Tsundoku: Recent Episodes
Auscast Network
Welcome to Tsundoku – the podcast for addicted readers. Tsundoku is the Japanese word for that pile of books by your bed – the ones you fully intend to read – sometime! If you can’t resist a good story, are endlessly curious about new books and love nothing better than discussing an old favourite – this is the podcast for you. In Tsundoku we’ll talk to the authors of the moment, we’ll pull out the ‘hits and memories’ from years past and chat them back into life, and we’ll talk to readers from all walks of life about how they acquired their reading passion,their all time favourites … and what books they have waiting in their Tsundoku.
Michael Caleb Tasker’s grim and gripping Just Like the Night + Elisabeth Storr’s Fables and Lies
Lena has only really known a life of petty crime after spending her childhood on the road with her charismatic card sharp father Ray. Now in adulthood and just out of prison she finds herself in much deeper water, tangling with the dark Sydney underworld in an attempt to save her daughter. Michael Caleb Tasker’s first novel Just Like the Night delivers a gripping and gritty story with great literary style.
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Historical fiction writer Elisabeth Storrs sets her new book Fables and Lies in World War 2 Germany. The racy romantic thriller, about the Aryan myth, Nazi archaeology and the race to save the Trojan gold as Berlin falls, is based on a true story, and brings a little known aspect of the Nazi Regime to life.
Guests
Michael Caleb Tasker, author of “Just Like the Night”
Elisabeth Storrs, author of “Fables and Lies”
Author contacts
https://michaelcalebtasker.com/
@elisabethstorrsauthor
Books that get a mention
Michael Caleb Tasker recommends works by Raymond Chandler, particularly “The Long Goodbye” , and “Song of the Lark” by Willa Cather. He is also a fan of Kierkegaard, Michael Farris Smith, Ron Rash, Walter Mosely, Jim Harrison and John Steinbeck.
Annie loved “Heart the Lover” by Lily King and Sarah recommends “On the Calculation of Volume” by Solvej Balle
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In 2023 Afghan single mother Laila was desperate to get herself and her five daughters out of Iran. The chances were slim, but she was willing to try anything. When she called an Afghan contact in Adelaide, Mij Tanith was in the room and decided to try and help. What ensued was a growing long distance friendship that overcame the barriers of language and culture, fought through the bureaucratic hurdles and has led to Laila and her daughters being safely settled in Australia. Using poetry and prose, writer and refugee activist Mij Tanith has now told Laila’s story
Guest:
Mij Tanith, author and poet
@mijtanith
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A serial killer is on the loose in Melbourne in Sarah Bailey’s ‘Click’. Three women, a journalist, a cop and a politician are on the case. The approaching pandemic is a dark hovering presence in this gripping story which also shows how modern technology has become a force for good and for evil.
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Literary academic Kylie Cardell lays takes us through the life and achievements of Charmian Clift, writer and trailblazer of the 1950s and 1960s. She lived in the shadow of her famous husband, writer George Johnston, and died too early from suicide. Her writings, including her unfinished memoir “The End of the Morning”, are a remarkable treasury of observations about life for women in the mid 20th century.
Guests:
Sarah Bailey, author
Kylie Cardell, Associate Professor of Literature, Flinders University
Other books that get a mention:
Annie mentions “Frogsong” by Melissa Manning and the 2010 Booker winner “The Finkler Question” by HowardJacobson
Sarah recommends the fantasy trilogy “His Dark Materials” by Philip Pullman
@sarah_bailey_author
@kyliesays
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Award-winning poet Michael Farrell’s latest book is a foray into storytelling through the medium of the short story. In “The Victoria Principle” his playful fictions, some autobiographical, deal with everything from the concept of ornithophobia to a nude writers’ retreat in Nova Scotia. His stories reflect and warp the absurdities of modern life.
Guest:
Michael Farrell, author of the Victoria Principle and six other books of poetry.
michaelfarrell@limechax
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Cath is entertained by Penny Tangey’s tale of murder, motherhood and caffeine as a group of unlikely sleuths solve a crime at the local library.
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Michaela talks to Lisa Hannett about the fierce and fantastical women of Norse mythology who star in her riveting new book “Yet She Lives”.
Guests:
Penny Tangey, author of “What Rhymes with Murder?” and a number of books for younger people including “As Fast As I Can” and “Music Camp”,
Associate Professor Lisa Bennett, author of “Yet She Lives” and “ Viking Women: Life and Lore” and “The Fortunate Isles”. Lisa writes under the pen name of Lisa Hannett.
Other books that get a mention:
David Malouf’s “Remembering Babylon”, “Johnno”, “An Imaginary Life” and “The Great World”.
@simonandschuster
@thamesandhudsonau
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Adelaide poet Miriel Lenore didn't take to poetry until two thirds of her way through an adventurous life. She was over her many years a botanist, researcher, traveller, student, teacher, activist, feminist, mother and grandmother. Miriel spent twenty years in Fiji, forty years in the Australian women's movement and the Adelaide writing scene, and ten years as a regular visitor to a Ngaanyatjarra community in the Western Desert of Western Australia.
Miriel died in 2024 aged 96. Cath discusses Miriel’s final collection, with the poet’s longtime friend and curator, author Margaret Merrilees.
Guest: Margaret Merrilees
“Driving to Mulberrygong” published by Wakefield press
@wakefieldpress
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In the midst of the anxiety-ridden chaos of late-stage capitalism, is it really possible to lead a plain life? Philosopher, essayist and yogi Antonia Pont’s book is far more a philosophical analysis of our modern existence than it is self-help, but she offers advice on being true to oneself and ignoring the ‘noise’ of our current social media driven culture.
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The Tsundoku team have a revealing chat about their summer reads; from erudite literature to cosy murder mysteries, from self-help to the secrets of the British Royals.
Guest:
Antonia Pont, author of ‘Plain Life’
Other books that get a mention:
‘Organising from the Inside out’ - Julie Morgenstern
‘Let them’ - Mel Robbins
‘Paperboy’ - Christopher Fowler
‘A long winter’ - Colm Toibin
‘What Rhymes with Murder’ - Penny Tangey
‘The Names’ - Florence Knapp
‘Mad Mabel’ - Sally Hepworth
‘The Palace Papers’ - Tina Brown
‘The Vanity Fair Diaries’ - Tina Brown
‘A Different Kind of Power’ - Jacinda Ardern
‘The Lady in Gold’ - Anne-Marie O’Connor
@newsouthpublishing
@newsouthbooksau
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Meet Dr Annette Marner who has spent eight years documenting her ‘patch’, South Australia’s geologically extraordinary Southern Flinders ranges. With patience and respect for wildlife, and some very fancy camera gear, Annette captures in her book very up close and personal moments with the animals and birds of the region, and explains in beautiful prose the tumultuous geo-history of the region and why it contains such unique species.
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Meet Eleanor Elliott Thomas, a former lawyer turned author, who’s written a darkly comic tale about a family fracturing over the best and worst of problems - a lotto win! Skeletons begin emerging from the family closet as the three very mismatched Halloway siblings gather around their mother, rightful owner of the winning ticket, who lies in a coma.
Guests
Annette Marner, author and photographer of “The Southern Flinders; A Celebration of Wildlife and Landscapes”
Eleanor Elliott Thomas, author of “Do We Deserve This?” and also “The Opposite of Success”
Other books that get a mention:
Annie Hauxwell author of the Catherine Berlin crime series
“Sorrow and Bliss” by Meg Mason
“Flying Hero Class” by Thomas Keneally
“ Normal Women - 900 years of Making History” by Philippa Gregory
@text_publishing
@eleanorelliottthomas
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Former journalist, Michael Brissenden, brings insider knowledge and a sharp world view to the crime and thriller genre. “Dust” goes into that now familiar territory, the dark underbelly of rural Australia, to create a gripping story that begins with a dry lake giving up its secrets.
And who knew that celebrated spy thriller author Mick Herron is also a poet? Our regular reviewer, Annie Warburton, explores the life of the author of “Slow Horses”. She says his expressive, poetic style makes reading him a much more rewarding experience than watching the current TV series.
Guests
Michael Brissenden, author of “Dust”
Annie Warburton reviews the writing of Mick Herron
Other books that get a mention:
Thursday Murder Club Series - Richard Osman
The Every - Dave Eggers
Orbital - Samantha Harvey
Plain Life - Antonia Pont
Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind - Yuval Noah Harari
@m_brisso
Annie Warburton – Creative and Travel Writing
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Cath and Annie take a deep dive into the brilliant, celebrated and mysterious life of Elizabeth Harrower, author of the 1960s Australian classic “The Watch Tower”.
Cath first reviews Harrower’s most celebrated work and then Annie speaks to Harrower’s biographer, Susan Wyndham, about the enigmatic novelist's past to better understand the woman, her times, and why the career of this impressive writer of deep psychological dramas ended so suddenly.
Guests
Susan Wyndham, author of “The Woman in the Watchtower”
Other books that get a mention:
“Half of a Yellow Sun” by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“A Frightfully English Execution” by Shamini Flint
“Murder on North Terrace” and “The Death of Dora Black” by Lainie Anderson
“What We Can Know” by Ian McEwen
@wyndhamsusan1
@newsouthpublishing
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Drawing on her own family history for inspiration, Heather Rose delivers a compelling and heart rending saga of a father and daughter torn apart by a terrible crime. In “A Great Act of Love” Caroline Douglas carries her dark secret to the penal colony of Van Diemen’s Land to begin life anew - but can she escape her past; does she even want to?
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It’s no small thing to decide to be a publisher in today’s busy book marketplace but that’s what Emily Riches did. Aniko Press’ first offering is “The Slip” by Miriam Webster - who we recently interviewed in Episode 56 of this podcast. Aniko also publishes a literary journal and is always on the lookout for new talent.
Guests
Heather Rose, author of “A Great Act of Love”
Emily Riches, founder of Aniko Press
https://www.anikopress.com/
Other books that get a mention:
Heather mentions Rebecca Yaros’ “Fourth Wing”, Robert Galbraith’s crime series, Maggie O’Farrell’s “The Marriage Portrait”, Hannah Kent’s “Always Home, Always Homesick”, Richard Macfarlane’s “Is A River Alive?” and “The Epic of Gilgamesh”.
@heather_rose_writes
@allenandunwin
@aniko press
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In “The Seeker and the Sage” a traumatised journalist is given a dream assignment - track down the mayor of a mysterious town whose citizens are the happiest people on Earth. She wants to learn how to live a good life but the town’s mayor wants to protect his dominion from the modern world. In what is an allegory for our times; Delaney poses the question: can the ancient philosophy of Stoicism help us create our own utopias in an increasingly troubled world?
