Here at Book Matters, we are taking a well-earned break over the summer holidays but we have some recordings of our Live In Conversation events held at the library during 2025.

We welcomed Chris Hammer to the library in October where he spoke to a large audience about his new novel Legacy which sees the return of his popular character Martin Scarsden.

The audio quality is a little compromised, but we are sure you will enjoy listening to Chris and Tim as they chat about his writing and his books.

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During the year we hosted some fabulous live author events at Connected Libraries!  For our Summer Series we are proud to give you the recording of our event with internationally bestselling Melbourne author Jane Harper who chats with Courtney about her writing process and her latest novel Last One Out.

We hope you enjoy!

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For our last episode of Book Matters for the year we have two great interviews for you.

Both are Australian authors, and their books are ideal for Christmas gifts and to take away on your summer holiday.

Courtney speaks with Libby Iriks about her novel "Home to the Heart Country" – a heartfelt small-town romance set in Western Australia exploring themes of belonging, social anxiety and neurodivergence.

Then Janine chats with debut writer Brooke Crawford about her novel "Better than the Real Thing" – where Notting Hill meets Bridget Jones Baby in this whip-smart, funny, emotionally charged contemporary fiction about messy pasts, second chances and future families from a sparkling new voice in fiction.

We would like to take this opportunity from the Book Matters team to wish all our listeners a great festive season, and we look forward to returning next year with a whole new season of Book Matters.

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Welcome to Back to Chat, a special episode of Book Matters! 

On today’s special episode we are celebrating five years of Book Matters with a familiar and much-loved guest. That’s right—we’re bringing back one of our most popular authors for a return visit!

Please join us as we catch up, see what’s new and dive into their stories—both on and off the page—that continue to inspire our book world. 

It’s a full-circle moment, and we’re thrilled to share it with you!

This episode we chat with Melbourne writer Sally Hepworth about her latest novel Mad Mabel.   We hope you enjoy!

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On this episode of Book matters we have some interesting interviews for you.

Kiara speaks with Melbourne author Toni Jordan about her new novel ‘Tenderfoot’ - an exquisite and bittersweet read that brings back memories of growing up in Australia in the 1970s wherein a 12-year-old girl from a family of gamblers and greyhound racers grapples with adulthood as her home life disintegrates.

Then Sam chats with New Zealand writer & poet Louise Wallace about her novel ‘Ash’ - a shimmering novel about motherhood, love and the power of feminine rage.

We hope you enjoy.

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On Book Matters this month Janine talks to Jessica Mansour-Nahra about her gripping gothic domestic thriller "The Farm" It asks confronting questions about women's bodies, what is expected of them, and who is really in control. 

Then Kiara speaks with Jess Kitching about her novel "The Life Experiment" a poignant, life-affirming love story about two people whose lives are turned upside down when they enter an experiment that predicts when they will die.

We hope you enjoy.

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On Book Matters this month Sam chats to Kate Halfpenny about her memoir Boogie Wonderland, when Covid lockdowns hit Melbourne, metropolitan midlife couple Kate and Chris decide to make a sea change and move to a small coastal town to ease financial pressures and live out the beach lifestyle many of us dream of. But they didn't give much thought to just how different it would be.

Then Kiara talks to Sinead Stubbins about her novel Stinkbug, where a select group of employees at an advertising agency are sent to an elite three-day work retreat in the remote mountains.  In this wildly original and deeply unhinged story, Sinead Stubbins turns her keen but empathetic eye on the lies we tell about ourselves in order to belong.

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 On Book Matters today Janine chats to Adelaide writer Leonie Kelsall. We chat about her latest rural fiction novel, The path through the Coojong trees. We also talk about her writing and why she also writes under a pseudonym Courtney then chats to Victorian crime writer Matt Rogers who has self published 36 novels and how he has transitioned to being traditionally published. We hope you enjoy! 

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Welcome to Back to Chat, a special episode of Book Matters! 

On today’s special episode we are celebrating five years of Book Matters with a familiar and much-loved guest. That’s right—we’re bringing back one of our most popular authors for a return visit!

Please join us as we catch up, see what’s new and dive into their stories—both on and off the page—that continue to inspire our book world. 

It’s a full-circle moment, and we’re thrilled to share it with you!

If would like to listen to our previous episode with Kelly back in 2020 you can listen to it here:  https://bit.ly/448Rx3F

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On the podcast today Courtney chats with Melbourne author Jodi McAlister about her rom-com – “An Academic Affair” - a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.  Then Sam speaks with NSW writer Sarah Clutton about her novel “The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains” - a heart-warming story of family, relationships and being true to oneself.  We hope you enjoy!

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