Good Reading Podcast

Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.  Only they're not going down without a fight. Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans. After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin...

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kathy Lette about why women are so drawn to revenge, why Australian women make the best heroines and embracing the journey through menopause and discovering the paradise beyond.

Acclaimed wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta has been mugged by whales, touched by a baby whale and covered in whale snot. In Humpback Highway, Pirotta dives beneath the surface to reveal the mysterious world of humpback whales — from their life cycle and the challenges humans present, to why whale snot and poo are important for us and the ocean. Plus the cutting-edge new technologies that allow us to see where they swim, listen to them talk and spy on them underwater. Whether you’re a whale lover or you’re simply curious about the underwater world, 'Humpback Highway' will inspire and give you a new respect for these majestic, marine giants.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Vanessa Pirotta about how she became a whale scientist, why Australia's 'humpback highway' is key to understanding whale behaviour, and Vanessa also tells us what kind of parents whales make, and what the future holds for this incredible species

All Time High is a comprehensive guide on how to enter the cryptocurrency market as a complete beginner and to prosper. Cryptocurrencies have the power to radically transform not only our financial lives, but our personal freedom, sovereignty and mindset. Powered by blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies offer a new way for investors to create wealth and a potential early retirement without having to be a trader, have financial knowledge or a prior skill level. Sydel Sierra has documented this success blueprint in five easy steps and within each part are the practical tools to discover the power of this asset class.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Sydel Sierra about what exactly is cryptocurrency and why it is so important in the financial world of the future, why Bitcoin is the foundation of this asset class but why holding a portfolio of cryptocurrencies is crucial in finding success in investment, and why good research is critical when exploring this investment class.

For years the firefighters of New York’s Engine 99 have rushed fearlessly into hot zones, saving countless lives and stopping devastating blazes in their tracks. They’ve also stolen millions from banks, jewellery stores and art galleries. With their inside knowledge and specialist equipment, they’ve become the most successful heist crew on the East Coast.

Their newest member, Andrea ‘Andy’ Nearland, is not what she seems either. She’s an undercover operative, hunting the men of Engine 99 for a host of crimes – including the murder of an off-duty cop and the disappearance of a mother and child. As the clock counts down to the gang’s most daring heist yet, loyalties begin to fray and mistrust boils over. Andy’s career is all smoke and mirrors, but infiltrating this crew of ‘heroes’ might prove to be her most dangerous job of all .

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Candice Fox about the challenges of setting her latest crime thriller in the ultimate setting of New York's legendary boroughs of crime, why the opening pages of a heist caper are so important, and why perfectly harmonious criminal gangs are boring.

Named after a famous fictional character, librarian Bridget Jones was raised on a remote cattle station, with only her mother’s romance novels for company. Now living alone in Fremantle, Bridget is a hopeless romantic. She also believes that anyone who doesn’t like reading just hasn’t met the right book yet, and that connecting books to their readers is her superpower. If only her love life was that easy.

When handsome Italian barista Fabio progresses from flirting with love hearts on her coffee foam to joining the book club she runs at her library, Bridget prays her romance ‘curse’ won’t ruin things. But it’s the attention of her cranky neighbour Sully that seems to be the major obstacle in her life. Why is he going to so much effort to get under her skin? She soon discovers that not all romances start with a meet-cute, but they might just end in happily ever after…

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Rachael Johns about how our idea of libraries as dull places is now a thing of the past, how exploring relationships and friendships are at the heart of what she writes, and why romance fiction endures by changing with the times.

Compassion continues Julie Janson’s emotional and intense literary exploration of the complex and dangerous lives of Aboriginal women during the 1800s in colonial New South Wales, which she began in Benevolence as a counter narrative to colonial history in Australian literature. Compassion is the dramatised life story of one of Julie Janson’s ancestors who went on trial for stealing livestock in New South Wales, and it is an exciting and violent story of anti-colonial revenge and roaming adventure. A gripping fictive account of Aboriginal life in the 1800s, Compassion follows the life of Duringah, AKA Nell James, the outlaw daughter of the Darug hero of Benevolence, Muraging.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Julie Janson about shaping the character of her ancestor Duringah, and charting her exploits as “the wild native thief”, and how juxtaposing the natural and spiritual worlds of the Darug nation with the terrible reality of life during colonial times illuminates the rich shared history of New South Wales.

36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem is a book-length poem that is an urgent, unsettling reckoning with identity and the violence of identity, embedded with racism, oppression and historical trauma. But it also addresses the violence in those assumptions – of being always assumed to be outside one’s home, country, culture or language. And the complex violence, for the diasporic writer who wants to address any of this, of language itself.

Making use of multiple tones, moods, masks and camouflages, Le’s poetic debut moves with unpredictable and destabilising energy between the personal and political, honouring every convention of diasporic literature – in a virtuosic array of forms and registers – before shattering the form itself. Like his award-winning book, The Boat, 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem conjures its own terms of engagement, escapes our traps, slips our certainties. As self-indicting as it is scathing, hilarious as it is desperately moving, this is a singular, breakthrough book.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Nam Le about how his first love has always been poetry rather than the prose of his first book, 'The Boat', how the double-bind of the experience of living in Australia as a man with Vietnamese heritage and how it is reflected in his poetry, how language can be imperialist, even destructive yet continues to shape us as a society and as humans.

Most of us have done our time in the retail trenches, but service stations are undoubtedly the frontline, as Melburnian David Goodwin found out when he started working the weekend graveyard shift at his local servo.

From his very first night shift, David absorbed a consistent level of mind-bending lunacy, encountering everything from giant shoplifting bees and balaclava-clad goons hurling cordial-filled water bombs from the sunroof of their BMW, to anarcho-goths high on MDMA releasing large rats into the store from their matching Harry Potter backpacks.

Over the years, David grew to love his mad servo, handing out free pies and chocolate bars on the sly as he grew a backbone and became street smart. Amidst the unrelenting chaos, he eventually made it out of the servo circus - and lived to tell the tale.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to David Goodwin about what drew him to working in the wee hours at his local servo, the myriad of characters and space cadets he encountered along the way, and the how the people he met and the stories they had to tell changed his life.

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Robert ‘Goupong’ Anderson, was once the fastest man in Australia and world-record holder. Goupong, his little sister Dot, and his best friend Jonathan belong to the Ugarapul people, the Green Tree Frog tribe, and live with their families and others within the harsh confines of the Deebing Creek Mission – a place run by the malevolent Boss Man.

Goupong and Jonathan are focused on winning the mission’s biggest running race that year, but when mysterious noises, unexplained occurrences and biblical events begin to plague the local area they are forced to investigate. Weaving fact with fiction, Robert Runs explores the tough reality of mission life and the events leading up to the fateful day of the Deebing Creek Massacre.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Mariah Sweetman about honouring the life and stories of her ancestors, finding the character of the young Goupong through her research, and adopting a story structure that brings different perspectives together to reveal the complexity of our shared history.

Until well into the twentieth century, heartbroken men and women in Australia had a legal redress for their suffering: jilted lovers could claim compensation for 'breach of promise to marry'. Hundreds of people, mostly from the working classes, came before the courts, and their stories give us a tantalising insight into the romantic landscape of the past – where couples met, how they courted, and what happened when flirtations turned sour. In packed courtrooms and breathless newspaper reports, love letters were read as contracts and private gifts and gossip scrutinised as evidence.

In Courting, Alecia Simmonds brings these stories vividly to life, revealing the entangled histories of love and the law. Over the long arc of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, pre-industrial romantic customs gave way to middle-class respectability, women used the courts to assert their rights, and the law eventually retreated from people's romantic lives – with women, Simmonds argues, losing out in the process.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Alecia Simmonds about the history of a breach of promise action, how the law was applied to love in the earliest days of the colony, the wonderful characters and fascinating stories that can be found in the legal archive and what was won and lost with the introduction of the Family Law Act in 1975.

As a young girl growing up in a strict ultra-Orthodox family, Dassi's life was preordained - marry young, live a devout life and raise children within the Adass community's religious rules. This righteous path would keep her safe from the immodest, secular world just a few blocks away in suburban Melbourne. But the Adass community was not safe for Dassi.

Dassi was fifteen when her revered school principal, Malka Leifer, started to single her out. Dassi's cloistered and harsh upbringing meant she didn't have the words for what was happening to her, but she knew it was very, very wrong. It would take her years to break free of the secrecy which pervaded the community and tell the police of her betrayal. And only then would she find out others, including two of her sisters, had also been abused, and would learn some in the Adass community had helped Leifer flee to Israel. With the only world she knew crumbling around her, Dassi found the strength to fight, leading a brave fifteen-year campaign to bring Leifer back to face Australian courts.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Dassi Erlich about the foundation and teachings of the Adass Jewish community and her terrible childhood experience, the decision she made to leave the sect and her fight to bring her sexual abuser Malka Leifer to account, and the support she received in writing a difficult memoir.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to James Foley about where his ideas come from, the great characters he has created – Sally Tinker (the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve), Joe Tinker (full-time baby) and Charli Stevenson (foremost biologist under the age of eleven). We explore the hilarious and often quite smelly adventures they get up to, and Sally's amazing range of inventions. There's also a few Dad jokes along the way.

In 'Brobot' Sally Tinker knows she can build a better brother than the messy, smelly version she has. Sally’s invention – Brobot – is fantastic … until the remote breaks and Brobot careens out of control.

In 'Gastronauts', the brain-enhancing nanobots Sally is testing have been accidentally swallowed by her baby brother, Joe. The only way to stop Joe from turning into a superbaby and wreaking super havoc is to shrink herself and travel inside Joe’s body on a mission to tackle the problem head-on.

In 'Stellarphant' Stella wants to be an astronaut. There is only one problem: Stella is an elephant. Every time she applies to Space Command, they come up with a new reason she can’t join. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Stella is determined to reach for the stars.

