As the 21st century unfolds, a chorus of Australia’s literary voices highlights the books that shaped their reading lives. From global bestsellers to keenly observed non-fiction, Australian writers are weighing in on the titles they believe have left the deepest imprint on readers’ hearts. ABC Radio National is counting down the nation’s ten favourite books of the century, with a live reveal on October 18 and 19. Voting remains open until 5pm AEST on October 2, inviting readers to join in this nationwide conversation about books that endure.
Markus Zusak: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Markus Zusak, the Sydney-born author famed for The Book Thief and The Messenger, selected Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay as his standout book of the century. The historical novel follows two Jewish cousins who invent a fictional superhero amid the rise of the American comic book industry. Zusak has said the work resonates for him in a very practical way: writing, to him, is like “sitting in a sand pit playing with words.” He also famously notes a line from Chabon’s prose—an ocean liner entering New York Harbor “like a mountain wearing a dinner jacket”—as emblematic of the magic great writing can summon. For Zusak, the novel’s blend of ambition, heart, and imagination embodies what a powerful 21st‑century book can be.
Hannah Kent: Braiding Sweetgrass
Hannah Kent’s literary trajectory—bridging Irish and Australian settings with deeply felt human stories—shapes her top pick as Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Although a nonfiction work, it speaks to themes Kent has long explored in her novels: land, history, and belonging. She describes the book as something she can re-read and continually learn from, noting that its Indigenous knowledge about land transforms how she sees the world. For Kent, Braiding Sweetgrass offers a patient, lyrical classroom in which science and stewardship meet, inviting readers to listen closely to the living world around them.
Ocean Vuong: Ghosts of My Life
Poet and novelist Ocean Vuong chooses Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures by English cultural critic Mark Fisher as his 21st‑century beacon. Vuong calls it a seminal landmark in critical theory, arguing that it helps us see that we do not truly have a fully realised 21st century—more like a reimagined 20th century in high-def. The book reads as a diagnostic of our times, both uncomfortable and essential, urging readers to confront contemporary realities while seeking remedies and new possibilities. Vuong’s pick is less about escapism and more about a sober, thoughtful confrontation with the era we inhabit.
Trent Dalton: A Fraction of the Whole
Brisbane‑born author Trent Dalton credits Steve Toltz’s A Fraction of the Whole with shaping his own storytelling courage. A multigenerational tale of a flamboyant Australian family, Toltz’s novel helped Dalton feel that “everything is possible” for an Australian writer to explore expansive ideas and wild twists. Dalton notes that reading Toltz during the process of writing Boy Swallows Universe opened the door to a braver, more expansive imagination—an influence he carries into his own work and, indeed, into the way he tells stories about modern Australia.
Kate Grenville: The Biggest Estate on Earth
Kate Grenville, with a career spanning fiction and non‑fiction, points to Bill Gammage’s The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia as a book that profoundly reshaped her sense of the land. Grenville praises its forensic attention to landscape management by First Nations peoples, noting how the book reveals a way of seeing the Australian continent as an embroidery of living systems. The work has altered how she approaches place in her writing and touring, encouraging readers to notice the deeper, layered relationships between people and the land they inhabit.
Craig Silvey: The Book Thief
Craig Silvey, whose own Jasper Jones and Rhubarb made him a household name, cites Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief as his century‑defining read. He describes it as a “beautiful, haunting, deeply humane” story that has endured for him and, in a sense, for Australian readers as well. Silvey’s admiration for the novel underscores how a powerful, compassionate narrative can transcend borders and become a shared experience—an Australian writer celebrating a fellow author’s global impact while staying connected to local storytelling strength.
Voting details and what’s next
Readers can still participate in the ABC Radio National poll to determine Australia’s top 10 books of the 21st century. The countdown will unfold on October 18 and 19, with voting open until 5pm AEST on October 2. Whether you’re revisiting a childhood favourite or discovering new works, this is a moment to reflect on the titles that have shaped our cultural conversation in the century so far.
For Australians and readers around the world, these selections demonstrate that the century’s best literature—whether fiction or nonfiction—has the power to illuminate, challenge, and connect across borders. The conversation continues as more voices contribute their picks, expanding the shelf of what the 21st century means to us all.
