Podcasts by Compulsive Reader talks

Compulsive Reader talks

Compulsive Reader's author interviews, book chat, literary discussions, readings and more. It's an audio haven for book lovers! Recent and upcoming guests include Terry Denton, Marion Halligan, Sir Ken Robinson, Emily Ballou, Sofie Laguna, Matthew Riley, John Banville, Felicity Plunkett, Mark Coker, Peter Bowerman, Eric Maisel, Ramona Koval, Tim Flannery, Carl Zimmer, Gail Jones, Jane Smiley, Frank Delaney, Ben Okri, and many more.

Further podcasts by Magdalena Ball

Podcast on the topic Bücher

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Compulsive Reader talks
Valerie Werder on Thieves from 2023-12-04T22:40:36

Valerie Werder reads from and talks about her award-winning debut novel Thieves. In this wide-ranging interview we talk about such things as representation, semantics, spirituality, thi...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Beatriz Copello on No Salami Fairy Bread from 2023-11-21T04:22:56

Beatriz Copello, author of No Salami Fairy Bread drops by to read from and talk about her newest poetry book. We talk about such things as the linguistic quality of the book, its struct...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Samuel Lucas Allen on CUT from 2023-10-25T10:45:55

Award winning filmmaker Samuel Lucas Allen talks about their new short film CUT. We talk about how the film came together as a project, the extraordinary cinematography, on working with their fa...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Eugen Bacon on Serengotti from 2023-10-05T04:06:18

Award winning author Eugen Bacon reads from and talks about her latest book Serengotti. We discuss such things as the books themes including notions of privilege, racism, misogyny and t...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Esther Ottaway on She Doesn't Seem Autistic from 2023-09-20T04:25:20

Esther Ottaway talks about and reads from her new book She Doesn't Seem Autistic. Through a number of poems, Esther talks about many of the key themes, rhythms, structures and concepts in th...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Richard James Allen on Text Messages from the Universe from 2023-07-01T05:48:21

Richard James Allen joins me to read from and talk about his latest book Text Messages from the Universe. We talk about many things including the book's deeply spiritual themes, its...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Alisa Bryce on Grounded from 2023-06-21T06:48:20

Soil scientist Alisa Bryce reads from and talks about her book Grounded. In this conversation we cover such things as how the book came about, Alisa's deep love of soil and both how...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Alan Fyfe on T from 2023-05-31T03:00:41

Alan Fyfe joins us to read from and talk about his latest novel T, which shortlisted for the T.A.G Hungerford Prize (Australia) and the Chaffinch Press Aware Prize (Ireland), and was re...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Ashley Kalagian Blunt on Dark Mode from 2023-04-04T11:06:21

Ashley Kalagian Blunt joins us to read from and talk about her new thriller Dark Mode. We talk about such things as her research, the Dark Web, her protagonist Reagan Carson, her fabulo...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Oisín Breen on Lilies on the Deathbed of Étaín & Other Poems from 2023-03-04T23:46:54

In this wide-reading and humorous interview, Irish poet, academic and journalist Oisín Breen reads from and talks about his new poetry book Lilies on the Deathbed of Étaín & Other Poems ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
A conversation with Meera Atkinson from 2023-02-16T10:01:15

Meera Atkinson reads from her book Traumata and talks about her work, the ongoing relevance of Traumata, the difficulty and the necessity of the hybrid form,  on language,...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Kateryna Kazimirova on Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing From Ukraine from 2022-12-21T09:14:48

One of the two editors of Voices of Freedom: Contemporary Writing From Ukraine reads from and talks about her new anthology.  Kateryna Kazimirova talks about the project and how it...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Hazel Smith on Ecliptical from 2022-11-11T08:39:49

Poet, performer, emeritus professor, and new media artist Hazel Smith reads from and talks about her new book Ecliptical. We talk about metapoetry, multimedia, humour, eclipses, emphasis, John A...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Sara Kidd on The Vegan Cake Bible from 2022-08-11T08:54:32

Sara Kidd joins me to talk about her new cookbook The Vegan Cake Bible. We cover such things as how Sara became the vegan cake queen, why she's drawn to cake, the extensive process she went thro...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Bastian Fox Phelan on How to Be Between from 2022-08-02T07:58:29

Bastian Fox Phelan reads from and talks about their new memoir How to Be Between. We talk about such things as speaking about the self with all of its multitudes, finding a voice, gende...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Beth Spencer on The Age of Fibs from 2022-06-16T07:44:22

Beth Spencer talks about and reads from her new book The Age of Fibs.  Beth talks about how the book came come together, about the transformation of her work through proximity, on the...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Michelle Cahill on Daisy & Woolf from 2022-06-03T04:55:02

Michelle Cahill, author of Daisy & Woolf, joins me at Woollahra Gallery to read from and talk about her new book, writing thro...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Talking poetry with Yilinhi/Lorna Munro from 2022-04-13T08:35:36

Lorna Munro or Yilinhi is a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, multidisciplinary artist, poet, performer, radio and podcast host. She joins me today in the lead-up to the Sydney Writers' Festival to...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Nick Courtright on The Proofs, the Figures: Walt Whitman and the Meaning of Poems. from 2022-03-19T20:34:31

Kristina Darling interviews Nick Courtright about his new book The Proofs, the Figures: Walt Whitman and the Meaning of Poems.

