15 Influential Audiobooks by Australian Female Authors

15 Influential Audiobooks by Australian Female Authors

Celebrate women of the past and present by diving into audiobooks by some of Australia’s brightest female literary talents. From tell-all memoirs by Australian icons, to recounts of the rich culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers, and emerging talent from across the country, we’ve compiled a list of captivating audiobooks by influential Australian female writers.
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  • The Yield cover art

    • The Yield

    • By: Tara June Winch
    • Narrated by: Tony Briggs
    • Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 03-09-2019
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 520 ratings
    • The Yield offers a compassionate recount of Australia’s history and lived experiences. Aboriginal Australian writer Tara June Winch’s real-life passion for preserving Aboriginal languages shines through in her second fiction title, as she pays homage to her father’s Wiradjuri roots in New South Wales. This moving listen uncovers the importance of language—in this case, one that was once thought to be extinct—and how it allows us to connect with people and their cultures, and lets their stories stand the test of time. The Yield is an essential listen, capturing the heart-wrenching truths of colonialism and the suffering of indigenous peoples. As the winner of Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin Award, The Yield undoubtedly deserves a place on our list of powerful titles written by Australian female literary icons.

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  • Phosphorescence cover art

    • Phosphorescence

    • By: Julia Baird
    • Narrated by: Julia Baird
    • Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 27-04-2020
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,841 ratings
    • Australian writer and journalist Julia Baird combines her personal experiences and wisdom in this accessible biography-cum-self-improvement title. Named after the scientific term for delayed emission of light, Phosphorescence offers listeners an intimate and engaging perspective on finding light in even the darkest moments life throws at us. During her painful and exhausting battle with a rare abdominal cancer, Julia Baird set out to write something different from the typical memoir that recounts one’s experience with a life-threatening illness. In her memoir, Baird explores how we as people search for happiness and solace within ourselves. An inspiring listen, Phosphorescence captures the author’s remarkable resilience in her audio performance.

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  • See What You Made Me Do cover art

    • See What You Made Me Do

    • Power, Control and Domestic Abuse
    • By: Jess Hill
    • Narrated by: Jess Hill
    • Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins
    • Release date: 24-06-2019
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 871 ratings
    • See What You Made Me Do sheds light on an issue of national crisis: domestic abuse. As an investigative journalist, author Jess Hill has been dedicated to researching domestic abuse for more than 15 years. The audiobook encourages listeners to challenge everything they know about domestic violence and gain a deeper understanding of power, control, and the consequences of violence. See What You Made Me Do, winner of the Stella Prize and the Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Booksellers Choice Awards, earns a spot on our list for its ability to confront and educate listeners about the harrowing reality of this widespread issue that continues to occur behind closed doors.

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  • Reckoning cover art

    • Reckoning

    • A Memoir
    • By: Magda Szubanski
    • Narrated by: Magda Szubanski
    • Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
    • Release date: 23-09-2015
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,521 ratings
    • Comedian and actress Magda Szubanski has been making Australia laugh for decades. But in her audiobook debut, the celebrated comic reveals the deepest and darkest moments of her life. Not just another celebrity memoir, this intimate and heartbreaking listen has been awarded two Australian Book Industry Awards. Reckoning recounts the childhood of the daughter of Polish and Scottish immigrants, who appeared to live a regular suburban life in Australia. Magda Szubanski brings her moving words to life in this engaging audio performance, voicing different accents throughout the story, as she navigates her father’s dark and troubled past and involvement in espionage activities in the Second World War.

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  • The Trauma Cleaner cover art

    • The Trauma Cleaner

    • By: Sarah Krasnostein
    • Narrated by: Rachael Tidd
    • Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
    • Release date: 29-03-2018
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 6,311 ratings
    • After an abusive childhood and years in the sex work business as a transgender woman, Sandra Pankhurst managed to find solace in one of the most unlikely places—her unusual line of work. In The Trauma Cleaner, writer Sarah Krasnostein recounts Sandra’s life story and the experiences she encounters in her 'extraordinary business of death, decay and disaster'. This compelling audio delves into Sandra’s personal stories of cleaning crime scenes and squalors for more than 20 years, balanced with the equally compelling backstories of her clients. Third-generation Australian Sarah Krasnostein won the Victorian Prize for Literature with her first literary title that brings Sandra’s remarkable true story to life.

