In this month’s Book Club episode, Julia and Sarah Holland-Batt discuss The Wren, The Wren by Man Booker prize winner, Anne Enright.

Shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction, the novel is told in three voices and explores an Irish family’s love, betrayal and intergenerational trauma.

Julia and Sarah delve into Enright’s poetry and unique writing style.

Show notes:

• The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright is published by Penguin and available at all good bookstores: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-wren-the-wren-9781529922905

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Katrina Gorry is a trailblazer on and off the pitch. Last year she stole our hearts in her record-breaking performance in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, making the highest number of tackles and covering the most ground of any player in the tournament. Katrina helped the Matildas reach the semi-finals for the first time ever, catapulting her and the rest of the team to the status of national treasures and putting women’s football on the map in Australia for the first time.

Speaking to Julia just after the birth of her second child Koby earlier this month, Katrina tells the remarkable story of her journey to motherhood and how she has balanced her lifelong dream of having a family alongside an elite sporting career.

As she prepares for the upcoming Paris Olympics, she reflects on the legacy of last year’s World Cup, how much progress has been achieved for women’s sports and what still needs to change to truly level the playing field.

In this episode, Julia and Katrina discuss her moving Australian Story documentary. This is available to watch on the ABC Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GfhN0rdTS8

Katrina also references the Matildas’ Trailblazers documentary, which is essential viewing for anyone interested in learning more about the history of the Matildas, women’s football more broadly, and the ongoing battle for equal pay in the sport. The documentary is available to watch on Stan and you can find out more here: https://www.stan.com.au/watch/trailblazers-2024.

This conversation touches on themes of eating disorders. If this issue affects you or someone you know, Butterfly offers free confidential support. You can call their National Helpline on 1800 33 4673, chat online or email.

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In this episode of Julia's Book Club, Julia and Sarah Holland-Batt sit down together in London to discuss The Sun Walks Down, by Australian author Fiona McFarlane.

The Sun Walks Down tells the story of a remote South Australian town in the 1880s where a young boy has gone missing during a dust storm.

As the community rallies to find 6 year old Denny Wallace, readers experience the search, the town dynamics and the complex landscape surrounding them from the perspective of various characters, including Denny’s family, Indigenous trackers, Afghan cameleers, policemen, mothers, children and farmers.

Julia and Sarah delve into the book’s exploration of colonialism, race and gender, and how it challenges the stereotypical narrative of a child lost in the bush.

Show notes

• The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane is published by Allen & Unwin and is available at all good bookstores - https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Fiona-McFarlane-Sun-Walks-Down-9781761066207

• To learn more about co-host Sarah Holland-Batt visit https://www.sarahhollandbatt.com

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