Read This

Read This returns next Thursday 16 January! We’re kicking off 2025 with Australian icon Noni Hazlehurst, who is on the show to discuss her new memoir Dropping the Mask.Join us for another year of insightful, fascinating, and revealing conversations with some of the best writers from Australia and around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our last episode of 2024, Michael heads back to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.Reading list:Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, Simone de Beauvoir, 1958The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, 2008Ritual, Chloe Elizabeth Wilson, 2025The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 2001I Could Not Believe It, Sean DeLear, 1979Unlicensed: Bootlegging as Creative Practice, Ben Schwartz, 2024Deadly Embrace, Jackie Collins, 2001Of Love and Other Demons, Gabriel García Márquez, 1993The Season, Helen Garner, 2024The Safe Keep, Yael van der Wouden, 2024All Fours, Miranda July, 2024Time’s Monster, Priya Satia, 2020The Lovers, Yumna Kassab, 2022Deep Water, James Bradley, 2024The Tribe, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, 2014Edith Trilogy, Frank Moorhouse, 1992-2011The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse, John Clarke, 1994You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store.Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Best known for his thought-provoking explorations of sexuality and identity across generations, British author Alan Hollinghurst rose to international stardom after his 2004 novel The Line of Beauty was awarded the Booker Prize. In his seventh novel, Our Evenings, Alan adopts the memoir format, offering a delicate meditation on memory, loss, and the passage of time. On this week’s episode, Michael is joined by Alan on Zoom to discuss his life and career and why this book is as close as Alan will get to writing his own memoir.Reading list:The Swimming Pool Library, Alan Hollinghurst, 1988The Folding Start, Alan Hollinghurst, 1994The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst, 2004The Sparsholt Affair, Alan Hollinghurst, 2017Our Evenings, Alan Hollinghurst, 2024Theory and Practice, Michelle de Kretser, 2024You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterGuest: Alan HollinghurstSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Safran has been a fixture in Australian media since his breakthrough in 1997 with ABC TV's Race Around the World. After several TV series of his own that explored ideas about faith, race and culture, John made the shift to book-length journalism. This week, Michael sits down for a conversation with John about his latest book, Squat, and he reveals the deeper story behind his week living in Kanye West’s Malibu mansion.Reading list:Murder in Mississippi, John Safran, 2013Depends What You Mean By Extremist, John Safran, 2017Puff Piece, John Safran, 2021Squat, John Safran, 2024Glyph, Ali Smith, 2024You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterGuest: John SafranSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.