menu_open Columnists
Jessica Gildersleeve

Jessica Gildersleeve

The Conversation

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

5 great 9/11 novels grapple with grief, trauma and the ‘American dream’

We’ve been telling stories about 9/11 since it happened. The really great ones helped shape how we feel about the attacks and their aftermath.

10.09.2026 20

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve

Alphabet Lane is an unsettling new drama that rejects the myth of the idyllic country life

A romantic country escape? No. James Litchfield’s Alphabet Lane is a horrifying commentary on the loneliness of rural living.

23.04.2026 20

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve

Stories of beauty, mourning and ‘moments of being’ inspire in Claire Thomas’ On Not Climbing Mountains

In her latest novel, Claire Thomas spotlights the significance of the Swiss Alps to a wide range of authors, scientists, historians and artists.

02.03.2026 30

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve

Kate Mildenhall’s fast-paced thriller The Hiding Place skewers middle-class pretensions

In The Hiding Place, the hollow ethics of Kate Mildenhall’s characters are exposed as exploitative and mercenary.

07.01.2026 30

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve

Why Jane Harper’s ‘outback noir’ novels make for comfortable – and uncomfortable – reading

Jane Harper’s novels do not include any significant First Nations characters or perspectives. Nor do they acknowledge the deeper meaning and...

13.11.2025 20

The Conversation

Jessica Gildersleeve