In “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman wryly remarks abo...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jessica Au on Cold Enough For Snow from 2022-02-23T00:06:38

Jessica Au’s first novel, Cargo, was published by Picador in 2011 and was highly commended in the Kathleen Mitchell Award for a writer under 30. She is the former deputy editor of Meanj...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Charles Freyberg on The Crumbling Mansion from 2021-12-15T03:24:52

Charles Freyberg reads from and talks about his latest book of poetry The Crumbling Mansion and chats with me about performance and the power of memorisation, bringing characters to lif...

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Compulsive Reader talks
KA Rees on Come the Bones from 2021-10-13T02:39:26

KA Rees is a writer of poetry and short fiction. She has been published by Margaret River Press, Cordite, Australian Poetry, Overland, Review of Australian Fiction, Spineless Wonders and Yalobus...

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Compulsive Reader talks
James Bradley | Author of Clade - on climate fiction from 2021-09-30T20:38:30

On its one-year anniversary, we've re-aired, with permission, James Bradley's wonderful conversation with Beth Spencer from Climactic's ArtBreaker.  James and Beth Spencer spoke about James...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Beth Spencer in conversation with Kit Kelen from 2021-08-05T11:47:44

Beth Spencer in conversation with Kit Kelen about his creative practice as poet, artist, publisher, collaborator, academic, mentor, musician and blogger. Kit reads selections from some of his ma...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Lillian Avedian on Journey to Tatev from 2021-06-30T22:00

Lillian Avedian is an Armenian American journalist and poet from Los Angeles. In this episode she reads from and talks about her debut book of poetry, Journey to Tatev.  We talk ab...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Adam Aitken on One Hundred Letters Home from 2021-06-16T09:27:32

Adam Aitken reads from and talks about his memoir One Hundred Letters Home.  We talk about the book's multi-genres structure, the limits of memory, artefacts and perception, "fluid...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Michael J Leach on Chronicity from 2021-05-23T02:38

Australian academic, writer, and poet, Michael J. Leach reads from and talks about his latest poetry book Chronicity.  We talk about such things as the relationship between the vis...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Emily Maguire on Love Objects from 2021-04-14T01:00

Australian writer Emily Maguire's new novel is a clear-eyed and compassionate novel about love and family, ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Alison Treat interviews Leslie K Barry about Newark Minutemen from 2021-04-10T04:14:47

In this guest episode, author and podcaster Alison Treat interviews Leslie K Barry about her book Newark Minutemen. Note that this is a re-pod from Alison's excellent podcast Listen

Compulsive Reader talks
Chris Mansell on Foxline from 2021-03-24T07:57:59

Chris Mansell is one of Australia’s notable powerhouses in the poetry world.  Chris was one of the founders of Five Islands Press and now runs PressPr...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Zacchary Bird on Vegan Junk Food from 2021-03-10T12:00

Does being vegan mean having to miss out on burgers, jalapeno peppers and deep-fried banana fritters? No way, according to Melbourne writer and vegan recipe developer Zacchary Bird. In this epis...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Paul Rabinowitz on The Clay Urn from 2021-02-16T20:42:22

Paul Rabinowitz talks to Tinfoil Crowns author Erin Jones about his novella The Clay Urn. They talk about the inspiration for his story, on working with a real situation--the A...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Angus Gaunt on Black Rabbit from 2020-10-06T00:30:56

The author of Black Rabbit and co-owner of Sappho Books reads from and talks about his latest novel and its quirky characters, about the impact of 2020, about themes and his writing sty...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Denise O'Hagan on The Beating Heart from 2020-09-21T04:48:58

Denise O'Hagan reads from and talks about her new poetry book The Beating Heart.  We cover such things as how the book came about, the relationship between memoir, poetry, and mean...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Lee Kofman on Imperfect from 2020-08-27T04:23:20

Author, mentor, writing teacher and speaker Lee Kofman reads from about talks about her memoir Imperfect.  In this brief but far-reaching conversation, we talk about some of Lee's ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Nicola Redhouse on Unlike the Heart from 2020-05-21T02:58:44

Nicola Redhouse reads from her book Unlike the Heart and talks about the way her research grew from her own postnatal anxiety to something much bigger, about the relevance of the l...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Maria Tumarkin on Axiomatic from 2020-05-08T12:42:50

Maria Tumarkin reads from her award-winning book Axiomatic and talks about language and accents,  the many different representations of time in Axiomatic: horizontal, vertical, chronologica...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Sophie Hardcastle on Below Deck from 2020-04-17T05:19:57

