Can you remember every book you’ve read? Pamela Paul can. For 28 years, the editor of the New York Times Book Review has been keeping a journal of every book she’s read. Called ‘Bob’, it faithfully catalogues her life as a reader. Author and former literary editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Susan Wyndham, converses with Pamela as they unpack her latest work My Life with Bob and ask an important question: what do our choice of books say about us?

 

Can you remember every book you&rsquo;ve read? Pamela Paul can. For 28 years, the editor of the New York Times Book Review has been keeping a journal of every book she&rsquo;s read. Called &lsquo;Bob&rsquo;, it faithfully catalogues her life as a reader. Author and former literary editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Susan Wyndham, converses with Pamela as they unpack her latest work My Life with Bob and ask an important question: what do our choice of books say about us?
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Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more. Subscribe to our channel for new releases.

Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more. Subscribe to our channel for new releases.

Australia's largest celebration of writing and ideas.

Sydney Writers' Festival

Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more.

Pamela Paul: By The Book

“Praiseworthy is mighty in every conceivable way: mighty of scope, mighty of fury, mighty of craft, mighty of humour, mighty of language, mighty of heart.” – Stella Prize 

Hear from the winner of this year’s Stella Prize, Alexis Wright, as she joins judging panel chair Beejay Silcox in conversation to discuss her creative inspirations, writing process and prize-winning work, Praiseworthy. 

Celebrating original, excellent and engaging works by women and non-binary authors, the Stella Prize has helped elevate the careers of numerous Australian writers and has become one of the country’s most prestigious literary accolades.

Alexis Wright appeared at this event via video link. This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
X (Twitter): @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

“Praiseworthy is mighty in every conceivable way: mighty of scope, mighty of fury, mighty of craft, mighty of humour, mighty of language, mighty of heart.” – Stella Prize Hear from the winner of this year’s Stella Prize, Alexis Wright, as she joins judging panel chair Beejay Silcox in conversation to discuss her creative inspirations, writing process and prize-winning work, Praiseworthy. Celebrating original, excellent and engaging works by women and non-binary authors, the Stella Prize has helped elevate the careers of numerous Australian writers and has become one of the country’s most prestigious literary accolades.
Alexis Wright appeared at this event via video link. This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 
Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 
After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sydwritersfest/">@sydwritersfest</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> X (Twitter): <a href="https://twitter.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sydwritersfest">@sydwritersfest</a>

In Conversation: 2024 Stella Prize Winner Alexis Wright

“I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces”, begins Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, the internationally acclaimed bestseller that was recently adapted into an HBO series starring Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. 

This duality is also at the heart of Viet’s highly original memoir, A Man of Two Faces, which details with sardonic wit and incisive analysis the double consciousness of a Vietnamese refugee growing up in North America. 

Listen to the celebrated author, hailed as “a conscience of American literature” (The New Yorker), in conversation with Benjamin Law.

This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
X (Twitter): @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

“I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces”, begins Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut novel, The Sympathizer, the internationally acclaimed bestseller that was recently adapted into an HBO series starring Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. This duality is also at the heart of Viet’s highly original memoir, A Man of Two Faces, which details with sardonic wit and incisive analysis the double consciousness of a Vietnamese refugee growing up in North America. Listen to the celebrated author, hailed as “a conscience of American literature” (The New Yorker), in conversation with Benjamin Law.
This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 
Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 
After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sydwritersfest/">@sydwritersfest</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> X (Twitter): <a href="https://twitter.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sydwritersfest">@sydwritersfest</a>

Viet Thanh Nguyen: A Man of Two Faces

“How other people live is pretty much all I think about,” writes Ann Patchett. 

Since her breakthrough novel, Bel Canto, won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Ann’s clever, compelling and expertly crafted portraits of other people’s lives have enamoured readers and critics alike. 

The author of bookshelf staples like Commonwealth and The Dutch House returns with another bestseller, Tom Lake – a meditation on young love, marriage and the lives people lead before having children. 

Hear stories from Ann and her writer penpal, Meg Mason (Sorrow and Bliss), on home, family and bookselling – with some Parnassus Books reading recommendations thrown in!

This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
X (Twitter): @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

“How other people live is pretty much all I think about,” writes Ann Patchett. Since her breakthrough novel, Bel Canto, won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Ann’s clever, compelling and expertly crafted portraits of other people’s lives have enamoured readers and critics alike. The author of bookshelf staples like Commonwealth and The Dutch House returns with another bestseller, Tom Lake – a meditation on young love, marriage and the lives people lead before having children. Hear stories from Ann and her writer penpal, Meg Mason (Sorrow and Bliss), on home, family and bookselling – with some Parnassus Books reading recommendations thrown in!
This episode was recorded live at the 2024 Sydney Writers’ Festival.  
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 
Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. 
After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sydwritersfest/">@sydwritersfest</a> Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> X (Twitter): <a href="https://twitter.com/SydWritersFest">@SydWritersFest</a> TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sydwritersfest">@sydwritersfest</a>

Pamela Paul: By The Book

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