The Long Lede Anthology (Judith Neilson Institute, Vintage)

The Long Lede Initiative, a partnership between the Judith Neilson Institute, Penguin Random House, and Copyright Agency, pairs experienced Australian journalists with emerging writers to mentor them in crafting impactful pieces. In The Long Lede Anthology: Stories that want to be told, each mentor introduces their mentee’s essay and gives context to the topic as the writers tackle compelling and wide-ranging issues. The nine contributing journalists are Arlie Alizzi (on mentorship and sexual harassment in powerlifting), Penny Craswell (on the power, meaning and value of cups), Sam Elkin (on the life of Edward de Lacy Evans), Liz Gooch (on Afghanistan and the 2024 Paris Olympics), Dan Jervis-Bardy (on the death of Sudanese child refugee Safa Annour), Claire Keenan (on lapsed Catholicism), Wing Kuang (on consent education in culturally and linguistically diverse communities), Esther Linder (on Australian food supply chains), and Hessom Razavi (on Australia’s response to the global refugee crisis). I was particularly transfixed by Linder’s story about Australia’s flawed food supply network and genuinely moved by Jervis-Bardy’s ‘What happened to Safa Annour?’ The Long Lede Anthology is great for dipping in and out of; with various writing styles, each piece is thoroughly researched and uses accessible, almost conversational language, making complex issues easier to understand. This anthology is a timely companion to Leigh Sales’ Storytellers and proves that well-written and researched articles are still relevant—and powerful conversation starters.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Alida Galati is a freelance reviewer, secondary school librarian and writing and reading enthusiast. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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