THURSDAY BOOK CLUB

Thursday Book Club with Suzanne - you are invited!

Held weekly, Thursday Book Club is a relaxed place to talk books and writing on Zoom, share book recommendations and keep up to date with upcoming literary events. Drop in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Once a month a guest author joins us to talk about they’ve been writing and reading.

Email me here with your own book recommendations and anything you’d like to ask me.

How can I join Thursday Book Club?

It’s easy! Join my Zoom conference room at 8pm Sydney time on Thursday with this link - https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

JOIN FOR BOOK CLUB UPDATES

INVITE SUZANNE TO YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB

If your book club has chosen to read The Watchful Wife, The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running with Ivan, Suzanne would be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions.

To schedule a date, please email Suzanne here.

WATCH PAST BOOK CLUB MEETINGS WITH GUEST AUTHORS

Sophie Masson in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Sophie Masson is the acclaimed author of 70 books. Her new novel, under the pen name Sophie Beaumont, is The Paris Cooking School - sumptuous, uplifting and rich with the delights of Paris.

Suzanne Leal in conversation with Jane Caro

Author, commentator and activist Jane Caro interviews Suzanne Leal about her new novel, The Watchful Wife.

Michael Burge in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Author and journalist, Michael Burge, talks to Suzanne Leal about his debut novel, Tank Water.

Launch of The Watchful Wife by Suzanne Leal with Tom Keneally

Launch of The Watchful Wife by Suzanne Leal, introduced by Allen & Unwin publisher, Jane Palfreyman and launched by Tom Keneally AO.

Frank Chalmers in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Screenwriter and novelist, Frank Chalmers, talks to Suzanne Leal about his crime novel, Conviction. Set in Queensland in 1976, Conviction follows Detective Ray Windsor through the web of police corruption and unsolved crimes.

Dr Lee Kofman in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Writer and teacher, Dr Lee Kofman, has written a fabulous compendium for writers: The Writer Laid Bare. She talks to Suzanne Leal about her inspiration and her writing tenets.

Drew Rooke in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Journalist and writer Drew Rooke discusses the peculiar case of chief forensic pathologist Colin Manock, who is the subject of Drew's fascinating book, A Witness of Fact

Rae Cairns in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Rae Cairns is the author of The Good Mother, a contemporary thriller set in Northern Ireland set against a backdrop of The Troubles. A gripping read, The Good Mother was shortlisted for the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction. In conversation with Suzanne Leal for Thursday Book Club, Rae Cairns discusses writing, book deals and her unusual journey to publication.

Aoife Clifford in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Award-winning Australian crime writer, Aoife Clifford, is the author of three crime novels: All These Perfect Strangers, Second Sight and When We Fall. Aoife was my guest on Thursday Book Club which was a lot of fun. We talked about writing, strange co-incidences in life and the joy Aoife gets from her work not only as a writer but also a bookseller. In particular, we explored Aoife's gripping new novel, When We Fall, set in the wild, coastal town of Merritt where Iawyer, Alex Tillerson and her mother make a shocking find on the beach.

Wendy James in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Author Wendy James was my guest on Thursday Book Club on 28 July 2022. Wendy spoke about her new novel, A Little Bird, and about how it feels to have her book, The Golden Child, optioned for the screen.

Lisa Millar in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Journalist, presenter and author Lisa Millar joins us at Thursday Book Club to talk about her memoir Daring To Fly.

Thomas Keneally in conversation with Suzanne Leal

Booker Prize winner Thomas Keneally is my guest on Thursday Book Club. Tom tells us how he found the story that inspired Schindler's Ark and how Adolf Hitler's WWI pistol may have found its way to Tom's hometown of Kempsey.

Emily Bitto - In Conversation with Suzanne Leal
June 2022

Stella Prize winner, Emily Bitto, was my guest on Thursday Book Club. We talked about her new novel, Wild Abandon, and life as a writer in the 21st century.

Dina Davis and Tony Roberts - In Conversation with Suzanne Leal - May 2022

Dina Davis, author of novel A Dangerous Daughter, and Toby Roberts, author of the coming-of-age memoir, Two Mums and A Dad, talk to Suzanne Leal about turning the spotlight on their own families.

Ross Fitzgerald & Ian McFayden - In Conversation with Suzanne Leal - April 2022

Author, academic and historian, Ross Fitzgerald, and screenwriter and producer, Ian McFadyen, visit Thursday Book Club to celebrate their new novel, The Lowest Depths. They talk to Suzanne Leal about their writing collaboration and the latest exploits of their rollicking hero, Professor Dr Grafton Everest.

Michelle Tom - Ten Thousand Aftershocks - March 2022

Michelle Tom's beautifully crafted memoir, Ten Thousand Aftershocks, is the story of family trauma set against the background of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Michelle Tom talks to Suzanne Leal about her chaotic childhood and how she managed to rebuild her life after the seismic earthquake and the ten thousand aftershocks that followed it.

Marion Frith - Here in the After - February 2022

Author and journalist, Marion Frith, was our February guest on Thursday Book Club. Marion's novel, Here In The After, is the moving story of an unlikely friendship between two damaged people.

Gabriel Bergmoser: The Inheritance and The True Colour of a Little White Lie - September, 2021

Author, playwright and screenwriter, Gabriel Bergmoser, was my guest for September on Thursday Book Club. We spoke about his new crime novel , The Inheritance (HarperCollins), and his new YA novel, The True Colour of a Little White Lie (HarperCollins).

Meredith Jaffé and The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison - August, 2021

Author Meredith Jaffé was my guest on Thursday Book Club for August. Meredith spoke about her new novel, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison (HarperCollins).

Guest Speaker: Kathryn Heyman and Fury - August, 2021

Author Kathryn Heyman was our July guest on Thursday Book Club. Kathryn has written plays and novels and now she has turned her hand to non-fiction, with her memoir, Fury.

Author & psychologist Graeme Friedman

Graeme Friedman, psychologist and author, was my guest on Thursday Book Club for October. We spoke about his new novel, What The Boy Hears When The Girl Dreams, and how his practice as a clinical psychologist has influenced his writing.

INVITE SUZANNE TO YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB

If your bookclub has chosen to read The Watchful Wife, The Deceptions, The Teacher’s Secret or Running with Ivan, Suzanne would be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions.

To schedule a date, please email Suzanne here.