Take Home Reading is a new short-form audio series for readers and writers – shining a spotlight on Australian writers with recently released books. In each instalment, you’ll be introduced to a writer, learn a little about what they’ve been reading lately, and hear a short reading from their latest work. Find it on the Wheeler Centre podcast.

In this episode we’re talking to Kirsten Alexander about her debut novel, Riptides.

Set in Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s Queensland during a time of tremendous social upheaval, Riptides is a gripping family drama about dreams, choices and consequences.

'In some ways I thought it's not a straight line ever from the past to the present… I think our country is still evolving, we're still coming into our own being, and I think we still have a lot to learn about how to treat one another and the space we’re in. But some of the lessons we learnt in the past we just throw away very easily. I'm not sure if other countries do that, but Australia certainly seems to struggle to learn from our past.'

Kirsten was programmed to appear in our Next Big Thing: Australiana Edition, which was unfortunately cancelled as part of our preventative measures to stem the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

Riptides is out now through Penguin Random House.

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