Sophie Hardcastle reads from her latest and much lauded novel Below Deck. We also talked about many things including her Provost scholarship at Oxford, on being an artist-in-resident wi...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Gillian Swain book launch My skin its own sky from 2020-04-10T00:01:03

Following the cancelled Newcastle Writers Festival, Gillian Swain and I decided to launch her new poetry book, My skin its own sky,  online.  The launch was featured in this y...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Virtual launch of Morgan Bell's Idiomatic, for the people from 2020-03-21T20:28:45

As the Newcastle Writers Festival had to be cancelled this year due to Coronavirus, we did a virtual launch for Morgan Bell's  poe...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jim Reese on Bone Chalk from 2020-02-13T02:00

In this guest episode, Daniel Flahie of the Die Healther podcast shares a recent interview with Dr...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Roslyn McFarland on All the Lives We've Lived from 2020-02-04T00:21:18

Roslyn McFarland reads from and talks about her new novel All the Lives We've Lived, and discusses such things as her transition from English teacher and author of English HSC text book...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jessica Mehta talks with novelist and poet Nina Murray from 2020-01-03T03:22:13

In this wide-reaching and warm conversation, novelist and poet Jessica Mehta talks with novelist and poet Nina Murray, who reads some of her poems and talks about her latest poetry book Alce...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jenny Blackford on The Girl in the Mirror from 2019-12-20T03:37:35

Multi-talented polymath Jenny Blackford reads from her new middle-grade novel The Girl in the Mirror and talks about her attraction to different genres, how the book came about, her att...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Sarah Myles from 2019-10-28T06:22:14

The author of The Wolf Hour reads from and talks about her latest novel, its origins and her research, her characters, writing about Uganda, the micro world of her family and the macro ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Peter Valentine on World heritage Sites of Australia from 2019-09-18T08:41:44

Peter Valentine reads from and talks about his new book World Heritage Sites of Australia.  In this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about the book and how it came about, why he’s ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Eliana Gray on Eager to Break from 2019-07-02T02:17:29

Eliana Gray reads from and talks about their new poetry book Eager to Break.  In this candid interview we talk about such things as writing about, through, and after trauma, o...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Richard James Allen from 2019-06-24T11:12:53

Richard James Allen reads from and talks about his new poetry book, The Short Story of You and I, exploring topics such as his book's themes and unique dialectical structure, the relati...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Bram Presser on The Book of Dirt from 2019-05-06T11:19:14

Bram Presser drops by to read from The Book of Dirt and we chat about many things including the Holocaust, the origins of his novel, the research he’s done, on the interplay between fac...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Anne Casey on Where the Lost Things Go from 2019-02-11T01:54:21

Anne Casey drops by to read from and talk about her debut poetry collection Where the Lost Things Go, including the poem that started it all (fifth most read item in The Irish Times “In...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Ali Whitelock on And My Heart Crumples Like a Coke Can from 2019-01-10T07:24:04

Ali Whitelock reads from and talks about her latest poetry book And My Heart Crumples Like a Coke Can.  We cover such topics as Ali's particular take-no-prisoners style, on being c...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Steve Armstrong on Broken Ground from 2018-08-06T13:30

Poet Steve Armstrong joins us to read a number of poems from his new poetry book Broken Ground. We also talk about the healing power of poetry and the magic of nature, about his poetry practice, on...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jill Jones on Brink from 2018-06-28T05:00

Jill Jones joins us to read several poems from and talk about her latest poetry book Brink.  We discuss some of the key themes in the book (what does it mean to be on the 'brink'), the changing fac...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Kathryn Fry on Green Point Bearings from 2018-06-18T00:30

Poet Kathryn Fry reads a number of poems from her latest poetry collection Green Point Bearings and talks about the book's inspiration, how many of the poems came about and how the collection came ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Holly Ringland on The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart from 2018-05-18T00:30

Holly Ringland, author ofThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart joins us to read a little from the book and talk about the wonderful language of flowers she invents for the book and how that came about, wr...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Tracy Sorensen on The Lucky Galah from 2018-03-27T01:00

Tracy Sorensen drops by Compulsive Reader Talks to read from and chat about her new book The Lucky Galah. The conversation is wide ranging but we talk about such things as her fabulous main charact...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jennifer Maiden launches her poetry book Appalachian Fall from 2018-02-14T02:30

The wonderful Jennifer Maiden joins me at Macleans Booksellers in Hamilton NSW for a launch of her new book Appalachian Fall, including a Q&A, 3 poems, and audience questions.  The talk, which is o...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Jessica Townsend from 2017-10-24T02:30

Jessica Townsend, the author of Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow drops by to read from and chat about her book, which has been had the biggest children’s debut in the Australian market since ...

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Gerry Orz talks about Lucky or Not Here I Come from 2017-08-16T23:30

Gerry Orz is an award winning actor, director, producer, youth activist, and author of the book Lucky or Not, Here I come, released this month.  He drops by to read from Lucky or Not Here I Come an...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Patti Miller on Writing True Stories from 2017-07-24T03:30

Award-winning author Patti Miller reads from and talks about her new nonfiction book Writing True Stories. Patti reads from chapter one, and we discuss such things as how Patti became the "memoir w...

