Steve Toltz, Ben Lerner, Siân Hughes, and more

Steve Toltz, Ben Lerner, Siân Hughes, and more

From The Bookshelf by ABC Australia

April 10, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

The episode reviews various contemporary literary works, exploring themes of memory, relationships, and crime.

Memory, lost conversations and almost-fathers-and sons in Ben Lerner's Transcription; children divided by the throw of a dice, and that's just the start of it, in Steve Toltz's A Rising of the Lights; no such thing as unskilled labour, in Siân Hughes' No Such Thing as Monday, where a woman works as a drycleaner, trying desperately to rid herself of the stains of her childhood; new crime releases, and an Australian in Hollywood is reconsidered. Kate and Cassie with reviewers Michael Robotham and Geordie Williamson. BOOKS Ben Lerner, Transcription, Granta Steve Toltz, A Rising of the Lights, Penguin Siân Hughes, No Such Thing as Monday, Penguin Tana French, The Keeper, Viking Penguin Candice Fox, Redbelly Crossing, Penguin Patricia A. O'Brien, Errol Flynn: The true story of Australia's Hollywood Icon, Allen & Unwin [Keep scrolling for other books and writers mentioned in the discussion] GUESTS Michael Robotham is an internationally-acclaimed crime writer whose books include the Joseph O'Loughlan and Evie Cormac series. His latest novel is The White Crow — and his next one, Tell Me Something True, will be his first to be set in Australia Geordie Wiliamson is a literary critic…

People in this episode

Hosts: Kate, Cassie

Guests: Michael Robotham, Geordie Williamson

Topics covered

  • memory
  • father-son relationships
  • crime literature
  • Australian literature
  • literary criticism

Keywords

  • Ben Lerner
  • Steve Toltz
  • Siân Hughes
  • literary review
  • Australian authors

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Transcription, A Rising of the Lights, No Such Thing as Monday, The Keeper, Redbelly Crossing, Errol Flynn: The true story of Australia's Hollywood Icon

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