Best Richard Vowles Podcasts (2025)

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Trent Dalton and David Malouf — Brisbane's favourite sons 54:06

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17h ago54:06

54:06

Trent Dalton's new novel Gravity Let Me Go is about a middle aged journalist who can't let go of a good story, and David Malouf reflects on a life of writing and the hold of Brisbane on his imagination. Trent Dalton is the bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe, All Our Shimmering Skies and Lola in the Mirror. His new novel Gravity Let me Go, …

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How Ian McEwan is using the future to explore the present 54:06

8d ago54:06

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Ian McEwan's futuristic novel What We Can Know is about rising sea levels and a lost poem. Plus, Randa Abdel-Fattah's response to the crisis in Gaza in her novel Discipline and Vogel Award winner Murray Middleton on the despair of being an artist. Ian McEwan is the British author of over 20 books including Atonement, Saturday, Lessons and his Booke…

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Arundhati Roy and Mick Herron on monstrous mothers and Slow Horses 53:57

15d ago53:57

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God of Small Things author Arundhati Roy remembers her difficult mother and how she was shaped as a writer, and Mick Herron on the success of Slow Horses and his repellent but memorable creation, Jackson Lamb. Arundhati Roy is a giant of literature. She's published two novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things and is a prol…

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Toni Jordan, Richard Osman and Gail Jones on greyhounds, murder and mystery 53:57

22d ago53:57

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Australian author of Addition, Toni Jordan, goes gambling with greyhounds in Tenderfoot, Richard Osman digs up the background to The Thursday Murder Club and critically acclaimed writer, Gail Jones on why she wrote the crime novel, The Name of the Sister. Toni Jordan is the Australian author of eight books including Addition, The Fragments and Dinn…

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Top 100 Books with Colum McCann, Kate Grenville and Kaliane Bradley 53:57

29d ago53:57

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Discover the favourite books from the 21st century of Colum McCann, Kate Grenville and Kaliane Bradley who share their best reads for ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books. The Book Show producer Sarah L'Estrange spoke to three acclaimed authors at Melbourne Writers Festival in the lead up to ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books countdown. Go here to vo…

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R.F. Kuang goes to hell with Katabasis 53:58

1M ago53:58

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Yellowface author R.F. Kuang returns to speculative fiction with her latest novel Katabasis, a campus novel set in hell. Plus Australian author Moreno Giovannoni's second novel The Immigrant challenges the idea that Italian immigrants of his parent's generation had better lives in Australia. While R.F. Kuang had a global hit with Yellowface — her 2…

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Gary Shteyngart, Jennifer Mills and Rhett Davis ask what's next 53:57

1M ago53:57

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Russian born US writer Gary Shteyngart imagines a future America with strong parallels to Russia in Vera, or Faith, Adelaide based author Jennifer Mills' latest novel Salvage rockets into space after ecological collapse, and Geelong author Rhett Davis on Aborescence about people who want to become trees. Gary Shteyngart is the Russian-born, America…

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Florence Knapp and Brandon Jack on the power of a name 53:58

2M ago53:58

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Florence Knapp's debut novel The Names is a sliding doors story about the naming of a child and has been a surprise success (for her). Plus Brandon Jack, former Aussie Rules Football player on his novel Pissants about the players who don't win glory on the field and how they get their nicknames. Florence Knapp's hugely popular debut novel The Names…

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Amy Bloom, Ben Markovits and Barbara Truelove on love, basketball and monsters 53:55

2M ago53:55

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Amy Bloom on her latest novel I'll Be Right Here about an unconventional chosen family, Ben Markovits goes on the road with his Booker Prize longlisted novel The Rest of Our Lives and Barbara Truelove's bonkers book about Dracula in space, Of Monsters and Mainframes. Amy Bloom is the American author of ten books (including White Houses) and her new…

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Ben Okri, Jana Wendt and Thomas Vowles on heartbreak, new beginnings and queer Melbourne 53:57

