The Book Show

Lee Lai has won the 2026 Stella Prize for her graphic novel Cannon, marking the first time a graphic novel has been awarded the $60,000 prize. She tells Claire Nichols why she was surprised to win and why the project of growing up is never finished.Running since 2013, the Stella Prize is an Australian award for women and non-binary writers. The judges praised Lai for her "elegant artistry" that "evokes horror and poignancy, shock and delight, and Cannon is an incontestable reminder that — in the hands of a masterful artist and storyteller — the very best graphic novels can do what prose alone cannot. And Cannon is absolutely one of the best."It's about Luce Cannon who feels her life falling apart as the pressures of being queer, a well behaved second generation Chinese migrant and a carer collide in an epically bad night at work in the kitchen of a Montreal restaurant.

What do fate and past lives reveal about who we are? Claire Nichols speaks with Veronica Roth and Amitav Ghosh on Seek the Traitor's Son and Ghost Eye.Award-winning, Indian-born American author Amitav Ghosh explores the mysteries of past lives in his latest novel Ghost Eye. Drawing on international case studies of reported reincarnation, Ghosh brings these stories to life through a narrative set in 1960s Calcutta. When a three-year-old girl from a wealthy, strictly vegetarian family wakes up insisting on eating fish, the question is raised: could she be remembering a previous life as a fisherwoman from a rural community? In conversation with Claire Nichols, Ghosh explains why such accounts of past-life memories shouldn't be dismissed outright as they say something profound about what it means to be human.Amitav Ghosh is visiting Australia in May and will be a guest at the Sydney Writers Festival, Saturday 23 May and the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne, Wednesday 27 May.Bestselling author Veronica Roth speaks with Claire Nichols about writing her debut novel Divergent while still a university student and how the book and series went on to sell more than 35 million copies worldwide. Now, Roth turns to adult speculative fiction with her new novel Seek the Traitor's Son, the first in an epic series set in a divided world. The story follows a young woman destined to save her people in a society fractured between those who worship the mysterious force known as the "fever" and those who reject it.

Readers have lovingly followed the fictional lives of Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton for more than a decade. Now their creator, Elizabeth Strout introduces a new character to embrace and Claire Nichols finds out why. Plus Amanda Lohrey explains her fascination with the belief in aliens.Artie Dam is an unassuming Massachusetts high school history teacher who seems to have it all, but is facing internal turmoil, even doubting the notion of free will. As Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout reveals in this interview, The Things We Never Say is a story reflecting our recent volatile times. And Miles Franklin winner Amanda Lohrey also dissects the idea of certainty in her latest novel. Capture is about a psychiatrist, Jim, who interviews people who say they've been abducted or visited by aliens. While assumptions may be challenged a truth is out there. Or is it? Amanda Lohrey explores life's mysteries with Claire Nichols. 

British poet, performer and novelist Kae Tempest explains why writing his second novel, Having Spent Life Seeking, was so necessary and Michael Winkler tells Claire Nichols why life might be better as a dog.Michael Winkler's second novel, Griefdogg follows his lauded genre-bending debut Grimmish about a boxer and a talking goat. It also made Australian literary history in 2022 as the first self-published novel to ever be shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Griefdogg is about a man who makes the unexpected decision to live as the family pet when the pressures of modern life get too much for him; in the conversation, Michael reflects on the appeal of "a dog's life".Kae Tempest is a British musician, poet, playwright and novelist who - since he was a teenager - has built an international reputation in rap and spoken word poetry. Kae's second novel, Having Spent Life Seeking follows Rothko who's newly released from prison and has returned to the hometown where everything fell apart. Claire also speaks to Kae about the challenges of writing a novel while maintaining a demanding schedule of live performances and musical projects.

David Malouf was a giant of Australian writing who was known and loved for his iconic debut novel, Johnno, about a young Brisbane man during World War 2; a book partly inspired by his own life.In a career spanning more than 50 years, David wrote plays, poetry, libretto, and more novels, including The Great World, and his Booker Prize shortlisted, Remembering Babylon.And today, on this special episode of The Book Show, we're remembering David who has died at the age of 92.Claire Nichols revisits her very special interview with David in 2025 in which he discusses his early life, sharing books with his mother, that first novel and the benefits of a daily walk on the beach.This interview was first broadcast on 25 September 2025.

Twins separated by the role of a dice, the rise of AI, and a mystery behind lives trying to hold it together in a lonely fractured world.  These are just a few of the themes discussed with Claire Nichols about A Rising of the Lights, the latest darkly comic novel from the Booker Prize shortlisted author Steve Toltz.Ian Kemish has used his considerable knowledge as a former Australian diplomat to write a debut that is ultimately about compassion. In Two Islands a young man flees the Balkan conflict to an isolated island on the west coast of Scotland. What does he find there and is he safe?

Steve Toltz talks to Claire Nichols about his comic novel A Rising of the Lights, and former diplomat Ian Kemish reflects on his tender debut, Two Islands, exploring the long tail of war.Twins separated by the role of a dice, the rise of AI, and a mystery behind lives trying to hold it together in a lonely fractured world. These are just a few of the themes discussed with Claire Nichols about A Rising of the Lights, the latest darkly comic novel from the Booker Prize shortlisted author Steve Toltz.Ian Kemish has used his considerable knowledge as a former Australian diplomat to write a debut that is ultimately about compassion. In Two Islands a young man flees the Balkan conflict to an isolated island on the west coast of Scotland. What does he find there and is he safe?

