Julia Gillard

In this special episode recorded live at the 2026 Hay Festival in Wales, Julia Gillard sits down with Thangam Debbonaire to discuss their roles as judges for this year’s Women Prize. Julia is chairing the judging panel for the Women's Prize for Fiction, while Thangam is the chair of judges for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. In this entertaining conversation the pair take listeners behind the scenes of judging one of the world’s most prestigious literary prizes. The prizes are awarded annually to a female author of any nationality for the best novel and non-fiction book of the year written in English and published in the UK. Julia and Thangam talk about the rigours of reading dozens of books in a short time frame, heated debates amongst judges and the exceptional books on each shortlist. The winners will be announced in London on June 11. Show notes: To learn more about the Women’s Prize and the books on the long and shortlists visit https://womensprize.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very special episode of Julia’s Book Club, Julia Gillard and Sarah Holland-Batt discuss the work that inspired the name of this podcast. Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own was originally delivered as two lectures at Girton College, Cambridge almost a hundred years ago. Despite the passage of time many of the themes and ideas Woolf explores in this short but weighty book remain startlingly relevant today. Julia and Sarah discuss what has and hasn't changed for women since the 1920s, the evolution of women's writing and Virginia Woolf herself. Content warning: this book and episode includes themes of mental illness, sexual abuse and suicide. Please take care while listening and if you need help or information please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Show notes: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf is published by Penguin Australia and is available at all good bookstores. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first Book Club episode of 2026 Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette delve into The Names, the hit debut novel by British author Florence Knapp. The story begins in 1987 when a woman named Cora arrives at the registry office for what at first glance seems like a simple task: naming her newborn son. But for Cora it is a deeply complicated decision. Her husband expects her to follow family tradition and name him Gordon; she likes the name Julian; and her young daughter thinks her baby brother should be called Bear. The story unfolds in three alternate narratives, each based on the name Cora chooses. Spanning 35 years, the book begs the age old question - what's in a name? Julia and Kathy discuss the book's unique structure, generational trauma and their own sliding door moments. Content warning: this book and discussion includes themes of physical and emotional abuse. Please be mindful of that and take care while listening today. If you need help or information please call 1800RESPECT or visit www.1800respect.org.au Show notes: See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill is published by Black Inc Books https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/see-what-you-made-me-do-0 To learn more about the research discussed by Kathy and Julia please visit these sites: https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/july/radical-anti-feminism-the-most-prevalent-form-of-violent-extremism-in-australia,-report-finds https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/almost-a-third-of-gen-z-men-agree-a-wife-should-obey-her-husband Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode recorded live at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, Julia Gillard interviews author and broadcaster Caitlin Moran. They delve into her hippy childhood, how she found her voice, the future of feminism and her book What About Men. The event also launched the latest GIWL research into global attitudes towards gender equality, produced in conjunction with IPSOS UK. Julia and Caitlin are joined by Kelly Beaver, the Chief Executive of IPSOS UK and Ireland, for a fascinating discussion about the research findings, which highlight the growing generational divide in attitudes toward gender roles and the gap between personal beliefs and perceived social expectation. Show notes: Caitlin Moran’s books including What About Men are published by Penguin and are available in all good bookstores. You can learn more about the GIWL/IPSOS UK research here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/almost-a-third-of-gen-z-men-agree-a-wife-should-obey-her-husband Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of 2025 Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette look back on their favourite books of the year. In a candid and funny chat they also discuss writing memoirs, the upcoming release of Kathy's new book, Julia's role as Chair of the Women's Prize for Fiction and their plans for the holiday season. Show notes: Kathy Lette's new novel The Sisterhood Rules will be published in Australia on February 3, 2026 and in the UK on April 9. For more information about the Women's Prize for Fiction visit https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/ For more on our 2025 Julia's Book Club reads visit our Instagram page @apodcastofonesown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her co-host Sarah Holland-Batt explore Highway 13 by internationally acclaimed Australian author Fiona McFarlane. The award-winning book is a series of loosely connected short stories focusing on the lives of everyday people who have all been affected by a single serial killer in a small Australian town. Paul Biga is arrested and charged over the brutal murders of at least a dozen backpackers and hitchhikers along an Australian highway in the 1990s. The reverberations of his crimes stretch far and wide, with McFarlane delving into the past and the future, and across continents, to explore the impact on those with strong