Best Writers Festival Podcasts (2024)

1
Jake Adelstein: Tokyo Noir 58:37

1h ago58:37

58:37

Jake Adelstein has spent decades reporting on Japanese organised crime and is the only American journalist to be admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club. These unique experiences informed his memoir, Tokyo Vice, which was adapted into an HBO Max series starring Ansel Elgort, the second season of which premiered in February. Jak…

1
Bharat Nalluri – Boy Conquers Universe 1:03:58

10m ago1:03:58

1:03:58

The Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s much-loved novel Boy Swallows Universe has been applauded by the book’s loyal fans, but no one could have predicted its international success. Meet the Newcastle-based BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director, Bharat Nalluri, who helped bring this very Australian story to life for a global audience. Hosted by Rosem…

1
Samantha Shannon on The Roots of Chaos series 47:12

38m ago47:12

47:12

At 21, Samantha Shannon was hailed as the next big thing in genre fiction for her bestselling dystopian debut, The Bone Season. Samantha’s latest queer fantasy series, The Roots of Chaos, is a feat of feminist worldbuilding, reimagining the legend of Saint George and the Dragon to create a universe where princesses save themselves. Following smash-…

1
Suzie Miller: Prima Facie 49:19

36m ago49:19

49:19

[Content warning: Sexual assault] Suzie Miller’s disturbingly prescient play, Prima Facie, dramatises the price sexual assault victims pay for speaking out. This blistering one-woman show wowed audiences on Broadway and the West End, winning Suzie an Olivier Award and Killing Eve favourite Jodie Comer a Tony for her performance as the brilliant you…

1
Graham Akhurst, Kirli Saunders and Melanie Saward – Bright Young Things 57:06

1d ago57:06

57:06

It is the desire of many readers to see themselves reflected on the page, especially when their faces and voices have been excluded from the dominant narrative. Graham Akhurst, Kirli Saunders and Melanie Saward discuss writing First Nations characters in fiction for – and about – young people. Hosted by Yvette Henry Holt. This conversation was reco…

1
Nick Bryant: America's Unending Conflict With Itself 48:19

11d ago48:19

48:19

What is driving American decline, and what does it mean for the world? Long-time foreign correspondent Nick Bryant’s most recent posting took him to New York City to cover the Trump years. In his compelling analysis of American history and politics, Nick finds the roots of current polarisation and conflict in its history. If the American experiment…

1
Celeste Ng: Our Missing Hearts 54:36

5d ago54:36

54:36

Banning books, waving flags and persecuting racial minorities. Sound familiar? After New York Times–bestselling novel Little Fires Everywhere – which was adapted into a popular miniseries starring Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon – comes a similarly moving tale about the unbreakable bond between a mother and son. Celeste Ng’s third novel, Our…

1
Emily Perkins, Megan Rogers, and Christos Tsiolkas - Middle Age as Coming of Age 53:53

7d ago53:53

53:53

In their recent fiction, Emily Perkins, Megan Rogers and Christos Tsiolkas created characters at a crossroads, disrupting the traditional narrative of ‘coming of age’ as an experience of youth. They discuss belonging, change, and the perennial journey of ‘growing up’ with Ashley Hay. This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Fest…

1
Creativity, Joy, Grace 1:05:20

7d ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Find sanctuary in this uplifting celebration of creativity, chaired by Michaela Kalowski. Award-winning journalist Julia Baird follows her international bestseller, Phosphorescence, with Bright Shining, a stunning and insightful call for grace in a world which has forgotten its importance. Bestselling author Holly Ringland, whose debut novel, The L…

1
Charlotte Wood: Stone Yard Devotional 48:55

23d ago48:55

48:55

Can a person truly be good? What is forgiveness? Is losing hope a moral failure? And is the business of grief ever really finished? These questions pervade Charlotte Wood’s latest novel, Stone Yard Devotional, which is set on the Monaro plains where the much-loved author of The Natural Way of Things and The Weekend grew up. It follows a woman who a…

1
Shankari Chandran - Miles Franklin Award winner 1:03:15

14d ago1:03:15

1:03:15

From being told her books ‘weren’t Australian enough’, to winning the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her third novel Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, Shankari Chandran’s writing journey has been anything but linear. She speaks with Ailsa Piper about family and memory, and the stories that shape who we become. This conversation was recorded at…

1
Queer Love and Longing 59:44

15d ago59:44

59:44

Love is indeed a many splendoured thing in the work of K Patrick and Christos Tsiolkas, who know firsthand the pleasures of writing queer love stories. Hosted by Madeleine Gray, this beautiful conversation brings together two authors to discuss their sensual new novels. K’s Mrs S pulses with lust and longing at an elite boarding school, while Chris…

