Sydney Writers' Festival 2026 - Day Two

 Back again for another full day at SWF2026 on Friday 22 May 2026.

Found in Translation

I have been fascinated about the art of translation ever since reading Linda Jaivin's remarkable Quarterly Essay Found In Translation: In Praise of a Plural World (2013). I do not read nearly enough translated works, but I am seeking to rectify this. So I booked this session with video game translator Matt Alt, and authors Mariana Enriquez (The Dangers of Smoking in Bed) and Bora Chung (The Midnight Timetable) in conversation with translator Daniel Hanh, without knowing their work in an effort to learn more. 

This was a wonderful discussion about the challenges of language: poetic vs traditional; gendered words; high and low culture; nuance and slang. Each of the authors are also translators and spoke about how they approach translation. I particularly enjoyed Enriquez' description of her approach to translations of her work where she views the translation as the problem of whomever has been tasked to undertake that work. 

After the session I met Enriquez and she signed a copy of her The Dangers of Smoking in Bed for me.

Daniel Hanh, Matt Alt, Mariana Enriquez Bora Chung

In the Club

Next up I went to a free session to see Charlotte McConaghy (Wild Dark Shore) and Rebecca Armitage (The Heir Apparent) talk about being selected for Reese's Book Club. 

Armitage is a journalist with the ABC who was working on the royal beat. She had an idea for a book in which a scandal means the British crown is passed on down the line of succession to a woman who has been out of the royal orbit, happily living and working in Australia, when she suddenly finds herself next in line to become Queen. Armitage spoke about the rejection her book had from publishers before she learned how to pitch, and how being selected for Reese's book club suddenly opened up her world. 

McConaghy is an established writer who has been quietly beavering away with moderate success. Her novel Wild Dark Shore was unexpectedly chosen by Witherspoon and has given her a much wider audience. She spoke about how this has given her earlier books a new audience as well. 

Armitage says that the Reese's Book Club is like a seal of approval. Readers don't know or trust the author, but they do trust Reese. Apparently Witherspoon's team gets novels in advance and they read and cull before recommending them to her. She then reads and decides whether it will be part of her selection. Witherspoon is an extraordinary business woman who knows her audience. Her production company, Hello Sunshine, also buys the rights for books with female appeal to make into television series. 

I have read and enjoyed McConaghy's work but was not familiar with Armitage's book. While The Heir Apparent is not the sort of book I normally read, it sounds like a great holiday read. So perhaps....

Holly Wainwright, Rebecca Armitage and Charlotte McConaghy

Dark Materials 

In this session, novelists Michael Mohammed Ahmed (Bugger) and David Szalay (Flesh), and non-fiction author Sarah Krasnostein (The Trauma Cleaner) talk about how they write about trauma and abuse. It was facilitated by journalist and author Jacqueline Maley (The Truth About Her). I had booked this session because it included Florence Knapp (The Names), but she unfortunately had to pull out and be replaced by Krasnostein. While disappointed I would not see Knapp, I always enjoy hearing Krasnostein speak about her work.

The authors discussed trauma and how to write about it. Szalay was clear he was not telling readers whether or not his characters were abused or traumatised, he left that open to interpretation. Krasnostein has written about the mushroom murder trial, Malka Leifer, and other challenging topics. Ahmed was extremely impressive talking about his book in which he writes about child abuse in the Australian Lebanese community where such a subject is taboo and perpetrators may be protected. He spoke about the use of language, the origins of words and how important it is to shed light on dark corners. An interesting, albeit challenging session

Jacqueline Maley, David Szalay, Sarah Krasnostein, Michael Mohammed Ahmed

Great Adaptations

In this session, authors Mick Herron (Slow Horses) and Suzie Miller (Prima Facie) talked with Benjamin Law about having their works adapted for stage and screen. 

