7am

Today on the show, author Carrie Tiffany, with her piece from The Monthly. 

After the death of her mother, Carrie reflects on the hold of sugar upon her family’s health and history.

Carrie will read her piece, ‘Sweet Regret’ after a short conversation with the Editor of the 7am podcast, Scott Mitchell.

(This episode first aired in July 2023)

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Author, Carrie Tiffany

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, writer and filmmaker John Safran, with his piece from the latest edition of The Monthly. 

Father Bob Maguire was an icon in his own right, but for many, they knew him through his years of conversation with John Safran on TV and their Sunday Night radio show.

Father Bob passed away earlier this year and received a state funeral in Melbourne and today we feature John’s writing about his friend.

(This episode first aired in July 2023)

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Writer and filmaker, John Safran

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Described by the Washington Post as "one of our greatest living novelists", Richard Flanagan has been writing for more than three decades. His 2013 novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North won the Booker Prize and his essays have been published across Australia and internationally. This week Michael heads to Tasmania to speak with Richard at his home in Hobart about his latest and most personal novel, Question 7.

(This episode was first published in September 2024)

Reading list:

Gould’s Book of Fish, Richard Flanagan, 2001

The Narrow Road to the North, Richard Flanagan, 2013

The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, Richard Flanagan, 2020

Question 7, Richard Flanagan, 2023

The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells, 1898

The World Set Free, H.G. Wells, 1914

Speak, Memory, Vladimir Nabokov, 1951

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Richard Flanagan

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Lucashenko writes about big ideas and brutal experiences, but she does so with grace, with generosity and – maybe above all else – a rich sense of humour.

In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael sits down with Melissa for a conversation about her new book, Edenglassie, and they discuss history, eccentric characters, and why writing a love story is a revolutionary act.

Reading list:

Hard Yards, Melissa Lucashenko, 1999

Too Flash, Melissa Lucashenko, 2002

Mullumbimby, Melissa Lucashenko, 2013

Too Much Lip, Melissa Lucashenko, 2018

Edenglassie, Melissa Lucashenko, 2023

The Fortunes of Richard Mahony, Henry Handel Richardson, 1925

For the Term of His Natural Life, Marcus Clarke, 1874

The Secret Hours, Mick Herron, 2023

Gunflower, Laura Jean McKay, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Melissa Lucashenko

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Saunders is one of literary fiction's most acclaimed living writers. Along with his many collections of short stories, he also published the Booker Prize-winning novel Lincoln in the Bardo.

In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael chats with him about his life and career, and George reveals the three words that made him a writer.

(This episode was first published in September 2023)

Reading list:

CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, George Saunders,1996

Pastoralia, George Saunders, 2000

In Persuasion Nation, George Saunders, 2006

Tenth of December: Stories, George Saunders, 2013

Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders, 2017

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, George Saunders, 2021

Liberation Day: Stories, George Saunders, 2022

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce, 1916

To Have and Have Not, Ernest Hemingway, 1937

The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, 1952

The Little Disturbances of Man, Grace Paley, 1959

Ordinary Gods and Monsters, Chris Womersley, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: George Saunders

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Grenville has spent her career bringing history to life, often using the lives of her own family to tell stories about the kinds of voices who are often left out of the official record.

In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael heads to Kate's house to discuss her latest novel, Restless Dolly Maunder, and why she is preparing for the chance that someday someone’s going to rifle through her life and make up their own stories.

(This episode was first published in September 2023)

Reading list:

Lilian's Story, Kate Grenville, 1985

Joan Makes History: A Novel, Kate Grenville, 1988

The Idea of Perfection, Kate Grenville, 1999

The Secret River, Kate Grenville, 2005

One Life: My Mother's Story, Kate Grenville, 2015

The Case Against Fragrance, Kate Grenville, 2017

Restless Dolly Maunder, Kate Grenville, 2023

The Bee Sting, Paul Murray, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Kate Grenville

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning writer and historian Tony Birch grew up listening to stories from his nan, Alma. 

In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Tony shares how Alma's advice has influenced his life and his writing.

(This episode was first published in July 2023)

Reading list:

Shadowboxing, Tony Birch, 2006

Blood, Tony Birch, 2011

Ghost River, Tony Birch, 2015

Common People, Tony Birch, 2017

The White Girl, Tony Birch, 2019

Dark as Night, Tony Birch, 2021

Yellowface, R.F. Kuang, 2023

Broke, Sam Drummond, 2023

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Tony Birch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Hughes was once hailed as a young literary genius, and won a scholarship to Cambridge.

Yet he found himself back in Australia working as a librarian and a teacher before his writing found an audience.

Hughes was shortlisted for some of the greatest honours in Australian writing. But under the scrutiny of greater acclaim, a strange web of inconsistencies and copying struck one reader: Anna Verney.

Today, we’re looking back on this interview between Ruby Jones, Anna Verney and Richard Cooke, on how they first discovered the borrowings of John Hughes and the revelations that followed.

(This episode was first published in March 2023)

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Writer Anna Verney and contributing editor to The Monthly Richard Cooke

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2022 federal election saw a historic loss for the Coalition and a historic shift towards independent candidates like Allegra Spender in Sydney, Zoe Daniel in Melbourne and Kate Chaney in Perth. 

Elected on promises to fight climate change, make progress on gender issues and advocate for more integrity in politics, the Teals flipped some of the wealthiest and safest Liberal seats. 

But as the cost of living became the most pressing issue for voters in 2023, the Teals’ views on social inequality started to be put to the test. 

Today, we’re looking back on this interview between Ange McCormack and Rachel Withers, on the seven Teal independents and whether they can address inequality.

(This episode was first published in July 2023.)

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Contributing writer for The Monthly, Rachel Withers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia voted in the first referendum in over 20 years this year — a referendum billed as the culmination of decades of reconciliation work.

Today, we’re looking back on this interview between Ange McCormack and Daniel James, on what the result revealed about the country and where we go from here.

(This episode was first published in October 2023.)

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Daniel James

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.