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Caitlin Macdonald

Caitlin Macdonald

The Conversation

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Booker winner Douglas Stuart reveals flashes of tenderness in his violent working‑class men

Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for Shuggie Bain. His third novel, John of John, continues his exploration of masculinity and sexuality in...

01.06.2026 10

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

Publishing tips, poetry and witty takes on classics: 6 of the best Australian literary podcasts

Literary podcasts are like year-round writers festivals – and there’s an Australian one out there for every taste, from occasional readers to...

06.02.2026 10

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

An Antarctic ‘polar thriller’ and a neurodivergent novel imagine a climate changed future

Bri Lee’s Seed and Rose Michael’s Else approach our uncertain future from opposite directions – one considers refusing care, while the...

12.01.2026 20

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

‘CEO is my blood type’: a chilling new novel nails narcissistic tech culture

Pip Finkemeyer’s tech world novel, One Story, is interested in power and performance. It reveals how violence can hide behind language – and the...

17.11.2025 20

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life-changing

29.07.2025 20

Pearls and Irritations

Caitlin Macdonald

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Peter Garrett are just a few of the high-profile signatories to an open letter against Job-Ready Graduates – and for...

28.07.2025 20

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald

‘Not a saint’: Florence Nightingale, heroic founder of modern nursing, is humanised in a new novel

Laura Elvery’s novel, Nightingale, invites us to see the legendary nurse not as a symbol, but as a person shaped by illness, desire, pain and time.

28.05.2025 10

The Conversation

Caitlin Macdonald