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SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED WEEKLY

What do books tell us about the world we live in? Join Lucy Clark, Paul Daley and Zoya Patel for conversations with top authors about the ideas that shape their work. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify

28/12/2022

Bo Seo on how to have a good argument

At a time when our society is growing increasingly divided, world champion debater Bo Seo argues that we shouldn’t be aiming for fewer disagreements. Instead, he tells Lucy Clark that we’re better off using the principles of competitive debate to disagree well and, in doing so, to get along with our co-workers, friends and family despite our differences

41 min
21/12/2022

Rachel Franks on colonial Australia’s noseless hangman

Robert ‘Nosey Bob’ Howard sparked both fear and fascination as the longest-serving executioner in New South Wales. Paul Daley speaks with Rachel Franks, the author of An Uncommon Hangman: The Life and Deaths of Robert ‘Nosey Bob’ Howard, about his 62 hangings and why Indigenous people and women were disproportionately sentenced to death

39 min
14/12/2022

Jennifer Down on why we need to read about trauma

The winner of the 2022 Miles Franklin Award, Jennifer Down, had only one rule when she set out to write about a fictional survivor of child sexual abuse: do no harm. But she tells Jane Lee she still worries about the ethical questions involved in publishing and winning the prestigious award for her novel Bodies of Light

51 min
07/12/2022

Jilda Andrews and John Carty on Aboriginal art and what it means to belong

People who devote their lives to preserving Aboriginal culture and heritage are often caught between local communities and the legacies of museums. Yuwaalaraay woman Jilda Andrews and John Carty, author of Balgo, chat to Paul Daley about the meaning of Country, anthropology and art in the Western Desert

57 min
23/11/2022

Evelyn Araluen on the dark side of Blinky Bill

For many Australians, classic children’s book characters like Blinky Bill and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie represent innocent adventures in the bush. But Stella prize winning author Evelyn Araluen argues you can also find the story of Aboriginal peoples’ displacement at the heart of these beloved tales

39 min
16/11/2022

Siang Lu on who gets to be a Hollywood hero

Movie buff Siang Lu watched hundreds of movies for his debut novel The Whitewash, including many where white actors played characters of colour. Researching the history of whitewashing and the evolution of the Asian action hero in Hollywood helped him learn what movies can teach us about how we see ourselves and each other in real life

46 min
09/11/2022

SL Lim on rage, revenge and unfairness

SL Lim’s award-winning novel, Revenge, follows the life of Yannie, a protagonist who watches her brother live a life of prosperity while they go without. Set between Malaysia and Sydney, Lim exposes the vivid frustrations of inequality and disadvantage in one family and what happens when rage erupts into revenge

39 min
02/11/2022

Brigid Delaney on how the Stoics taught her not to worry

In 2018, Brigid Delaney experimented with the idea of living like a Stoic. From relinquishing things out of her control to practising voluntary hardship, after adopting the ancient philosophy Brigid noticed a remarkable change in her life - and her emotional wellbeing. Drawing on the works of three Stoics, Brigid Delaney’s book Reasons Not to Worry argues the 2,000-year-old philosophy is a valuable tool for dealing with life’s modern dilemmas

41 min

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Lucy Clark

Host
Paul Daley

Host
Zoya Patel

Host

What do books tell us about the world we live in? Join Lucy Clark, Paul Daley and Zoya Patel for conversations with top authors about the ideas that shape their work. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify