Jennifer Mills

is an author, editor and critic. Her latest novel is The Airways.

By this author

Culture September 09, 2023

CoUNTess: Spoiling Illusions Since 2008

“There are so few senior women artists,” a friend lamented recently. Women, trans and non-binary people make up more than 70 per cent of visual arts graduates in Australia, but only 30-40 per cent of exhibiting artists. What makes them disappear? In …

Life October 01, 2022

Botanic gardens plan for a drier future

The famed white oak in Melbourne’s botanic gardens is gone, but in its place is diverse new life and a fresh approach to planning for a hotter, drier future.

Culture June 10, 2023

Ramsay Art Prize 2023

The 2023 Ramsay Prize reveals a constellation of younger artists speaking with courage, intelligence and depth.

Culture May 21, 2022

Mud

“Brown shapes move across the screen, leaving dark streaks in the mud behind them. Salt glitters, and some darker crystal. The bodies move purposefully, now and then a flash of teeth that must be laughter. Happy workers, covered in the earth they think …”

Culture September 11, 2021

Local giant

“Children between the ages of six and nine are randomly selected for the giant with an app developed by local entrepreneurs. In May last year, a group of children calling themselves Extermination Rebellion concealed the whereabouts of eight of the selected …”

Culture July 10, 2021

Pigeon

“We were there most days, light chat lapsing into comfortable silence. A dog would pass, or a squirrel run up a man’s leg, and that would set us off again. Then the sun would go and one or the other of us would say he had better be off. Always soon, …”

Culture November 28, 2020

The call

“The president wanted to make the call herself, but as a committee we felt this was risky. She saw her place in history, the first human to make direct contact with an alien civilisation; we saw a diplomatic catastrophe. Even if she managed the conversation …”

Culture May 23, 2020

I will not be taking questions

“Is this their final offer? Was that the best you could get? You’ve had it all thoroughly looked over as I asked? There’s not going to be another round of discussions? Isn’t there some factor that we haven’t yet considered? Could we maybe have …”