Rodney Hall might be the greatest Australian writer you’ve never heard of. He is a two-time Miles Franklin Award winner and has published dozens of books of fiction, poetry and memoir across his long career. Now 88, Rodney has just released his 14th novel titled Vortex and it might be his best. This week, Michael sits down with Rodney to discuss his new book and why writing is always a collaborative process between author and reader.

Reading list:

The Ship on the Coin: A Fable of the Bourgeoisie, Rodney Hall, 1972

Just Relations, Rodney Hall, 1982

Kisses of the Enemy, Rodney Hall, 1987

Captivity Captive, Rodney Hall, 1988

The Second Bridegroom, Rodney Hall, 1991

The Grisly Wife, Rodney Hall, 1993

The Island in the Mind, Rodney Hall, 1996

The Day We Had Hitler Home, Rodney Hall, 2000

The Last Love Story, Rodney Hall, 2004

Love Without Hope, Rodney Hall, 2007

Popeye Never Told You, Rodney Hall, 2010

A Stolen Season, Rodney Hall, 2018

Vortex, Rodney Hall, 2024

I Claudius, Robert Graves, 1934

Claudius the God, Robert Graves, 1935

The White Goddess, Robert Graves, 1948

An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, 1961

The New Science, Giambattista Vico, 1725

Death at the Sign of the Rook, Kate Atkinson, 2024

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Guest: Rodney Hall