
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
More episodes of The Bookshelf
- Andrew Sean Greer, Ilka Tampke and a Lighthouse at the Edge of the World · June 12, 2026 · 55 min
- New fiction from three major voices: Maggie O'Farrell, Ann Patchett, Christine Balint · June 5, 2026 · 55 min
- Said the Dead, The Thornbacks, and Deborah Levy’s latest · May 29, 2026 · 54 min
- Launching ABC Radio National’s 2026 Top 100 Books countdown at SWF · May 22, 2026 · 55 min
- New Douglas Stuart, a riff on Henry Lawson, Lena Dunham’s Famesick and a Greek island eco-thriller · May 15, 2026 · 55 min
- Elizabeth Strout, Daniel Kehlmann and a Genre‑Bending Debut · May 8, 2026 · 55 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Bookshelf podcast page.