1
The Secret Lives of Women 51:09

27d ago51:09

51:09

“We are invisible”, writes Balli Kaur Jaswal in Now You See Us. “We clean your houses, we look after your children, we know your secrets.” The Singaporean-Australian writer is joined by Dominican-American novelist Elizabeth Acevedo (Family Lore) and Arab-Australian author Sara M Saleh (Songs for the Dead and the Living and The Flirtation of Girls) …

1
Bri Lee - Author, Academic, Activist 57:22

21d ago57:22

57:22

‘If you're doing work that you feel is important, it will be impossible to have everybody like you.’ Bri Lee first captured the literary world’s attention with her debut memoir Eggshell Skull, a very personal interrogation of the injustices experienced by survivors of sexual assault. Now, she’s turned her attention to fiction. Bri talks with Bridie…

1
Paul Lynch: Prophet Song 59:44

21d ago59:44

59:44

In his Booker Prize acceptance speech, Paul Lynch admitted his fifth novel, Prophet Song, had been difficult to write. “The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career,” he said, “though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters”. Set in Ireland’s near future, Prophet Song depicts a collapsing society in the g…

1
Antony Lowenstein - The Palestine Laboratory 59:24

27d ago59:24

59:24

Israel’s spying technology and defence hardware is being used by despots and democracies around the world – from the Pegasus software that hacked Jamal Khashoggi’s phones, and the weapons sold to the Myanmar army that killed thousands of Rohingyas, to the drones being used by the European Union to monitor refugees in the Mediterranean. Independent …

1
The War on Journalists 51:19

26d ago51:19

51:19

War correspondent Marie Colvin stated: “It has always seemed to me that what I write about is humanity in extremis, pushed to the unendurable, and that it is important to tell people what really happens in wars.” With conflict continuing in Ukraine, and the death toll of journalists in the Gaza conflict reaching alarming proportions, we look at the…

1
Play Like a Girl 49:46

29d ago49:46

49:46

Matildas fever swept across Australia during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, taking hold of new soccer fans and diehards alike. But where do we go next to tap into the potential of women’s sport? Hosted by The Ticket podcast’s Tracey Holmes, this elite panel features Olympic rugby gold medallist Chloe Dalton (Girls Don’t Play Sport), Australia’s m…

1
Abraham Verghese: The Covenant of Water 49:05

1M ago49:05

49:05

Physician and writer Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone, crafts a masterly narrative of three generations of a family in Kerala, through the eyes of a young girl, from her arranged marriage at the turn of the 20th century to her emergence as the matriarchal figure Big Ammachi. Solving the mystery of a family affliction – in every generat…

1
Bonnie Garmus: Lessons in Chemistry 56:21

1M ago56:21

56:21

After a male colleague took credit for her work, Bonnie Garmus channelled her rage into the unforgettable protagonist of Lessons in Chemistry Elizabeth Zott – a chemist-turned-celebrity cook who surreptitiously teaches housewives to subvert the status quo. With her debut, Bonnie became a multimillion-copy-bestselling novelist, whose novel has also …

1
Fragile Democracy 51:27

1M ago51:27

51:27

Australia has been a close ally of the United States since 1940, but what does this mean for contemporary politics when democracy is more fragile than ever? Donald Trump and his attacks on the US electoral system have raised red flags about the strength of American democracy. But in an age of disinformation and civic decline, signs of fragility are…

1
In Conversation: 2024 Stella Prize Winner Alexis Wright 47:39

2M ago47:39

47:39

“Praiseworthy is mighty in every conceivable way: mighty of scope, mighty of fury, mighty of craft, mighty of humour, mighty of language, mighty of heart.” – Stella Prize Hear from the winner of this year’s Stella Prize, Alexis Wright, as she joins judging panel chair Beejay Silcox in conversation to discuss her creative inspirations, writing proce…

1
Viet Thanh Nguyen: A Man of Two Faces 50:50

2M ago50:50

50:50

“I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces”, begins Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, the internationally acclaimed bestseller that was recently adapted into an HBO series starring Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. This duality is also at the heart of Viet’s highly original memoir, A Man of Two Faces, which details with sardo…

1
Ann Patchett on Ordinary Joys 59:39

2M ago59:39

59:39

“How other people live is pretty much all I think about,” writes Ann Patchett. Since her breakthrough novel, Bel Canto, won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Ann’s clever, compelling and expertly crafted portraits of other people’s lives have enamoured readers and critics alike. The author of bookshelf staples like Commonwealth and The Dutch House ret…

1
Closing Address: Kate Manne on the Future of Misogyny 42:13

2M ago42:13

42:13

[Content warning: misogynistic violence, sexual assault] When Kate Manne’s first book Down Girl, a tightly argued analysis of misogyny, was published shortly after the full exposé of Harvey Weinstein, she became ‘the philosopher of #MeToo’ – someone who could explain in crisp and compelling terms what misogyny is and how it works. With her trademar…

