Writing a memoir is more than just remembering your past, you have to fearlessly uncover areas of your life and your family’s that perhaps are painful memories long buried. Then again, honesty is not always the best policy, or even the most entertaining! Writing a biography requires the same unflinching eye , a talent for forensic style investigation and research , sometimes carefully balanced with a dash of discretion.
(Note: If you are looking for the cover of a book you might have to scroll through three slideshows as there are so many entries in this category)
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BENJAMIN ALLMON- Foot Notes
Inspired by the stories of legendary American blues men travelling cross country during the depression, musician Benjamin Allmon decides to walk 1000 kms down the eastern coastline of Australia to help promote his new CD. The first few nights prove more difficult than he thought, when freak weather tests his resolve.
The Saltwater Story
Ben lives in the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia and realised he knew very little about the local indigenous people's history. When he discovered that there once was a local trade between the mainland and along the coast of Stradbroke Island, he was inspired to recreate the original voyages in the original seacraft - a bark canoe. What ensued was more than just a wild adventure, it was a revival of culture and and growing into manhood for local indigenous boys.First , find your tree...GREG APPEL - The Lighthouse Keepers
This is a wonderful, scrappy, gossipy and sometimes poignant account of being part of the 80's music scene in Australia. It was a time when the only place to play was a pub backroom, even if , like the Lighthouse Keepers, you weren't exactly backroom material. It was a time when touring meant going thousands of miles around Australia in a small van with 4 others, sleeping in one room in cheap motels, and then doing the whole thing overseas . And then, finding no real pot of gold at the end of the musical rainbow, but lots of great memories. Here musician and documentary maker Greg Appel shares his and others recollections of the time before the term ' music industry' was a real thing.
Recorded by phone 2020
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TIM BAKER- Patting the Shark
Tim Baker was living his dream as a best selling surf writer with a happy family life and exotic travel - then in 2015 he was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic prostate cancer. Here in 2022, he recounts his struggle to find a more integrative approach to cancer care and a guide for other men going through the same treatment. Warning: does contain some funny moments!
I promised some funny moments.....
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
TOM BALLARD - I, Millennial, one snowflake's Screed against Boomers, Billionaires and Everything Else.
Author, Comedian and journalist Tom Ballard is a well known face on a variety of media and his debut memoir is a funny, extended rant and all the things that his generation find infuriating, perplexing, depressing and hilarious.
Recorded at the Bellingen Reader's and Writers Festival 2023
PHIL BROWN - The Kowloon Kid: A Hong Kong Childhood
An account of the author's childhood growing up in the 1960's in Hong Kong that is filled with fascinating characters, intricate local customs and lots of food! Phil Brown is Arts Editor of the Courier Mail and has written two other memoirs and humorous travel stories.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
STEVE BISLEY - Stillways
Steve Bisley grew up in the country with a boyhood filled with freedom and bush adventures. - there was a darker side to his family, but also lots of humour.
In this extract from his memoir ‘Stillways’ – Steve recalls his childhood local beach and the terror and horror of a shark attack.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2015
Bernadette Brennan - Leaping into Waterfalls -the enigmatic Gillian Meares
Gillian Meares was a talented writer whose brilliant output was cut short by illness. However, she lived life to the full and was an extraordinary personality. This is a long overdue biography of her life by author Bernadette Brennan.
Recorded at the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2022
BOB BROWN - Green Nomads
An individual can make no greater contribution to society than to leave something of lasting, permanent and positive value. Former Greens MP Bob Brown tells us of the genesis of the Bush Heritage project and his continuing love for the Australian bush.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2016
EMILY BRUGMAN - The Islands
Nothing much happens on the island- and that is the whole point. It is the author recalling her early childhood and her family's history on tiny speck off the coast of Western Australia. A gentle, dreamy existence with small tragedies and joys.
Recorded at Kyogle Writers Festival 2022
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JENEVIEVE CHANG – The Good Girl of Chinatown
Jenevieve , born in Australia of Chinese parents, went to teach and dance in burlesque review in Shanghai, and found out that she was considered ‘foreign’ and that her Asian looks were not considered ‘exotic’ enough for some employers!
Recorded at the Sydney Writers Festival 2017
CARL CLEVES - Tarab: Journeys with my Guitar
‘Tarab’ is a word that means ‘ place where music and poetry bestow true bliss upon the lucky one’. Consulting a famous faith healer was anything but blissful for musician and author Carl Cleves .