Miller signing
Prima Facie

Miller is a former lawyer turned playwright who has had great success with her plays Prima Facie and Inter Alia. She spoke about how her first play was performed in the Griffin Theatre in Sydney, a tiny intimate space and then ended up in London's West End and on Broadway, winning Olivier and Tony Awards. She spoke about the economy of writing for stage and how there was more she wanted to say, so she adapted Prima Facie into a novel and has now adapted it into a screenplay for a forthcoming film starring Cynthia Erivo. She also talked about the intimacy of plays and the solitary nature of being a writer shifts when writing plays as you need to engage with the actors and are confined by space.

Herron's Slow Horses novels were picked up by Apple TV with Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Jonathan Price and many more. Herron spoke about the adaptation of his work and how he sat in on the writers' room like an oracle answering questions about characters. He said that there are many aspects of his books which are unfilmable and how the writing team have done an incredible job to bring it to the screen. His Zoë Boehm series, Down Cemetery Road, has also been adapted for TV starring Emma Thompson. Herron shared some behind-the-scenes tales and clearly delights in the way his work has been adapted.

After the session I spoke to Herron at the book signing and had a photo taken with him. I also was able to get my copy of Prima Facie signed by Suzie Miller.

Benjamin Law, Suzie Miller, Mick Herron

Jacinta Ardern

I had to rush from Carriageworks into Sydney Town Hall for my next session. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about her memoir, A Different Kind of Power,  in conversation with Holly Wainright. I recently read this memoir so was thrilled to hear her speak about it. 

Ardern is humble, warm and personable - completely authentic. Wainright asked her to recount various stories from the book such as how she found it she was pregnant, an incident when she worked at a fish and chip shop, seeing her father encounter some bikers, and many more. They talked about the challenges of political life and some of the hard things she had to lead the country through - like COVID, a terrorist attack and the Whaakari (White Island) disaster. 

Ardern is now happily living on Sydney's Northern Beaches and continuing to use her skills and experience for causes she cares about. She runs a leadership program, works on eradicating violent extremism and on efforts to reduce the impact of climate change.

I was thoroughly impressed by Jacinda Arden and appreciated being able to see her in Sydney's beautiful Town Hall. I highly recommend her memoir.

Holly Wainright and Jacinda Ardern

State of the Art - Booker Prize

Raced back to Carriageworks for my final session of the day. This panel featured authors that had been shortlisted for or won the prestigious Booker Prize. ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans moderated the session featuring Susan Choi (Flashlight), Roddy Doyle (Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha), Yann Martel (Life of Pi), David Szalay (Flesh), Charlotte Wood (Stone Yard Devotional).

David Szalay, Charlotte Wood, Susan Choi

The panel spoke about whether prizes matter and the general consensus is that they do. For each of these writers, the Booker Prize was instrumental in their careers as it brought them prominence, sold their books and gave them freedom to write. 

Szalay, the current winner, spoke about the camaraderie of the longlist and how enjoyable it is to be going through the Booker season with other writers. He said that since he won he has had little time to write as he has been on perpetual tour. Martel and Doyle concurred with this experience and said they had writing gaps after winning the Booker. 

Yann Martel, Roddy Doyle, Kate Evans

Doyle was working as a teacher when his novel won the Booker and as the first Irish author to win he was lauded at home. He joked that the year he won there was also an Irish horse that won the Melbourne Cup and how a newspaper wanted to get Doyle and the horse in a photo together for a story on Ireland's global success. Doyle said that the Booker allowed him to become a full time writer. Doyle also spoke about being a judge for the Booker.

Martel had a similar story of success. He had been writing for years and had been rejected by many publishers. He was about to give up writing when he found a small UK imprint to publish his novel. Once it won the Booker, he was an 'overnight success', invited to parties and travelled the world. 

Wood spoke about how she was called the 'drought-breaker' as her novel Stone Yard Devotional was the first Australian to be longlisted since Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North a decade earlier. For Wood the Booker brought her backlist to a new audience and gave her a huge exposure.