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Short fiction set in the Pacific Islands was a popular genre in the early 20th century. Associate Professor Mandy Treagus offers a deep analysis of the adventuring writers whose stories were set in these islands, such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London and W. Somerset Maughan.
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Our random reader, Lesley, introduces us to Jan Morris’ book “Conundrum” in which Jan shares a grippingly honest account of her ten-year transition from man to woman. On first publication in 1974, “Conundrum” generated enormous interest around the world and was chosen by “The Times” as one of the '100 Key Books of Our Time'.
Guests
Brigid Delaney, author of “The Seeker and the Sage”
Mandy Treagus, Associate Professor in English and Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide, author of “The Pacific Tale: Short fiction from 1890 - 1950”
Other books that get a mention:
Cath mentions Richard Osman’s “The Impossible Fortune”, Mick Herron’s “Clown Town” and “Peter Ackroyd’s “The English Soul; Faith of a Nation”
Annie mentions “What we can Know” by Ian McEwin, “Ripeness” by Sarah Moss and “Novacene; The coming of age of hyper intelligence” by James Lovelock
@allenandunwin
@palgrave_macmillan
@brigidwd
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Miriam Webster makes her literary debut with a sharp, funny and often dark collection of short stories about love, loss and very modern dilemmas. With an eye for what isn’t said and that which is said by accident, the collection is named for the Freudian slip.
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New publishers on the block, Margot Lloyd and Emily Hart, are publishing exciting debut authors, re-releasing irresistible classics and teaching the rest of us how to write better in their “Word Shops” – two talented women having fun and publishing their way!
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Our random reader, Max, is a nine-year-old with an infectious passion for reading.
Guests
Miriam Webster, author of “The Slip”.
Margot Lloyd and Emily Hart introduce Pink Short’s new books “Annie Magdalene” and “Sea Green” by Barbara Hanrahan, “Playing Nice Was Getting Me Nowhere” by Alex Cothren and “Plastic Budgie” by Olivia De Silva “
Other books that get a mention:
Michaela mentions “Moor to Sea; A Journey Along the Cleveland Way” by Vicki Foote
Annie mentions “Woo Woo” by Ella Baxter and “The Writers Journey; Mythic Structure for Writers” by Christopher Vogler
Margot and Emily also mention Barbara Hanrahan’s “The Scent of Eucalyptus”, Anne Enright’s collection of short stories “Taking Pictures”, “The Bakers Book” by Ruby Goss, a forthcoming book of poetry by Evelyn Araluen, Splinter Magazine, “The Parisian” by Isabella Hammand.
Max mentions “The First Cat in Space ate Pizza” by Matt Barnett, “Diary of Loki” by Louise Stowell and what he recommends as the best book series ever, “Sherlock Bones”.
@pinkshortspress
@anikopress
@mim_webster
@vickifoote
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Since shooting to fame with “The Rosie Project”, Graeme Simsion has formed a successful writing partnership with his psychiatrist wife, Anne Buist. Here they share with Annie why the mental health system provides such fertile ground for their creativity, the change they hope to see in that world…and the nuts and bolts of working together.
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Can a murder mystery warm your heart? Cath thinks Zane Lovitt has pulled it off and enjoys chatting to him about his good-natured suburban crime story, “The Body Next Door”. It’s got all the captivating characters, clever clues and surprising twists one needs for a truly satisfying whodunit.
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Our random reader also enjoys books he can unwind with such as the mysteries of Alexander McCall Smith and Richard Osman. Or, for a change of pace, the nostalgia of “The Diary of Adrian Mole” series by Sue Townsend or a spot of popular science with “Breath” by James Nestor.
Guests
Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion, authors of “The Glass House” and “The Oasis”, books number 1 & 2 in the “Menzies Mental Health” series.
Zane Lovitt, author of “The Body Next Door”.
Other books that get a mention:
Cath also mentions Siang Lu’s Miles Franklin winning novel, ”Ghost Cities”.
Annie mentions “Woo Woo” by Ella Baxter, “All Fours” by Miranda July, “Nighbitch” by Rachel Yonder and “The Slip” by Miriam Webster.
INSTAGRAM
@hachetteaus
@anneebuist
@gcsimsion
@text_publishing
@zane_lovitt
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Brian Castro's “The Chinese Postman” is a meditation on old age with a central character whose life mirrors his own. The story strays into fiction when the protagonist, Abe Quin, begins a correspondence with a woman seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine. This acclaimed work of autofiction is short-listed for this year’s Miles Franklin Award.
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In Bronwyn Rivers’ menacing thriller “The Reunion” five friends meet for a weekend on a lonely property in the Blue Mountains. Ten years earlier they were amongst a group of six who went hiking in the area …only five returned. Now the survivors are being stalked by someone who wants to know what really happened to their friend Ed – it seems everyone has something to hide.
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Our very assiduous random reader, Lesley, is currently reading “Pompeii” by Robert Harris and “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer. She’s listening to the audio version of “Limberlost” by Robbie Arnott. Piled on her tsundoku are “The Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See, “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach, The Shardlake Series by CJ Sansom and “Kairos” by Jenny Erpenbeck.
Guests
Brain Castro, author of “Chinese Postman”
Bronwyn Rivers, author of “The Reunion”
Other books that get a mention:
Brian mentions a poem by TS Eliot, “The Waste Land”
Bronwyn mentions inspirational crime writers Agatha Christie and PD James
Sarah mentions the DS Walker series of thrillers by Patricia Wolf
Annie is reading Charlotte McConaghy’s “Wild Dark Shore”
INSTAGRAM
@giramondopublishing
@hachetteaus
@bronwynriversauthor
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James Bradley introduces his latest novel; one of crime in a time of climate crisis. The desperate search for a missing child is set against a terrifying Sydney of the future, where sea levels are rising with the temperature and the social divide has become a chasm.
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Catherine Jinks, known for her children’s fiction, has turned her deft writer's hand to adult thrillers. In ‘Panic’ her main character Bronwyn leaves town when the fallout from a misjudged text inflames the wrath of social media. However, worse awaits her in the country where conspiracy theorists and escapees from society have created a hell of their own.
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Our young random reader Arlo recommends The Star Wars trilogy and anything by Roald Dahl.
Guests
James Bradley, author of “Landfall”. His other books include the novels “Wrack”, “The Deep Field”, “Clade” and “Ghost Species”, a book of poetry, “Paper Nautilus”, and a work of non-fiction, “Deep Water”.
Catherine Jinks, author of “Panic”. Her other thrillers include “The Attack” and “Shelter”. Her children’s books include “Traitor’s Mask” and “Demon Thief”.
Other books that get a mention:
Michaela’s been reading “The Accident” by Fiona Lowe. You can find Sarah’s interview with Fiona in Episode 40 of Tsundoku.
As part of her judging gig for the Ned Kelly Awards, Cath has discovered “Home Truths” by Charity Norman and “Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter” by Nicci French.
James Bradley mentions “Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami, “Human Nature”by Jane Rawson and “Is a River Alice” by Robert Macfarlane
@penguinbooksaus
@ghostspecies
@catherinejinksauthor
@text_publishing
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Kate Grenville is best known for her book “The Secret River” published in 2005 which became an analogy for white settlement of Australia. More than two decades on, and following the defeat of the Voice referendum, Grenville has taken another journey through that same country which her ancestors settled, resulting in her latest book, “Unsettled”. In this episode, Kate Grenville chats to Annie Hastwell about the importance of facing our true history.
Guest:
Kate Grenville
INSTAGRAM:
@blackinkbooks
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Cath discovers the people in Damien Wilkins’ life who inspired his latest novel, “Delirious”. It’s an emotionally powerful novel about families, ageing and the surprising ways second chances come around.
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Annie visits Orchard Books in the Adelaide Arcade where she receives a masterclass in styling a warm, inviting and delightfully idiosyncratic second-hand bookshop.
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Our random reader recommends “Time of the Child” and “This is Happiness” by Niall Williams.
Guests:
Damien Wilkins, New Zealand author of “Delirious”... and 14 other novels.
Nick Patrick and Kate Treloar, owners of Orchard Bookshop, Adelaide Arcade.
Other books that get a mention:
Cath recommends her holiday reads; “Molly Keen; A Life” by Sally Phipps and “Overtaken” by Alexei Sayle
Annie recommends “The Tenderness of Wolves” by Stef Penney
@thwupbooks
@orchardbookshop
@damienwilkins103
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Sarah is joined by Candice Fox who reflects how her “scrappy” upbringing in Bankstown and her Dad’s work in the local prison informed her crime writing. It still makes her a magnet for people willing to share their dark and strange story ideas.
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Annie takes you to the launch of “Splinter”, a new literary journal, to meet its editor, Farrin Foster. In the tradition of such journals Splinter will be a place for new writing of any kind to get a showing, and a welcoming forum for South Australia’s literary community.
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Sarah recommends “Australian Gospel: A Family Saga” by Lech Blaine
Our random reader recommends “Technofeudalism: What killed capitalism” by Yanis Varoufakis and “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy.
Guests
Candice Fox, author of “High Wire”
Farin Foster, editor of “Splinter”
You can find more information about “Splinter” here: https://splinterjournal.com/
INSTAGRAM
@candicefoxauthor
@penginrandomhouse
@splinterjournal
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Cath and Sarah delight in sharing what they loved about Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey’s short novel, “Orbital”
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Cath then settles into a cosy chat to author Melanie Cheng. She’s created a delicate and wise novella in which a family’s grief is articulated and haltingly addressed with the adoption of a pet rabbit.
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Michaela enjoys revisiting Margaret Atwood’s enigmatic classic “Alias Grace” with Flinders University Associate Professors, Kylie Cardell and Lisa Bennett.
Guests
Melanie Cheng, General Practitioner and author of “The Burrow”, “Room for a Stranger” and “Australia Day”
Lisa Bennett is Associate Professor of Creative Writing and English at Flinders University. She’s the author of “Viking Women: Life and Lore”. The follow-up volume, “Viking Women: Myth and Magic” is due out this year.
Kylie Cardell is Associate Professor of Creative Writing and English at Flinders University. She’s the author of “Dear World: Contemporary Uses of the Diary” and Editor (with Kate Douglas) of “Telling Tales: Autobiography of Childhood and Youth” and she is the essays Editor for the Australian scholarly journal, “Life Writing”.
@lisalhannett
@kyliesays
@text_publishing
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Catherine McKinnon’s tense but tender tale, “To Sing of War”, immerses the reader in the lives of three characters strung across the globe during the dying days of World War II …as the days tick towards the detonation of the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima.
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Poet Ken Bolton makes a good case for why British writer Beryl Bainbridge should not be forgotten.
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ABC Broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd shares what’s in his tsundoku.