2M ago53:57

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Booker Prize-winning Nigerian author Ben Okri on his novella Madame Sosostris and the Festival for the Broken-Hearted, Australian journalist Jana Wendt on turning to fiction with her short story collection, The Far Side of the Moon and Australian writer Thomas Vowles shares why he's drawn to challenging stories in Our New Gods. Ben Okri is a Nigeri…

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"Shimmering" and "strikingly new" — Siang Lu wins Miles Franklin Literary Award 24:04

2M ago24:04

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“Shimmering” and “strikingly new”—Siang Lu takes out the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award with Ghost Cities, his razor-sharp satire of the film world. With humour and absurdity as his tools, Lu boldly tackles race, racism, and the stories we tell (and sell) on screen.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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John Boyne, Maggie Stiefvater and Laura Elvery on hope, enemy diplomats and Florence Nightingale 54:26

2M ago54:26

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John Boyne concludes his challenging series The Elements with Air, US writer Maggie Stiefvater takes you to a luxury hotel for enemy diplomats in The Listeners and Laura Elvery imagines Florence Nightingale on her deathbed in Nightingale. John Boyne is the prolific Irish author of over 20 books including The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The History …

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From a debut to two-time winner — the Miles Franklin shortlist is here 54:06

3M ago54:06

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From Miles Franklin prize veteran Michelle de Kretster to debut novelist Winnie Dunn, we bring you all six of the shortlisted authors in this round-up of their celebrated books. This year's shortlist features a book set in an Ancient Chinese dynasty, a collection of linked short stories and a debut by the first ever published Australian Tongan nove…

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Ocean Vuong and Fleur McDonald reimagine Connecticut and Kalgoorlie 53:56

3M ago53:56

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US poet, Ocean Vuong says when he was growing up "being a writer was like being a unicorn" but now he's published his second novel The Emperor of Gladness. Plus, Esperance based author Fleur McDonald reinvents herself in the harsh WA landscape of Kalgoorlie with her novel, The Prospect. The Emperor of Gladness is the latest novel from the Vietnam b…

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Esther Freud has a lot to say about sisters 53:57

3M ago53:57

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Esther Freud mines her family story to discover new truths in My Sister and Other Lovers, Dominic Amerena asks what is the price of ambition in I Want Everything and Madeleine Watts returns to a story of water and climate catastrophe in her road trip novel Elegy, Southwest. Esther Freud is a novelist known for her famous family as the daughter of t…

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Yael van der Wouden on sex, history and an incredible year 53:57

3M ago53:57

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Fresh off her 2025 Women’s Prize win, Yael van der Wouden talks The Safekeep—the novel that’s got everyone buzzing. It caps a stellar run for Yael, who also made the Booker shortlist last year with her debut.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Catherine Chidgey, Kevin Wilson and Josephine Rowe on history, travel and an almost saint 53:57

4M ago53:57

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New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey asks, what if World War II had ended differently in her latest novel The Book of Guilt. Plus Kevin Wilson sends his characters on an American road trip in Run for the Hills and Australian author Josephine Rowe on her moving and slender novel, Little World. What if the second world war had ended differently? This…

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Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey loosens the reins 53:57

4M ago53:57

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Samantha Harvey didn’t mean to write a space novel—but Orbital won the Booker. At the 2025 Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, she talks dreams, insomnia, and crafting a plotless “space pastoral” that’s anything but ordinary.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Alan Hollinghurst and Charlotte Wood on gay lives and celebrity nuns 53:57

4M ago53:57

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Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst reflects on writing about gay lives and Booker Prize shortlisted author Charlotte Wood explains what it's like to not win the prestigious prize. British writer Alan Hollinghust won the 2004 Booker Prize for his novel The Line of Beauty about a gay man living in 1980s Britain. His latest novel, Our Evenings, is …

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Liane Moriaty and David Nicholls on small screen success 53:57

4M ago53:57

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From Sydney Writers Festival, two bestselling writers, David Nicholls and Liane Moriarty, reveal what it's like to see their stories go from the page to the screen. The British writer David Nicholls is best known for his novel One Day, which has been adapted to film and to television. While Australia's Liane Moriarty has seen every one of her books…

