Compulsive Reader talks

Compulsive Reader talks


Latest Episodes

Marina Kamenev on Kin
February 18, 2024

The author of Kin: Family in the 21st Century reads from and talks about her new book, about the many permeations of family both nuclear and otherwise, about the book's origins, some of her key themes and challenges including such things as donor priv

Valerie Werder on Thieves
December 04, 2023

Valerie Werder reads from and talks about her award-winning debut novel Thieves. In this wide-ranging interview we talk about such things as representation, semantics, spirituality, thievery and its many iterations, cognitive dissonance, the changing subj

Beatriz Copello on No Salami Fairy Bread
November 20, 2023

Beatriz Copello, author of No Salami Fairy Bread drops by to read from and talk about her newest poetry book. We talk about such things as the linguistic quality of the book, its structure, overall themes including migration, memoir, feminism, coming-of-a

Samuel Lucas Allen on CUT
October 25, 2023

Award winning filmmaker Samuel Lucas Allen talks about their new short film CUT. We talk about how the film came together as a project, the extraordinary cinematography, on working with their father, Richard James Allen (who has been on the show several t

Eugen Bacon on Serengotti
October 05, 2023

Award winning author Eugen Bacon reads from and talks about her latest book Serengotti. We discuss such things as the books themes including notions of privilege, racism, misogyny and the multiplicity of the self, the book's unique narrative voice, th

Esther Ottaway on She Doesn't Seem Autistic
September 20, 2023

Esther Ottaway talks about and reads from her new book She Doesn't Seem Autistic. Through a number of poems, Esther talks about many of the key themes, rhythms, structures and concepts in the book, including masking, humour, her use of animals, on rec

Richard James Allen on Text Messages from the Universe
July 01, 2023

Richard James Allen joins me to read from and talk about his latest book Text Messages from the Universe. We talk about many things including the book's deeply spiritual themes, its links with The Tibetan book of the Dead, the unique format of the boo

Alisa Bryce on Grounded
June 21, 2023

Soil scientist Alisa Bryce reads from and talks about her book Grounded. In this conversation we cover such things as how the book came about, Alisa's deep love of soil and both how important it is to all aspects of our lives, but also how fun and int

Alan Fyfe on T
May 30, 2023

Alan Fyfe joins us to read from and talk about his latest novel T, which shortlisted for the T.A.G Hungerford Prize (Australia) and the Chaffinch Press Aware Prize (Ireland), and was recently was shortlisted in The WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging W

Ashley Kalagian Blunt on Dark Mode
April 04, 2023

Ashley Kalagian Blunt joins us to read from and talk about her new thrillerDark Mode.We talk about such things as her research, the Dark Web, her protagonist Reagan Carson, her fabulous plant store setting Voodoo Lily and dark flowers, what she's re