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In 1940, as the Nazis sweep toward Lithuania, Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara defies his government and secretly issues visas to fleeing Jewish refugees. After the war, Sugihara is dismissed and disappears into obscurity.

Three decades later, in Australia, Rachel Margol is shocked when her engagement reveals a long-held family secret: she is Jewish. As she grapples with this deception and the dysfunction it has caused, unspoken tragedies from the past begin to come to light. When an opportunity arrives to visit Chiune Sugihara, the man who risked his life to save the Margols during World War II, Rachel becomes determined to meet him. But will a journey to Japan, and the secrets it uncovers, heal the family or fracture them for good?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Linda Margolin Royal about the origins of this story in her own family history, the plight of Jewish refugees in Lithuania in 1940, and the remarkable Japanese diplomat who risked his own life to save others.

Cassie has settled into life in Hedgely when, out of the blue, her troubled cousin, Sebastian, comes to stay for Hallowe'en. Sneering and scornful, Sebastian trails after Cassie and her friends, interfering with their coven projects and belittling the dangers of the faery world. But Cassie, Rue and Tabitha have bigger problems - as the nights grow longer, a dark shadow creeps out of the Hedge and villagers start behaving strangely, possessed with the desire to find a mysterious object.

When the Hedgewitch is called away, the girls decide to investigate and discover that whoever is controlling the villagers is seeking a faery relic: an ancient and dangerous weapon, hidden somewhere in the village. Their magical training will be put to the test as they venture deeper into the Hedge and race to find the faery treasure before it falls into the hands of the Erl King.


In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Skye McKenna about discovering the land of Faerie and the dangerous people a reader might encounter in the Forest of Hedge, the magical people and places in the village of Hedgely everyone should visit, and Cassie Morgan's journey from fledgeling to fully qualified witch.

Nedingar is the story of a young child who wants to meet their Ancestors (Nedingar), to know them, learn from them and follow their ways. The child's mother gently explains that they have already met their Ancestors, yesterday, today and tomorrow, and that they are everywhere in Country, walking close behind them. Beautifully illustrated by Leanne Zilman, Nedingar is a lyrical, dual language picture book from two debut Noongar creators that celebrates the beauty of Country and family.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Isobel Bevis about her own indigenous heritage, the significance of the willy-wagtail in Noongar culture, and unlocking the door to reading and understanding a dual language picture book.

Bush Bugs is a colourful array of Australian insects that will captivate young children. From spiky stick insects to hairy spiders, from blood-sucking mosquitos to dung-eating blow flies and feasting wasps, this is a fun and easy-to-read book introducing tiny readers to tiny bush critters.

Crow Baby tells the story of a baby born with two spirits – one human and one crow. The baby grows up to be Daisy Crow, a girl who lives with humans by day and flies with the crows in her dreams. Crow Baby is a bittersweet story of sacrifice, metamorphosis and change. It introduces key First Nations concepts of dream journeys and spiritual gifts to young readers aged 6+ and gives them much to think about and discuss.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Helen Milroy about creating a shortlist of our amazing bush bugs, finding the beauty in a blowfly, tracing the origins of the Daisy Crow character and how her background in mental health shapes her approach to storytelling.

On a Bright Hillside in Paradise, tells the story of a family of convict descendants in the back-blocks of Tasmania, on a farm in a place called Paradise. They lead hard-scrabble lives. The drama begins when strangers arrive, Christian Brethren evangelists who hold big revival meetings in local barns.

On a Bright Hillside in Paradise tackles big questions of faith and family but remains grounded in the dreams and strivings of its beautifully drawn characters. Higgs takes lives that history might have judged as small and imbues them with immense dignity and complex and compelling inner lives.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Annette Higgs about the long journey from idea to great story in a first novel, the fascinating family connection she has to the characters in the story and the social impact of the arrival of the Christian Brethren on the isolated communities of north-western Tasmania.

Three couples, friends since high school, rent a luxurious house in the mountains for an unplugged weekend of drinking and bushwalking. No internet, no phones, no stress. On the first night, the topic of partner-swapping comes up. It's a joke - at first. Not everyone is keen, but an agreement is made. The lights will be turned out. The three women will go into the three bedrooms. The three men will each pick a room at random. It won't be awkward later, because they won't know who they've slept with - or can pretend they don't.

When the lights come back on, one of the men is dead. No one will admit to being his partner. The phones still don't work, and now the car key is missing. They're stranded. And the killer is just getting started ...

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Jack Heath about the hidden dangers within an adult game of truth or dare, the virtues of a murder case where everyone and no one appears to be the killer, and how dark humour can make murder fun.

Two women from different worlds in Renaissance France cross paths in a way that changes both their lives. One is Marguerite de Navarre, a King’s sister. Powerful, privileged and widely admired, Marguerite must nonetheless marry where she is told to, regardless of her feelings, and – despite the thrilling new ideas of religious reform causing upheaval in France – must toe the line for the good of her brother’s kingdom. Ever a risk-taker, she does what she can to protect her reformist friends.

The other is a cast out, itinerant child who longs to be a printer like her late father. Jehane goes dressed as a male by the name of Josse, at first for safety’s sake and then by choice, fending off the risks of being alone, unprotected and born female, poor but trying to live in freedom. These two women, the rich and poor come together in the most unexpected of ways.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Tracy Ryan about the challenges facing women in Renaissance France, how inventing a fictional character to complement the real Queen of the Navarre opened up storytelling possibilities, and how poetry, journal entries and Queen Marguerite's own writing have enriched the social and political fabric of this story.

A woman abandons her city life and marriage to return to the place of her childhood, holing up in a small religious community hidden away on the stark plains of the Monaro. She does not believe in God, doesn't know what prayer is, and finds herself living this strange, reclusive life almost by accident. As she gradually adjusts to the rhythms of monastic life, she finds herself turning again and again to thoughts of her mother, whose early death she can't forget.

Disquiet interrupts this secluded life with three visitations: a terrible mouse plague, the return of the skeletal remains of a sister, presumed murdered, who left the community decades before to minister to deprived women in Thailand, and a troubling visitor to the monastery pulls the narrator further back into her past.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Charlotte Wood about how she came to choose a nameless narrator as her storyteller, why the Monaro plains hold such meaning for her, and the benefits of writing someone else's memoir.

Over seventy years had passed since Mira Unreich was freed from a concentration camp in Germany. On that spring day in 1945, she found herself alive, against all odds. In the decades that followed, she never explained the mystery underpinning her survival. How could Mira say that in the Holocaust 'I learned about the goodness of people'?

When Mira's journalist daughter Rachelle realised time was running out for Mira, who was ill with cancer, she resolved to ask her mother questions. It would be the most important interview of her life: a chance to discover the secrets to her mother's joy, and an opportunity to fit together the jigsaw puzzle pieces of her own life. Mira's words would lead Rachelle along a surprising path, where she learned for the first time what a truly extraordinary life her mother had led.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Rachelle Unreich about her mother's idyllic childhood interrupted by war, the time spent in concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and Mira's incredible capacity to survive and to thrive despite the horrors of her past.

Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all. Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.

But one morning, Penny's favourite sister Ella doesn't return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death. Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny's world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Katharine J Adams about the three words that led to her imagining a vast new magical universe, the hierarchy of characters and their rituals that drive the kingdom of Halstett, and why libraries are good places to hang out.

Crown Resorts, the Bond Group, James Hardie, HIH Insurance, Geoffrey Edelsten’s Allied Medical Group, 7-Eleven and Rio Tinto, the list goes on…

Australia has suffered from the continual sting of business scandals since corporate cowboys like Alan Bond and Christopher Skase wrought so much damage during the 1980s. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Australians have been affected, with many left traumatised when corporations collapse due to gross mismanagement and profits being put before people.

Award-winning author Quentin Beresford takes us inside corporate Australia’s highest-profile scandals and the factors that drive them — the rise of celebrity CEOs, timid regulators, inept boards, the murky links between big business, governments, banks, media and lobby groups — and explores a path towards higher ethical standards from organisations. It’s a wild ride into the heart of corporate Australia.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Quentin Beresford about the continuous string of corporate scandals that has plagued Australia over the last forty years, the gallery of rogues who have been at the helm of these scandals, and the scourge of crony capitalism and the lack of regulation that has allowed these scandals to proliferate.

It's 2012 and in Northern Afghanistan, an international crisis has erupted. A group of NGO workers have been kidnapped by local insurgents and are now hidden in a winding mountain region. After attempts to negotiate a deal with the bandits fail, and with the lives of the hostages hanging in the balance, there is only one option... the SAS and Navy SEALs are sent in to find and free them.

The Rescue is the action-packed story of the special forces' attempts save the hostages from almost certain death. Drawing on classified sources and using his own personal insight into the inner-workings of these units, Andy McNab gives a page-turning account of this incredible mission.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Andy McNab about the state of the Afghan war in 2012, the complex network of individuals and organisations both remote and on the ground who make rescue operations possible, and the importance of reliable intelligence in preparing for these kinds of dangerous missions.

In 1977, twenty-seven-year-old Robyn Davidson set off with a dog and four camels to cross 1,700 miles of Australian desert to the sea. A life of almost constant travelling followed. From the deserts of Australia, to Sydney's underworld; from Sixties street life, to the London literary scene; from migrating with nomads in Tibet, to 'marrying' an Indian prince, Davidson's quest was motivated by an unquenchable curiosity about other ways of seeing and understanding the world.

Davidson threw bombs over her shoulder and seeds into her future on the assumption that something would be growing when she got there. The only terrain she had no interest in exploring was the past. In Unfinished Woman Davidson turns at last to explore that long avoided country. Through this brave and revealing memoir, she delves into her childhood and youth to uncover the forces that set her on her path, and confront the cataclysm of her mother's suicide.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Robyn Davidson about the challenges she faced in writing about her mother, her chaotic early life and relationship with her family, and the enduring curiosity that continues to inspire her nomadic lifestyle.

