Cassie McCullagh

And I'm Cassie McCullough.

And together, we've been scaling mountains of books.

Although, Kate, you're rather like Hilary in the... I'm just a mere Sherpa, I think.

So anticipated, in fact, that two writers actually mentioned they'd like to review this book, so we took them up on their suggestion.

Susan Johnson and Mireille Duchamp will join us, both novelists and both with some fantastic opinions about this book, no doubt.

Also, it's NAIDOC week and a good time to hear from writer Kim Scott about the bookshelf that shaped him.

He's, of course, the author of Banang, That Dead Man Dance.

I loved that one.

And Taboo, which I haven't read yet, but it's on the Miles Franklin shortlist.

So what?

Because if she's a good writer, damn it, she can do what she likes.

The publishers aren't that shy.

I notice on the inside flap of the hardcover it says, Kudos completes Rachel Cusk's trilogy with overwhelming power.

The trilogy is one of the great achievements in fiction.

Mm-hmm.

So Maree Dushaw is a writer in residence at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, where she's researching her next novel.

And her latest one that she's actually finished is called The World Without Us.

She also writes reviews and essays and short stories.

Great to have you back, Maree.

And Susan Johnson is a novelist whose books include My Hundred Lovers and her latest, The Landing, although she's just submitted her manuscript for the next one.