This episode includes a discussion of This Stays Between Us by Margot McGovern, a contemporary young adult horror novel that explores friendship, fear, and power. It also references other reading and text recommendations such as: Neverland by Margot McGovernNorthern Lights by Philip PullmanFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyBlade Runner (1982)The Chosen Vessel by Barbara Baynton (short story)Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan LindsayLake Mungo (2008)Talk to Me (2022)Al...

This episode includes a discussion of Desert Tracks, a time travelling novel about young people in central Australia, the historical legacy of racist policies and the relationship between history and the present. Also discussed are: Using time travel as a genre to connect past and present, allowing for a powerful entry point for exploring history;Working as a writing team, blending different backgrounds and voices to create authentic characters and perspectives;Depicting colonial violence in ...

This episode includes a discussion of How to Be Normal, as well as reading recommendations including: Someone Like Me: An anthology of non-fiction by Autistic writersObernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody Little Women by Louisa May AlcottLooking for Alibrandi by Melina MarchettaThe Complete Dramatic Works by Samuel BeckettVikki WakefieldHow It Feels to Float by Helena FoxLiving on Hope Street by Demet DivarorenWhen Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-FattahGhost Bird by...

This episode includes a discussion about booklisting with Prue Bon, and focuses on these titles: The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor Please Don't Hug Me by Kay Kerr Future Girl by Asphyxia The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn Grace Notes by Karen Comer Sunshine...

Chemutai Glasheen is a sessional academic at Curtin University, as well as a teacher and author. She writes fiction aimed at young readers, drawing inspiration from her background and passion for human rights and education. Her short story collection I am the Mau and Other Stories was published by Fremantle Press in 2023. Her creative work has appeared in various publications: Unlimited Futures, Meniscus Volume 9 Issue 2 and ACE: Arresting Contemporary Stories by Emerging Writers. She has hel...

Erin Gough is a fiction writer living on Gadigal land in Sydney, whose award-winning work has been published globally. She is the author of three books for young adults: The Flywheel, which won the Ampersand Prize, Amelia Westlake, winner of the Readings Young Adult Book Prize and the NSW Premier’s Ethel Turner Prize for Young Adult Fiction, and Into the Mouth of the Wolf, recently shortlisted for the DANZ Children’s Book Award for Young Adult Fiction and the CBCA Award for Older Readers. Thi...

This episode includes a discussion with Dr Lilly Brown, CEO of Magabala Books, as well as reading recommendations including: My Place by Sally Morgan Love Unleashed by Melanie Saward Dr Anita Heiss Story About Feeling by Bill Neidjie Desert Tracks by Linda Wells and Marly Wells Bindi by Kirli Saunders Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler Hairy Holes 2 by Brenton E McKenna Also discussed are: Books being more than just booksThe history and mission of Magabala B...

Kay Kerr is an autistic journalist and author who writes fiction and non-fiction that explores the oftentimes surreal life experiences of neurodivergent young people. She has published two Young Adult novels, and a narrative non-fiction book. Kay has a new novel coming out this year (2025) with Pan Macmillan called Might Cry Later, as well as an essay in the UQP anthology of autistic writers: Someone Like Me. This episode includes a discussion of Love & Autism, Social Queue and Plea...

Solli Raphael is an award-winning author, poet, advocate, and acclaimed keynote speaker. His latest book, Starlight, aims to guide self-discovery and expression in kids and teens. This episode includes a discussion of Starlight by Solli Raphael, as well as reading recommendations including: Window by Jeannie Baker Morris Gleitzman Deborah Abela Limelight by Solli Raphael Spotlight by Solli Raphael Robert Frost Maya Angelou Also discussed are: The experience of becoming a published author as...

In this episode of YA Book Stack, Karys is joined by Keshe Chow (she/her), a #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy, romance, and speculative fiction. Born in Malaysia, Keshe moved to Australia when she was two years old. Currently she resides in Naarm (Melbourne) with her husband, two kids, one cat, and way too many house plants. They discuss Keshe's novel, The Girl with No Reflection as well as reading recommendations including: "Fauna of Mirrors" from The Book of Imaginary Beings by...