1
2024 Program Announcement: Annabel Crabb and Ann Mossop 37:41

6M ago37:41

37:41

Join Annabel Crabb and Artistic Director Ann Mossop as they discuss the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival program. The pair talk about the 2024 Festival theme, Take Me Away, and how books let us escape into different worlds, live other lives and travel in time and space. The 2024 Sydney Writers' Festival is out now. Head to our website to explore the p…

1
Program for Friday 5 April 2024 6:14

6M ago6:14

6:14

This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Friday, 5 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au See omnystudio.com/list…

1
Program for Saturday 6 April 2024 12:46

6M ago12:46

12:46

This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Saturday, 6 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au See omnystudio.com/li…

1
Program for Sunday 7 April 2024 10:46

6M ago10:46

10:46

This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Sunday, 7 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au See omnystudio.com/list…

1
Daniel Lavery: Dear Prudence and more 57:08

7M ago57:08

57:08

[Content warning: Child sexual abuse] Join internet darling Daniel Lavery as he lifts the lid on his writing life and Dear Prudence, a collection of the weirdest and wildest questions received during his tenure as Slate’s agony aunt. Filled with his always sympathetic, thoughtful and good-humoured advice, it offers a good dose of sense and compassi…

1
Tabitha Carvan on Finding Your Passion (For Benedict Cumberbatch) 40:01

7M ago40:01

40:01

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance. In this entertaining talk, author Tabitha Carvan shares the story of how falling for Benedict Cumberbatch while stuck at home with two young children became an unlikely …

1
Real Selves 53:52

7M ago53:52

53:52

[Content warning: Sexual assault and paedophilia] Women and girls have long been pressured to conform to written and unwritten rules about how to think, act, look and feel. But a new generation of writers and activists are breaking down barriers to allow women and girls to show their real selves.  Hear from Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-…

1
Andrey Kurkov: Diary of an Invasion 56:34

7M ago56:34

56:34

Celebrated Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov has been one of the most important voices throughout the Russian invasion of his adopted homeland, releasing frequent dispatches from Kyiv and the remote countryside. See him in conversation about Diary of an Invasion, his searing on-the-ground account of the human toll of the war, the interrelated histor…

1
The Arc of Racism in Australia 1:00:06

7M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

When Ghassan Hage’s seminal study on racism in Australia, White Nation, was published 25 years ago, the Cronulla riots, Christchurch massacre and Black Lives Matter movement all lay ahead. Hear from a lively panel of writers and thinkers as they consider how racism and white privilege have changed here since then and what lies ahead. Anthropologist…

1
Holly Ringland: The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding 57:48

8M ago57:48

57:48

Australian author Holly Ringland became a publishing sensation with the release of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, a gripping coming-of-age novel that has been adapted for TV, starring Sigourney Weaver and Leah Purcell. Her latest novel, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, is an equally enthralling tale, tracing the far reaches of grief, courage and…

1
Richard Osman on The Thursday Murder Club series 57:55

9M ago57:55

57:55

Richard Osman, bestselling novelist of The Thursday Murder Club series and king of British television trivia, talks with Sydney Writers' Festival's Artistic Director Ann Mossop in his first Australian appearance. The beloved murder mystery series has gripped readers worldwide – soaring to success as an international bestseller with over 10 million …

1
Podmania: Crime on the Record 1:00:10

9M ago1:00:10

1:00:10

Did podcasts kill the radio star – or completely revitalise storytelling for the 21st century? Join a special line-up of crime podcasters for a discussion about the rise of the medium and how it is changing journalism. They consider how the format fosters creativity and intimacy, and why it may yet rank among the most exciting cultural innovations …

1
THE MORALITY OF AI: TOBY WALSH (2023) 1:01:37

9M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

There are approximately three million robots working in factories around the world, and another 30 million in people’s homes. Soon robots will outnumber humans. But what happens if an autonomous AI harms or kills a person, deliberately or accidentally? It will happen. In fact, it already has. In Machines Behaving Badly, Professor Toby Walsh – Laure…

1
WORDS LOST AND FOUND: PIP WILLIAMS (2023) 55:41

9M ago55:41

55:41

Pip Williams’ best-selling novel The Dictionary of Lost Words tells the story of motherless Esme who spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers gather words for the first Oxford English Dictionary. Over time she discovers words relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. T…

1
THE SEVEN MOONS OF MAALI ALMEIDA: SHEHAN KARUNATILAKA (2023) 1:02:28

9M ago1:02:28

1:02:28

The judges for the winning 2022 Booker Prize praised Shehan Karunatilaka’s novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida for the ‘ambition of its scope, and the hilarious audacity of its narrative techniques’. Set in Sri Lanka during the 25- year civil war, a murdered photographer has seven days to solve the mystery of his own death. It’s a philosophical …

