Jo Case
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Articles by Jo Case
What is Australia’s best book? Our experts pick their favourites
This weekend, Radio National will count down its Top 100 Australian books poll, in which voters picked their favourite work of any genre. The winner will be crowned on Sunday. It’s an ambitious enterprise – around 200 years of Australian writing subject to a popular vote. And yet, if such polls get people talking and thinking about literature, what’s not to like?
What is Australia’s best book? Our experts pick their favourites
The Conversation This weekend, Radio National will count down its Top 100 Australian books poll, in which voters picked their favourite work of any genre. The winner will be crowned on Sunday. It’s an ambitious enterprise – around 200 years of Australian writing subject to a popular vote. And yet, if such polls get people talking and thinking about literature, what’s not to like?
What is Australia’s best book? Our experts pick their favourites
7 hours ago If anyone doubted the physical commitment of rugby league's greatest stars, they only needed to watch an exhausted Reece Walsh doubled up and vomiting during Thursday's epic World Cup opener between Australia and New Zealand. The Kangaroos' dramatic 24-22 victory in Sydney featured plenty of other …
How do I get my book published? 5 experts share their top tips
So, you’ve written a book – or you want to write one. How do you take the next step and actually get it published? As a former publisher myself, I’m conscious many people wonder: should I get an agent, or should I approach publishers directly? You can do either, and both options have their advantages: an agent will have existing relationships with publishers and will pitch your book for you (in exchange for a percentage of what you’re eventually paid).
How do I get my book published? 5 experts share their top tips
© 2026 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Poetry for an anxious world
Tumultuous times create heightened, often complex, emotions. It can be hard to voice or even identify our feelings when faced with war, illness, worry, or great changes of any kind. Poetry offers many gifts – among them, capturing, reflecting or even just sitting beside us with our thoughts and feelings. We asked five poetry experts – all poets themselves – for the poems they turn to in anxious times, for comfort or company. We’d love to hear yours, too – you can share them in the comments section.
Poetry for an anxious world: 5 experts share poems of grief, hope and restoration Original
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Tumultuous times create heightened, often complex, emotions. It can be hard to voice or even identify our feelings when faced with war, illness, worry, or great changes of any kind. Poetry offers many gifts – among them, capturing, reflecting or even just sitting beside us with our thoughts and feelings. We asked five poetry experts – all poets themselves – for the poems they turn to in anxious times, for comfort or company. We’d love to hear yours, too – you can share them in the comments section.
By James Ley, Jo Case Verified, Aidan Coleman, Fiona Wright Verified, John Kinsella, Sarah Holland-Batt, Luke Johnson
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The Conversation
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Five books on Iran that offer complex insights into the nation’s politics, culture, and people
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has been condemned in the West as a repressive theocracy. But the history of this vast nation of more than 90 million people is long and complicated. In times of war, we can overlook complexities in search of simple certainties. We asked five experts on Iran to recommend books that offer complex insights into the nation’s politics, culture and people. They explore the revolution through religion, politics, Iranian mythology and personal experience.
Five books to help you understand Iran - recommended by experts
In a time of war, five expert-recommended books offer deeper insight into Iran’s history, politics and people – beyond simplified narratives. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has been condemned in the west as a repressive theocracy. But the history of this vast nation of more than 90 million people is long and complicated. In times of war, we can overlook complexities in search of simple certainties.
What were you reading in the 90s? 5 literary experts go back in time
What were you like in the 90s? This question is a social media trend right now, with achingly nostalgic slideshows of old photos, set to music. When bookish types think about what we were like, we also remember the books that helped make us who we are. So the Books & Ideas team asked five literary experts for their picks. Because we never just engage with the new, their answers range from stone-cold classics (one from the late… Read complete article © The Conversation -
What were you reading in the 90s? 5 literary experts go back in time Original
What were you like in the 90s? This question is a social media trend right now, with achingly nostalgic slideshows of old photos, set to music. When bookish types think about what we were like, we also remember the books that helped make us who we are. So the Books & Ideas team asked five literary experts for their picks. Because we never just engage with the new, their answers range from stone-cold classics (one from the late 60s, which was all the rage in the 90s) to iconic works from the decade.
