Francesca Rendle-Short, Michele Lee and Rajith Savanadasa join Mel Cranenburgh to talk about The Near and The Far, Volume II: more stories from the Asia-Pacific region. Spanning fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from the Asia-Pacific’s finest writers — including Christos Tsiolkas, Alice Pung, Norman Erikson Pasaribu, Han Yujoo, Ellen van Neerven, and Ali Cobby Eckermann — the collection, edited by David Carlin and Francesca Rendle-Short, invites readers on a unique and unforgettable journey. https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-near-and-the-far-vol-ii Dr Alexandra Dane then joins Mel to discuss the ramifications of the decision of the judges of this year’s Vogel Literary Award to withhold the $20,000 prize and coveted book deal with publishing giant Allen & Unwin. Australia's most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript, the award has helped kickstart the careers of many great authors. It is only the third time in the Vogel's almost 40-year history that a winner hasn't been chosen.