Wild Abandon, the second novel from Melbourne writer Emily Bitto (The Strays), follows its protagonist Will, heartbroken at the end of his first serious relationship, as he flees Australia for New York City and then into the American heartland on an odyssey that seems fated to have a dark conclusion.

This breathtaking new novel was chosen as the October book in the 2021 Melbourne City Reads initiative, supported by inner-city bookshops. In this special podcast conversation, Bitto is joined by Jason Steger, books editor of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, to discuss the novel and its haunting, headlong tumble through the hyperreal world of end-days capitalism.

The online bookseller for this event is the Paperback Bookshop

Melbourne City Reads is supported by the City of Melbourne, Victorian Government and ABC Radio Melbourne

---

This conversation was originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday 26 October 2021 but was cancelled in response to Victorian Government COVID-19 health advice. We are now presenting this discussion exclusively as a podcast.