UnAustralian of the Year

Book excerpt: 'Freedom of speech is the freedom to offend and that means the freedom to offend anyone.' - Bill Leak. A new collection of the art and observations of cartoonist, painter and all-round contrarian - the incomparable Bill Leak. The public has rarely held politicians and the practice of politics in such contempt. Luckily Bill Leak is here to guide us through the darkness. UnAustralian of the Year contains Leak's best editorial cartoons since 2007 and is a satirical history of an extraordinary period in Australian politics: from the enthusiastic popular mandate enjoyed by Kevin Rudd's Labor after the 2007 federal election to the brutal merry-go-round of party leaders culminating in the rancour and instability surrounding Julia Gillard's minority government. In a series of reflections Leak writes with his customary directness and acerbic wit on a range of topics: his recent accident and recovery from brain damage; the blessings of manic-depression for the creative artist; the art of editorial cartooning and his commitment to free expression; portrait painting and the contemporary art scene.