Lefa
@lefasn.bsky.social
Writer, creative producer, mobile-bookshop owner, tea addict, feminist, repping disability pride. Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. #MECFS
Pinned
Lefa
@lefasn.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Apparently we should do an intro?
This is me in my happy place, selling books from my mobile bookshop in Naarm (Melb).
I’m a producer who creates arts programs and events; writes about feminism, disability & culture and reviews comedy, theatre and lit.
Also rather fond of tea.
This is me in my happy place, selling books from my mobile bookshop in Naarm (Melb).
I’m a producer who creates arts programs and events; writes about feminism, disability & culture and reviews comedy, theatre and lit.
Also rather fond of tea.
Reposted by Lefa
here is the full survey results from CYDA about the proposed Thriving Kids. CN suicide, distress
cyda.org.au/thriving-kids/
cyda.org.au/thriving-kids/
Thriving Kids
Our national survey reveals community concerns about the government's Thriving Kids supports program. Read the submission and survey factsheet.
cyda.org.au
October 7, 2025 at 12:40 AM
here is the full survey results from CYDA about the proposed Thriving Kids. CN suicide, distress
cyda.org.au/thriving-kids/
cyda.org.au/thriving-kids/
Reposted by Lefa
I am very pleased to hear this. I will be writing and encouraging others to as well.
There’s hope in Victoria for a ban on these sponsors. Pls email the Education minister commsdeclare.org/2025/10/07/v...
Victoria to review school sponsorship rules with climate in mind - Comms Declare
There’s progress in the push to protect children from coal, oil and gas propaganda in Victorian public schools.
commsdeclare.org
October 7, 2025 at 8:14 AM
I am very pleased to hear this. I will be writing and encouraging others to as well.
Reposted by Lefa
"All arts and cultural value reporting has its limitations. But it’s time to properly recognise forms of value beyond price. What’s more, assessments of broader cultural value need to be routinely accessible and visible, to a broad range of stakeholders."
What is the value of Meanjin? We’ve done some calculations – and it’s not about money
New research considers the true value of Meanjin, using publicly available data. The journal has trained generations of Australian writers and editors.
theconversation.com
September 24, 2025 at 2:41 AM
"All arts and cultural value reporting has its limitations. But it’s time to properly recognise forms of value beyond price. What’s more, assessments of broader cultural value need to be routinely accessible and visible, to a broad range of stakeholders."
Reposted by Lefa
Albanese on emission targets of 62 - 70% by 2035: "We think we have a sweet spot."
The sweet spot:
The sweet spot:
September 18, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Albanese on emission targets of 62 - 70% by 2035: "We think we have a sweet spot."
The sweet spot:
The sweet spot:
Reposted by Lefa
Would be really funny if Kimmel and Colbert et al. decided to broadcast their shows from outside the USA like some kind of pirate network accessible with VPN - I could see it taking off, tbh
September 18, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Would be really funny if Kimmel and Colbert et al. decided to broadcast their shows from outside the USA like some kind of pirate network accessible with VPN - I could see it taking off, tbh
Reposted by Lefa
Must read piece here from @nickfeik.bsky.social www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/16/m...
Who killed Meanjin?
And why won’t Melbourne University Publishing engage with efforts to save it?
www.crikey.com.au
September 17, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Must read piece here from @nickfeik.bsky.social www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/16/m...
Reposted by Lefa
CMAT - euro-country
September 17, 2025 at 1:06 PM
CMAT - euro-country
Reposted by Lefa
What exactly happened to Meanjin? And why in this manner?
Some excellent observations (and questions) from @catrionamp.bsky.social over on @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/08/m...
Some excellent observations (and questions) from @catrionamp.bsky.social over on @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/08/m...
September 8, 2025 at 3:55 AM
What exactly happened to Meanjin? And why in this manner?
Some excellent observations (and questions) from @catrionamp.bsky.social over on @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/08/m...
Some excellent observations (and questions) from @catrionamp.bsky.social over on @crikey.com.au: www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/08/m...
Reposted by Lefa
I have $5 that says Thomas Sewell, the Neo Nazi will escape jail time again.
There are Indigenous kids in jail in Australia for stealing biscuits but a violent Neo Nazi who has had multiple assault charges against him still walks the streets.
There are Indigenous kids in jail in Australia for stealing biscuits but a violent Neo Nazi who has had multiple assault charges against him still walks the streets.