links to the killer, as well as those with an interest in the case. Julia and Sarah discuss how the book connects to real life cases and places and which stories left the biggest impression on them . Show notes: Highway 13 is published by Allen & Unwin and available in most good book shops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special Book Club episode, Julia Gillard sits down with Global Institute for Women’s Leadership Chair Professor Michelle Ryan to discuss The Book of Guilt by New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey. The Book of Guilt is a deeply unsettling exploration of autonomy, identity, and morality. It’s set in an alternate England in 1979 – where Hitler’s assassination in 1943 led to a negotiated peace and a chillingly different trajectory for post-war Britain. The story follows three identical boys: Vincent, William, and Lawrence, who are the last remaining residents of a bleak, run-down state children’s institution. The boys are part of a mysterious government project, called The Sycamore Scheme, subjected to meticulous routines, daily medication, and round-the-clock surveillance. In a conversation recorded at GIWL at ANU in Canberra, Julia and Michelle discuss the book’s twists and turns, and how it explores humankind’s treatment of those deemed “the other’. Show notes: The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey is published by Penguin Books and is available at all good bookstores. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her co-host Kathy Lette discuss Tell Me Everything, the latest novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout. Tell Me Everything is Strout's 10th novel, and it returns readers to the fictional town of Crosby, Maine - where several of her novels have taken place. It also features many of the characters from her previous books, including Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. In this story, the town lawyer Bob Burgess takes on a case defending a man suspected of killing his own mother. But, as Julia and Kathy discuss, the case is only one part of a sprawling story that examines love, grief, family, the importance of friendship and everyone’s search to find meaning in their life. Show notes: Tell Me Everything is published by Penguin and is available in all good bookstores. Learn more about Kathy Lette at https://www.kathylette.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her cohost Sarah Holland-Batt dive into Audition , the latest novel from Katie Kitamura. Audition follows an unnamed actress as she rehearses a play that blurs the lines between performance and personal history. When a mysterious young man appears, claiming to be her son, she’s drawn into a spiral of uncertainty that challenges her sense of self and reality. Together, Julia and Sarah unpack the novel’s themes of identity, motherhood, and the shifting boundaries between truth and fiction. They explore how the story's psychologically rich but uncanny style highlights the tension between who we are and who the world asks us to be. Join us for a thoughtful discussion on power, performance, and the quiet ways women resist being written into roles they didn’t choose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s book club episode Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette discuss Fundamentally, by Nussaibah Younis. It’s the British author’s debut novel and it follows the story of Nadia Amin - an academic disowned by her mother and dumped by her long-term partner, who accepts a job with the United Nations in Iraq to rehabilitate ISIS women so their home countries will take them back. While struggling to get the program off the ground amidst the opaque world of international aid, Nadia meets Sara, a fellow Londoner who was radicalised when she was just 15 years old. Julia and Kathy delve into the book’s dark humour and complex characters, and its exploration of faith, identity and family. Fundamentally is published by Orion, an imprint of Hachette Australia. https://www.hachette.com.au/nussaibah-younis/fundamentally-shortlisted-for-the-2025-womens-prize-for-fiction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, we take you inside Julia's first ever Australian live recording of A Podcast of One's Own. Recorded in front of an audience at the Australian National University in Canberra, home to the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Julia is joined on stage by one of Australia's most respected journalists, Leigh Sales. The pair discuss Leigh's incredible career achievements, preparing for Prime Ministerial interviews, telling stories of tragedy, the power of podcasts and her latest project. Show notes: Leigh has authored several books, including her latest book Storytellers. They are available in all good book stores. This live event was held in support of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL), which brings together rigorous research, practice and advocacy to advance gender equality and promote fair and equal access to leadership. You can learn more about GIWL by visiting giwl.anu.edu.au or support their work at https://engage.anu.edu.au/giving/GIWL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of A Podcast of One’s Own, we take you inside Julia’s live event with international best-selling author, Paula Hawkins, at the Hay Festival Winter Weekend. After the huge global success of Paula’s first novel ‘The Girl on the Train’, the pair sat down to explore her latest thriller ‘The Blue Hour’. Set on a Scottish tidal island connected to the mainland for just a few hours a day and home to only one inhabitant, the novel asks questions about ambition, power, art and perception. Julia also asks Paula about her literary career to date and future works. Show notes: The Blue Hour is published by Penguin and available at all good book stores. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-blue-hour-9781529938074 To learn more about the Hay Festival, visit https://www.hayfestival.com/home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.