Fighting aliens with bows arrows, reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and why he's drawn to historical fiction. Former Governor General Peter Cosgrove speaks to Kate Evans about books, reading, history, political biography and writing memoir

Kate and Cassie discuss Patricia Lockwood's No One is Talking About This, Peace Adzo Medie's His Only Wife and Marco Missiroli's Fidelity with writer Sefakor Zikpi and journalist Penelope Green, while Jacqueline Maley reflects on the books that sit beside her own new novel, The Truth About Her

Maria Dahvana Headley knows how to write - and read - monsters. And in doing both she remakes them, as she explains to Kate Evans

Fame, fate, a fair bit of love lost and serial killers in this week's edition of The Bookshelf.

Novelist Steven Carroll speaks with Kate Evans about both the books and publishing history imbedded in his novel O

Language specialist Tiger Webb joins Kate while Cassie is away this week, to discuss Blair James' Bernard and Pat, Patricia Engel's Infinite Country and Haruki Murakami's short story collection First Person Singular - with novelist Ronnie Scott and scholar Dominique Hecq