Guests
Catherine McKinnon, author of “To Sing of War” and the Miles Franklin Award shortlisted “Storyland”
Ken Bolton, Australian poet whose most recent collection is titled “Salute”
Our Random Reader is ABC broadcaster and poet Mike Ladd
Other books that get a mention
Catherine McKinnon mentions “The Regeneration Trilogy” by Pat Barker, “Cloud Cukooland” by Anthony Doerr.
Ken Bolton mentions Beryl Bainbridge’s books, “An Awfully Big Adventure”, “Injury Time”, “Master Georgie”, “The Birthday Boys”, “Watson’s Apology”, “According to Queeney” and “A Quiet Life”.
Mike Ladd mentions “The story of Wy-lah, the cockatoo” by Leslie Rees, “Catch-22” by Joseph Heller, “Selected Poems’ by Elizabeth Bishop, “The Years” by Annie Ernaux, “The Pole and Other Stories” by John Coetzee and “Salt Creek” by Lucy Treloar.
@cathmckinnonauthor
@harpercollinsaustralia
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Michaela talks to one of her favourite writers, Robbie Arnott, about “Dusk”; a beautiful and beguiling tale of siblings, so down on their luck they embark on an impossible quest to slay a puma in the Tasmanian highlands and claim a life-changing bounty.
Sarah chats to stand-out millennial Hannah Ferguson about her second book, “Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships”
Then, the Tsundoku gang gets together to discuss their favourite books of 2024 and the book they’d most like to find in their Christmas stocking.
Guests
Robbie Arnott, author of “Dusk”
Hannah Ferguson, author of “Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships”
Other books that get a mention
Robbie Arnott also mentions “Creation Lake” by Rachel Kushner, “The Sound of Waves” by Yukio Mishima, “Deep Water; The world in the ocean” by James Bradley, “Old School” by Tobias Wolff and “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien
Cath mentions “The Red Children”, “The White Children”, “My Driver” and "My Cleaner” by Maggie Gee and Belinda Bauer’s books “Snap”, “Exit” and “The Impossible Thing”
Annie mentions “The Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St John Mandel,“The Beesting” by Paul Murray, “Caledonian Roads” by Andrew O’Hagan and the Robert Harris books, “Precipice”, “Pompeii” and “Fatherland”
Sarah mentions “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin, “All Fours” by Miranda July, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and “Stone Yard Devotional” by Charlotte Wood
Michaela mentions “Other Houses” by Paddy O'Reilly and “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey
@robbie_gc_arnott
@macmillanaus
@hannahferguson_
@affirmpress
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Markus Zusak uses words like “challenging” and “ complex” to describe his three dogs, Reuben, Archie and Frosty. In this interview Zusak recounts the joy of remembering his hounds in all their unvarnished glory for this, his first memoir. Also, the challenge of recording his own audio books, the old favourites he likes to read and re-read “forensically”, and which of his favourite books piqued Archie’s literary tastebuds!
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Our beloved reviewers of literary classics, Kylie Cardell and Lisa Bennett, return to reassess Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”. Kylie has read it many times and Lisa for the first time this year. The tale has obviously endured in our popular culture, movies and vernacular but is it still a “good read”?
Guests:
Markus Zusak, author of “Three Wild Dogs and the Truth”. Also “The Book Thief”, “Bridge of Clay”, “The Messenger” and the young adult trilogy “The Underdog”, “Fighting Ruben Wolfe” and “When Dogs Cry”.
Associate Professor Kylie Cardell teaches and researches life narrative with the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University.
Associate Professor Lisa Bennett teaches undergraduate and Honours classes in Creative Writing and English, Flinders University.
Maddie recounts the books she first fell for as a teenager, her passion for Margaret Atwood’s dystopian creations and a series that explores indigenous knowledge.
Other books that get a mention:
Annie mentions “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki and “All Fours” by Miranda July.
Michaela mentions “Want; Sexual fantasies by anonymous” edited by Gillian Anderson.
Markus mentions “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, “All the Pretty Horses” written by Cormac McCarthy and narrated by Brad Pitt, “Cairo” by Chris Womersley, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” by Peter Hedges, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon and “Barbarian Days; A surfing life” by William Finnegan
Maddie mentions young adult author Margaret Clark, “Puberty Blues” by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Oryx & Crake”, “The Year of the Flood” and “MaddAddam” by Margaret Atwood, the six-part “First Knowledges” series, in particular “Astronomy” edited by Margo Neale.
@markuszusak
@macmillanaus
@kyliesays
@lisahannett
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Sean Williams, author of 5 million words, is famous for his hugely successful forays into the worlds of Star Wars, Dr Who, the Marvel Universe, but did you know he also writes ghost stories for young readers? ”Honour Among Ghosts” and “Her Perilous Mansion” are exciting, mysterious, witty and clever reads, officially for 8-12 year olds, but really for anyone who enjoys a rollicking adventure.
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It’s a case of “Art vs Mother’ in two “gloriously unhinged…yet deeply philosophical” novels celebrated by our special guest Associate Professor Kylie Cardell. In “Nightbitch” Rachel Yoder’s protagonist unleashes her inner canine to navigate the new imperatives of motherhood. In “All Fours” Miranda July’s heroine, also at a hormonal crossroad, finds a space to explore who she is and what she will make of her changing reality.
Guests
Sean Williams, author of “Her Perilous Mansion” and “Honour Among Ghosts”. He’s the NYTimes Bestselling author of 50 books and over 120 short stories.
Associate Professor Kylie Cardell teaches and researches life narrative with the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University. She's the author of “Dear World: Contemporary Uses of the Diary” and Editor (with Kate Douglas) of “Telling Tales: Autobiography of Childhood and Youth”. She’s also the essays Editor for the Australian scholarly journal, “Life Writing”.
Other books that get a mention:
Sarah mentions “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts.
Michaela mentions “Three Wild Dogs and the Truth” by Markus Zusak and Robbie Arnott’s books, “Dusk” and “Limberlost”
Sean mentions author Georgette Heyer, his own books “Ink” and “Impossible Music” and the series he co-wrote with Garth Nix, “Troubletwisters”
Nikki mentions Hilary Mantel’s books “Wolf Hall” and “Bring up the Bodies” and Anne Patchett’s books “Tom Lake”, “The Dutch House”, “These Precious Days”, “Commonwealth” and “Bel Canto”. She also mentions “Shoe Dog” by Nike’s founder, Phil Knight.
@allenandunwin
@penguinrandomhouse
@aucklanduniversitypress
@adelaidesean
@raijoy
@mirandajuly
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As Mills and Boon celebrate 50 years of taking readers on journeys of love and lust, Annie speaks with Barbara Hannay about her latest novel, The Wife's Secret, and Michaela discusses medical romance with Amy Andrews, author of The Outback Doctor's Surprise.
Featured books:
The Wife’s Secret by Barbara Hannay
The Outback Doctor's Surprise Bride by Amy Andrews
Barbara’s recommendations:
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
Amy’s recommendations:
Working Class Boy and Working Class Man by Jimmy Barnes
In Pieces by Sally Fields
Annie’s recommendations:
Yellow Face by Rebecca Kuang
James by Percival Everett
Michaela’s recommendations:
Other Houses by Paddy O’Reilly
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Amy Stewart paints a powerful portrait of the human passion for plants in “The Tree Collectors” with fifty different tales of people who, for one fascinating reason or another, devote their life to trees. The book is illustrated with Amy’s vibrant watercolours of the trees and their idiosyncratic owners.
Compared in his heyday to Brett Whitely, painter, printmaker, teacher, writer and ornithologist Don Binney (1940–2012) was an artistic icon in New Zealand in the 1960s. His unmistakable, stylised depictions of birds and the Te Henga coastline are imprinted upon the psyche of that nation. Don Binney was a mercurial, eccentric and often abrasive character whose early brief fame defined his life. In “Don Binney: Flight Path” award-winning author and curator Gregory O’Brien follows the painter from the wild coast of New Zealand through Latin America and Europe, using his letters, journals, and distinctive bird paintings to take us inside Don Binney’s world.
Guests
Amy Stewart, NYT best-selling author of “The Tree Collectors; Tales of arboreal obsession”, “The Drunken Botanist; The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks” and “Wicked Plants; The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities”.
Greg O’Brien: Wellington-based poet, painter and curator who has written books on art for young people as well as several other books on artists including Ralph Hotere and Pat Hanly, and co-edited several poetry anthologies besides his solo poetry collections. His most recent book of poems is “House and Contents”, Auckland University Press.
Other books that get a mention
Cath mentions “An Uneasy Inheritance; My family and other radicals” by Polly Toynbee and Shankari Chandran’s new novel “Safe Haven”.
Michaela mentiones “The God of No Good” by Sita Walker.
@amystewart
@text_publishing
@aucklanduniversitypress
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A story that is difficult to pin down to a narrative, playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer’s debut novel explores arrivals and departures, time and space, through the experiences of a curious cast of characters.
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Annie Warburton explores why we read the works of old writers, dissecting the work of Nancy Mitford in the context of her era and the happenings in the world around her.
Guests:
Finnegan Kruckemeyer, playwright whose works have been performed on six continents in 12 languages.
Annie Warburton, former ABC Broadcaster and reading addict.
Danny, our Random Reader
Danny mentions the following books:
“The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
Author: Ruth Parks
“1984” by George Orwell
“The Mayor of Casterbridge” by Thomas Hardy
“Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo
“Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
“The Life Of Pi” by Yann Martel
“The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga
Author: George Monbiot
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari
“The Dawn of Everything” by David Graeber
“Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake
“The Well Gardened Mind” by Sue Stuart-Smith
“The Secret Life of Trees” by Colin Tudge
“The Argonauts” by Maggie Nelson
“My Gita” by Devdutt Pattanaik
@textpublishing
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Cath carries this episode with two great chats; the first with author Sophie Cunningham and the other with self-professed “book snob”, Ron Hoenig.
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Ostensibly a novel about Alice, a woman who’s spent the last 20 years writing the biography of Virginia Woolf’s husband, Leonard, “This Devastating Fever” is an insightful, moving and witty tale of what it’s like to live through a time that feels like the end of days, and how we can find comfort and answers in the past.
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Meet Ron Hoenig, member of The Jewish Men’s Book Club where weighty tomes such as “The Book of Jacob” by Olga Tokarczuk (all 1,000 pages of it) are discussed.
Guests
Sophie Cunningham, author of “This Devastating Fever” and six other books including “Geography” (2004) and “Bird” (2008)
Ron Hoenig, enthusiastic member of the Jewish Men’s Book Club. Ron mentions “Anti-Judaism”by David Nirenberg, “Not In God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence”by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and “The Book of Jacob”, a novel by Olga Tokarczuk.
