Exploring the unique literary scene on a tiny island at the edge of the world...

When it comes to books, book festivals, and literary affairs in general, much of the focus is on writers, so this episode hands the baton firmly back to readers, with Em, Kat and Megan of The Woman Booker Prize Club.

We look at the connections between reading and friendship, refute gender-biased genres (chick lit anyone?!), consider the challenge of reading the 'real' Booker Prize long-list, and discuss our life-changing stories. We also look at the disturbingly low reading statistics for boys and men, brainstorm a few ideas for how to improve this, and explore the possibilities for more lit socials here in Nipaluna/Hobart, including literary speed-dating and throwing a book doof.... Yes, really.

Running with the Booker theme, Liz and Kate weigh up the benefits of writing competitions for our Topical Chat, and Adele of Fuller's Bookshop recommends local author Mary-Lou Stephens' The Hobart Hotel, and After the Siren by Melbourne's Darcy Green for this episode's Cities of Lit Book Picks.

Find the complete show notes at the Remotely Lit website.

Written and presented by Liz Evans. Produced by Tiffany Dimmack.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the unique literary scene on a tiny island at the edge of the world...

Treasured for its huge and ancient wild spaces, the island state of Lutruwita/Tasmania is nevertheless part of a threatened planet, and with climate change intensifying at a terrifying rate, humans are desperately seeking solutions to preserve the environment. But what happens when our caretaking becomes a form of control? And how do we know when we've started playing God?

In her prize-winning novel, Every Wild Soul, author Katherine Johnson explores these complex questions by regarding our relationship with nature through the lens of science. Contrasting rewilding projects with attempts to bring back the thylacine, Johnson interrogates the risks of overprotection through the story of Min, an isolated young woman who lives on Maria Island with her watchful father. When a stranger appears in their midst, the safety of Min's beautiful, but nevertheless restricted world begins to break apart, and her father finds his authority challenged in this beautiful and evocative narrative that Shakespeare fans might find a little familiar.

Returning to the theme of AI, first examined on Remotely Lit by Charlotte Wood in Episode 2, Kate Kruimink and I express our horror for the rapid and unscrupulous encroachment of this unknown technology in our Topical Chat, and this episode's Cities of Lit Book Picks come from Madeleine at Fullers Bookshop, who pairs her local choice, Born Into This by Adam Thompson, with Endling by Maria Reva from Vancouver in Canada.(Liz has used Adam's book in her university teaching, and was so blown away by this second book recommendation that she bought a copy immediately... )

As always, find the complete show notes at the Remotely Lit website.

Find the complete show notes at the Remotely Lit website.

Written and presented by Liz Evans. Produced by Tiffany Dimmack.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the unique literary scene on a tiny island at the edge of the world...

When was the last time you travelled to a place where you didn't know the language? Did you bother to learn any phrases, or make any attempt at stepping outside of your English-speaking comfort zone? Are you someone who thinks everyone should have a mastery of basic English, no matter where they are in the world? If so, this episode is for you, as we delve into the power of language, storytelling, and diverse reading cultures.

Aimen Jafri is a training and engagement officer at Nipaluna/Hobart's Migrant Resource Centre who understands the profound relationship between language and personal safety. In this show, she explores the fundamental role played by story in forming cultural identity, and maintaining a stable sense of self, and explains the transformational potential that stories hold for all of us, everywhere. She also tells Liz why having access to translations is key to helping people feel settled, and why the way to a rich and healthy future is through collaboration.

For our Cities of Lit Book Picks, Alex Okenyo (our featured guest in an upcoming episode), of the gorgeous Black Swan Bookshop in Wulawali/New Norfolk, chooses Richard Flanagan's The Sound of One Hand Clapping and Apeirogon by Dublin-born author Colum McCann.

And for this week's Topical Chat, Liz and Kate give their author's perspectives on Nipaluna/Hobart's prestigious UNESCO City of Literature designation, the main subject of Episode One, which featured an interview with the fabulous City of Literature convener, Sue Hayes.

Find the complete show notes at the Remotely Lit website.

Written and presented by Liz Evans. Produced by Tiffany Dimmack.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.