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• This Is Not Michelle de Kretser

  Two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has never been afraid of formal experimentation. Her seventh and latest book supports that idea. It is bold and, once again, a heady mix of serious intellectual inquiry with beautifully observed characterisation and formal play. This week on the show, Michael sits down with Michelle for a conversation about Theory & Practice and she reveals why writing it felt so different to all of her other books. Reading list: The Rose Grower, Michelle de Kretser, 1999 The Hamilton Case, Michelle de Kretser, 2003 The Lost Dog, Michelle de Kretser, 2007 Questions of Travel, Michelle de Kretser, 2012 Springtime, Michelle de Kretser, 2014 The Life to Come, Michelle de Kretser, 2017 On Shirley Hazzard, Michelle de Kretser, 2019 Scary Monsters, Michelle de Kretser, 2021 Theory & Practice, Michelle de Kretser, 2024 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Michelle de KretserSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• The Tangled Branches of Lech Blaine’s Family Tree

  Lech Blaine’s debut book Car Crash, told the gripping story of his life in the aftermath of a horrendous road accident that killed several of his friends. Since then he’s written political essays and thoughtful journalism: for The Monthly, for the Quarterly Essay and beyond. This week, we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with Lech at Canberra Writers’ Festival, where they discussed his latest book Australian Gospel: A Family Saga. The book details the outrageous true story of the tangled fates of two couples and the children trapped between them. Reading list: Car Crash, Lech Blaine 2019 Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, Lech Blaine 2024 Gunnawah, Ronni Salt, 2024 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Lech BlaineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Noni Hazlehurst Is Being Herself

  For so many, Noni Hazlehurst is the patron saint of early childhood nostalgia, known for her magnetic presence on Playschool. But Noni has had a long and storied career on stage and screen in Australia – from hosting Better Homes & Gardens to starring in the award-winning one-woman play Mother. This week on the show Noni chats with Michael about her new memoir, Dropping the Mask, where she reclaims a lifetime in the public eye and shares it back on the page. Reading list: Dropping the Mask, Noni Hazlehurst, 2024 Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar, 2024 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Noni HazlehurstSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Read This Returns January 16!

  Read This returns next Thursday 16 January! We’re kicking off 2025 with Australian icon Noni Hazlehurst, who is on the show to discuss her new memoir Dropping the Mask.Join us for another year of insightful, fascinating, and revealing conversations with some of the best writers from Australia and around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• We Went Back to Fitzroy Pool

  For our last episode of 2024, Michael heads back to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.Reading list:Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir, 1958The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, 2008Ritual, Chloe Elizabeth Wilson, 2025The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001I Could Not Believe It, Sean DeLear, 1979Unlicensed: Bootlegging as Creative Practice, Ben Schwartz, 2024Deadly Embrace, Jackie Collins, 2001Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez, 1993The Season, Helen Garner, 2024The Safe Keep, Yael van der Wouden, 2024All Fours, Miranda July, 2024Time’s Monster, Priya Satia, 2020The Lovers, Yumna Kassab, 2022Deep Water, James Bradley, 2024The Tribe, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, 2014Edith Trilogy, Frank Moorhouse, 1992-2011The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse, John Clarke, 1994You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store.Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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