Which book should I read from the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction shortlist?
Are you having trouble deciding which of the six brilliant books on the 2018 Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction shortlist to read first?
Take our quiz to find out which book you should read. Grab a sheet of paper, write down the letters of your chosen answers and then tally them up before scrolling down to find out what your next book should be.
QUESTION 1. WHEN READING A BOOK, DO YOU LIKE TO…?
A. Get stuck into history with a fresh perspective
B. Experience a genre-bending journey
C. Lose all sense of reality
D. Fall under the spell of beautiful prose
E. Be challenged by the language and ideas it offers up
F. Travel to faraway places
QUESTION 2. WHICH TV SHOW DID YOU BINGE ON?
A. Mad Men
B. American Gods
C. Twin Peaks: The Return
D. This Is Us
E. Sense8
F. The Trip To Italy
QUESTION 3. WHICH OF THESE AUSTRALIAN AUTHORS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
A. Tim Winton
B. Alexis Wright
C. Gerald Murnane
D. Elizabeth Harrower
E. Ryan O'Neill
F. Shokoofeh Azar
QUESTION 4. WHAT KIND OF LITERARY CHARACTER DO YOU MOST ENJOY READING ABOUT?
A. Quirky
B. A little bit magical
C. Anxiety-riddled
D. Introspective
E. Young and curious
F. Nostalgic
QUESTION 5. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX WITH A BOOK?
A. Kicking back on your back porch with a cuppa
B. In nature
C. During a long bus ride
D. Tucked up inside on a rainy day
E. A cafe in the middle of a bustling city
F. On an aeroplane
Now, tally up your answers. If you chose…
…mostly As
You should read The Lucky Galah by Tracy Sorensen!
‘This warm and heartfelt novel gives a fresh perspective of a key moment in Australia’s past – when the Parkes radio telescope brought pictures of the US moon landing to the world. Lucky the galah is a born storyteller and her wry observations will inspire a new appreciation of birds.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
…mostly Bs
You should read Flames by Robbie Arnott!
‘This weird and gripping work is set in the wilds of Tasmania, and centres on the lives of a single family. Robbie Arnott combines a number of genres and styles to create something entirely distinct. His Tasmania is an island state with magical qualities that will draw you in completely.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
…mostly Cs
You should read The Town by Shaun Prescott!
‘In this incredibly accomplished debut, a young man investigates the unexplained disappearance of rural towns in regional Australia. Shaun Prescott’s prose is intelligent, surreal and brilliantly perceptive. The Town is both an interrogation of, and response to, the existing literary canon.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
…mostly Ds
You should read Pulse Points by Jennifer Down!
‘Jennifer Down’s first story collection is a stunning achievement. Connected by a single thematic thread, her short fictions complement each other in subtle, elegant ways. By meticulously depicting the minutiae of everyday life, Pulse Points examines big ideas about death, ageing and love.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
…mostly Es
You should read Pink Mountain on Locust Island by Jamie Marina Lau!
‘This is a thrilling debut from a remarkable young voice. Jamie Marina Lau experiments with language and form to capture the heady confusion of a teenage girl in a highly digitised world. Pink Mountain on Locust Island has a beautiful strangeness to it that electrifies the reader.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
…mostly Fs
You should read The Fireflies of Autumn by Moreno Giovannoni!
‘Moreno Giovannoni depicts life in the small, little-know Tuscan village of San Ginese through a series of stories that have been shared across generations. With themes of migration, war and love at its heart, this novel has a fable-like quality that is at once charming and gently ironic.’
– Ellen Cregan, Chair of the judging panel