Macedonia, 1917. The great city of Salonika is engulfed by fire as all of Europe is ravaged by war. Amid the destruction are those who have come to the frontlines to heal: surgeons, ambulance drivers, nurses, orderlies and other volunteers. Four of them—Stella, Olive, Grace and Stanley—are at the centre of this extraordinary new novel, which takes its inspiration from the wartime experiences of Australians Miles Franklin and Olive King, and British painters Grace Pailthorpe and Stanley Spencer. In Jones’s imagination these four lives intertwine and change, each compelled by the desire to create something meaningful in the ruins of a broken world.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Gail Jones about the intersection of two momentous events of World War I, how four figures from history became characters in her novel by winding back the clock on their lives, and the importance of exploring stories that take a different perspective on the experience of war.

Twelve-year-old Billy Pyke has a talent for sorting things out, whether it’s his chaotic family home or the busy book stall at Paddy’s Market. In 1871, the market is the loud, smelly, marvellous heart of Melbourne, and Billy is delighted to work at the book stall there for the eccentric Mr Cole. When his new friend Kezia warns him of a sinister magician called the Obscurosmith, Billy can’t believe her stories of magical deals gone horribly wrong – until he sees them happening. And the night that the Obscurosmith crosses a terrifying and dangerous line, Billy realises something: if he wants the Obscurosmith stopped, he’ll have to do it himself.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Amelia Mellor about her fascination for 19th century history and Melbourne's Paddy's Market, how magic and history converge at Coles Book Arcade, why digging around in the vault of history can turn up the strangest things.

This illustrated memoir explores the evolution of one of Australia’s finest design minds. A visual delight, it ranges from photos of childhood gardens and goats to hand-drawn plans for Paul’s earliest designs. Through never-before-seen materials, the story behind Paul’s vision is revealed – and we see the creative workings that come to fruition in meticulous and timeless gardens

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Paul Bangay about his early foundational experiences in horticulture, the people and opportunities that lured Paul down the pathway to garden and lanscape design, and the new directions his work is taking in response to climate change.

Edinburgh, haunted by the ghosts of its many writers, is also the cold case beat of DCI Karen Pirie. So she shouldn't be surprised when an author's manuscript appears to be a blueprint for an actual crime. Karen can't ignore the plot's chilling similarities to the unsolved case of an Edinburgh University student who vanished from her own doorstep. The manuscript seems to be the key to unlocking what happened to Lara Hardie, but there's a problem: the author died before he finished it. As Karen digs deeper, she uncovers a spiralling game of betrayal and revenge, where lies are indistinguishable from the truth and with more than one unexpected twist.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Val McDermid about why 'Tartan noir' is so much part of Scottish culture, and why DCI Karen Pirie has to take up reading crime thrillers to solve a murder.

'The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac' is official companion to the Harry Potter stories – the ultimate compendium of wizarding lists, charts, maps and all things magical! Discover magical places, study wandlore, encounter fantastic beasts and find out about the witches and wizards who lived there. 

This dazzling gift book brings together beloved characters, unforgettable moments and iconic locations from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone all the way through to The Deathly Hallows. It's the ultimate magical miscellany, filled with facts and fun about the wizarding world, beautifully catalogued and brilliantly explored. Joyfully illustrated throughout in full colour by seven stunning artists and tingling with things to spot on every page, this is the ideal introduction to the Harry Potter stories for new readers and the perfect book for families to share.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Levi Pinfold about immersing himself in the Harry Potter world, the magical ideas that lead to fabulous illustrations, and the incredible range of styles, techniques, artists and materials that have inspired his art.

Salt River Roadis a compelling coming-of-age novel about grief and healing set in a small town in the 1970s. In the aftermath of their mother’s death, the Tetley siblings’ lives are falling apart. Left to fend for themselves as their family farm goes to ruins, Rose sets out to escape the grief and mess of home. When she meets Noongar Elders Patsy and Herbert, she finds herself drawn into a home where she has the chance to discover the strength of community, and to heal a wound her family has carried for a generation.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Molly Schmidt about the challenge in writing about Indigenous characters from a non-indigenous perspective, the deep and lasting consultation she undertook with the Noongar people, and her own story of a grieving family rediscovering their connection to country.

Gigorou (jig-goo-roo) means ‘beauty’ or ‘beautiful’ in Jirrbal, the language of Sasha Kutabah Sarago’s grandmother. Growing up, Sasha didn’t feel gigorou. At a young age, she was told, ‘You’re too pretty to be Aboriginal’. Since then, she’s been on a journey to reconcile her conflict with beauty. In this intimately fierce, funny and reflective book, Sasha retraces her footsteps as a beauty assistant, model and magazine editor to find the answers she’s searching for. Through conversations with her matriarchs, and the creation stories gifted to her, Sasha unlocks an ancestral wisdom – the key to healing and reclaiming her femininity.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Sasha Kutabah Sarago about how beauty and wisdom together are the true foundation of beauty, her journey from beauty salon to the catwalks of the world, and finding places where women of all colours can discover and celebrate their own sense of beauty.

There are more than 50 000 species of spiders. They surround us in our daily lives and, contrary to popular belief, the vast majority are completely harmless to humans. James O’Hanlon takes us from his backyard to all corners of the globe (and even outer space!) to explore these fascinating creatures and show us why they’re not so scary after all. You’ll encounter everything from miniscule jumping spiders with super intelligence to giant tarantulas whose venom could one day save your life. Clearing up spider myths and misconceptions, James O’Hanlon introduces readers to the beauty of their lives, including remarkable hunting techniques, the fascinating engineering of spider silk and the spiders that live in extremes — from underwater to the slopes of Mount Everest.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to James O'Hanlon about why spiders are awesome and don't deserve their scary reputation, the amazing array of forms and behaviour in the spider world, how we've ventured into the minds of spiders to discover they are not only beautiful but incredibly smart too, and the most important things to consider when you think you've been bitten.

When Anna Funder returned to the work of her literary hero George Orwell looking for escape and inspiration, re-reading his books and biographies, Anna Funder uncovered his forgotten wife – and it’s a revelation. Eileen O’Shaughnessy’s literary brilliance shaped Orwell’s work and her practical nous saved his life. But why – and how – was she absent from the story? Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder recreates the Orwells’ marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and WW II in London. As she rolls up the screen concealing Orwell’s private life she is led to question what it takes to be a writer – and what it is to be a wife.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Anna Funder about writing a 'counter-fiction' to those presented by George Orwell's earlier biographers and their 'fiction of omission' and why Orwell the artist and Orwell the man may be entirely different.

When five couples pool their resources to live in a house located where a turquoise lagoon meets the sea, the quirky little offshore community of Cook's Basin is shocked. How will ten people - one in a wheelchair and one with a hauntingly familiar face - survive where the only way in or out is by boat? When a member of the household is found floating face down in the bay, the police insist the death was accidental but the bizarre circumstances have locals scratching their heads. Former journalist turned café owner Kate Jackson is curious to discover why a group of retirees in their late seventies would choose such an isolated location. Then a throw-away line in an old magazine story leads to shocking revelations.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Susan Duncan about why everyone is so happy in the boat-only access hamlet of Cook's Basin, and how the continuity of life and character throughout her stories explores the fragility of love and relationships and the healing power of kindness.

The crime of sextortion has reached epidemic proportions, fuelled by both sex offenders and organised scammers targeting our most vulnerable online. Children are some of the internet's most prolific and most naive users, and increasing numbers are finding themselves caught in an evil web of networked manipulators.

Up to 70 percent of all new sexual exploitation content online is victim-produced, and much of it follows the same script and the abuser then blackmails their victim - for money or for more content. It's a script well-known to Detective Inspector Jon Rouse, who, for three decades, headed up Taskforce Argos, the expert arm of Queensland Police dedicated to hunting down online predators and rescuing children from abuse. In collaboration with Rouse, Madonna King tells the story of their investigations, from undercover cases to operations on a global scale, exploring what makes a victim and what makes an abuser, and distils the work that goes into bringing down perpetrators.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Madonna King about how 'sextortion' works and why it differs between boys and girls, Madonna explains the detailed and time-consuming work it takes to track down a predator, and how we must all begin that difficult conversation in order to foster greater awareness.

Many Australians know lines from Dorothea Mackellar’s classic poem ‘My Country’ by heart, very little has been written about the poet’s extraordinary life. From her childhood and youth in Sydney’s Point Piper and Pittwater, to discovering her love for the Australian landscape on her brother’s farm in Gunnedah, Dorothea engaged with the intellectual elite of Sydney and abroad as she embarked on a decades long literary career that saw her linked to some of the leading lights of her day.

Battling against a masculine tradition of Australian bush poetry led by Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, Dorothea Mackellar boldly carved out a place for herself, leaving an indelible mark on the Australian imagination. Now, for the first time, the poet's unconventional life story is told – a hidden gem of Australian history, and a tale of one woman’s extraordinary passion for her poetry, her family, and her country.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Deborah Fitzgerald about the boon and the burden of Dorothea Mackellar's most famous verse and the deep feeling she harboured for Australia and its landscape, and the remarkable contribution Dorothea Mackellar made to Australian literature.

Imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, 1944, Spanish fighter and photographer Mateo Baca is ordered to process images of the camp and inmates for a handful of photo books being made for presentation to top Nazi figures. Just five books in total, but Mateo manages to make a secret sixth book and, with the help of a local woman, Lena Lang, it remains hidden until the end of the war.