Also by Carl Cleves:
Dancing with the Bones
Amazing adventures of two travelling musicians - Carl Cleves and Parissa Bouas, from Europe to Africa.Soundtracks of my Life
Ethno musicologist and world musician and songwriter - Carl Cleves has been influenced by many other ethnic music forms. Here he reads of being caught up in a 'tarab' moment in Madagascar. And if you buy the book there is a Qcode that leads you to a Spotify Playlist with over 6 hours of his music influences! This is the third and probably final instalment in Carl's memoirs.JESSIE COLE - Staying
Jessie Cole grew up with her young life overshadowed by not one but two tragic suicides in her family. Out of this terrible experience she has produced a beautifully written memoir which is a tribute to her poetic spirit.
Recorded at the Bellingen writers Festival 2018
JESSIE COLE - Desire
This a memoir of one woman's desire to understand desire within herself and others. Revealing and intimate, yet also universal, it takes the reader on a journey through difficult emotions and an exploration of attraction and attachment.Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
STUART COUPE - Shake Some Action
This is Stuart’s lovely recollection of buying his first ever record and proudly playing it for his parents. Unfortunately, their reaction wasn’t what he was expecting. The rest of the book is fantastic memoir of his life side stage for some of the biggest music names in the business.
Recorded at Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2024
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ROBERT DESSAIX- What Days are For
Ever the writer, even experiencing a heart attack doesn’t stop Robert Dessaix from observing and recording what was going on around him – and he even found humour in the situation!
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2016
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PETTINA GAPPAH - The Book of Memory
I have filed Pettina Gappah under Memoir even though it is fiction - it is a beautifully , written and strange and sad. The story of a young girl sold to an older white man, who ends up imprisoned for his murder - nothing is as it seems in this tale.
Recorded at Sydney Writers Festival 2016
MAWUNYO GBOGBO - Hip Hop and Hymns
Mawunyo is an African Australian who grew up in the small Australian town of Muswellbrook. She had two loves in her life - hymns and Hip Hop - oh and Tyce Carrington, the school bad boy!
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
NIKKI GEMMELL - After
Nikki Gemmell's deeply affecting memoir was a response to the pain, confusion and guilt she felt after her mother ended her own life. Here she records her feelings when confronted with a situation most of us would find impossible to imagine, identifying your own mother's body at the morgue.
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2017
DISSOLVE
Relationship break ups are always painful - but when you have already been fitted for the wedding gown and the intended backs off, it can take a life time to regain shattered confidence. Nikki Gemmell writes from painful own experience but her conclusions will resonate with many women.Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
VIVIAN GORNICK - The Odd Woman and the City
Vivian is from New York , a city she loves and writes about often in her many novels.
This memoir is a personal journey through a sophisticated city life.
Recorded at Sydney Writers Festival 2016
ELIAS GREIG - I can't remember the title but the cover is Blue
This is an hilarious book to read on your own ( leads to snorts and chuckles) or maybe with a group of friends with a glass of wine with everyone taking a turn to play the parts of strange , weird customer and hapless bookseller by turn! Elias Greig is glad his days selling books are behind him but he has listed as many of the weird and wonderful requests and the parade of hapless humanity that inhabited his days serving behind the counter. Be nice to your bookseller!
Recorded at Bellingen Writers Festival 2019
ASH GRUNWALD - Surf by Day, Jam by Night
Ash Grunwald is a world famous musician and a pretty mean surfer, and it turns out he knows lots of other great surfers/musicians as well which got him thinking - how do people get so good at both these demanding skills? He set out to interview some of the world greats, and fit in a few surfs and licks in between. Warning: if you can't understand some of the surf terms look for the Post on this site for the interview with Ash!
Recorded a the Byron Writers Festival 2019
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KIM HODGES - Girl over the Edge
A terrifying account of one woman’s descent into and rescue from mental illness. A brave and raw memoir, that the author will hope help others to understand how mental illness is something that can be healed.
Recorded at the Bellingen Writers Festival 2018
HUNG LE - The Crappiest Refugee
Hung Le is a comedian and author who has turned his life story of being a refugee into his comedy routine and several books. This is his third book, and in this read, he recounts the delights of finding your heaven on a cruise ship. Some language in case you are sensitive!