A fun wild ride here on the Book Show where Claire Nichols embraces the silly with Shaun Micallef and K-Pop with Chinese American writer Jenny Tinghui Zhang.Jenny Tinghui Zhang has tapped into the K-Pop phenomenon with her latest novel Superfan. A knock-off American K-Pop group are set to make history, but at what cost to them and their loyal fans? It's an affectionate but covert satire on obsession, loneliness and fame.And prepare for supreme silliness and a lot of blood letting when comedian, author, TV presenter Shaun Micallef debates vampires, zombie slaves and a cast of dead historical figures. His new book De'ath Takes a Holiday is a unique perspective on the Gothic romance horror where the harbinger of Dracula attempts mortality.

For this Easter special an opportunity to revisit Yael van der Wouden the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction winner.Her celebrated debut The Safekeep also made the 2024 Booker Prize shortlist. The Safekeep is set in the Netherlands, 15 years after the end of World War II and is about an uptight woman, an unpredictable house guest, loneliness, repression and desire. The novel confronts the prevailing narrative about the Dutch experience of World War II and its treatment of Jewish people.Claire Nichols spoke to Yael at the Sydney Writers Festival in 2025This conversation was first broadcast 23 June 2025

Debra Adelaide reflects on her pain and helplessness in the wake of writer and friend, Gabrielle Carey's death, and Emma Styles aptly takes Claire Nichols to the beach to discuss her thriller The Shark.Australian author Debra Adelaide's latest book is her most personal to date. As she reveals to Claire Nichols, writing When I am 64 was a way of coming to terms with the death, at age 64, of writer Gabrielle Carey, most known as the co-author of Puberty Blues. It's neither memoir nor fiction, but a blend of the two which gave Adelaide more freedom to reflect on her lifelong close friendship with Carey.If this conversation raises issues with you or those close to you Lifeline 13 11 14In her latest thriller The Shark, Emma Styles takes the reader to the height of a Perth summer. It's hot and as she tells Claire Nichols, a season sizzling with danger. But who is the shark circling on the beach and how can two teenage girls net them?

Irish author of Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín shares with Claire Nichols the stories that have shaped his latest collection that travels continents and times, and Patmeena Sabit tests assumptions about the death of a young woman in her inventive novel, Good People. Who do you believe?Colm Tóibín's collection of short stories, The News from Dublin is a glimpse into people living a life away from their homeland, from sisters wanting to return to Catalonia, the undocumented worker facing a decision, a mother receiving shocking news of the death of a son or the haunted Irishman seeking anonymity in Spain.Using the noise and commentary around the death of a young woman, Afghan-born, Canadian based author Patmeena Sabit speaks with Claire Nichols on the ways she draws on her family roots and academic research to not just tell a story, but test assumptions around migrant communities. Good People is about an Afghan family living the American dream, but cultural tensions, gossip, envy and conjecture swirl around following the death of their daughter.

 This is Where the Serpent Lives from Pakistani-US writer Daniyal Mueenuddin, is an elegy to a changing Pakistan where contemporary life and technology jostles with feudal social hierarchy, privilege, corruption and ambition.The protagonist in Australian writer Claire Thomas's latest novel On Not Climbing Mountains travels through grief on Swiss trains through the Alpine Way. It's a journey that inspires art, stories and captures moments of connection.

Howard Jacobson joins Claire Nichols to unpack Howl, and Australian authors Eva Hornung and Omar Musa discuss their latest novels.Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson has long written about Jewish identity, but only recently has he begun describing himself as a Jewish writer. He says the shift was prompted by the protests in England after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. His darkly comic novel, Howl, explores the Gaza conflict from a Jewish perspective and he reflects on the promise of fiction to foster debate about this long running conflict.Award‑winning Australian author Eva Hornung continues her exploration of our fragile bond with nature in her new novel, The Minstrels, where a dramatic landscape becomes the site of tragedy for siblings, Gem and Will. Eva tells Claire how learning an Indigenous language shaped the book and how her love of farm machinery also found its way into the narrative.Poet, visual artist, hip-hop musician and author Omar Musa finds magic in Italian beads, vengeful ghosts and the sound of the Borneo forest in his second novel. Fierceland exposes the dark side of Malay politics and the palm oil trade but is also a story of family and love. It also won the 2026 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for fiction. First broadcast 12 October 2025

In his new novel, Nonesuch, British author Francis Sufford introduces a fabulously spiky heroine fighting fascism and mysterious moving statues during London's Blitz. Plus, bestselling author Kathy Lette is in Australia touring her latest novel The Sisterhood Rules and urges women to embrace a "sensational second act" with plenty of laughter along the way.British author Francis Spufford, is celebrated for his historical fiction but Nonesuch marks his first foray into fantasy. Set in World War II London, the story includes demons, living statues, and a heroine who doesn't play nice. Francis discusses the fun of writing flawed female heroines - and villains - and why he wants to subvert his readers' expectations about World War II fiction.Kathy Lette, the bestselling Australian author who burst onto the literary scene at just 17 with the iconic Puberty Blues, returns with her 21st book, The Sisterhood Rules. The novel celebrates the power of the sisterhood through the story of estranged twin sisters unexpectedly reunited when their mother goes missing. Kathy Lette talks with Claire about her lifelong writing journey, her signature pun‑filled humour, and why she delights in writing novels that mirror the stages of a woman's life (from puberty to menopause).