5 books to help you understand Iran – recommended by experts
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Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has been condemned in the West as a repressive theocracy. But the history of this vast nation of more than 90 million people is long and complicated. In times of war, we can overlook complexities in search of simple certainties. We asked five experts on Iran to recommend books that offer complex insights into the nation’s politics, culture and people. They explore the revolution through religion, politics, Iranian mythology and personal experience.
By James Ley, Jo Case Verified, Amin Saikal, Hessom Razavi, Hossein Asgari, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Laetitia Nanquette
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The Conversation
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What are your new year’s reading resolutions? 6 dedicated readers share theirs Original
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When we think about new year’s resolutions, we often think about changing our habits or new setting goals around food, exercise and work. But why not take our reading seriously too? Social media reading platforms often ask us to set annual reading goals based on the number of books we plan to read. But there are all kinds of reading resolutions worth making.
By Jo Case Verified, Gemma Nisbet, Hugh Breakey, Julian Novitz, Liz Evans, Michael Noetel, Penni Russon
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The Conversation
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Best books of 2025: Our experts share their picks
The end of the year means holiday celebrations, summer breaks … and for us, one important thing: Best books lists. We asked 35 expert readers for their favourite picks, ranging from novelists to anthropologists, scientists to criminologists – and experts in politics, publishing and philosophy. The only rule? The book had to be published this year. And the Books & Ideas team are sharing our own best books of 2025.
What’s on your summer reading list? We asked 6 dedicated readers Original
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When I think about summer reading, I think about relaxing with an easy page-turner … but I also think about finally having the headspace for the more complex, challenging books that have haunted my bedside table during the busy year. Summer reading is often characterised as paperback romance or detective fiction. And it is that.
By Jo Case Verified, David McCooey, Jodi McAlister, Joseph Steinberg, Kate Cantrell, Kevin Brophy, Sue Turnbull
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The Conversation
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What’s on your summer reading list? We asked 6 dedicated readers
© 2025 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
35 expert readers share their favourite books of 2025
The end of the year means holiday celebrations, summer breaks … and for us, one important thing: best books lists. We asked 35 expert readers for their favourite picks, ranging from novelists to anthropologists, scientists to criminologists – and experts in politics, publishing and philosophy. The only rule? The book had to be published this year. And the Books & Ideas team are sharing our own best books of 2025.
Best books of 2025: our experts share their picks Original
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The end of the year means holiday celebrations, summer breaks … and for us, one important thing: best books lists. We asked 35 expert readers for their favourite picks, ranging from novelists to anthropologists, scientists to criminologists – and experts in politics, publishing and philosophy. The only rule? The book had to be published this year. And the Books & Ideas team are sharing our own best books of 2025.
By James Ley, Jo Case Verified, Alexander Howard, Alice Grundy, Allanah Hunt, Andrew Pippos, Carol Lefevre, Edwina Preston, Elizabeth Finkel, Emma Shortis, Euan Ritchie, Eve Vincent, Fiona Wright Verified, Intifar Sadiq Chowdhury, Jen Webb, Jindan Ni, John Long, John Quiggin, John Woinarski, Joelle Gergis, Julian Novitz, Juliet Rogers, Jumana Bayeh, Lynda Ng, Matthew Sharpe, Melanie Saward, Mia Martin Hobbs, Michelle Hamadache, Natalie Kon-yu, Nick Haslam, Peter Mares, Sandra Phillips, Sophie Gee, Tom Doig, Tony Hughes-D'Aeth, Vijay Mishra, Wanning Sun
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The Conversation
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Best books of 2025: our experts share their picks
1 hour ago His tales of violence and squalor in his native Ozarks had the timeless quality of fables and inspired several movies. Daniel Woodrell, a novelist known for prose as rugged and elemental as the igneous rock of the Ozark Mountains, his birthplace, which he returned to just as his artistic …
Best Books of 2024: Standout reads from The Conversation • Rhode Island Current Original
It’s that time of year again … and we’ve invited 30 of our writers, from fields as disparate as wildlife ecology and mathematics to literature and politics, to share their best books of of 2024. Of course, best books lists are subjective, relying on what people have read and remembered. But we always love finding out which books lingered for our writers. This year, the Books & Ideas team set ourselves the hard (but fun) task of picking our own best books too.
