Rachel Kushner on writing spies, anarchists and Neanderthals
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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54:39
Colum McCann, Robert Lukins and Jane Yang on repair, the ultra-rich and bound feet
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 story of female empowerment in her historical novel Lotus Shoes, which includes the ancient Chinese practice of binding the feet of young girls.
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55:37
Morgan Talty on family, blood and belonging
Penobscot 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 account of family, love, and connections, it also explores the complications that may arise from truth-telling.
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17:36
My Biggest Book 06 | Markus Zusak on The Book Thief
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 characters and magic moments. Markus Zusak reflects on the family stories about life in Austria and Germany during WW 11 told around the kitchen table and how even classroom writing exercises inspired a book that is still popular 20 years after publication.And the entire series of My Biggest Book is now available on the ABC Listen App. Audrey Niffenegger on The Time Traveler's Wife, Hanif Kureishi on The Buddha of Suburbia, Emma Donoghue on Room, Nikki Gemmell on The Bride Stripped Bare, and Roddy Doyle on The Commitments.
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37:00
When Makassar and Yolnu peoples met, a long history told in A Piece of Red Cloth
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 Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, evokes some of the stories told about the relationships formed and cultural exchanges. But there are tensions. Some Yolnu people are suspicious of the intentions of the Makassar traders, alcohol is free-flowing and Yolnu women are particularly vulnerable.
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