Read This

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.

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Episodes

Colson Whitehead Loves a Doomed Heist

Reading Colson Whitehead, you never know what you're going to get. He’ll write a non-fiction book about poker one minute and a multi-award-winning epic about slavery and race in America the next. This week, the two-time Pulitzer prize winning author joins us for a discussion about his latest novel Crook Manifesto and why he loves a doomed heist. Reading list: The Intuitionist , Colson Whitehead, 1999 John Henry Days , Colson Whitehead, 2001 Apex Hides the Hurt , Colson Whitehead, 2006 Sag Harbor...

Aug 02, 2023•23 min•Ep. 5

Shankari Chandran Nearly Gave up Writing

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is the book Shankari Chandran always wanted to write. After being rejected by publishers, Shankari decided to write for herself and finally tackle the subject she'd been avoiding: Race in Australia. In doing so, she has won the Miles Franklin award and changed the trajectory of her writing career. Reading list: Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens , Shankari Chandran, 2022 Song of the Sun God , Shankari Chandran, 2017 The Barrier , Shankari Chandran, 2017 Hopeless Kingdom ...

Jul 26, 2023•25 min•Ep. 4

Tony Birch Doesn’t Believe in Luck

Award-winning writer and historian Tony Birch grew up listening to stories from his nan, Alma. This week, Tony shares how Alma's advice has influenced his life and his writing. Reading list: Shadowboxing , Tony Birch, 2006 Blood , Tony Birch, 2011 Ghost River , Tony Birch, 2015 Common People, Tony Birch, 2017 The White Girl, Tony Birch, 2019 Dark as Night , Tony Birch, 2021 Yellowface , R.F. Kuang, 2023 Broke , Sam Drummond, 2023 Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter Gue...

Jul 19, 2023•25 min•Ep. 3

Anna Funder is Her Own Wife

Anna Funder has a habit of writing about humans in extremis: under the Stasi, then the Nazis, and now, she's taken on the patriarchy in her new book Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life . It's an act of resurrection for Eileen O'Shaughnessy, the brilliant woman who married George Orwell, contributed to his work and was erased from his story. Reading list: Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life , Anna Funder, 2023 All That I Am , Anna Funder, 2011 Stasiland , Anna Funder, 2003 Burmese Days , George...

Jul 12, 2023•26 min•Ep. 2

We Went to Helen Garner’s House

Helen Garner is writing again. This week, she invites us over for cake and conversation about what she’s writing about, how she solves problems and the inspiration she gets from watching her grandson’s footy training. Reading list: Monkey Grip , Helen Garner, 1977 The Children’s Bach , Helen Garner, 1984 The Spare Room , Helen Garner, 2008 Yellow Notebook: Diaries 1978–1987 , Helen Garner, 2019 One Day I’ll Remember This: Diaries 1987–1995 , Helen Garner, 2020 How to End a Story: Diaries 1995–19...

Jul 05, 2023•28 min•Ep. 1

Introducing Read This

Jun 21, 2023•3 min

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