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Lauren Chater on telling the untold story of a classic in ''Gulliver's Wife

From the author of 'The Lace Weaver' comes a new historical fiction novel, drawing from the unseen character of a Jonathan Swift's classic 'Gulliver's Travels'.

London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.

 

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'Australia saved me': Ayik Chut Deng on life as a Sudanese child soldier in 'The Lost Boy'

[CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains descriptions of war and mental illness that may upset listeners. Discretion is advised. In addition, the intro contains descriptions of violence against a child; skip to 1:34 in the podcast if you'd like to avoid this.]

As a boy living in the Dinka tribe in what is now South Sudan, the youngest country in the world, Ayik Chut Deng was a member of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). During his time as a child soldier, he witnessed unspeakable violence and was regularly tortured by older boys. At age nineteen, he and his family escaped the conflict in Sudan and resettled in Toowoomba, Australia.

Overcoming a childhood filled with torture and war was a process of lifelong learning, choices and challenges that included a remarkable chance encounter with a figure from his past, and an appearance on national television.

In this episode, Ayik Chut Deng joined Max Lewis to chat about the writing of his memoir , and how he overcame unimaginable trauma to become the man he is today.

The Lost Boy: Tales of a Child Soldier

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'Are some deceptions necessary?': Suzanne Leal on betrayal and family secrets in 'The Deceptions'

Prague, 1943. Taken from her home in Prague, Hana Lederova finds herself imprisoned in the Jewish ghetto of Theresienstadt, where she is forced to endure appalling deprivation and the imminent threat of transportation to the east. When she attracts the attention of the Czech gendarme who becomes her guard, Hana reluctantly accepts his advances, hoping for the protection she so desperately needs.

Sydney, 2010. Manipulated into a liaison with her married boss, Tessa knows she needs to end it, but how? Tessa's grandmother, Irena, also has something to hide. Harkening back to the Second World War, hers is a carefully kept secret that, if revealed, would send shockwaves well beyond her own fractured family.

In this episode, Suzanne Leal joins Max Lewis to share the true story of wartime betrayal that inspired the decade-spanning twists and turns of her latest novel, .

The Deceptions

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Pip Williams on missing words and forgotten women in The Dictionary of Lost Words

In 1901, the word bondmaid was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.

Motherless and irrepressibly curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary.

Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word bondmaid flutter to the floor unclaimed. Esme seizes the word and hides it in an old wooden trunk that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dictionary men. She begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.

In this episode, Pip Williams joins Greg Dobbs to share the true stories (and real women) behind the first Oxford dictionary, and how they informed her latest book.

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Laura Jean McKay on crafting a talking animal apocalypse in 'The Animals in That Country'

As disturbing news arrives of a pandemic sweeping the country, Jean realises this is no ordinary flu: its chief symptom is that its victims begin to understand the language of animals — first mammals, then birds and insects, too. As the flu progresses, the unstoppable voices become overwhelming, and many people begin to lose their minds, including Jean’s infected son, Lee. When he takes off with Kimberly, heading south, Jean feels the pull to follow her kin.

In this episode, Laura Jean McKay joins Max Lewis to chat about the process behind her apocalyptic/speculative fiction debut, and what animal she'd most like to talk to.

 

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Karina Kilmore on merging journalistic drama with docklands crime in 'Where the Truth Lies'

A face-off on the waterfront between the unions and big business is just the kind of story to get her career back on track. But after a dockworker who confided in her turns up dead, Chrissie becomes obsessed with unravelling the truth. When a gruesome threat lands on her desk, it's clear someone is prepared to do anything to stop her.

In this episode, Greg Dobbs chats to Karina Kilmore about how she weaved her decades of experience as a journalist, and her family history of unions and dock workers, into her debut crime novel 'Where the Truth Lies'. Out now via Simon & Schuster

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'He would wake up screaming': Ariana Neumann on uncovering her father's past in When Time Stopped   Ariana Neumann

Ariana Neumann joined Gregory Dobbs to chat about the process of uncovering her father's past.

 

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Sophie Hardcastle on the colours of the sea and reclaiming your body Below Deck   Below Deck

In this episode, Greg Dobbs chats to Sophie about the themes of consent and reclaiming the body, and how her Synesthesia influenced the novel's vivid prose.

