Australia’s favourite authors weigh in with their 21st-century picks
The first 25 years of this century have seen millions of books published worldwide. To inspire voters for ABC Radio National’s 21st‑century favourites, a panel of beloved Australian writers shares the titles that moved them most. From sweeping novels to groundbreaking non-fiction, these picks illuminate the personal and cultural moments that shape reading in Australia today.
Markus Zusak — The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Markus Zusak, best known for The Book Thief and The Messenger, names Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay as his 21st‑century favourite. The 2002 historical novel follows two Jewish cousins who create a fictional superhero amid the rise of the American comic book industry. Zusak admires Chabon’s language and the book’s sense of play—the moment when a sentence feels like a spark. He even cites a line about an ocean liner entering New York Harbor described, in his view, as “like a mountain wearing a dinner jacket.” For Zusak, that image perfectly captures what writing can be: a sand-pit of words where imagination finds its form.
Hannah Kent — Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
Hannah Kent, whose Burial Rites propelled her to literary prominence, chooses a non‑fiction beacon for the century: Braiding Sweetgrass. While not a 19th‑century quarry, the book’s blend of Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge reframes how we see land and living systems. Kent says it’s a book she returns to—one that reveals something new with every read. It’s a testament to the way non-fiction can read with the same narrative pull as a novel, and it has become a touchstone for her own sense of place and responsibility to country.
Ocean Vuong — Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures (Mark Fisher)
Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong picks Mark Fisher’s Ghosts of My Life as the century’s essential critical work. Published in 2014, Fisher’s writings analyse the 21st century through a lens of hauntology and deferred futures, arguing that our era often feels like a rebranded version of the past. Vuong calls it a seminal landmark—more a diagnosis than a manifesto—and says it forces readers to confront present realities while seeking paths forward. It’s a rigorous, sometimes unsettling, but ultimately hopeful invitation to rethink time, culture, and possibility in the modern world.
Trent Dalton — A Fraction of the Whole (Steve Toltz)
Trent Dalton, whose Boy Swallows Universe skyrocketed to fame, identifies Steve Toltz’s A Fraction of the Whole as the century’s formative read for him. The sprawling, satirical saga of three generations within a larger Australian family shaped Dalton’s own sense of possibility—that an Australian writer can think big and push storytelling boundaries. He describes Toltz’s novel as having twists that still make his head spin and credits it with proving that literature from home can explode with global ambition.
Kate Grenville — The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia (Bill Gammage)
Kate Grenville, a veteran of Australian letters, points to non-fiction that reframes national identity. The Biggest Estate on Earth is a rigorous account of how Indigenous land management shaped the Australian landscape. Grenville says the book transformed her understanding of the land, describing it as embroidery—every thread visible beneath careful scrutiny. It’s a reminder that the way we tell our history can alter the way we live in the present, shaping art, policy, and everyday observation of the country we call home.
Craig Silvey — The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)
Craig Silvey, whose own work has connected with readers worldwide, returns to The Book Thief as his 21st‑century pick. Silvey calls Zusak’s novel a haunting, humane triumph that endures across generations and borders. The Australian author notes with pride that the book—not just for its global reach but for its homegrown connection—remains a touchstone of storytelling that resonates with readers everywhere, including in Australia.
These responses from Australia’s writers illuminate a century of reading that travels across borders and genres. As ABC Radio National prepares to reveal the countdown of the 10 favourite books on October 18–19, voting remains open until 5pm AEST on October 2. The authors’ choices reflect a shared trust in storytelling that informs, unsettles, and ultimately invites readers to see their world anew.
