Books That Made Us

Acclaimed actor Claudia Karvan embarks on an extraordinary literary adventure to explore the stories that have shaped our nation’s identity in Books That Made Us – a three-part documentary premiering on Tuesday 23rd November at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.

In a ‘who’s who’ of Australian storytelling, Claudia meets some of our most beloved and brilliant writers, finds out their secrets, and experiences Australia through the place, its people and the power of our stories.

From Booker Prize winners to best-selling authors and writers who have penned seminal stories, Claudia meets Richard Flanagan, Alexis Wright, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, David Malouf, Kate Grenville, Christos Tsiolkas, Thomas Keneally, Liane Moriarty, Trent Dalton, Kim Scott, and Melissa Lucashenko.

Delving into this magical collection of books, Claudia discovers the stories behind the stories, the workings of the writers’ imaginations and their motivation to write novels that have been shaped by Australia and, in turn, shaped this country.

Some of the nation’s finest critics and creative minds, including Tim Minchin and Annabel Crabb, dissect these great stories, offering insights and understanding. Subtly woven throughout is the context and social history, the backdrop to when and why these novels were written.

From the Sydney Writers’ Festival to kayaking in the wilds of Tasmania, from Brisbane’s Boggo Road Gaol to a First Nations writing and language workshop in Western Australia, Claudia travels the country in search of Australia’s great writing and the story of who we are.

Books That Made Us premieres Tuesday 23 November at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Video: How Tim Winton almost lost Cloudstreet | Books That Made Us with Claudia Karvan