Zoe life is looking up. High school’s over and she’s landed her dream job, interning at online media company Bubble. Getting here took work though. High school left Zoe burnt out, she was bullied because she’s autistic, and even without the bullying sometimes it was all too much attention, too much misplaced sympathy for her neurodiversity. Zoe knows she missed out on some stuff. So when the opportunity comes to write about navigating the world of online dating Zoe can barely imagine what’s in store for her! Embarking on a series of dates to unlock the social secrets of modern love, Zoe is challenging herself to really think about what she wants in a friend and a partner. Join me as we discover Kay Kerr ’s Social Queue...

Today I’ve brought you The Brumby Wars - The Battle for the Soul of Australia by Anthony Sharwood Anthony is a Walkley Award-winning journalist. He loves the high country and his 2020 book From Snow to Ash, is a love letter to the Australian High Country. The Brumby Wars is his third book and it takes in the history and scope of the ongoing battles between supporters of wild horses in the Australian Bush and those who see the destruction they cause to fragile ecosystems. The book takes an open approach to the debate, trying to hear all sides. Sharwood confronts the challenges of confronting and contrasting the scientific and ecological understanding of feral horses with the cultural understanding of Brumbies. With surveys noting that 78% of Victorians didn’t know that Brumbies were listed by Parks Victoria as pests Sharwood comes to the conclusion that “Mythology has become reality” and the power of storytelling has overtaken the reality of what is happening in the landscape. But in this space, a battle that literally plays out on Mountains and in the halls of political power, Sharwood sounds a warning against tilting towards extremes.

Greta and Joel have a good life travelling with their boys, they go where the work is and enjoy the adventure of the road. As they return to the land where Joel grew up Greta looks forward to a more stable existence, perhaps somewhere they can settle. The homestead is on an isolated property in the Northern Territory, a burnout house surrounded by the skeletons of old cars. Joel’s there to build and to prepare the land for sale, and he seems to want to ignore the tragedy that happened there in his childhood. Greta too is avoiding her own hometown and secrets. But in this new place she’s conscious that she is an outsider in the landscape; she has her stories, but the land has its own. Join me as we discover Karen Manton ’s The Curlew's Eye...

Social Queue introduces us to Zoe. Zoe has Autism and that means her everyday can be tough. Social spaces aren’t designed for her and this forces her to navigate a world of noise, bustle and crowds that leaves her exhausted. Worse, people just expect her to be ok with these things and that adds another layer of exhaustion as Zoe must choose to explain her discomfort or hide until she can feel safe. But now Zoe’s finished school and landed her dream internship at Bubble, an online media company. After the hell of high school, this is Zoe’s chance to greet life on her terms. And her first story pitch is a huge success!

Part two of the conversation with Maxine Beneba Clarke dives deeper into the poems in her new collection How Decent Folk Behave. You'll even get Maxine's insights on her incredible poem Fire Moves Faster, taking in the events of 2020 and trying to find some solace and perspective on the tumult we've all experienced.

Maxine Beneba Clarke is an author of short fiction, non fiction and poetry. She won the Victorian Premier’s literary award for poetry in 2017 for her collection Carrying the World, Her short story collection Foreign Soil, masterfully captures voices from marginalised communities, winning the ABIA for Literary Fiction Book of the Year 2015 and the 2015 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction. Maxine Beneba Clarke’s new collection of poetry, How Decent Folk Behave, once again highlights Clarke’s ear for voices and ability to tell stories with empathy and insight. I cannot wait to share this conversation with you. Maxine has even generously agreed to share a poem from the collection Join me as we discover Maxine Beneba Clarke ’s How Decent Folk Behave...

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s new collection of poetry, How Decent Folk Behave, once again highlights Clarke’s ear for voices and ability to tell stories with empathy and insight. The collection opens with When the Decade Broke; a sprawling poem that takes in those moments of seemingly endless possibility as we sit collectively holding our breath each new year's eve. The poem examines the fears and realities we all faced as we stared down the millennium. As Y2K gave way to the war on terror we all seemingly had a ‘new normal’ thrust upon us. Again in 2019 as bushfires ringed us in both cities and towns we had little insight of even greater captivity and restraint that would challenge our sense of self. When the Decade Broke reminds us that it’s ok to not be ok and flips these harsh reminiscences with the line ‘but that all slowly started to change’. Clarke is able to tell us of a place where these things are our past. And so the scene is set. The poems in this collection will be brief or they will be epic. They will capture voices of the city and the regions and they will unflinchingly speak to the violence and privation, the microaggressions and the outright calamity of blatant abuse of power and privelege.

Larrikins occupy a revered space in Australian culture. Variously knockabout blokes, outlaws or rebels, larrikins can seemingly get away with anything and do it with a smile. A larrikin is the sort of bloke who'd steal the wool off your sheep and then ask you to knit him a jumper he'd quickly pull over your eyes. Lech Blaine is the author of the new Quarterly Essay 'Top Blokes - The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power'. In this special preview Lech joins Andrew to discuss the evolution of the larrikin and try to pinpoint the moment when larrikinism got co-opted by powerful forces.