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Kaliane Bradley, Rumaan Alam, success and 'sexy dead guys' 53:56

4M ago53:56

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Kaliane Bradley shares the serious side to her obsession with muttonchops and time travel, with her book The Ministry of Time, and Rumaan Alam reflects on the success of his novels, Entitlement and Leave the World Behind which was adapted to the screen starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke. British Cambodian author Kaliane Bradley shares the inspi…

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Marian Keyes — "I have lived many lives" 53:57

5M ago53:57

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Irish writer Marian Keyes on family, wisdom, and writing through the chaos. At Margaret River, she chats with Claire Nichols about her 16th novel, My Favourite Mistake, and the Walsh sisters she’s loved for 30 years.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Eimear McBride, Tasma Walton and James Bradley on stormy weather and broken families 54:05

5M ago54:05

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Irish writer Eimear McBride revisits favourite characters on a rainy night, actor-turned-writer Tasma Walton dredges up a family story of abduction and James Bradley's crime novel about climate catastrophe. Irish writer Eimear McBride is a past winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction whose writing is celebrated for its originality and inventive use…

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Mother fault lines with Betty Shamieh, Debra Oswald and Naima Brown 54:06

5M ago54:06

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Palestinian American playwright Betty Shamieh turns to fiction in Too Soon, a nuanced and lusty story of three generations of Palestinian women and the times that shape them. Australian author and TV screen writer Debra Oswald follows the eventful life of a gritty, strong woman in One Years of Betty. And in her biting satire Mother Tongue, Naima Br…

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Chigozie Obioma on kindness, big families and the Biafran War 54:05

5M ago54:05

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Booker Prize shortlisted Nigerian author Chigozie Obioma joined Claire Nichols at Byron Writers Festival to discuss his latest novel The Road to the Country about civil war in Nigeria. Now based in the US, Chigozie Obioma's first two novels The Fishermen (2015) and An Orchestra of Minorities (2019) were shortlisted for The Booker Prize. His third n…

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Gregory Maguire has another Wicked tale to tell 54:05

6M ago54:05

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American writer Gregory Maguire joins Claire Nichols in a rare and revealing conversation about the evolution of his Wicked series that inspired the popular musical and movies. Once again, with Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, Gregory draws on the iconic Wizard of Oz characters and settings, this time concentrating on the childhood years of Elphaba, the…

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Charlotte McConaghy on The Wild Dark Shore 54:05

6M ago54:05

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A small family lives on a remote island, the father a caretaker for the world's seeds. Then in the rising seas, a woman is washed up to shore. Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore is a mystery, a story of love, and a warning. Melbourne-based writer Sean Wilson offers an empathetic glimpse into the fractured mind of an elderly woman with dementia i…

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Roisin O'Donnell and a woman on the run 54:06

6M ago54:06

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A mother escapes a controlling husband. But that is just the beginning. Nesting, the debut novel from award-winning Irish writer Roisin O'Donnell takes us to the next step, finding a safe home. Also, English Ghanaian author Maame Blue, who now lives in Melbourne, on the struggles of uncovering memories in her novel The Rest of You, and in Love Uned…

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Laila Lalami, Steven MinOn and Madeleine Ryan on mining dreams, a walking corpse and a very bad day 54:05

6M ago54:05

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Award-winning Moroccan American author Laila Lalami imagines a world where the most intimate aspects of life are mined for data in her speculative fiction, The Dream Hotel. Australian Chinese writer Steve MinOn goes on a generational discovery tour with a corpse in his debut novel First Name Second Name. And Madeleine Ryan's The Knowing reflects on…

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Bernhard Schlink, Vincenzo Latronico and Diana Reid on transitions, ennui and memory 54:39

7M ago54:39

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A story of finding family, Bernhard Schlink's latest novel The Granddaughter, examines the lingering impact of a divided Germany and the rise of the far right. Italian author and translator Vincenzo Latronico chronicles an expat couple living in Berlin and their search for authenticity in an age of social media in his novella Perfection. Also, Dian…

