward-looking. She became convinced we need to acknowledge and better understand our past to make sense of our present and build a positive and inclusive future. She suggests what Australia could be: smart, compassionate, engaged, fair and informed. This important, searing and compelling book explains us to ourselves and suggests ways Australia can realise her true potential. Urgent, inspiring and optimistic, __The Idea of Australia__ presents the vision we need to fully appreciate our great strengths and crucial challenges. 'Timely, bracing, and ultimately hopeful' YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED 'Disruptive, bold and brilliant' CLARE WRIGHT 'A brilliant successor to Donald Horne's __The Lucky Country__' TOM GRIFFITHS 'A contemporary classic in the making' CHRISTINE WALLACE 'Utterly compelling, engrossing and extraordinary' ANNE TIERNAN 'A wonderfully enthralling read' ROSLYN ATKINSON 'Subtle, powerful and compelling' GLYN DAVIS 'Essential reading' FRANK BONGIORNO 'A stunning book' ANN CURTHOYS 'A marvellous read' TONY KOCH 'Beautifully written' MATT FOLEY Former publisher of Griffith Review Professor Julianne Schultz challenges our notions of what it means to be Australian and asks timely and urgent questions about our national identity. Maybe, because Australia has been so rich for so long, complacency and entitlement, rather than innovation and aspiration, have become the norm. Maybe, because the habit of not looking back has become so ingrained, we are incapable of imagining what we might become, as we have little idea of how we got here. Maybe, because we have for so long accommodated bullies, we retreated to smaller dreams in manageable spaces. Maybe, because so few of our political leaders have had courageous imaginations, they are in fact led by others. Maybe, because we are ashamed of our racialist past, we forgot how to hold on to the good bits. Maybe, Australia being home to the world's oldest continuous culture is just too difficult for its white settlers to comprehend. Australia needs to address these issues if it is to become more than a half-formed idea. What is the 'idea of Australia'? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country, or is Australia a nation that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy, and insular? A lifetime of watching the country as a journalist, editor, academic, and writer has given Julianne Schultz a unique platform from which to ask and answer these big and urgent questions. The global pandemic gave her a time to study the X-ray of our country and the opportunity for perspective and analysis. Schultz came to realise that the idea of Australia is a contest between those who are imaginative, hopeful, altruistic, and ambitious, and those who are defensive and inward-looking. She became convinced we need to acknowledge and better understand our past to make sense of our present and build a positive and inclusive future. She suggests what Australia could be: smart, compassionate, engaged, fair and informed. Braiding her personal experience with often untold stories from our poorly understood history, Schultz finds a resourceful and creative people who have often been badly served by timid and self-interested leaders: a people eager to meaningfully recognise First Australians and address the flaw at the heart of the nation. A people who are not afraid of change and put culture ahead of politics. She tells us revealing stories that we rarely hear from our media or leaders. This important, searing, and compelling book explains us to ourselves and suggests ways Australia can realise her true potential. Urgent, inspiring, and optimistic, The Idea of Australia presents the vision we need to fully appreciate our country's great strengths and crucial challenges. Former publisher of Griffith Review Professor Julianne Schultz challenges our notions of what it means to be Australian and asks timely and urgent questions about our national identity.

'Schultz reflects on how we might shake off our fears, our mediocrity and our moral torpor, and rediscover the country we once promised to be' KERRY O'BRIEN

'A penetrating analysis' MELISSA LUCASHENKO

'A triumph of art, politics, literature, history, and the deepest scholarship...A towering achievement.' JENNY HOCKING

What is the 'idea of Australia'? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a place that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy and insular?

A lifetime of watching Australia as a journalist, editor, academic and writer has given Julianne Schultz a unique platform from which to ask and answer these critical questions. The global pandemic gave her time to study the X-ray of our country and the opportunity for perspective and analysis. Schultz came to realise that the idea of Australia is a contest between those who are imaginative, hopeful, altruistic and ambitious, and those who are defensive and inward-looking. She became convinced we need to acknowledge and better understand our past to make sense of our present and build a positive and inclusive future. She suggests what Australia could be: smart, compassionate, engaged, fair and informed.

This important, searing and compelling book explains us to ourselves and suggests ways Australia can realise her true potential. Urgent, inspiring and optimistic, The Idea of Australia presents the vision we need to fully appreciate our great strengths and crucial challenges.

'Timely, bracing, and ultimately hopeful' YASSMIN ABDEL-MAGIED

'Disruptive, bold and brilliant' CLARE WRIGHT

'A brilliant successor to Donald Horne's The Lucky Country' TOM GRIFFITHS

'A contemporary classic in the making' CHRISTINE WALLACE

'Utterly compelling, engrossing and extraordinary' ANNE TIERNAN

'A wonderfully enthralling read' ROSLYN ATKINSON

'Subtle, powerful and compelling' GLYN DAVIS

'Essential reading' FRANK BONGIORNO

'A stunning book' ANN CURTHOYS

'A marvellous read' TONY KOCH

'Beautifully written' MATT FOLEY "What is the 'idea of Australia'? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a place that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy and insular? A lifetime of watching Australia as a journalist, editor, academic and writer has given Julianne Schultz a unique platform from which to ask and answer these critical questions. The global pandemic gave her time to study the X-ray of our country and the opportunity for perspective and analysis. Schultz came to realise that the idea of Australia is a contest between those who are imaginative, hopeful, altruistic and ambitious, and those who are defensive and inward-looking. She became convinced we need to acknowledge and better understand our past to make sense of our present and build a positive and inclusive future. She suggests what Australia could be: smart, compassionate, engaged, fair and informed. This important, searing and compelling book explains us to ourselves and suggests ways Australia can realise her true potential. Urgent, inspiring and optimistic, The Idea of Australia presents the vision we need to fully appreciate our great strengths and crucial challenges"--Publisher's description