WWII monument on Peleliu. Photo: Simon Sellars.
Originally published in Dynasty, China Airlines’ inflight magazine, August 2009.
Deep in the North Pacific ocean, 800km east of the Philippines and over 3000km south of Tokyo, lies the Republic of Palau. You may know it from the Survivor TV show, which filmed two series here, making full use of [...]

Originally published on ballardian.com, 27 May 2009.
by SIMON SELLARS & STEVEN from MELB PSY
Soundwalk by MELANIE CHILIANIS; photography by Simon Sellars.

“The consumer society is a kind of soft police state. We think we have choice, but everything is compulsory. We have to keep buying or we fail as citizens. Consumerism creates huge unconscious needs that [...]

ABOVE: Back cover from The Haunter of the Dark and Other Grotesque Visions, John Coulthart’s book of Lovecraft adaptations.
Originally published on ballardian.com, 16 July 2008.
I have been curious about Lovecraft for some time. When I was younger I saw the film of Reanimator. When I was a little older, I got beaten up by headbangers [...]

Still from The Boy Who Loved Rain.
by Simon Sellars

Originally published in RealTime issue #81 Oct-Nov 2007.

RECENTLY IN REALTIME AND ELSEWHERE I’VE BEEN CRITICAL OF AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILM AND ANIMATION, SO MUCH SO I’M BEGINNING TO BORE MYSELF (AND DOUBTLESS OTHERS) WITH THE OLD REFRAIN. STILL, I VOICE THESE CRITICISMS FROM A POSITION OF RESPECT FOR [...]

I recently wrote a piece on the island of Yap for Where to Go When, a forthcoming book to be published by Dorling Kindersley.
Here are some advance details.

by Simon Sellars

‘Subterrain #2: An Introduction’ was originally published in Subterrain magazine #2, July 2007.

Subterrain is a magazine that provides an opportunity for homeless and marginalised people, primarily those using the services at Ozanam Community Centre (see opposite), to tell their story. That’s about it as far as mantras or mission statements go. We’ve already [...]

Station Pier (photo: Simon Sellars). There used to be a sign here saying ‘Melbourne Welcomes You’, the first thing we saw when we got off the boat, I imagine.
by Simon Sellars

Originally published on Sleepy Brain, 19 January 2007.

I was asked to contribute some thoughts about my family’s immigration story to the second book in Jim [...]

‘The Perfect Day: Melbourne’ by Simon Sellars, published in The Perfect Day, Lonely Planet Publications, September 2006.

Melbourne’s parks and gardens do the trick most times of the year, and the CBD is ringed by choice examples. I do a lot of work in the city, and on the walk in I like to procrastinate [...]

Bluelist is a fairly newish title from Lonely Planet. It collects the hottest travel trends from around the world, based on suggestions from LP readers, and extrapolates them into top-ten lists and feature articles. I worked on the title firstly as a consultant, testing out prototype formats and templates, adding feedback and future directions, [...]

by Simon Sellars

‘An Introduction to Subterrain’ was originally published in Subterrain magazine #1, December 2005.

In modern welfare work, it’s rapidly becoming clear that ‘homeless and marginalised’ people need more than simply food and housing. Everyone wants to find meaning in their lives, to find freedom of speech – to find a voice. Artistic expression can [...]