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Can’t get published by the Big Five? Win a major prize instead

Can’t get published by the Big Five? Win a major prize instead

Being “too weird” for the big five publishing houses is the new way to win a literary award.

latest 1

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jane Sullivan

Many of us get up in the dark to exercise. But how many of us question why we’re doing it?

Many of us get up in the dark to exercise. But how many of us question why we’re doing it?

When the alarm goes off, I feel like I’ve been thrown in a cold shower. But I get up anyway.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Jo Stanley

A sandal-wearing cry-baby with a taste for blood: Is Odysseus really a hero?

A sandal-wearing cry-baby with a taste for blood: Is Odysseus really a hero?

The King of Ithaca confused me as a child. I’m wary about seeing what Christopher Nolan has done with him.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Sophie Quick

Kellie Sloane came in to tidy up the NSW Libs. She’s going to need a bigger broom

Kellie Sloane came in to tidy up the NSW Libs. She’s going to need a bigger broom

The NSW Liberal Party was already facing a mammoth task in the forthcoming state election. Then along came the ICAC’s Operation Rosny.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael McGowan

The right-wing media is carrying the Liberal Party to its death

The right-wing media is carrying the Liberal Party to its death

Unfortunately for media outlets prosecuting the case against the budget and the government with relentless vigour, the signs that their efforts are...

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Shaun Carney

Queensland got what they deserved from Laurie’s Losers

Queensland got what they deserved from Laurie’s Losers

Daley’s maligned Blues of 2026 have joined the rare vintages of 1994, 2005 and 2024, those fabled NSW heroes who have won Origin deciders in Brisbane.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

Malcolm Knox

Albo brings PMs from Tonga, Samoa, PNG to Origin decider

Albo brings PMs from Tonga, Samoa, PNG to Origin decider

Basking in the afterglow of a $5.3 billion NRL broadcast deal, Peter V’landys held court with a gaggle of prime ministers at Suncorp on Wednesday...

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The Sydney Morning Herald

John Buckley

Wizards of Loz: Blues send coach Daley out a winner with masterclass in decider

Wizards of Loz: Blues send coach Daley out a winner with masterclass in decider

Laurie Daley wore plenty of criticism for NSW’s sub-par performances in games one and two. Victory in the decider at Suncorp Stadium was as sweet as...

yesterday 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Tom Decent

Someone flipped the scripts, flicked the switch and a guy called Nathan Cleary turned everything on its head

Someone flipped the scripts, flicked the switch and a guy called Nathan Cleary turned everything on its head

Most importantly for the Blues, Nathan Cleary, who to this point has only ever had one question mark over his superlative career – can he perform in...

yesterday 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Fitzsimons

State of Origin first half player ratings: How the Blues and Maroons played in game three

State of Origin first half player ratings: How the Blues and Maroons played in game three

We rate the first-half performances of every player who took the field in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

yesterday 7

The Sydney Morning Herald

Dominic Brock

Farage scandal is a warning for Hanson – and a chance for the Coalition

Farage scandal is a warning for Hanson – and a chance for the Coalition

Pauline Hanson was set to meet the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in London this week. The scandal engulfing him has some lessons for Australian...

yesterday 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paul Sakkal

A little boy fell through cracks in the protection system

A little boy fell through cracks in the protection system

The Central Coast tragedy refocuses attention on NSW’s parlous child protection system.

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

Telstra has broken a critical rule of corporate crisis management

Telstra has broken a critical rule of corporate crisis management

The telco giant has let itself down in how transparent it was about the full impact of Wednesday’s outage.

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

Phone outages have become normal in Australia. That’s not normal

Phone outages have become normal in Australia. That’s not normal

These outages have exhausted public patience, and promised fixes aren’t being felt yet.

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Swan

Elon Musk’s SpaceX blockbuster gets a market reality check

Elon Musk’s SpaceX blockbuster gets a market reality check

SpaceX shares have tumbled amid growing concern that the AI boom won’t deliver the returns investors had priced into the sector.

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Here’s how it all went wrong in Harry’s ‘creepy’ hacking case. No wonder he’s furious

Here’s how it all went wrong in Harry’s ‘creepy’ hacking case. No wonder he’s furious

Prince Harry’s personal attack on presiding judge Matthew Nicklin can’t mask a legal strategy riddled with flaws that led to bitter defeat at the...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

David Crowe

Can these five changes save Daley’s legacy, or will Slater’s dig the knife in?