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Interview with Melinda Smith from 2017-06-19T02:00

The award-winning author of Goodbye, Cruel, reads from her new book and talks about how it came together, the structure, her linked suites, the influence of Dante, her attraction to Rabi'a Balkhi a...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Jennifer Maiden on Play With Knives from 2017-02-12T23:25:43

Poet and novelist Jennifer Maiden drops by to read from her latest novel Play With Knives: Three: George and Clare and the Grey Hat Hacker, and to talk about all three novels in the Play With Knive...

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Dr Joanna McMillan talks about Get Lean, Stay Lean from 2017-01-08T23:48:58

Nutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan talks about her new book Get Lean, Stay Lean, including how the book came together, why people are still struggling with nutritional and weightloss, outlines the Dr ...

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Interview with Michele Seminara from 2016-11-29T00:36:33

Michele Seminara drops by to read from and talk about her poetry book Engraft and how it came together, the variety of forms and how she uses the page, about writing through Shakespeare, Kafka and ...

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Interview with Michelle Cahill on Letter to Pessoa from 2016-10-27T01:18:52

Michelle Cahill reads "Aubade for Larkin" and talks about her new book Letter to Pessoa, including the book's genesis, its shifting genres (and genders), about literary connection and disconnection...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Tim Elliott on Farewell to the Father from 2016-08-25T02:00

Tim Elliott joins us to read from and talk about his memoir Farewell to the Father.  He discusses how the initial article and book came about, the reasons for its powerful impact on readers, the th...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Joel Deane on Year of the Wasp from 2016-08-01T01:30

Joel Deane reads from and talks about his new poetry book Year of the Wasp.  Joel discusses a number of the themes and motifs throughout the book and in individual poems, the way the book came toge...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Hazel Smith on Word Migrants from 2016-06-28T01:00

Poet, performer, professor and new media artist Hazel Smith drops by to read from and talk about her latest book of poetry Word Migrants. Hazel is an incredible reader and her readings alone are wo...

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Jane Caro talks about Plain-Speaking Jane from 2016-06-06T00:30

Author, novelist, journalist, broadcaster, columnist, advertising writer and social commentator Jane Caro, chats about her memoir Plain-Speaking Jane, about the power of plain speaking - not just i...

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Vivian Gornick reads from and talks about The Odd Woman and the City from 2016-05-23T22:30

In this special "on location" Sydney Writers Festival show, Vivian Gornick reads from and talks about the writing of her latest book The Odd Woman and the City, about the nature (and freedom) of “o...

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Dimitrios Ikonomou reads from and chats about The Diary of Norman K from 2016-05-18T04:02:27

Author and scultor Dimitrios Ikonomou reads from his new novel The Diary of Norman K, and chats with Justin Goodman about his book and its origins, his characters, on having an unreliable narrator ...

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Rebecca Starford on Bad Behaviour from 2016-03-15T03:00

In this special Newcastle Writers Festival episode, Rebecca Starford, the author of Bad Behaviour, reads from and talks about her memoir and how it came about, her "characters" and why she needed t...

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Mark Flanagan on David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest and Infinite Winter from 2016-03-03T06:54:09

Mark Flanagan is the founder and editor of Run Spot Run, and the instigator behind Infinite Winter, an online book club of hundreds of readers who have banded together to jointly read David Foster ...

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Christine Evans on Cloudless from 2015-12-10T05:59:45

The author of Cloudless reads from and talks about her new verse novel Cloudless, her unique characters, the way the book came together, why she used verse, about the interlinking lives, about Pert...

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Martin Langford on his new book Ground from 2015-10-27T03:30

Martin Langford reads from his new poetry book Ground, and talks about his overarching principle of spaces places and the evolution of the book as a collection, about time and timelessness, about A...

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Jean Kent talks about The Hour of Silvered Mullet from 2015-09-13T10:30

In this episode held live (complete with rich sound effects) from Lake Macquarie Pub, acclaimed poet Jean Kent reads from her new book The Hour of Silvered Mullet, and talks about the importance of...

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Carolyn Martinez talks about Finding Love from 2015-08-17T05:00

Carolyn Martinez, author of Inspiring IVF Stories and Finding Love: 7 Things you Need to Know Before You Date Again  reads from and talks about her new book, about her path to becoming an author, a...

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Ali Cobby Eckermann on her book Inside my Mother from 2015-08-10T05:00

Ali Cobby Eckermann joins us to read from and talk about her latest poetry collection Inside my Mother, as well as the "My Mother's Heart" sesion at the Sydney Writers Festival, the many meanings o...

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Lucy Dougan on The Guardians from 2015-07-27T05:00

The author of The Guardans reads a number of poems from her book and talks about how it has has come together, about the key themes in the book: masks, the roles and genetics we inherit, about poet...