In 2005 Oli Groves’ life is a hot mess. She’s comfortably bouncing between partying and life as a junior reporter. So it is one morning when she stumbles into possibly the biggest story of her life, the notorious Housemate Homicide. Ten years later, Oli looks like she’s got it all. On paper. That is until the Housemate Homicide case is reignited when one of the missing housemates turns up dead, dragging up ghosts from the past. And Oli is learning that paper may not have the future she thought it did. Join me as we discover Sarah Bailey ’s The Housemate...

2SER is the place where so many amazing things happen! It's the place where we share incredible music. It's the place where listeners can hear independent news and current affairs. It's the place where journalists get their start. And it's the place where you connect with the latest in Australian books, writing and literary culture on Final Draft! Head over to 2ser.com to become a supporter and tune in for Radiothon October 11-24

Since the death of her husband Ray, Michael has felt his mother Ruth is struggling to manage. He’s arranged a room for her at Banksia House and sold the family home. When Michael delivers Ruth to Banksia House; he doesn’t think she can look after herself and he doesn’t want to be bothered with it. But Ruth has a mission; she has to get to Brisbane to farewell her oldest friend. With no money and no car though it won’t be easy. So Ruth and her new friends Beryl and Jean hatch a plan Join me as we discover James Roxburgh ’s The Banksia House Breakout...

Today I’ve got an exciting True Crime fiction that hits all the highs, is clever and suspenseful and has a lot to say about our world whilst harkening us back to the 90’s. Ruth McIver's I Shot the Devil Ruth McIver is a Dublin born, Melbourne based writer. She won the 2018 Richell Prize for an emerging writer and the product of that win is her new novel I Shot the Devil. In I Shot the Devil, Reporter Erin Sloane returns to her home town of Southport. Her Dad’s dying and although though they haven’t always had the best relationship, he’s her only family. This is no nostalgia trip though. Erin’s editor has received a tip off about the notorious Southport Three, a group of teens implicated in a satanic murder in the 90s. Erin’s charged to write a story about the group and their legacy. It’s the sort of story that could make her career. But Erin is also a part of the story; she hasn’t told her editor that back in high school she was dating one of the killers.

One moment. That’s all it takes to topple Luca’s dream of joining the Australian Ballet School. One misstep and Luca is propelled from Arabesques to Netflix with no chill in a Moonboot on the couch. Luca thinks losing Ballet means losing himself. It was basically his whole identity. Now he’s at North; no friends, no dance and a lot of homophobia from the jocks. But then there’s the cute guy at Luca’s OT appointments. Maybe the cascade of events of that misstep will show Luca there was always so much more to life than he’d imagined... Join me as we discover Tobias Madden ’s Anything But Fine...

The Banksia House Breakout is the debut novel for James Roxburgh. James is an audiologist specialising in the care of the elderly and has used his caring eye to create some compelling characters that challenge our stereotypes of aging. The Banksia House Breakout opens with a quintessentially Sydney scene. An auctioneer slams the gavel on another million dollar sale. Today I have brought in what I think more than a few of us need… a north coast road trip for the mind featuring lovable heroes and easy to hate villains. I can’t promise life will always be this straightforward, but indulge with me in the world of The Banksia House Breakout and enjoy a few days in the sun.

Robyn lives a quiet life on her heritage protected island. It’s once a month she has to deal with the noise of teenagers arriving for a boot camp aimed to help them back on track. The veterans running the camp run a tight ship but something is different this time. There are strange, malicious pranks being pulled, and Robyn is sure she recognises one of the boys from a dark chapter of her past...

Catherine Jinks is a writer of immense range. Her work has won gongs as diverse as the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, Australian Book Council Award, the Aurealis and the Davitt Award for Crime Fiction… In this special bonus Catherine discusses her career and some of the things she's learned writing.

In this bonus episode Ruth explores her rules around cats and dangerous plotlines. There's some interesting discussion around what readers expect from male and female characters in a thriller and also way more discussion of Axl Rose than I think anyone was expecting! * Warning! Heavy Spoilers!! If you haven't already read I Shot the Devil approach with caution Reporter Erin Sloane returns to her home town of Southport. Her Dad’s sick and though they haven’t always had the best relationship, he’s her only family. This is no nostalgia trip though. Erin’s editor wanmts her to report on the notorious Southport Three, a group of teens implicated in a satanic murder in the 90s. Erin’s going to write a story about the group and their legacy, but Erin is also a part of the story; she hasn’t told her editor she was dating one of the killers. Will the past stay buried once Erin starts digging?!