Choi spoke about how the Booker is seen in America as like the Holy Grail. American authors have only been eligible since 2014 and have fared well in the longlist ever since, including wins for Paul Beatty (The  Sellout, 2016) and George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo, 2017).

The panel discussed the expectations on shortlisters and winners. They also talked about whether there is such a thing as a 'Booker' book - an obvious contender. They rejected this notion as the judges change each year. 

After the session I was able to get books signed by Charlotte Wood and Roddy Doyle to add to my Booker collection.

Szalay, Wood, Choi, Martel, Doyle, Evans

That ends my big day out at the Sydney Writer's Festival and I am now past the halfway point. Off to bed and back again tomorrow.

Roddy Doyle

Book Signings

Books signed by authors today:

• Roddy Doyle - Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha (for my Booker collection)
• Mariana Enriquez - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
• Mick Herron - Slow Horses
• Suzie Miller - Prima Facie
• Charlotte Wood - Stone Yard Devotional and The Weekend

My SWF2026 Experience

Read more about my time at SWF2026 here:

• Early Sessions - Lorena Allam, Robbie Arnott, Avani Dias, Lyse Doucet, Anton Enus, Nikita Gill, Lily King, Kate McClymont, Michael Pedersen, and Patrick Radden Keefe.
• Day One - Robbie Arnott, Nick Bryant, Barrie Cassidy, Rosalind Dixon, AC Grayling, Tayari Jones, Yann Martel, Amy Remeikis, Niki Savva, David Szalay, Tasma Walton
• Day Two - Michael Mohammed Ahmed, Matt Alt, Jacinda Ardern, Rebecca Armitage, Susan Choi, Bora Chung, Roddy Doyle, Mariana Enriquez, Kate Evans, Mick Herron, Yann Martel, Charlotte McConaghy, Suzie Miller, David Szalay, and Charlotte Wood.
• Day Three - Randa Abdel-Fattah, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Roddy Doyle, Kate Evans, Jan Fran, Lev Grossman, RF Kuang, Antoinette Lattouf, Dervla McTiernan, Garth Nix, Hayley Scrivenor.
• Day Four - Michael Bennett, Tony Birch, Troy Bramston, Shankar Chandran, SA Crosby, Chris Hammer, Mick Herron, Fran Kelly, Sisonke Msimang, Ben Quilty, Amy Remeikis, Hayley Scrivenor, Amy Thunig-McGregor, Jack Toohey, Michael Williams.

Pulitzer Prize Winners 2026

The 2026 Pulitzer Prize Winners have been announced with awards for Journalism and Books, Drama and Music. Let's take a look at the book award winners and finalists.

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 

Daniel Kraus was awarded the Pulitzer for his novel Angel Down - a story about World War I, told in a single sentence. Finalists were Katie Kitamura (Audition), and Torrey Peters (Stag Dance).

The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Bess Wohl has won for Liberation, a play about at the legacy of feminist groups from the 1970s. r Finalists were Nazareth Hassan for Bowl EP and Talene Monahon for Meet the Cartesians.

The Pulitzer Prize for History

This year's award goes to Jill Lepore for her work We the People: A History of the US Constitution - I am keen to read this book. Finalists were Scott Anderson for King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution, and Bench Ansfield for Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and The Remaking of the American City.  

The Pulitzer Prize for Biography

Amanda Vail was recognised for her biography of the Schuyler Sisters in  Pride and Pleasure: The Shuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution. Finalists were Lance Richardson for True Nature: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen and James McWilliams for The Life and Poetry of Frank Stanford.   

The Pulitzer Prize for Memoir or Autobiography

Yiyun Li won for Things in Nature Merely Grow - an account of the suicides of her sons. Finalists were Anelise Chen for Calm Down: A Metamorphosis, Sarah Chihaya for Bibliophobia: A Memoir and Hala Alyan for I'll Tell You When I am Home: A Memoir.