Seventy-five years later, thirteen-year-old Hannah Campbell's Yugoslavian grandfather, Nico Antonov, arrives in Australia to visit his family, and one of the gifts he brings with him is an intriguing-looking parcel wrapped in a flour sack, which Roza, Hannah's mother, quickly hides. Later, Hannah sneaks off in search for the mysterious package. She is horrified to find in it a photo book full of ghastly historical photographs of a terrible place full of people suffering. At first Hannah has little context for what she sees, but over the years, as she experiences love, grief and trauma, she understands what these photos came to mean, for herself, her freedom and for those who risked their lives to 'bear witness' to history. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kirsty Manning about the role of the Mauthausen concentration camp in the Nazi regime's grand plan, the way Kirsty's research leads her to distil real people into fascinating characters, and how the the trauma of war filters down through generations, altering the course of their lives.

Britain, 1961: the beautiful blonde baby Diana is born to Viscount Althorp, heir to the Spencer earldom. But Diana grows up amid the fallout of her parents’ messy divorce. She struggles at school but finds refuge through romantic novels. She dreams of falling in love and being rescued by a handsome prince.

In royal circles, there is concern about the Prince of Wales. Charles is nearing thirty and the right girl needs to be found, fast. She must be young, aristocratic and completely free of past liaisons. Pure and innocent.

Eighteen-year-old Diana Spencer is just about the only candidate. Her yearning to be loved dovetails with royal desperation for a bride. But the route to the altar is perilous. There are hidden dangers. Ruthless schemers. Can Diana’s romantic dream survive?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Wendy Holden about creating a voice for the young Diana Spencer, the characters both real and imagined that brought Diana Spencer and Charles together, and the role the British press played in this fractured fairytale.

From the author of 'Fake History', comes a shocking yet hilarious look at ten of the greatest liars from our past, examining these previously unquestioned idols and exposing what they were trying to hide.

Whether it's virtuous leaders in just wars, martyrs sacrificing all for a cause, or innovators changing the world for the better, down the centuries supposedly great men and women have risen to become household names, saints and heroes. But just how deserving are they of their reputations?

Exploring everything from Captain Scott's reckless hunt for glory and Andy Warhol's flagrant thievery to Coco Chanel's murky Nazi past, Otto English dives into the hidden lives of some of history's most recognisable names. Scrutinising figures from the worlds of art, politics, business, religion and royalty, he brings to light the murkier truths they would rather have kept buried away, at the same time as celebrating the unsung heroes lost to time.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Otto English about the narrative arc of the hero that all these candidates share, the JFK post-assassination myth constructed by Jacqueline Kennedy, the revolutionary Che Guevara who turned out to be a brutal murderer, and the curious case of the Bunyip aristocracy that Australia narrowly avoided.

A near-fatal car accident has left Jane in a coma. When she wakes, she has no idea who she is. Initially comforted by unlikely spectres from past cases, Jane is unaware of everyone else’s concerns: the police who believe she was deliberately run off the road; a lawyer whose files were in her car at the time of the accident – files he should never have lent her; her neurosurgeon who fears a relapse; and her partner, Tim, who has to cope with the fact Jane remembers almost nothing of the last two years – including their relationship.

A young woman called Luna keeps luring Jane back to the present. Linked to a thirty-year cold case from Jane’s past, Luna has a quest of her own she can only solve with Jane’s help. But if Jane wants to help Luna, she first needs to heal herself, and there just might be reasons beyond the accident that are hampering Jane’s recovery.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Roger Simpson about delving into the character of Dr Jane Halifax, the frightening prospect of amnesia and Jane's pathway to recovery, and the layers of complexity that make this story critical to understanding Jane Halifax, forensic psychiatrist.

One of the lucky few with a job during the Depression, Peggy’s just starting out in life. She’s a bagging girl at the Angliss meatworks, a place buzzing with life as well as death, where the gun slaughterman Jack has caught her eye – and she his.

How is her life connected to Hilda’s, almost a hundred years later, locked inside during a plague, or La’s, further on again, a singer working shifts in a warehouse as her eggs are frozen and her voice is used by AI bots? Let alone Maz, far removed in time, diving for remnants of a past that must be destroyed? Is it by the river that runs through their stories, eternal yet constantly changing – or by the mysterious Hummingbird Project, and the great question of whether the march of progress can ever be reversed?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kate Mildenhall about bringing historical fiction and speculative fiction together to create great stories, how playing with AI and ChatGPT led to insights into what ChatGPT can do, and how working with different literary elements led her to the creation of new structures.

Bob is sixty-five years old, confined to a Perth nursing home. But thirty years ago, he killed a man in the remote northern Kimberley mining region. He offers to show Sparrow where the body is, but there's a catch: Sparrow must travel north with him under the guise of being his carer. They are accompanied on the drive by another nursing home resident: Luke, thirty years old, paralysed in a motorbike accident. As they embark on their road trip through the guts of Western Australia, pursued by outback police and adrenaline-soaked miners, Sparrow begins to suspect that Bob's desire to head north may have sinister motivations. Is Luke being held against his will? And what lies in store for them when they reach their goal?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Peter Papathanasiou about his affection for road trip stories and what confined spaces can to do a character, how his characters are always more than they appear to be, how the intersection between the Australian outback and the mining industry cultivates a 'do or die' mentality.

Drawn from the pages of history and cutting-edge science, Thaw is a gripping read that will forever change how you see the frozen continent – and those who seek to conquer it.

In 1912, five British explorers struggle across the Antarctic landscape, through howling winds and plummeting temperatures, seeking the safety of their camp. Today, as the world's ice sheets begin to melt and surrender their secrets, renowned glacial archaeologist Missy Simpson works to discover the true cause of the explorers' deaths – a subject that has intrigued researchers for more than a century. In hallowed halls of learning and on the icy polar plateau, these risk-takers must grapple with the unfathomable power of the natural world and the dramatically changing weather – while navigating their own complicated relationships.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Dennis Glover about how history has treated Scott's ill-fated expedition, why meteorologist George Clarke Simpson was central to the recounting of this story, and what it all means in the context of devastating climate change.

In a small fishing village on the coast of Portugal, a select band of surfers take unimaginable risks, pushing the boundaries of their death-defying sport as they seek to go bigger than ever before. Their goal? To ride the Everest of the ocean - the 100-foot wave.

Sports journalist Matt Majendie was welcomed into the inner circle of Nazare's tight community to chronicle their incredible highs and terrifying lows. Follow the endeavours of Britain's leading big-wave surfer, a former plumber from Devon, Andrew Cotton; trailblazing Brazilian female surfer Maya Gabeira; current World Record holder German Sebastian Steudtner; Portuguese Nic von Rupp and jet-ski driver Sergio Cosme, nicknamed 'the Guardian Angel of Nazare' for his daring rescues, in this gripping read.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Matt Majendie about what make the Nazare big waves so special, the four individuals who have conquered the 'Everest' of big-wave surfing - and lived to tell the tale, and how Nazare's tight-knit group of surfers have become a community.

'Cast Mates: Australian Actors in Hollywood and at Home' is a group biography of Australian acting giants across the ages.The larger-than-life personalities that form the heart of this book — Errol Flynn, Peter Finch, David Gulpilil and Nicole Kidman — have dominated cinema screens both locally and internationally and starred in some of the biggest films of their eras — including The Adventures of Robin Hood, Network, Crocodile Dundee and Eyes Wide Shut. From the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s to the streaming wars of today, the lives of these four actors, and their many cast mates, tell a story of how a nation’s cinema was founded, then faltered, before finding itself again.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Sam Twyford-Moore about the four generations of Australian actors and their movies that beat a path to Hollywood, the historical roller coaster ride of Australian film funding, and the missed opportunities for David Gulpilil and the indigenous Australian film industry.

Since 1901, thirty-one different leaders have run the national show. Whether their term was eight days or eighteen years, each prime minister has a story worth sharing.

Edmund Barton united the bickering states in a federation. The unlucky Jimmy Scullin took office days before Wall Street crashed into the Great Depression. John Curtin faced the ultimate challenge of wartime leadership. John Gorton, Gough Whitlam and Paul Keating each shook up their parties' policies so vigorously that none lasted much longer than a single term. Harold Holt spent three decades in parliament, only to disappear while swimming off the coast of Victoria just under two years into his first term. John Howard's triple bypass is the stuff of legend. Julia Gillard overthrew Kevin Rudd and Kevin Rudd overthrew Julia Gillard, thus paving the way for Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison … And then came Anthony Albanese. With characteristic wit and expert knowledge, Mungo MacCallum and Frank Bongiorno bring the nation's leaders to life in this updated edition of a classic book.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Frank Bongiorno about Mungo MacCallum's perspective on our political leaders, the two new chapters on Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese that he has contributed to this updated edition, and the affection and admiration Mungo retained for all our Prime Ministers - good, bad or indifferent.

Jimmy is a kid growing up fast on the poorest street in small town rural Australia. He tries to do everything right and look out for his alcoholic mum and his disabled younger brother. His older brother is in jail, so it's up to Jimmy to hold things together. And small-town life is unforgiving if you're from the other side of the tracks: But Jimmy soon learns that even when you get things right, everything can still go wrong.


In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Mark Brandi about his memories of the 1980s that form the setting of his book, why growing up in a small country town has both pleasures and perils, and how a now extinct interstate train journey can carry hopes and dreams in both directions.

For over four decades, world-leading independent medical research organisation the Centenary Institute has been producing breakthroughs in our biggest health challenges – cancer, cardiovascular disease and the many other problems stemming from inflammation. In The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet,Professor Phil Hansbro explains why inflammation is the fundamental cause of almost all disease, and what you and your gut can do about it.

This book outlines the factors causing inflammation, and dives deep on the one you can control: your diet. The Centenary Institute have gathered together their latest research and joined forces with Australian author and chef ‘Fast Ed’ Hamalgyi. Fast Ed shares 50 versatile, delicious recipes to show you that taking control of your nutrition. The book also includes invaluable nutrition tips from Dr Clare Bailey.

