Hannah Kent

This week, we are talking about 2023's Run, Rabbit, Run.

It, again, was a Patreon pick, September Patreon pick, and it was written by Hannah Kent, which apparently I looked into her a little bit.

She's like an author, like she writes books.

Written, wait, did I say written by? Yeah, okay.

I think thinking back, and, you know, it's really hard, isn't it? You've read so many books and then you say something, you look at your bookshelf, oh, I could have said that one as well.

I think Hannah Kent's Burial Rites I think was astounding for a debut novel.

I love my historical fiction, so it obviously fits straight into that.

And, yeah, I think that's one of the best I've seen, or I've read, I should say.

Today we have some fantastic books and even more fantastic guests.

We're going to be joined by Hannah Kent, Madeline Gray, both brilliant novelists, and singer-songwriter, all-around rock star Tim Rogers.

And together they've got some of the absolutely best books that are coming out this week.

And let's kick things off then by talking about one by the Irish writer, Donal Ryan.

This is ABC Radio National's The Bookshelf, on air on ABC Listen or however you get your podcasts.

I'm Cassie McCullough.

With me is Kate Evans, and our guests today, wow, novelist Madeleine Gray, novelist Hannah Kent, and musician Tim Rogers.

Hello.

I don't actually know the answer.

I mean, obviously, if you've read Burial Rites, you know, you look at Hannah Kent's piece, which is one of my recommended books.

That was a 19th century case, like a trial that perhaps is still in the imagination,

like

that either as a final question before we say goodbye to to you in this amazing book what's the best piece of writing advice you could give to an aspiring writer who might be listening to this and thinking where the hell do i start

Quite a long time ago, right when I was beginning conceiving of this book, I did a writing workshop with Kill Your Darlings and Hannah Kent was one of the presenters.

And she said at the start, she said, you know, if you want to write, you've got to find the time.

And at the time, my children were smaller.

There is no other way.

And it's the eternal truth of it.

And Hannah Kent's bloody brilliant.

She's just brilliant.

Next time, Sebastian Barry's The Newer World.

Hannah Kent is reading that for us.

Emma Klein's Switzy, as reviewed by Madeline Gray.

And rock and roll legend Tim Rogers is reading Australian writer Max Easton's Now Autonomy.

I'm moving on to Direct Adelaide Writers Week and I want to thank you for your support, whether you've been in the audience at an event, volunteered or tuned into our podcast from another part of Australia or the globe.

My bones have knitted with this place, writes Hannah Kent in her memoir, Always Home, Always Homesick, which is a love letter to Iceland.

In this conversation with Amy Sandbrook, Hannah reflects on the transformative power of the country she first experienced as a high school exchange student and how it ended up shaping her creative life.

I am feeling like the happiest I could possibly be sitting here next to one of my very favourite writers.

And I can feel from all of you that you're feeling quite similarly.

Hannah Kent is a multi-award-winning author and screenwriter.

Her best-selling novels, Burial Rites, The Good People and Devotion, are on many of our bookshelves around Australia and the world.

And her original feature film, Run, Rabbit, Run, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, overachiever much.