The 2023 Stella Prize has been won by Sarah Holland-Batt's The Jaguar. Sarah joins Andrew on the show to talk poetry, life, death and her win.

In the coastal town of Port Brighton the locals look after each other. When two deaths occur too close together the town is on edge.

The First Nations Classics series gathers prominent Indigenous voices who continuously, as they have always done, revive the literary landscape of this continent.

Different, Not Less is something of a clarion call to a Neurotypical word that Neurodiversity exists and that it is Different, Not Less. Chloe’s story is part biography, part manifesto, part warm hug for neurodiverse folk (who incidentally, make up about 12% of the population according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics).

George’s life feels too loud. Her best friend Tess has decided to get pregnant at eighteen, but George will be there for her just like she always has been. She’ll be there for Tess just like she’s there for her family and her friends. George is even trying to find a way to be there for her estranged dad when he calls her out of the blue to drop some world shattering news.

Today on book club we're previewing University of Queensland Press' new First Nations Classics series.

Martha Elliott’s approach to psychotherapy is unconventional, but her unorthodox methods have not gone unnoticed…

Two years ago I called Emily Spurr's A Million Things heart-warming with a killer twist. It's time to revisit our book club and see how it stands up. Did you check it out (and if so what did you think?!?)

Benjamin Law is a Guest Curator for this years Sydney Writers' Festival. Ben joins Andrew to talk books, writing and how the stories we tell help shape the world we live in.

In The Bell of the World Sarah Hutchison journeys to Ngangahook, a bush property near Geelong. Ngangahook is run by her Uncle Ferny and Sarah is there to rediscover herself after drifting from her days in an English boarding school. Surrounded by nature, Sarah the world as distinct from the trappings of ‘society’. Ngangahook attracts the unconventional and Sarh begins to infuse her poetry and music with elements plucked from her surroundings.

In this special presentation Felix Shannon, host of Death of the Reader sits down with Pip Williams to discuss her new novel The Bookbinder of Jericho.

Song of the Crocodile is a generational tale. Across decades of the mid-twentieth century the reader travels alongside members of the Billymil family and their lives in Darnmoor. The book is a fiction about the very real stories of dispossession, oppression, often outright murder that are woven throughout the history of this country. Too often understood but rarely told.

Addi Road Writers' Festival is now in its third year. Festival Artistic Directors Mark Mordue and Sheila Ngọc Phạm join Andrew on the show to talk about their festival theme for 2023 ‘Inner Worlds’ and creating an unofficial fringe to the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

The Final Draft podcast is all about books, writing and literary culture. We're dedicated to exploring Australian writing, looking into the issues that drive our storytelling to discover more from the books you love. This week's Book Club features an exclusive reading from Sarah Holland-Batt's The Jaguar

Tommy Llewelyn’s got a problem. Tommy wakes up every fifth of January to a world that's forgotten him. Each year his life resets; No records, no belongings, no memories. No trace Tommy ever existed. It’s a problem Tommy’s been enduring ever since he was born and the universe is showing no sign of letting up. When Tommy meets Carey Price though, everything changes. The universe still seems to be out to get him but Tommy’s finally got a reason to fight back. This time he’s going to be remembered.

It is the early twentieth century and Europe is in a state of unrest. German ambition and growing naval power threatens the balance of power in the region and across the world. With an aging, ailing navy holding it back Britain finds itself vulnerable on the high seas and at home. Love, Oil, and the Fortunes of War is the story of three unique, disparate individuals and the role they played in modernizing ancient battleships and changing the course of history…

In The Quiet and The Loud Fox again takes us into the messy, complex and wonderful world of being young, showing the reader that while it will present us with seemingly immense problems it will also surround us with people who can support us.

Sydney Writers Festival returns this May! The festival is annual gathering of writers from Australia and across the world. It’s been described amongst the best writers festivals in the world with hundreds of writers across events Sydney wide. Festival Artistic Director Ann Mossop joins Andrew on the show to chat books, programs and how to curate ideas.

Tommy Llewelyn’s got a problem. Every year on the fifth of January his life resets. No records, no belongings, no memories. No trace Tommy ever existed. It’s a problem Tommy’s been enduring ever since he was born and the universe is showing no sign of letting up. When Tommy meets Carey Price though, everything changes. The universe still seems to be out to get him but Tommy’s finally got a reason to fight back. This time he’s going to be remembered.

Ayat’s mother is dying. It has been six years since the two have been together, a rift seemingly impossible to heal. But now Ayat has received a call from her sister Laila; their mother doesn’t have long to live and somehow they must reconcile. To reunite as a family.

Natsuki Sasamoto is certain she’s a wizard. She’s certain she’s not a part of the world of her family and developing her powers seems a sensible way to escape their world. On their annual trip to the families home in the mountains Natsuki’s cousin Yuu confides that he is in fact an alien. It’s a fact Natsuki takes in her stride, confident Yuu is from the same planet as her plush Hedgehog Piyyut. Natsuki and Yuu pledge their love to each other and survive their lives in the real world on the promise that they will reunite at the family’s annual gathering where they will be picked up by a ship from Yuu’s home planet.

Sylvia has just dropped a bombshell on her parents; she’s dropping law to focus on her writing. It’s a blow few parents are equipped to take and Sylvia’s parents are only too quick to remind her of their struggles fleeing Vietnam for a better life in Australia. As Sylvia’s father points out the perilous future awaiting artists (he’s not quite so polite in his phrasing) Syliva takes us on a trip through her life and the perennial clash between her dreams and the expectations of her family and community.

Funny Ethnics opens with Sylvia Nguyen dropping a bombshell on her parents; she’s dropping out of law school to focus on her writing. It’s a blow few parents are equipped to take and Sylvia’s parents are no exception. Sylvia has prepared a speech in English and Vietnamese to reassure them she is not turning her back on her culture, but they are prepared to point out her mistakes bilingually. Sylvia’s dilemma is one faced by many second generation children of migrants. Somehow though, knowing that she is well supported amongst the diaspora populations of Western Sydney is small consolation as Sylvia tries to live with her feet in both worlds.

Until three months ago Sean had never even had a steady boyfriend. Now a drawer full of fancy undies and an ill advised moment with a bottle of mouthwash have him thinking he might never again. Sean’s been out for years and relationships, let alone marriage are not things he sees in his future. But it feels like the whole world is talking about gays getting married while all Sean wants is his six-pack back. When Sean meets William he discovers a new world. One of long term relationships and dogs you call your kid. It’s a million miles from Sean’s life but it’s got him wondering if it’s possible there’s more to life than Grindr and hookups? Sean’s finally looking to the future, but inevitably that means he’ll have to come to terms with the past. 

Limberlost is set across a long summer in Tasmania’s north. While war rages in Europe and the Pacific, life on Limberlost carries on, haunted by the echoes of young men gone to fight. Ned is left at home with his father and sister Maggie, too young to fight, while his brothers enlist in the war. Ned is aware of their bravery and duty but struggles to reconcile himself to their absence and his own dislocation in the family hierarchy. Ned busies himself hunting rabbits. To provide pelts to make slouch hats for the soldiers is his justification, but really Ned dreams of buying a boat and setting free on the open water.