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Beth Spencer on Vagabondage from 2015-06-15T05:00

Award winning novelist, poet and nonfiction writer Beth Spencer reads from and talks about her latest poetry book,Vagabondage.  In this candid conversation we discuss her own journey, the idea of "...

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Graham Stull on The Hydra from 2015-06-08T20:30

The author of The Hydra reads from and talks about his new novel and where his ideas for it came from, about his biologist turned Frankenstein protagonist Brian Matterosi, on viral engineering, gen...

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Ben Okri on The Age of Magic from 2015-05-23T14:30

Ben Okri joins us live from the Sydney Writers Festival to read from and talk about his latest novel The Age of Magic and what inspired it, its characters, on the true nature of magic, on the book'...

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Joan Schweighardt on The Accidental Art Thief from 2015-05-17T22:30

The author of The Accidental Art Thief reads from and talks about her new novel and the inspiration for it, her quirky "under-the-radar" characters, her gorgeous Albuquerque setting, some of her ke...

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Philip Salom on Alterworld from 2015-02-17T04:30

The author of Alterworld: Sky Poems, The Well Mouth, Alterworld reads from and talks about his new poetry collection and how it came together as a trio over 27 years, about his settings, the poetic...

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Masterchef Julie Goodwin on 20/20 Meals from 2014-11-07T20:30

Masterchef and author of 20/20 Meals Julie Goodwin talks about her new cookbook, about her journey from being a keen home cook to becoming a Masterchef and of making a business out of cooking, abou...

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Jeri Kroll on Workshopping the Heart from 2014-10-27T03:00

The author of Vanishing Point, and Workshopping the Heart reads from and talks about her latest books of poetry, about the transition from poetry to drama, the relationship between poetry and theat...

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Brooke Davis on Lost and Found from 2014-07-29T03:00

Australian Book Industy Award Winner Brooke Davis reads from and talks about her novel Lost & Found, about her lovely, quirky characters, about writing a novel as PhD project and its impact on her ...

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Andy Kissane on Radiance from 2014-06-23T03:00

The author of the poetry collection Radiance reads a selection of poems from his new book, talks about how the book came together as a collection, its structure and epitaphs, his themes, on being a...

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Interview with Carmel MacDonald Grahame from 2014-05-26T22:30

The author of Personal Effects reads from and talks about her novel and how the story came together, about the cyclical (and pieced together) nature of time in her book, about mosaic (pique assiett...

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Vanessa Berry on Ninety 9 from 2014-02-23T22:00

The author of Ninety 9 reads from and talks about her new book, about band t-shirts, growing up in the 1990s (and what has and hasn't changed), on the joy of 'zines, on the conjunction of the mythi...

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Interview with Jaye Ford from 2013-10-29T21:30

The author of Blood Secret reads from and talks about her new book, about the incident that gave rise to it, her main characters, her local settings, her struggles with the writing, her work in pro...

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Interview with Paul W Newman from 2013-09-19T03:00

Author Paul Newman drops by to read from and talk about his novel Fin Rising, about writing the first novel, his quirky characters, the fine art of fly fishing, genre bending, the relationship betw...

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Interview with Brian Castro from 2013-09-12T22:30

Author Brian Castro reads from and talks about his latest novel Street to Street, his three protagonists, the transformative power of the imagination, the notion of failure, melancholy, the relatio...

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Don’t Let the Wind Catch You with Aaron Paul Lazar from 2013-08-28T21:30

The author of Don't Let the Wind Catch You reads from and talks about his newest LeGarde mystery book, his protagonist Gus, his other mystery series and the lure of the genre for him, the secrets o...

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The Bookman’s Tale with Charlie Lovett from 2013-07-16T03:00

The author of The Bookman's Tale talks about his new novel, about his multinational settings, the book's structure, the joy of libraries and bookstores, book restoration, his characters, the nature...

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Lisa Gorton on Hotel Hyperion from 2013-07-04T22:00

The author of Hotel Hyperion talks about and reads from her new book of poetry, the relationship between memory, dreams, appropriation and art, the book's origins including the nature of a storm gl...

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Bread of the Lost with Philomena Van Rijswijk from 2013-06-06T03:00

The author of Bread of the Lost talks about and reads lots of poems from her new poetry collection, discusses the notion of the 'metaphorical feed', the genesis of the book, the natural world as ch...

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Bob Rich's Ascending Spiral from 2013-05-06T03:00

The author of Ascending Spiral talks about his latest novel,about genre bending, the books themes, its characters, sustainability, about being a Renaissance man, on optimism and pessimism, and lots...

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Fred Watson on Star Craving Mad from 2013-04-08T04:00

The author of Star Craving Mad reads from and talks about his latest book, on the importance of a multi-disciplinary perspective in science, on future areas of interest for astronomy and other scie...

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Interview with Kent MacCarter & Ali Lemer from 2013-02-18T22:00

The editors of Joyful Strains: Making Australia Home talk about the   book, about choosing the essays and working with the 27 authors, about their own migration experiences, about the relationship ...

