Anna Funder has a habit of writing about humans in extremis: under the Stasi, then the Nazis, and now, she's taken on the patriarchy in her new book Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life. It's an act of resurrection for Eileen O'Shaughnessy, the brilliant woman who married George Orwell, contributed to his work and was erased from his story.

Reading list:
Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life, Anna Funder, 2023
All That I Am, Anna Funder, 2011
Stasiland, Anna Funder, 2003

Burmese Days, George Orwell, 1934
Animal Farm, George Orwell, 1945
1984, George Orwell, 1949

Anam, André Dao, 2023
Restless Dolly Maunder, Kate Grenville, 2023

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

Anna Funder is Her Own Wife

Read This is a show about the books we love and the stories behind them, hosted by Michael Williams. Every Thursday, you’ll hear insightful conversations with the smartest, funniest readers and writers we know and in-depth interviews with the best Australian and international authors talking about their lives and their work. You’ll never be left wondering what to read next.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Books

Across half a dozen novels, Andrew O’Hagan has made a name for himself as an author of delicacy and grace, painting the community he comes from, in Scotland’s west, with tenderness and wry, affectionate humour. His latest, Caledonian Road, follows art historian Campbell Flynn. A man who is at a turning point and is about to come up against his own downfall. This week, Michael sits down with Andrew for a conversation about the Dickensian world he has created in his new novel and why he considers it his most optimistic book yet.

Reading list:
Our Fathers, Andrew O’Hagan, 1999
Be Near Me, Andrew O’Hagan, 2006
Mayflies, Andrew O’Hagan, 2020
Caledonian Road, Andrew O’Hagan, 2024

Lives of Girls and Women, Alice Munro, 1971 
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro, 2001
Dear Life, Alice Munro, 2012

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: Andrew O’Hagan

Andrew O’Hagan’s Big Dickensian Energy

Winnie Dunn is used to being behind the scenes. As the general manager of Sweatshop Literacy Movement in Western Sydney, she has been instrumental in helping other writers find their voice. But now, the spotlight is on her. This week, Michael sits down with Winnie for a conversation about her debut novel, Dirt Poor Islanders. She reflects on the demonising narratives she had to fight and the piece of writing advice that she’d given to others that resonated for her.

Reading list:
Dirt Poor Islanders, Winnie Dunn, 2024
I Am Lupe, Sela Ahosivi-Atiola, Yani Agustina, 2023
Only the Astronauts, Ceridwen Dovey, 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: Winnie Dunn

It’s Winnie Dunn’s Turn in the Spotlight

Sloane Crosley is known for her funny and acerbic personal essays, including her New York Times’ best-selling collection I Was Told There’d Be Cake. But in her new memoir she digs much deeper to examine the loss of her best friend. This week, Michael sits down with Sloane to discuss Grief Is For People, and Sloane reveals the challenges of writing an intimate portrait of a singular friendship.

Reading list:
I Was Told There’d Be Cake, Sloane Crosley, 2008
How Did You Get This Number, Sloane Crosley, 2010
Look Alive Out There, Sloane Crosley, 2018
Cult Classic, Sloane Crosley, 2022
Grief Is For People, Sloane Crosley, 2023

Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett, 2004
The Writing Life, Annie Dillard, 1989
Stoner, John Williams, 1965

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: Sloane Crosley

Resisting Catharsis with Sloane Crosley

We're off this Thursday, but we'll be back next week.
Email us: readthis@schwartzmedia.com.au
Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

See You Next Week!

Morris Gleitzman is an Australian institution. A beloved author of novels for young people, Morris is known for his ability to be funny and warm without shying away from the realities of life. He has been writing for almost half a century now and has delighted generations of readers with his more than 40 books of fiction. This week, Michael and Morris sit down to reflect on Morris’s multi-generational impact and to discuss his latest novel, Tweet.

Reading list:
Two Weeks with the Queen, Morris Gleitzman, 1989
Misery Guts, Morris Gleitzman, 1991
Worry Warts, Morris Gleitzman, 1992
Blabber Mouth, Morris Gleitzman, 1993
Sticky Beak, Morris Gleitzman, 1994
Now, Morris Gleitzman, 2010
Tweet, Morris Gleitzman, 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: Morris Gleitzman

Anna Funder is Her Own Wife

Download our free app to listen on your phone