Karys McEwen is a school librarian, children’s author, bookseller, vice president of the Victorian branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, and education advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival. She is passionate about the role libraries and books can play in the wellbeing of young people, and she is currently writing a Substack newsletter for educators and parents called I Read A Lot. Her debut middle grade novel, All the Little Tricky Things, was published by Text Publishing i...

Robyn Dennison joins Emma for YA Book Stack to chat about her debut novel, Blind Spot. Blind Spot was shortlisted for the Text Prize in 2021. 'Intense' seems to be a fitting word to describe the novel but Blind Spot is not without moments of celebration and light. At its core, Blind Spot follows Dale, the male protagonist, who witnesses but doesn't intervene in the sexual assault of a girl from his school and the fall-out of his inaction as he grapples with why he didn't do anything. While th...

In the first YA Book Stack interview for 2023, Will Kostakis shares his inspiration for his new novel, We Could Be Something. The book is marketed as a ‘rollercoaster’ about two young men, each on their own journey of discovery. The novel is just that – a heartwarming, fun and funny read for high school students following the lives of two young people, two decades apart in Sydney's Darlinghurst. We Could Be Something sits on the cusp of students’ favourite genres – part coming-out story, part...

Holden Sheppard's The Brink doesn't shy away from delving into material that is relevant to the lives of young people. From mental health, masculinity, family and friendships to sexuality and love, each page of the The Brink is laden with Holden's trademark gritty and honest depiction of the relationships and lives of young adults. In this YA Book Stack interview, Holden elaborates on some of the key ideas within The Brink, shares his writing motivations and his embodied creative writing proc...

Listen in to Emma and Malla Nunn’s chat about her new YA release, Sugar Town Queens. Set in South Africa against the backdrop of a community grappling with the last impacts of apartheid and deep economic disparity, watch the friendship between three fiercely independent and uniquely individual young women blossom. Sugar Town Queens celebrates what it means to be empowered when the odds are stacked against you, the power of 'Ubuntu' and the sweetness of first love. In this interview for YA Boo...

YA Book Stack is back for 2022! Poppy Nwosu, editor of the recently published horror tales anthology, Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales, joins Emma to traverse through what is scary and what makes a tale especially horrific. Emma (a scaredy-cat) and Poppy (a genre-fiction aficionado) hone in on some of their favourite stories from the publication; chatting about the ways in which these short stories could be used in the classroom to unpack theme, writing style, or even the power of grap...

Peta Lyre is far from typical but she tries hard to appear so by following a series of well-crafted rules and routines dictated by her psychologist to assist with blending in. Through Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal’s stream-of-consciousness narrative, we accompany Peta as she navigates life seeking to be ‘normal’. As readers, we explore what it means to be normal, who and what is normal and ultimately, whether being normal is all that it is made out to be. With empathy and compassion, Whateley unv...

On the Mish, Jackson’s Aunty and his annoying little cousins spend another hot Australian summer. This time, his Aunty brings a mysterious boy with a troubled past, Tomas, to stay. Jackson and Tomas’ friendship evolves over the summer as they spend time together, work on an art project and bond over their shared cultural history and connections. For Jackson, spending time with Tomas forces him to confront the relationships he has with his friends and family, as well as his place in the commun...

Rawah Arja's The F Team follows ‘The Wolf Pack’ as their school is threatened with closure due to poor enrolment numbers and a declining reputation. Tariq Nader and his friends are required by their new school principal to assist with cleaning up the school’s image through the participation in a rugby tournament. But there’s a catch. They must cooperate and work in a team with boys from a school in Cronulla, their sworn enemies. From family, racism, prejudice and to the power of friendship an...

Leanne Hall’s recent publication, The Gaps, pries into the vulnerability, strength, safety, danger and uncertainties that young women face in the world. When sixteen-year-old Yin is abducted, the news shocks the community of Balmoral Ladies College. A gripping feminist novel about the racism, sexism and privilege that exists in the world of young adults, The Gaps is a perfect text for the middle years English classroom. In this conversation Leanne will unpack her writing motivations and proce...