Auscast Literature Channel

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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

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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.