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Rachel Kushner on writing spies, anarchists and Neanderthals 54:39

7M ago54:39

54:39

American writer Rachel Kushner joins Claire Nichols on the stage at Adelaide Writers Week for a conversation about the Booker-shortlisted Creation Lake, her latest philosophical and darkly funny novel involving French eco-activists, a bold and ruthless infiltrator, and a cave-dwelling idealist. Recorded at Adelaide Writers Week 2025.…

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Colum McCann, Robert Lukins and Jane Yang on repair, the ultra-rich and bound feet 55:37

7M ago55:37

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In his latest book Twist, New York-based Irish writer Colum McCann dives into the digital age, travelling deep under the ocean into a tangled world of ruptured fibrous connections, its human cost, and repair. And Robert Lukins' Somebody Down There Likes Me takes an acerbic look at the downfall of a rich Connecticut family. Also, Jane Yang tells a s…

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Morgan Talty on family, blood and belonging 17:36

7M ago17:36

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Penobscot Indian Nation writer Morgan Talty's Fire Exit is a story of family bonds that go beyond bloodlines. Charles is a white man who must not only confront his past but decide whether to reveal his identity to the daughter he watches from across the river that borders the Native American Reservation of the Penobscot people. A compassionate acco…

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My Biggest Book 06 | Markus Zusak on The Book Thief 37:00

7M ago37:00

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In this final episode of My Biggest Book, where prominent authors reflect on their defining books, Markus Zusak reminisces about the literary phenomenon that is The Book Thief. The story of Liesel, a feisty German girl who finds power in stealing books in a world where words and ideas can both save and destroy lives is full of unforgettable charact…

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When Makassar and Yolnu peoples met, a long history told in A Piece of Red Cloth 21:22

7M ago21:22

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The Yolnu people of the Northern Territory had a fruitful trading relationship with the Makassar people from Indonesia long before Australia was colonised. Yolnu people would even visit Makassar, some never returned. In A Piece of Red Cloth, Arnhem Land writer Leonie Norrington, who has collaborated with three elders from the region, including Merr…

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My Biggest Book 05 | Roddy Doyle on The Commitments 34:00

8M ago34:00

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In this episode of My Biggest Book, where prominent authors reminisce about the book that defined their career, Roddy Doyle reflects on the times and difficulties of publishing The Commitments. A comic novel about a group of Irish youth who form a soul band, it's a brash and honest portrayal of working-class Dublin. It was rejected by numerous publ…

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Eowyn Ivey on Alaska, bears and magic 20:58

8M ago20:58

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Eowyn Ivey is best known for her magical debut novel, The Snow Child, a book set in her home state of Alaska. Her new book, Black Woods Blue Sky is also set in the beautiful and rugged wilds of Alaska, with magic and an unusual love story at its core, featuring a single mother finding tenderness in the unexpected. But does this love come at a cost?…

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My Biggest Book 04 | Nikki Gemmell on The Bride Stripped Bare 34:00

8M ago34:00

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For journalist and writer Nikki Gemmell her Biggest Book was a huge commercial success, but it had a sensational effect on her life and work. The Bride Stripped Bare delves into the secret life of a married woman, her frustrations, longings and sexual fantasies with graphic details of her encounters. The woman in her 30s has mysteriously disappeare…

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Juhea Kim: City of Night Birds 20:50

8M ago20:50

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Claire speaks to Juhea Kim about her latest novel which centres around an elite Russian ballet dancer returning to the stage after a serious injury. The City of Night Birds is a meditation on the purity and pain of artistic expression but also investigates its purpose in a fractured world.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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My Biggest Book 03 | Emma Donoghue on Room 35:00

8M ago35:00

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In this episode of My Biggest Book, where prominent authors ponder their breakthrough novels, Emma Donaghue recalls her 2010 novel Room. Inspired by the famous Fritzl case, it's about a boy and his mother held captive in a small room, the only world the child, Jack, has ever known. The book was shortlisted for the Booker and in 2015 the film versio…

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David Baldacci; Sara Haddad's novella The Sunbird 21:20

