“What I love about Fathoms is its language: the wonder in it, and of it. I found it a book of rare beauty and ambition.”
Support Sydney Writers' Festival
Join some of your most beloved writers as they interview the author of their favourite Australian debut from the last year. They may be your favourite writers, but they’re also some of our country’s most insightful and incisive readers – and these sessions reveal what they think makes a story extraordinary. Providing keen insights into the books they’re most excited about and the writers they’re tipping as new talents to watch, enjoy this special series of conversations between the authors you already love and the new writers they love.
Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser (The Life to Come) speaks with Andrew Pippos about his debut novel Lucky’s – an unforgettable family epic. Two Tasmanian writers, Stella Prize winner Heather Rose (Bruny) and K.M. Kruimink (A Treacherous Country), discuss K.M.’s debut novel about loyalty, wisdom and the freedom to act which won The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award. Nam Le (The Boat) sits down with Rebecca Giggs to talk about her narrative non-fiction debut Fathoms – a powerful, surprising and compelling view of some of the most urgent issues of our time.
Bestselling author Tony Birch (The White Girl) speaks with Evelyn Araluen about her fierce debut Dropbear – a collection of poetry and prose from one of Australia’s most exciting young writers. Miles Franklin winner Melissa Lucashenko (Too Much Lip) interviews Adam Thompson about his brilliant debut collection of short stories Born Into This and Christos Tsiolkas (Damascus) speaks with Jessie Tu about her debut novel A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing – about female desire and the consequences of wanting too much and never getting it.
“As soon as I started reading Jessie Tu’s A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, it was like a drug rush. I experienced what all of us who love reading desire: to hear a voice – bold and coherent – that we have not heard before. I was elated.”