Can these five changes save Daley’s legacy, or will Slater’s dig the knife in?

Seven changes have been made across the two Origin sides. We break down how each one can make or break the decider at Suncorp Stadium.

yesterday 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

Nick Wright

Qld’s spine is destined for all-time greatness. This is the only way to beat them

Qld’s spine is destined for all-time greatness. This is the only way to beat them

The Maroons playmakers terrify me and they will one day go down in Origin history. So how does NSW flip Queensland’s script?

yesterday 9

The Sydney Morning Herald

Andrew Johns

If productivity can’t be measured (and it can’t, not really), how can we improve it?

If productivity can’t be measured (and it can’t, not really), how can we improve it?

When politicians and economists bang on about the need to increase productivity, they’re arguing about a concept that is nothing more than a puff of...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ross Gittins

My wife has no taxable income. Will she have to pay CGT under the new rules?

My wife has no taxable income. Will she have to pay CGT under the new rules?

This is a prime example of the unfair and unintended consequences of the new laws around capital gains tax.

yesterday 20

The Sydney Morning Herald

Noel Whittaker

How the ‘cheapest’ retirement village could leave you paying more

How the ‘cheapest’ retirement village could leave you paying more

For Australians considering buying into a retirement village, it’s worth crunching the numbers – because the cheapest home isn’t always the most...

yesterday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Rachel Lane

If there’s a heaven, Uncle John, your last 8000 steps were its stairway

If there’s a heaven, Uncle John, your last 8000 steps were its stairway

When my uncle, John Egan, was well into his 90s, I had a challenging phone call with him.

previous day 8

The Sydney Morning Herald

Rick Feneley

The science of happiness, unemployment, inflation, populism and One Nation

The science of happiness, unemployment, inflation, populism and One Nation

The paradox is clear: Australia is an extraordinarily rich country, but its residents are increasingly pessimistic.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Liam Mannix

China’s missile test is a hypocritical affront to this nation

China’s missile test is a hypocritical affront to this nation

China’s launching of a missile into the Pacific has drawn widespread condemnation.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

The time for talk is over. Will Demon make a drastic call?

The time for talk is over. Will Demon make a drastic call?

Alex de Minaur cut a forlorn figure after his Wimbledon defeat on Monday. It feels like a fork-in-the-road moment for his career.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Marc McGowan

Cashed-up and cock-a-hoop, there’s one big winner from the NRL deal (and it’s not Kayo subscribers)

Cashed-up and cock-a-hoop, there’s one big winner from the NRL deal (and it’s not Kayo subscribers)

The mammoth $5.3 billion, seven-year agreement has serious ramifications for the code, its players and fans.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Bevan Shields

China’s Pacific missile launch is a diplomatic misfire

China’s Pacific missile launch is a diplomatic misfire

Despite Beijing’s insistence that the launch was a “routine” test, it is widely perceived in the region as a provocative and unsettling act.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Matthew Knott

I’m in my 30s and worried about property prices. Should I still buy?

I’m in my 30s and worried about property prices. Should I still buy?

Whenever there is a big market movement like this, you will see every expert jumping behind a microphone with some predictions. Take them with a grain...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Paridhi Jain

Billionaire Richard White is now more a liability for WiseTech than an asset

Billionaire Richard White is now more a liability for WiseTech than an asset

While he remains on the board as an executive director, the company’s independent board has effectively only half killed the king.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

My agent and I are no longer talking. The problem with selling a house in these crazy times

My agent and I are no longer talking. The problem with selling a house in these crazy times

My agent repeatedly insisted I would never get a better offer. “You will be stuck in your house for another 10 years if you don’t take it,” they said.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Nicola Redhouse

FIFA’s history makes it a perfect receptacle for phone calls from a ‘boss man’

FIFA’s history makes it a perfect receptacle for phone calls from a ‘boss man’

Drawing on his years of soccer expertise, US President Donald Trump declared Folarin Balogun’s previous-round red card for stomping completely...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Malcolm Knox

The irony of Trump’s scheme to protect a US World Cup star from the rules

The irony of Trump’s scheme to protect a US World Cup star from the rules

If the US president had things his way, Folarin Balogun would not even be an American citizen, and would not be able to play for the US soccer team at...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Koziol

US inflation is running hot, so why not change the way it is measured?

US inflation is running hot, so why not change the way it is measured?