In this episode Professor Phil Hansbro explains how about inflammation occurs and why it can lead to chronic disease, the distinction between good inflammation and chronic inflammation, exactly why fibre is the hero of any diet, and why Fast Ed Halmagyi's recipes are a pathway to a healthy biome.

Twenty-five years after the end of the World War II, ageing British Special Operations Executive Noah Ainsworth is reflecting on the secret agent who saved his life when a mission went wrong during his perilous, exhilarating years in occupied France. He never knew her real name, nor whether she survived the war. Inspired by her father's wartime exploits, Noah's daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers. What follows is the story of Fleur and Chloe, two otherwise ordinary women who in 1943 are called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they're at the mercy of a double agent within their ranks who's causing chaos. As Charlotte's search for answers continues, new suspicions are raised about the identity of the double agent, with unsettling clues pointing to her father.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kelly Rimmer about the real women that inspired her characters, the secrecy surrounding the Special Operations Executives even after the war had ended, and her passion for exploring the secret lives of real people through historical fiction.

In 1846, linguistics professor Fabrice Cleriquot is despatched from Lyon to the Swan River Colony, sent away with a box full of silkworms to stop him from bringing more disgrace upon the family. Accompanying him on board the Elizabeth are twenty-eight mismatched and misguided Catholic missionaries including Dom Salvado, who seeks to create a Spanish Benedictine monastery deep in the bush, and the Irish Sisters of Mercy, who are fleeing a dreadful famine. Given the job of distributing a huge donation from a wealthy benefactress, Fabrice bears witness to the folly of his travelling companions whose presumptuous attempts to rescue the colony and the original inhabitants from themselves, can only lead to tragedy.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Peter Burke about the reality of the Swan River colony in 1845, the various groups of missionaries and their competing interests in the battle for the souls of the indigenous people and the free settlers, and exploring different points of view through historical fiction.

Australians love dogs – big dogs, little dogs, fluffy couch potatoes and hardy working dogs. We have one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world. Australia’s Dogs is a celebration of the dog in Australian life, exploring the human-canine bond, and reflecting on the crucial role played by dogs in our life and work. Learn more about Australia’s home-grown dog breeds that played a central role in the development of pastoral industries, as well as the iconic dingo and its place in Indigenous life, and in the Australian ecosystem, today.

Australia’s Dogs is generously illustrated with images drawn from the rich collections of the National Library of Australia. Some capture a photographer’s love for their own dog, while others tell epic tales of survival in harsh conditions, comment on an element of social history or record a significant moment. As the incredible variety of images shows, the story of dogs in Australia is a subject that is historically significant, with a broad and enduring appeal.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Katherine Kovacic about the ancient bond between dogs and humans, how and why Australian dog breeds have become part of our folklore, and what the vast collection of photographs held in the National Library Of Australia's archive tells us about ourselves and the connection we have wth our canine companions.

Bhutan is known as the land of Gross National Happiness, a Buddhist Shangri-la hidden in the Himalayas. But in the late 1980s, Bhutan waged a brutal ethnic-cleansing campaign against its citizens of Nepali ancestry, including Om Dhungel and his family.

Bhutan to Blacktown tells Om Dhungel’s remarkable story — his journey from a remote village to a senior position in the Bhutanese Civil Service, to life as a human rights activist in Nepal and, eventually, to his work as a community leader in Blacktown, western Sydney. Every step prepared Om for the central role he would play in settling more than 5000 Bhutanese refugees, in one of the most successful refugee initiatives in Australia’s history.

Written with Walkley Award-winning journalist James Button, Bhutan to Blacktown is a story of grit and struggle, humour and irrepressible optimism — and how losing nearly everything shaped one man’s character and fate.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Om Dhungel about the period of Nepalese ethnic cleansing that forced him to reconsider his life in the Buddhist nation of Bhutan, his role in resettling the Nepalese in Australia, his role as a community leader in Blacktown and what community means for him.

In December 1943, five courageous war correspondents join a British air raid on Berlin. They are Australians, Alf King from the Sydney Morning Herald and Norm Stockton from the Sydney Sun; Americans, Ed Murrow from CBS and Lowell Bennett from the International News Service; and Norwegian journalist and activist, Nordahl Grieg. Each is assigned to one of the 400 Lancaster bombers that fly into the hazardous skies over Germany on a single night. Of the five, only two return to file their stories.

After parachuting out of his doomed aircraft, one reporter is taken prisoner. From there his captors take him on a remarkable tour of bombed-out German cities. In Despatch from Berlin, 1943, Anthony Cooper and Thorsten Perl uncover this incredible true story of life on both sides of the war.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Anthony Cooper about the massive operation that was supposed to end the war, the rationale for undertaking one of the most ambitious air raids in history, and the five correspondents who risked their lives to support the war effort.

When Kerri Sackville decided to stop filling every idle moment with distraction and learn to be comfortable alone, her quality of life soared. From boosting creativity and productivity, improving self-awareness, building resilience and moral courage, to improving relationships and connection with others, a bit of alone time is vital to wellbeing. But with smart phones, social media, endless streaming and podcast options, as well as the demands of work, family and friends, spending meaningful time on your own can feel impossible, unnecessary, or even indulgent.

In The Secret Life of You, Kerri Sackville analyses society’s attitude towards solitude – why is it okay to eat breakfast at a café on your own but faintly tragic to dine alone? She identifies the roadblocks in the way to unplugging, contemplates aloneness as opposed to loneliness, and looks at the difference between true connection and mere connectivity. Kerri provides practical advice on how to become comfortable in your own company, in order to enjoy – and even cherish – time alone.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kerri Sackville about the difference between loneliness and being alone, why a little alone time can build resilience and mental toughness, and some of strategies we can all use to cultivate our inner lives and build stronger connections.

'The Prize' revisits the 1943 Archibald Prize scandal, when portrait painter William Dobell was temporarily stripped of the prize for his expressionistic portrait of Joshua Smith. The Art Gallery of New South Wales trustees were taken to the Supreme Court of New South Wales by vexatious competitors Mary Edwards and Joseph Wolinski, claiming that the winning painting was a caricature, not a portrait. The fallout from the case was devastating for both Dobell and Smith who had been likely lovers in a socially conservative Sydney. In the aftermath, never met or spoke to each other again.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kim Anderson about the tensions arising from a nation extracting itself from a culturally conservative past and embracing a modernist future, and the challenges in characterising the intimate relationship between William Dobell and Joshua Hill.

Meet Leslie Bird, the irascible matriarch of a big bonkers Bird family, coming-of-age and to the boil, as the secrets and slights that have shaped her and her hapless husband's lives impact their children in the most profound and complex ways.

'Things She Would Have Said Herself' is a darkly funny, deeply moving novel that documents the lengths and breadths one woman will go to, to ignore her own and others' pain and what happens when she's confronted by it one sweltering Christmas day.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Catherine Therese about the things that have shaped her main character Leslie Bird – a life full of regret, the habit of her Catholic faith, and now menopause, along with the words that cannot be spoken in the Bird household and how humour maintains this author's sanity.

The islands of Prospera lies in a vast ocean in splendid isolation from the rest of humanity, or whatever remains of it. Citizens enjoy privileged lives dedicated to the highest creative ideals. When their life time is up they are despatched to the mysterious island, The Nursery, to be 'reiterated' as a fresh-faced teenagers. Proctor Bennett is a Ferryman, a specialist enforcer whose job it is to shepherd the soon-to-be 'reiterated' into their next life cycle. But Proctor is experiencing strange dreams and puzzling connections to people he has never met before and an unshakeable feeling that something is wrong with this world: something important, something greater than anyone could possibly imagine, something which could change the fate of humanity itself.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Justin Cronin about crossing genre borders, what it takes to build a science fiction-fuelled dystopian world and the bureaucracy required to run it, and his exploration of the physical and psychological limitations of the increasing life span of the human race.

Meet the Tobin family... Joy is an immigrant who left Ireland with her three children under difficult circumstances. She is a troubled mother who has spent her life running and hiding from her past while trying to raise her children in New Zealand as best she can. Conor, the high-achieving son is a high-profile media figure and CEO. He's walking a fine line between self-promotion and self-detonation. Frances, the 'perfect' middle child - now a wife and mother - is about to make a mistake that could destroy her marriage. And then there's Sinead, the youngest daughter and acclaimed writer who is wrestling with writer's block. Sinead resorts to desperate measures to deliver her next book to her publishers. When Joy's children receive the news that she has only days to live, they rush to her side. Each is at a crossroads in their lives and together they must deal with their collective past in the hope of ensuring up their future.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Anne Tiernan about the trauma of dislocation and the void it creates, how a mother's dysfunctional life can cast a long shadow over her children, and even in tragedy there is light at the end of the Tobin family tunnel.

This is a story about Clare, Louisa and Chris. And sometimes Paul, and less often, Beth. It is about what to do when your husband tells you that he doesn't love you anymore. And what to do when your wife leaves you after too many rounds of IVF. It's about helping your new friend with her funeral catering business, and discovering that, sometimes, the most unlikely of pairings are the very, very best. It is about food that is outrageously good and comforting to sad people.

Catering, like life, doesn't always go according to plan, and as Clare, Louisa and Chris's stories become more intertwined, they learn that life will always manage to break in to remind you of just how good it can be. And, for once, not being sensible, and throwing away everything you know. This is a book about living. After all, the thing about death is that it makes life important.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Dianne Yarwood about how opposites attract and even complement each other, the skill in finding the right tone for food at a wake, and plenty of great food ideas for celebrating life and death.

