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5 of 28

Mona Awad on her (iconic) 'Bunny' series
In this episode of Booksmart, Soaliha sits down with internationally acclaimed author Mona Awad to dive into the world of her cult classic Bunny and its highly anticipated sequel, We Love You, Bunny, that has just been released (get your copy STAT!)ICYMI: first published in 2019, Bunny became an instant literary sensation -named a Best Book of the Year by TIME, Vogue, and the New York Public Library - and was hailed by the one-and-only Margaret Atwood as “very funny, kind of horrifying and quite far outside the lines.” A darkly satirical blend of gothic fairy tale, campus horror, and metafiction, the novel follows Samantha Mackey, a scholarship student at a prestigious New England MFA program who falls under the thrall of a hyperfeminine clique known as “the Bunnies.” Behind their pastel sweetness lies a nightmarish secret: occult “drafting parties” that blur the lines between art, desire, and monstrosity.Now, six years later, Awad has returned with We Love You, Bunny: a book that is both sequel and prequel, expanding the Bunnyverse to reveal the origin story of the Bunnies and their terrifying creature, Aerius, while following Samantha in the aftermath of her initiation. Longlisted for the Giller Prize and already optioned for screen adaptation (can't wait for the movie!), the novel doubles down on the surreal, self-referential humour and horror that made the OG Bunny novel a phenomenon.This episode is a must-listen - let us know what you think!
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Randa Abdel-Fattah on 'Discipline'
In this episode of Booksmart, Randa Abdel-Fattah sits down with Soaliha for a powerful conversation that spans her brand-new novel Discipline, the controversies rocking Australia’s literary scene, and the realities of racism and resistance today across the country and beyond. Together, they unpack Randa’s decision to speak out against the Bendigo Writers Festival - where more than 50 writers and hosts withdrew in solidarity after a restrictive code of conduct was sent just days before the event, that authors said silenced people from speaking out and criticising Israel. Randa and Soaliha also discuss the so-called “March for Australia” rally and what it reveals about race, identity, and public discourse in this country.At the heart of the conversation is Randa’s new book Discipline. Set in Sydney during May 2021, it follows Ashraf, an academic in freefall, and Hannah, a young journalist grappling with racism in the newsroom and the demands of new motherhood. As Israel’s bombardment of Gaza intensifies during Ramadan, both are forced to reckon with their choices, values, and silences. With its sharp focus on academia and the media, Discipline asks what we’re willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of justice.Randa is also an ARC Future Fellow at Macquarie University, a lawyer, and the award-winning author of twelve books for children and young adults, translated into more than thirteen languages. Her writing and research centre Islamophobia, race, Palestine, youth identities and activism, and her work has been recognised by awards including the Stella Prize, the NSW and Victorian Premiers’ Literary Awards, and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.We hope this Booksmart episode will leave you thinking differently about literature, politics, and the responsibility of those with a platform to speak (and go and grab a copy of the book while you're at it!).
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Natalia Figueroa Barroso on 'Hailstones Fell Without Rain'
In this week's episode of Booksmart, Soaliha Iqbal sits down with writer Natalia Figueroa Barroso to talk about her extraordinary debut novel Hailstones Fell without Rain.Of Uruguayan descent with Charrúa, Yoruba and Iberian origins, Natalia was born on Dharug Ngura and raised between her birthland and her homeland. A member of Sweatshop Literacy Movement (who we are huge fans of too!), her essays, poems and short stories have been widely published across Meanjin, Overland, Red Room Poetry, Griffith Review and more.Hailstones Fell without Rain is a semi-autobiographical, multi-generational work of fiction that’s pacy, funny, wise and deeply moving. For fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Angie Cruz, it’s a novel that explores heritage, family, belonging and identity through sharply drawn, unforgettable characters.Natalia unpacks the intersections of culture, storytelling and self-discovery, and what it means to write a debut that’s both deeply personal and powerfully universal. Now run, don't walk, and grab your copy!
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Nicky Gonzalez on 'Mayra'
In this week's episode of Booksmart, we’re joined by the wonderful Nicky Gonzalez, the author of one of this year’s most haunting debuts, Mayra - a novel that brims with tension, longing, and the sticky heat of Florida’s swamplands.Set in the sultry, surreal wilds of the Everglades, Nicky’s novel dives deep into the complicated terrain of female friendship. The novel explores the intoxicating bond between Ingrid and Mayra - two childhood best friends reunited for a mysterious weekend away that quickly turns unsettling. As the lines between past and present blur, and the house itself becomes a character, the story becomes a slow-burning psychological reckoning with desire, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves about the people we once were.In the chat with Soaliha, Nicky discusses how growing up in Hialeah shaped her literary voice and approach to writing, how she captures the sensual strangeness of the Florida landscape, and why the nostalgia of girlhood can be both beautiful and dangerous.If you’ve ever been haunted by a friendship that shaped you - or intrigued by the idea of a house that seems to breathe with secrets - you'll get a lot out of this episode.
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Reem Gaafar on 'A Mouth Full of Salt'
The Nile brought them life, but the Nile was not their friend.When a little boy drowns in the treacherous currents of the Nile, the search for his body unearths calamity and disaster, and exposes forgotten secrets buried for generations in a small northern Sudanese village.Three women try to make their way through a world that wants to keep them back, separated from each other by time but bound together by the same river that weaves its way through their lives, giving little but taking much more.In this episode of Booksmart, Soaliha Iqbal sits down with leading Sudanese writer, physician, and activist Reem Gaafar to discuss her formidable debut novel, A Mouth Full of Salt.It's no surprise that this book has hit the bestselling charts. The novel weaves a powerful narrative of grief, migration, memory, and womanhood, exploring the psychological toll of political violence, as well as the unique complexities of returning home.Reem discusses Sudan’s 2019 revolution, the challenge of translating collective trauma into fiction, and why platforming women’s stories, especially in moments of rupture, is a political act. This intimate conversation moves between literature and lived experience, touching on motherhood, exile, and the radical power of bearing witness - and it couldn't be more timely. If you’re drawn to literature that sits at the intersection of resistance and remembrance, this one’s for you.
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