FINAL DRAFT on 2SER

For this show, we go on two different journeys across Asia with two restless women bitten by the travel bug. Kim Barker did 'The Taliban Shuffle' as Afghanistan and Pakistan correspondent for the Chicago Tribune for eight years from 2001. She lived a high-pressure life chasing suicide bombings and rigged elections. She spoke to Neda Vanovac about bluffing her way through and never losing her fear. Steph Liong brings us the story of Australian writer Carolyn Shine, who thought moving continents would be easier than moving suburbs, and went from Bondi to Vietnam. We also take another peek into the world of the Rereaders, who are talking about the exclusion of indigenous poets in Australian anthologies. Kim Barker, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, published by Scribe Publications, produced by Neda Vanovac. Carolyn Shine, Single White Female in Hanoi, published by Transit Lounge Publishing, prduced by Stephanie Liong. The Rereaders, featuring Sam Twyford-Moore, Rebecca Giggs, and Fiona Wright, produced by Jessica Minshall.

This week we're talking dystopias. Think apocalypse, societal collapse, and totalitarianism. Neda Vanovac looks at the wave of young readers gorging themselves on dystopian fiction. Catriona Menzies-Pike talks all things grim and J.G. Ballard, author of Crash and Empire of the Sun. Leaving all things dystopian for a bit, Kim Tan talks to Toby Leon about the television adaptaion of The Slap, based on the book by Christos Tsiolkas. Young Adult Dystopias, featuring Alison Stewart's Days Like This, published by Penguin Books, and Maria V. Snyder's Outside In published by Harlequin Teen. Produced by Neda Vanovac. J.G. Ballard Fictional Worlds produced by Catriona Menzies-Pike. The Slap review, produced by Kim Tan.

About a month ago, Final Draft had a lovely opportunity to record the winner and highly commended poets of the Blake Poetry Prize. There is something quite magic about poetry read aloud, but particularly of a poet reading their own work – phrases and words well considered by tongue and by pen. And tonight we get to hear them over the airwaves. We hear Sydney based poet, Fiona Wright reading her poem The Fox Man. And we speak with poets Robert Adamson and Todd Turner – as well as listen to their Blake entries. Also later tonight – The Rereaders are back and taking on literary magazines. Blake Poetry Prize 2011 – www.blakeprize.com.au Winner: Via Negativa, The Divine Dark by Robert Adamson Highly Commended: The Fox Man by Fiona Wright and Fieldwork by Todd Turner The Rereaders featuring Sam Twyford-Moore, Rebecca Giggs and Fiona Wright – produced by Jessica Minshall.

This week, two authors who deal in intrigue, bravery and betrayal under authoritarian regimes. First we hear from Joseph Braude, the first ever journalist allowed to embed with a unit of the Moroccan police. And then, Rochelle Fernandez chats with Anna Funder about her latest novel, All that I am – set in the beginning of the Nazi rise to power. Joseph Braude, The Honoured Dead: A Story Of Friendship, Murder and the Underbelly of the Arab World, published by Scribe. Interview by Neda Vanovac. Anna Funder, All That I Am, published by Hamish Hamilton – interview by Rochelle Fernandez. Ben Jenkins and Dominic Knight, National Young Writers Festival – interview by Neda Vanovac. For more information go to: www.youngwritersfestival.org

This week we’re dedicating the first part of the show to poetry. Sydney-based poet Rob Wilson has spent the last few years working on a book of poetry called 6am in the Universe by poet Benjamin Frater, and he recently talked to Final Draft’s Madeleine James about the process of writing and editing the book. And before we go this evening, a look at a brand new project – The Rereaders is a literary and cultural podcast featuring Sam Twyford-Moore, Rebecca Giggs and Fiona Wright. Rob Wilson, 6am in the Universe by Benjamin Frater published by Grand Parade Poets - interview by Madeleine James The Rereaders - Sam Twyford-Moore, Rebecca Giggs and Fiona Wright. For more info go to: www.therereaders.com