 

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John Kinsella on dialogue, rapacity and living a rural life in his memoir : A rural life Displaced  

In his most intimate prose work to date, Kinsella never shies from writing about the violence and intolerance of those scared of difference, and the ways in which his ethics have sometimes been met with disdain or outright hostility. But with nuance and humour he also celebrates rural community and its willingness to lend a hand.

In this episode, John joins Max Lewis to chat about belonging, creating a dialogue, decolonisation and anti-consumerism, and the best vegan meal.

 

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Karen Brooks on unearthing forgotten women in her bewitching historical novel The Darkest Shore

Returning to her home town of Pittenweem, fishwife and widow Sorcha McIntyre knows she faces both censure and mistrust. After all, this is a country where myth and legend are woven into the fabric of the everyday, a time when those who defy custom like Sorcha has are called to account.

Based on the shocking true story of the witch hunt of Pittenweem, is a beautifully written historical tale of the strength of women united against a common foe, by one of Australia's finest writers - Karen Brooks.

The Darkest Shore

Emma Harvey chatted to Karen about how her history in the army inspired her love of maps, representing the women ignored by history, rude Scottish booksellers, and the novelty mug her step-mother hates.

 

 

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Tanya Bretherton on the serial murders that gripped Sydney in The Killing Streets

Tanya Bretherton is the acclaimed author of and The Suicide Bride, and her latest book unpacks Australia's first serial murders and the panic that followed. In this episode, Max Lewis chats with Tanya about the social history of the case, and what gave her the true crime bug.

The Suitcase BabyThe Killing Streets

 

 

 

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Anita Abriel on the true story of survival and hope in The Light After the War

Anita Abriel based on her mother Vera's experiences of surviving the holocaust and carving out a new life for herself in Naples, Venezuela and finally Sydney.

The Light After The War

Max Lewis chatted to Anita about the personal story behind the book, her experiences in writing her first historical fiction novel, and the powers of love and fate in her writing.

 

 

 

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Emily Clements on sex, self and travel in her memoir The Lotus Eaters

is a sharply written story of self-redemption from an exciting young voice in Australian memoir that dissects the patterns of blame and shame women can form around their bodies and relationships.

The Lotus Eaters

In this episode, Emily chats with Emma Harvey about the process of re-visiting her tumultuous time in Vietnam, the intersection between beauty standards, self esteem, and language, and her favourite Vietnamese phrases. 

 

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How 25 years in the Victorian Police Force shaped D L Hicks' debut crime novel The Devil Inside

In a peaceful coastal town, a young woman is found brutally murdered, a piece of scripture held tightly in her hand. Local detective Charlotte Callaghan is put on the case, and she’s glad for the distraction – Gull Bay can be a hard place to keep a secret, and she’s holding on to a few.

A gripping crime novel about murder, betrayal and the monsters who hide in plain sight, examines the line between good and evil, and how circumstance can alter a person’s life in the blink of an eye.

The Devil Inside

In this episode, Max Lewis chatted to D L Hicks about how his two-decades of service to the Victorian Police Force influenced the twists and turns of his debut novel.

 

 

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Genevieve Gannon on the real case of an IVF mixup that inspired her family drama The Mothers

What if the baby you gave birth to belonged to someone else?

Grace and Dan are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill since the day they got married. Priya and her husband Nick are being treated at the same fertility clinic, and while they don't face the same pressure as the Ardens, the younger couple have their own problems.

A year on, one of the women learns her embryo was implanted in the other's uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple.

Emma Harvey chatted to journalist and writer of , Genevieve Gannon, about the real cases of IVF mixup that inspired her book, and how Australia's IVF policy stacks up with the rest of the world.

The Mothers

 

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Emma Viskic took a road trip with Jock Serong, Sulari Gentill and Robert Gott Critically acclaimed and bestselling author of the ‘Caleb Zelic’ series, Emma Viskic, is back with book four: ‘Darkness for Light.’ In this episode of the Good Reading podcast, Emma shares the challenges of writing a deaf detective, Sulari Gentill’s favourite travel snack, and why she steers clear of supernatural horror.

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‘It’s not beyond us to achieve this’: Peter Singer's plan to eradicate world poverty 

For the first time in history, it is now within our reach to eradicate extreme poverty on a global scale. In this episode, Peter Singer speaks to both the head and the heart, demonstrating how each of us has the opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of others, without diminishing the quality of our own.