The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

Juliana Spahr was recognised for her collection of poetry Ars Poeticas. Finalists were I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always by Douglas Kearney and The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems by Patricia Smith.

The Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction

Brian Goldstone won for There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America.  Finalists were A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children by Haley Cohen Gilliland and Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church by Kevin Sack.

 Of all these Pulitzer Prize winning books, the one I am most interested in is the work by Jill Lepore on the history of the US Constitution. 

Lessons in Leadership

When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017 she became the youngest female head of government. She was only 37 years old and pregnant, giving birth to her daughter Neve during her first year of office. 

As a political science nerd, I watched Ardern's career with interest. I was inspired by her approach to governing, which was a sharp contrast to what we had across the ditch in Australia under the Coalition. She always seemed down-to-earth, likeable, empathetic and authentic. These qualities were put to the test during her five years in office when she had to deal with an horrific terrorist attack at a Christchurch mosque, a devastating volcanic eruption, and the pandemic. Along the way her government brought in landmark reforms like banning semiautomatic weapons, programs to reduce child poverty, net zero climate targets, decriminalising abortion, establishing a Te Ao Maori public holiday, improving housing and launching a 'wellbeing budget' to measure the nation's success beyond GDP.

In her memoir, A Different Kind of Power (2025), Ardern writes about her life in office and the difference she sought to make. Unlike most political memoirs which either gloss over the negatives, overstate the positives or settle political scores, Ardern has written a different kind of memoir.

Ardern goes back to her childhood, where she and her sister grew up in a rural community. Her father was a police officer and her mother was a devout Mormon. She talks about growing up in the church and her decision to leave it in adulthood. We learn about her first job in a fish-and-chip shop, her days as a young debater, and her interest in politics. She hones her skills working in government before standing for office. When she joins Parliament, she holds true to her values and remains determined to deliver for her constituents. She also still shops at Kmart.

When she becomes Prime Minister, and then as a working mum, Ardern often feels like she is failing. Her job is demanding and unpredictable. She has to travel a lot, juggle complex policy and meet a wide range of expectations. She longs to be present with her young daughter, but often the weight of her office causes her mind to drift. Fortunately, her partner Clark and her extended family are supportive and step up to help. 

The chapters on COVID were difficult to read, causing flashbacks to the challenges faced by leaders during that period of uncertainty and fear. When Ardern eventually decides it is time to walk away,  it is completely understandable. Despite her desire to do something different with her life, she worries that her daughter will see this as quitting.  

Ardern makes the case for a different kind of leadership. This is an uplifting memoir about someone who thought she was too soft for politics. She is a case study in turning vulnerabilities into strengths. It is refreshing to read a memoir by a politician not interested in running a commentary on those she disagreed with. The book is well-written and utterly fascinating. 

I read the book alongside listening to Ardern's audiobook narration. I highly recommend the audiobook, so you can hear her tell her own story.  I look forward to seeing Ardern speak about her memoir at the Sydney Town Hall as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival next month. 

The Unforgettable Mrs Roy

Indian educator and women's rights activist Mary Roy was an indomitable powerhouse who successfully fought for a change in inheritance law which saw female Syrian Christians entitled to an equal share of familial property. She fought her brother, G Isaac, all the way to the Supreme Court of India, in the landmark case Mary Roy v State of Kerala and Others. 

Mrs Roy's daughter, Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy, had a complex relationship with her mother which she explores in her memoir Mother Mary Comes To Me (2025). Mrs Roy, as she is called throughout, was a larger-than-life presence. Roy says of her mother that 'she was complete without me and I was incomplete without her', describing her as 'my shelter and my storm'.

Arundhati's alcoholic father Mickey left when she was two years old, and Mrs Roy returned to Kerala and built a life for herself, establishing a well-regarded school and becoming a beloved teacher and local celebrity. Arundhati and her brother had very different relationships with their mother, and Arundhati could not wait to get away. She enrolled in the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, determined to become an architect. Here she met an architect and had a brief marriage, before turning to work in television and film with her new husband, filmmaker Pradip Krishen. 

