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"Rest in love": All Blacks legend and Dancing with the Stars winner dies at 55

<p>The sports and entertainment communities are mourning the loss of former All Blacks hooker and <em>Dancing with the Stars</em> winner Norm Hewitt, who has passed away at the age of 55.</p> <p>Hewitt, a beloved figure both on and off the rugby field, succumbed to a lengthy battle with motor neurone disease, as confirmed by his family in a heartfelt statement.</p> <p>"Although rugby dominated his early life, he established a thriving human relations consultancy after retirement, and his services were much in demand both nationally and internationally," his family shared. "He walked confidently in both Māori and Pākehā worlds and was a particular role model for troubled youth, citing his own background, and offering inspirational teachings that one’s present life need not be one’s future."</p> <p>Hewitt leaves behind his wife Arlene and their two children, Elizabeth and Alexander. Born and raised in Pōrangahau, southern Hawke’s Bay, Hewitt's rugby career was nothing short of illustrious. Over 13 seasons, he played 296 representative matches for Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Wellington, earning 23 caps for the All Blacks. Hewitt was also a pivotal member of the Hurricanes during the formative years of Super Rugby, missing only one match in the first five years.</p> <p>The rugby community has been profoundly affected by Hewitt's passing. Former teammate Ofisa Tonu’u posted a touching tribute on Facebook: "I’m just devastated finding out the news today. I will never forget how you always stuck up for me during the Black Tracker days when no one else would, you always look after all the players and we always followed you into battle. No more pain, brother, you can now rest in Love. Fa’afetai tele lava my uso for having my back as I did yours. I know the other boys will be welcoming you with open arms at the gates. Rest in Love, Normy."</p> <p>Beyond his rugby career, Hewitt transitioned into a public speaker and mentor, focusing heavily on violence prevention programmes and advocacy. He worked with the SPCA as an animal cruelty and anti-violence publicity officer, visiting schools to spread his message. In 2005, Hewitt showcased his versatility by winning the first season of<em> Dancing with the Stars</em> alongside professional dancer Carol-Ann Hickmore.</p> <p>Hewitt's life was not without its struggles. In 1999, he made a public apology for a drunken incident in Queenstown, marking a turning point as he renounced alcohol and dedicated himself to helping others facing similar challenges.</p> <p>The outpouring of tributes was immediate, with The All Blacks expressing their sorrow: “We are saddened by the loss of All Black #938 Norm Hewitt who passed away yesterday in Wellington. Hewitt played 9 Tests and 14 Games between 1993 and 1998. Our thoughts are with Norm’s family and loved ones at this time.”</p> <p>Podcaster Martin Devlin shared his personal experience: “RIP Norm Hewitt. Not a lot of people know how kind & generous this man was. A truly wonderful person. Reached out to me and helped me considerably a long time ago when things were very rough. Love & respect.”</p> <p>Richard Hills echoed the sentiments of many: “This is bloody sad. A sad way to lose a kiwi icon so young. He had a really rough childhood and upbringing and faced it and turned his life around to become not only a rugby legend but also helped others who’d been through similar issues.”</p> <p>Norm Hewitt’s legacy will endure through the lives he touched and the positive change he inspired. His story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the profound impact one individual can have on the world.</p> <p><em>Image: Radio New Zealand</em></p>

Caring

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Something remarkable has happened to Australia’s book pages: gender equality has become the norm