The 10th anniversary revised eBook and celebrity-read audiobook of is out today and completely FREE: 

The Life You Can Savethelifeyoucansave.org/the-book/

Get involved and start giving: 

www.thelifeyoucansave.org.au/

 

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'It wasn't pretty': Benjamin Gilmour on his darkest month working as a paramedic in Sydney

Benjamin Gilmour has been a paramedic for the past twenty years. He has seen his fair share of drama. But the summer of 2008 remains etched in his memory for the very worst reasons.

is a vivid portrait of the lead-up to Christmas; an unflinching, no-holds-barred look at what happens after the triple-zero call is made – the drugs, nightclubs, brothels, drunk rich kids, billionaires, domestic disputes, the elderly, emergency births, even a kidnapping.

The Gap

In this episode, Max Lewis chats to Benjamin Gilmour about the arduous process of writing  and reflecting on his month from hell over a decade on.

,The Gap

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'Journalists have license to put their nose where it's not wanted': Chris Hammer on 'Silver'

For half a lifetime, journalist Martin Scarsden has run from his past. But now there is no escaping.

In the follow-up to the bestselling , Chris Hammer continues the story of Martin Scarsden as he returns to his hometown of Port Silver. Soon he and his new partner Mandy Blonde are embroiled in a brutal murder and a media storm, bringing them face to face with their past.

SilverScrublands

In this episode, Greg Dobbs chats to Chris Hammer fresh from winning the Crime Writers' Association New Blood Dagger Award, to find out how his decades of experience as a journalist gives his crime writing a unique spin.

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'It's a sunny place for shady people': Michael Connelly on returning to LA in 'The Night Fire'

Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective he had an inspiring mentor, John Jack Thompson, who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now John Jack is dead and Harry inherits a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before — the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals.Bosch brings the murder book to Renée Ballard and asks her to help him find what about the case lit Thompson’s fire all those years ago. That will be their starting point.

The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigative team. And they soon arrive at a worrying question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?

In this episode, Greg Dobbs chats to best-selling author Michael Connelly about returning to the 'bleached noir' of LA with his latest book .

The Night Fire

 

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Heather Rose on sand, sunburn and building a bridge to Bruny

 

Award-winning author of , Heather Rose, is a sixth-generation Tasmanian. In this episode, Emma Harvey sits down with Heather to talk about the importance of engaging with those we disagree with, how she learned to rid ego and romanticism from her craft, and why her explosive new satire  is proving more prophetic by the day.

The Museum of Modern LoveBruny

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'Dude, it was like an exorcism': Holden Sheppard on writing his YA LGBTQI+ novel Invisible Boys

[CONTENT WARNING: This podcast discusses issues of mental health and suicide]

In a small town, everyone thinks they know you: Charlie is a hardcore rocker, who's not as tough as he looks. Hammer is a footy jock with big AFL dreams, and an even bigger ego. Zeke is a shy over-achiever, never macho enough for his family. But all three boys hide who they really are. When the truth is revealed, will it set them free or blow them apart?

is the debut novel of WA author Holden Sheppard, which draws upon his adolescence growing up as a gay man in the regional town of Geraldton. In this episode, Holden chats to Max Lewis about the trials and tribulations of writing such a personal book, looking back on the same-sex marriage plebiscite two years on, and what he would say to a young man struggling with his sexuality.

Invisible Boys

 

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'I will always be sad when I read those chapters': Mary Moody on cancer, compost and cracking on 

 

If you'd told Mary Moody when she was 21 that she was going to grow up writing columns about compost, she would have thrown her hands up in horror.

In 1971, off the back of a cadetship at Women's Weekly, Mary wanted to become a TV news reporter. Unfortunately for her, in those days, only men were afforded that gig. Instead she forged a diverse career as a 'show-biz' journalist, a 'hippy-dippy' stay-at-home mum, host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, bestselling memoirist and finally, an '.'

accidental tour guide

 

The latter is the inspiration for her latest book, a memoir and adventure story about leading botanical treks in France, Morocco, Spain, Mongolia and the Himalayas. In this episode, Mary talks to Gregory Dobbs about learning, loving and losing a life partner.

