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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.    Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Rachel Khong

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.    Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Guest: Michelle de Kretser

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

For so many, Noni Hazlehurst is the patron saint of early childhood nostalgia, known for her magnetic presence on Playschool. But Noni has had a long and storied career on stage and screen in Australia – from hosting Better Homes & Gardens to starring in the award-winning one-woman play Mother. This week on the show Noni chats with Michael about her new memoir, Dropping the Mask, where she reclaims a lifetime in the public eye and shares it back on the page.    Reading list: Dropping the Mask, Noni Hazlehurst, 2024 Martyr!, Kaveh Akbar, 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: Noni Hazlehurst

Read This returns next Thursday 16 January! We’re kicking off 2025 with Australian icon Noni Hazlehurst, who is on the show to discuss her new memoir Dropping the Mask.Join us for another year of insightful, fascinating, and revealing conversations with some of the best writers from Australia and around the world.

For our last episode of 2024, Michael heads back to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.
Reading list:Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir, 1958The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, 2008Ritual, Chloe Elizabeth Wilson, 2025The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001I Could Not Believe It, Sean DeLear, 1979Unlicensed: Bootlegging as Creative Practice, Ben Schwartz, 2024Deadly Embrace, Jackie Collins, 2001Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez, 1993The Season, Helen Garner, 2024The Safe Keep, Yael van der Wouden, 2024All Fours, Miranda July, 2024Time’s Monster, Priya Satia, 2020The Lovers, Yumna Kassab, 2022Deep Water, James Bradley, 2024The Tribe, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, 2014Edith Trilogy, Frank Moorhouse, 1992-2011The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse, John Clarke, 1994
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

Best known for his thought-provoking explorations of sexuality and identity across generations, British author Alan Hollinghurst rose to international stardom after his 2004 novel The Line of Beauty was awarded the Booker Prize. In his seventh novel, Our Evenings, Alan adopts the memoir format, offering a delicate meditation on memory, loss, and the passage of time. On this week’s episode, Michael is joined by Alan on Zoom to discuss his life and career and why this book is as close as Alan will get to writing his own memoir.
Reading list:The Swimming Pool Library, Alan Hollinghurst, 1988The Folding Start, Alan Hollinghurst, 1994The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst, 2004The Sparsholt Affair, Alan Hollinghurst, 2017Our Evenings, Alan Hollinghurst, 2024
Theory and Practice, Michelle de Kretser, 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 TwitterGuest: Alan Hollinghurst

John Safran has been a fixture in Australian media since his breakthrough in 1997 with ABC TV's Race Around the World. After several TV series of his own that explored ideas about faith, race and culture, John made the shift to book-length journalism. This week, Michael sits down for a conversation with John about his latest book, Squat, and he reveals the deeper story behind his week living in Kanye West’s Malibu mansion.
Reading list:Murder in Mississippi, John Safran, 2013Depends What You Mean By Extremist, John Safran, 2017Puff Piece, John Safran, 2021Squat, John Safran, 2024
Glyph, Ali Smith, 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 TwitterGuest: John Safran

Historian and author Professor Clare Wright’s award-winning work is about righting the wrongs of Australian history. Across three books she takes a historical artefact and uses it to understand the voices that are too often missing from the historical record: the Eureka flag, the suffragette banner, and now the Bark Petitions. This week, Michael sits down with Clare for a conversation about her new book Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions.
Reading list:The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, Clare Wright, 2014You Daughters of Freedom, Clare Wright, 2018Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions, Clare Wright, 2024
The Season, Helen Garner, 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 TwitterGuest: Clare Wright

The Robodebt scheme is considered by many to be one of the Australian government’s worst scandals. Senior Reporter for The Saturday Paper and Walkley Award-winning journalist Rick Morton followed the case closely and he documents the crisis and its devastating effects in his latest book. This week, we bring you Michael’s conversation from Canberra Writers’ Festival with Rick as they discuss Mean Streak.
Reading list:Mean Streak, Rick Morton, 2024One Hundred Years of Dirt, Rick Morton, 2023My Year Of Living Vulnerably, Rick Morton, 2022
Words to Sing the World Alive, Jasmin McGaughey, 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 TwitterGuest: Rick Morton