Tayari Jones, author of the Women's Prize-winning An American Marriage, returns with Kin, a work of historical fiction that illuminates the inner lives of two motherless girls growing up in the American South during the Jim Crow era. And former Survivor contestant Steven Fishbach reveals the hidden world of reality television in his debut novel, Escape.In her new novel Kin, award‑winning American author Tayari Jones unpacks her parents' experiences living under segregation in the American South. The book follows two motherless girls whose tightly bound childhood eventually gives way to very different futures. Tayari also reflects on growing up in the post-Jim Crow American South and how reproductive rights have fundamentally changed women's lives.Former Survivor contestant, Stephen Fishbach was the self-declared nerd and fan favourite during his 2009 and 2015 appearances on the American series. But he always wanted to be a writer and now he's released his first novel Escape. Unsurprisingly, it's about a reality show on an island but in this game, the stakes are higher and the producers will go to any lengths to create groundbreaking TV.

A stolen kiss propels Patrick Ryan's American epic, Buckeye, which traces the loves, loss and lies of two Ohio couples. And Sita Walker on her inventive debut novel, In a Common Hour, which unfolds over a single school lunch break as a troubled but beloved teacher confronts his demons.Patrick Ryan's bestselling sixth book, Buckeye, traces America's shifting social landscape from the end of World War II to the Vietnam War and explores the idea of the "kind lie". At its heart are two Ohio couples whose lives become irrevocably intertwined when a secret is left to fester for decades. Patrick shares how the story began with an unbelievable anecdote about his grandmother and he reflects on how his own experience as a gay man shaped the narrative.Brisbane based English teacher Sita Walker brings classroom life to the page in her spellbinding debut novel, In a Common Hour. It explores the fragile bonds between students and teachers and the unexpected revelations that unfold over one lunchtime, when they scatter into the forest bordering the school and are forced to reckon with their actions. Read this profile of Sita Walker.

American author George Saunders reflects on why death is such fertile ground for fiction and how it shapes his haunting new novel Vigil. Plus, Australian writer Michael Mohammed Ahmad discusses writing through childhood trauma in his courageous and confronting novel Bugger.Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo) talks about his haunting new novel Vigil. Beginning with an angel's fall to Earth to usher an oil tycoon toward death, the book continues Saunders' exploration of mortality and the strange spaces between worlds. Saunders explains the challenge of writing this novel and why he enjoys getting stuck.Michael Mohammed Ahmad is a fearless Australian writer known for placing his own life at the centre of his work. He is best known for his acclaimed autobiographical trilogy — The Tribe, The Lebs, and The Other Half of You — and as the founder of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement in Western Sydney. Ahmad discusses his unflinching new novel, Bugger, a confronting exploration of child sexual abuse that draws on his own lived experience.

Doctor‑turned‑memoirist‑turned‑comedian Adam Kay makes his fiction debut with A Particularly Nasty Case, a medical murder mystery set inside a hospital. And Perth based author Jay Martin discusses her debut novel, Boom Town Snap, a story that shifts between the snowfields of Canada and outback Western Australia.Adam Kay's medical memoir, This Is Going to Hurt, was a global bestseller and made Radio National's Top 100 Books of the 21st Century list. Now, Kay has released his first novel, A Particularly Nasty Case, a crime story that blends his medical background with fiction. Set inside a hospital, the book follows a doctor‑turned‑detective who might be one of the most unreliable narrators you'll ever meet.Jay Martin's first novel Boom Town Snap follows Georgie from Western Australia to the Canadian oil fields in pursuit of her dreams and love life (mirroring Jay's own journey). All the while, she grapples with working in the mining sector as her values pull her towards a different lifestyle.

Bestselling author Trent Dalton reveals how The Wizard of Oz appears in every book he's written — from Boy Swallows Universe to his latest novel, Gravity Let Me Go. Plus, Wicked author Gregory Maguire revisits the inspiration behind his iconic series with the release of Elphie: A Wicked Childhood.Australia's favourite novelist, Trent Dalton joins Claire Nichols in front of a Perth crowd to discuss why his personal story is such a rich source of inspiration in his storytelling and also how imagination became a form of escape during a difficult childhood growing up in crime‑affected 1980s Brisbane. His latest novel, Gravity Let Me Go is about a middle-aged crime journalist and the incredible murder mystery that lands in his letterbox. Wicked author Gregory Maguire revisits the inspiration behind his landmark 1995 novel Wicked, which re‑imagined The Wizard of Oz through the eyes of the so‑called Wicked Witch of the West, exploring her childhood and life before Dorothy arrived in Oz. Thirty years on, and with the Wicked film adaptation continuing its global success, Maguire speaks to Claire Nichols about returning to the world of Oz with the release of Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. This interview was first broadcast 14 April 2025, listen to the full interview here.

Philip Pullman's 30 year enchantment with his heroine Lyra Belacqua and His Dark Materials continues with The Rose Field. And Zoe Terakes takes a queer view of the Ancient Greek myths in Eros.Northern Lights, the first book in Philip Pullman's beloved fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials, was published in 1995 and the series has gone on to define him. His new book is the latest in a companion trilogy he started in 2017, The Book of Dust. The last instalment, The Rose Field, has been billed as the final adventure for his heroine Lyra Belacqua. Philip also tells Claire about his time in Woomera, SA, in the 1950s and whether he'll be able to step away from Lyra's story.Australian actor-turned author Zoe Terakes (Wentworth, Talk to Me, Marvel) takes a fresh look at Greek myths in their first book of short stories, Eros: Queer Myths for Lovers, and brings the queer and trans undertones of these stories into the spotlight.Find Radio National's Arts Hour interview with Randa Abdel-Fattah on the ongoing implications of the cancellation of Adelaide Writers' Week here. 