 

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Katherine Johnson on the hidden history of 19th century human zoos

is a fictional account of events from the late 19th century when human zoos were big business across Europe. It follows the journey of three Indigenous Australians from the Badtjala tribe of Fraser Island who make the perilous journey to Germany and France where they are admired, feared and exploited for mass entertainment masquerading as science and education.

Paris Savages

In this complex and powerful story, layers of history are carefully peeled back to reveal a hidden world driven by profit and racism. Gregory Dobbs talks to award-winning author Katherine Johnson about the real people behind the story of Paris Savages.

 

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Heather Morris on the woman who survived Auschwitz and a Siberian Gulag

Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Constantly in the shadow of death she quickly learns that survival comes at a price. She eventually finds herself imprisoned in the Russian gulag where survival is no less easy.

In this sequel to the international best-seller , Heather Morris explains how this heart-breaking story came to be. Gregory Dobbs talks to Heather about the research, how she found the story and the real person behind .

The Tattooist of AuschwitzCilka's Journey

 

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Jamil Jivani on why young men are being turned to violence, and what we can do to stop it

The day after the 2015 Paris terror attacks, twenty-eight-year-old Canadian Jamil Jivani opened the newspaper to find that the men responsible were familiar to him. He didn’t know them, but the communities they grew up in and the challenges they faced mirrored the circumstances of his own life.

His book,  traces Jivani’s education as an activist fighting one of today’s most dangerous and intractable problems: acts of violence by angry young men. Jivani relates his personal story, his work with disenfranchised people of colour in North America and at risk youth in the Middle East and Africa, and his experiences with the white working class. He profiles a diverse array of young men – and those trying to help them – drawing parallels between these groups, refuting the popular belief that they are radically different from each other, and offering concrete steps towards countering this global trend.

Why Young Men

Jamil joined Max Lewis to chat about the process of writing the book and revisiting his adolescence, the role of the media in shaping identity, and what parents can do to make sure their sons aren't going down a dangerous path.

 

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'We had no idea what life was going to be': Bernadette Agius on raising a son with Down syndrome

 ‘It was cathartic, it was sad, it was humbling, it was joyful. I feel very exposed. But I don’t regret it.’ – Bernadette Agius on writing , a heartwarming memoir on the joys and challenges of raising a son with Down syndrome.

I’m Staying at Richard’s

 In this episode, Bernadette breaks down misconceptions, shares some hilarious memories (like that time Richard unwrapped the entire family’s Christmas presents) and recalls how Richard reacted when he first read the book.

 

 

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Ondine Sherman on Alaskan hunters, bad grammar and a bustling backyard zoo

 

When she was a young girl, author and animal rights advocate wrote a letter to the editor of Animal Liberation magazine vowing that she would dedicate her life and career to improving the lives of animals. In 2019, she has more than made good on that promise, having co-founded the Australian animal protection institute, Voiceless, and published the series, a collection of young adult novels that inspire teenagers to question essential ethical issues. In this episode, Ondine talks with Emma Harvey about the incredible Alaskan wilderness, her favourite animal encounters, and the father-daughter relationship at the heart of her latest book, .Ondine ShermanAnimal AlliesSnow

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Philippa Gregory: 'It’s extraordinary how little ordinary women have been recorded in history.'

 

Join Emma Harvey as she chats with the cover star of our September issue, Philippa Gregory, about her that exchanges the prosperity of the royal courts for the tidal marshes of 15th century Southern England.spectacular new series

 

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Paullina Simons: 'This isn't a romance. It's a love story.'

 

Paullina Simons fans have been waiting in eager anticipation for another book from the prolific and internationally bestselling author of the Tatiana and Alexander series. Now she’s rolling out three at once.

.

In this episode, hosted by Emma Harvey, Paullina shares memories of growing up in Leningrad, drinking raspberry moonshine, and challenging readers' expectations in her genre-defying new trilogy, seriesThe End of Forever

 

 

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'This man was broken': Tony Buti on Australia's only successful Stolen Generations claimant 

 

On Christmas Day in 1957, Ngarrindjeri man Joe Trevorrow admitted his 13-month old son, Bruce, to Adelaide Hospital. Within days, Bruce was living with another family, and Joe would never see his son again. In his new book , writer and politician Tony Buti meticulously and empathetically chronicles the story of Australia’s first and only successful Stolen Generations claimant, the irreversible anguish of a broken family, and a 13-year battle for justice.A Stolen Life: The Bruce Trevorrow Case

 

In this episode of the Good Reading podcast, Tony chats with Pip Leason about the harrowing life of Bruce Trevorrow, the reverberations of his case, and the work that remains to be done.