What will you be reading this summer? We asked 6 avid readers
Summer reads are often advertised as fat paperback page-turners: romance, adventure or crime fiction. But everyone has their own definition of the summer read. It might be catching up on a classic that felt too heavy for the end of a work day. It might be a big biography, or a sports or music book. Or even just spending quality time with your to-read pile, whatever is on it – with no distractions, and a cool drink nearby. We asked six of our writers to share their reading plans this summer.
Best Books of 2024: our experts share their standout reads
It’s that time of year again … and we’ve invited 30 of our writers, from fields as disparate as wildlife ecology and mathematics to literature and politics, to share their best books of of 2024. Of course, best books lists are subjective, relying on what people have read and remembered. But we always love finding out which books lingered for our writers. This year, the Books & Ideas team set ourselves the hard (but fun) task of picking our own best books too.
Best Books of 2024: our experts share their standout reads
By Jo Case, Deputy editor, Books & Ideas, The Conversation We’ve invited writers, from fields as diverse as wildlife ecology, politics and literature, to nominate their best books of 2024. And this year, the Books & Ideas team share their own picks, too. Read complete article © The Conversation -
Best Books of 2024: our experts share their standout reads
1 day ago Alice Munro Wins Nobel Prize in Literature Canadian short-story writer Alice Munro has been awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Ms. Munro is only the thirteenth woman to win the prize since its inception in 1901. The Nobel Foundation said they had been unable to reach her and had left a message on her phone. Photo: Reuters Now ELLE Editors Recommend Their Favorite Books of 2024 Amidst a big year for books, here’s what the ELLE staff read (and loved) most.
It's true blue, it's dinky-di - it's our history told in our lingo
Fair go and don’t come the raw prawn – telling the story of Australia using Aussie lingo seems dinkum to me. And there I have managed to use several references already. Australia in 100 Words by Amanda Laugensen is a brilliant idea. The author asked herself: what words would you select to tell the story of Australia?
Diary of a Book Addict: For the sake of the children
Queenslander Lech Blaine’s first memoir, Car Crash (2021), explored his guilt and complicated grief after surviving a car crash that killed three of his friends. Praised for its sensitive exploration of Australian masculinity, it launched him as a major Australian writer. His terrific Quarterly Essay, Top Blokes: The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power, exposing the artificiality of then-PM Scott Morrison’s working-class cosplay, was published soon after.
Poem: Erna
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Dancing with a salamander and commas as an aphrodisiac - it's poetry in motion
Since winning Griffith University’s Josephine Ulrick Poetry Prize in 2004 and the Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize the following year, Brisbane poet Nathan Shepherdson has gone on to publish eight books of poetry and establish himself as a dynamic and singular voice in Australian poetry.
Diary of a Book Addict: What is normal?
People have strong opinions about Sally Rooney, whose fourth novel, Intermezzo (Faber), hit shops worldwide last week. Her second novel, Normal People, and its streaming adaptation made her a cultural phenomenon: the reluctant queen of sad-girl-lit. Her third was published amid a torrent of love and hate, which often seemed more about making cultural noise than about Rooney or her books.
My love letter to Johnnies and South Australia
People always ask me: What made you write a book about John Martin’s? The reason is that when you mention John Martin’s to anyone of a certain age in Adelaide, there is usually an immediate reaction of nostalgia and the memories of shopping in a bygone era come flooding back. “To my mind, that is what most people call love,” Geoff Coles, the former managing director, told me when we discussed this continuing affection for Johnnies.
