Larrikins occupy a revered space in Australian culture. Variously knockabout blokes, outlaws or rebels, larrikins can seemingly get away with anything and do it with a smile. A larrikin is the sort of bloke who'd steal the wool off your sheep and then ask you to knit him a jumper he'd quickly pull over your eyes.Lech Blaine is the author of the new Quarterly Essay 'Top Blokes - The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power'.In this special preview Lech joins Andrew to discuss the evolution of the larrikin and try to pinpoint the moment when larrikinism got co-opted by powerful forces.

Final Draft - Great Conversations

Lech Blaine on the evolution of the Larrikin

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Sarah Bailey discussing her new thriller The HousemateToday on the show...In 2005 Oli Groves’ life is a hot mess. She’s comfortably bouncing between partying and life as a junior reporter. So it is one morning when she stumbles into possibly the biggest story of her life, the notorious Housemate Homicide.Ten years later, Oli looks like she’s got it all. On paper.That is until the Housemate Homicide case is reignited when one of the missing housemates turns up dead, dragging up ghosts from the past.And Oli is learning that paper may not have the future she thought it did.Join me as we discover Sarah Bailey ’s The Housemate...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Sarah Bailey's The Housemate

2SER is the place where so many amazing things happen! It's the place where we share incredible music. It's the place where listeners can hear independent news and current affairs. It's the place where journalists get their start.And it's the place where you connect with the latest in Australian books, writing and literary culture on Final Draft!Head over to 2ser.com to become a supporter and tune in for Radiothon October 11-24

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Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features James Roxburgh discussing his debut novel The Banksia House Breakout Today on the show...Since the death of her husband Ray, Michael has felt his mother Ruth is struggling to manage. He’s arranged a room for her at Banksia House and sold the family home. When Michael delivers Ruth to Banksia House; he doesn’t think she can look after herself and he doesn’t want to be bothered with it.But Ruth has a mission; she has to get to Brisbane to farewell her oldest friend. With no money and no car though it won’t be easy.So Ruth and her new friends Beryl and Jean hatch a planJoin me as we discover James Roxburgh ’s The Banksia House Breakout...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

James Roxburgh's The Banksia House Breakout

Today I’ve got an exciting True Crime fiction that hits all the highs, is clever and suspenseful and has a lot to say about our world whilst harkening us back to the 90’s. Ruth McIver's I Shot the DevilRuth McIver is a Dublin born, Melbourne based writer. She won the 2018 Richell Prize for an emerging writer and the product of that win is her new novel I Shot the Devil.I suppose you’d say I like true crime about as much as the next person. I listened to the first season of Serial, I’ve had a look at In Cold Blood. But on the whole I’m not a True Crime obsessive.One exception to that though seems to be true crime fiction.You probably just did a double take. Surely there’s true crime and then there’s fictional crime (which usually just gets called crime - go figure) But as any genre or style takes hold it is bound to inspire imitators, homages and people who understand the potential of one text to operate within the broader style of another (thank you postmodernism).So we have true crime fiction… following an investigation or digging up a cold case. Our protagonist will not be a sleuth but will have the nous to dig up information and often they will be working on a podcast (because aren’t we all these days).If you’re currently watching Only Murders in the Building you know exactly what I’m talking about…In I Shot the Devil, Reporter Erin Sloane returns to her home town of Southport. Her Dad’s dying and although though they haven’t always had the best relationship, he’s her only family. This is no nostalgia trip though. Erin’s editor has received a tip off about the notorious Southport Three, a group of teens implicated in a satanic murder in the 90s.Erin’s charged to write a story about the group and their legacy. It’s the sort of story that could make her career. But Erin is also a part of the story; she hasn’t told her editor that back in high school she was dating one of the killers.I shot the Devil immediately flips the oft repeated trope of most crime, true or otherwise. The victims of the historical crime are not women, but two young men. Erin’s role in digging up the past forces her to confront the trauma of the time and we see that the inevitable deadly exercise of power spreads far and wide.One aspect of the I Shot the Devil that is immediately compelling is the blurring of the true and (well also) true crime genre tropes. If you’ve got a murder mystery well you know there are rules - final act denouement and all that. True Crime owes us no neat conclusions though. When we join the reporter or the podcaster we know there’s every chance that all their efforts might lead to naught. Erin makes this increasingly likely with her self destructive behaviour.So if crime fiction gives us the illusion of order and justice in the world, what is it that we turn to true crime for? And how might a fictionalising of true crime enhance that experience?I think True Crime entices us with the eternal possibility of justice, There’s a lot of bad things happening in the world; powerful people seem to be able to act with impunity and escape all consequences. True Crime shows us that in an information saturated world the truth exists for those who are willing to search.In Ruth McIver’s I Shot the Devil we see that search in its broader literary sense. The stories we tell help make us who we are. Erin’s quest has as much to do with seeking justice for her friend as seeking to honour a story that has been buried.