 

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Melbourne co-authors Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus have never had an argument

 

Last year, Melbourne co-authors Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus enchanted readers everywhere with their hilarious debut rom-com . Now the powerpair are back to chat about their new book, , a warm and witty tale of friendship, first dates and beloved second-hand books.The Book NinjaWhile You Were Reading

 

In this episode, Ali and Michelle talk to gr's Emma Harvey about balancing friendship with co-authorship, sharing a Kindle account, and sneaking their new novel onto Melbourne's public transport.

 

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JAMES DUNK on illness, chaos and delusion in Australia's early colonies

 

What was life really like in the early years of the colony of Botany Bay?

 

Upon arrival, convicts and free settlers faced the perils of an unknown continent, thousands of miles from home and with a very uncertain future. This new Australian history shines a light on the illness, the chaos, the delusion and the terror experienced by everyone who arrived on these shores.

 

Gregory Dobbs talks to JAMES DUNK about his new book which traces the history of madness in the early colony of Sydney and how the early settlers grappled with the challenges of a new country, taken from its Indigenous inhabitants, and ruled by the weight of imperial justice.Bedlam at Botany Bay

 

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The death-defying adventures of KATHERINE RUNDELL

 

KATHERINE RUNDELL has tiptoed along tightropes, piloted small planes, illegally strutted across the rooftops of Oxford, galloped through herds of zebras in Zimbabwe and hunted for tasty piranhas in the Amazon. The Costa Award-winning author tells Angus Dalton how her daring adventures inspire her children’s novels including The Explorer and her new book about a daring heist in 1920s New York, .The Good Thieves

 

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'We prefer to forget': Armando Lucas Correa on the doomed voyage of the S S St Louis

 

When he was ten years old, Armando Lucas Correa’s grandmother told him: ‘Cuba is going to pay very dearly for what they did to the Jewish refugees.’

 

She was referring specifically to the 1939 voyage of the St. Louis, an ocean liner that transported 937 Jewish refugees out of Nazi Germany to Havana, Cuba. Upon their arrival, the Cuban government refused to accept the passengers, and the United States and Canada also denied them entry. When the war broke out, 254 St. Louis passengers were killed in the Holocaust.

 

In this podcast, award-winning journalist and writer Armando Lucas Correa talks to Gregory Dobbs about the second instalment in his bestselling historical fiction trilogy,, which continues to chronicle one of the most harrowing atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II.The Daughter’s Tale

 

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Alli Sinclair on how scaling mountains turned her into a storyteller

 

In 1994, location scout Claire Montgomery is trying to secure permission to shoot a TV show at a historic art deco cinema near a country town in Northern Queensland. In 1950, we meet Lena Lee, an ambitious Hollywood actress holding out for bigger roles and better characters, who is challenged by the male-dominated film industry and a scandalous affair.

 

In her decade-spanning new novel , author Alli Sinclair asks one question: 'How far would you go to follow your dream?' In conversation with Angus Dalton, Alli tells us about exploring Hollywood in two different decades, scaling mountains, and writing romance.The Cinema at Starlight Creek

 

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Craig Ensor's literary love story set in an Australia ravaged by climate change

 

Two hundred years from now, people are migrating en masse to the poles to escape soaring temperatures. Fifteen-year-old Finch lives with his father in a near-deserted coasted town south of Sydney. Soon they must follow the great migration south, but before they go, a newly arrived couple become a point of infatuation for young Finch.

 

Craig Ensor's is a beautifully written story about love and migration, set in an overheated world we could very well be heading towards. The author joins Angus Dalton.The Warming

 

 

 

 

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ALEX LANDRAGIN didn’t write the most daring debut novel in decades – he stole it 

 

, the novel billed as the most daring debut in decades, is made up of three compelling stories: a letter written by lyric poet Charles Baudelaire to an illiterate young girl, a noir romance story in wartime Paris that begins in a graveyard and a tale about a woman with paranormal powers. They all weave together to create a stunningly imaginative story about seven lifetimes and two souls.Crossings

 

Author Alex Landragin joins Angus Dalton to tell us about his travel writing days in Africa, how he 'stole' this stunning story, and why literature is 'a form of recorded empathy’.

