Auscast Literature Channel

Was gold miner turned country headmaster Joseph Connor a hero or a villain? When Kate Grenville found a series of 19th century letters either praising him or condemning him, her curiosity was piqued. In ‘The Country Schoolmaster, A Mystery in 88 Letters’ she works her way through the letters trying to understand Connor and what was really happening back then. The book is a complex investigation in which Grenville brings us a fascinating slice of life in the bush in 1880 - floods, fires and poverty and suddenly the extra pressure of  having to send the kids to school. + The late Moya Costello has been described as a “ a luminous voice in Australian literature”. On the anniversary of Moya’s death Pink Shorts Press have decided to keep that voice alive and have re-released Moya’s 2000 novel ‘The Office as a Boat’. The story is set against a backdrop of a never-ending heatwave and is an amusing  account of claustrophobic office politics combined with a touch of magic realism. A quarter of a century after it first appeared it has a surprising relevance as current office life teeters on the verge of changing forever. Guests: Kate Grenville, author And Cath reviews ‘The Office as a Boat’ Find out more https://kategrenville.com.au/ @pinkshortspress  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s November! The month I (Payton) have eagerly awaited all year! It’s the month we read WHITE NIGHTS by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in partnership with our friends at Fiction Distilling, who recently released their first vodka inspired by the classic novella. In this first episode of the month, Amy schools us all on the long 19th century and the literature it birthed. We discuss this pivotal period of history and where Dostoyevsky stands in the context of Enlightenment, industrialisation, liberalism, and revolution, and we get a wee bit existential towards the end. Do you think free will exists? Did Dostoyevsky think so? Comment your thoughts below and tune in again next week to help us figure that out. 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSWhite Nights by Fyodor DostoyevskyDracula by Bram StokerOn the Origin of Species by Charles DarwinOliver Twist by Charles DickensMadame Bovary by Gustave FlaubertAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyNorthanger Abbey by Jane AustenVanity Fair by William Makepeace ThackerayGone With the Wind by Margaret MitchellMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasThe Idiot by Fyodor DostoyevskyCrime and Punishment by Fyodor DostoyevskyThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoyevskyThe Adolescent by Fyodor DostoyevskyNotes from Underground by Fyodor DostoyevskyThe Stranger by Albert CamusWar and Peace by Fyodor DostoyevskyPoor Folk by Fyodor DostoyevskyThe House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoyevsky AUTHORSCharles DickensBrontë sistersJane AustenThomas HardyZolaVictor HugoGustave FlaubertGeorge Eliot OTHEREnglish Literature in Context edited by Paul Poplawski (textbook)Declaration of the Rights of Man and of CitizenAnna Karenina (2012 film)War and Peace (2016 miniseries)The Devil Wears Prada (2006 film) RECOMMENDED YOUTUBE VIDEOSLearn more about Dostoyevsky's life and philosophy here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmSdxZpseYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykz6Cq9IJPU LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we thwarted all of Amy's attempts to pick a different movie (of which there were several) and sat her down to experience Twilight for the very first time. Join us for a post-movie discussion as we explain the plot of the remaining films in the Twilight saga to Amy (from vampire veganism to resume/rigatoni/nessie) and reflect on the popularity of Twilight in the early 2000's.  🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSInterview with the Vampire by Anne RiceA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasCarmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le FanuThe Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer TV SERIESBuffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)The Vampire Diaries (2009)Supernatural (2005 - 2020) MOVIESMortal Instruments (2013)Panic Room (2002)Speak (2004)Thirteen (2003)Underworld (2003) ARTICLESHammer, Emily. 'Consent issues in the Twilight saga extend far beyond Bella and Edward's age gap'. The Conversation, September 29, 2025. Consent issues in the Twilight saga extend far beyond Bella and Edward’s age gap LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to BOTM: Interview with the Vampire. This book might be a classic but it can still give you an existential crisis! This week we dig into the Catholicism of Anne Rice's vampires, Louis' hypocrisy, the horror of a child vampire, and just why Louis is everyone's emotional support vampire. 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSInterview with the Vampire by Anne RicePandora by Anne RiceThe Vampire Lestat by Anne RiceThe Queen of the Damned by Anne RiceFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildgeThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldThe Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer TV SERIESWhat We Do in the Shadows (2019)Interview with the Vampire (2022) MOVIESInterview with the Vampire (1994)Queen of the Damned (2002) MUSICALSLes MiserablesHamilton LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Amy, Abby & Payton get truly academic and discuss a scholarly article that they have not read; deep dive into the history of the undead and the "oops we promise we really thought they were dead"; examine themes of animalism, predation, patriarchy and violence in Twilight, Buffy, and The Vampire Diaries; debate the ethics and practicalities of vegan vampires and human cannibals; and discover what prions are (and that Payton has prions).  