Del swore she’d never return. But years after she left Bower and the Messiah Church Del finds herself drawn back into its orbit by a mysterious message from her ex Lars. Del also swore she’d never talk to Lars again after he left her for her friend Eve, but now Lars sounds contrite. Before Del has the chance to call Lars back though she discovers he’s been killed. The press are calling it a tragic accident but Del knows better about Messiah and how they always protect their own.

Dr Tamryn Bennet is a poet and is the Artistic Director of Red Room Poetry. Red Room Poetry are now in their 20th year and Tamryn is joining me to celebrate Poetry Month happening this August.

A.W. Hammond has a new Auguste Duchene novel out called The Berlin Traitor so let' go back and revisit my Book Club for Auguste's first outing, The Paris Collaborator.

Dale has a secret that’s eating away at him...

An octopus named Strawberry and a snake named Ray road trip across the continental USA in the late seventies landing in New York in time to save the city from the forces of darkness and secure the future of music forever!

Sarah Hutchison arrives at Ngangahook adrift. She has floated from her boarding school days in England, through continental Europe to arrive on the bush property outside Geelong. Sarah and her Uncle Fernny fashion Ngangahook as their own paradise, but could it also be a bastion against the fast encroaching modern world?

This book is an invitation to everyone out there who is wondering about the voice or is perhaps feeling like they need more information to give to their loved ones. As we listen to opponents of the voice run a scare campaign behind the slogan “If you don’t know, vote no”, this book claps back with “If you don’t know, take the time to educate yourself”.

Robbie Egan is the CEO of Book People, formerly the Australian Booksellers Association. Book People are a not-for-profit advocacy group for booksellers. Robbie joins Andrew today to discuss the ‘Importance of Imagination’ study, a report commissioned by Book People that looks into how Australians build their imaginations and the role reading plays in that process.

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.