Emma Rusher
Emma is our Australian correspondent, who transforms her morning runs through Sydney into expansive journeys by listening to stories from across APAC. She was a teenage bookseller, Blockbuster employee, and indie-band founder before forging a career in publishing, working with household names and emerging authors alike (David Attenborough remains her favourite). She can't resist non-fiction, from vivid histories to first-person memoirs, but also enjoys bold multi-cast fiction listens.
Articles and interviews
26 October 2026
To help raise men above the manosphere, Julia Baird turned to a new collaborator: her teenage son
Ryan Holiday, Stan Grant, Tim Minchin, and more share playful wisdoms and heartfelt reflections in letters on 'Becoming a Man," edited by mother and son Julia and Sam Baird Sparks.
11 October 2026
The novel Michael Robotham waited 20 books to share
Stephen King says "Tell Me Something True" is Robotham's best yet.
6 October 2026
When Sigourney Weaver becomes the character you wrote
Holly Ringland takes us from a surreal Hollywood moment to the baby magpie and 15-second vision that sparked her mesmerising new novel, "The World Beneath Her Feet."
30 August 2026
From police helicopters to page-turners: Vikki Petraitis on “The Reckoning”
Crime queen Vikki Petraitis joins us to talk about the third instalment in her Antigone Pollard series, and why the scariest stories are the ones rooted in truth.
24 August 2026
Liane Moriarty had a no-sequel rule. The friends of Pirriwee Peninsula had other ideas.
The number one New York Times bestselling author on returning to the “Big Little” universe, writing teenagers while raising them in real time, and how she manifested Meryl Streep along the way.
19 August 2026
Omar Musa, the 2026 Miles Franklin winner, wrote 21 drafts of “Fierceland.” Then he heard someone else bring it to life.
Musa shares why reading aloud is great for writers, how Australian literature is inherently international literature, and why he listens at 1.0 speed, always.
10 July 2026
Stan Grant on the power of silence: “It’s not the noise; it is the silence that allows us to truly speak.”
The award-winning Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi journalist reflects on the limits of language, the wisdom of Yindyamarra, and why NAIDOC Week is a gift for all Australians.
18 June 2026
Victor Steffensen went from failing school to becoming a global authority on Indigenous land management
In “The Knowledge,” Steffensen shares ancient methods for healing people and country.
1 June 2026
Dervla McTiernan says her latest thriller is a "love letter to Australia"
The bestselling author shares writing advice, a reading that'll make you laugh out loud, and a peek at her next chapter.
21 April 2026
Candice Fox says “Redbelly Crossing” is the most important book she’s ever written
The prolific crime novelist hopes her latest thriller will help solve a real-life cold case.
20 March 2026
Andrew Sloan says we’re not broken, but the world is
In his new book, the psychotherapist offers practical advice for calming your nervous system and navigating a rapidly changing and fragmented world.
3 March 2026
Acclaimed author M.L. Stedman on isolation, impossible choices, and why she loves "earbooks"
The bestselling author of "The Light Between Oceans" returns with "A Far-flung Life," set deep in the Australian Outback.