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Interview with Jennifer Maiden from 2012-12-17T23:00

The author of Liquid Nitrogen reads from and talks about her new poetry book, about her themes, about the combining of the personal and political, about writing topical poetry, about meta-poetics, ...

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ModPo's Amaris Cuchanski, Max McKenna & Anna Strong from 2012-11-15T21:00

Three of the Teaching Assistants from the University of Pennsylvania's Modern and Contemporary American Poetry course (ModPo) drop by to chat about the course, how they got involved, contemporary p...

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Interview with Jillian Schedneck from 2012-11-06T21:00

The author of Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights reads from and talks about her book, about the differences (and similarities) between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, about her current research project, about seein...

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Interview with Lily Brett from 2012-10-26T03:00

The author of Lola Bensky talks about her new book, about rock journalism and the 1960s, about her character Lola, about the black humour in the book, the relationship between 'real life, her ficti...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Joanne Harris from 2012-10-10T03:00

The author of Peaches for Father Francis talks about her new book, about revisiting Lansquenet, about the nature of serials, about food writing, about magical realism and how it works in her books,...

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Interview with Margaret Wertheim from 2012-09-10T22:00

The author of Physics on the Fringe talks about how her years of collecting the work of 'outsider physics' turned into a book, about the notion of some aspects of modern physics being more akin to ...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Danny Iny from 2012-09-04T04:30

The author of Engagement from Scratch talks about his company Firepole Marketing, about the power of blogging, about why creative people need to market, author promotion, his book and why he's givi...

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Interview with Nigel Marsh from 2012-08-13T03:30

The author of Fit, Fifty and Fired Up talks about his new book, about self-actualisation, about why his book is not a self-help, the pressures on the modern male and why this is important beyond th...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Anna Solding from 2012-07-30T04:00

The author of The Hum of Concrete reads from and talks about her first novel, about the the relationship between the stories and a novel, about the title and its meaning, about her characters, abou...

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Interview with Kate Fagan from 2012-06-13T03:30

Poet, editor, musician, researcher, and lecturer Kate Fagan talks about and reads from her new poetry book First Light. We discuss the Cento form, the structuring of the book, poetics and meaning m...

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Interview with Ian Gibbins from 2012-05-28T03:00

The author of Urban Biology reads from and talks about his new poetry book and the poems in it, the relationship between poetry and science, anthropomorphism, on giving words to the wordless, his m...

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Interview with Stephen Scourfield from 2012-04-30T22:00

The author of Unaccountable Hours: Three Novellas reads from his latest book, and talks about his characters, mentorship, the novella form, wood and craftmanship, water and "the secret", ethics and...

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Interview with Frank Delaney from 2012-03-15T03:00

The author of The Last Storyteller talks about his latest novel, about trilogies, about the art of storyteller and the Seanchai, about the communal nature of the story, his characters, about exile ...

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Interview with Amanda Curtin from 2012-02-16T04:30

The author of Inherited, talks about her new book of short stories, about the notion of inheritance in all its forms, about the short story form, about writing on obsession, loss and love, the orig...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Lesley Synge from 2011-12-14T21:00

The author of Mountains Belong to the People Who Love Them reads a variety of poems from her book, and talks about the parallels between the two sections of her book, about the importance of slowin...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Mike French from 2011-10-21T03:00

The author of The Ascent of Issac Steward talks about his first novel, on being compared to James Joyce, on physics and cognative science, his symbolism and Biblical references, his literary magazi...

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Interview with George Ivanoff from 2011-10-19T03:00

The author of Gamer's Quest and Gamer's Challenge talks about his latest novel, some of the key themes, his favourite games (and Dr Who monster), the nature of reality, The Ultimate Gamer, his 50 b...

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Interview with Jane Smiley from 2011-08-26T03:00

Jane Smiley talks about her latest novel Private Life, about historical fiction and genres in general, about the relationship between fiction and memoir, about her characters, the notion of obsessi...

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Interview with Mary E Martin from 2011-07-19T03:30

The author of The Drawing Lesson talks about her most recent novel in the Trilogy of Remembrance, the trilogy form, her characters, the notion of inspirational light, the muse, her research, her am...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Chad Hautmann from 2011-05-17T22:00

The author of Billie's Ghost and Magic and Grace talks about his latest book, his characters and key themes, his interesting route to publication, the injury that gave rise to the story, on the rel...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Sue Collier from 2011-05-02T22:00

The co-author of The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing talks about her book, about the paradigm shift in publishing over the past 5 years, the benefits and challenges of self-publishing, and lots m...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Gail Jones from 2011-03-21T22:00

The author of Five Bells talks about her latest novel, about the poem that inspired it, about Sydney, and lots more.

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Interview with Carl Zimmer from 2011-02-16T23:00

The author of Brain Cuttings talks about his latest book, on how the brain works, on the limits of our understanding about the brain, the meaning of time, the nature of consciousness, and lots more.