Other books that get a mention
Annie mentions “Kings in Grass Castles” by Mary Durack
@ultimopress
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Peeling back the veneer of the New York art scene, Bri Lee takes readers into the background world that fuels the industry. ‘The Work’ follows the lives of two protagonists from vastly different backgrounds: gallery owner, Lally, and antiquities dealer, Patrick, as they each follow a path to success, but at what cost?
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Victoria Purman takes readers back to the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia, to the post war world when women were no longer content to sit in the background, instead stepping forward to write radio plays that held a nation captive.
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When a car veers off the road with devastating consequences, the small wheatbelt town of Garringarup is left reeling, but no one's worlds are more shattered than those of Hannah and Freya, the partners of the passengers. On a day when wedding bells should have been ringing, their lives are torn apart by the web of lies the accident has exposed.
Think Jodi Picoult meets Liane Moriarty and you have an idea of the fast-paced, page turning ethical dilemmas explored by Fiona Lowe in “The Accident”.
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Dumped by her husband of twenty-five years, Jo Peck—smart, successful and sixty—is totally floored. She’s hurt, angry and devastated…but not for long! In this candid memoir Jo discovers the comfort and support of friends, newly forged connections with extended family, good therapy…and internet dating!
Annie loved Jo’s raunchy rediscovery of self because, as Jo explained, “The unvarnished truth is very compelling”.
Guests
Fiona Lowe, author of 37 books. Her latest is “The Accident”
Jo Peck author of “Suddenly Single at Sixty”
Our random reader is Sameer
Other books that get a mention
Samir mentions “Master of the Game” by Sidney Sheldon, “Le Miserables” by Victor Hugo, “Cultural Heritage of India” six volumes gathered under the guidance of the Ramakrishna Institute of Culture.
Sarah mentions “The Animals in that Country” by Laura Jean McKay.Annie mentions “Long Island” by Colm Toibin. He is the author of 7 books, including “Brooklyn”.
@fionaloweaustralianauthor
@text_publishing
@goyougoodthing57
@harpercollinsaustralia
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The outwardly comfortable life of mother and wife .Winina Dalloway has dark currents running beneath it. Thunderhead is the interior monologue of a woman acting normally but living under threat as she picks up her children from school, shops and prepares for a dinner party. A homage to Virginia Wolfe’s The Days, the book is a reminder of the drama and terror that can lurk beneath domesticity.
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Bet Schenk brings a poet’s pared-down style and awareness of the power of language to this book set in a small country town where the local teen hero is actually anything but - and his brother knows the truth. The Most Famous Boy in Town is billed as teen fiction but it’s a story for all ages.
And our regular literary academic Kylie Cardell reviews Lioness by Emily perkins, winner of the 2024 New Zealand Ockham Book Awards
Guests
Miranda Darling, author and poet
Bel Schenk, author and poet
Kylie Cardell, Associate Professor , English and Creative Writing, Flinders University
@mirandadarling13
@belschenk
@kyliecardell
@scribepub
Spineless Wonders Press https://shortaustralianstories.com.au/
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In a move away from investigative journalism and her previous deep diving non-fiction titles, Louise Milligan delves into crime fiction with debut novel, Pheasants Nest.
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Miles Franklin Award winner, Shankari Chandran takes Cath to Cinnamon Gardens, an aged care home established by Tamil refugees and now run by their daughter. It’s run with love and dignity and has become an oasis for its culturally diverse residents…but the tensions of past wars and the prejudices of present day Australia which have long remained at a simmer ultimately boil over.
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Associate Professor Lisa Bennett shares her passion for stories soaked in mist and old magic with “Storyland”; a masterful, unique and utterly compelling illustrated mythology of Britain. Be transported to a time when England was considered the furthest outpost on any map and half remembered characters such as Brutus, Albina, Scota and Bladud roamed the earth …and our imaginations.
Guests
Shankari Chandran, author of “Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens” which won the 2023 Miles Franklin Award. She’s also the author of “Song of the Sun God” and “The Barrier”.
Associate Professor Lisa Bennett, from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University discusses “Storyland; A new mythology of Britain” by Amy Jeffs.
Other books that get a mention
“Wild; Tales from Early Medieval Britain” by Amy Jeffs, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman and “Pheasant’s Nest” by Louise Milligan.
@Ultimopress
@Hachetteaus
@lisalhannett
@amyjeffs_author
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Poetry seems a solitary pursuit but not for well knownAustralian poets Peter Bakowski and Ken Bolton - they recently released two new collections ‘On Luck Street’ and ‘Waldo’s Game’ in which they have collaborated from afar, co-telling stories using a ’call and respond’ writing technique.
And former ABC broadcaster Mike Ladd has made a career as a poet and also helped put poetry on the map with the long running radio program ‘Poetica’ - he makes the case for why poetry should matter to us all.
Guests
Peter Bakowski
Ken Bolton
Mike Ladd
Annie mentions the poems ‘Funeral Blues’ by WH Auden and ‘The Second Coming’ by WB Yeats
Peter and Ken read selections from ‘On Luck Street” and ‘Waldo’s Game’
Mike Ladd reads “The End and the Beginning” by Polish poet Wisława Szymborska and his own recently penned poem ‘Prove that You’re a Human’ .
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Molly Schmidt’s Salt River Road is a searing account of grief and redemption set in the big sky/small town landscapes of south west WA..
Racism, poverty and country town politics are all part of life in country Western Australia in the 1970’s. But for the Tetley family all that matters is that they have lost their beloved mother Elena, and they are all falling apart…and in danger of losing the farm that is their livelihood.
Through the eyes of teenage siblings Rose and Frank the reader experiences the
dangerously deep grief of losing a parent. Then comes a slow redemption through their connection with two local Noongar elders, and a reconciliation with events from the past.
Guest:
Molly Schmidt, author and recipient of the 2022 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award
INSTAGRAM
@molly.elizabeth.schmidt
@fremantlepress
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Celia appears to have it all and her life is running like clockwork - and so it should because she has it planned down to the very last minute - but then along comes a challenge that could be her undoing! Celia is thrust into a process equal parts amusing and heartbreaking as she shakily charts a new path.
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From falling for the boy next door to romancing a minotaur - occupational therapist turned successful romance novelist Davina Stone talks us through the many forms that modern romance takes. The only proviso is, no matter how serious the story, the ending must be happy!
Guests
Emma Young, author of “The Disorganisation of Celia Stone”. Her debut novel was “The Last Bookshop”.
Davina Stone, author of ‘The Felix Factor’, the sixth novel in her series The Laws of Love . She also writes monster romance under the name Lilith Stone
Other books that get a mention
Emma loves the diary format and she recalls the young adult books that first inspired her: The Adrian Mole series by Sue Townsend, “So Much to Tell You” by John Marsden, “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith and “Bridget Jones’ Diary” by Helen Fielding.
Emma is donating half her royalties to Beyond Zero Emissions (www.bze.org.au).
Michaela mentions “The Tao of Pooh” by Benjamin Hoff
Annie mentions “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and “it’s all small stuff” by Richard Carlson
Davina mentions Romance Writers of Australia, a community of over 700 aspiring, emerging, and established indie and traditionally published romance authors.
@emma_young_book_fiend
@fremantlepress
@davinastone_
@rwaaus
https://davinastone.com/
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Cath has admired the work of Paddy O’Reilly for some time but with her shortlisting for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, “Other Houses” looks sure to win O’Reilly many new admirers. It’s a tale of class, aspiration and the boundaries we will cross for love.
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Michaela has an Anne of Green Gables doll that her mother bought on a pilgrimage to Prince Edward Island in the ‘80s. She asks Associate Professors Lisa Bennett and Kylie Cardell to reveal their ‘Green’ credentials and discuss LM Montgomery’s perennial appeal.
Guests
Paddy O’Reilly, author of “Other Houses”
Associate Professor Kylie Cardell and Associate Professor Lisa Bennett, both from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University
The Tsundoku team’s Christmas reading list:
Sarah - “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro & “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osmon
Michaela - “A Net for Small Fishes” by Lucy Jago
Annie - “Ghosts of Spain” by Giles Tremlett, “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray & “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Cath - “The Tea Ladies” by Amanda Hampson, “Stoneyard Devotional” by Charlotte Wood & “Less than Angels” by Barbara Pym
@paddyoreilly.writer
@affirmpress
@lisalhannett
@kyliesays
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Sarah Smith has been successfully writing for popular TV shows such as “McLeod’s Daughters”, “All Saints” and “Love Child” for years. Now, she’s turned her hand to fiction creating a clever and quirky murder mystery set in the Los Angeles fast lane and narrated by a young, vibrant (albeit dead) woman, hellbent on finding her killer.
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Mireille Vignol is a renowned literary translator who has taken the work of Australian greats such as Kate Grenville and Kenneth Cook to French speaking audiences around the world. Cath was intrigued by a very singular event Mireille organised in Melbourne called a “Translation Slam”, where two jousting translators interpreted the same piece of text to very different effect and then defended their choices.
Guests
Sarah Smith, author of “12 Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death”
Mireille Vignol, literary translator. She also mentions the authors Proust, Kenneth Cook and Kate Grenville and poet Peter Bakowski.
Dan, our everyday reader, loves war stories such as “The Bombing of Darwin; The Diary of Tom Taylor, Darwin, 1942” by Alan R. Tucker and aircrash investigations such as “QF32” by Richard de Crespigny.
Cath and Annie also mention the Booker prize winner, “Prophet Song”by Paul Lynch and a chilling tale by Louise Doughty called “Platform Seven”.
@Ultimo Press
@sarah_says
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Trent Dalton’s new novel Lola in the Mirror travels to the dark heart of homelessness and domestic violence and yet is a love story and a love letter to his home town Brisbane.
Lola has no name when this story begins. For 16 years she and her mother have been on the run through Brisbane’s underbelly, dodging dangerous men. Sit down with journalist and novelist Trent Dalton and hear him talk about the city that saved his mum, finding the dark places in order to hold on to light, and why if he didn’t write he’d be reaching for the bourbon.
Guest:
Trent Dalton, journalist and author of “Lola in the Mirror” as well as two other acclaimed novels Boy Swallows Universe and All these Shimmering Skies
@Harpercollinsaustralia
@trentdaltonauthor
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“The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard” is loosely based on the life of Mitzah Bricard, a woman the world remembers as the outrageous muse of Christian Dior but who was, in fact, his First Assistant Designer and enormously talented in her own right. What follows is a compelling tale of glamour, desire and intrigue.
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“Summer of Blood” is set in 1960s California where two Australian detectives arrive in search of a missing man, only to find themselves immersed in the world of music, free love, drugs and hippie counterculture. They soon realise this isn’t any ordinary missing person investigation. A big gig is the perfect place to get away with murder!