20 best New Zealand books of the 21st century: as chosen by experts
From New Zealand, even Booker winner Eleanor Catton and Women’s Prize longlisted Catherine Chidgey, writers whose books have made a significant impact in the US and UK, didn’t get a mention. So, the Conversation’s Books & Ideas team decided to create our own Australian and New Zealand lists. For Aotearoa New Zealand, we worked with The Conversation’s NZ editor Finlay Macdonald, a former book publisher and Listener editor.
Poem: Bin Chicken Meditation
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A very Brisbane story scoops pool at literary awards
It’s no surprise that Melissa Lucashenko’s Edenglassie has taken out the top gong at the 2024 Queensland Literary Awards. Her book has been critically acclaimed and embraced by readers everywhere. The awards were announced Thursday night (September 5) to a packed auditorium at the State Library of Queensland. Lucashenko’s epic novel of Aboriginal lives five generations apart won the $30,000 Queensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance.
Poem: West
. You are free to republish the text and graphics contained in this article online and in print, on the condition that you follow our republishing guidelines. You must attribute the author and note prominently that the article was originally published by InReview. You must also inlude a link to InReview. Please note that images are not generally included in this creative commons licence as in most cases we are not the copyright owner.
A novel entree to the world of classical music
When did you decide to write Big Music? I studied classical piano and guitar at the Royal Academy of Music in London and it was a privilege, but intense. I remember watching a student performance of Verdi’s Requiem by Frederick Jackson, a brilliant conductor and professor at the academy, who demanded the highest of standards. In the Requiem’s climax, his arms froze in the air. The choir and orchestra doubled their efforts not realising he was in the throes of a fatal heart attack.
Stunning yet 'sinister': Beauty is in the eye of the photographer
The competition, run annually by the South Australian Museum and culminating in an exhibition that opens this weekend, attracted 1856 entries from 442 photographers across 12 countries. It offers prizes in 10 categories encompassing wildlife and landscape photographs taken across the Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea bioregions.
Diary of a Book Addict: South Australia’s best books of the 21st century
Much as I love reading new books – and have literal piles of books I’m longing to read all over the house – sometimes it’s good to look back. Last month, The New York Times published a list of the best books of the 21st century, as selected by 503 authors and critics. Sadly, not one Australian book made it to the list of 100. This sparked some local action.
Beyond Weird: Artist's colourful tribute to famous South Australians
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Best Australian books of the 21st century: As chosen by 50 experts
Like so many avid readers around the world, I was fascinated by the recent New York Times list of the Best Books of the 21st century, as voted by 503 authors, critics and book lovers. But like many Australians, I was disappointed to see no Australian books on the list. Even those authors who have made a splash in the US literary scene this century – Helen Garner, Gerald Murnane, Maria Tumarkin – didn’t get a guernsey. That’s where we come in.
The best Australian books of the 21st century, voted by 50 experts.
Like so many avid readers around the world, I was fascinated by the recent New York Times list of the Best Books of the 21st century, as voted by 503 authors, critics and book lovers. But like many Australians, I was disappointed to see no Australian books on the list. Even those authors who've made a splash in the US literary scene this century — Helen Garner, Gerald Murnane, Maria Tumarkin — didn’t get a guernsey. That’s where we come in.
Best Australian books of the 21st century: as chosen by 50 experts
© 2024 Tolerance.ca ® Inc. All reproduction rights reserved. All information reproduced on the Web pages of www.tolerance.ca (including articles, images, photographs, and logos) is protected by intellectual property rights owned by Tolerance.ca ® Inc. or, in certain cases, by its author. Any reproduction of the information for use other than personal use is prohibited.
