Australian fiction
This Kingdom of Dust by David Dyer
To imagine the stories behind great historical moments in history is a concept that seems to be having its moment. Or, rather, isn’t that how history has always been told – as a consideration? This story of the very famous…
Molly by Rosalie Ham
We already know that women change everything: from laws to attitudes and even the style of underwear. Much-loved author Rosalie Ham is back with the story of Molly Dunnage, a corset designer and mother-to-be of Myrtle, the star of the…
Theory & Practice by Michelle de Krestser
The narrator of Theory & Practice relocates to Melbourne from Sydney in the mid-1980s to take up a place in the Masters program in the English Department at the University of Melbourne. She’s going to write a thesis on Virginia…
The Belburd by Nardi Simpson
The Belburd is a story of The Dreaming and of dreaming, of creation and of motherhood. Nardi Simpson weaves together two threads of experience: the story of Ginny, a blak poet recovering from loss, who is trying to contend with…
The Deal by Alex Miller
The Deal is Alex Miller’s 14th novel, and he’s already well into his 15th, The Minister, which draws on his long friendship with former immigration minister Ian McPhee. Like all his novels, The Deal is big on ideas and…
Rapture by Emily Maguire
Long a source of conjecture, the myth or legend of a female pope has endured for centuries. Pope John of England was allegedly Pope Joan, and ascended to the throne of Saint Peter after disguising herself as a man in…
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
Ann Liang, winner of The Readings Young Adult Prize 2023 for her debut If You Could See the Sun, premieres her first adult novel in this spell-binding historical fiction which blends Chinese history and mythology.
Set in the capital…
All the Bees in the Hollows by Lauren Keegan
This murder mystery of a novel does not follow the usual rules of the genre. The stage is set in the 16th century and follows two women set upon proving themselves for varied reasons. Maryte, a bereaved widow, is a…
Wing by Nikki Gemmell
Nikki Gemmell is most famous for her erotic novel, The Bride Stripped Bare, published over 20 years ago and written in second person using the pronoun ‘you’ to address the reader, which created an intimacy with the narrator. Gemmell’s…
The Burrow by Melanie Cheng
This beautifully contained and elegant novel resulted in me gasping for air. Remembering the days of Melbourne’s lockdown is not easy, and this visceral tale of one family – one bubble – will knock you over in the same way…
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