 

 

 

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PENNY OLSEN and LYNETTE RUSSELL on how Aboriginal peoples brought Australian animals to the attention of the world

 

 The so-called 'discovery' of Australia's world famous fauna is overwhelmingly associated with European men like John Gould and Joseph Banks. But Indigenous Australians had been living alongside these animals for tens of thousands of years, and it was their sophisticated zoological knowledge that allowed European naturalists to bring the attention of the world to Australia's bizarre and brilliant wildlife.

 

Penny Olsen and Lynette Russell join Angus Dalton to chat about their new book, .Australia's First Naturalists

 

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‘Majestic, murky, malevolent and magnificent’: Irishman JAMES DELARGY on the outback

 

When nomadic Irish author James Delargy experienced the Western Australian outback, something about the landscape enthralled and terrified him.

 

He channelled that awe into , a new thriller with a terrifying premise. Two men turn up to a police station with the exact same story of being kidnapped by a serial killer - and each accuses the other of being the murderer.55

 

Angus Dalton chats with James to find out how he came to imagine this gripping story.

 

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FINN BRUNTON on what you need to know about cryptocurrency

If

you’ve ever wondered just what Bitcoin is and why you should care about it then Finn Brunton’s new book, , is essential reading for the modern citizen.Digital Cash: The Unknown History of the Anarchists, Utopians, And Technologists Who Built Cryptocurrency

 

Gregory Dobbs talks to Finn about the genius and the madness behind the development of cryptocurrency.

 

 

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MARKUS ZUSAK: 'We are all made of stories'

 

In by Markus Zusak, there are five Dunbar brothers living a chaotic suburban existence alongside a border collie, a cat, a pigeon, a mule and a furious goldfish named after the King of Men. Their father, the Murderer, has fled, and their mother, the Mistake Maker, is dead.Bridge of Clay

 

author joins Angus Dalton to talk about the decade it took to write , his reverence for books, and the stories that have made him.The Book ThiefBridge of Clay

 

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FELICITY MCLEAN on Australian Gothic, missing children and Jatz Crackers

 

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone is a sharply written literary mystery infused with nostalgia that leaves its readers guessing.

 

Journalist and author Felicity McLean joins Angus Dalton to talk 90s cuisine, the art of ghostwriting, Australian Gothic, and which iconic Aussie actor accidentally catalysed the writing of her novel.

 

 

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MATT HOWARD's accidental life in books

 

Now the author of four novels who works in one of Australia's biggest publishing houses among blockbuster titles like and , Matt Howard never planned to make a life surrounded by books.Eleanor Oliphant is Completely FineBoy Swallows Universe

 

In this episode of the Good Reading podcast, Angus Dalton pays a visit to Matt's office to talk about his latest novel, , which centres on an aspiring writer, an accidental death, and a guy who takes Marie Kondo way too seriously.The Time is Now Monica Sparrow

 

 

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STEPHEN DAVIS on how we can win the War on Truth

 

There's a war on truth, and the liars are winning.

 

So goes the warning of veteran investigative journalist Stephen Davis about the state of our media landscape. In his new book,, Stephen reveals the 'toolbox' of methods used by governments and corporations to mislead the public and dodge accountability.Truthteller

 

Here he tells Angus Dalton fascinating stories from his life as a journalist, from M16 agents and Russian threats to an unresolved case of alleged murder in Sydney, and how we foot-soldiers can contribute to the War on Truth.

 

 

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JACLYN MORIARTY: 'I think I'm a bit hopeless at life'

 

In her first book for adults since 2004, , treasured children's author Jaclyn Moriarty writes about a mysterious self-help book called 'The Guidebook' that is sent to selected mailboxes one chapter at a time.Gravity is the Thing

 

Jaclyn joins Angus Dalton in this episode to talk about getting sucked in to self-help, why she would like an external committee to be in control of her life, and why she has a bone to pick with her sister, Liane Moriarty.

 

 

 

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Would JACK HEATH mind being eaten?

 

In his first series for adults, Canberra writer Jack Heath has created a compelling character who works as a consultant for the FBI and has a very peculiar palate ...

