Tom Ballard & The Mysteries of Harris Burdick: spoiling Christmas, writing longhand, and the point of political comedy

James Weir & I Was Told There'd Be Cake: tabloidification, the new theatre review, and retro 2009 chic

Craig Silvey & To Kill a Mockingbird: Harper Lee's draft, wrestling the muse, and the filming trenches

Jillian Glover & Happy City: what people really want, NIMBYs vs YIMBYs, and people who hate parks

Gregory Ladner & Flowers for Mrs Harris: Melbourne fashion, antiques over travel, and a polite amount of revenge

Travis Larcombe & As Beautiful As Any Other: author friends, sharing stories, and emotional support beers

Eva Rodriguez Rodriguez & Range: double surnames, range benefits, and NASA crowdsourcing

Full Circle & Dr. Niraj Lal: flying emus, systemic technology, and fighting hopelessness

Tamsien West & My Brilliant Friend: a mystery author, widening your reading, and how to journal

Jake Griggs & The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: the magic of the Air Fryer, quitting while ahead, and efficient bacon & egg on toast

Dr Sophie Calabretto & The Midwich Cuckoos: fluid mechanics, repetitive politeness, and is it math or maths?

Paola Totaro & Perfume: losing your smell, Michael Hutchens in Paris, and journalist couple goals

Chris Flynn & I Am Legend: mammoth resurrection, childhood Troubles, and how to horrify a writers audience

Jarryd Goundrey & Sapiens: predicting the future, military tech advancements, and more Shane Warne mentions than you'd expect

Madeleine Buchner & Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: too many books at once, finding your tribe, and how Harry Potter is like Grease

The Secret History: Jewish private school, elite uni fetish, and girlfriends teach you to read with Eli Landes

The Running Man: a billionaire friend, writing hammered, and how to be good at comedy with Jez Watts

Shogun: memory training, imposter syndrome and focussing on details with Anastasia Woolmer

Lost Connections: hitting bottom, hearing yourself, and lifestyle design with Blake Worrall Thompson

Music, Language, and the Brain: measuring music and language, learning via tune, and universal beats with Anna Fiveash