8M ago21:20

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David Baldacci is the bestselling writer of heroes like Mickey Gibson and Aloysius Archer. He's written 50 books for adults as well as novels for younger readers. Some of his stories have been made into blockbuster movies or TV series. His latest, To Die For, features undercover agent Travis Devine as he faces his biggest challenge yet, protecting …

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My Biggest Book 02 | Hanif Kureishi on The Buddha of Suburbia 33:00

8M ago33:00

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There's an extra element to this second episode of My Biggest Book, where some of the world's biggest authors reminisce about their all-time biggest books. Hanif Kureishi's comedic novel The Buddha of Suburbia, about a father and a mixed race teenager growing up in the suburbs of 1970's South London won awards and was adapted to a successful TV ser…

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The prolific Alexander McCall Smith 16:07

8M ago16:07

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Look in any library or book shop at any time of year and there's bound to be a newly released Alexander McCall Smith novel on the shelf. Most known for his No 1 Ladies' Detectives Agency Series, the 44 Scotland Series, and even books for children, he also writes standalone novels. Hear how he uses the seasons to write up to five books a year, inclu…

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My Biggest Book 01 | Audrey Niffenegger on The Time Traveler's Wife 37:00

8M ago37:00

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What is it like to write a book that changes your life? Some of the world’s biggest authors reminisce about their all-time biggest books – the novels that changed their lives. In the first of this breakthrough series Audrey Niffenegger reflects on her debut novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife. The 2003 book, about time-travelling librarian Henry and hi…

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Summer reading with Andrew O'Hagan and Evie Wyld 54:06

9M ago54:06

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Scottish author Andrew O'Hagan explains why finishing his latest novel Caledonian Road was like "landing 65 planes on the tarmac" and award-winning author Evie Wyld on her new book The Echoes, and why there are so many sharks in her fiction. Scottish author Andrew O'Hagan's latest book Caledonian Road (Faber and Faber) is a big in length and Dicken…

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Summer reading with Anne Enright 54:06

9M ago54:06

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At Adelaide Writers' Week, Booker Prize-winner Anne Enright speaks about the contradictions at the heart of families. Anne joined Claire Nichols in front of a live audience to talk about her latest book The Wren, The Wren. It's about a straight-laced mum, her-free-spirit daughter and the poet father who left them in the lurch. Anne also shared insi…

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Summer Reading with Celeste Ng 54:16

9M ago54:16

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From Sydney Writers' Festival, American author Celeste Ng shares how her latest novel Our Missing Hearts explores one of her deepest fears. Celeste Ng is known for her dark realist novels, Everything I Never Told You, and Little Fires Everywhere (which was adapted to the screen in 2020). Our Missing Hearts is set in a dystopian, near-future America…

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Summer reading with Tim Winton, Kaliane Bradley and Siang Lu 54:06

9M ago54:06

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Tim Winton explains his urgency for writing about climate change in his new novel Juice, Kaliane Bradley on her bestseller The Ministry of Time which has attracted Barack Obama's attention and Siang Lu's ambitious and complicated novel Ghost Cities. Tim Winton shares the anger and frustration that compelled him to write his latest novel Juice. It's…

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Summer reading with Melissa Lucashenko 54:06

10M ago54:06

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At Adelaide Writers' Week, Melissa Lucashenko explains how understanding that "all history is fiction" allowed her to write her historic novel Edenglassie. Melissa Lucashenko is known for creating unforgettable, feisty modern women in her fiction. There's Kerry Salter from her Miles Franklin winning novel Too Much Lip and Jo Breen, from her earlier…

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Niall Williams and Nick Harkaway on Christmas miracles and special fathers 54:06

10M ago54:06

54:06

Irish writer Niall Williams's latest novel Time of the Child celebrates the miracles of everyday life. Also, meet Nick Harkaway the son of David Cornwall AKA John le Carre, who is continuing his father's legacy in fictional espionage with Karla's Choice. Irish writer Niall Williams is the the author of the bestselling novels This is Happiness and t…