Arundhati shares her mother's activism and used her skills as a writer to draw attention to issues that concerned her - including anti-globalisation, colonialism, environmentalism and other social causes. In 1992 she turns to writing fiction and spends several years writing the semi-autobiographical novel The God of Small Things (1996) which went on to win the Booker Prize and become an international bestseller. Her second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) came two decades later. The fame and wealth that came from her work never sat well with her, and she continues to donate her royalties to human rights causes. 

There were long periods when Arundhati and her mother were estranged, but Mrs Roy's presence looms over everything. Indeed Mrs Roy is the inspiration for the character Ammu in The God of Small Things. Mrs Roy was proud of her daughter's success, to the extent that it was a demonstration the quality of education received at her school. As the two women get older, their relationship evolves, though never entirely heals. When Mrs Roy eventually succumbs to old age, Arundhati has lost her mother and her muse.

Mother Mary Comes to Me is an extraordinary memoir of Arundhati Roy's life and career. The book has received great acclaim, winning the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography and was recently shortlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. The memoir is full of heart, humour and history - a wonderful story of mothers and daughters, and of artistic passion.

Having finished the book, I now want to go back and read The God of Small Things again in a completely different light, with a greater depth of meaning than when I read it almost thirty years ago.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of Mother Mary Comes to Me, read with passion and heart by the author herself. 

Stella Prize Shortlist 2026

The 2026 Stella Prize Shortlist has been announced! The twelve nominees on the longlist have been whittled down to six finalists in the running for this important literary award.

The 2026 shortlist is as follows: 

• Evelyn Araluen - The Rot
• Geraldine Brooks - Memorial Days
• Miranda Darling - Fairweather
• Lee Lai - Cannon
• Marika Sosnowski - 58 Facets
• Tasma Walton - I am Nannertgarrook

Fiona Sweet, CEO and Creative Director of the Stella Prize, said of the shortlist:

"The books contained in this year's Stella Prize shortlist remind us that women and non-binary writers contain multitudes. These six books contain big stories and little stories. Big stories that challenge and delight readers, and introduce ideas that dismantle the very structures we take as fact. There are also little stories, small, tender, sensitive and beautiful moments that reflect on personhood, gender, relationships, trauma and loss. These little stories intimately stay with us long after finishing reading a book. There are many forms of stories in this list, from a graphic novel, poetry and prose, to memoir and non-fiction, which showcase the incredible calibre within these genres. I hope you enjoy these big and small worlds that these books generously welcome us into just as much as I did."

If I had to guess a winner, I reckon Brooks is in with a shot for her memoir of grief at the loss of her husband. Araluen is a previous winner, so I am not sure she would be awarded twice in a short period. The other title I am interested in is the book by Walton, about novel recreating stories of the Boonwurrung. I will be seeing Walton at the Sydney Writers' Festival in May.

The winner will be announced on 13 May 2026.  

The Sense of an Ending

On his eightieth birthday, English author Julian Barnes released his final book Departure(s) (2026). Currently being treated for a rare blood cancer, Barnes had one last book to write and has crafted a curious  hybrid work of fiction and memoir about aging and the problems of memory.  

Departure(s) begins with an exploration of memory - the Proustian involuntary autographical memory of madelines dunked in tea which transport the author back to an earlier time, the importance of forgetting unwanted memories, and the wonder of the human mind. Barnes plays with his reader, inserting himself (or a fictional version of himself) in the tale, and promising that this will be an unreliable story filled with gaps.

The first part of his story takes place at Magdelen College Oxford in the 1960s, where Julian is reading modern languages. Here he meets Stephen, a fellow student, and introduces him to Jean, a girl from Julian's Russian class. Stephen and Jean engage in a brief relationship while students, but then go their seperate ways. Forty years later, when Julian, Jean and Stephen are in their sixties, they are reunited, with Barnes again enabling the couple's meet-cute. This time they wed and, during their marriage, Julian is their confidant and sounding-board. 