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Interview with David Follett from 2011-02-06T23:00

The author and illustrator of Uncle Silas: Genetis talks about his book, his themes, his other comics, about the graphic novel form in general, and lots more.

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Interview with Tim Flannery from 2010-12-15T22:00

The author of Here on Earth talks about his latest book, about the human superorganism and the Gaia system, about game theory, the tipping point, and lots more.

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Interview with Lyn Reeves from 2010-12-13T02:00

The author of Designs on the Body talks about her new book, about poetry in general and Australian poetry in particular, about her magazine Famous Reporter, and lots more.

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Interview with Meredith Whitford from 2010-10-21T00:30

The author of Shakespeare's Will talks about her new book, about historical fiction in general, about her involvement in Bewrite Books new Australian wing and what that means, and lots more.

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Interview with Craig Silvey from 2010-09-28T01:00

The author of Jasper Jones talks about his multi-award winning novel, his characters, his themes, music, and lots more.

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Interview with Ramona Koval from 2010-08-30T01:30

ABC Radio's and The Book Show's Interviewer extraordinaire (and author of the newly released Speaking Volumes) sits on the other side of the chair for a meta-discussion on the art of the literary i...

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Interview with Bob Stahl from 2010-08-11T23:30

The author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbooks talks about his new book, about the connection between mindfulness and creativity, why mindfulness is so powerful, about the spiritual c...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Justin D’Ath from 2010-07-19T00:00

Justin D’Ath is the author of 26 books for children and young adults, including the hugely popular Extreme Adventures series. He'll be joining us to talk about his latest book Phoebe Nash: Girl Wa...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Linda Ruth Brooks from 2010-07-01T00:00

The author of I'm Not Broken: I'm Just Different talks about her latest book, about self-publishing, Asperger's Syndrome, and lots more.

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Interview with Eric Maisel from 2010-06-16T23:00

The author of Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions talks about his latest book, about the nature of productive obsessions, the importance of creativity, creative anxiety, his u...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Peter Bowerman from 2010-06-10T22:30

The Well-Fed Writer talks about the latest, updated edition of his book, about commercial writing, about the work-life balance, about the whole notion of the hungry artist, and lots more.

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Interview with Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords from 2010-03-04T00:00

The founder of smashwords.com talks about the future of reading, publishing, the relationship between electronic and print books, why it has taken so long for ebooks to catch on and why it's happen...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Felicity Plunkett from 2010-02-16T01:00

The author of Vanishing Point reads her poems, talks about poetry in general, and in particular, her own work's inspiration and implications, her next book, her university work, and much more.

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Interview with Margaret Hawkins from 2010-02-01T22:30

The author of A Year of Cats and Dogs talks about her first novel, her innovative use of the I Ching and recipes, her main character's journey, and lots more.

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Interview with John Banville from 2009-12-14T22:00

The author of The Infinities, The Sea and a number of other award winning novels talks about his latest novel, his sometimes unacknowledged playful side, his alter ego 'crowd pleaser' Benjamin Blac...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Matthew Riley from 2009-10-25T22:00

The author of The Five Greatest Warriors talks about his latest novel, his unique 'storyteller' style of writing, the Jack West Jr. series (and on the nature of series' in general) his unusual prom...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Sofie Laguna from 2009-10-19T23:00

The author of One Foot Wrong talks about her first adult novel, her child protagonist, themes, the transition from children's to adult literature, acting, and lots more.

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Interview with Andrew Thelander from 2009-10-01T00:00

The author of Last Birds talks about his latest novel, his characters and narrative style, about birdwatching, the relationship between conservation, ethics, and literature, and lots more.

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Interview with K J Fraser from 2009-09-01T00:30

The author of A Journey, a Reckoning and a Miracle talks about her novel, her characters and their relationship to the real life people they mirror, her thoughts about America's future, her literar...

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Interview with Emily Ballou from 2009-08-28T02:00

The author of The Darwin Poems talks about her latest book, about the relationship between fiction, biography and poetry, about her famous subject and his 200th birthday, and lots more.

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Interview with Dale Beaumont from 2009-08-04T00:00

The author of How to Write and Publish Your Own Best-Selling Book, talks to us about his latest package, on being a young entrepreneur, about the relationship between writing and promoting, the "se...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Danny Gillan from 2009-06-18T23:00

The author of Will You Love Me Tomorrow talks about his novel, his upcoming anthology, his other writing work, about rock and roll and its many facets, including its representation in literature, a...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Sir Ken Robinson from 2009-06-16T01:30

The author of The Element talks about his book, about the notion of finding your 'passion', about his vision of human ability and creativity, about the role of mentors, and lots more.

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Interview with Lorraine Mace from 2009-05-27T07:00

The author of The Greatest Moving Abroad Tips in the World and The ABC Checklist for New Writers talks about her latest book, about being a "perennial nomad", about being a professional freelancer,...

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Interview with Gaynor McGrath from 2009-05-21T00:00

The author of Lemniscate talks about her novel, the relationship between fact and fiction, her characters, her own travels, her next project, and lots more.

