A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard

In this month’s episode of Julia’s Book Club, Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette discuss Yesteryear, the hit debut novel from Caro Claire Burke.Yesteryear follows Natalie - a wife and mother living on a ranch in Idaho and promoting a traditional lifestyle to her many millions of followers on social media. One day Natalie wakes up in a strange version of reality, where her home and family look similar but different.What follows is a fascinating examination of tradition, fame, faith and the performative way so many of us live our lives. Julia and Kathy discuss how the book delves into some of the biggest issues facing our world today, the real life phenomenon of ‘tradwives’ on social media, and how well they each thought the twists and turns of the book played out. Show notes: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is published by Harper Collins and is available in all good bookstores.To learn more about the tradwives research at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership visit https://www.kcl.ac.uk/giwl/assets/giwl-tradwife-report.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her co-host Kathy Lette discuss Tell Me Everything, the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout.Tell Me Everything is Strout's 10th novel, and it returns readers to the fictional town of Crosby, Maine - where several of her novels have taken place. It also features many of the characters from her previous books, including Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. In this story, the town lawyer Bob Burgess takes on a case defending a man suspected of killing his own mother. But, as Julia and Kathy discuss, the case is only one part of a sprawling story that examines love, grief, family, the importance of friendship and everyone’s search to find meaning in their life. Show notes:Tell Me Everything is published by Penguin and is available in all good bookstores.Learn more about Kathy Lette at https://www.kathylette.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her cohost Sarah Holland-Batt dive into Audition, the latest novel from Katie Kitamura.Audition follows an unnamed actress as she rehearses a play that blurs the lines between performance and personal history. When a mysterious young man appears, claiming to be her son, she’s drawn into a spiral of uncertainty that challenges her sense of self and reality.Together, Julia and Sarah unpack the novel’s themes of identity, motherhood, and the shifting boundaries between truth and fiction. They explore how the story's psychologically rich but uncanny style highlights the tension between who we are and who the world asks us to be.Join us for a thoughtful discussion on power, performance, and the quiet ways women resist being written into roles they didn’t choose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s book club episode Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette discuss Fundamentally, by Nussaibah Younis. It’s the British author’s debut novel and it follows the story of Nadia Amin - an academic disowned by her mother and dumped by her long-term partner, who accepts a job with the United Nations in Iraq to rehabilitate ISIS women so their home countries will take them back.While struggling to get the program off the ground amidst the opaque world of international aid, Nadia meets Sara, a fellow Londoner who was radicalised when she was just 15 years old.Julia and Kathy delve into the book’s dark humour and complex characters, and its exploration of faith, identity and family.Fundamentally is published by Orion, an imprint of Hachette Australia.https://www.hachette.com.au/nussaibah-younis/fundamentally-shortlisted-for-the-2025-womens-prize-for-fiction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, we take you inside Julia's first ever Australian live recording of A Podcast of One's Own.Recorded in front of an audience at the Australian National University in Canberra, home to the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Julia is joined on stage by one of Australia's most respected journalists, Leigh Sales.The pair discuss Leigh's incredible career achievements, preparing for Prime Ministerial interviews, telling stories of tragedy, the power of podcasts and her latest project.Show notes:Leigh has authored several books, including her latest book Storytellers. They are available in all good book stores. This live event was held in support of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL), which brings together rigorous research, practice and advocacy to advance gender equality and promote fair and equal access to leadership.You can learn more about GIWL by visiting giwl.anu.edu.au or support their work at https://engage.anu.edu.au/giving/GIWL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Julia Gillard is joined by Dr. Beverley Ditsie – pioneering filmmaker, artist, and gender non-conforming activist – whose fearless activism has shaped the fight for queer rights in South Africa and beyond.From co-founding South Africa’s first multiracial LGBTQ+ rights group at just 16 to leading the country’s first Pride March in 1990, Beverley has been at the forefront of the battle for equality for decades. In 1995, Bev made history as the first openly lesbian person to address the United Nations, demanding global recognition of LGBTQ+ rights as human rights.In this powerful conversation, Beverley reflects on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, defying rigid gender norms as a child actor, and using storytelling as a tool for resistance. Bev discusses the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in activism, the urgent need to protect queer communities in the face of rising violence, and why the patriarchy is in its final fight for survival.In their conversation, Beverley and Julia discuss Simon and I, Bev's award-winning documentary telling the story of her friend and mentor, Simon Nkoli, set against the backdrop of intense political activism and the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa. The documentary is available to watch for free on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj56iZNVZ-c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eluned Morgan is the first woman to lead Wales.Before that, she made history as the youngest member of the European Parliament at just 27 years old.Ahead of International Women’s Day, Julia travelled to Cardiff to sit down with the First Minister in her office.In this season-opener, they discuss Ms Morgan’s political upbringing, her path to the leadership, building resilience, misogyny on social media, how her faith shapes her politics and her life away from from the public eye.Show notes:To learn more about Eluned Morgan and the Welsh Government:https://www.gov.wales/eluned-morgan-ms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.