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  • Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power cover art

    • Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power

    • By: Nakkiah Lui, Miranda Tapsell
    • Narrated by: Nakkiah Lui, Miranda Tapsell
    • Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 15-06-2020
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 415 ratings
    • Two young women reclaim the outdated colonial relic that is the débutante ball, as they search for liberation and empowerment in the most unlikely place. In this uplifting and entertaining podcast, two young Australian Aboriginal women, playwright and comedian Nakkiah Lui and actress Miranda Tapsell, become indigenous debutantes. Between the laugh-out-loud moments and moving anecdotes, Debutante: Race Resistance and Girl Power offers an eye-opening look into the history of colonial Australia and the rights of the Australian Aboriginal people. This captivating title wins a spot on our list, as these two iconic Australian Aboriginal women reclaim their heritage and the experiences of their people, in an accessible and empowering audio performance.

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  • Your Own Kind of Girl cover art

    • Your Own Kind of Girl

    • A Memoir
    • By: Clare Bowditch
    • Narrated by: Clare Bowditch
    • Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 28-10-2019
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,047 ratings
    • Unlike your typical celebrity autobiography, Clare Bowditch’s memoir takes listeners through a heartbreaking and humbling story about loss, acceptance and recovering from heartbreak. The successful Australian musician tells the story of a different side of her life, away from fame and fortune, as she opens up about the grief she endured as a child when she lost her beloved sister. This inspiring true story about grief and self-acceptance, narrated by Clare herself, earns a place in our list of influential titles as Clare recounts her sibling Rowie’s battle with a rare form of multiple sclerosis. In this raw performance of Your Own Kind of Girl, Clare courageously recounts her personal experiences with anxiety and body image.

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  • The Survivors cover art

    • The Survivors

    • By: Jane Harper
    • Narrated by: Steve Shanahan
    • Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
    • Release date: 01-11-2020
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,335 ratings
    • Journalist turned New York Times best-selling crime-thriller author, Jane Harper is renowned for her ability to grip listeners with her literary award-winning fiction works—and The Survivors doesn’t disappoint. This gripping audiobook takes listeners on a turbulent journey as a string of puzzling mysteries surrounding murder, unexplained disappearances, and drownings are uncovered in a quiet and otherwise ordinary Tasmanian coastal town. The Survivors makes our list as this compelling and layered Australian crime-thriller leaves listeners desperate for answers as the chilling web of secrets continues to unfold, right until the very end.

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  • Kokomo cover art

    • Kokomo

    • By: Victoria Hannan
    • Narrated by: Liesl Pieterse
    • Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
    • Release date: 28-07-2020
    • Language: English
    • 3.5 out of 5 stars 105 ratings
    • Writer and photographer Victoria Hannan features in our list with her fictional debut novel, Kokomo, set in her home city of Melbourne. Victoria Hannan’s creative writing and powerful storytelling 'really felt like Melbourne' to one listener. Exploring the complex relationships that follow in the wake of family estrangement, this emotional performance will have listeners laughing and crying as they get stuck into Kokomo. This compelling audiobook explores the different ways people love each other, whether that is platonic, romantic, or familial. Victoria Hannan proves herself to be an important name in the world of Australian lit, as her highly-anticipated first fiction title earns its place on our list of influential audiobooks by Australian female authors.

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  • Infinite Splendours cover art

    • Infinite Splendours

    • By: Sofie Laguna
    • Narrated by: Matthew Backer
    • Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
    • Release date: 27-10-2020
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 63 ratings
    • Sofie Laguna’s fourth fiction title keeps listeners immersed in a harrowing tale of a young boy’s betrayal, and how he navigates its aftermath as he grows into an adult. What starts off as an innocent and uplifting introduction to young Lawrence and his bright future ahead turns into a devastating tale of child abuse. Writer Sofie Laguna, who has a background in law, captivates listeners as history appears to repeat itself in Infinite Splendours. This moving and compassionate performance, narrated by actor Matthew Backer, deserves a place in our list as Sofie Laguna sheds light on a crisis that shatters the lives of many children around the world.