<p>For the first time in the nine-year history of the Stella Count, and perhaps in the entire history of Australian book reviewing, gender equality has become the norm in Australia’s books pages. Our new research for the Count reveals 55% of books reviewed in Australian publications in 2020 were by women.</p> <p>The Stella Count surveys 12 Australian publications – including national, metropolitan, and regional newspapers, journals and magazines – collecting data on the gender of authors and reviewers, length of review and genre of books reviewed.</p> <p><a href="https://stella.org.au/initiatives/research/the-stella-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2012 when the Count began</a>, ten of the 13 publications then surveyed reviewed more books written by men. In 2020, only three of the 12 publications currently surveyed review more books by male rather than female authors. All bar one of these publications improved the gender balance of books reviewed significantly over this period.</p> <p>Some publications have dramatically transformed their pages to better represent women authors between 2011 and 2020. The Age has increased its representation of books written by women from 38% to 55%; The Monthly, from 26% to 56%; and Brisbane’s Courier-Mail, from 43% to 54%.</p> <p>The Saturday Paper entered the Count in 2014 with 37% of books reviewed written by women; it hit 61% women authors reviewed in 2020. Likewise, the Sydney Review of Books has increased its percentage from 36% in 2015 to 70% in 2020.</p> <p>These significant gains do not mean gender bias has been eliminated from the Australian book reviewing field. Some publications continue to find the gender parity line a hard one to cross – and in general, books written by men still attract longer reviews.</p> <p>After several years of stasis, The Australian has inched closer to parity with 45% of its reviews now of books by women. Australian Book Review, however, is the only publication in our study that has not significantly improved representation of women authors over the nine years: indeed, the percentage of reviewed books by women dropped from 47% in 2019 to 43% in 2020.</p> <h2>Why does this matter?</h2> <p>About 22,500 new book titles <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/09/30/157402/publishing-and-the-pandemic-the-australian-book-market-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are published each year in Australia</a>. In a crowded marketplace, any opportunity to get a book discussed in the public eye is worth its weight in gold. Book reviews are a longstanding means of bringing attention and, possibly, acclaim to new titles.</p> <p>Our surveyed publications published 2,344 reviews in 2020. Some books received multiple reviews, meaning authors of new books have a less than 10% chance of being reviewed in one of Australia’s major book pages.</p> <p>When you look at the demographics, you would not expect Australia’s literary scene to be a place of gender bias. Women make up <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">65% of Australian writers</a>, <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/11/21/118475/for-love-or-money-analysing-the-employment-survey/#:%7E:text=Show%20me%20the%20money,2013%20to%20%2460%2C207%20in%202018." target="_blank" rel="noopener">77% of employees in Australian publishing</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/528030/FinalFinalReaders-Report-24-05-17-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">61% of “frequent readers”</a>.</p> <p>But until very recently, book reviewing – like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/04/australian-version-orange-prize" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literary prizes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/old-white-men-dominate-school-english-booklists-its-time-more-australian-schools-taught-australian-books-127110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school syllabuses</a> – appeared to have a gender problem. There was, however, no comprehensive quantitative evidence to prove it.</p> <p>Newly-formed feminist nonprofit organisation, The Stella Prize, set out to do something about this in 2012. Inspired by <a href="https://www.vidaweb.org/the-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar counts happening overseas</a>, Stella began collecting statistics about the gender of authors whose books were reviewed. We began working with Stella in 2014 when it expanded the data collection in order to understand how gender bias was operating when it came to the size of reviews, the genre of books reviewed and the gender of reviewers.</p> <p>Over the ensuing years we have seen something remarkable happen: real change. Literary editors, when asked, were often surprised by the statistics, when presented with them. Or they made excuses for them: men pitch more or write books on important subjects that deserve reviewing, they said. These biases are no longer unconscious.</p> <h2>Gender disparities persist</h2> <p>While this is cause for celebration, there is still some way to go. While women writers now receive their fair share of reviews in terms of the overall number published, this does not mean they receive equal access to the actual space devoted to public literary criticism.</p> <p>Books written by women are still more likely to receive shorter or capsule reviews. Long reviews – those of 1000 words or more – continue to be largely the precinct of men, either as reviewers or as authors of books reviewed.</p> <p>Women authors receive 55% of all reviews, but only 45% of long reviews. Long reviews are the most conspicuous and prestigious, not just because of their size and prominence but because they are often written by prominent critics and accompanied by images such as book covers and author photos, which lead to market recognition.</p> <h2>Gender assumptions continue</h2> <p>Long-held assumptions about gender and reading are evident in the Stella Count data. Key among these is the idea that men are interested in books by men, and women are interested in books by women. Australian book reviews are highly partitioned by gender: female reviewers are much more likely to review books by women, and male reviewers books by men.</p> <p>Fiction reviews skew towards women as authors and reviewers (especially those written for children and young adults), and non-fiction skews towards men. This supports broader findings in relation to <a href="https://www.wlia.org.au/women-for-media-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the representation of women in Australian media</a>: that women are less likely to be called upon to offer expert commentary on topics such as politics and sport.</p> <p>Our research also offers a snapshot of the state of book reviewing in Australia. It shows the number of reviews published in our surveyed publications dropped by 15% between 2019 and 2020, when the pandemic arrived here.</p> <p>The Stella Count is now the longest-running yearly count of a nation’s book pages conducted anywhere in the world. Next year will be the Stella Count’s ten-year anniversary. The real impact of COVID-19 on the gender make up of authors and reviewers – and on Australia’s literary sector more broadly – is yet to be seen, but data collection such as the Stella Count is key to understanding it.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f28b028c-7fff-d401-9e6a-19a207e5c4ad">This article originally appeared on The Conversation.</span></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Tributes flow for Norm Provan