From Sydney Writers Festival, two bestselling writers, David Nicholls and Liane Moriarty, reveal what it's like to see their stories go from the page to the screen.The British writer David Nicholls is best known for his novel One Day, which has been adapted to film and to television. While Australia's Liane Moriarty has seen every one of her books optioned for the screen and hit the big time with the starry TV adaptation of her novel Big Little Lies.David and Liane also discuss their latest novels, You Are Here and Here One Moment.First broadcast 26 May 2025Presenter: Claire NicholsProducer: Sarah L'EstrangeSound engineer: Carey Dell and David Le MayExecutive producer: Rhiannon Brown

God of Small Things author Arundhati Roy on her monstrous mother and becoming a writer, Colum McCann dives into the digital age with Twist and Penobscot Indian Nation writer Morgan Talty on his story of family bonds, Fire Exit.Arundhati Roy is a giant of literature. She's published two novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things and is a prolific author of non-fiction, much of which confronts injustice in her home country of India. Her latest book is a memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, which examines her complicated relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. Mary was a trailblazer in education and in fighting for equality for women but as a mum, she could be cruel and even violent. She died in 2022, and in the book, Arundhati Roy writes, "perhaps more than a daughter mourning the passing of her mother, I mourn her as a writer who has lost her most enthralling subject."  In his latest book Twist, New York-based Irish writer Colum McCann (Let the Great World Spin, Apeirogon) dives into the digital age, travelling deep under the ocean into a tangled world of ruptured fibrous connections, its human cost, and repair. Penobscot Indian Nation writer Morgan Talty's Fire Exit is a story of family bonds that go beyond bloodlines. Charles is a white man who must not only confront his past but decide whether to reveal his identity to the daughter he watches from across the river that borders the Native American Reservation of the Penobscot people. A compassionate account of family, love and connections, it also explores the complications that may arise from truth-telling.Presenter: Claire NicholsProducer: Sarah L'EstrangeSound engineer: Carey Dell and David Le MayExecutive producer: Rhiannon Brown

British author Samantha Harvey joined Claire Nichols at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival for a revelatory conversation about dreams, insomnia and publishing a book she didn't expect to write.Her 2024 Booker Prize winning novel, Orbital can be described as a "space pastoral" and it's about six astronauts on the International Space Station contemplating the wonder and beauty of the earth.  First broadcast 9 June 2025.Presenter: Claire NicholsProducer: Sarah L'EstrangeSound engineer: Carey Dell and David Le MayExecutive producer: Rhiannon Brown

Irish writer Marian Keyes joined Claire Nichols at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival and they spoke about how Marian became a writer when she was in the depths of despair. Marian also acknowledged the wisdom she's gained in a sometimes tumultuous life.  Marian's 16th novel, My Favourite Mistake (Penguin), is another story about one of her beloved Walsh sisters, a family she's been writing about for 30 years.First broadcast 11 May 2025Presenter: Claire NicholsProducer: Sarah L'EstrangeSound engineer: Carey Dell and David Le MayExecutive producer: Rhiannon Brown

Ocean Vuong's dazzling follow up to his debut On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Charlotte McConaghy's urgent Wild Dark Shore and David Malouf reflects on a life of writing.The Emperor of Gladness is the latest novel from the Vietnam born, American-based writer Ocean Vuong who made his name with his 2019 novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. His new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, takes you to a forgotten, rundown town in Connecticut called East Gladness which is a place of overgrown lawns and trampled weeds, of potholes and roadkill. Ocean shares why he thinks his latest book is self-indulgent (and that's ok), how he came to writing from business school and why his mother never knew that he dropped out of college to study literature.A small family lives on a remote island, the father a caretaker for the world's seeds. Then in the rising seas, a woman is washed up to shore. Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore is a mystery, a story of love, and a warning.Now at 91, David Malouf tells Claire Nichols about the place of fiction in his life and what it means to reissue three collections of poetry: An Open Book, Earth Hour and Typewriter Music.

Bri Lee, Madeleine Gray and Kate Mildenhall break the mould with their new books about fraying families, frightening futures and creepy animals in Seed, Chosen Family and The Hiding Place.These three authors have made a splash with their previous books and they joined each other in Perth with The Book Show host, Claire Nichols, to share the joy — and angst — of writing fiction and the challenge of creating believable worlds. Madeleine Gray is the author of Green Dot and her new book is Chosen Family.Bri Lee is the author of the acclaimed non-fiction work, Eggshell Skull, and her debut fiction was The Work. Her second novel is Seed.Kate Mildenhall is the author of four adult novels including The Hummingbird Effect and The Mother Fault. Her latest book is The Hiding Place.Plus, the final instalment in our five-part series Dear Jane, celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen. We ask why is Jane Austen endlessly adaptable? American author, Karen Joy Fowler (We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves) has published her own Austen-inspired novel, The Jane Austen Book Club (2004) and helps Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange answer this big question. Listen to the rest of the Dear Jane series here.

Why is Jane Austen endlessly adaptable? After all, her Pride and Prejudice character, Elizabeth Bennett, has fought zombies, investigated murders, been a video blogger and has performed Bollywood dance numbers. Is it the brilliant plotting, the wonderful characters or the humour that makes her work so readily transplanted to the screen, stage and page in so many different variations?American author, Karen Joy Fowler (We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves) has published her own Austen-inspired novel, The Jane Austen Book Club (2004) and helps Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange answer these questions in the last of our series celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen.Listen to the other Dear Jane episodes here.