Guests:
Natasha Lester, author of “The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard” and other historical fiction titles including “The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre” & “The French Photographer”.
Dave Warner, author of “Summer of Blood” …plus nine other novels and six non-fiction books.
Leigh, our everyday reader, mentions “Ulysses” by James Joyce, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, “Long Live the Queen: 23 Rules for Living from Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch” by Brian Koslowski and “A Mind at Home with Itself: How Asking Four Questions Can Free Your Mind, Open Your Heart, and Turn Your World Around” by Byron Katie with Stephen Mitchell
Cath and Annie also mention the Booker shortlisted title, “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray.
INSTAGRAM
@Hachetteaustralia
@natashalesterauthor
@Fremantlepress
@davew.author
@Leighwhite_soultopia
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Leaving the world of academia when creativity came knocking has paid off for Pip Williams. She's the bestselling author of "The Dictionary of Lost Words" and "The Bookbinder of Jericho", and speaks with Sarah about the ideas that light her up and inspire her to write.
In this conversation, Pip mentions two books that were references for her writing: "The Surgeon of Crowthorne" by Simon Winchester and "Testament of Youth" by Vera Brittain
Also written by Pip Williams, "One Italian Summer".
Pip Williams: Web - https://pipwilliams.com.au/
Affirm Press: https://affirmpress.com.au/FB + Insta: @affirmpress
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In Cronin’s “The Ferryman” the world’s elite enjoy eternal youth and deep personal satisfaction on the archipelago of Prospera but all is not as it seems and unrest is fomenting on both sides of the social divide.
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Georgia Nicholls has been writing romance since she was 14 and penned a fan fiction tale about One Direction’s Harry Styles…her writing has come a long way since then but she still loves it when they live happily ever after.
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Eve gives a brief review of “The Mother” by Jane Caro, but don’t worry she won’t spoil the ending.
Guests
Justin Cronin, author of “The Ferryman” and “The Passage Trilogy”
Georgia Nicholls is a PhD Candidate in creative writing at Flinders University. Her podcast is called “Love on Campus” and her instagram romance reviews appear at “booksithinkabout”
Eve enjoyed “The Mother” by Jane Caro
Justin mentions “Interview with a Vampire” by Ann Rice and the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes”.
Georgia mentions “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas, “Duck À L'Orange for Breakfast” by Karina May, “The Flat Share”, The Road Trip” and “The No Show” by Beth O’Leary and the author Emily Henry.
Michaela mentions romance authors Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen and “Ex-wife” by Ursula Parrott.
@jccronn
@penguinrandomhouse
@booksithinkabout
@janecaro57
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Let author Catherine Therese introduce you to Leslie Bird, a fictional character so caustic she’ll make your eyes water. Yet, as Michaela discovered, the story behind Leslie’s creation is more likely to bring a sympathetic tear to your eye.
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The course of Australian art changed in 1971 with the formation of the Papunya Tula art movement. John Kean, was there to witness its birth and tells Cath what forces he believes inspired and informed the movement’s four leading lights.
Guests
Catherine Therese, author of “Things She Would Have Said Herself” and an earlier memoir “The Weight of Silence”
John Keane, author of “Dot, Circle and Frame; The making of Papunya Tula Art”
Michaela mentions “Mrs Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf
Catherine mentions Walt Whitman, Henry Lawson and David Grossman
(Maybe also “The Day is Dancing” by Rowena Bennett)
@ctherese5
@hachetteaustralia
@hachettebooks
@terriann.white
@Hachette Books
@Terri-Ann White
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The fates of three people from the 1940s, ‘70s and today collide in Chris Hammer’s thrilling new mystery, “The Tilt” - you won’t see it coming!
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Prolific 20th century writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley wrote everything from witty and malicious novels about the British literati to his still famous Utopian dystopia Brave New World, and later in his 50 year career went on to explore the world of psychedelic drugs. Annie Warburton explores the Huxley ouvre to understand why Huxley remains a classic.
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Our random reader Chris also loves a good mystery
Guests…
Chris Hammer, author of “The Tilt” and other books including the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: “Scrublands”, “Silver” and “Trust”.
Annie Warburton, Tsundoku’s “Occasional Reporter on Dead White Men” revists Aldoux Huxley
Other books that get a mention…
Annie and Michaela mention “Ghost Tattoo” by Tony Bernard, “Birnam Wood”and “The Luminaries” by Eleanor Catton, “The Ferryman; A Novel” by Justin Cronin and “The Disorganisation of Celia Stone” by Emma Young
Annie Warburton mentions Aldous Huxley’s “Crome Yellow” (1921), “Antic Hay” (1923), “Brave New World: (1932), “Eyeless in Gaza” (1936), “The Doors of Perception” (1954)..as well as writers Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh and William Blake
Chris from Aldgate mentions writers Peter May, Ian Rankin and DH Lawrence’s “The Rainbow”
@allenandunwin
@thehammernow
@Hammernow
@allen&unwinbooks
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Best-selling Australian authors, Sean Williams, Victoria Perman and Tricia Stringer, talk to Tsundoku’s Sarah Martin and Cath Kenneally about their very different paths to literary success - Tricia dabbled in self-publishing, Victoria succeeded in speed dating a publisher and Sean tried the splatter gun approach with short stories.
Victoria identified the single thread common to all three quests, “ We all immersed ourselves in writing communities. We didn’t sit at home and get a bit paranoid about whether it was good or not. We went to workshops, we befriended booksellers…there are places to go to connect with writers which was so important.”
Tsundoku Podcast was delighted to convene this Marion Council “Meet the Author” Event in July 2023.
Guests:
Tricia Stringer is the bestselling author of six women’s fiction titles, “Back on Track”, “Table for Eight”, “The Model Wife”, “The Family Inheritance”, “Birds of a Feather” and “Keeping Up Appearances”, three historical books set in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges and seven rural romances.
Sean Williams is the bestselling author of over one hundred short stories and fifty award-winning books including the “Books of the Cataclysm” and “The Resurrected Man”. He has also written several novels in the Star Wars universe, including the best-selling “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed”.
Victoria Purman writes historical romance and is an Australian top ten and “USA Today” best-selling fiction author. Her books include “The Nurse’s War’, “The Women’s Pages” and “Under the Outback Sky”
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Best selling Australian author of “rural noir”, Garry Disher hopes to be seen as novelist first and crime writer second.
American Academic Saar Shahar discusses what sets literary journalism apart from the pack.
Paul Gough shares the books that first made him fall for sci-fi .
Three great minds in this week’s episode, determined to rise above the throng and give us something worth reading.
Guests:
Garry Disher, author of “Days End”, the fourth book in his fabulous Hirsch series.
Saar Shahar, author of “Among the Anti-vaxxers” recently published in the “North American Review” and American academic with the University of Southern California.
Paul Gough, ABC radio producer, sci-fi devotee and music aficionado www.pimpod.com
Other books that get a mention:
Saar mentions Tom Wolfe’s “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test”, “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities”. Also, “One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. And, literary journalists Joan Didion and Hunter S Thompson.
(“The American Review” was the first literary magazine to be published in the USA, in Boston in 1815.)
https://northamericanreview.org
https://www.instagram.com/sarshahar
Paul mentions “Ringworld” by Larry Niven, “Turtle Diary” & “Riddley Walker’ by Russel Hoban and “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” by Christopher Paolini.
INSTA
https://www.instagram.com/textpublishing
https://www.instagram.com/1234_pimpod
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In September 1883, the South Australian town of Fairly huddles under strange, vivid sunsets. A child has gone missing and the whole town is intent on finding him. More than a mystery, Fiona McFarlane explores the varied townsfolks’ relationship with the complex landscape and unsettling history of the Flinders Ranges. Tsundoku’s Annie Hastwell loved it from start to finish and joins the critics in their unanimous praise.
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Self-declared fan of Barry Humphries, Annie Warburton, reviews the late comic’s opus, pays tribute to his satirical genius and comes down firmly on the right of “grumpy old conservatives” to be free to speak their minds.
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Two very different takes on the Australian experience.
Guests
Fiona McFarlane, author of “The Sun Walks Down”, “The Night Guest” and a collection of short stories, “The High Places”
http://www.fionamcfarlane-writer.com/
Annie Warburton, retired ABC Tasmania broadcaster and Barry Humphries aficionado
Other books that get a mention:
Cath and Annie mention this year’s joint Pulitzer Prize winners, Barbara Kingsolver for “Demon Copperhead” and Herman Diaz for “Trust”. They go on to reference a number of past winners; “The Good Earth” by Pearl Buck, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, “A Visit from the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan, “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck and “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole.
Annie Warburton mentions “The Adventures of Barry McKenzie” written by Humphries for Private Eye magazine. Also, “Dame Edna's Coffee Table Book: A Guide to Gracious Living and the Finer Things of Life by One of the First Ladies of World Theatre”, “Neglected Poems and Other Creatures”, “More Please” and “Women in the Background”.
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At first drawn to short stories, Louise Kennedy couldn’t resist expanding this ill-fated love story set at the peak of the Irish Troubles into a full and vividly depicted novel, “Trespasses”.
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Is it too much to say that the author of Captain Cook’s “Voyages” was “cancelled” by his contemporaries and the sexual exploits of Joseph Banks “went viral”? Not according to US literary academic Sar Shahar who has researched the writings around Captain Cook’s voyages.
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The next best thing to reading is listening to writers talk about their creations.
Guests
Louise Kennedy, author of “Trespasses” and a collection of short stories “The End of the World is a Cul de Sac”
Saar Shahar, 18th century scholar and PhD candidate in English at the University of Southern California, puts the exploits of Captain Cook and Joseph Banks into historical literary context with surprising results.
Other books that get a mention:
Cath and Annie mention “Pachinko”by Min Jin Lee, “The Anniversary” by Stephanie BIshop, “The Sun Walks Down” by Fiona McFarlane, “The Tilt” and “Treasure & Dirt” by Chris Hammer, and “Summer Water” by Sarah Moss.
Saar Shahar refers to “An Account of the Voyages….” by John Hawkesworth,
and “An Epistle from Mr. Banks, Voyager, Monster-Hunter, and Amoroso, to Oberea, Queen of Otaheite”, by John Scott.
Both were published in 1773.
Emma has just finished reading “Never” by Ken Follett and her favourite book of all time is “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver.
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“I’ve discovered an important truth and it’s all I care about, all I can depend on,
the only thing that means anything, the one sure thing that will help me survive.
No one can be trusted. I am on my own.” This devastating truth lies at the core of
Shannon Burn’s memoir, “Childhood”.