<p>The NRL community is in mourning after sporting legend Norm Provan died on Wednesday evening.</p> <p>The 88-year-old St George Dragons giant represented the club in 256 games between 1951 and 1965, and is widely regarded as one of the best football players of the 20th century.</p> <p>The second-rower featured in St George’s unprecedented 11-year reign as NSWRL premiers between 1956 and 1966.</p> <p>Norm set an Australian rugby league record by appearing in ten grand finals of the game.</p> <p>In 2015, Norm was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and was named a Rugby League Immortal three years later.</p> <p>He is also famous for being immortalised on the Provan-Summons Trophy, which is awarded to the NRL premiers of each season.</p> <p>The iconic photograph of Provan alongside Arthur Summons was captured in the SCG mud after the 1963 grand final between the Dragons and the Magpies.</p> <p>Norm represented NSW in 19 games, as well as competing in 14 Tests for Australia.</p> <p>Social media is awash with a flood of tributes for the sporting legend from sports commentators, journalists and fellow rugby players.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">The warrior. The immortal. The legend. <br />Vale Norm Provan, I met Norm in 2003 on the Sunshine Coast &amp; you wouldn’t meet a truer gentleman. <br />I’ll never forget shaking your hand &amp; to this day, it’s the biggest hand I’ve ever shaken!! Will be missed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPNormProvan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPNormProvan</a> 🐉 <a href="https://t.co/nZMo0tbKus">pic.twitter.com/nZMo0tbKus</a></p> — Ashton Sims (@ashtonsims26) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashtonsims26/status/1448425147119984642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Heartbreaking day for rugby league. A gentle giant. Vale Norm “Sticks” Provan.</p> — David Riccio (@DaveRic1) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveRic1/status/1448416458933825540?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Never before, never again. Remembering the great man Norm Provan <a href="https://twitter.com/NRL_Dragons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NRL_Dragons</a> <a href="https://t.co/gzrm5MHwzt">pic.twitter.com/gzrm5MHwzt</a></p> — Yvonne O’Keefe (@VonOKeefe) <a href="https://twitter.com/VonOKeefe/status/1448418718438936576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“We lost a comedy giant today”: Norm Macdonald dead at 61

<p>The comedy world is in mourning after Norm Macdonald died of cancer on Tuesday at age 61. </p> <p>The Canadian stand-up comic and <em>Saturday Night Live</em> cast member <span>had been battling cancer in private </span>for nearly a decade, according to his lifelong friend Lori Jo Hoekstra who was with him when he dies. </p> <p>"He was most proud of his comedy", she said.</p> <p><span>"He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him."</span></p> <p><span>"Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly.”</span></p> <p><span>Norm was known in the comedic circle for his signature deadpan delivery and dry style of humour that quickly made him an icon of the craft.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>Norm's impressions of </span>famous figures, such as TV star Burt Reynolds, became a teaching tool and huge inspiration for up and coming comics. </p> <p><span>“I essentially ripped off his delivery when I first started acting,” actor and fellow Canadian Seth Rogen tweeted. </span></p> <p><span>“I would stay up specifically to watch him on talk shows. He was the funniest guest of all time. We lost a comedy giant today. One of the all time greats.”</span></p> <p><span>Norm shot to fame when he was cast on <em>Saturday Night Live</em> in 1993 after performing in comedy circuits in Canada for several years. </span></p> <p><span>He performed on <em>SNL</em> until 1998, serving as a co-host of Weekend Update for three seasons.</span></p> <p><span>Norm then went on to star in his own ABC sitcom, <em>The Norm Show</em>, from 1999 until 2001, and also became a hilarious regular on a series of talk shows. </span></p> <p><span>In 2018, he hosted a Netflix talk show, <em>Norm Macdonald Has a Show</em>, that was inspired by his podcast and garnered an international audience. </span></p> <p><span>Hundred of comedians have shared their stories of Norm on Twitter in remembrance of the comedy giant and all he did for the world of show business. </span></p> <p><span>Actor Josh Gad wrote, "Absolutely gutted. One of the most underrated and hilarious SNL performers."</span></p> <p><span>Writer and director Edgar Wright also tweeted, saying, "Of the many addictive rabbit holes you can disappear down on the internet, the most pleasurable is ‘Norm MacDonald chat show appearances'."</span></p> <p><span>“Thanks for all the laughs Norm, very sorry to see you go.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

