The events where Australian readers have long gathered to hear writers speak about their work are often annual (like festivals) and mostly in the big cities. As podcasts have become a way Australians consume culture, literary conversation has migrated to a more accessible space: the commute, the dog walk, the kitchen bench.
Literary podcasts do something print reviews and festival sessions rarely can. They make space for extended, unhurried thought. Writers speak openly about their process and scholars give cultural and historical context that helps readers approach unfamiliar texts. For many, these podcasts function as a year-round version of a writers’ festival – without the ticket price or travel.
Listening to six Australian podcasts, I was struck by how differently the form can approach “the literary” – and why audio has become such an important medium for contemporary reading.
1. The Secret Life of Books
Australian English literature professor Sophie Gee co-hosts this podcast with UK broadcaster Jonty Claypole (which, I think, makes it at least half Australian). It blends close reading with literary history and a healthy dose of humour. Its range is vast: from Victorian heavyweights (Middlemarch) to golden age detective fiction; William Blake’s The Tyger to Henry James. Some episodes respond to film adaptations or literary anniversaries.
It feels less like a review show and more like a roaming seminar in literary culture, delivered by two critics who genuinely enjoy thinking together. Often, the podcast comes with witty re‑enactments and archival tidbits that are (sadly) unlikely to appear in a university seminar.
In To See or Not to See? Hamnet Tune‑up Session, they revisit Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel in the wake of a new film adaptation. They trace its influence in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (and his life). They compare O’Farrell’s craft decisions to Hilary Mantel’s. And they examine how the novel reclaims the story “for a woman, for marriage, for domesticity, for the social value of motherhood”. To close, they ask whether Hamnet has “classic potential”.
Their current Queens of Crime series underlines the show’s strengths with literary history. They situate Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham in their publishing and social contexts, tracing how detective fiction evolved as both entertainment and commentary.
Beyond these deep dives, they conduct author interviews (Colm Tóibín on Henry James), release seasonal specials (A SLoB Christmas Cracker), discuss poetry and revisit beloved classics. The show consistently lowers the barrier to reading widely, while remaining intellectually serious and very funny.
2. Fully Lit
Fully Lit takes a panoramic approach to Australian literature. Hosted by Miles Franklin-winning author Anna Funder and produced by the Sydney Review of Books and Impact Studios, it is less interested in new release books than in the systems, histories and debates that shape Australian writing. Critics, poets, publishers and scholars are brought into longform conversations about the Australian novel, First Nations storytelling, poetry’s public role and the business of books.
The episode on Alexis Wright, with critic Geordie Williamson and Wright’s publisher Ivor Indyk, exemplifies the show’s ambition. Discussion moves from Wright’s concept of “all time” to the ethics of calling a novel “difficult” and the “civic duty” of readers to meet a complex text on its own terms.
Other episodes widen the lens even further. They include poets John Kinsella and Lisa Gorton on poetry and Wiradyuri author and Bundyi publisher Anita Heiss on sovereign publishing. There are live recordings at events like the Miles Franklin shortlist panel.
This analytic breadth distinguishes Fully Lit. It treats criticism as a public good: an investigation into how Australian literature is written, read, taught and contested. The only limitation is its assumed knowledge. Listeners unfamiliar with Wright, White or contemporary Indigenous criticism may want to read alongside the audio. But for those seeking longform, ideas-driven conversation, Fully Lit sets the bar.
3. Story Saloon
Story Saloon takes a simple premise – a short story read aloud – and treats it as a fully staged literary event. It’s hosted by author, editor and creative writing professor Jane Messer, recorded live at The Vanguard in Sydney.
Each episode features a contemporary Australian short story, performed by a professional actor – sometimes the story’s author, more often a trained performer. Then, it moves into the show’s signature “saloon”, a discussion with the author and reader. The archive ranges from established writers like Christos Tsiolkas (whose story is read by Alex Dimitriades, who played the lead in the film of Tsiolkas’ debut novel, Loaded) and Margo Lanagan (read by Paul Capsis), to emerging voices such as Michelle Hamadache and Jake Dean.
The performance element is the heart of the podcast. Hearing the stories performed aloud brings out rhythm, tension and humour in ways that silent reading can’t always capture. The subsequent conversation is intimate and craft-focused.
Rather than commentary or criticism, Story Saloon provides a rare hybrid of theatre, craft talk and community building.
4. Secrets from the Green Room
Hosted by writers Irma Gold and Karen Viggers, this podcast focuses on the working realities of Australian writers. Episodes often begin with the hosts’ industry observations – on topics ranging from copyright reforms to the impact of artificial intelligence – before moving into extended conversations.
The strength of the show is its candour: guests speak openly about drafting, rejection, festival culture and the challenge of sustaining a writing life in a small market.
Episodes in the last year have included Pip Williams, Markus Zusak and Sophie Cunningham. Conversations range from coping with sudden international attention to the ethics of memoir and the economics of small presses. What emerges is an unsentimental account of the labour behind the literary world – a perspective rarely visible to readers.
Conversations often assume industry familiarity and this podcast is especially valuable for emerging writers seeking practical insight. But for general listeners, it usefully illuminates how books travel from draft to publication.
5. The ABR Podcast
The ABR Podcast (an extension of Australian Book Review) is incredibly varied: critics reading essays, biographers discussing new work, political analysts unpacking foreign policy books, poets presenting shortlisted poems. And of course, reviewers on books they’ve reviewed.
The Peter Porter Poetry Prize episode demonstrates what audio adds to criticism. Hearing the shortlisted poets read their own work brings a materiality and rhythm print cannot supply. Other episodes, such as Stephen Long’s review of Marian Wilkinson’s Woodside vs the Planet and Laleh Khalili’s Extractive Capitalism, connect literary analysis to climate policy, economics and national politics.
The show is dense, but that’s part of its value. Episodes often assume familiarity with political, historical or theoretical contexts – but they also reward attentive listening.
6. The Book Show
ABC Radio National’s The Book Show is one of Australia’s most reliable literary programs. Each week, host Claire Nichols interviews major international and Australian writers, in the polished, approachable style of public broadcasting. Recent episodes have featured Philip Pullman, Trent Dalton, Liane Moriarty and Arundhati Roy.
Nichols is a generous, well-prepared interviewer. Her interest in writing craft and her steady questioning creates room for reflection: writers speak about their early influences, the origins of their latest books and the pressures of adaptation or literary success. The program also has occasional festival recordings and recurring series – including Dear Jane, a four-part exploration of Jane Austen at 250.
The Book Show rarely ventures far from mainstream literary conversations, but that is precisely its value. It connects large audiences with new books, provides a consistent platform for prominent authors and keeps literature visible in our national media. Its sister show, The Bookshelf, which reviews new fiction, performs a similar purpose.
Caitlin Macdonald does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
