It was the year of Wall Street's collapse and Australia's apology, of a film-world tragedy and an art-world scandal. In Best Australian Essays 2008, David Marr has selected great writing from a turbulent time. With eyewitness accounts from crisis zones and film sets, deserts and campaign trails, and tales of failing banks and wounded birds, hitchhiking and footy jumpers, mourning brothers and raising children, music, media, art, love and obscenity, these wonderful essays paint a vivid picture of the year that was.

In the end, I trusted gut feeling most when picking these essays … writing that made me laugh, reminded me of times I'd forgotten, or took me places I'd always wanted to go.’ —David Marr