Karen and Irma discuss the challenges of author photo shoots.

Then Irma chats with Christos Tsiolkas about how reading Monkey Grip cross-legged in a bookstore was a seminal moment, and how his father – who couldn’t read – made him the patient reader he is today, how the poor reception to his second novel The Jesus Man deeply bruised him and the overwhelming success of The Slap was the reverse experience, how acting techniques have influenced the way he writes characters, how he approached writing a love story, and the most challenging and joyous writing experiences he’s had.

About Christos
Christos Tsiolkas is the author of eight novels, including Loaded and Dead Europe, which were made into feature films, and The Slap and Barracuda, which were both adapted into celebrated television series. He has won numerous awards, including Overall Best Book in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for The Slap. He has also published a collection of short stories, Merciless Gods, and a critical literary study called On Patrick White. If that wasn’t enough, he is a playwright, essayist and screen writer. His latest novel is The In Between.