Diana Bagnall

Diana Bagnall worked as a staff writer for The Bulletin magazine, Vogue Australia and the New Zealand Herald. As a freelancer, she has contributed to The Monthly, Monocle, The Observer and Australian Geographic. She is co-author of a memoir, Destined to Live, by Sabina Wolanski. She lives in Sydney.

Diana Bagnall reviews 'The Case Against Fragrance' by Kate Grenville

April 2017, no. 390 • 24 March 2017

Kate Grenville’s publisher wasn’t keen on her writing a book about fragrance. He would have preferred another novel from the author of Lilian’s Story (1985) and The Secret River (2005). But some stories won’t give an author any peace. This is one of them. It begins with Grenville, as a young woman, dabbing herself with perfume before going out on a date. She wafts out the door feeling ‘ ... (read more)

Diana Bagnall reviews 'The New Yorker Book of the 60s: Story of a decade' edited by Henry Finder

March 2017, no. 389 • 24 February 2017

Journalism is on the back foot. That’s putting it kindly. Hundreds of newspapers and thousands of careers have been consigned to the great media burial ground since the dawning of the digital age. Those still standing operate in a climate of deepening mistrust. From Trump’s America to Erdoğan’s Turkey, demagogues saddled with democratic political systems trumpet their scorn of so-called med ... (read more)