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Meet the 80-year-old model breaking societal norms

<p>As you grow older, it seems everywhere you turn, you have a shining youthful face beaming in front of you. Whether you walk into a department store and are greeted by cosmetic campaigns showing women in their 20s trying to find the solution to “ageing” or a 30-something lady modelling outfits targeted towards the senior age bracket – the alienation of older woman is alarming.</p> <p>It can make anyone feel defeated, not seeing enough representation is a societal problem, but there is one beacon of hope.</p> <p>80-year-old Beate Howitt has started a new career: Modelling.</p> <p>“It’s sensational,” Beate told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7047053/Im-proof-model-80-says-retired-primary-teacher-grandmother.html"><em>Daily Mail</em></a>. “I’ve always dreamed of being a model. Of course, part of me was surprised anyone wanted to see this old face. But I’ve never thought of myself as getting older; I always live in the moment. Now a whole new chapter of life is opening up.</p> <p>“I walked into the bank recently and the cashier said: ‘Weren’t you on the TV?’ as my modelling had made the local news. I quite liked that. It all makes me feel I am worth knowing after all.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxraiBrFcg8/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxraiBrFcg8/" target="_blank">I'm excited to kick off the new week with a fantastic feature in none other than @femail. I'm delighted with what I'd say is a truthful and considerate reflection of who I am, written by the wonderful @writergill. I loved the shoot. I loved the clothes. And I loved the team, who quite simply treated me like a queen for the day. A huge thanks to all involved. It just goes to show you're never too old and it's never too late. Happy Monday all 💕 . Here's a link to the full article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7047053/Im-proof-model-80-says-retired-primary-teacher-grandmother.html . 📸 @lezliandrose for @dailymail MUA @julieread Stylist @dinahvantulleken Blazer @stinegoyastudio . . . . . . #livingthedream #YoureNeverTooOld #itsnevertoolate #mondaymotivation #dailymail #newsarticle #inthepaper #femail #inspire #styleatanyage #timelesselegance #greyhairdontcare #silverhairmodel #greyhairmodel #ageaintnothingbutanumber #classicmodel #motmodel #stinegoya #jigsaw #over50 #over50style #iwillwearwhatilike #whatimwearing</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/beatehowitt/" target="_blank"> Beate Howitt</a> (@beatehowitt) on May 20, 2019 at 1:53am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The grandmother was discovered when out shopping in Oxford, where she lives.</p> <p>Proving that it’s “never too late”, the former teacher who retired 10 years ago was quickly signed by London agency MOT Models.</p> <p>It was fate that brought her to the glamorous career, but the passion was always there ever since she was young.</p> <p>Beate first dreamt of working as a model more than 65 years ago, in the ‘50s when she was a teenager.</p> <p>“I wanted to be a model when I was young,” she said. “We didn’t have much money and I had to make my own clothes, so I was really drawn to glamour.</p> <p>“The New Look was in fashion then – nipped-in waists and full skirts – and my icon was British model Barbara Goalen. I followed her work and cut out everything I could find about her in magazines or adverts and stuck it in a book.</p> <p>“I looked at pictures of her wearing Dior and dreamed of being paid to wear beautiful clothes like she was.”</p> <p>Seven decades on, Beate was given the opportunity to live out her childhood dreams, despite thinking that door was firmly closed.</p>

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