Catherine Chidgey is wildly underread in Australia. The multi-award winning New Zealand writer has written nine novels and her latest, The Book of Guilt, was described as “compulsively readable” by The Guardian. This week, Michael sits down with Catherine for a discussion about why WWII continues to hold the public’s imagination, how she plans out her books, and which contemporary New Zealand writers we should all be reading.

Reading list:

In a Fishbone Church, Catherine Chidgey, 1998

The Wish Child, Catherine Chidgey, 2016

Remote Sympathy, Catherine Chidgey, 2020

Pet, Catherine Chidgey, 2023

The Book of Guilt, Catherine Chidgey, 2025

You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. 

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Guest: Catherine Chidgey