For Jeanette Winterson, reading has been her liberation but she's worried about its future. She asks what AI means for storytelling in her new book One Aladdin Two Lamps. American author Lily King shares the surprising origin of her tear-jerker love-triangle novel, Heart the Lover and we consider the parallels between Regency England and Pakistan in our next instalment of Dear Jane.For British author Jeanette Winterson, the life of the imagination has been the motivating force throughout her life. More recently, the intersection of literature, humanity and technology in the form of AI has preoccupied the author of Oranges are Not the Only Fruit and Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal? She's gathered her ideas about this intersection and what it means for storytelling in a new book, One Aladdin Two Lamps, which also tackles the famous text 1001 Nights. In the face of this technological innovation, she asks the troubling question: will we be reading books in the future?Heart the Lover is the sixth novel by American author Lily King. It follows Jordan, a young woman at college who is torn between two men who also happen to be best friends. The choices she makes will ripple throughout her life. The book is both a tear-jerker and a love triangle and draws the reader to the emotional end.We don our bonnets to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen in the fourth episode in our series, Dear Jane. So far, we've delved into Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion and today we focus on the flawed character of Emma Woodhouse, who graces Austen's fourth published novel, Emma. Laleen Sukhera is our guide and founded the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan over a decade ago (and has hosted many Austen style tea parties). She finds parallels between life in Emma's Regency England and the Pakistan of her 1990s youth.

Jane Austen's influence has spread well beyond the Anglosphere 250 years after her birth and today we consider the the parallels between Austen's Regency England and contemporary Pakistan. Laleen Sukhera is the founder of the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan (which has expanded to the Jane Austen Society MENAP - Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan) and grew up reading Jane Austen. Now based in Dubai, she shares the many similarities between tea time, the marriage market and expectations on women in Austen's time and the Pakistan of her youth. She also shares why she has a soft spot for the fabulously flawed Emma Woodhouse in Austen's fourth published novel, Emma. Listen to the other episodes in Dear Jane here.

Megha Majumdar's A Guardian and a Thief asks what a billionaire, a manager and homeless person have in common, Sally Hepworth reveals the dramatic confession that led to her latest novel Mad Mabel and in the third episode of Dear Jane we are swept off our feet by the romance in Austen's Persuasion.Indian novelist Megha Majumdar's high stakes second novel, A Guardian and a Thief, drills into the moral dilemma posed by climate catastrophe and the will to survive. It takes a near future Kolkata ravaged by drought and famine and pits middle-class Ma against impoverished Boomba. Both are trying to survive and support their families but who has the moral high ground in this scenario? Megha reflects on how becoming a parent made her the writer she needed to be and why she doesn't want to reinforce the "noble mother" stereotype in her fiction.Australian author Sally Hepworth's tenth book can be thought of as a heartwarming crime novel. While this description might sound like a contradiction, Mad Mabel is about a granny serial killer but is also about loneliness, neglect and female friendship. Sally tells Claire about the unexpected confession that was inspiration for the book.We continue our celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen with the third episode in our series, Dear Jane. So far, we've busted some myths and revealed why Austen loves sailors. Today we focus on the romance in Jane Austen's Persuasion with Australian comedian and lover of romance, Alice Fraser. Alice is the author of A Passion for Passion: A Delirious Love Letter to Romance.

Jane Austen's novel Persuasion was the last she completed before her death and it is considered a more mature, sombre romance, and in Dear Jane, we ask what makes it so special?Persuasion follows the ever dependable Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth's rekindled romance after an eight year hiatus when it was deemed unsuitable. Australian comedian Alice Fraser describes it as the original second-chance romance and explains why it's different from Austen's other romances. Alice is the author of A Passion for Passion: A Delirious Love Letter to Romance.

British comic Ben Elton on the Aussie inspiration for writing fiction, and Miles Franklin winner Sofie Laguna on the collision of puberty and Roman mythology in her novel The Underworld. Plus the rules for reading Austen's Pride and Prejudice with Irish writer Colm Tóibín.It seems Ben Elton can do anything. Since his first writing gig at 21 for the BBC sitcom The Young Ones, he's been a stand-up comedian, a TV presenter and a writer for Blackadder (and many other film and TV productions). He's also had a prolific career as a novelist with 16 titles to his name, including Stark. So how does he manage his ego, being edited and the constant tussle of new ideas inside his mind? He's just released his autobiography, What Have I Done? and Claire Nichols visited him before a gig at Perth's Regal Theatre to find out.Australian author Sofie Laguna writes for adults and children and is a past winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award (The Eye of the Sheep 2015). Sofie has a special affinity with the inner lives of young people and her latest novel, The Underworld, opens in 1973, when the main protagonist, Martha is 14 years old and dealing with puberty. She's an awkward outsider but she's also clever and brave. Sofie tells Claire Nichols why she was so taken with this character.In a Jane Austen novel, what does it mean if a character is in the Navy? Irish author of Brooklyn and Long Island, Colm Tóibín, has the answer and shares some "rules" for reading Austen's most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. This is the second episode in our Dear Jane series which is a celebration of Austen's enduring legacy 250 years after her birth. 

In a Jane Austen novel, what does it mean if a character is in the Navy? What role do aunts and silly characters play? And what's the significance of the lavish balls? Irish author of Brooklyn and Long Island, Colm Tóibín, has the answers and shares some "rules" for reading Austen including her most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. This is the second episode in The Book Show's Dear Jane series which is a celebration of Austen's enduring legacy 250 years after her birth. 

The British-Hungarian author David Szalay restrained novel Flesh has won the 2025 Booker Prize. The prize was presented to Szalay by Samantha Harvey, winner of the previous year's prize. Flesh follows the dramatic life of István from his teens in Hungary to being a social climber in England to a somewhat dejected middle-age.Szalay says that while the book was a risk to write he enjoyed the process. It's obviously paid off as he receives £50,000 for the win and will likely see a big increase in sales of his book.