1
THE BOOK OF ROADS AND KINGDOMS: RICHARD FIDLER (2023) 1:01:01

9M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

The Book of Roads and Kingdoms brings to life a dazzling culture of science, literature, philosophy and adventure arising out of the flourishing metropolis of Baghdad during Islam’s Golden Age. Australian writer / broadcaster Richard Fidler recounts how medieval Persian and Arab wanderers ventured by camel, horse and boat into the unknown, bringing…

1
SOMETHING THAT MAY SHOCK AND DISCREDIT YOU: DANIEL LAVERY (2023) 1:01:01

9M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Delightfully inventive and witty, Daniel Lavery (as Mallory Ortberg) was the cofounder of The Toast, the pop-culture platform with literary depth that described its target audience as ‘librarians’. The best-selling author of Texts from Jane Eyre and Merry Spinster, next wrote Something that May Shock and Discredit You, an exhilarating series of ess…

1
INDELIBLE CITY: LOUISA LIM (2023) 1:00:53

9M ago1:00:53

1:00:53

In the opening paragraphs of Stella Prize shortlisted Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong, author Louisa Lim is torn between journalistic neutrality and her love of Hong Kong as she is invited by guerrilla sign painters to grab a brush and help produce pro-democracy banners. An award-winning journalist who reported from China fo…

1
Your Favourites’ Favourites: Jane Harper and Benjamin Stevenson 55:03

9M ago55:03

55:03

In a special series of events, Your Favourites’ Favourites sees our most beloved writers speak with a breakout Australian author from the past year. Join globally bestselling crime novelist Jane Harper as she chats with fellow crime writer and stand-up comedian Benjamin Stevenson about the secrets to crafting a suspenseful story. They talk about th…

1
CAN AI WRITE A BOOK? SARAH DANIELL, CATHERINE CHIDGEY, TOBY WALSH, TE TAKA KEEGAN (2023) 1:00:42

9M ago1:00:42

1:00:42

With open source AI chatbots capable of generating text that appears increasingly human, will they eventually replace writers altogether? Some claim that AI will never have enough creativity, empathy or originality – but over time could even these qualities be assimilated by robotwriters? Canvas editor Sarah Daniell recently experimented with getti…

1
TWO-SPIRIT: JOSHUA WHITEHEAD, ELLEN VAN NEERVEN, KŌTUKU TITIHUIA NUTTALL 1:01:46

9M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Two-Spirit is a pan-Indigenous expression (FNMI – First Nations, Metis and Inuit) from Turtle Island (North America) reflecting complex understandings of gender roles, spirituality and a long history of diversity. Two-Spirit writer Joshua Whitehead (Oji-Cree member of the Peguis First Nation) took the word Indigenous and braided it with the word qu…

1
It's Not About Hope: CHELSEA WATEGO, EMMA ESPINER 59:53

9M ago59:53

59:53

In Another Day in the Colony, Mununjali and South Sea Islander health activist Chelsea Watego has a chapter called F**k Hope. She urges her mob to be nihilistic because hope is the dream deferred, better to embrace sovereignty and take matters into your own hands. Sharing the conversation is podcaster and author Dr Emma Espiner (Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngā…

1
Te Pūao - Where the River Meets the Sea - Powhiri - Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival 20:48

9M ago20:48

20:48

In Te Pūao: The Place Where the River Meets the Sea, we explore the realms of traditional Mātauraka Māori and Pūrakau. Join Witi Ihimaera, Linda Tuhiwai Smith and Monty Soutar in conversation with mana whenua narrative expert and Ahi Kā storykeeper Megan Pōtiki.This Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival podcast was brought to you with support from O…

1
Te Pūao - Where the River Meets the Sea - Panel - Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival 58:29

9M ago58:29

58:29

In Te Pūao: The Place Where the River Meets the Sea, we explore the realms of traditional Mātauraka Māori and Pūrakau. Join Witi Ihimaera, Linda Tuhiwai Smith and Monty Soutar in conversation with mana whenua narrative expert and Ahi Kā storykeeper Megan Pōtiki.This Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival podcast was brought to you with support from O…

1
Te Pō Whakanui i Witi Ihimaera! Festival Gala Night - Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival 2:10:07

9M ago2:10:07

2:10:07

This podcast was recorded live at the Regent Theatre on the first night of the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival for their Gala Celebration - Te Pō Whakanui i Witi Ihimaera! The event celebrated 50 years of literary inspiration and influence with Stacey Morrison and beloved author Witi Ihimaera. Hear from a bevy of writers, poets and musicians inc…

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