Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac on their new picture book for children, 'The Legend of Jessie Hickman'
Jessie Hickman was a woman who lived outside the norms of her time. A brave and formidable woman, Jessie lived a life full of adventure, action and danger. At the age of eight she joined a travelling bush circus, learning to perform as a whip cracker, sharpshooter and rough rider. She would perform dangerous feats, like tightrope walking or handstands on bare-backed ponies. When the circus closed, Jessie became an outlaw and cattle rustler, famous for her daring escapes.This picture book brings to life the fascinating but little-known story of Jessie Hickman (1890–1936), Australia’s so-called ‘Lady Bushranger’. This lavishly illustrated picture book immerses the reader in the wilderness of what is now the Wollemi National Park as Jessie’s life unfolds with every turn of the page.In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac about their shared passion for Australian history, about life in a travelling bush circus at the turn of the twentieth century, and how a young girl from humble beginnings became an Australian bush legend.
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Jessica Mansour-Nahra on her first novel, an eerie gothic psychological thriller, 'The Farm'
When 37-year-old Leila suffers a health tragedy, she doesn't recover as quickly as she expected. Her partner, James, suggests a year away from the city - they'll stay on his family farm, where the wide, open spaces and clean country air will help her come to terms with her grief.But the property is remote and the house oppressive. Leila is disturbed by strange noises, fleeting visions and intrusive dreams. James worries that her medication is causing hallucinations.As Leila's isolation grows amid the haunted landscape, so does her suspicion that she isn't the first woman James has relocated to the farm. Is what she's experiencing real? Or is it all in her head?In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Jessica Mansour-Nahra about the power of imagery to create a ghostly atmosphere, how isolation can lead to heightened sensory experiences, and how a barren open landscape can contribute to an intense feeling of claustrophobia.
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Belinda Castles on discovering literary Sydney on foot in 'Walking Sydney'
Walking Sydney invites you to walk with a city’s writers as they share their places of home and imagination. From the streets of the suburbs to the shores of the harbour, as we walk amid diasporas, countercultures, activists, artists, dreamers and thieves, the city comes alive with story. Written by Belinda Castles from walks taken with fifteen writers, Walking Sydney is an opportunity to see the city afresh.Eveleigh and Carriageworks with Jazz Money – Surry Hills with Fiona Kelly McGregor – The Rocks, Walsh Bay and Circular Quay with Gail Jones – Parramatta with Eda Gunaydin – King Street, Newtown with Vanessa Berry – Freshwater with Malcolm Knox – Yagoona and Bankstown with Sheila Ngọc Phạm – Rushcutters Bay Park and Elizabeth Bay with Delia Falconer – North Willoughby and Middle Cove with Jakelin Troy – Casula and Liverpool with Max Easton – Kings Cross, Elizabeth Bay, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills with Neal Drinnan – Bronte and Clovelly with Beth Yahp – Bankstown and Punchbowl Boys’ High School with Michael Mohammed Ahmad – Cooks River with Michelle de Kretser – City and Redfern with Larissa Behrendt.In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Belinda Castles about her fascination for the people, places and history of the city of Sydney, why walking is both a physical and creative experience, and the hopes she has for the future of this city and for its people
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Toni Jordan on greyhounds, gambling and growing up in her new novel, 'Tenderfoot'
Brisbane, 1975: Andie Tanner's world is small but whole. Her mum is complicated, but she adores her dad and the kennel of racing greyhounds that live under their house. Andie is a serious girl with plans: finish school with her friends, then apprentice to her father until she can become a greyhound trainer, with dogs of her very own.But real life rarely goes to plan, and the world is bigger and more complicated than Andie could imagine. When she loses everything she cares about - her family, her friends, the dogs - it's up to Andie to reclaim her future. She will need all her wits to survive this new reality of secrets and half-truths, addictions and crime.In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Toni Jordan about how her varied work history found its way in this story, how the triangulation of mother, father and daughter shapes relationships and character, and how we are all truly children in adult form.
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Tanya Scott on her high-octane debut crime thriller, 'Stillwater'
After years away from his home town of Melbourne, Luke Harris is back on track. All he wants is a normal job, his own house and a dog. But Luke is a man with a past, when life was anything but peaceful and his skills ran to the dark side. A past not easily forgotten – or forgiven. When he crosses paths with Gus Alberici – the brutal criminal he worked for as a teenager – he's dragged reluctantly back to his old life. Luke's father has vanished, along with a chunk of Gus's cash. And something is up with his new girlfriend's father. As his past and present collide, can Luke keep his long-held secrets – and outsmart a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants?In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Tanya Scott about the long journey to her first novel, how her work in mental health informs her fiction writing, and why accountancy is the perfect cover for a criminal lifestyle.
New Zealand