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival
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MARK ISAACS- The Kabul Peacehouse
The Kabul Peacehouse was founded by a small group of Afghanis who want peace for their country. Needless to say, the rise of the Taliban has meant their lives are in constant danger. Mark Isaacs wants these people allowed to settle into Australia. Here he recounts a story of how Afghani hospitality, can be a little overwhelming.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
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SUSAN JOHNSON - Aphrodite's Breath
Susan Johnson took her mother to Greece believing she would enjoy the history and culture, but after many misunderstandings it turns out she would have been happy anywhere as long as she was with her daughter.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
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JESSICA KIRKNESS- The House with all the Lights On
Jessica grew up in a household where several of her relatives were profoundly deaf so she became proficient in Auslan - Australian Sign Language. As her Grandfather lay dying in hospital, she was the one who could communicate with him . She shows us that the world of deaf people is a rich and rewarding one.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
GABRIEL KRAUZE - Who They Was
Gabriel Krauze was/is a member of a South London gang who had always grown up with books in his life. So when he graduated with a degree in English Literature, he wrote a book about his life and others on the streets of South London. Make sure you listen to his interview in the posts section!
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
KRISSY KNEEN - The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen
Lotty Kneen was Krissy's Slovenian grandmother. In researching and writing her life story, Krissy uncovered a deeper, more incredible tale of Slovenian women, that had long been hidden. In the process, a world movement was started to bring this truth to light.
Recorded at Kyogle Writers Festival 2022
SARAH KRASNOSTEIN - The Trauma cleaner
The true heroes in everyday life must be the people who do the difficult, dangerous and sometimes just downright unpleasant jobs that the rest of us would prefer not to think about . Sarah Krasnostein shadowed just such a woman - a Trauma Cleaner- whose job entails cleaning up the sort of horrendous messes generated by human life that would be the stuff of nightmares to a lot of us. Crime scenes, suicides, hoarders, animal dumps- these and so many more are handled with aplomb, empathy and fastidious attention to safety and disposal.
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2018
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MIRIAM LANCEWOOD - 'Woman in the the Wilderness'
Many of us might fantasise about escaping our everyday life and living a simpler existence in a remote part of the world. Miriam and her husband have been doing this for some time, and in is book she details her first foray into the wilds of New Zealand , where she faces for the first time in her life a foe she hadn't expected.
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2018
BENJAMIN LAW- Growing up Queer in Australia
Benjamin Law has collected life stories from other prominent people about their experience in coming of age gay in Australia. He starts off by giving us his own funny, take on the process. He was not only gay, he was Asian and he had the wrong hair!
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2019
SHIRLEY LE - Funny Ethnics
Crossing into a new culture is a massive leap - there is language, dress , customs- you can be overwhelmed or take Shirley Le's tack and see it as a mine for comedy. For Shirley, seeing comedian Chris Lilley on television was enough to set her off on a life course.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
HYEONSEO LEE- 'The Girl with Seven Names'
North Korean defector Hyeonseo Lee followed a whim to find out what life over the border in China was like- and found she had lost her family, friends and home for over 20 years. Even now, as a 'traitor', she can never return but she has not lost hope. Unconfident of reading in a language not her own, instead this interview with her details the story within her book and explains the significance of her opening chapter.
Recorded a the Byron Writers Festival 2018
DAVID LESER -To Begin To Know
David has delved deeply into his father's hidden past to try and understand his present relationship with him.
This recording was made at the Sydney Writers Festival
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FIONA McARTHUR –Aussie Midwives
Fiona McArthur writes both fiction and biographies of women who work in the health industry. In the true stories ' Aussie Midwives' she details the enormous resourcefulness and responsibility borne by nurses working in remote areas as she follows Annie working in Saibai.
Recorded at the Bellingen Writers Festival 2018
WENDY McCARTHY - Don't be too Polite Girls
A personal, political memoir about life, family and the government from one of the leading lights of feminism. Wendy has championed the causes of women to effect change across the private, public and community sectors. Cautionary tales and insider stories- and also a wry look at what it takes to survive as a women in Australia.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
Maggie MacKeller - Graft
A memoir of a year spent battling drought on a sheep farm in Lutruwita (Tasmania). Maggie finds observation of small treasures help her through as she ponders life, motherhood and lambs.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
WALTER MIKAC- Letters of Love
‘Letters of Love’ is a collection of prominent Australians writing letters to themselves, their children even their country.
It was inspired and compiled by Walter Mikac , founder of the Allanah and Madeline Foundation,and all profits go towards helping children in peril.