Reporter Erin Sloane returns to her home town of Southport. Her Dad’s sick and though they haven’t always had the best relationship, he’s her only family. This is no nostalgia trip though. Erin’s editor wanmts her to report on the notorious Southport Three, a group of teens implicated in a satanic murder in the 90s. Erin’s going to write a story about the group and their legacy, but Erin is also a part of the story; she hasn’t told her editor she was dating one of the killers. Will the past stay buried once Erin starts digging?!

In part two of the conversation with Max Easton we delve into Max's narrative style, discuss gentrification and tackle the big issue of Sydney's east/west divide... Walt, Helen and Duncan are growing up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Walt and Duncan are paired on the footy field. Duncan serves as Walt’s protector, while Walt explores his precocious footballing talent. Rugby League is tribal for the boys and their families and they know that they'd rather live in the legacy of the likes of Tommy Raudonikas than the silvertails in the east. Walt’s older sister Helen can’t play with the boys but she can run water and plays to the team. As the three grow up together they each start looking for more than their suburban existence offers. As their family life breaks down Walt and Helen gravitate towards Sydney's Inner West. There they find underground success in the punk and noise music scene, and Walt is able to explore his growing political consciousness. Duncan stays at home, diligently completing uni and finds himself in a more conventional job. As the three criss-cross each other's lives they find themselves with contradictory purposes and opaque goals. Always present though is where they came from and how being from the west defines them in other people’s eyes. Join us as we talk to Max Easton on this week's Final Draft

Walt, Helen and Duncan are growing up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Walt and Duncan are paired on the footy field. Duncan serves as Walt’s protector, while Walt explores his precocious footballing talent. Rugby League is tribal for the boys and their families and they know that they'd rather live in the legacy of the likes of Tommy Raudonikas than the silvertails in the east. Walt’s older sister Helen can’t play with the boys but she can run water and plays to the team. As the three grow up together they each start looking for more than their suburban existence offers. As their family life breaks down Walt and Helen gravitate towards Sydney's Inner West. There they find underground success in the punk and noise music scene, and Walt is able to explore his growing political consciousness. Duncan stays at home, diligently completing uni and finds himself in a more conventional job. As the three criss-cross each other's lives they find themselves with contradictory purposes and opaque goals. Always present though is where they came from and how being from the west defines them in other people’s eyes. Join us as we talk to Max Easton on this week's Final Draft

Walt, Helen and Duncan are growing up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Walt and Duncan are paired on the footy field. Duncan serves as Walt’s protector, while Walt explores his precocious footballing talent. Rugby League is tribal for the boys and their families and they know that they’s rather live in the legacy of the likes of Tommy Raudonikas than the silvertails in the east. Walt’s older sister Helen can’t play with the boys but she can run water and plays to the team. As the three grow up together they each start looking for more than their suburban existence offers. As their family life breaks down Walt and Helen gravitate towards Sydney's Inner West. There they find underground success in the punk and noise music scene, and Walt is able to explore his growing political consciousness. Duncan stays at home, diligently completing uni and finds himself in a more conventional job. As the three criss-cross each other's lives they find themselves with contradictory purposes and opaque goals. Always present though is where they came from and how bening from the west defines them in other people’s eyes.

As the novel begins Vega arrives at the dilapidated Seafarers Hotel. Isolated, surrounded by farms and ocean, the hotel promises to be the perfect location to restore the angel with broken wings, her most ambitious project yet. It is not long though before a naked man wearing a crown, dive bombing canaries and a local tango party threaten to ruin the solitude Vega is craving. Join me as we discover Mette Jakobsen’s The Wingmaker...

Tony Birch’s stories have a way of giving voice to things that we are too often not talking about. In the eponymous story that opens the collection, Dark As Last Night Birch details a dark tale of domestic abuse. A young girl flees her home as her father becomes violent and is taken in by the strange lady next door. There she learns that this woman is not so strange, so much as she is independent of those minds who would stay silent. A refugee from Europe she has learned that “People say nothing and others die. It is that simple.” Operating almost as a type of fairy tale we are opened up to a world where this girl has a choice in her own fate.

Today's episode features Tony Birch discussing his latest a collection of poetry entitled Whisper Songs, and a short story collection Dark as Last Night. The works in Whisper Songs & Dark as Last Night explore themes both personal and universal. Tony writes around the death of his brother, moving into memory to understand loss and carrying on. The poetry of Whisper Songs explore language; the ways we use it to express and to hide our inner world. Tony explores through archival excerpts and reworkings how language is harnessed as a weapon against indigenous people; to strip them of their humanity and place them within the society that has stolen so much from them. Join me as we discover Tony Birch’s Whisper Songs & Dark as Last Night...

There is a long tradition in times of adversity that we read mysteries to divert ourselves from the challenges of our daily lives. Back in the interwar period of the 1920’s & 30’s Agatha Christie became a legend. Taking readers into little towns and intercontinental trains to solve a variety of cunning murders. It’s a more complicated world, so maybe we need a darker, more nuanced voice. JP Pomare has a way of delivering, and right now when we can’t go anywhere, he’s crafted a thriller that will make you terrified of staying in any type of house share.