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Pandora, Jocasta, Aphrodite and Medea; these are just some of the women of
Greek mythology whose stories have grown and warped over the millenia.
Associate Professor Lisa Bennett introduces us to the forensic work of classicist
Natalie Haynes, a writer determined to reveal the true deeds and misdeeds of
these fascinating characters.
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Pop in your pods and let Michaela and Cath take you to another world.
Guests
Shannon Burns, author of “Childhood”
Associate Professor Dr Lisa Bennett on “Pandora’s Jar” by Natalie Haynes
Other books that get a mention:
Lisa Mentions classicist, Emily Wilson, the first woman to publish a translation of
Homer’s “Odyssey” into English
INSTA
@text_publising
@lisahannet
@Picador
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Hugely popular author of gritty young adult fiction, Vikki Wakefield, has turned her hand to a psychological thriller in ‘After You Were Gone’ …with resounding success.
and
Associate Professor Dr Kylie Cardell gives a fascinating synopsis of Blake Gopnik's mammoth biography of Andy Warhol…all 900 pages of it!.
so
Curl up on the couch, go for a walk or even clean out the pantry whilst you listen to Cath and Annie’s talented and most congenial guests.
Guests
Vikki Wakefield, on ‘This is How We Change the Ending’ and ‘After You Were Gone’
Associate Professor Dr Kylie Cardell, on “Warhol” by Blake Gopnik
Other books that get a mention:
Annie has just returned from Spain where she read ‘The Whispering City’ by Sara Molinar, a mystery set in Barcelona.
Cath’s latest book was also set in Spain. She’s been enjoying 4 books from ‘The Catalan Crime Thrillers’ series by Chris LLoyd.
INSTA
@simonschusterau
@text_publising
@vikkiwakefield
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Author, Brigid Delaney, considers whether ancient philosophers can guide us in how to live a good life, and has found the Stoic school may have the answers.
and
Our classics experts consider the grim power of Angela Carter’s adult fairytales that celebrate the dark and the macabre.
Guests
Brigid Delaney, author of “Reasons Not To Worry – How to be Stoic in chaotic times” (plus two other non fiction books looking at the challenges of modern life)
Associate Professors Lisa Bennett and Kylie Cardell from Flinders University, discussing “The Bloody Chamber” by Angela Carter
Insta
@AllenandUnwin
@Bloomsburypublishing
@AllenandUnwin
@Bloomsburypublishingaustralia
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Literary raconteur, Geoff Dyer, isn’t getting any younger and it’s got him contemplating The End; not death so much as “last times”, the likes of which can strike at any time in a person’s life. “The Last Days of Roger Federer and other endings” skilfully ducks and weaves through the life and creative work of writers, painters, philosophers, musicians, sports stars and, indeed, Geoff himself and reflects on this very singular life we each receive.
and
This week’s author of classic literature is the prolific Dame Iris Murdoch. Cath chats to biographer Dr Gillian Dooley about whether her oeuvre, some of it written up to 70 years ago, still retains its lustre.
Guests
Geoff Dyer, author of “The Last Days of Roger Federer” (plus three other novels and numerous prize-winning nonfiction books which have been translated into 24 languages)
Dr Gillian Dooley, senior research fellow in English at Flinders University and author of a recent book, Listening to Iris Murdoch: Music, Sounds and Silences.
Our Random Reader is Rebecca
Other books that get a mention:
Michaela mentions “White Sands; Experiences from the outside world” by Geoff Dyer
Cath and Gillian talk about Iris Murdoch’s “A Severed Head”, “The Unicorn”, “Bruno’s Dream”, “The Red and the Green”, “The Bell” and her Booker Prize Winning novel, “The Sea, the Sea”.
Rebecca mentions “In the Shadow of the Mountain” by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, “The Subjects” by Sarah Hopkins, “The Happiest Man on Earth” by Eddie Jaku and “Two Afternoons in the Kabul Station; A History of Afghanistan Through Clothes, Carpets and the Camera” by Tim Bonyhady
Insta
@Picador
@Textpublishing
@panmacmillan
@Picador Books
@TextPublishing
@panmacmillan
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The highest compliment any reader can pay new crime fiction writer, Joanna Morrison, is “I couldn’t put it down” or “You moved me”. Both epitaphs apply equally to “The Ghost of Gracie Flynn”. It’s a non-linear unraveling of two compelling mysteries; a literary ghost story with a bittersweet twist.
and
Louise Adler is a warm and witty conversationalist who shares what drives her in the creation of Australia’s most respected literary festival…and the ones that got away!
Guests
Joanna Morrison, author of “The Ghost of Gracie Flynn”
Louise Adler, the director of Adelaide Writers Week
Our Random Reader is Skye, aged 13
Other books that get a mention:
Joanna mentions “I am, I am, I am; Seventeen Brushes with Death” by Maggie O’Farrell, Helen Garner’s journals, “Taboo” by Kim Scott, “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and “Hydra” by Adriane Howell.
Louise mentions numerous authors, many of them attending Adelaide Writers Week, 4-9 March 2023. Some names included Shirley Hazzard, Dervla McTiernan and Simon Armitage. She also referred to “Ravensbruck” by Sarah Helm and “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prolific British author Fiona McIntosh faced the challenge of setting her latest two novels in an Australian landscape when Covid kept her from her usual European haunts. The result is“The Orphans”; a tale of love, murder and treachery set between 1930s Adelaide and the Flinders Ranges. In her other post-Covid release “Dead Tide”, McIntosh had to create a plot that allowed her to move her regular character detective Jack Hawksworth from Scotland Yard to Adelaide.
and
Research and serendipity are at the heart of writing historical fiction. Author Dominique Wilson talks about how she goes about placing her fictional characters in a realistic world from the past, and how she finds a mathematical approach essential.
Guests
Fiona McIntosh, author of “The Orphans” and “Dead Tide”
https://www.fionamcintosh.com/
Dr Dominique Wilson, novelist and short story writer. Dominique has published three historical novels, “The Yellow Papers”, “The Devil’s Madness” and “Orphan Rock”
https://dominiquewilson.com.au/
Our Random Reader is Joey
Other books that get a mention:
Annie and Sarah mention “Cold Enough for Snow” by Jessica Au, winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature
Joey mentions “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien, “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts, and “Breakfast of Champions” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr
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What are the odds of an author penning not one, but two, debut novels - and of BOTH being fabulous?! Newly retrenched from a career in aged care, Karen Herbert wrote “The Castaways of Harewood Hall”, a not so gentle comedy featuring elderly people and animals. She quickly followed that with “The River Mouth”, a dark drama set in a small WA town similar to where she grew up.
and
Dr Diane Velasquez loves reading romance novels. So much so, they propelled her into academia where she’s been conducting research into what librarians think of romance novels and the people who borrow them. Diane is a firm believer that all reading, no matter the genre, is important and she’s become a crusader for ensuring snobbery doesn’t deter people from borrowing the books they love.
Guests
Karen Herbert, author of “The River Mouth” and “The Castaways of Harewood Hall”. Her next book will be “Vertigo”
Dr Diane Velaasquez, Program Director for Information Management in the STEM unit at Uni SA
Our Random Reader is David
Other books that get a mention:
Annie mentions John Mortimer “A Summer’s Lease” and Cath mentions Mick Herron author of “Slow Horses”
Diane mentions:
“Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded” was first published in 1740 by English writer Samuel Richardson.
Nora Roberts author of the Dragon Heart Legacy Trilogy, “Hideaway” and “Northern Lights”…she also writes futuristic suspense under the pseudonym JD Robb
Nalini Singh author of “Archangel’s Blade”, “Play of Passion”, “Heart of Obsidian” and others
Stephanie Laurens author of “Cynster”, “Bastion Club”, “Black Cobra Quartet” and others
Michaela mentions “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery and “Black Moth” by Georgette Heyer
David mentions “Lord of the Rings” J.R.R. Tolkien, “Dune” Frank Herbert, “When Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” Philip K Dick and “The Devil’s Dictionary” Steven Kotler
INSTA - @herbert_whittle
INSTA - @fremantlepress
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Heather Rose has spent her life saying yes and pushing the boundaries of physical and spiritual experience. She tells of love, loss, and discovery in her memoir, Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
Heather Rose
Insta - @whatawritersees
Web - https://heatherrose.com.au
Allen & Unwin @allenandunwin
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Detective Cato Kwong gets mixed up in dirty politics between Timor and Australia in “Crocodile Tears” by Alan Carter+ We’ve got your summer reads completely covered
The fifth and final installment in the award-winning Cato Kwong series, “Crocodile Tears” sees Cato’s life on the line with someone from the past as his only hope. A thriller rich in political, cultural and historical detail, Cato’s search for the good guys will twist and turn all the way from Perth to Timor-Leste and Darwin…so hold on to your hat for the exciting climax!
And…
Join the Tsundoku team for a chat about their favourite books of 2022 and their tips for a great summer read.
Guests:
Alan Carter, author of “Crocodile Tears”
Our Random readers:Rachael, Mads and Annabelle
Picks for your summer reading pleasure:
Michaela Andreyev recommends: “Meshi; A journey in Japanese food” by Katherine Tamiko Arguille, “Holy Woman; a Divine Adventure” by Louise Omer and “Stolen Focus” by Johan Hari
Sarah Martin recommends: “Runt”by Craig Silvey and “The Unusual Abduction of Avery Confier” by Ilsa Evans. Sarah also recommends “Stolen Focus”
Annie Hastwell recommends: “How to be Idle”by Tom Hodgkinson, “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan and “Sweetness and Light” by Liam Pieper
Cath Kenneally recommends: “Chai TIme at Cinnamon Gardens” & “Song of the Sun God” by Shankari Chandran and “The Cast Aways of Harewood Hall” by Karen Herbert
Rachael recommends: “Burial Rites” & “Devotion” by Hannah Kent, “The History of Bees” by Maja Lund, “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman and “The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams
Mads recommends: The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.
Annabelle recommends: “The Ella Diaries” & “Ella Goes to Eden” by Meredith Costain, “Little Gem”by Anna Zobel, “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling and “Muumitroll” & “Memoirs of Moominpappa” by Tove Jansson
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA
Insta: @fremantlepress
Insta: @alancarter28insta/
Facebook: @FremantlePress
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Are there times when you wonder what sort of world our children and grandchildren will inherit?
Grace Chan has created an online world called Gaia in which the people of 2080 take refuge from
the climate ravaged earth. Gaia is clean, beautiful and exciting and it’s just announced the
opportunity for citizens to shake off their bodies entirely and permanently upload their
consciousness to it. Gaia seems to have everything, but is it enough?
