Siblings, secrets and shame in regional Australia in M L Stedman's A Far Flung Life and Eva Hornung's The Minstrels (REVIEWERS Michael Robotham and Roanna Gonsalves) episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 6, 2026 · 54 MIN

Siblings, secrets and shame in regional Australia in M L Stedman's A Far Flung Life and Eva Hornung's The Minstrels (REVIEWERS Michael Robotham and Roanna Gonsalves)

from The Bookshelf · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Statues come alive and London is re-imagined in Francis Spufford's Nonesuch, and surprising parallels in two Australian novels of secrets, shame, land and time in M L Stedman's A Far-Flung Life and Eva Hornung's The Minstrels. Kate Evans, Cassie McCullagh, Michael Robotham and Roanna Gonsalves - to help you decide what to read next.BOOKSFrancis Spufford, Nonesuch, FaberEva Hornung, The Minstrels, TextM L Stedman, A Far-Flung Life, PenguinGUESTSMichael Robotham, internationally acclaimed crime writer – whose books include the Joe O’Loughlin series, the Cyrus Haven/ Evie Cormac series, and his latest – featuring Philomena MCcCarthy, The White Crow. His first Australian-based novel is out later this yearRoanna Gonsalves, writer whose collection of short stories is The Permanent Resident, and whose first novel (The Servants) will be published later this year. She is also one of the hosts of a monthly book club at the State Library of NSWOther books mentioned:Phillippa McGuiness and Richard Neville (eds) The Library that Made Me (you can write your own stories about libraries that have shaped you right here)Anita Heiss, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams Emily St John Mandel, Station ElevenCormac McCarthy, The RoadRashida Murphy’s Old Ghosts  and Karleah Olson’s Bloodwood (forthcoming)Michelle de Kretser, The Hamilton CaseNatasha Brown, Assembly, UniversalityCharlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark ShoreDon Winslow, The Power of the Dog, The Death and Life of Bobby Z,  The Final Score [stories]Presenters: Kate Evans and Cassie McCullaghProducer: Kate EvansSound engineers: Timothy JenkinsArts Editor: Rhiannon Brown

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Siblings, secrets and shame in regional Australia in M L Stedman's A Far Flung Life and Eva Hornung's The Minstrels (REVIEWERS Michael Robotham and Roanna Gonsalves)

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