If Kevin Warsh can adopt the trimmed mean as the Fed’s key inflation metric, Trump’s inflation problem will almost disappear.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

China’s missile launch shocked the world. Its new JL-3 brings a threat we’ve never seen before

China’s missile launch shocked the world. Its new JL-3 brings a threat we’ve never seen before

Submarine-launched ballistic missiles are deployed on nuclear-powered ballistic submarines. They are launched into flight by a brief burst of rocket...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Clinton Fernandes

Cleary needs to play five-eighth if Blues are to win decider. It worked in the 2023 grand final

Cleary needs to play five-eighth if Blues are to win decider. It worked in the 2023 grand final

Origin is faster, the gaps close quicker and the defence is more disciplined than in the NRL. Nathan Cleary will have more space and can do more...

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Roy Masters

The world is failing to curb carbon, and we may be close to a scorched earth tipping point

The world is failing to curb carbon, and we may be close to a scorched earth tipping point

The years 2023 to 2025 were the three hottest on record. The effects of climate change may soon make many nations uninhabitable.

previous day 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Hartcher

Beijing’s missile flex sends its Pacific neighbours an unmistakeable warning

Beijing’s missile flex sends its Pacific neighbours an unmistakeable warning

China’s testing of a nuclear-capable missile in the Pacific Ocean generated a splash that no one heard, but every country in the region felt.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Lisa Visentin

In my suburb, night coffee, culinary gems and the thrum of traffic are all part of the joyful vibe

Here, I’m suspended between my western Sydney working-class past and my inner-west recycling future.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Sarah Malik

Leave Kylie out of it: Why on earth did Albanese do that podcast?

Leave Kylie out of it: Why on earth did Albanese do that podcast?

It’s what the kids would call cringe. You might also call it garden-variety sexism. You could definitely call it too much information.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Jacqueline Maley

Party grassroots tell Minns to get real on poker machine reform

Party grassroots tell Minns to get real on poker machine reform

Pokies cause massive damage in western Sydney, yet the state government seems impervious to the harm that is being done in its heartland.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

Soft-touch gambling reforms will keep money flowing to media giants, sports

Soft-touch gambling reforms will keep money flowing to media giants, sports

For broadcast networks, marquee sports have become their programming lifeblood, and gambling advertising is a meaningful contributor to that revenue.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Elizabeth Knight

A line in the sand for the world’s largest creditor has been breached

A line in the sand for the world’s largest creditor has been breached

Last week the Japanese yen crashed through a ‘red line’ level against the US dollar. How the Bank of Japan responds could cause chaos in the...

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Bartholomeusz

FIFA reaches a new low, with Trump again a gloating winner

FIFA reaches a new low, with Trump again a gloating winner

FIFA’s decision to allow the previously suspended US striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium has left the football world astounded.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Oliver Brown

Justice is not being served when NSW parliament oversees court matters

Justice is not being served when NSW parliament oversees court matters

The office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has been independent for 40 years. Let’s not change that.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Geoffrey Watson

Sydney pays the price of its place as the nation’s cocaine capital

Sydney pays the price of its place as the nation’s cocaine capital

New farming technologies are turbocharging cocaine production, authorities warn.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Herald's View

My family has poured heart and soul into our art. Don’t let big tech steal it

My family has poured heart and soul into our art. Don’t let big tech steal it

Why should AI and big tech make money from my life’s work, without my permission?

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Mahalia Barnes

Surcharge shake-up could clip the wings of frequent flyer points

Surcharge shake-up could clip the wings of frequent flyer points

We’re likely to see a flurry of changes to banks’ reward schemes in coming months, as the industry prepares for an RBA-driven overhaul.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Clancy Yeates

Justice is not being served when NSW parliament oversees court matters

Justice is not being served when NSW parliament oversees court matters

The office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has been independent for 40 years. Let’s not change that.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Geoffrey Watson

Like the ‘broken’ housing market, Labor has a moral obligation to act on another issue

Like the ‘broken’ housing market, Labor has a moral obligation to act on another issue

Everyone agrees that gambling advertising requires drastic action.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

Sean Kelly

From Saint Tropez to Naples: James Packer and Lindsay Fox drop anchor in the Mediterranean

From Saint Tropez to Naples: James Packer and Lindsay Fox drop anchor in the Mediterranean

It’s that time of year again: A flotilla of superyachts owned by Australian billionaires has descended on the south of France.

monday 10

The Sydney Morning Herald

John Buckley