Final Draft - Great Conversations

A.W. Hammond is a former lawyer. He also publishes as Alex Hammond as has a Ned Kelly award nomination for his novel Blood Witness. His latest novel sees him traveling back and exploring a particular crime in a blood soaked era in The Paris Collaborator...

It’s Paris. August 1944.

Auguste Duchene is renowned for his ability to find missing people. He doesn’t see race or nationality, only people who need his help.

But Duchene is about to find himself in an impossible situation; as the Allies close in on Paris Duchene must find a missing priest and a German soldier.

The set up is deceptively simple; Duchene must help the Resistance to find a missing priest with a cache of guns, whilst also help the Nazis find a missing soldier in a war full of missing people.

If he fails in either mission his daughter will be killed. If either side finds out about the other, Duchene's own life is forfeit.

Into this intriguing setting Hammond crafts a story about loyalty in a time of extremes.

I was first drawn to The Paris Collaborator as a flight of pure escapism. Rightly or wrongly stories of war time heroism can offer a means of simplifying the world. In Duchene though I found something more than simply a white hat on his way to riding off into the sunset.

The Paris Collaborator pits polarised ideologies, both equally willing to brutalise and kill and both equally assured of their righteousness. From the distance of history we might say there was only one way, but as we walk the streets of a war torn city with Duchene we are shown the difficulty of individual clarity.

This polarisation is no more apparent than in the breakdown of civility. Even the appearance of acknowledging the other side is cause for scorn. Duchene is constantly vexed that his daughter Mariane does not care that he disapproves. She loves her German fiance and believes that this is enough to survive the war.

And so we come to the heart of The Paris Collaborator, because even though we do not find ourselves fighting on the streets of Sydney we are equally thrown into ideological battles that seem to give no quarter.

As Duchene races to complete his mission the Allies approach Paris and its ultimate liberation. The question becomes as much will Duchene prevail, as how will his actions be viewed in the aftermath.

Hammond has drawn an immensely satisfying historical novel with beautifully realised scenes at the ground level. Drawing on archives and photographs of the time, the writing makes you feel as if you are walking the cobbled streets.

In mixing genres we also find ourselves shifting between war, crime and espionage wrought in sepia, noir tones. I could almost see Bogart playing Duchene (only he’d destroy the accent).

The Paris Collaborator is a tremendous read with some important ideas. Before you get online and destroy someone anonymously you might want to think about how pitted ideologies actually serve us as a community. As this novel shows us when we see only stereotypes everyday kindness is destroyed and that tends only to help the powerful at all our expense.

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.

Today's episode features Jean Hinchliffe discussing her debut book Lead The Way

Today’s episode is going to be a little different. We’re not getting into a work of literary fiction seeking to illuminate our world, rather we’re exploring the practical ways we can make change ourselves.

Jean expands on her journey into social change and the lessons she’s learned about how to advocate for what you believe in. Oh, and Jean’s still in high school.

Yeah, the kids are going to be alright and can we do any less than support them as they try to make the world a better place

Join me as we discover Jean Hinchliffe’s Lead The Way...

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part two of a special encore listen to Evie Wyld discussing her novel The Bass Rock

Evie Wyld is the Miles Franklin award winning author of All the Birds Singing. She joined me on Final Draft last year to discuss The Bass Rock, a novel which has gone on to win the Stella Prize. Today we are revisiting that conversation with a special extended chat that takes in all the bits that didn't make it to air last time...

The Bass Rock weaves together three narratives across the centuries exploring the pervasive violence that women must live with daily. The novel opens on a scene of a child and her mother walking on the beach, about to make a gruesome discovery. We then meet Vivianne arriving in town late at night to catalogue the estate of her grandmother Ruth. In post war Scotland Ruth arrives at her new home unsure of her place and her role in the lives of her adopted children. And some centuries earlier Sarah must flee her village after she is charged with witchcraft and faces brutality at the hands of the townsfolk and burning at the stake.

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part one of a special encore edition for Evie Wyld's The Bass Rock

Evie Wyld is the Miles Franklin award winning author of All the Birds Singing. She joined me on Final Draft last year to discuss The Bass Rock, a novel which has gone on to win the Stella Prize. Today we are revisiting that conversation with a special extended chat that takes in all the bits that didn't make it to air last time...

The Bass Rock weaves together three narratives across the centuries exploring the pervasive violence that women must live with daily. The novel opens on a scene of a child and her mother walking on the beach, about to make a gruesome discovery. We then meet Vivianne arriving in town late at night to catalogue the estate of her grandmother Ruth. In post war Scotland Ruth arrives at her new home unsure of her place and her role in the lives of her adopted children. And some centuries earlier Sarah must flee her village after she is charged with witchcraft and faces brutality at the hands of the townsfolk and burning at the stake.

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part two of Emily Spurr discussing her debut novel A Million Things.

Rae is pretty self sufficient for a ten year old. She can get to school lunch packed. Clean the house, although the backyard is a mess. And she’s always got time for her dog Splinter. In fact until the money in her Mum’s back account runs out no one needs to know her Mum’s not around.

Lettie next door could be a problem though. Always on her porch, just sitting and watching. If she notices Rae’s on her own there could be trouble.

But Lettie’s got problems of her own.

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part one of Emily Spurr discussing her debut novel A Million Things.

Rae is pretty self sufficient for a ten year old. She can get to school lunch packed. Clean the house, although the backyard is a mess. And she’s always got time for her dog Splinter. In fact until the money in her Mum’s back account runs out no one needs to know her Mum’s not around.

Lettie next door could be a problem though. Always on her porch, just sitting and watching. If she notices Rae’s on her own there could be trouble.

But Lettie’s got problems of her own.

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part two of AB Endacott discussing the latest novel in her fantasy world of the Godkissed Continent, Deliverance of the Blessed. We'll be delving into how the book's are published and all the work that goes into being a self-published author.

Today on the show...

Deliverance of the Blessed takes us into the world of the Sanctuary and a core group of the Blessed. Kaylene is mourning the death of her love Luka. She’s desperate and will do almost anything to get him back. Just as she’s about to make an irreversible decision though she is offered a chance. But could hope be more terrible than the loss she feels?

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part one of AB Endacott discussing the latest novel in her fantasy world of the Godkissed Continent, Deliverance of the Blessed

Today on the show...

Deliverance of the Blessed takes us into the world of the Sanctuary and a core group of the Blessed. Kaylene is mourning the death of her love Luka. She’s desperate and will do almost anything to get him back. Just as she’s about to make an irreversible decision though she is offered a chance. But could hope be more terrible than the loss she feels?

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world

Today's episode features part two of Eileen Chong discussing her new collection A Thousand Crimson Blooms

In a very special turn Eileen shares one of her poems from the collection

Today on the show...

Eileen Chong is an Australian poet of Chinese descent. She is the author of eight collections of poetry and her work has been listed for more prizes than a half hour show like ours could possibly list but I’ll just mention the likes of the The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the PM’s Literary Award. Her first collection Burning Rice is taught as part of the NSW HSC Syllabus and today we will be talking about her new collection A Thousand Crimson Blooms.