Kylie Schnabel has a perfectly ordered life - but that's about to be disrupted by one disastrous week. As the eldest child in a single-parent family, Kylie's always had more important things on her mind than smiling for random strangers. Controlling her job, her home, her romantic life and - most importantly - her family takes all her concentration. She's always succeeded, though, because that's just who Kylie is. When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it's up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags and moves in, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie's carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Toni Jordan about looking deeper into the Schnabel family dynamics through the controlling figure of Kylie, why syncing with your partner's Fitbit is not always a good idea, and how losing control might just be good for you.

The Laughter Effectis a timely reminder that we could all do with a little more lightness in our lives. Ros Ben-Moshe shares the science of laughter and the practical ways to include more of it in our days.

Drawing on positive psychology and neuroscience, along with practice and wisdom from humour and laughter therapy, Ros Ben-Moshe offers a new dimension to self-care, elevating mindfulness, gratitude and self-compassion. Enriched by case studies from around the globe, Ros shares how the Laughter Effect enhances resilience to stress, and awakens a positive change.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Ros Ben Moshe about the science behind the healing power of laughter, finding and celebrating the humour in our lives, and discovering the pathway to a laughter mindset as the foundation for joy and wellbeing. 

Novelist JB Blackwood is on a cruise with her husband, Patrick, to celebrate their wedding anniversary. For days they sail in the sun. They lie about drinking, reading, sleeping, having sex. Patrick is a legendary film director and JB's one-time professor. Much older than JB, Patrick is a maverick film director and a cult figure - a god in the eyes of many. But now his success is waning while JB is on the cusp of winning a major literary prize.

When a storm strikes the cruise, the bliss is shattered. With nothing but dark water all around, under mysterious circumstances, Patrick falls overboard. As the search for Patrick's body, the consequences of his death and the truth about their relationship ripple through JB's consciousness. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Stephanie Bishop about  JB Blackwood's journey of creative emancipation from beneath her husband's shadow, how to write an authentic sex scene, and the intense psychological thriller that emerges out of the process of exploring the depths of JB's creative consciousness.

In 1914, when the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, it is the women who must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who work in the bindery at Oxford University Press in Jericho. Peggy is intelligent, ambitious and dreams of studying at Oxford University, but for most of her life she has been told her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has.

When refugees arrive from the devastated cities of Belgium, it sends ripples through the community and through the sisters’ lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can use her intellect and not just her hands, but as war and illness reshape her world, it is love, and the responsibility that comes with it, that threaten to hold her back.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Pip Williams about what it was to be a 'bindery girl' at Oxford University Press in the years before World War I, the massive social change the 'Great War' brought for women, and the fascinating characters that have great stories to tell.

Tanya Plibersek was elected to federal parliament aged just twenty-eight, and has lived almost half her life in the public eye. She is the longest-serving woman in Australia’s House of Representatives. But how much do we know about what drives her, what she values, and what we can expect from her next?

Margaret Simons draws on exclusive interviews with Plibersek, her political contemporaries, family and close friends to trace the personal and political strands of this modern Australian story. She considers Plibersek’s role in the Rudd and Gillard governments, Labor’s soul-searching years in opposition and Plibersek’s position in the Albanese cabinet. She also sheds light on the personal currents that have carried Plibersek, through moments of joy and tragedy, to become the person she is today.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Margaret Simons about the early life of the Plibersek family, the important issues Tanya has championed throughout her political life, the background to her well-honed skills as a media communicator and whether Tanya Plibersek might have the qualities necessary to rise to the very top.

Centering on St. Joseph's, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont, Christine Kenneally shares the stories of survivors who have fought to expose the truth and hold the powerful - many of them Catholic priests and nuns - to account. As these stories have come to light, the laws in Vermont have been forced to change, including the statute of limitations on prosecuting them. Christine also exposes the international institutional abuse including those Ireland, the UK and  in Australia institutions in rural Victoria, Western Australia and inner-city Sydney and relates the heart-breaking stories of young children that only now coming to public attention.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Christine Kenneally about where her investigation into the treatment of children in orphanages across the world began, the accounts of abuse and even murder within these institutions that were once dismissed as mere stories, and the victims that have spoken up about the systemic abuse and the journalists that listened.

In June 1926, a posse of police officers and white civilians murdered at least twenty Oombulgurri people at Forrest River in the Kimberley. After the massacre, a conspiracy of silence descended. Witnesses vanished. One of the massacre’s perpetrators was Bernard O’Leary, a former soldier whose land holding was known as ‘the underworld’. At the 1927 Royal Commission into the killings, O’Leary was portrayed by his lawyer as a simple honest backwoodsman who was framed. In this powerful account, Kate Auty argues that O’Leary was in fact ‘vicious, brazen and a bullshitter’, with ‘a propensity for brutality’. Although never charged, O'Leary played a leading role in the murders, and his duplicitous testimony thwarted the commission’s work.

Driven by both forensic and moral judgement, the book exposes the injustices embedded in Australian settlement history, and the culture of denial that has prevented truth-telling in this country.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Kate Auty about the history of Australia we've been told in the past and the new era of truth telling we are embracing, Bernard O'Leary's dark past of violence and wilful deception that makes him the likely candidate as the driving force behind this horrific massacre, and the enduring legacy of white 'justice' that continues to haunt First Nations peoples to this day.

Everyone pays a premium to live in Esperance. The wealthy community of Esperance is picture-perfect. Big houses, stunning views, beautiful people. A brand new running track for the local club to jog around in the evenings. From the outside, it looks like paradise. But the women of the town know the truth: you can hide anything - from wrinkles to secrets from your past - if you have enough money. You could even hide a murder.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Ali Lowe about inventing a place where enough is never enough, why a beach setting raises the stakes, and where humour fits in to bloody murder.

The British Navy, the largest in the world, is for the first time in a century under serious threat. World War 1 is imminent. Three very different characters converge to change the course of history.

The eminent female archaeologist Gertrude Bell is exploring the ancient treasures of Persia. The charismatic Englishman Jackie Fisher, Admiral of the Fleet, is battling to convince the British Navy to modernise. William D'Arcy, a determined Queensland businessman is in the process of founding the Middle East's oil industry. Together these extraordinary personalities shine a light on one of the most dramatic periods of the twentieth century. Love too, weaves a path through these important historical events: from Persia to London to Far North Queensland and Gallipoli, this fascinating story is populated by a host of famous (and infamous) characters, from Winston Churchill and T. E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia'), to the new King Edward VII and Wilhelm II, the Emperor of Germany.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Paul Ashford Harris about the events that marked enormous change for the British Empire, the three great figures in the early 20th century history that each played important roles in that new century, and how different the geo-political world might have looked without them.

New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the kerb, and in the blink of an eye five people are dead. It's a rich man's car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime.

In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals, and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family's ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family-loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Deepti Kapoor about the realities of life as an 'untouchable' in the Indian caste system, the rise of her main character Ajay, from abject poverty to the glittering and brutal world of India's mafia, and the consequences of India's momentous transition from socialism to capitalism in the late 20th century.

Chronic pain is a major cause of human suffering. Yet pain that persists for three months or more is often unrelated to any physical injury. So why does it still hurt? Research over the last few decades shows that many of us — sufferers of chronic pain and health practitioners alike — are victims of a trick of the nervous system. Where we believe that pain has its root in a damaged body, it is the brain that prolongs the hurting long after the body has healed.

Paul Biegler, a science journalist and former doctor who has been on his own pain journey, investigates the true source of chronic pain — our brain's so-called neuroplasticity — and emerging therapies, including cognitive therapy and graded exercise exposure, that take advantage of that same neuroplasticity to rewire the brain and end the suffering.

Through conversations with scientists, doctors, and people who have overcome chronic pain, Biegler shines a light on the rigorous new studies — and emotional personal stories — that are changing the way we understand and treat pain. Most importantly, he shows how to take control over persistent pain and truly heal.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Paul Biegler about the role central sensitisation and maladaptive neuroplasticity play in our physical response to pain, how people experiencing chronic pain are actually activating emotionally laden brain areas, why movement, exercise and pacing are beneficial in recovery, and how the power of knowledge can overcome chronic pain.

The Australian Autism Handbook is the go-to guide for parents whose children have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. It is a practical and comprehensive guide to every aspect of raising an ASD child, including early signs and symptoms, getting a diagnosis, the importance of early intervention, and expert advice on finding your way through the medical maze.

This new edition book has been completely revised and updated with new chapters on dads and siblings, the teenage years, and expanded information on autism and Asperger's syndrome and the DSM5 diagnostic criteria. The second part of the book is an invaluable resource guide which lists federal and state supports along with a comprehensive list of websites and books.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Benison O'Reilly and Seana Smith about their own experience in raising children with ASD from birth to adulthood, how our understanding and diagnosis of ASD has changed, why girls may have been under-diagnosed, and invaluable hints and tips on working with the NDIS.

The Smash Hits Nick vs The Worldis the life and times of tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios. With his unconventional playing style, constant battles with authority, a knack for bad behaviour and an uncontrollable temper, Nick continues to make headlines in sport whether he’s winning or losing.

Kyrgios: The Smash Hits celebrates Australia’s ultimate tennis headliner featuring yarns, quotes, interviews and stats on the small-town boy discovering his natural talents at a sport he doesn't really like.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Sam and Paul Harvey about why we love to hate Nick Kyrgios while other nations admire him, the double standards on display in his casting by the media, what illustrator and caricaturist Paul Harvey sees in Nick Kyrgios and why we need characters like him in professional sport.

Aimee Maguire is about to lose everything because she can’t afford to pay the rent in her Byron Bay alternative book shop. Her engagement is also on an official time-out. Then the arrival of her micro-influencer niece, Freya, sets off a chain of events that ends with Aimee tangled up with a group of influencers-turned-reality TV stars, exposing her to the absolute worst of humanity. There just might be a silver lining somewhere, amid the chaos, but Aimee needs to embrace the one thing she’s been fighting hard – change.

