As the Catholic Church finds a new legal defence against child sexual abuse charges, disgust with the late cardinal George Pell’s glorification has now led some of his own victims to come forward and detail their abuse at his hand

Nov 1, 2024 · If you live in urban Australia and have never had to wrestle a crocodile or fend off a disgruntled kangaroo, you might be surprised by the extent to which the rest of the world defines this country in relation to its dangerous animals. Figures such as Steve Irwin and Lindy Chamberlain loom large in the global imagination, perpetuating the belief that each day Down Under presents a fresh ...

Mar 1, 2024 · If a man can be said to be made by his place – and a place starts with the sounds, smells and colours known by the body, and extends to the family and state known by the heart and mind – then Queensland is David Malouf’s maker. But how to reconcile this writer with this place? How to reconcile an education that gave him Latin, the English classics and an ability to parse a sentence as ...

Science and technology. The people who mistook their lives for an app. Anna Krien

This year’s Booker longlist includes Rachel Kushner’s sharply funny activist thriller and Percival Everett’s revisit of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ from the slave Jim’s perspective

Ten critics nominate their cultural highlights of the year, taking in theatre, visual art, books, dance, festivals and a YouTube miniaturist

3 days ago · Two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has never been afraid of formal experimentation. Her seventh and latest book supports that idea. It is bold and, once again, a heady mix of serious intellectual inquiry with beautifully observed characterisation and formal play. This week on the show, Michael sits down with Michelle for a conversation about Theory & Practice and ...

In just three books Robbie Arnott has established himself as a writer to trust. Flames (2018), The Rain Heron (2022) and Limberlost (2022) were all rapturously reviewed and garnered a hefty swag of award nominations and wins. This week, Michael sits down with Robbie to discuss his new novel, Dusk, which explores loss and redemption and survival in Tasmania’s high country.

It is more or less impossible to imagine Australian literature of the past half century without Tim Winton. From his debut, An Open Swimmer to his epic Cloudstreet, the four-time Miles Franklin Award winner is beloved by generations of readers. This week, Michael sits down with Tim to discuss his latest novel, Juice, a gripping tale of determination, survival, and the …

Read This is a show about the books we love and the stories behind them, hosted by Michael Williams. Every Thursday, you’ll hear insightful conversations with the smartest, funniest readers and writers we know and in-depth interviews with the best Australian and international authors talking about their lives and their work. You’ll never be left wondering what to read next.