If you have any doubt that the "anti-immigration" rallies over the weekend were Neo-Nazi racist rallies ... The "anti-immigration" protestors attacked an Indigenous protest camp.
The descendants of immigrants marching "against immigration" attacked Indigenous people.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
The descendants of immigrants marching "against immigration" attacked Indigenous people.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Far-right demonstrators stormed Indigenous gathering place after Melbourne rally
Camp Sovereignty organisers say dozens of men dressed in black attacked the site at King's Domain, leaving several people injured. The Victorian government has condemned the attack.
www.abc.net.au
August 31, 2025 at 11:04 PM
I have $5 that says Thomas Sewell, the Neo Nazi will escape jail time again.
There are Indigenous kids in jail in Australia for stealing biscuits but a violent Neo Nazi who has had multiple assault charges against him still walks the streets.
There are Indigenous kids in jail in Australia for stealing biscuits but a violent Neo Nazi who has had multiple assault charges against him still walks the streets.
Reposted by Lefa
A thread on the impact of seemingly nonsense, tabloid media narratives. Many of you will have seen the 2018 Ch9 A Current Affair footage painting Dezi Freeman and his family as supposedly peaceful normal folk having to deal with neighbours from hell. Typical ACA fodder. 1/6
August 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM
A thread on the impact of seemingly nonsense, tabloid media narratives. Many of you will have seen the 2018 Ch9 A Current Affair footage painting Dezi Freeman and his family as supposedly peaceful normal folk having to deal with neighbours from hell. Typical ACA fodder. 1/6
Reposted by Lefa
Everything the pro-Israel media think the pro-Palestine movement is (racist, extremist, building up violent hate) is actually happening with the anti-migrant “March for Australia” but with a fraction of the outrage.
August 28, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Everything the pro-Israel media think the pro-Palestine movement is (racist, extremist, building up violent hate) is actually happening with the anti-migrant “March for Australia” but with a fraction of the outrage.
Reposted by Lefa
Disabled kids, excluded by design. Me in 2023. Everything old is new again
www.bluntshovels.au/disabled-kid...
www.bluntshovels.au/disabled-kid...
Disabled kids excluded by design
The wellbeing of children is often invoked by a variety of groups. But when it comes to disabled kids, the conversation becomes very different.
www.bluntshovels.au
August 20, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Disabled kids, excluded by design. Me in 2023. Everything old is new again
www.bluntshovels.au/disabled-kid...
www.bluntshovels.au/disabled-kid...
Reposted by Lefa
no disabled peoples' representatives at the roundtable last week, just those that make money from our commodification.
nothing about us, without us
www.croakey.org/detailing-th...
nothing about us, without us
www.croakey.org/detailing-th...
Detailing the 48 participants at the Health, Disability and Ageing Economic Reform Roundtable
Regular readers will know that Croakey has been trying for some time to establish who was invited to the Health,
www.croakey.org
August 18, 2025 at 9:57 PM
no disabled peoples' representatives at the roundtable last week, just those that make money from our commodification.
nothing about us, without us
www.croakey.org/detailing-th...
nothing about us, without us
www.croakey.org/detailing-th...
Reposted by Lefa
Minister Butler is giving a major speech about the NDIS tomorrow at the NPC. Hmm, I wonder how many disability representatives have been able to get a seat? How many disabled people? Hint - very very few
we are on the goddamn menu
npc.org.au/events/the-h...
we are on the goddamn menu
npc.org.au/events/the-h...
The Hon. Mark Butler MP
August 20, 2025 @ 11:30 am - 1:30 pm - The Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Disability & the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Health and Ageing, will address the National Press C...
npc.org.au
August 18, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Minister Butler is giving a major speech about the NDIS tomorrow at the NPC. Hmm, I wonder how many disability representatives have been able to get a seat? How many disabled people? Hint - very very few
we are on the goddamn menu
npc.org.au/events/the-h...
we are on the goddamn menu
npc.org.au/events/the-h...
Reposted by Lefa
Solidarity with Randa Abdel-Fattah
I will not be silenced and neither will Randa while I have legs to stand
Pro-Israel groups have attacked me for years. The Bendigo Writers Festival is a turning point.
www.deepcutnews.com/p/pro-israel...