Book Club - Ruth McIver's I Shot the Devil

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Tobias Madden discussing his debut novel Anything But FineToday on the show...One moment. That’s all it takes to topple Luca’s dream of joining the Australian Ballet School. One misstep and Luca is propelled from Arabesques to Netflix with no chill in a Moonboot on the couch.Luca thinks losing Ballet means losing himself. It was basically his whole identity.Now he’s at North; no friends, no dance and a lot of homophobia from the jocks. But then there’s the cute guy at Luca’s OT appointments. Maybe the cascade of events of that misstep will show Luca there was always so much more to life than he’d imagined...Join me as we discover Tobias Madden ’s Anything But Fine...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Tobias Madden's Anything But Fine

Today I have brought in what I think more than a few of us need… a north coast road trip for the mind featuring lovable heroes and easy to hate villains. I can’t promise life will always be this straightforward, but indulge with me in the world of The Banksia House Breakout and enjoy a few days in the sun.The Banksia House Breakout is the debut novel for James Roxburgh. James is an audiologist specialising in the care of the elderly and has used his caring eye to create some compelling characters that challenge our stereotypes of aging.The Banksia House Breakout opens with a quintessentially Sydney scene. An auctioneer slams the gavel on another million dollar sale.Immediately the reader gets the impression that something is amiss. The owner of the bungalow in Ryde is not happy. Ruth has sold her home on the advice of her son Michael. Since the death of her husband, Michael has felt that Ruth is struggling to manage. He’s arranged a room for her at Banksia House and the family home and all its contents have to go.From its cover The Banksia House Breakout looks a twee, feel good romp but I can tell you that it’s opening chapters are dark. And while they are redeemed by some genuine feel good moments, it’s clear that James Roxburgh wants to understand something about the ways that older Australians are treated, or perhaps more aptly, how they are too often relegated into a kind of waiting room to the lives of their significant others.On arriving in Bankia House Ruth makes friends but also enemies. Discovering a clique of ladies in the breakfast room they quickly warn her of Glenn, a nurse whom all the residents fear.Ruth wakes the next morning to Glenn rifling through her things searching for loot. Glenn’s threats are quickly followed by the news that Ruth’s best friend is dying in Brisbane. And so hatches a plan; Ruth and her new friend Beryl must steal a car and get to Brisbane, via Coffs to scatter Beryl’s husband’s ashes, for Ruth to see her friend one more time.I started The Banksia House Breakout kinda hating it. I was getting so angry at Ruth’s son Michaal for his indifferent treatment of his mother, Glenn is just hideous and I wondered how on earth anything positive could emerge as we were being shown so effectively that these people simply had no agency in their lives.And it was just as I was ranting again about these characters that I realised I had developed a connection to the world of the novel and the anger I was feeling was because I knew that these were real situations that some older Australians faced.I don’t know about you but I don’t often start yelling about books. Back when I was able to sit in at cafes or catch a train, I knew a book got me when I had to put it down and wipe away a tear. Well now my cats can assure you The Banksia House Breakout is the real deal because it will have you responding, like it or not.I’m not going to tell you more about Ruth and Beryl’s escape. Suffice to say that it’s eventful.This book hits all the right notes for a rollicking tale. You’ll probably see a few of the twists coming but that doesn’t mean they’re not still satisfying.And as you following the septuagenarians on their adventures watch the reactions and the stereotypes that are invoked. Sure plenty of old men are probably working hard to destroy the world but others are trying to continue incredible lives of value and respect, and constantly being underestimated will only lead to them stealing our cars and joining up with bikies on the Pacific Highway.James Roxburgh’s The Banksia House Breakout is out now and if you want to discover more James will be joining me on FInal Draft in the coming weeks. This week on the show I have a terrific debut YA from Tobias Madden, Anything But Fine

Book Club - James Roxburgh's The Banksia House Breakout

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Catherine Jinks discussing her new novel The AttackToday on the show...Robyn lives a quiet life on her heritage protected island. It’s once a month she has to deal with the noise of teenagers arriving for a bootcamp aimed to help them back on track. The veterans running the camp run a tight ship but something is different this time. There are strange, malicious pranks being pulled, and Robyn is sure she recognises one of the boys from a dark chapter of her past...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Catherine Jinks' The Attack

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Catherine Jinks discussing her incredibly prolific careerToday on the show...Catherine Jinks is a writer of immense range. Her work has won gongs as diverse as the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, Australian Book Council Award, the Aurealis and the Davitt Award for Crime Fiction…In this special bonus Catherine discusses her career and some of the things she's learned writing.

Celebrating Fifty Books with Catherine Jinks

* Warning! Heavy Spoilers!!If you haven't already read I Shot the Devil approach with cautionIn this bonus episode Ruth explores her rules around cats and dangerous plotlines. There's some interesting discussion around what readers expect from male and female characters in a thriller and also way more discussion of Axl Rose than I think anyone was expecting!