And…
Join Annie Hastwell’s discussion with retired ABC Radio host Annie Warburton about Phillip Roth,
the author whose book “Portnoy’s Complaint” was considered so filthy in 1969 it was banned from
being imported into Australia. The ensuing court battles helped define Australia’s censorship laws
and ensured an end to book bans in this country.
Guests:
Grace Chan, author of “Every Version of You”
Annie Warburton and Annie Hastwell discuss Philip Roth’s books “Portnoy’s Complaint” (1969),
“The Breast” (1972), “My Life as a Man” (1974), “The Human Stain” (2000), “The Plot Against
America” (2004) and “Nemesis” (2010)
Our Random reader: Mads
Grace’s tsundoku contains “Empathy” by Fay Lee, “Everything Feels Like the End of the World”
by Else Fitzgerald, “Terminal Boredom” by Izumi Suzuki, “I’m waiting for You” by Bo-Young Kim
and “Where the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy” edited by Lucas K. Law and
Derwin Mak
Mads was first inspired to read by the Ramona Quimby books by Beverley Clearey, then
“Tomorrow When the World Began” by John Marsden and the complete works of Jane Austen.
These days she’s reading “Raising Girls” by Maggie Dent, “Seeing Other People” and “Love and
Virtue” by Dianna Reid, “The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller and “A Room Made of
Leaves” by Kate Grenville.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Insta: @gracechanwrites
Insta: @affirmpress
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When Jayne Tuttle fell in love with Paris she had no idea its quaint charm would be
indirectly responsible for almost killing her. In her first Paris memoir "Paris Or Die" we
meet her as a young aspiring actor dizzy with the joy of life in the City of Light. Her new
memoir "My Sweet Guillotine" confronts and explores the terrifying incident that changed
her Paris existence and her whole life’s direction.
And…
Have 20th century women writers been given the recognition they deserve? Make up
your own mind as Goodwood Books owner, Sarah Tooth, takes Tsundoku on a tour of
the shelves of her newly opened shop. You won’t find a book written by a man, but you
may find writing gems that have been overlooked.
Guests:
Jayne Tuttle, author of "Paris or Die" and "My Sweet Guillotine"
Sarah Tooth, book collector and owner of Goodwood Books
Our Random reader: Eve
Eve has enjoyed
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Under Milk Wood - Dylan Thomas
And she enjoys reading crime fiction by …Gary Disher, Devla Tiernan, Anne Cleeves and Chris Hammer
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Hardie Grant Books
Insta: @Hardiegrantbooks
Jayne Tuttle
http://www.jaynetuttle.com/
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When Pentecostal preacher Louise Omer started to question her devotion to a religion run by men to keep men in power, she decided to break free. "Holy Woman, A Divine Adventure" is the story of her wandering world pilgrimage looking for a religion that lets women share the power.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
Louise Omer
Insta - @/shahouley/
Web - https://www.louiseomer.co
Scribe Publications @scribepub
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An innocuous little marshmallow shatters the life of a group of friends. As the anniversary of the horrible event looms, each must come to terms with their altered selves and address what their lives can now be.
And
How might we deal with alien life forms determined to destroy us if they were to enter our lives disguised as beloved children? We compare Wyndham’s chilling sci-fi novel with its 21st century TV adaptation.
Guests:
Victoria Hannan, author of Marshmallow
Annie Warburton, broadcaster and literature aficionado
Our Random Reader - Justin
Other books that get a mention:
Annie and Sarah have read (or are planning to read!) Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here, The Museum of Modern Love and Bruny by Heather Rose, The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel, Monsters by Alison Croggon and Salt and Skin by Eliza Henry -Jones
The books sitting in Victoria Hannan’s tsundoku are “Lucy by the Sea’ by Elizabeth Strout, “Limberlost” by Robbie Arnott and the forthcoming title “Little Plum” by Laura McPhee-Browne.
Justin has enjoyed Misery by Stephen King, The Beach by Alex Garland, The Killing Fields by Christopher Hudson, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, Be Here Now and Polishing the Mirror by Baba Ram Dass and Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
INSTA - @victorilhannan
INSTA - @HachetteAus
FB - @HachetteAustralia
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After a “reading slump” Sarah was delighted to be swept away by a powerful new detective, Antigone Pollard; she isn’t afraid of the dark and won’t take no for an answer as she hunts down a sexual predator in the small seaside town of Deception Bay.
And…
Far from being spooked, Cath and Sarah find re-reading Agatha Christie’s crime novels strangely soothing…but both agree she was no poet!
Guests:
Vikki Petraitis, author of “The Unbelieved”
Sarah Tooth, second hand bookshop owner and Agatha Christie devotee
Our Random Reader - Alex
Other books that get a mention:
Annie is reading the “Midwich Cuckoos” by John Wyndham and Jane Tuttle’s books about Paris for forthcoming Tsundoku episodes.
Vikki mentions her true crime novels “Rockspider; The danger of paedophiles” and “The Philip Island Murder” which she wrote with Paul Daley. Vikki is currently writing the sequel to “The Unbelieved”
Cath mentions the Agatha Christie’s books “A Murder is Announced”, “4.50 from Paddington”, “At Bertram’s Hotel” and “They Came to Baghdad”
Sarah mentions Agatha Christie’s books “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, “And Then There Were None”, “A Caribbean Mystery”, “The Murder at the Vicarage”, “Death on the Nile” and “Murder on the Orient Express”. Also, Christie’s historical mystery novel “Death Comes as the End” and what Sarah describes as her rather sub-standard poetry in “Poems”.
Alex mentions “Imagine” by Alison Lester, “Gidja, The Rainbow Serpent” and others by Percy Tresize and Dick Roughsey, “Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse, “Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock, “The Alchemist” by Paolo Coelho, “The Four Agreements - a Practical Guide to personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz, “The Circle” by Dave Eggers, “Cloud Atlas” and “The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell …and a perennial title in his tsundoku is “Plato’s Republic” by Plato
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
VIKKI INSTA - @vikkipetraitis
VIKKI FB - @vikki.petraitis.author
WEB - www.vikkipetraitis.com.au
A&U INSTA - @allenandunwin
A&U FB - @AllenandUnwinBooks
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Biologist and award-winning author Danielle Clode embarks on a journey to reveal the true story of Jeanne Barret, the first woman to circumnavigate the world in 1775. We meet an impoverished peasant from Burgundy who disguised herself as a man and sailed on a french voyage around the world from the South American jungles and Magellan Strait to the tropical islands of the Indo-Pacific. Seamlessly weaving together memoir, history and science, Clode unmasks the remarkable woman who, like all explorers, charted her own course for others to follow.
And…
We avid readers know deep down that reading is good for us. But did you know your gut feeling has a name? Bibliotherapy, or book therapy, is an ancient practice that is gaining a resurgence in medical practice. Doctors in Wales now incorporate “book prescriptions” in a holistic approach to mental health concerns and the State Library of Victoria created an online course in bibliotherapy when Melbournians were locked down due to Covid. UniSA PhD candidate, Elizabeth Wells, is studying the therapeutic benefit of being read to aloud when undergoing chemotherapy. She joined Michaela to explain the many ways in which bibliotherapy can benefit us all.
Guests:
Danielle Clode, author of “In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World”
To hear a dramatisation of the story go to the History Listen
Elizabeth Wells, PhD Candidate, UniSA STEM. The title of her thesis is “An exploration of the potential benefits of read-aloud programs to the well-being of cancer patients undergoing treatment”
Our Random Reader - Tony
Other books that get a mention:
Elizabeth recommends short stories from her read-aloud program. These include “Great Australian Outback Yarns” by Bill Swampy Marsh, “All Together Now” by Monica McInerny, “I’ve Got Your Number” by Sophie Kinsella. Other authors of short stories she recommends highly include P.G. Wodehouse, Kitty Flannagan, Geoffrey Archer, Maeve Binchy and Anna Jacobs. One of Elizabeth’s personal favourite books is “The 13th Gift; The true story of a Christmas miracle” by Joanne Huist-Smith.
Elizabeth also mentions The Reading Agency UK (https://readingagency.org.uk) and State Library of Victoria (https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/bibliotherapy)
Michaela recommends a podcast Women Read (with Freya & Mel). In each episode a woman chooses a book she loves and reads the first chapter aloud.
Tony recommends Patrick Susskind’s classic “Perfume”, Elizabeth Knox “The Vintner’s Luck “ and anything by Peter Goldsworthy
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
INSTA - Pan Macmillan Australia @macmillanaus
INSTA - Danielle Clode @danielleclode
INSTA - University of South Australia @WomeninSTEMUniSA
INSTA - Elizabeth Wells @reading.for.wellbeing
INSTA - Women Read @_womenread
FB - Pan Macmillan Australia - @panmacmillanaustralia
FB - Danielle Clode @danielleclode
FB - Elizabeth Well's research @readingforwellbeing
FB - University of South Australia @unisa
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Times calls it “ingenious and clever”, the Daily Mail declares it “mind-bendingly clever”, “Psalms for the end of the World” is a sprawling jigsaw of a story that propels its characters through time and space as they explore and discover the relative nature of love and reality.
And…
Dani Vee wasn’t content merely to create a podcast, Words and Nerds, that attracts 50,000 listeners each month, she’s also written a picture book and presides over the “slush pile” at edgy Aussie children’s publisher, Larrikin House. So, what books does Dani rate as “classics” and does she have any advice for aspiring picture book writers?
Guests:
Cole Haddon, author of “Psalms for the End of the World”
Dani Vee, author of “My Extraordinary Mum” and presenter of Words and Nerds Podcast
Our Random Reader - Monique
Other books that get a mention:
Monique recommends “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy, anything written by Haruki Murakami and “Middlesex” by Geoffrey Eugenides
Cole Haddon refers to the authors Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman and David Mitchell.
Dani Vee mentions “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wild and Judy Blume (author of books including “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” and “Blubber”), “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B White and The Baby-Sitters Club series by Anne M Martin. She mentions two other Larrikin House books; “My Shadow is Pink” and “My Shadow is Purple”. Michaela mentions “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde.
Dani Vee’s next picture book is titled “My Epic Dad!”
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
INSTA - @hachetteaus
INSTA - @colehaddonwashere
INSTA - @DaniVeeBooks-Words & Nerds
INSTA - @larrikinhouse
FB - @HachetteAustralia
FB - @DaniVeeBooks
FB - @Larrikin House
Twitter - @colehaddon
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Death isn’t like in the movies - there’s no grand musical score playing as we leave this world. It’s just the final scene of our wonderful, complex and maybe ordinary life. But, asks author Megan Albany, what’s to be done about all that unfinished business? In The Very Last List of Vivian Walker, Vivian writes a to-do list and so begins a tale both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
Insta - @ meganalbanywriter
FB - @ meganalbanywriter
Twitter - @ Megan_Albany
Web -meganalbany.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ellis Gunn didn’t just survive the terrifying and unsettling experience of being stalked. She wrote about it, in a book that is part poetic real life thriller, part advice manual for women.