This is a story of the cashed-up celebs, desperate wannabes, cranky Karens and cringeworthy hashtags – everything we love and hate about reality TV – that's 'The Hemsworth Effect'

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to James Weir about why satire is the only way to write about reality TV, how 'The Hemsworth Effect' really is changing lives in and around Byron bay, and how even a 'Byron Karen' can learn to move with the times.

A Chinese astronaut is found dead in a NASA training environment in Houston, Texas. No one can explain how he got there. Amid fears of a diplomatic catastrophe, the CIA dispatches Timothy 'Hangman' Blake to investigate a convicted kidnapper who works in the facility. Blake is deeply insane, afflicted by terrible urges he can barely control - but he's also brilliant. A secret Chinese spacecraft may be surveilling the United States, though Blake can see something much more sinister is going on. He might just survive long enough to uncover the truth but even if he does, will anyone believe him?

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Jack Heath about somehow making a cannibalistic antihero likeable, how Timothy Blake can be both an asset and a liability for the CIA, Jack's fascination for science fiction and accidentally inventing new genres of fiction.

In this compelling and comprehensive work, renowned historian Frank Bongiorno presents a social and cultural history of Australia’s political life, from pre-settlement Indigenous systems to the present day.

Depicting a parade of dreamers and schemers, Bongiorno surveys moments of political renewal and sheds fresh light on our democratic life. From local pubs and meeting halls to the parliament and cabinet; from pamphleteers and stump orators to party agents and operatives – this enthralling account looks at the political insiders in the halls of power, as well as the agitators and outsiders who sought to shape the nation from the margins.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Frank Bongiorno about the nature of indigenous politics before colonisation, the early figures and institutions of the colony that have had lasting impacts on the way we live today, the issue of immigration that has shaped Australian politics since the early years, and the reasons behind the relative stability of Australian politics through two centuries of colonisation.

Growing up Wiradjuri is a collection of personal stories by Wiradjuri Elders. The writers are Uncles and Aunties who came of age in New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s.

In a strong collective voice, they share their stories of the difficulties of marginal life, backbreaking labour and family separation, but also of fond memories of their own Elders, Aunts and Uncles who cared for them and taught them culture. Contributors describe happy memories of family and community life on country, working the land, sitting around campfires, hunting, fishing, and playing games in the bush with their cousins, brothers and sisters. They talk about the values that were imparted by parents and grandparents, what it means to come from a family where everyone takes care of each other during hard times, and the work they have done to build stronger communities.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Anita Heiss about bringing together this collection of short stories from Wiradjuri Elders, how the common values of family, care, friendship and fun that are part of these stories are things we all share, and how we can all play a part in reconciliation by reinvigorating indigenous culture through great storytelling.

'The Passion of Private White' describes the meeting of two worlds: that of the intensely driven anthropologist Neville White, and the world of hunter-gatherer clans in remote northern Australia with whom he has lived and worked for half a century, mapping their culture and history in breathtaking detail. As White began to understand this ancient culture struggling between the demands of Western modernity and the equally pressing need to preserve their lands, customs, laws and language, he was also trying to transcend the mental scars inflicted on the battlefields of Vietnam. When White began taking his old platoon mates to the homeland, two wildly different groups found in each other some of the solutions and some of the therapy they both needed.

This book is the result of Don Watson's has had his own fifty-year relationship with Neville White: it is a towering achievement, a profound insight into both our recent and our deep history, the coloniser and colonised.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Don Watson about his fifty-year friendship with Neville White, what brought Neville White to study the clans of North-Eastern Arnhem Land and the moment Neville crossed the line from scientific observer to activist and advocate for a nation of people struggling between competing demands.

Tom Keneally is the winner of  the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Society's prize for his story 'Corporal Hitler's Pistol'

How did Corporal Hitler's Luger from the First World War end up being the weapon that killed an IRA turncoat in Kempsey, New South Wales, in 1933? When an affluent Kempsey matron spots a young Aboriginal boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to her husband, not only does she scream for divorce, attempt to take control of the child’s future and upend her comfortable life, but the whole town seems drawn into chaos. A hero of the First World War has a fit at the cinema and is taken to a psychiatric ward in Sydney, his Irish farmhand is murdered, and a gay piano-playing veteran, quietly a friend to many in town, is implicated. Tom Keneally tells a compelling story of the interactions and relationships between black and white Australians in early twentieth-century Australia.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Tom Keneally about what brought him back to the Kempsey of his childhood, the four strands of history that this novel explores, and the power historical fiction to add new perspectives on where we've come from as individuals and as a nation.

Katrina Nannestad is the winner of the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Society's prize in the Children and Young Adult category for  Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

It's spring, 1942. In an idyllic Russian village the sky is blue, the air is warm and sweet with the scent of flowers. But it's the height of World War II and the German Army are advancing on the Eastern Front and suddenly an entire Russian village is razed to the ground. Only six-year-old Sasha remains and he is alone in war-torn Russia. Found alone in the forest, Sasha is 'adopted' by a group of Red Army soldiers as they drive back the invading Nazis. Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief is a story of war and destruction but also an enduring tale of love and friendship and of survival in the most difficult of times.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Katrina Nannestad about turning a true story into an award-winning novel for children, the strategies she uses in casting stories of war that children can relate to, and why historical fiction has an important role to play in discovering and explaining history to young people.

In 'Bear Learns How to be a Rainbow' winter is coming and Bear is feeling sad, lonely and scared. But Bear discovers he can be the sun and as bright as the daylight sky. But what will Bear do when the rainbow disappears and winter arrives?

Bear loves eating blueberries and reading. In 'Do Bears Who Eat Blueberries Go Bananas?' Bear reads something that makes him feel worried. This 'sticky thought' follows Bear everywhere but his friend Kookaburra has a plan that will help Bear chase that sticky thought away.

With Jennifer Whelan’s whimsical illustrations and engaging storylines, and Deirdre Brandner’s practical toolkit resource, children's troubling thoughts and emotions are addressed in fun and uniquely engaging Bear adventures. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to author and illustrator Jennifer Whelan and educational psychologist Deirdre Brandner about the importance of addressing troubling emotions in young children, and the simple storylines and attractive colourful illustrations that underpin their evidence-based approach to building self-regulation in young children.

In the midst of an unfolding disaster, seven people are trying to survive on a small boat in a world completely transformed by an apocalyptic flood. Haunted by entwined pasts, the characters must voyage from a small town through a world that seems increasingly fantastic. Each will face their past, some will die, and the boat will take some to a miraculous new world but only fifteen-year-old Charlotte will discover that death is not always death.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Allen C Jones about how his experimental approach to poetry and prose somehow became a page-turning thriller novel, what the microcosm of seven people in a tiny boat floating in a vast featureless body of water can tell us about humanity, and how a universal disaster could have unexpected outcomes.

As heir apparent to his father’s global media empire, Lachlan Murdoch is one of the world’s most powerful people. Yet despite a life in the spotlight, Lachlan’s personality, politics and business acumen remain enigmatic. In this compelling biography, acclaimed journalist Paddy Manning explores Lachlan Murdoch’s upbringing, political beliefs and role as head of Fox Corporation – the man ultimately responsible for Fox News. This is a book about power, apprenticeship, politics and succession in a high-stakes world.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Paddy Manning about Lachlan Murdoch's early life in a family where business and family were inextricably linked, Lachlan's meteoric rise through the family newspaper business and early successes and failures as a businessman, Lachlan's role and responsibility as Chief Executive of Fox News, and what might happen at the passing of Rupert Murdoch.

Allan Reader is one of the last traditional bat-makers and is struggling tokeep the family business alive in a small workshop in Melbourne. When gifted young batter Todd Harrow catches Allan's eye, he selects the best piece of willow he's harvested in years to make a Reader bat for him. As Harrow charts a meteoric rise to the highest echelons of the sport, Allan's magical bat takes centre stage, awakening something special in both men. But in cricket, as in life, nothing is guaranteed and with great success comes the prospect of failure and the strain it places on relationships – and the human body.

Willowmanis a love letter to the art and beauty of cricket and a meditation on the inner lives of men and women, for whom it is a way of life. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Inga Simpson about the miracle timber that is white willow, the glory and the tragedy of a life in cricket, the relationship between the sport, music and the art of crafting cricket bats, and the real people that were the inspiration for this remarkable story.

When Stephanie Plum turns up for work at Vinnie's Bail Bonds she finds office manager Connie hasn't shown up for work. Stephanie's worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie's abductor. He says he will only release Connie in exchange for a mysterious coin that was left as collateral at the Bail Bonds Office. The problem is the coin is nowhere to be found. Stephanie must enlist the help of Grandma Mazur, her best friend Lula, good cop Joe Morelli and hunky security expert Ranger to rescue Connie and find the coin. As the kidnapper grows more threatening Stephanie has no choice but to step outside her comfort zone and the law - and go rogue.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats with Janet Evanovich about how the shaping of the Stephanie Plum character became a long-term project, why Stephanie doesn't really need to choose between her love interests Joe Morelli and Ranger, and what food tells us about 'The Burg' and the cast of colourful characters that drive the story in 'Going Rogue'.

K2 O'Hero is a seemingly ordinary boy from a truly extraordinary family - he and his twin sister Izzabird have been sworn to keep their family's history of magical explorers a secret. Not even their infuriating step-siblings, Theo and Mable, know magic exists. They believe K2 to be the most hopeless person they have ever known.