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Interview with Marion Halligan from 2009-04-28T00:00

Marion Halligan reads from and talks about her new novel Valley of Grace, about its French setting, it's themes, about being a reader as much as a writer and the connection between reader and write...

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Interview with Paul Burman from 2009-04-07T00:00

The author of The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore returns to The Compulsive Reader on his own to talk about his novel, his characters, deja vu, about the relationship between teaching and w...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Terry Denton from 2009-02-16T23:00

Children's author (Storymaze, Wombat in the City), illustrator, and humourist Terry Denton talks about his work, his latest Wombat in the City, on literary humour in general and lots more.

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Interview with Bel Schenk from 2009-02-10T23:00

The author of Ambulances & Dreamers talks about her new book, Express Media, poetry in Australia, poetry for young people, and lots more.

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Interview with Geoff Nelder from 2008-12-08T22:00

The author of Exit, Pursued by a Bee talks about his book, science fiction, his SciFi mag Escape Velocity, and lots more.

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Interview with Mark David Gerson from 2008-11-06T23:00

The author of The Voice of the Muse talks about his book, the ideas behind it, his "rules" for writing and living, the relationship between prose, and lots more.

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Joel Deane and Karen Knight: an hour of poetry from 2008-09-25T00:00

In this exciting show, we bring two of Australia's leading poets together for an hour of poetry, discussion and debate. Joel Deane has won two national awards for his poetry and fiction. His novel...

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Compulsive Reader talks
The View From Here from 2008-09-10T22:00

Mike French and Paul Burman, Editors of The View From Here magazine(http://www.viewfromheremagazine.com) will be talking about their literary journal, their own novels The Dandelion Tree and The Sn...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Wendy James from 2008-08-19T00:00

The author of The Steele Diaries talks about her latest novel, on being a sophomore, on the Australian artworld, on her mother-daughter-absent father theme, and lots more.

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Interview with Howard Waldman from 2008-08-13T06:00

The author of Good Americans Go to Paris When They Die talks about his latest novel, his unique premise, his settings, characters, themes, sales, next novel, and a whole lot more.

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Interview with Aaron Paul Lazar from 2008-08-06T00:00

The author of Tremolo: Cry of the Loon talks about his new book, about literary mysteries, about serialising his character Gus LeGarde, and lots more.

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Interview with Will Chaffey from 2008-08-05T00:30

The author of Swimming with Crocodiles talks about his book, his great adventure, about publishing across borders, his future work and plans for return, and lots more.

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Interview with Nick Place from 2008-06-30T23:30

The author of The OK Team talks about his novel, the world of superheros, his key themes, the dullest member of the royal family, Harry Potter, how to hack into his character's website, and lots more.

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Interview with Marion Roberts from 2008-06-10T00:30

The author of Sunny Side Up talks about her novel, the development of her protagonist, about the gender divide in young adult books, where the photographs came from, upcoming releases, and lots more.

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Interview with Julie Mars from 2008-05-06T02:00

The author of Anybody Any Minute reads from her latest novel, talks about her heroine Ellen Kenny, the challenges of living an authentic life, the theme of sisterhood and empowerment which run thro...

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Basil Eliades, author of 3rd i from 2008-03-11T22:30

Poet, painter, performer Basil Eliades (www.basileliades.com performs from his CD 3rd i, and talks about poetry, painting, aesthetics, life, love, art, and the relationship between them.

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Compulsive Reader talks
Interview with Lorraine Mace, co-author of The ABC Checklist for New Writers from 2008-02-11T22:00

The author of The ABC Checklist for New Writers talks about her book, provides tips and tricks for authors, talks about international collaboration, her children's book, and lots more.

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Interview with Roland Harvey from 2007-12-11T23:00

The award winning Australian children's author and illustrator talks about his new book In the City, his unique, heavily detailed style, his fascinating settings, the relationship between reality ...

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Interview with Emily Ballou, author of Aphelion from 2007-12-04T23:00

Emily Ballou talks about her new novel Aphelion, her old/new Adaminaby setting, on the cycles of life, death, love, longing and memory which form the motif of this novel, and lots more.

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Interview with Graeme Kinross-Smith from 2007-11-14T23:00

The author of Long Afternoon of the World talks about his first novel, the book's strange cyclical time, on the creation of meaning, on the relationship between poetry, nonfiction, photography and ...

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Interview with Justin Lowe from 2007-10-17T03:00

The author of The Great Big Show talks about his verse novel, about poetry, publishing, the literary world and much more.

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Interview with Helen Townsend, author of Above the Starry Frame from 2007-09-19T00:30

The author of Above the Starry Frame talks about her new book, her character William Irwin, the Eureka Stockade, and lots more.

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Ross Duncan on All Those Bright Crosses from 2007-08-14T23:30

Ross Duncan reads from his new novel All Those Bright Crosses, talks about the development of his book, his key themes - love, loss, grief, on the nature of morality, his historical setting, Fiji, ...

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