And…
It may be many centuries since Vikings raided, traded and settled across Europe and Scandinavia, but time has not dimmed the romance of their stories. Viking scholar Dr Lisa Bennett explores why the heroic sagas continue to be a rich inspiration for authors and film-makers.
Guests:
Ellis Gunn, author of Rattled
Dr Lisa Bennett, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University and author of forthcoming speculative non-fiction title ‘Viking Women; Life and Lore’
Our Random Reader - Annie
Other books that get a mention:
Ellis Gunn mentions ‘Troll Hunting’ by Ginger Gorman. She also mentions a group called ‘Action Against Stalking’ established by Anne Moulds in Scotland.
Annie and Lisa Bennett mention the books ‘The Greenlanders’ by Jane Smiley, ‘Norse Mythology’ by Neil Gaiman, ‘Norse Tales’ and other books about vikings for young people by Kevin Crossley-Holland.
They mention the film ‘The Northmen’ starring Nicole Kidman and the TV series ‘Vikings’. Cath and Annie both recommend the SBS TV series “Beforeigners’.
The Icelandic historian, politician and poet mentioned by Lisa is Snorri Sturluson.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
INSTA - Allen and Unwin - @ allenandunwin
INSTA - Lisa Bennett - @ lisalhannett
FB - Allen and Unwin - @ AllenandUnwinBooks
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australian author Charlotte McConaghy talks about her latest novel, how her screenwriting experience informs its edgy pace and why climate remains her passion even as she writes a romantic thriller.
Another book by Charlotte McConaghy is “Migrations; A novel”
Music composed by Quentin Grant
Insta - @ charlottemcconaghy
FB - charlottemcconaghyauthor
Twitter - @ CharMcConaghy
Web - https://www.charlottemcconaghy.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It took forty years for Dr Tony Bernard to uncover the full horror of what his father went through in World War 2. The memoir “Ghost Tattoo” is an extraordinary adventure and survival tale of life in Auschwitz but more than that it tells the lesser-known story of what really happened in the Jewish ghettos.
And…
What sets memoir apart from autobiography and why is it such an important form of writing? Dr Kylie Cardell illustrates a lively conversation about what she calls “life writing” with two fearless books that reveal much about the historical and contemporary experience of being black in Australia.
Guests:
Dr Tony Bernard, author of Ghost Tattoo
Dr Kylie Cardell, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Adelaide and author of “Dear World: Contemporary Uses of the Diary”
Our Random Reader - Patrick
Other books that get a mention:
Kylie Cardell mentions “Truganini: Journey through the apocalypse” by Cassandra Pybus and “The Hate Race” by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Michaela mentions “Still Life” and “Family Life” by Elizabeth Luard and “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo.
Patrick mentions “The story of San Michel” by Axel Munthe, “A Fortunate Life” by A B Facey, “Any Human Heart” by William Boyd, “The Map that Changed the World” by Simon Winchester, “The Passions of the Mind” by Irving Stone and “Breath” by Tim Winton.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
INSTA - Allen and Unwin - @ allenandunwin
INSTA - Dr Kylie Cardell - @ kyliesays
INSTA - Hachette - @ hachetteaus
FB - Allen and Unwin - @ AllenandUnwinBooks
FB - Hachette - @ HachetteAustralia
TW - Dr Kylie Cardell - @ KylieCardell
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A man gasps for breath as he is dragged from the ocean and given another chance. Living within a surreal, war-torn landscape and ever on the run through the swampy and threatening world of Basin, Scott McCulloch’s un-named protagonist takes readers on a road story that is unsettling and stark.
And,
Discover or re-discover Earthsea, a vast archipelago of islands populated by wizards, dragons and shadowy creatures; it's the 1970s ground-breaking creation of fantasy writer Ursula Le Guin.
Guests:
Scott McCulloch, author of debut novel, ‘Basin’
Dr Lisa Bennett, senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Our Random Reader - Chelsea
Other books that get a mention: ‘Four Fifty from Paddington’ by Agatha Christie and 'The Great Hope' by Jessica Stanley currently sit on Cath’s Tsundoku. Cath and Lisa discussed ‘Earthsea’ by Ursula Le Guin in our classics segment. Chelsea’s recommendations include 'Fish out of Water' by Kate Hendrick, 'The Yield' by Tara June Winch, 'Talking to My Country' by Stan Grant
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Publisher of Basin, Black Inc Books:
Insta:@blackincbooks
Facebook: BlackIncBooks
Twitter: @BlackIncBooks
Dr Lisa Hannett:
Insta: @lisalhannett
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A discarded painting in a roadside clean-up, forgotten bones in a research archive, and Lexington, the greatest racehorse in US history. From these strands of fact, in 'Horse' Geraldine Brooks weaves a sweeping story of spirit, obsession and injustice across American history.
And…
Meet writer and artist Joe Brainard, whose series of 'I Remember' memoirs broke new literary ground in the 1960s and early 1970s, and have inspired poets and writers ever since.
Guests:
Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author of 'Horse'
Ken Bolton, poet, author of 'Salute' and 19 other books of poetry published since 1977… and devoted fan of Joe Brainard
Our Random Reader - Kortin
Other books that get a mention: 'Phosphorescence' by Julia Baird and 'The Hush' by Sara Foster currently sit on Sarah’s Tsundoku. Michaela mentioned 'White Fragility' by Robin DiAngelo in her interview with Geraldine Brooks.
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Geraldine Brooks:
Insta: @ozbrooks100
Facebook: Geraldine Brooks
Twitter: @GeraldineBrooks
Hachette:
Insta:@HachetteAus
Facebook: Hachette Australia Books
Twitter: @HachetteAus
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Katherine is hafu; half Japanese, half English but in the experience of eating her body “forgot its cultural confusion”. Meshi explores the meals of Katherine’s childhood through Japan’s twenty-four sekki (seasons) untangling the threads of meaning, memory and ritual woven through every delicious mouthful.
And…
From hand-written recipes passed down through generations, to cook books that take us inside other cultures, or sell us dreams of travel, the recipe book is an enduring artefact of our culture. Foodie and former bookseller Kate Jordan Moore takes us through the many shapes food literature can take.
Guests:
Katherine Tamiko Arguile, author of Meshi; A personal history of Japanese food published by Affirm Press
Kate Jordan Moore, former bookseller and history researcher
Our Random Reader - Clara
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @katherinetamikoarguile @affirmpress
Facebook: @katherinetamikoarguile @affirm press
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Mabel Worley leapt off the pages of history and could not be shaken from the consciousness of museum curator, Corinne Ball. Who was this woman who gave birth to a daughter in a destitute asylum, married, ran away to join the circus and rubbed shoulders with the stars of her day – only to lapse eventually into criminal existence as a vagrant and public drunk? How did it all go wrong? Corinne Ball tells Mabel’s poignant story.
And…
Which old classic still keeps the cash registers ringing in Adelaide’s oldest bookstore? And, of all the books they sell, which book would they never allow to run out of stock? Find out from Annie Waters… the woman whose customers trust her with their [reading] lives!
Guests:
Corinne Ball, author of Three-Ring Circus: the dramatic, mysterious and tragic life of Mabel Worley, a destitute asylum girl
Annie Waters, Co-owner of Mostly Books, Adelaide’s oldest bookstore
Our Random Reader - Lily
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Insta: @mostly_books
Insta: @mr_annie
Facebook: @mostlybooks
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Michael Robotham has a new psychological thriller on the shelves, Lying Beside You. While his stories delve into the dark side, in person he is a warm and relaxed man with a passion for his craft.
And…
Evan S. Connell’s Depression-era pair of novels Mrs Bridge and Mr Bridge tell a still familiar tale of a safe but desperate marriage.
Guests:
Michael Robotham author of Lying Beside You
Olga Sankey
Our Random Reader - Adrian
Music composed by Quentin Grant
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Facebook: MichaelRobothamAU
IG: @michaelrobotham
Facebook: HachetteAustralia
Instagram: hachetteaus
Tsundoku https://www.facebook.com/Tsundokucast
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Miles Allinson on his bookIn Moonland- a son untangles the mystery of his father as he follows his trail into the 70s hippie heart of India.
And Jean Rhys's 1960s hit novel Wide Sargasso Sea exposes a darker side of Jane Eyre hero Rochester.
Guests:
Miles Allinson,author ofIn Moonland
Dr Lisa Bennett, senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Dr Kylie Cardell, senior lecturer in Literary Studies, Flinders University
Our Random Reader - Britt
Music composed by Quentin Grant
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Award winning Melbourne author Hannah Kent talks about her new book Devotion - a love story that traverses oceans, reality and magic.
And we revisit the Virginia Woolfe classic, Mrs Dalloway, which follows a day in the life of a high society lady in the 1920s.
Guests:
Hannah Kent,author ofDevotion
Dr Lisa Bennett, senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Dr Kylie Cardell, senior lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Our Random Reader - Matilda
Music composed by Quentin Grant
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Award winning Melbourne author Emily Bitto talks about her new book Wild Abandon - the story of a naive young Australian man’s odyssey of self discovery, from the decadent glamour of New York right into the terrifying dark heart of the American mid- west.
And travel writer Max Anderson explains why he doesn’t read travel books, but prefers to follow in the footsteps of his literary heroes when he goes on holiday.
Guests:
Emily Bitto, author ofWild Abandon
Max Anderson, travel writer
Our Random Reader - Belinda
Music composed by Quentin Grant
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Edgy Sydney author Michael Mohammed Ahmad talks about his latest book The Other Half of You… and about why writing is like boxing
And we revisit the classic Australian Gothic novel that unsettled and mystified readers half a century ago – who needs castles and vampires when you have the truly chilling atmosphere of the Aussie Bush in Picnic at Hanging Rock
Guests:
Michael Mohammed Ahmad author of The Other Half of You
Dr Lisa Bennett, senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Dr Kylie Cardell, senior lecturer in Creative Writing, Flinders University
Our Random Reader - Patrick
Music composed by Quentin Grant
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Coming Soon to the Auscast Network - Tsundoku – the podcast for addicted readers. Tsundoku is the Japanese word for that pile of books by your bed – the ones you fully intend to read – sometime! If you can’t resist a good story, are endlessly curious about new books and love nothing better than discussing an old favourite – this is the podcast for you. In Tsundoku we’ll talk to the authors of the moment, we’ll pull out the ‘hits and memories’ from years past and chat them back into life, and we’ll talk to readers from all walks of life about how they acquired their reading passion,their all time favourites … and what books they have waiting in their Tsundoku.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.