But K2 has a secret gift. He draws maps of worlds that are beyond the wildest of imaginations. Worlds with six hundred moons, burning rivers, armoured robots and dark, twisty jungles alive with cannibal plants who hunt by the smell of fear. K2 and his warring siblings are going to have to use this gift to cross over into another world on a daring rescue mission to save the one thing they agree on: their baby sister Annipeck. With a terrible beast and a petrifying robot assassin in their way, they must work together and learn how to be brave - because the future of their family is at stake.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs cats to Cressida Cowell about the way her writing and illustration work hand-in-hand in her creative process, how she brings fantasy and reality together to tell real human stories, and her fascination for magical maps from a very early age.

Twelve-year-old Billy Pyke has a talent for sorting things out, whether it’s his chaotic family home or the busy book stall at Paddy’s Market. In 1871, the market is the loud, smelly, marvellous heart of Melbourne, and Billy is delighted to work at the book stall there for the eccentric Mr Cole. When his new friend Kezia warns him of a sinister magician called the Obscurosmith, Billy can’t believe her stories of magical deals gone horribly wrong – until he sees them happening. The night the Obscurosmith crosses a terrifying and dangerous line, Billy realises something: if he wants the Obscurosmith stopped, he’ll have to do it himself.

Amelia Mellor delivers another race-against-time adventure loaded with tricks, riddles, magic and mayhem in this action-packed prequel to The Grandest Bookshop in the World.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Amelia Mellor about working backwards, the different ways her characters handle their magic skills, and the inspiration she took from Melbourne's Coles Book Arcade and the series of Coles Funny Picture Books.

Mia Swainson is an environmental engineer and member of the ACT Climate Council. Happy Planet Living outlines achievable steps for change and the simple everyday things that can make a big difference. Learn how to make your home carbon positive, achieve zero waste living, and get more from reusing and recycling. Try the 'buy nothing new” challenge for a week or a month or even a year. Introduce 'meat free Mondays' and explore delicious and healthy recipes. Discover the joys of 'home-made' and be inspired to become part of the solution. This is the essential guide to a climate positive lifestyle and sustainable living. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Mia Swainson about the importance of knowing your own carbon footprint and how to measure it, finding that middle ground in the quest for sustainable and regenerative living, and why we shouldn't just leave the heavy lifting to government and business.

In Search of Perfumes is a journey across the world in search of the beautiful, mysterious and exotic materials that go into creating perfume. Fruits, flowers, herbs, spices and tree bark are just some of the ingredients that are responsible for satisfying our insatiable appetite for beautiful fragrances. From labdunum cistis to lavender and the damask rose, from jasmine and vanilla to cedar and sandalwood,  this the story of the people and places at the source of the fragrances that so excite our olfactory sense.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Dominique Roques about how he works with master perfumers to create the most famous fragrance brands in the world, how his profession has taken him all over the world in search of raw and distilled ingredients, and the incredible people he has met who preserve ancient methods of production into the future.

It's the early 2000s and 9/11 is fresh in the world's memory. The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, and a new threat is emerging: suicide bombings, ordered by military commander of the Taliban, Mullah Dadullah.

The Hunt is a powerful retelling of a real-life Special Forces mission to catch Dadullah. Using classified sources and his unique insight into the way the SAS works, Andy McNab gives a page-turning account of what it took for the Special Forces to find their target and take him down. It's a story of hostage negotiations, undercover missions and a final, epic assault on Dadullah's compound.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Andy McNab about how fiction is the best and safest medium for true storytelling, why senior military leaders considered Mullah Dadullah an important target, and the psychology behind that thinking – and the experience of the hunt through the eyes of a professional soldier.

In The Superpower Transformation Emeritus Professor Ross Garnaut charts the course for Australia to become a leader in a world of zero-carbon emissions. He outlines new evidence that stronger and earlier action on climate change would be good for jobs and incomes and particularly in regional and rural Australia. Garnaut shows how Australia can meet its obligations set at the Paris and Glasgow climate conferences – and the costs for not doing so.

With contributions from Mike Sandford, Ligang Song, Frank Jotzo, Isabelle Grant, Susannah Powell and Maite Meinshausen, The Superpower Transformation covers electricity, renewable energy, hydrogen, steel production and rare earth minerals, exports, carbon-capture in the landscape and reveals how much Australia has to gain by making the most of the opportunities that are available to us right now. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Emeritus Professor Ross Garnaut about why it's in Australia's interest to take a leadership role in the transformation to a zero-carbon future, how green hydrogen is already a reality and why using our wealth of renewable energy resources to produce green hydrogen will transform Australia's economy and ensure our national prosperity into the future.

Despite their iconic status in Australia koalas remain a mystery. As a species they are threatened in some states but dying from overpopulation in others. Koala A Life in Trees shines new light on the life and challenges facing this fascinating marsupial. 

Fuelled by her background in biology, Danielle Clode delves into the world of koalas to discover what's behind that sweet face. From their megafauna ancestors to the disastrous effects of colonisation, this is the story of their complex relationship with humans and what the future holds for this extraordinary animal.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Danielle Clode about the ancient ancestors of the koala, why fossils are so rare and the wealth of information a single fossil jaw can tell us, the intricate relationship between our own Eucalypt forests and this icon of Australian fauna, and why the loss of habitat is the koalas' greatest threat.

A series of brazen, violent and ritualistic murders have police baffled and the killer leaves few clues as to their motive or identity. Inspector Eric Ringer is desperate for Dr Jane Halifax to profile the killer but memories of their last case make Jane hesitate to take on the case. But there's something about the killer that intrigues Jane and as more bodies join the list of violent murders she is compelled to find answers. A psychopath is a psychopath any way you slice it and this is where Jane Halifax excels – but she must overcome her own apprehensions and get into the mind of this killer before he strikes again.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Roger Simpson about turning the highly successful TV series Halifax f.p. into a dark and twisted psychological thriller, how the passage of time has treated his characters after a twenty-three year interlude, and what you can do in a novel that you can't do on a TV screen.

April Clarke-Cliveden is vivacious, bright, and occasionally vicious—the ultimate 'It' girl, She quickly pulled Hannah Jones into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily. By the end of the year, April was dead.

A decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realises that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Ruth Ware about what it takes to be the 'It' Girl at an Oxford college, how exploring differences and divides can form the basis for great characters and settings, and why isolation and claustrophobia play such potent roles in her thrillers.

After twelve years in corporate banking, Michelle Lee gave up her career for a life beyond the office. Trekking the 100km Kokoda trail in 2012 sparked Michelle’s love for extremes adventure and she is now Australia’s first woman to row any ocean solo. In 2019 she completed a 68-day solo, unassisted row across the Atlantic Ocean, battling the elements, her own self-doubt and the obstacles she overcame just to get to the starting line. Alone is the story of Michelle Lee's determination to push boundaries and to test herself on the quest to reach her full potential.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Michelle Lee about how her upbringing brought about a very specific mindset, the physical, mental and emotional challenges she encountered in preparing for and undertaking a race across the Atlantic, and what she learned about herself along the way.

A mystery illness is making people bake ancient cakes, speak dead languages and then fall asleep and never wake up. When Trilby Moffat's mother Arwen catches this strange sickness, Trilby must find her only other surviving relative, a 300-year-old aunt who lives in a secret antique shop on the edge of time.

The Dangerous Business of Being Trilby Moffat is the story of how one ordinary girl finds herself on a deliciously fast-paced adventure, fleeing to an island where time doesn't exist, where cats are particularly rude and cake is always on the menu. Here she will take on the most treacherous job of all time.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs is joined by young podcaster Grace Grenfell to really put the pressure on Kate Temple to reveal just how dangerous it is to be Trilby Moffat. Together we explore why words and cake are so important to Kate Temple, what exactly Benjamin the thylacine is doing in this story, how we might find our way to the Lost In Time Antiques store, and what Kate really knows about time.

Treasure House is the story of the Stewart Dawson dynasty: watchmakers and jewellers, Australian pioneers of Jazz Age popular culture and entertainment, property tycoons and philanthropists. They counted stars of stage and screen, earls and princes among their connections. It's also a story of marital duplicity and deception, hubris and abuse of privilege, hedonism, fraud, and criminal violence. Treasure House traces the rise and fall of a once great family that left a trail of victims and damaged lives.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Geoff Nadin about how he came upon the story of the Stewart Dawsons, the marketing ingenuity and business acumen that laid the foundations for a great family fortune, the glamour and excess of the Stewart Dawsons enterprises in 1920s Australia and the eventual squandering of a legacy and final plunge into obscurity.

Elaine Pearson is the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch and a board member of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. Elaine has spent a lifetime defending human rights around the world. From human trafficking in in Nepal to the 'drug war' in the Philippines, to the treatment of detainees in Papua New Guinea and in Australia and her experiences in Sri Lanka and Nigeria. Chasing Wrongs and Rights is a deeply personal survey of human rights abuses and governments' failure to address them. It sometimes shows humanity at its worst, but also introduces us to people at their best – compassionate, resilient and determined individuals pressing for change.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Elaine Pearson about her early experiences as an advocate for Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women at the United Nations in Geneva and how it shaped her career, the refugees in detention on Manus Island that she met and reported on, the time she spent in an Amsterdam prostitutes window, and the challenges that countries across Asia pose for human rights into the future and what we can do about it.

When climate scientist Joelle Gergis set to work on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the research she encountered kept her awake at night. The evidence gathered by the world's top climate scientists showed that impacts on our climate were occurring faster than anyone had predicted.

Joelle Gergis takes us on a journey through the science of the IPCC's report and shares her personal reflections and insists there is cause for hope - if we embrace cultural and social change we can create a better world. Humanity's Moment is a climate scientist's personal guide to rekindling hope and a call to action to restore our relationship with each other and with the planet. 

In this episode Gregory Dobbs talks to Joelle Gergis about her role as a lead author on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change's latest report on the state of the planet, the evolving research that scientists undertake, the social and cultural change that we need to embrace in order to overcome the greatest challenge humanity has every faced, and the hope we should all harbour in our future.