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Morris Gleitzman is an Australian institution. A beloved author of novels for young people, Morris is known for his ability to be funny and warm without shying away from the realities of life. He has been writing for almost half a century now and has delighted generations of readers with his more than 40 books of fiction. This week, Michael and Morris sit down to reflect on Morris’s multi-generational impact and to discuss his latest novel, Tweet.

Reading list:

Two Weeks with the Queen, Morris Gleitzman, 1989

Misery Guts, Morris Gleitzman, 1991

Worry Warts, Morris Gleitzman, 1992

Blabber Mouth, Morris Gleitzman, 1993

Sticky Beak, Morris Gleitzman, 1994

Now, Morris Gleitzman, 2010

Tweet, Morris Gleitzman, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Morris Gleitzman

Patrick deWitt has made a career out of creating eccentric, unforgettable characters. From his gun-slinging duo in the darkly comic The Sisters Brothers, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize to the severely unsympathetic down-at-heel aristocrats in The French Exit. But in his fifth novel, The Librarianist, Patrick employs his signature verve and wit to reveal the extraordinary in the otherwise ordinary life of retired librarian Bob Comet. This week, Patrick joins Michael in the studio for a conversation about the joys of being an introvert, making friends at 40, and writing his latest novel.

Reading list:

The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt, 2011

Undermajordomo Minor, Patrick deWitt, 2015

French Exit, Patrick deWitt, 2018

The Librarianist, Patrick deWitt, 2023

Deep Blue: The World in the Ocean, James Bradley, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Patrick deWitt

Star investigative journalist Louise Milligan has spent her career working on some of the most high-profile criminal cases in Australia. This incredible breadth of experience informs her first novel Pheasant’s Nest, which follows the abduction of a young journalist and provides a unique insight into the media, policing and politics that surround a crime like this. This week, Michael sits down with Louise to discuss the leap from reporting to fiction and why writing this book was a kind of therapy. 

Reading list:

Cardinal, Louise Milligan, 2017

Witness, Louise Milligan, 2020

Pheasant’s Nest, Louise Milligan, 2024

A Year of Last Things, Michael Ondaatje, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Louise Milligan

Even if you’re not an obsessive Ancient Rome aficionado, you may have heard of Mary Beard. With more than 20 books to her name, including the wildly successful SPQR, Mary might be most famous for her work as a BBC host for shows such as Pompeii: Life and Death in a Roman Town and Julius Caesar Revealed. Her latest book is Emperor of Rome and this week on the show she sits down with Michael to discuss her life sentence — the half dozen words that set her on the path to becoming Britain’s best-known classicist — and why the Roman Empire is so misunderstood.

Reading list:

SPQR, Mary Beard, 2015

Twelve Caesars, Mary Beard, 2021

Emperor of Rome, Mary Beard, 2023

Meditations, Marcus Aurealius, 167 A.C.E..

Tidelines, Sarah Sasson, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Mary Beard

Jonathan Lethem made his name with his 1999 novel Motherless Brooklyn, but it was his next book, a semi-autobiographical re-telling of his childhood in Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, that solidified his reputation as one of America's most celebrated authors. In Brooklyn Crime Novel, Jonathan returns to the Brooklyn of his childhood, but this time with a very different perspective. This week, Michael and Jonathan discuss making and unmaking the past in his latest book.

Reading list:

Motherless Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem, 1999

The Fortress of Solitude, Jonathan Lethem, 2003

Brooklyn Crime Novel, Jonathan Lethem, 2023

Edenglassie, Melissa Lucashenko, 2023

The Restless Dolly Maunder, Kate Grenville, 2023

Wifedom, Anna Funder, 2023

The Wren, The Wren, Anne Enright, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Jonathan Lethem

Anne Enright has been publishing books for more than two decades, winning numerous awards, including the Booker Prize for her 2007 novel, The Gathering. This week, Michael sits down with Anne for a wide-ranging conversation about the changing cultural context she is writing into, how a multiplicity of perspectives shape her work, and her latest book The Wren, The Wren.

Reading list:

The Gathering, Anne Enright, 2007

The Forgotten Waltz, Anne Enright, 2011

The Green Road, Anne Enright, 2015

Actress, Anne Enright, 2020

The Wren, the Wren, Anne Enright, 2023

Orbital, Samantha Harvey, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Anne Enright

When Nam Le’s debut book of short stories, The Boat, came out in 2008, it was met with unanimous praise and scooped up awards from around the world. Now, 16 years later, Nam has produced his follow up called 36 Ways to Write A Vietnamese Poem. This week, Michael sits down with Nam to discuss his latest work and the importance of violence in his conception of poetry and language.

Reading list:

The Boat, Nam Le, 2008

On David Malouf, Nam Le, 2019

36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem, Nam Le, 2014

What Happened to Nina?, Dervla McTiernan, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Nam Le

Joseph Conrad only ever captained one ship in his lifetime – the Otago. In a strange turn of events, the wreckage of Joseph Conrad’s ship now lies on the banks of the Derwent River in Hobart. And it's there that novelist Gail Jones took the inspiration for her latest novel, One Another. This week, Michael sits down with Gail for a wide-ranging discussion about desire, hauntings, and the life and work of Joseph Conrad.

Reading list:

Black Mirror, Gail Jones, 2002

Sixty Lights, Gail Jones, 2004

Dreams of Speaking, Gail Jones, 2006

Sorry, Gail Jones, 2007

Five Bells, Gail Jones, 2011

A Guide to Berlin, Gail Jones, 2015

The Death of Noah Glass, Gail Jones, 2018

Our Shadows, Gail Jones, 2020

Salonika Burning, Gail Jones, 2022

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, 1899

The Secret Agent, Joseph Conrad, 1907

Always Will Be, Mykaela Saunders, 2024

The Best Minds, Jonathan Rosen, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Gail Jones

Erik Jensen was just 20 years old when he met Australian author Kate Jennings for the first time, forging a close relationship that continued until Kate’s death in 2021. This week, Michael chats with The Saturday Paper’s editor in chief about Kate’s life and her underappreciated work and Erik shares why her novel, Snake, is the best Australian book he’s ever read.

Reading list:

Snake, Kate Jennings, 1996

Moral Hazard, Kate Jennings, 2002

Cats, Dogs and Pitchforks, Kate Jennings, 1993

On Kate Jennings, Erik Jensen, 2017

I said the sea was folded: Love poems, Erik Jensen, 2021

Angry at Breakfast, Erik Jensen, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Erik Jensen

This week, Michael chats with author Briohny Doyle, whose most recent novel Why We Are Here explores the complexities of grief, both individual and collective. They discuss the role of writing during the pandemic and how relationships with non-human others enable us to access repressed parts of ourselves.

Reading list:

The Island Will Sink, Briohny Doyle, 2013

Adult Fantasy, Briohny Doyle, 2017

Echolalia, Briohny Doyle, 2021

Why We Are Here, Briohny Doyle, 2023

The Great Undoing, Sharlene Allsopp, 2024

Tremor, Teju Cole, 2023

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Briohny Doyle