Australian fiction
ARA Historical Novel Prize 2024 winners announced
The winners of the 2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize have been announced! The annual prize recognise the outstanding literary talents of Australian novelists who explore stories of the past, to illuminate our present and future.
The prize is one of the richest literary prizes in Australia, with a prize pool of $150,000 split between the winners and shortlisted authors in the two categories. Read more about the winning books and the judges' comments below.
Adult category winner
Edenglassie by Melissa…
Q&A with Emma Darragh, winner of The Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction 2024
We are proud and excited to announce Emma Darragh as this year's winner of The Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction, for her unflinching, tender and darkly funny debut novel Thanks for Having Me, which explores what we give to our families and what we take from them – whether we mean to or not.
We've asked Emma about the inspiration for her work, the creative process, her perfect reader, favourite writing advice and what she hopes readers take…
The Readings Prize 2024 winners
Nearly 100 submissions, 18 shortlisted books and now we celebrate four winners!
It’s a fantastic achievement just being shortlisted for this prize for emerging Australian talent, and we have one final shout-out to our highly recommended shortlisted books and authors at the end of this post.
Our winners represent a diverse snapshot of quality writing in Australia today. A contemporary Muddleheaded Wombat, an action-packed tale of the repercussions of one bad decision, a heartfelt journey in search of identity and…
A Day in Carlton: Mark Rubbo's pick
Mark Rubbo, Readings Chairman, shares his top pick from the event program of the upcoming A Day in Carlton Festival. Explore the program now, and join us for 24 hours celebrating books, culture and community!
Earlier this year I was at the Clunes Booktown Festival. The opening event was sold out but I managed to get tickets. It was a show called Underscore with Sally Ford and the Idiomatics. I was vaguely familar with Sally, a member of…
Our September 2024 bestsellers
September is traditionally one of the biggest months for exciting new releases and this year is no exception. Unsurprisingly one of 2024's most anticipated books, Sally Rooney's Intermezzo – an exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family – went straight to number one after less than a week of sales.
There are so many highlights this month it's tempting to mention them all, however we think the list below speaks for itself. From Australian and international literary icons to…
Perfect candle pairings for the Readings New Australian Fiction Prize shortlist
Treat yourself, or gift your friends a deluxe reading experience, with these book and candle pairings! We've carefully chosen a scented candle that will elevate the reading experience for each of the novels on the 2024 shortlist for the Readings New Australian Fiction Prize.
Trust our recommendations and order online, or if you'd rather make up your own mind you can head into shops and sniff your way through the candle range!
📖The Opposite of Success by Eleanor Elliott…
Top picks for book clubs this month
Looking for something juicy to discuss in your book club? Try one of these new releases, chosen by our booksellers to appeal to a wide range of readers and provide plenty to talk about.
Australian fiction
Juice by Tim Winton
Two fugitives, a man and a child, drive all night across a stony desert. As dawn breaks, they roll into an abandoned mine site. From the vehicle they survey a forsaken place – middens of twisted iron, rusty wire, piles…
Debut fiction to read this month
Monumenta by Lara Haworth
Olga Pavic’s house has been requisitioned. Her home will become a monument to a massacre. But Olga cannot ascertain which massacre. Three different architects visit, each with a proposal to construct a different monument, to memorialise a different horror. Olga can’t allow them to unearth the secrets held in this space, not until she reunites with her children for a final dinner. Her aspirational, distant daughter, Hilde, and her secretly queer son, Danilo, both reluctantly agree…
Q&A with award-winning author Robbie Arnott
Aurelia Orr, one of our most prolific and insightful Readings staff reviewers, chats with Robbie Arnott about his tense and lyrical latest novel, Dusk, and the titular character’s surprising connection to Jaws.
Join us on October 8th to celebrate the launch of Dusk at Readings Carlton.
AO: What was the inspiration behind this story?
RA: I was spending a lot of time thinking about the recent history of the antipodes – not just how brutal and cruel…
Australian fiction to pick up this month
Juice by Tim Winton
Two fugitives, a man and a child, drive all night across a stony desert. As dawn breaks, they roll into an abandoned mine site. From the vehicle they survey a forsaken place – middens of twisted iron, rusty wire, piles of sun-baked trash. They’re exhausted, traumatised, desperate now. But as a refuge, this is the most promising place they’ve seen. The child peers at the field of desolation. The man thinks to himself, this could work.
…
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