Category Archives: New readings uploaded!

Somerset Storyfest is coming up!

Storyfest Festival of Youth Literature -March 14-21

The Somerset Festival of Youth Literature is held each year at Somerset College in Queensland.

We have attended the past three years for a day to record as many of the top authors they attract as we can in the time available but this year, we get to attend for two whole days!

There are so many outstanding authors at these festivals each year so to get you in the mood here is couple of our favourites from previous years. And don’t be put off by the term ‘Youth Literature’, many of these authors write for both Young Adult and Adult and it shows in their work

‘Just Flesh and Blood’ by Jane Caro

So many thousand of words have been written and actions historically recorded about Henry VIII and his six unfortunate queens.

Jane Caro opens her book with the death of Anne, and afterwards I ask her if she found it chilling to write of an innocent woman’s blatant execution.

Jane Caro reads from ‘Just Flesh and Blood’

Author Jane Caro

Jane Caro Interview

I thought we needed something a little lighter after that – but then i found this fantastic extract from Felice Arena about a boy trapped in wartime Europe!

‘The Boy and the Spy’ by Felice Arena

Felice Arena reads from ‘The Boy and the Spy’

Felice Arena Interview

Author Felice Arena

If you enjoy these (almost weekly) posts please ask your friends to also subscribe- it’s free ! Throughout the year there will be over 50 new authors added to our pages and posts for you to enjoy.

Until next post -Karena

damon gameau- 2040

Mitigating Climate Change

To buy this book, click on image.

By now, most of us are concerned about the effects of Climate Change– the big question is, what can we as individuals do to help ameliorate it’s effects?

Damon Gameau has devoted a large part of his life trying to understand what human life is doing to our one, beautiful planet.

His illustrated book ‘2040‘, expands on the material covered by his film of the same title. He details many solutions that are already possible and being used to slow down the effects we are having on our environment.

Damon Gameau reads from ‘2040’

Author and activist Damon Gameau

Damon Gameau interview

Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2019

Shark Arm – re-opening an unsolved mystery.

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It seems the podcast world is fascinated with reopening cold cases  at the moment and the book ‘Shark Arm’,  is the re-examination of an infamous incident in 1935 in Sydney Australia in which a shark, in  an aquarium, regurgitated  a human arm. Author Kevin Meagher tells broadcaster Karena Wynn-Moylan a little of the secrets he and fellow author, Phillip roope uncovered.

Check out this episode!

‘the girl with the gold bikini’- new novel from lisa walker

Lisa Walker

Who can rock a gold bikini?  19 year old aspiring P.I Olivia Grace knew it was a big stretch given her height and shape- but what the heck, a girl has gotta be professional if she wants to succeed undercover, right?

Join in the fun, intrigue and teenage angst with Lisa walker’s protagonist as she zips between the Gold Coast and Byron Bay, hot on the trail of suspect goings on in the beach resort’s yoga studios!

This is a fast paced, funny, snappy dialogue kind of book. I’m waiting for the movie-

Lisa Walker reads from ‘The Girl with the Golden Bikini’

Lisa Walker interview

Recorded at Studio 3, Bangalow 2020

megan stack – ‘women’s work’

click image to buy book in Booktopia

Megan Stack found herself working from home but being a full time professional journalist with two children, needed a little help around the house – which started her thinking about the value of that ‘help’ and how to calculate the contribution of ‘women’s work’.

She has written an indepth examination of just what is defined as’women’s work’, and attempted to calculate the value of this work to our society. Thought provoking, and probably just plain provoking to some who have tended to devalue the sorts of tasks that millions of women perform daily.

Here she reads from her book at the point where she begins to think about those other women who come to work for her, their origins, their expectations , in contrast to her own life.

Megan Stack reads from ‘Women’s Work’

Click image to buy in Booktopia.

Megan Stack – Interview.

Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2019

Can we stop the fires in Australia?

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The prospect of an  ever increasing drying and inflammable countryside is one Australians  are having to come to terms with.

