Philippa Hawker

Philippa Hawker has been writing on film and the arts for The Age since 1997. She is a former editor of the now defunct Australian film journal Cinema Papers.

Gisèle Pelicot says she wanted people to understand who she was, beyond the headlines.

Literature

‘I want to look him straight in the eye’: Gisèle Pelicot’s quest for truth

After a decade of unimaginable betrayal, the woman who changed French law wants a confrontation in prison with her former husband to demand answers about his crimes.

22 days ago
Philippa Hawker

Latest

Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize for Literature in October. Her books might seem straightforward in their brevity and clarity, but they are complex, rich, full of re-connections and references.

Review

Nobel winner’s raw journal of sexual passion with a Soviet diplomat

Annie Ernaux’s memoir Getting Lost reveals the reality of her consuming affair with a younger, married diplomat in Paris.

November 25, 2022
Philippa Hawker

When Sylvia Plath died in 1963 she left on her desk the manuscript for her second volume of poetry.

REVIEW
Literature

The enduring legacy of Sylvia Plath: her writing

There is extraordinary power in the best of Sylvia Plath’s writing and that’s what she should be remembered for, says a new biography.

February 5, 2021
Philippa Hawker

Jacob Boehme in Blood on the Dance Floor.

Blood on the Dance Floor comes at a crossroads for creator Jacob Boehme

Facing 40, the HIV-positive dancer decided ''to go out with a bang''.

May 25, 2016
Philippa Hawker

Filmmaker Lawrence Johnston takes in the neon glow at Melbourne espresso bar Pelligrini's.

Neon explores the glory days of the world's illuminated signs

Lawrence Johnston's documentary traces our love affair with neon.

May 24, 2016
Philippa Hawker

Sandy Powell in her David Bowie-inspired suit at this year's Academy Awards.

Sandy Powell, Oscar-winning costume designer, on working with Martin Scorsese

The woman who has dressed some of cinema's most chilling villains is used to turning heads.

May 17, 2016
Philippa Hawker

Cinema Nova usher Benjamin Rigby lands role in Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant

Actor Benjamin Rigby has had a steady job in the movies – he's been working at Melbourne's Cinema Nova for six years. Now he's landed a role in the new Alien film that starts shooting at Fox Studios next month.