New Book – Die Laughing: The Biography of Bill Leak

The Institute of Public Affairs is thrilled to announce the launch of Die Laughing: The Biography of Bill Leak by Fred Pawle.

Die Laughing is about the trials of a free speech hero, the extraordinarily talented Australian artist, cartoonist, writer and raconteur, Bill Leak (1956-2017).

For most, Bill Leak was a cartoonist fixated with revealing the hypocrisy of those in power with his sharp wit. However, Bill found himself being attacked mercilessly when he dared to turn his biting humour at the duplicity and sanctimony of the Left.

His persecution by the Australian Human Rights Commission for a cartoon it deemed racist became a watershed moment in Australian politics and culture.

But where did Bill’s determination to tell the unvarnished truth come from? In this book, Fred reaches out far and wide among Bill’s family and friends in search of an answer.

Was it his working-class background that bred determined anti-authoritarianism in him?

Was it the artist in him that forced him to relentlessly seek the truth, regardless of the consequences?

Was it the zeitgeist of the 80s and 90s in Australia – when Bill came into his own as a cartoonist – that cemented the larrikin spirit within him?

Or was it just something unique to Bill himself?

Die Laughing: The Biography of Bill Leak was launched on 11 September 2021 and has already sold 900 copies.

Order your copy today.

For inquiries about bulk orders, member plus orders and other questions, contact Claire Peter Budge at [email protected] or on 03 9600 4744.