Tonight a show all about re-visiting and re-imagining Australian history, we talk with two authors who have taken inspiration from key figures and events in the history of this country for their new novels. First up, the controversial dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 is the basis of Nicholas Hasluck new political thriller, Neda Vanovac speaks with him about family, politics and the Cold War. We also hear from author and actor, Peter Docker about his second novel, The Waterboys, set in an apocalyptic future in a continent caught up in a violent struggle for control of water. I speak with him about violence, grog and his relationship to Country. Nicholas Hasluck, The Dismissal - published by Fourth Estate - interviewed by Neda Vanovac Peter Docker, The Waterboys, published by Freemantle Press - interviewed by Jeanavive McGregor

Last week was Australian book week, now in its 66th year. Tonight we will be airing an interview of a different sort to celebrate. Final Drafter Martin Hewetson and his eight year old daughter, Eve Hewetson interview young adult author, Richard Newsome. We also hear from Paris based journalist now author, Caroline Brothers about her first novel Hinterland about the almost invisible, dangerous journey many children from war-torn Afghanistan and Somalia make across Europe in search of a better life. And finally we will hear a review by of Jane Eyre – the book and the latest adaptation to film. Richard Newsome, The Billionaire's Curse - published by Text Publishing and interview by Eve and Martin Hewetson. Caroline Brothers, Hinterland - published by Bloomsbury Press and interview by Jeanavive McGregor. Review of Jane Eyre by Catriona Menzies-Pike

This week we are exploring the wonderful world of crime fiction – the crims, the heists and the cops that catch them. Most of the time we draw our crime reading from the international fare – dominated for a long time by the Brits, we cut our teeth on Agatha Christie and moved on to the proper novels of PD James, there are the delicious tales of Donna Leon’s Venetian Brunetti series, the terrifying tales of Swedish Henning Mankle. But what about Aussie fiction? Drawing on our criminal past and the harshness of the landscape, Australian crime writers are making their mark. First up with hear from Derek Hansen who manages to mix comedy, hit men, $3 million bucks and a small drought ravaged town in his novel, A Man You Can Bank On. We'll hear from writer Ross Gibson, who spent five years in the attic of the Justice & Police Museum filtering through half a million crime scene negatives from the 1940s and '50s. And later in the show we learn about the latest James Bond instalment by Jeffery Deaver. Derek Hansen, A Man You Can Bank On, published by Hachette – interviewed by Neda Vanovac Ross Gibson, The Summer Exercise, published by the University of Western Australia Press – interviewed by Jeanavive McGregor Jeffery Deaver, Carte Blanche – review by Neda Vanovac Show produced by Neda Vanovac and Jeanavive McGregor

This week a show centered on the art of reviews. Each and every reader ends up with a bit of a reviewer in them – what we love or hate, what we recommend or never finish – is very personal, very different. We hear from Jay Fracaro on world of the music producer Rick Rubin and Rochelle Fernandez’s review of Sonia Faleiro’s book Beautiful thing that investigates the underworld of Mumbai’s bar girls. And we cosy up with Final Drafter Madeleine James, her mother and sister and a crackling fire to find out about their relationship with books. Sonia Faleiro, Beautiful Thing, published by Black Inc – review by Rochelle Fernandez Jake Brown, ‘Rick Rubin in the Studio’, published by ECW Press – review by Jay Fracaro Fireside chat – produced by Madeleine James

This week we are taking a look at the continuing growth of online literary magazines and what it offers the young, the loyal and the down and out. We speak with those behind a mysterious new literary project devoted to TV called the Channelling and we meet Mark Mordue, who was tired of bloodless travel writing and devoted his issue of an online magazine to bringing it back to life. We also revisit an interview from earlier this year with Ivor Indyk about the end of his magazine HEAT and the possibility of its online rebirth.