Walter, established this foundation after the tragic deaths of his wife and two children at Port Arthur.
Recorded for the Byron Bay writers Festival 2018
JANINE MIKOSZA - Homesickness
We all have triggers that remind us of where we grew up, or somewhere that is precious to our memory - what is it like to have many places in your past, some of them not pleasant?
Recorded at the Bellingen Reader's and Writers Festival 2023
PATTI MILLER- True Friends
What exactly is a 'friend'? Neither a lover or a relative, friendship sits in a unique place in our lives, which is why many of us do not know how to react when a friendship falls apart. This is both a personal examination and a broader look at what it means to be a friend, to have and to lose a friend.
Recorded at Kyogle Writers Festival 2022
LISA MILNER - Swimming Against the Tide
Freda Brown was a political activist in the women's, peace, and anti-apartheid movements, both in Australia and overseas. As a young woman in Sydney in the 1950’s, she joined the New Theatre, a theatrical troupe dedicated to staging plays about social issues of the day.
Recorded at the Bellingen Writers Festival 2018
KATE MOORE- The Woman they could not Silence
The incredible true story of Elizabeth Packard. Born into an age and a society where women could be declared 'insane' simply for holding their own opinions, she endured years of incarceration in the Illinois State Asylum . While imprisoned there against her will, she saw firsthand the misery and degradation that women were enduring simply for not fitting the conventions of the time. Kate Moore had access to a wealth of material, Elizabeth's own, diaries, written accounts and newspaper reports to produce a bio that reads like a thriller WARREN MUNDINE - In Black and White
This extract from his memoir is called 'Reclaiming Work as a Virtue'. Warren recounts the rigorous work ethic instilled in him from childhood. He believes the right to work is a basic human dignity and by denying people a meaningful role in society we weaken its very structure.
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2018
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INDIRA NAIDOO -The Space Between the Stars
If you grieve it’s because you have loved” Three resonant extracts from Indira from her memoir about dealing with grief by building small beautiful experiences every day. We all need to learn about the ‘power of puddles’!
Recorded at Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2024
MANDY NOLAN - Home Truths
Mandy Nolan is a comedienne, author, journalist, activist, mother and almost successful greens parliamentarian ( next time!) But she started her over active life sharing a house with four other women. It was fun while it lasted!
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
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KERRY O'BRIEN - Keating
It's hard to think anyone better suited to charting the life and career of ex prime minister Paul Keating than Kerry O'Brien. This extensive biography was drawn from hundreds of hours of conversations, interviews, research and observation and is the definitive tome on a man who has been so influential in influencing the history of modern Australia.
Recorded at Bellingen Writers Festival 2019
KERRY O'BRIEN - Kerry O'Brien -A Memoir
Kerry O'Brien is one of the most respected media journalists in Australia and during the course of his long career has interviewed almost anyone who has mattered in world events. For this this extract from his autobiography he disregards all the world leaders however and speaks fondly of the artists he has interviewed and how privileged he felt to be close to people who he felt actually contributed a great deal to the world with their generous creativity.
Recorded at Bellingen Writers Festival 2019
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Bruce Pascoe - Black Duck
This memoir covers a year of observations of the Mallacoota country that Bruce and his partner Lyn Harwood have lived in for two decades. In this extract Bruce writes of his relationship with a wild seal. There is also a short interview with Bruce at the end of this read.
Recorded at Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2024
FIONA PATTEN - Sex, Drugs and the Electoral roll
Fiona Patten , Victorian MLC, opted for total transparency in her maiden speech - she outlined her trajectory in life from sex worker to parliamentarian to both forestall any prurient investigations into her past but also to contrast with the hypocrisy that exists in parliamentary life. She raised eyebrows, and and a few frowns, but is now in her second term proving that the public support her agendas. This is a memoir of her first years in government.
Recorded at Bellingen Writers Festival 2019
STEVE POSSELT - Tough is not Enough
An epic world journey by kayak by one man who wants to focus the world's attention on our rapidly changing climate.
Recorded on Arts Canvass Bay FM 99.9 2019
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JAMES REBANKS - The Shepherd's Life
James Rebanks' family have been farming sheep in the same part of Cumbria for 400 years. Here he gives us a glimpse into a typical day of caring for his flock.