Patricia Lockwood's latest book is the third exploring her inner state, just don't call it a trilogy. A call to all Jane Austen lovers with the beginning of our new series Dear Jane, and Markus Zusak on the wonder of books.Chronically online American author Patricia Lockwood blurs the lines between fiction and memoir in her latest book, Will There Ever Be Another You. Patricia is best known for her memoir Priest Daddy and the Booker Prize shortlisted novel, No One is Talking About This. Her new book is inspired by her own experience of long COVID and what it did to her mind. She tells Claire Nichols about over-ordering at the Wendy's franchise, the connections between her three books and feeling well again.We're celebrating Jane Austen's 250th birthday with Dear Jane, a brand-new series about her life, her books, her legacy, and why authors are still inspired by her novels. In the first instalment, Roller Derby Austen fanatic and academic Devoney Looser busts some myths and explains why she believes Jane Austen was wild, not mild. Devoney's new book is Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane.The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was voted in at second place in our recent Top 100 Books countdown. This year also marks 20 years since this beloved book was published. It's about Leisel, a feisty German girl who finds power in stealing books and was inspired by Markus's parents' experiences in Europe during World War Two. It's a novel of big ideas and huge creative risks including Death as the narrator. Claire spoke to Markus for The Book Show's series My Biggest Book.Listen to the Top 100 Books countdown.Download a printable list of the Top 100 Books.

We're celebrating Jane Austen's 250th birthday with Dear Jane, a brand-new series about her life, her books and her legacy.  In the first instalment, Roller Derby Austen fanatic and academic Devoney Looser busts some myths and explains why she believes Jane Austen was wild, not mild.Devoney's new book is Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane.

Become a Booker Prize expert and meet the shortlisted authors before the winner is announced in a ceremony featuring classic British pomp and fanfare.These are the shortlisted books:Flashlight by Susan ChoiThe Land in Winter by Andrew MillerThe Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran DesaiAudition by Katie KitamuraFlesh by David SzalayThe Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits.The Booker Prize is arguably the most prestigious literary prize in the English-speaking world, the winning author receives £50,000, while the shortlisted authors all receive £2,500. Importantly, the winner makes history and joins literary alumni including Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje and Peter Carey and can expect a sharp rise in sales.The winner is announced 10 November.Another book extravaganza that has everyone talking is the Top 100 Books countdown. Listen again to the highlights here. Download a printable copy of the Top 100 Books list here. 

The American elegy, Dream State by American author Eric Puchner is one of Claire's favourite books of the year, Australian crime novelist Jane Harper explores grief and loss in Last One Out , and we revisit Paul Murray's The Bee Sting which made it into the Top 100 Books countdown.Set under the vast Montana sky, American author Eric Puchner traverses time, changing landscapes and the sometimes grim consequences of both small and large deeds in his latest novel. Dream State begins as a love triangle and sweeps across generations, encompassing many themes; from grief, guilt, long term love, male bonds, climate change, skiing and so much more, including a glimpse at a wolverine.Since the publication of the The Dry almost ten years ago, Jane Harper has become a household name in crime fiction. Her latest is a standalone novel set in a rural New South Wales town that's been overtaken by a mine, forcing many people to leave and resentment to brew. She tells Sarah L'Estrange Last One Out is about Ro, who's returned to the town for her son's memorial and she's still trying to understand what led to his disappearance five years ago.  And as a special treat we revisit a conversation with the Irish writer, Paul Murray about his book The Bee Sting. A contemporary family story, it came in at number 71 in the Top 100 Books of the 21st century. It begins with a disaster as a bride is on her way to the church.Listen to the Top 100 Books countdown.Download a printable list of the Top 100 Books.

The Top 100 Books of the 21st Century countdown is complete and now it's time to find out the inspiration behind some of Australia's favourite books with the authors: Trent Dalton, Hannah Kent and Barbara Kingsolver.Trent Dalton's debut novel Boy Swallows Universe was voted in as your number one read of the 21st century. A coming of age story, it follows the young boy, Eli Bell, who has a missing dad, a silent brother, a drug addicted mother and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. The novel is made all the more remarkable for how closely it's based on Trent Dalton's own life growing up on the Brisbane fringe. Trent shares his recollections of writing the book with Claire Nichols and what it means to be voted number one in the Top 100 Books. American writer Barbara Kingsolver's novel Demon Copperhead is a modern day retelling of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Women's Prize for Fiction and now, it came out at number eight in the Top 100 Books countdown. Demon Copperhead is about Damon, known as Demon, who is just 12 when we meet him living a hard-scrabble life in Appalachia, USA. Barbara Kingsolver also calls this area home and in 2022, she told Claire Nichols about wanting to write a book about a new generation of lost boys highlighting issues of poverty, foster care and the opioid crisis in America.Another debut novel to crack the top ten was Burial Rights by the Australian writer Hannah Kent which was voted in at number six. This novel fictionalises the life of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland. It was inspired by Hannah Kent's own time in Iceland which she's documented in a new memoir called Always Home, Always Homesick.Download a printable list of the Top 100 Books.Listen to the Top 100 Books countdown.

Heather Rose found writing her latest novel challenging because it's partly based on some murky family secrets. The author of The Museum of Modern Love and Bruny Island among other award winning novels, has now written A Great Act of Love: an historical saga of murder, migration, transformation and enduring familial bonds. It has a surprising effervescent setting;  making French style champagne in colonial Tasmania. Poet, visual artist, hip-hop musician and author Omar Musa finds magic in Italian beads, vengeful ghosts and the sound of the Borneo forest in his second novel. Fierceland exposes the dark side of Malay politics and trade in palm oil, but is also a story of family and love.Australian author Natalia Figueroa Barroso also draws on family and culture in her debut novel Hailstones Fell Without Rain.  From single migrant mothers making a life in Western Sydney to women surviving and resisting political oppression in Uruguay, it's a multigenerational celebration of strength and renewal.