Amidst this tale of love, is one of aging and death. Barnes' diaries are used to explore his diagnosis and treatment. His body is failing and he grasps on to recollections of his past. He is preparing to depart but still has some wisdom to convey. 

I have always liked Barnes as a writer. His wonderful novel The Sense of an Ending (2011) won the Booker Prize and prior to my blogging days, I enjoyed his A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters (1989) and Flaubert's Parrot (1984).  I had the good fortune of hearing him speak and meeting him at the 2016 Sydney Writers' Festival where he signed a copy of The Sense of an Ending for me. 

While the story was different, Departure(s) reminded me of Richard Flanagan's genre-defying Question 7 (2023) which blended autofiction, memoir, history and philosophy. As I read Departure(s) I initially wondered what parts were fiction and which were memoir, and then I realised it doesn't matter. This is Barnes' departure, leaving behind his brilliant career on his own terms, and giving his readers a gift with his contemplative musings. 

My Reading Year 2025

I read a lot in 2025! My reading goal for 2025 was 35 books, which I surpassed reading 45 titles this year - over 15,500 pages! When planning for 2025, I had a stack of books on my to-be-read pile, and managed to read only a handful before I got distracted, as I always do, by other titles. 

So here's what I read in 2025:

Fiction

This was the year I finally immersed myself in the Elizabeth Strout universe. I began the year with Olive Kitteridge, Strout's Pulitzer Prize winning novel. I jumped ahead to her latest novel, Tell Me Everything, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction. I then went back to the beginning and read her debut novel,  Amy and Isabelle. I am now fully converted to her genius and plan on exploring more of her work next year.

Another author that I have had on my radar for years but never conquered was Hilary Mantel. This year I read two-thirds of her Cromwell Trilogy with the Booker Prize winning Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies.  I have started the final novel in the series, a hefty hardback of The Mirror in the Light, but will not complete it this year. 

Literary award longists added many titles to my reading list. Among my favourite novels this year were by Australian authors - Melanie Cheng's The Burrow (Stella Prize), Emily Maguire's wonderful Rapture (Stella Prize) Fiona McFarlane's linked short stories in Highway 13 (Miles Franklin Award), and Evie Wyld's ghostly tale, The Echoes (Victorian Premier's Prize). The 2025 Women's Prize introduced me to two heartbreaking novels which I still think about: Yael Van Der Wouden's The Safekeep and Roisin O'Donnell's Nesting. Carys Davies' lovely novel Clear (RSL Ondaatje Prize) was also brilliant. 

I wanted to read Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead ever since it was published and won the Women's Prize (among other accolades) in 2023, but I felt compelled to re-read Charles Dickens' David Copperfield first. I am so glad I did, as it greatly enhanced my reading of Kingsolver's remarkable novel. Having recently tidied my bookshelves, I find that I already possess a number of her novels so I look forward to exploring her back catalogue.

Other titles that had been languishing unread on my shelves finally moved up the to-be-read pile. I loved Anne Enright's The Green Road and am slowly working my way through all of her books.  Alex Miller's A Brief Affair, Penelope Lively's Heat Wave, Sarah Waters' The Paying Guest and Kevin Wilson's Nothing to See Here were great reads in 2025. I also finally read Barbara Trapido's Brother of the More Famous Jack which I had heard about for years. 

Some of the series that I have been following had new novels published. I really enjoyed Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping, Tara Moss' The Italian Secret and Philip Pullman's The Secret Commonwealth. I have been saving Pullman's latest and last novel in the Lyra Bellaqua series - The Rose Field - but will read that next year. 

Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere, a novel I read without any expectations, was such a beautiful, heartbreaking story it left me sobbing. Another great standalone novel was Liz Moore's The God of the Woods.