🧛 Our BOTM is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice   MENTIONS 🎓 SCHOLARLSHIP: ”Vampires: Reflections in a Dark Mirror” by Wendy Fall in The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature; Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula by Christopher Frayling 🪶 POETRY: “The Bride of Corinth” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 📖 BOOKS: Dracula by Bram Stoker; Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice; The Blood Countess by Tara Moss; Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith; Black River by Ruby Jean Cottle 📺 TV SHOWS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003); The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) 🎞️ MOVIES: The Lost Boys (1987)   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Williams’ novel "Neighbourhood Watch" is set in a fictional Melbourne suburb, and the plot features a murder bizarre enough to rival British TV favorite "Midsomer Murders". Among the scarecrows in the annual Scarecrow Competition is a real dead body, that of a judge. Justice is the theme and psychologist turned homicide detective Priyanka Pal finds herself up against corrupt and powerful men. + In Jasmine Graetz’s "Dracorian Whispers", the action takes place in the Crossford Academy where young elf Esther studies the art of Dragon Wrangling whilst also receiving lessons in love and loss. + How the enthusiasm of locals can make a library work. We meet Jan Hunt, powerhouse behind the Bruny Island Community Library Guests Lauren Williams, author of "Neighbourhood Watch" Jasmine Graetz, author of "Dracorian Whispers" Jan Hunt, Bruny Island Community Library   Other books that get a mention:Cath is checking out Kate Atkinson’s latest novel “Our Noble Selves” and Sarah reveals why the current trad-wife sensation "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke isn’t working for her.   Author contacts:  https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/authors/Lauren-Williams/244423215 https://www.instagram.com/jasmine_h_graetz/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're continuing Vampire month by diving deep into the world of teen vampires. Or vampires who fall in love with teens? Join us as we try to pick apart the "pick me" of it all, question why these old ass vampires are interested in teen girls, and the team once again explain how Edward got Bella pregnant in Twilight. Seriously guys, we can't seem to escape Twilight. This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires! 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSHow to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee ThompsonThe Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine HarrisInterview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer Dracula by Bram Stoker The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. HamiltonThe Vampire Academy series by Richelle MeadA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasFifty Shades of Grey by EL JamesBeautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren MOVIESTwilight 2008The Lost Boys 1987Vampire Academy 2014Miss Congeniality 2001 TV SERIESTrue Blood 2008What We Do in the Shadows 2019Buffy 1997Charmed 1998The Righteous Gemstones 2019 OTHERThe Book of Mormon (musical)Vampire Game by Judal (manga series)Stephenie Meyer's Twilight playlist (https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-books/twilight/twilight-playlist/) LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to vampire month! It’s now October which means Halloween which means we get spooky which means we contemplate marriage and sex with crusty dusty vampires. Well, for a little bit. But mostly, in this first episode of the month, Amy, Justina, Harry and Millie are talking about their favourite vampires (Nosferatu, but specifically in SpongeBob) and the ways in which vampire lore changes with time. What fears and desires do different vampire myths speak to? Why is the vampire so timeless and compelling?  This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires! 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSInterview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 1976Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 2005Dracula by Bram Stoker 1897The Vampyre by John William Polidori 1819Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu originally serialised in the magazine The Dark Blue between 1871 and 1872Salem’s Lot by Stephen King 1975I Am Legend Richard MathesonPride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith 2009Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott and Lynn Messina 2010Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland 2010Gulliver’s Wife by Lauren Chater 2021Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith 2010Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters 2009The Iliad by HomerThe Odyssey by HomerAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 1929Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas 2005 MOVIESInterview with the Vampire 1994Twilight 2008Nosferatu 1922, 2024What We Do in the Shadows 2014The Last Voyage of the Demeter 2023I Am Legend 2007Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 2012Sinners 2025Daybreakers 2009Underworld 2003Van Helsing 2004Ultraviolet 2006The Lost Boys 1987Heathers 1988 TV SERIESInterview with the Vampire 2022What We Do in the Shadows 2019SpongeBob Square Pants 1999Skins UK 2007Haven 2010Salem’s Lot 2024Midnight Mass 2021Hemlock Grove 2013The Vampire Diaries 2009 MUSICALSLestat 2006Dracula, Baby 1970The Lost Boys 2026Heathers 2014Twihard! The Musical by Tiffany Keane Schaefer 2024 OTHERDracula Daily (newsletter) by Matt Kirkland and Bram Stoker 2021–Richard Bachman a.k.a. Stephen KingSuzanne CollinsDracula (ballet) 2025 LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you in need of a cathartic cry from a novel that leaves you feeling warm, optimistic, and craving lobster rolls? This week, the '&' of Amy & kick our host, Amy, off the pod so that we can talk candidly about her latest novel, THE TREASURE HOUSE (spoiler: we're obsessed). Join us as we discuss which moments left us in tears, the pros and cons of owning a treasure home, how sentimental we feel about objects, and whether mac & cheese should include broccoli. We can't wait to meet you at some of our upcoming events: 💛 Celebrate the launch of THE TREASURE HOUSE: https://burnside-events.bookable.net.au/#!/event-detail/ev_06c4a4035a5e4cda912ce751cfbb6d2e?utm_campaign=linkinbio&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch   MENTIONS 📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews 🎙️PODCAST NARRATOR: Eva Kaminsky   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Justina, Abby & Millie are joined by the illustrious Amy Matthews for a conversation all about writing, publishing and The Treasure House. Join us as we delve into Amy’s writing process, hear about her journey into publishing, cry over her latest book and speculate on when all her various pen names will finally merge into one super author.   🏡 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews MENTIONS   📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry;  Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews; End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews; Stephen King’s books; Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid; Elsie Silver’s books; Laurie Gilmore’s books; Rebecca Thorne’s books; Hate You to Love You by Joshua Hortinela; Northshine by Amy Barry   📺 TV SHOWS: Gilmore Girls (2000–2007); Game of Thrones (2011–2019)   🎞️ MOVIES: Stephen Spielberg’s films; Nora Ephron’s films; Dirty Dancing (1987)   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.