It's 25 years since True History of the Kelly Gang came out and while Peter Carey might not be writing fiction anymore he says he's proud of his books. My Sister, The Serial Killer's Oyinkan Braithwaite on not writing the same book twice in Cursed Daughters and Tanya Scott's debut thriller, Stillwater. When it comes to Australia's great novelists, few loom larger than Peter Carey. He's won the Booker Prize twice, and the Miles Franklin Award three times and is beloved for books like Oscar and Lucinda, Illywhacker, Jack Maggs and A Long Way from Home. But at the age of 82, he says he's done with writing fiction. Instead, we're celebrating 25 years since the publication True History of The Kelly Gang which won the Booker in 2001.Oyinkan Braithwaite is a Nigerian-British author who made a big splash with her first novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer which was longlisted for the Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Women's Prize and won the Thriller Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Her second novel, Cursed Daughters, is about three generations of Nigerian women and the family curse that dominates their lives.Stillwater is the debut thriller by Tanya Scott, a GP working in the mental health sector in regional Victoria. It's about Luke, a young man trying to escape his past when a run in with an old associate drags him back into a world of violence and crime.

Trent Dalton's new novel Gravity Let Me Go is about a middle aged journalist who can't let go of a good story, and David Malouf reflects on a life of writing and the hold of Brisbane on his imagination.Trent Dalton is the bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe, All Our Shimmering Skies and Lola in the Mirror. His new novel Gravity Let me Go, is about a Brisbane crime journalist with a big story, an aching body and a family who could be in peril. Trent tells Claire Nichols that this book was a reckoning with who he is now as a middle aged family man with a serious story addiction. He also explains why he thinks of Brisbane as akin to Paris, London or New York for its romance, dark side and storytelling potential. Trent Dalton also shares his favourite book for ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books with a special shout-out to Geraldine Brooks. Vote for your favourite book of the 21st Century here. David Malouf was one of the first writers to put modern-day Brisbane on the literary map with his semi-autobiographical novel Johnno and says the city he wrote about was his own invention. Now at 91, David tells Claire Nichols about the place of fiction in his life and what it means to reissue three collections of poetry: An Open Book, Earth Hour and Typewriter Music.

Ian McEwan's futuristic novel What We Can Know is about rising sea levels and a lost poem. Plus, Randa Abdel-Fattah's response to the crisis in Gaza in her novel Discipline and Vogel Award winner Murray Middleton on the despair of being an artist.Ian McEwan is the British author of over 20 books including Atonement, Saturday, Lessons and his Booker Prize-winner, Amsterdam. His new novel, What We Can Know is set a century in the future where a history professor has dedicated his career to examining our era known as the "derangement". McEwan talks about writing a climate change novel and why we're all complicit in this contemporary derangement. He also tells Claire Nichols how he's learnt to be more humble as a writer.Randa Abdel-Fattah is a Palestinian Egyptian author, lawyer and academic who's mostly written books for children and young adults, but Discipline is her first novel for adults. It follows two Muslim characters living in Australia, as conflict breaks out in Gaza. It's about the agony of watching your family suffer from far away and it's also about the politics of our country and the cost of speaking out.Vogel Award winning author Murray Middleton contemplates the despair of being an artist in his latest collection of short stories, U Want it Darker. Many of the characters are dealing with a sense of failure, which is personal for Murray Middleton whose had his own set backs as an artist.  The Book Thief author, Markus Zusak shares his favourite book of the 21st Century for ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books. VOTE NOW! 

God of Small Things author Arundhati Roy remembers her difficult mother and how she was shaped as a writer, and Mick Herron on the success of Slow Horses and his repellent but memorable creation, Jackson Lamb.Arundhati Roy is a giant of literature. She's published two novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things and is a prolific author of non-fiction, much of which confronts injustice in her home country of India. Her latest book is a memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, which examines her complicated relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. Mary was a trailblazer in education and in fighting for equality for women but as a mum, she could be cruel and even violent. She died in 2022, and in the book, Arundhati Roy writes, "perhaps more than a daughter mourning the passing of her mother, I mourn her as a writer who has lost her most enthralling subject."British author Mick Herron says his popular Slough House series that began with Slow Horses in 2010 wasn't an immediate success. Although, now the Slough House universe about disgraced MI5 agents has grown with nine novels in the ongoing series and another seven associated standalone books and of course a wonderful TV series. The latest in the series Clown Town is about a missing book, and Jackson Lamb, the flatulent boss of these ragtag agents, is repellent as ever. But Mick Herron cautions not to read his books as an insight into the operations of MI5.VOTE NOW in ABC Radio National’s Top 100 Books of the 21st Century.

Australian author of Addition, Toni Jordan, goes gambling with greyhounds in Tenderfoot, Richard Osman digs up the background to The Thursday Murder Club and critically acclaimed writer, Gail Jones on why she wrote the crime novel, The Name of the Sister.Toni Jordan is the Australian author of eight books including Addition, The Fragments and Dinner with the Schnabels. Her new novel, Tenderfoot, is her most personal. It's told from the perspective of a child in 1970s Brisbane who's growing up amongst greyhounds and racing tracks and dealing with her parents' divorce. Toni reflects on her own life growing up at the TAB and why she turned to this personal story now.Some inspiration for ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books of the 21st Century: we revisit The Thursday Murder Club by the British writer and TV personality Richard Osman which has been a massive hit since it was published in 2020, with three sequels and a movie adaptation out now starring Helen Mirren. Here on The Book Show Claire Nichols spoke to Richard right when the book was first published.Cast your vote in ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books here.Gail Jones is one of our most prolific and celebrated authors. Her novels have been shortlisted and awarded for many of the big literary awards but she's done something different in her latest book by writing a crime novel. In The Name of the Sister a freelance journalist investigates the story of a nameless woman who's turned up on the side of the road in Broken Hill, unable to speak and clearly damaged by some sort of abuse. Gail reflects on a life in literature and why she became a writer later in life. 