I love a good crime thrillers, especially 'Aussie Noir'. This year I read Hayley Scrivenor's Girl Falling, Chris Hammer's  Legacy (another Martin Scarsden pageturner), Jane Harper's Last One Out and Garry Disher's Sanctuary. I read two Irish crime novels by Dervla McTiernan - The Scholar and  The Good Turn in the DS Cormac Reilly series. I enjoyed the latest in the Strike/Ellacott series by Robert Galbraith, The Hallmarked Man. I also started Mick Herron's Slow Horses series after being gifted a box set of his novels, and will undoubtedly work my way through these next year. 

Non-Fiction

This year I didn't read as much non-fiction as I had planned to and will need to rectify this in 2026.

I really enjoyed the Quarterly Essays this year. I have subscribed for the past decade and each year there are usually one or two on topics that I am not that interested in. This year I read George Megalogenis' Minority Report (QR96), Hugh White's Hard New World (QE98) and Sean Kelly's The Good Fight (QE100).

I read Anne Applebaum's Autocracy Inc when it was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.  Janet Malcolm's essay collection Nobody's Looking at You, had been lingering unfinished for a while so I was pleased to have completed that. 

I read two memoirs this year which I loved. I borrowed Kate Grenville's Unsettled from my mother after she raved about this personal journey of reconciliation. Hannah Kent's Always Home, Always Homesick was such a delight - transporting me to Iceland and making me long to read Burial Rites again. 

I will read anything Helen Garner writes, including a book about footy - The Season. I also loved her book with Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein, The Mushroom Tapes, about the trial of Erin Patterson who bumped off her husband's family with a deadly beef wellington.

My last book for the year was Niki Savva's Earthquake on the 2025 federal election

Best of 2025

I read so many great books this year. If I had to whittle down the 45 into my absolute favourites for 2025, without any hesitation I would pick Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead and Hannah Kent's  Always Home, Always Homesick.  

I would give honourable mentions to:

• Carys Davies - Clear
• Anne Enright - The Green Road
• Robert Galbraith - The Hallmarked Man
• Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein - The Mushroom Tapes
• Kate Grenville - Unsettled
• Mick Herron - Slow Horses
• Emily Maguire - Rapture
• Fiona McFarlane - Highway 13
• Roisin O'Donnell - Nesting
• Taylor Jenkins Reid - Atmosphere
• Elizabeth Strout - Olive Kitteridge
• Yael Van Der Wouden - The Safekeep

Well, that's my year of reading! A new year starts tomorrow and I cannot wait to discover new books and rediscover old favourites. Happy New Reading Year!

Baillie Gifford Prize Winner 2025

I am beyond thrilled that Helen Garner has won the 2025 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction for her collected diaries How to End a Story (2025). Having read this brilliant collection, Garner is so deserving of this award. 

The prestigious prize, worth £50,000, is the UK's top award for works of non-fiction.  The judges said “Garner’s candid, pacey diary chronicles the end of her second marriage and the challenges of being a writer. There is a skilled narrative drive which presents a lot of personal material that keeps you hooked, not necessarily on what is happening in terms of the story, but about Garner's whole life and about what's going on outside her window.” I could not agree more! She is a keen observer and these diaries are an intimate insight into her life, loves and work. 

The collected diaries were published in Australia as three seperate volumes (my reviews are linked):

• The Yellow Notebook (2019) covers the years 1978-1987 when she has just published her debut novel, Monkey Grip, and was on the verge of success but full of self-doubt.  
• One Day I'll Remember This (2020) spans 1987-1995 when Garner has relocated to Sydney after the end of her marriage, has begun an affair with another writer, and is experiencing the early stages of menopause.
• How to End a Story (2021) is about the period 1995-1998 when Garner is married to another author and struggles to find a way to live and work alongside him. 

Each of these diaries showcases Garner's incredible talent as an author. I love her frankness and vulnerability. She is wise and unapologetic. I hope that one day she published further instalments as so much has happened in the past 25 years.