 

In this episode, Jack sits down with Angus Dalton to talk about and its new sequel, , getting published as a teenager, the ethical questions that surround cannibalism, and whether he'd mind being devoured upon dying. Yeah, things get weird.HangmanHunter

 

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CAPTURING NATURE: How photography at the Australian Museum aided Darwin's theories

 

Archivist and curator Vanessa Finney unearths Australia's earliest natural history photographs in , her new book that reveals how scientific photography began at the Australian museum.Capturing Nature

 

From tiny inch-long fish to whale skeletons as long as buses, the museum's camera captured thousands of extraordinary images that have never been seen by the public.

 

Angus Dalton heads to the museum to meet Vanessa and find out how photography revolutionised scientific understanding of nature and influenced the ideas of Charles Darwin.

 

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SIMON CLEARY on the artistry of tattoos and Australia's longest war

 

As a writer, Simon Cleary brings art and creativity up alongside experiences of war. In his latest novel, a Brigadier called James Phelan escorts the body of a young soldier home from Afghanistan. Struggling to adapt back to civilian life, an encounter with a tattoo artist named Kira changes Phelan permanently - both inside and out.,The War Artist

 

Simon joined Angus Dalton to talk about the legacy of the Afghanistan War, PTSD, and the significance of tattoos in this episode of the Good Reading Podcast.

 

 

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PEGGY FREW on the novel she began as a teenager 

 

Peggy Frew's was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize. The Melbourne writer and ARIA Award-winning musician is back with Islands, a novel about a family in crisis that covers many generations, viewpoints and timelines.Hope Farm

 

In this episode, Peggy tells Angus Dalton about creative doubt, running into the ocean in her undies, and 'the big, enormous, sprawling mess' of family.

 

 

 

 

 

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JEREMY N SMITH on befriending a powerful hacker called Alien

 

At a local playground where his daughter was playing, writer Jeremy N Smith met a woman who turned out to be a cybersecurity expert and a seasoned hacker. They got talking about her life and Jeremy quickly became fascinated.

 

His new book, , is the result of that chance meeting. It's a fascinating profile of a daring hacker, a deep-dive into the history of cybersecurity, and a troubling wake-up call for those of us who'd rather not think about how vulnerable we are to hackers in our hyper-connected world.Breaking and Entering: The extraordinary story of a hacker called Alien

 

Here Jeremy tells Angus Dalton about the death-defying form of hacking Alien was introduced to at MIT, and reveals why he's ditched using Google as a result of hanging out with hackers.

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JENNIFER SPENCE on slipping back into your own past

 

If given the chance, would you adjust the past to avoid a terrible tragedy in the future? And if you went back in time 20 years and tracked down a younger version of yourself, what kind of person would you find?

 

These questions are central to Jennifer Spence's new novel, Stella slips back in time to 1997 and must disguise herself in the past, resist changing her family's fate, and attempt to get back to the present..The Lost Girls

 

We spoke to the author about time travel, the innocence of 1997, and gleaning writing advice from a famous parable.

 

 

 

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JACQUELINE KENT on falling in love with the man behindWake in Fright

 

Jacqueline Kent was working as a book editor when she was assigned a set of humorous short stories by Kenneth Cook, author of the classic horror novel .Wake in Fright

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er dealings with Cook resulted in a 'volcanic' relationship and a brief marriage between two lovers of words. Jacqueline writes beautifully about her time with Ken in her new memoir, .Beyond Words

 

In this episode, Angus Dalton asks Jacqueline about the enduring legacy of , a butterfly farm, and the changes she's watched unfold across the Australian book industry.Wake in Fright

 

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YOTAM OTTOLENGHI on why writing was ‘excruciatingly difficult’ Simple

 

Yotam Ottolenghi is universally admired for a cooking style that is complex, layered, and brimming with freshness and colour. Unfortunately that can sometimes lead to a lot of preparation and even more washing up.

 

In his latest book, , Ottolenghi proves that cooking his way doesn’t have to be so challenging. On the advice of his sister, Ottolenghi has created a book of recipes for the time poor or the outright lazy using a set of 10 fundamental ingredients. Simple

 

Gregory Dobbs asks about the perils and pleasures of cooking Ottolenghi style and how can help you get there.Simple

 

 

 

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