Published 22 April 2009 · Main Posts modesty prevents them Jeff Sparrow Being such shy, retiring types, my co-editors have been all coy about their achievements. Lacking inhibitions of that kind, I note that Rjurik will soon publish a book of his short stories in Britain, while Kalinda‘s novel The Danger Game is rapidly taking shape. Here’s some of the encomiums it has attracted: ‘Kalinda Ashton’s The Danger Game is an unflinching examination of familial and communal bonds. It is a masterful, poignant, powerful and true. Ashton¹s is a remarkable voice and this is a wonderful novel.’ Christos Tsiolkas ‘The Danger Game is an exquisitely written portrait of a disintegrating family in a turbulent era.’ Amanda Lohrey ‘Ashton’s The Danger Game announces a new and vital voice in Australian literature. The writing hits every note on every page.’ Tony Birch ‘Kalinda Ashton loves her damaged characters, and makes us love them too. With forgiveness, an enormous sensibility for suffering, and a wry, forensic eye, she explores the injuries that lie inside their souls. This subtle and engrossing debut novel combines Ashton¹s exquisite feel for language with precise observation of suburban lives. Lonely Jeremy, survivor Alice and risk-taking Louise are people we know from life; discovering their secrets and stories makes The Danger Game a wise, disquieting, and memorable read.’ Kate Holden ‘A brilliant novel about a damaged family, The Danger Game breaks your heart and promises to put it back together again. In Jeremy, Ashton has created a character whose demise leaves you stunned and wishing there was another way. He will stay with me.’ Ian Syson I think it’s pretty good, too. Jeff Sparrow Jeff Sparrow is a Walkley Award-winning writer, broadcaster and former editor of Overland. More by Jeff Sparrow › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays First published in Overland Issue 228 28 March 202428 March 2024 · Main Posts Why we should value not only lived experience, but also lived expertise Sukhmani Khorana In the wake of this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I want to extend the central idea of El Gibbs’s 2022 essay on 'lived expertise' and argue that in media accounts of racism, analytical expertise and lived experience ought to be valued together and even in the same body. First published in Overland Issue 228 5 March 2024 · Main Posts Andrew Charlton’s school assignment Alex McKinnon Australia's Pivot to India exists for three reasons: so that when Andrew Charlton is interviewed on the radio or introduced on Q+A, his bio includes the phrase "he has written a book about Indian-Australian relations"; to fend off accusations that he is another Kristina Keneally engaging in electoral colonialism in western Sydney; and to help the Albanese government strengthen economic and military ties with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.