Colm Tóibín is regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest authors — and for good reason. With a career spanning 30 years and 11 award-winning novels under his belt, Colm is beloved both at home and abroad. In his latest book, Long Island, Tóibín returns to familiar territory with a sequel to 2009’s best-selling Brooklyn. This week, he and Michael discuss what it means to write a sequel, the importance of James Baldwin’s writing, and, of course, Costco.

Reading list:

The Heather Blazing, Colm Tóibín, 1992

The Master, Colm Tóibín, 2004

Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín, 2009

Nora Webster, Colm Tóibín, 2014

Long Island, Colm Tóibín, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Colm Tóibín

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Tanzanian-born, London-based author Abdulrazak Gurnah was midway through writing his latest novel, Theft, when he received a call letting him know he’d won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature. After more than a year of events and literary obligations, he finally returned to Theft, with more enthusiasm than ever. This week, Michael sits down with Abdulrazak to discuss his writing, the phenomenon of tourism and his latest book.

Reading list:

Paradise, Abdulrazak Gurnah, 1994

By the Sea, Abdulrazak Gurnah, 2001

Desertion, Abdulrazak Gurnah, 2005

Theft, Abdulrazak Gurnah, 2025

Eurotrash, Christian Kracht, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Abdulrazak Gurnah

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Tasmanian writer Robert Dessaix is a man of many talents when it comes to the written form – from travel memoir and fiction to biography and philosophy, he’s done it all. He became a household name for many listeners to ABC Radio following a long stint hosting the beloved show Books and Writing. Now, at 81, Robert is back with a new memoir. This week, Michael is joined by Robert for a conversation about memory, dance, and being a chameleon.

Reading list:

A Mother’s Disgrace, Robert Dessaix, 1994

Corfu, Robert Dessaix, 2001

Twilight of Love, Robert Dessaixt, 2004

Chameleon, Robert Dessaix, 2025

Perfection, Vincenzo Latronico, 2025

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Robert Dessaix

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Writer Sonia Orchard was in her 40s when a revelation during a therapy session turned her life upside down. Could the relationship she’d had in her teens with a man more than a decade older in fact be abuse? In her new memoir, Groomed, Sonia investigates her own story, sharing her gruelling journey through the justice system, and shines a light on the failures – social, structural, legal – that entrench and prolong the trauma for victim survivors. This week, she speaks with Michael about the power of reclaiming her story.

Reading list:

The Virtuoso, Sonia Orchard, 2009

Into the Fire, Sonia Orchard, 2019

Groomed, Sonia Orchard, 2025

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Sonia Orchard

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In Andrea Goldsmith’s ninth and latest novel, The Buried Life, she unpicks the relationships between people and the undercurrents of doubt and faith that define a life. But more than anything else this is a book that is first and foremost concerned with death. It’s a subject that has long fascinated Andrea, something she discusses deeply with Michael on this week’s episode.

Reading list:

Reunion, Andrea Goldsmith, 2009

The Memory Trap, Andrea Goldsmith, 2013

Invented Lives, Andrea Goldsmith, 2019

The Buried Life, Andrea Goldsmith, 2025

Andrea Goldsmith’s List of Books on Death & Grief

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Andrea Goldsmith

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In Melbourne-based author Sean Wilson’s new book, You Must Remember This, he tackles the complicated, tragic, and often fraught subject of dementia.. This week, Sean joins Michael for a conversation about loss, family, and how to hang on to one’s humanity as illness strips it away. 

Reading list:

Gemini Falls, Sean Wilson, 2022

You Must Remember This, Sean Wilson, 2025

The Bright Sword, Lev Grossmann, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Sean Wilson

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Two time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Alex Miller is 88, but with 17 books under his belt and more writing on the way, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. On this week’s episode, Michael sits down with Alex to discuss his latest book The Deal, which revisits the life of Lang Tzu, a character in his critically acclaimed novel The Ancestor Game.

Reading list:

The Ancestor Game, Alex Miller, 1992

Journey to the Stone Country Alex Miller, 2003

Autumn Laing Alex Miller, 2011

A Kind of Confession, Alex Miller, 2023

The Deal, Alex Miller, 2024

Joan Lindsay, Brenda Niall, 2025

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: Alex Miller

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In 2017, Rachel Khong released her debut novel Goodbye, Vitamin to critical acclaim. In 2024, she followed it with her second novel, a sweeping family saga spanning five decades. Real Americans is a fascinating exploration of what makes us who we are and challenges some of the corrosive myths that underpin America. This week, Michael chats with Rachel about her new book and she shares her thoughts on luck, science, and the ultimate unknowability of each other and sometimes, even ourselves.

Reading list:

Goodbye, Vitamin, Rachel Khong, 2017

Real Americans, Rachel Khong, 2024

Somebody Down There Likes Me, Robert Lukins, 2025

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Rachel Khong

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Two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has never been afraid of formal experimentation. Her seventh and latest book supports that idea. It is bold and, once again, a heady mix of serious intellectual inquiry with beautifully observed characterisation and formal play. This week on the show, Michael sits down with Michelle for a conversation about Theory & Practice and she reveals why writing it felt so different to all of her other books.

Reading list:

The Rose Grower, Michelle de Kretser, 1999

The Hamilton Case, Michelle de Kretser, 2003

The Lost Dog, Michelle de Kretser, 2007

Questions of Travel, Michelle de Kretser, 2012

Springtime, Michelle de Kretser, 2014

The Life to Come, Michelle de Kretser, 2017

On Shirley Hazzard, Michelle de Kretser, 2019

Scary Monsters, Michelle de Kretser, 2021

Theory & Practice, Michelle de Kretser, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Michelle de Kretser

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Lech Blaine’s debut book Car Crash, told the gripping story of his life in the aftermath of a horrendous road accident that killed several of his friends. Since then he’s written political essays and thoughtful journalism: for The Monthly, for the Quarterly Essay and beyond. This week, we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with Lech at Canberra Writers’ Festival, where they discussed his latest book Australian Gospel: A Family Saga. The book details the outrageous true story of the tangled fates of two couples and the children trapped between them.

Reading list:

Car Crash, Lech Blaine 2019

Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, Lech Blaine 2024

Gunnawah, Ronni Salt, 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: Lech Blaine

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