I will not be silenced and neither will Randa while I have legs to stand
Pro-Israel groups have attacked me for years. The Bendigo Writers Festival is a turning point.
www.deepcutnews.com/p/pro-israel...
Pro-Israel groups have attacked me for years. The Bendigo Writers Festival is a turning point.
Randa Abdel-Fattah writes of her experience as a target of the pro-Israel lobby
www.deepcutnews.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Solidarity with Randa Abdel-Fattah
I will not be silenced and neither will Randa while I have legs to stand
Pro-Israel groups have attacked me for years. The Bendigo Writers Festival is a turning point.
www.deepcutnews.com/p/pro-israel...
I will not be silenced and neither will Randa while I have legs to stand
Pro-Israel groups have attacked me for years. The Bendigo Writers Festival is a turning point.
www.deepcutnews.com/p/pro-israel...
Reposted by Lefa
Just don't ask what's up with University of Melbourne's relationship to the fossil fuel industry, though.
It’d be tragic if any other universities surrendered to this kind of pressure and wrecked their own institutions, wouldn’t it UniMelb? 🧐
August 17, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Just don't ask what's up with University of Melbourne's relationship to the fossil fuel industry, though.
Reposted by Lefa
The demise of men reading books has, once again, been greatly exaggerated - I've taken a deep dive into the surprisingly chaotic world of reading statistics in Australia.
And got some exclusive (?) figures from the HILDA survey!
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/au...
And got some exclusive (?) figures from the HILDA survey!
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/au...
Have men really stopped reading? We take a deeper dive into the data
It’s clear that if there is a crisis in Australia, it affects both men and women, boys and girls. So what can be done to boost reading?
www.theguardian.com
August 17, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The demise of men reading books has, once again, been greatly exaggerated - I've taken a deep dive into the surprisingly chaotic world of reading statistics in Australia.
And got some exclusive (?) figures from the HILDA survey!
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/au...
And got some exclusive (?) figures from the HILDA survey!
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/au...
It was obvious we would discover the real push behind this fiasco, kudos to @deepcutnews.bsky.social for bringing it to our attention in today’s newsletter. Shameful.
Here it is, it all makes sense now.
“Pro-Israel group lobbied La Trobe and Bendigo Writers Festival over Palestinian academic's inclusion”
www.deepcutnews.com/p/exclusive-...
“Pro-Israel group lobbied La Trobe and Bendigo Writers Festival over Palestinian academic's inclusion”
www.deepcutnews.com/p/exclusive-...
Pro-Israel group lobbied La Trobe and Bendigo Writers Festival over Palestinian academic's institution
A leaked letter reveals pressure from a pro-Israel group in the lead up to the Festival
www.deepcutnews.com
August 18, 2025 at 4:24 AM
It was obvious we would discover the real push behind this fiasco, kudos to @deepcutnews.bsky.social for bringing it to our attention in today’s newsletter. Shameful.
Reposted by Lefa
people need to understand that when they leave disabled folks behind, they are leaving their future selves behind too
disability happens to most of us eventually if we live long enough
disability happens to most of us eventually if we live long enough
August 18, 2025 at 3:45 AM
people need to understand that when they leave disabled folks behind, they are leaving their future selves behind too
disability happens to most of us eventually if we live long enough
disability happens to most of us eventually if we live long enough
Reposted by Lefa
I want you to understand something incredible about the boycott of Bendigo Writers Festival. There was no planning, organizing or coordination between writers. It was almost entirely spontaneous but for a bit of word of mouth.
50 or writers all responded in the same way in less than 48 hours.
50 or writers all responded in the same way in less than 48 hours.
August 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I want you to understand something incredible about the boycott of Bendigo Writers Festival. There was no planning, organizing or coordination between writers. It was almost entirely spontaneous but for a bit of word of mouth.
50 or writers all responded in the same way in less than 48 hours.
50 or writers all responded in the same way in less than 48 hours.