No longer just a ‘dry year’, 2019/2020  has brought an awareness to  Australia and the rest of the  world of what climate change is going  to wreak upon  our lives.

Historically,  fire has always been present in the Australian landscape – sometimes under human control , sometimes naturally produced . What will be the impact in the future?.

Stephen J Pyne is an acknowledged world expert on fire  and his book ‘Burning Bush – A fire history of Australia’ is an in depth. Scholarly and scientific account of how fire has shaped one of the driest continents on earth.

He is going to read from the beginning of his book, where he documents white arrival in Australia and afterwards we will  talk about the implications of a drier world.

Check out this episode!

Ash Grunwald

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Australian Musician and keen surfer Ash Grunwald has produced  a book of interviews with people who he admires who are ‘double trouble’ – multi skilled musicians who also surf well, and vice-versa.

Narratives interviewer Karena Wynn-Moylan turns the tables on him by interviewing him about his book but first he gives a short read from one chapter.

Check out this episode!

BRUCE PASCOE – Young Dark emu

Welcome to Narratives Library 2020!

We’re back from the holiday break and ready to bring you lots more author’s reads and interviews throughout the coming year.

If you are an author and receiving this and have a new book coming out this year, remember to let us know!

Publishers, make sure we know which Writer’s Festivals and events your authors will be attending this year. We will try and attend as many as we can.

And readers, tell your friends and subscribe- it’s free, private, and an exclusive way to hear up and coming and established writers from Australia and around the globe.

In 2019, the Narratives Library website had more than one million hits! Thank you for sharing! This site is all about the importance of the written word and the value of ideas- whether fiction or non-fiction, for all ages.

To start the year off- here is Bruce Pascoe reading and talking about his children’s book – ‘Young Dark Emu’ – which is a smaller version of his previously published work ‘Dark Emu‘ .

Bruce Pascoe reading from ‘Young Dark Emu’

To buy this book, click on the image -Booktopia.
Bruce Pascoe reading from his book ‘Young Dark emu’

If soundfile NOT displayed, click on link at the bottom of the page.

Bruce Pascoe Interview

If sound file NOT displayed, click on link at the bottom of this page.

Remember that all the images on our posts and site connect you to Booktopia .If you like the sound of a book go over and buy a copy to support books and writers.

Stay tuned for more posts , and don’t forget, you can always drop us a line at narrativeslibrary @gmail – we’d love to hear from you!

Recorded at Byron Writers Festival 2019

Seasonal Literary Greetings!

A big thank you to all the authors who participated this year in the Narratives Library recordings. We are well on our way to having the largest archive of author’s voices reading their own words in the world!

This year we recorded over One Million Hits on the website( and we don’t even advertise!)

Speaking of advertising, we are partnered with Australian online book store Booktopia, and all of our book images and author images will take you to their book store for great discounts.

So just because you may need some more books after Christmas , here is a link to their big Boxing Day Sale!

Please buy a book through this link – ( I think we get about 20 cents, but every bit helps!

Click on image to go to Booktopia

We will resume posting after New Year but in the meantime our whole library of reading snippets and interviews is on the website to peruse.

We welcome feedback and suggestions and we will be endeavouring to get to new festivals and events in 2020.

Happy Holidays!

L.A Larkin author and Karena Wynn-Moylan founder of the Narratives Library

Posting this special pic of myself and author L.A Larkin who has a new book coming next year based on her research in the Northern Arctic. Her famous literary dog Pickles is very unwell this Christmas and we wish him a speedy recovery!

MARELE DAY – ‘Lambs of god’

Click image to buy from Booktopia

Some people have read the book but haven’t seen the award winning TV series, some , for some the film was their first exposure to this wonderful story .

Whichever camp you fall into, a copy of the book is a must ( followed up by viewing the filmed version!)

Three nuns of a fading order continue living on a remote island in perfect harmony amid ruins and sheep, then one day a priest arrives with big plans in his pocket for their little earthly paradise.

Marele Day reads from ‘Lambs of God’

Marele Day Interview

Recorded at Byron writers Festival 2019