In the December edition of Meanjin, Jane Gleeson-White considers the power of storytelling traditions, Helen Barnes-Bulley takes a look at the symbolism behind fashion and costume in film and literature and Ben Eltham puts himself in the thick of the Australian arts festival scene. In a special ten-thousand word essay, novelist Charlotte Wood considers the ethics of using other people's lives in fiction and interviews writers-Robert Drewe, Helen Garner, Tegan Bennett-Daylight, Ashley Hay and Malcolm Knox-who've also waded these murky waters.

Our striking full colour section features David Hansen on the art of portraiture and Sarah Kanowski on the prohibited art of shadow. Mel Campbell examines Michael Jackson's image and its unsayable paradoxes, Stephen Downes serves it up to the restaurant reviewing industry, Richard King rethinks Shakespeare four hundred years on and Andrew Sant asks what requires more courage in today's society-to get married or not to get married? Charlie Ward takes down the myth of the Australian 'legend', Ian Syson tries to find a space for soccer in our cultural life, James Guida rides with the early skateboarders and Claire Scobie writes on the repatriation of Aboriginal remains in English museums back to Australia. Sophie Cunningham speaks to novelist Eva Hornung about her latest book, Dog Boy, and Mandy Ord and Kate Fielding conclude their stunning graphic history.

In fiction, N.K. Mara follows a couple drifting apart during a Christmas holiday in Rome, Patrick Allington contemplates what it would be like to be the only person left at the end of the world and there is new writing from Morris Lurie, Maya Linden, Clinton Caward, Nicola Redhouse and Michael Giacometti. We also announce the winner of the Dorothy Porter Prize 2009 and feature new poetry by Carol Jenkins, Jean Kent, Todd Turner and Phillip Hall among many talented others.