Discover the favourite books from the 21st century of Colum McCann, Kate Grenville and Kaliane Bradley who share their best reads for ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books.  The Book Show producer Sarah L'Estrange spoke to three acclaimed authors at Melbourne Writers Festival in the lead up to ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books countdown. Go here to vote for your favourite book of the last 25 years.Guests:Colum McCann is an Irish author of eight novels including Let the Great World Spin and Apeirogon and his latest is Twist which is a tale about disconnection in this hyper connected world.Kate Grenville is the author of over 15 books of fiction and non-fiction, including her Orange Prize winning book The Idea of Perfection, The Secret River and her latest book, Unsettled, explores the personal story behind The Secret River.Kaliane Bradley is a British-Cambodian writer and editor whose bestselling debut novel The Ministry of Time is a time travel novel about immigration, history and romance.Panel's top reads of the 21st century:Kate GrenvilleMateship With Birds by Carrie TiffanyAnything Can Happen, by Susan HamptonOlive Cotton, a Life in Photography by Helen EnnisThe Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill GammageCarpentaria by Alexis WrightKaliane BradleyNight Watch by Terry PratchettLandbridge by Y-Dang TroeungDrive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-JonesStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangGrief Is the Thing With Feathers by Max PorterColum McCannUlysses by James JoyceTrue History of the Kelly Gang by Peter CareyA Mercy by Toni MorrisonAnil's Ghost by Michael OndaatjeHalf of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Aidiche(and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson)

Yellowface author R.F. Kuang returns to speculative fiction with her latest novel Katabasis, a campus novel set in hell. Plus Australian author Moreno Giovannoni's second novel The Immigrant challenges the idea that Italian immigrants of his parent's generation had better lives in Australia.While R.F. Kuang had a global hit with Yellowface — her 2023 satirical novel about race and publishing — Rebecca was already an acclaimed fantasy writer and she returns to this territory with her new book, Katabasis. It's a campus novel set in hell about magic and romance. Rebecca also tells Claire Nichols why she loves fantasy, why she has a "dumb" phone and shares her idea of the good life.Australian writer Moreno Giovannoni explains the background to his second novel The Immigrants (his first book is The Fireflies of Autumn) and shares his memories of his immigrant childhood, and the parents who came to Australia from Italy for a so-called 'better life'.

Russian born US writer Gary Shteyngart imagines a future America with strong parallels to Russia in Vera, or Faith, Adelaide based author Jennifer Mills' latest novel Salvage rockets into space after ecological collapse, and Geelong author Rhett Davis on Aborescence about people who want to become trees.Gary Shteyngart is the Russian-born, American-based author of novels including Absurdistan, Super Sad True Love Story and Our Country Friends. His latest book Vera, or Faith, is about a precocious child living in near future America, where cars have attitude and equality is under threat. Gary talks about the worrying parallels between the USA and Russia and the precarious state of immigrants in the country.Jennifer Mills (Dyschronia and The Airways) is one of the most exciting experimental writers in Australia. Her latest novel, Salvage, is a propulsive novel about sisterhood, space and what happens after ecological collapse. She also talks about wanting her books to be of use to readers. And staying with the environmental theme, Geelong based author Rhett Davis's second book Arborescence continues his fascination with trees that featured in his debut, Hovering. Arborescence is about a movement of people who want to grow roots and become trees (and they do, in their billions)! It's also about the absurdity of modern-day life.

Florence Knapp's debut novel The Names is a sliding doors story about the naming of a child and has been a surprise success (for her). Plus Brandon Jack, former Aussie Rules Football player on his novel Pissants about the players who don't win glory on the field and how they get their nicknames.Florence Knapp's hugely popular debut novel The Names explores the power of a name. Starting in 1980s England, it's a sliding doors story about the seismic impacts of a woman's choice of name for her newborn son. Florence also talks about dealing with the unexpected success of her first book.And something a bit different, a novel by former Aussie Rules Football player, Brandon Jack, who played for the Sydney Swans (finishing in 2017). Pissants tells the story of a ragtag group of fringe AFL players making bad choices and getting into trouble. Brandon talks about his shift from football to fiction, why nicknames are important for team spirit and having Helen Garner (Australian literary royalty) as a fan. Read this article for more background about the writing of Pissants.

Amy Bloom on her latest novel I'll Be Right Here about an unconventional chosen family, Ben Markovits goes on the road with his Booker Prize longlisted novel The Rest of Our Lives and Barbara Truelove's bonkers book about Dracula in space, Of Monsters and Mainframes. Amy Bloom is the American author of ten books (including White Houses) and her new historical novel, I'll Be Right Here, begins in wartime Paris and follows an unconventional, chosen family into the 21st century. The famous French author Collette has a cameo role too. Amy Bloom also shares the two things that matter to her most and why she writes about love in all its forms.Of Monsters and Mainframes is the debut novel of the Australian author and game designer Barbara Truelove. It's a genre mash of science fiction and pulp horror and is largely narrated by a sentient spaceship. The Rest of Our Lives is the 12th novel by British-American writer Benjamin Markovits and has recently been longlisted for the Booker Prize. It follows Tom, who's in a middle aged rut, as he sets out on a road trip across America and visits people from his past. Ben also talks about his failed career as a professional basketball player, the parallels between basketball and writing, and how a health crisis enriched the writing of this latest book.