Recorded at Sydney Writers Festival 2016
YVES REES - All About Yves : Notes from a Transition
In 2018 Yves was known as a woman called Anne. But they didn't feel they were a woman at all and began the enormous journey of changing gender. Thus started an endless journey of rediscovery.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2022
Anke Richter - Cult Trip
Anke is a journalist who is not afraid to throw herself into the thick of of the topic she is investigating .In this book she attempts to answer the question of how people fall prey to cults- often with very damaging outcomes. She visits a lot of groups and sects , joins some, finds new experiences , and ultimately finds human nature at the bottom of it all.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
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EMMA SKY - The Unravelling
Emma Sky’s riveting true account of her involvement in the attempt to rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Recorded at Sydney Writers Festival 2016
NADJA SPIEGELMAN – I’m Supposed to Protect you from all this
Nadja Spiegelman’s mother was French, exotic and mysterious event to her children. The relationship between mother and daughter can be fraught with complications, as Nadja observed even as a child on family visits to her grandparent’s house.
Recorded at the Sydney Writers Festival 2017
GREGORY PEEL SMITH - 'Out of the Forest'
This account of a young life gone astray through abuse and descent into homelessness keeps you reading to the very last page.
Written by Craig Henderson, Gregory's story has been instrumental in changing legislation around mental health issues and homelessness.
In this extract, Gregory details his meticulous nature of raising his dope crop, deep in the forest. For a long time his only means of providing for himself,until his 'ancestors and aliens' convinced him to leave. These days he is Dr. Gregory smith, and lectures at Southern Cross University.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2018
MARY-LOU STEPHENS - Sex, Drugs and Meditation
Mary-Lou finally achieved her dream job, and then the boss from hell entered her life - here is the opening chapter where she faces retrenchment or re-adjustment.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2015
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ALICIA TUCKERMAN - If I Tell You
At this minute, somewhere in the country, a young person is struggling with the decision to come out to their parents and friends. For some it will be painless and they find instant acceptance, for others there are years of shame, guilt and denial and trying to fit in.
Recorded at the Bellingen Writers Festival 2018
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ELLEN VAN NEERVEN -Personal Score: Sport, Culture and Identity
Blending cultural studies, memoir and poetry to explore the troubled nexus between race, gender and sexuality, Ellen uses sport as an example to effect change towards these issues . An award winning First Nations author, this is her first non-fiction book.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
SONYA VOUMARD – Skin in the Game
Sonya made up her mind very early in life that journalism was to be her destiny.
This first read relates the nascent stirrings of this passion for stories.
When we are young and keen we all make some first mistakes, this next introspective extract from Sonya’s book details an early interview that went awry for both the interviewer and the interviewee – Helen Garner.
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MAGGIE WALTERS- Split
Maggie Walters has Multiple Personality Disorder and lives with the presence of many different voices in her head. What caused this and how does she cope and lead a relatively normal life? A fascinating life story. Make sure you listen to the interview in the Posts!
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2024
ERNA WALRAVEN - Sunset in Spain
Erna Walraven spent many years working in zoos as a wildlife consultant , but this book. which documents discoveries both large and small as she walks through rural Spain , has her observing more about the human species.
Recorded at the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 2022
MAGGIE WALTERS- Split
Maggie Walters has Multiple Personality Disorder and lives with the presence of many different voices in her head. What caused this and how does she cope and lead a relatively normal life? A fascinating life story. Make sure you listen to the interview in the Posts!
Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival 2024
SALLY WARRINER - Not Just the Wife of the General Manager!
For 25 years Sally Warriner lived on an outback station where she raised a family, and dealt with the day today running of one of the biggest cattle companies in Australia. While her husband ( the G.M) dealt with the wheeling and dealing and the arduous tasks associated with raising livestock, Sally picked up all the rest and what a load it was! Being a qualified nurse certainly came in handy! One day, she had had enough.
ROBYN WILLIAMS - Turmoil
In this extract Robyn Williams vents his frustration at the state of debate about things that really matter in our lives that are being lost in a political process that has descended to the level of slanging matches. Each chapter in this book deals with a different part of his life, including his personal battle with illness.
Recorded at Bellingen Writers Festival 2019
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LEA YPI - Free: Coming of Age at the end of History
Lea Ypi grew up in Albania believing the government party line about it being a perfect society. When that world collapsed, almost over night, she had to completely reassess her values and beliefs.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2023
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SOHILA ZANJANI - Scattered Pearls
Sohila's beloved grandmother is dying, and bids her to find a different life to that experienced by her herself and her mother as Sohila leaves Iran for Australia.
Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2016