Best Australian books of the 21st century: as chosen by 50 experts Original
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Like so many avid readers around the world, I was fascinated by the recent New York Times list of the Best Books of the 21st century, as voted by 503 authors, critics and book lovers. But like many Australians, I was disappointed to see no Australian books on the list. Even those authors who’ve made a splash in the US literary scene this century – Helen Garner, Gerald Murnane, Maria Tumarkin – didn’t get a guernsey. That’s where we come in.
By Jo Case Verified, Aidan Coleman, Alexander Cothren, Alexander Howard, Ali Mohammad Alizadeh, Amanda Tink, Astrid Edwards, Brenda Walker, Brian Castro, Brigid Magner, Brigitta Olubas, Briohny Doyle, Camilla Nelson, Carol Lefevre, Clare Wright, Danielle Wood, David McCooey, Debra Adelaide, Edwina Preston, Elfie Shiosaki, Emmett Stinson, Hsu-Ming Teo, Jane Gleeson-White, Jen Webb, Julian Novitz, Julieanne Lamond, Jumana Bayeh, Kevin Brophy, Leah Jing McIntosh, Liz Evans, Lyn McCredden, Lynda Ng, Maggie Nolan, Matthew Lamb, Monique Rooney, Mridula Nath Chakraborty, Natalie Kon-yu, Nicholas Jose, Paul Giles, Penni Russon, Ronnie Scott, Sally Breen, Sarah Holland-Batt, Sian Prior, Stephen Romei, Tanya Dalziell, Tom Doig, Tony Hughes-D'Aeth, Vijay Mishra, Yves Rees
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The Conversation
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Going it alone? Here's your go-to guide to travelling solo
Flicking through the chapter headings in Lee Mylne’s new book Solo Travel For Dummies, one immediately caught my eye. Chapter 7 is called Table For One. As an occasional solo travel (for business) I have had the sometimes-uncomfortable experience of dining alone. An early dinner alone at Bennelong restaurant at the Sydney Opera House stands out for me.
Poem: A Cold Wind
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Praiseworthy makes history as Alexis Wright wins the 2024 Miles Franklin
Waanyi writer Alexis Wright and her magnum opus Praiseworthy have made history by winning this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award. She’s now the first writer to win the Miles Franklin and the Stella Prize (both national literary prizes) for the same work. It’s also her second Miles Franklin win: her first was for Carpentaria in 2007. Wright becomes one of a handful of authors since the Miles Franklin was first awarded in 1957 to win the prize more than once, and only the fourth woman to do so.
Vitalstatistix welcomes new artistic director
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Diary of a Book Addict: A journey to the edges of the world
. You are free to republish the text and graphics contained in this article online and in print, on the condition that you follow our republishing guidelines. You must attribute the author and note prominently that the article was originally published by InReview. You must also inlude a link to InReview. Please note that images are not generally included in this creative commons licence as in most cases we are not the copyright owner.
Poem: Arles Blue
. You are free to republish the text and graphics contained in this article online and in print, on the condition that you follow our republishing guidelines. You must attribute the author and note prominently that the article was originally published by InReview. You must also inlude a link to InReview. Please note that images are not generally included in this creative commons licence as in most cases we are not the copyright owner.
Holland afloat in the modern world of Asia
He’s a boy from the Queensland bush and Patrick Holland is in Brisbane to launch a dazzling new novel. Holland, 47, is originally from Roma, the son of a stock and station agent who grew up learning the ways of the bush. By his late teens he was riding horses and working as a ringer and truck driver in Cloncurry. His new book, Oblivion, published by Melbourne-based Transit Lounge, is a far cry from that world.
Diary of a Book Addict: Divorce, desire and dystopia
This month, I’ve been reading books about women who have midlife breakdowns. Yes, I am in fact 48 years old. But no, I’m not having a breakdown. It may be because my own chaos is long behind me, my child is reared and I’m more settled than I’ve ever been, with a very nice husband I like to watch CNN and drink tea with at the end of an evening, that I am less enamoured of Miranda July’s All Fours (Canongate) than many readers seem to be.
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