Here at RN, we're still recovering from the excitement of last weekend's Big Weekend of Books.

My favourite session was Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris on the "spells" they've created in tribute to various nature words. I also loved hearing Brendan Cowell, Rick Morton and Campbell Mattinson wrangle with masculinity, and how we write it.

In other exciting RN news, we're welcoming the legendary John Bell for this year's Boyer Lectures. While you might not associate the Bard with the challenges facing the world today, Bell begs to differ — and can't wait to share Shakespeare's lessons for our current world.

We're also delighted that our last series from RN Presents, Patient Zero, is a finalist in the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. That series is all about what we can learn from the disease outbreaks we've conquered before, as we tackle a really big one.

Or, jump into the brand new series of RN Presents — This Much is True — where we unpack how misinformation, cults and conspiracies are tearing families apart, and what to do about it.

If you're looking for some inspiration, find out how accepting that life is meaningless could, in fact, set you free — or hear from those who've reinvented themselves with a radical career change.

Until next week,

Annika Blau, RN digital editor
 

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