2018 highlights from the Readings Podcast
The Readings Podcast is a celebration of books, reading and pop culture. Episodes are published fortnightly and include author interviews, event recordings, booksellers chatting about their favourite reads, industry insights, and more. You can listen to episodes via SoundCloud and iTunes.
Our 2019 season of the Readings Podcast will kick off again in mid-January. In the meantime, here is a snapshot of some of our highlights from the 2018 season to see you through the holidays.
An interview with international literary star Jennifer Egan
Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan visited Melbourne earlier this year and we were thrilled to have her come by Readings for a chat with one of our booksellers. Egan chats about literature, history, politics and her gripping historical novel, Manhattan Beach.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
An interview with Jennifer Down, the winner of the 2018 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction
Jennifer Down’s exquisite short story collection, Pulse Points won this year’s Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction! Here, she chats with Ellen Cregan, chair of the judging panel, about trauma, the power of fiction, and the writing process.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
Ambelin Kwaymullina on compiling the Meet Me at the Intersection anthology
The YA anthology Meet Me at the Intersection features a range of writing by Australians who are First Nations, living with a disability, LGBTIQA+ and People of Colour. Co-editor Ambelin Kwaymullina chats with Kids bookseller Leanne Hall about the process of compiling these stories.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
Christos Tsiolkas on the legacy of Nobel Prize winner Patrick White
In his passionate addition to Black Inc’s Writers on Writers series, Christos Tsiolkas reflects on the legacy of Nobel Prize winner Patrick White. Here, he discusses the writer and his work with fellow fan and Readings bookseller Sean O’Beirne.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
A crime spotlight on Paul F. Verhoeven and his true crime read, Loose Units
Fiona Hardy and Deborah Crabtree are booksellers at Readings with a shared passion for crime (books only!). In this episode, they interview Paul F. Verhoeven about his non-fiction book, Loose Units, which is part father–son story and part true-crime race through the underbelly of 1980s policing in Sydney.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
Kate Kleinitz chats with YA luminaries Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
This special episode was brought to you live from the book launch of Obsidio – the final book in the bestselling Illuminae Files trilogy from Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. We loved hearing Kate Kleinitz, a member of our 2017-2018 Teen Advisory Board, chat with the two YA superstars about their series and sci-fi in general.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
A live recording of our event with Rachael Brown
Journalist Rachael Brown talks about the cold-case investigation of the 1980 murder of Melbourne bookseller Maria James, as featured in her award-winning ABC podcast, Trace and expanded upon in a book of the same name.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
A live recording of our event with Clementine Ford
Clementine Ford’s second book, Boys Will Be Boys, is both a searing examination of toxic masculinity and an impassioned call for change. Here she chats with Jan Fran about writing the book while raising a son.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
A live recording of our event with David Marr
Listen to David Marr in conversation with George Megalogenis about religion, sex, censorship and the law; leaders, moralists and scandalmongers; the arts and the lives of artists; and his new handsomely packaged book, My Country.
Listen to the episode on Soundcloud here
Holiday reading recommendations for the end of 2018
And in our final episode of the year, two of our booksellers discuss some of the best books of 2018 and share their recommendations for holiday reading. You are guaranteed to find some excellent literary inspiration here.
