Book Club - Gary Lonesborough’s Good Young Men

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Gary Lonesborough about his latest novel 'Good Young Men' and its themes surrounding friendship, justice, and racism.

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin writer, whose young adult novels, The Boy from the Mish, We Didn't Think It Through, and I'm Not Really Here have been shortlisted for numerous awards. Gary’s latest novel is Good Young Men. Carraway’s Point is an idyllic coastal destination. Kallum, Jordy, Dylan and Brandon grew up together on Chopin Drive, a ready made friendship group. Fast forward eight years. The boys are staring down the end of high school. Well not all of them. Brandon was shot and killed by police and the upcoming trial has them all on edge because they know the public think this is just another death of an Aboriginal person in custody, but the boys know their friend better than that. While the community braces for the trial, the boys must deal not only with the possibility that Brandon might not receive justice, but what that means for themselves and their lives moving forward. They are no strangers to racism but now it is becoming as ugly and as dangerous as they have ever experienced it. Kallum only just returned to Carrway’s Point. He’s been expelled from his fancy Sydney boarding school and lost his football scholarship. There’s something more though. Kallum isn’t sure if…

People in this episode

Guest: Gary Lonesborough

Topics covered

• young adult literature
• Aboriginal issues
• friendship
• justice
• racism
• coming of age

Keywords

• Gary Lonesborough
• Good Young Men
• young adult novels
• Aboriginal
• racism
• friendship
• justice

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Good Young Men, The Boy from the Mish, We Didn't Think It Through, I'm Not Really Here

Places: Carraway’s Point, Chopin Drive, Sydney

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