Ruth McIver's I Shot the Devil - Cats, Outtakes & Axl Rose

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Ruth McIver discussing her new novel I Shot the DevilToday on the show...Reporter Erin Sloane returns to her home town of Southport. Her Dad’s sick and though they haven’t always had the best relationship, he’s her only family. This is no nostalgia trip though. Erin’s editor wanmts her to report on the notorious Southport Three, a group of teens implicated in a satanic murder in the 90s.Erin’s going to write a story about the group and their legacy, but Erin is also a part of the story; she hasn’t told her editor she was dating one of the killers.Will the past stay buried once Erin starts digging?!Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.2ser.com/final-draft

Ruth McIver's I Shot the Devil

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Max Easton discussing his new novel The Magpie WingToday on the show...Walt, Helen and Duncan are growing up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Walt and Duncan are paired on the footy field. Duncan serves as Walt’s protector, while Walt explores his precocious footballing talent. Rugby League is tribal for the boys and their families and they know that they'd rather live in the legacy of the likes of Tommy Raudonikas than the silvertails in the east. Walt’s older sister Helen can’t play with the boys but she can run water and plays to the team.As the three grow up together they each start looking for more than their suburban existence offers.As their family life breaks down Walt and Helen gravitate towards Sydney's Inner West. There they find underground success in the punk and noise music scene, and Walt is able to explore his growing political consciousness.Duncan stays at home, diligently completing uni and finds himself in a more conventional job.As the three criss-cross each other's lives they find themselves with contradictory purposes and opaque goals. Always present though is where they came from and how being from the west defines them in other people’s eyes.Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.2ser.com/final-draft

Max Easton's The Magpie Wing (Part Two)

Max Easton's The Magpie Wing (Part One)

Today I’ve got a book that’s pure Sydney.Max Easton is a writer, musician and podcaster from Western Sydney.His debut novel The Magpie Wing comes out this week and I’m just going to keep saying it; this is a sucky time to be an artist creating because it is so hard to get your art out there. The Magpie Wing is a sprawling narrative taking in the geography and the history or Sydney and its subcultures and if you miss walking around the streets of your town and getting out to see bands and drinks in beer gardens; well The Magpie Wing might just be the next best thing.Starting us off in the 90sWalt, Helen and Duncan are growing up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney. Walt and Duncan are paired on the footy field. Duncan serves as Walt’s protector, while Walt explores his precocious footballing talent. Rugby League is tribal for the boys and their families and they know that they’s rather live in the legacy of the likes of Tommy Raudonikas than the silvertails in the east. Walt’s older sister Helen can’t play with the boys but she can run water and plays to the team.As the three grow up together they each start looking for more than their suburban existence offers.As their family life breaks down Walt and Helen gravitate towards Sydney's Inner West. There they find underground success in the punk and noise music scene, and Walt is able to explore his growing political consciousness.Duncan stays at home, diligently completing uni and finds himself in a more conventional job.As the three criss-cross each other's lives they find themselves with contradictory purposes and opaque goals. Always present though is where they came from and how bening from the west defines them in other people’s eyes.The Magpie Wing is a compelling story told in a matter of fact, almost deadpan tone. Spanning three decades and taking in much more of Sydney’s history and east west divide the storytelling avoids nostalgia as assiduously as it avoids taking sides despite its characters strongly held beliefs.Exploring classicism, gentrification, punk ethos and the ever present danger of selling out The Magpie Wing cuts its politics with humour and is not afraid to pull the rug out from under itself.I think there’s plenty for any Sydneysider to recognise in The Magpie Wing and plenty more to learn, because in our so-called City of Villages people are rarely from more than one place and by virtue a tourist everywhere else they go.Max Easton’s The Magpie Wing is brand new. It’s out this week from Giramondo who are a fabulous independent publisher of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.If you want to hear more about The Magpie Wing, Max Easton is joining me on the show this Saturday morning. He’s a terrific guy to chat to so tune in and he’s also a great muso so I might even get some tunes up on the show...Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Book Club - Max Easton's The Magpie Wing

Great Conversations features interviews with authors and writers, exploring books, writing and literary culture from Australia and the world.Today's episode features Mette Jakobsen discussing her new novel The WingmakerToday on the show...As the novel begins Vega arrives at the dilapidated Seafarers Hotel. Isolated, surrounded by farms and ocean, the hotel promises to be the perfect location to restore the angel with broken wings, her most ambitious project yet. It is not long though before a naked man wearing a crown, dive bombing canaries and a local tango party threaten to ruin the solitude Vega is craving.Want more great conversations with Australian authors?Discover this and many more conversations on Final Draft every week from 2ser.https://2ser.com/final-draft

Mette Jakobsen's The Wingmaker

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Final Draft - Great Conversations

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