Reposted by Lefa
As good a summary of what’s going on in modern school libraries as you will find - and a very good primer on why well resourced and well staffed libraries are essential
School libraries have always been more than just a room full of books. Today, in an age of AI, a need to support young people’s wellbeing, misinformation, and a complex and confusion online world, they are essential hubs for every kind of literacy students need to thrive, from media and AI literacy…
Why school libraries and their staff matter more than ever
Take a walk around my school library with me. It’s lunchtime and the place is buzzing. Upstairs there are students quietly studying. In the small rooms, students meet for boardgames club and Dungeons and Dragons club, forming friendships over shared experiences and interests. A group of year 11 students browse the shelves and sit and chat. They come across my pile of new books to show my younger classes and dive into the new non-fiction titles.
madisonslibrary.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:45 AM
As good a summary of what’s going on in modern school libraries as you will find - and a very good primer on why well resourced and well staffed libraries are essential
“A whopping 88% of podcast appearances made by politicians were with white hosts only”
Important analysis by @crystaljane.bsky.social of ‘new media’ in the Aus election and how it replicates some of the worst features of legacy media.
Important analysis by @crystaljane.bsky.social of ‘new media’ in the Aus election and how it replicates some of the worst features of legacy media.
Preview: New media 🤝 Legacy media
Plus, is 'overconsumption' a gendered term?
zeefeed.beehiiv.com
August 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
“A whopping 88% of podcast appearances made by politicians were with white hosts only”
Important analysis by @crystaljane.bsky.social of ‘new media’ in the Aus election and how it replicates some of the worst features of legacy media.
Important analysis by @crystaljane.bsky.social of ‘new media’ in the Aus election and how it replicates some of the worst features of legacy media.
Reposted by Lefa
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Bendigo Writers Festival, with more than a third of the lineup pulling out over concerns the event is restricting criticism of Israel
www.deepcutnews.com/p/anti-censo...
www.deepcutnews.com/p/anti-censo...
Anti-censorship boycott leaves Bendigo Writers Festival in tatters
More than a third of the Festival's lineup has withdrawn over restrictions on criticising Israel
www.deepcutnews.com
August 15, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Bendigo Writers Festival, with more than a third of the lineup pulling out over concerns the event is restricting criticism of Israel
www.deepcutnews.com/p/anti-censo...
www.deepcutnews.com/p/anti-censo...
Reposted by Lefa
Clare Wright
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Evelyn Araluen
Jeanine Leane
Paul Daley
Claire G Coleman
Kate Mildenhall
Jess Hill
Sonia Orchard
Thomas Mayo
Daniel James
Fiona Stanley
Kirstin Ferguson
Michelle Scott Tucker
Kylie Mirmohamadi
Jock Serong
Melanie Cheng
Kate Larsen
Cher Tan
Madison Griffith
1/2
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Evelyn Araluen
Jeanine Leane
Paul Daley
Claire G Coleman
Kate Mildenhall
Jess Hill
Sonia Orchard
Thomas Mayo
Daniel James
Fiona Stanley
Kirstin Ferguson
Michelle Scott Tucker
Kylie Mirmohamadi
Jock Serong
Melanie Cheng
Kate Larsen
Cher Tan
Madison Griffith
1/2
If you want to support all the writers boycotting Bendigo Writers Festival, borrow their books from your library. They get paid and libraries buy more of their books.
August 15, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Clare Wright
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Evelyn Araluen
Jeanine Leane
Paul Daley
Claire G Coleman
Kate Mildenhall
Jess Hill
Sonia Orchard
Thomas Mayo
Daniel James
Fiona Stanley
Kirstin Ferguson
Michelle Scott Tucker
Kylie Mirmohamadi
Jock Serong
Melanie Cheng
Kate Larsen
Cher Tan
Madison Griffith
1/2
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Evelyn Araluen
Jeanine Leane
Paul Daley
Claire G Coleman
Kate Mildenhall
Jess Hill
Sonia Orchard
Thomas Mayo
Daniel James
Fiona Stanley
Kirstin Ferguson
Michelle Scott Tucker
Kylie Mirmohamadi
Jock Serong
Melanie Cheng
Kate Larsen
Cher Tan
Madison Griffith
1/2
Reposted by Lefa
If you are at Bendigo Writers Festival and can't see me there because I pulled out due to censorship concerns AND you want to buy my books, please visit Bookish in Bendigo. Bookshops are good people.
Bookish in Bendigo have pulled out as Bendigo Writers Festival's bookseller - this principled move comes at great cost to them as an independent store. If you've been thinking of purchasing a book (esp. one by someone who's also pulled labour from BWF), consider going to them! +61 3 5406 0596
August 15, 2025 at 5:03 AM
If you are at Bendigo Writers Festival and can't see me there because I pulled out due to censorship concerns AND you want to buy my books, please visit Bookish in Bendigo. Bookshops are good people.