November 27, 2025

Superstars of the literary and musical world: Margaret Atwood’s new memoir; Hannah Kent’s critical readings; Stuart Coupe’s musical knowledge; Bob Dylan...

Listen Later

54 minutes

Superstars of the literary and musical world this week: Margaret Atwood’s new memoir; Hannah Kent’s critical readings; Stuart Coupe’s musical knowledge; Bob Dylan . . . OK, well he’s not exactly on the show, but he’s the subject of MUCH literary speculation in a buzzy new release by New Yorker Sam Sussman. Also – the voice of the wind howls, laughs and taunts its subjects, in an inventive piece of writing from Sarah Hall.

BOOKS

Sam Sussman, Boy from the North Country, Grove Press
Sarah Hall, Helm, Faber
Margaret Atwood, Books of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, Chatto & Windus

GUESTS

Hannah Kent, novelist and memoirist whose books include Burial Rites, The Good People, Devotion and – most recently - Always Home, Always Homesick: A Love Letter to Iceland
Stuart Coupe, music writer and promoter whose books include Roadies: The Secret History of Australian Rock’n’ Roll; Shake Some Action: My Life In Music, (and Other Stuff); and – most recently – Saffron Incorporated: The First King Of King Of The Cross And Fifty Years Of Sex, Murder, Music And Mayhem

OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED

The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, Niko Stratis
Harley Loco, Rayya Elias
Happy Doll series, Jonathan Ames
All the Way to the River, Elizabeth Gilbert
The History of Sound, Ben Shattuck
Linea Maja Ernst, Waist Deep (translated by Sherilyn Hellberg)
Deborah Levy, Hot Milk
Heart the Lover, Lily King
Bread of Angels, Patti Smith

CREDITS

Presenter, Kate Evans and Cassie McCullagh
Producer, Kate Evans and Sarah Corbett
Sound engineer, Roi Hubermann and Harvey O'Sullivan
Arts editor, Rhiannon Brown

...more

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The Bookshelf

By ABC

4.5

3030 ratings

November 27, 2025

Superstars of the literary and musical world: Margaret Atwood’s new memoir; Hannah Kent’s critical readings; Stuart Coupe’s musical knowledge; Bob Dylan...

Listen Later

54 minutes

Superstars of the literary and musical world this week: Margaret Atwood’s new memoir; Hannah Kent’s critical readings; Stuart Coupe’s musical knowledge; Bob Dylan . . . OK, well he’s not exactly on the show, but he’s the subject of MUCH literary speculation in a buzzy new release by New Yorker Sam Sussman. Also – the voice of the wind howls, laughs and taunts its subjects, in an inventive piece of writing from Sarah Hall.

BOOKS

Sam Sussman, Boy from the North Country, Grove Press
Sarah Hall, Helm, Faber
Margaret Atwood, Books of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, Chatto & Windus

GUESTS

Hannah Kent, novelist and memoirist whose books include Burial Rites, The Good People, Devotion and – most recently - Always Home, Always Homesick: A Love Letter to Iceland
Stuart Coupe, music writer and promoter whose books include Roadies: The Secret History of Australian Rock’n’ Roll; Shake Some Action: My Life In Music, (and Other Stuff); and – most recently – Saffron Incorporated: The First King Of King Of The Cross And Fifty Years Of Sex, Murder, Music And Mayhem

OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED

The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, Niko Stratis
Harley Loco, Rayya Elias
Happy Doll series, Jonathan Ames
All the Way to the River, Elizabeth Gilbert
The History of Sound, Ben Shattuck
Linea Maja Ernst, Waist Deep (translated by Sherilyn Hellberg)
Deborah Levy, Hot Milk
Heart the Lover, Lily King
Bread of Angels, Patti Smith

CREDITS

Presenter, Kate Evans and Cassie McCullagh
Producer, Kate Evans and Sarah Corbett
Sound engineer, Roi Hubermann and Harvey O'Sullivan
Arts editor, Rhiannon Brown

...more