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  • The Dressmaker cover art

    • The Dressmaker

    • By: Rosalie Ham
    • Narrated by: Rachel Griffiths
    • Series: The Dressmaker, Book 1
    • Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
    • Release date: 16-07-2015
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 956 ratings
    • This Australian fictional gem follows protagonist Tilly Dunnage’s homecoming to her small-town roots, after following her dreams in fashion. What was meant to be a brief family visit quickly turns into a tense and eventful adventure as Tilly sets her sights on vengeance. Rachel Griffiths’ soothing and comforting narration of The Dressmaker brings the compelling tale to life as Tilly navigates her new life, in the place that rejected her years ago. Australian writer and teacher Rosalie Ham’s highly acclaimed audiobook was even adapted into a Hollywood hit film, The Dressmaker (2015), starring Kate Winslet—so of course it had to make our list.

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  • Julia Morris Makes It EASY cover art

    • Julia Morris Makes It EASY

    • Half-Baked Advice from Yet Another Deluded Celebrity: An Audible Original
    • By: Julia Morris
    • Narrated by: Julia Morris
    • Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
    • Release date: 22-02-2021
    • Language: English
    • 3 out of 5 stars 376 ratings
    • Comedian and actress Julia Morris presents a guide of alternative advice, lighthearted lessons, and anecdotes that she has gathered since entering the world of show business at the age of 17. Hilarious and full of heart, Julia Morris Makes It EASY acknowledges that life isn’t simple, but offers some unorthodox self-development tips and an unfiltered look into the lives of those in the celebrity spotlight. With tongue-in-cheek advice that is brought to life by her equally engaging narration, Julia Morris’s audiobook debut should hold a place in your library as a rising-star listen.

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  • Big Little Lies cover art

    • Big Little Lies

    • By: Liane Moriarty
    • Narrated by: Caroline Lee
    • Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
    • Release date: 27-07-2014
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,344 ratings
    • Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies has resurfaced as a hot topic after being adapted into a hit television drama series. But the original title by Liane Moriarty, an Australian author and children’s book writer from Sydney, had already made an impact on the literary world when it was named as a New York Times best seller. Inspired by her firsthand experience with abusive and turbulent relationships as a child, Moriarty cleverly addresses serious issues such as domestic violence, balanced with lighthearted humour for good measure. The engaging and often relatable storylines covered in Big Little Lies show that you never really know what happens behind closed doors, even in the most perfect-looking scenarios.

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  • Monkey Grip cover art

    • Monkey Grip

    • By: Helen Garner
    • Narrated by: Helen Garner
    • Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 02-01-2020
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 79 ratings
    • Our list would not be complete without the celebrated Australian writer Helen Garner’s first fiction title, Monkey Grip. Considered by many as an iconic title in the modern Australian literature scene, the highly acclaimed Monkey Grip won the Australian National Book Council Award. This lyrical audio performance, narrated by Helen Garner herself, takes listeners back in time to Australia in the 1970s, exploring heart-wrenching topics of love, sex, addiction and drugs with empathy and compassion. This moving audiobook features in our list of influential titles, as it introduced Garner as an Australian literary icon.

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  • The Clockmaker's Daughter cover art

    • The Clockmaker's Daughter

    • By: Kate Morton
    • Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt
    • Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
    • Release date: 12-09-2018
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 875 ratings
    • One of Australia’s biggest publishing exports, writer Kate Morton from Berri, South Australia, features in our list with The Clockmaker’s Daughter. This work of historical fiction, set in the year 1862, was named as both a New York Times and Sunday Times best seller. Unlike the rest of the titles named in our list, The Clockmaker’s Daughter tells a story from different points of view, over different decades in time. This unforgettable tale grips listeners with its stunning storytelling, supernatural elements, and air of mystery, brought to life by actress Joanne Froggatt from the iconic British Downton Abbey television series.

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Audiobook lists are hand-picked by Audible editors; inclusion is based on a number of factors including
listener ratings, narrator performances, presence on Audible best seller lists and cultural relevance.


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