Bulletin

Issue: June 2005

People

Intellectuals top of the pops

The Age newspaper recently ran an article nominating Australia's top 20 'celebrity intellectuals'.

Four of the 20 are from La Trobe University - Professors Robert Manne and Dennis Altman, Emeritus Scholar Dr Inga Clendinnen and Dr Clare Wright.

Apart from another 10 academic staff members of other universities, the list also contained the names of writer and TV personality Andrew Denton, satirist Barry Humphries, broadcaster Phillip Adams, writer Helen Garner, playwright David Williamson and speech writer and author Dr Don Watson.

There were more 'celebrity intellectuals' from La Trobe than any other university. Criteria for selection to the list was 'someone who works with ideas or whose contribution to issues affects how Australian society sees and understands itself'.