Hello all,
Kate Evans here, co-host of The Bookshelf.
Well, that was epic. We asked you for your top 10 books of the 21st century, and you showed up in force, with nearly 288,000 votes cast!
Over one glorious weekend, we counted down the top 100 books of the past 25 years, and heard from authors near and far.
The big moment in the marathon 12-hour live broadcast was when we announced the top spot: Trent Dalton's 2018 debut novel Boy Swallows Universe. There were cheers, tears, and even a shout-out to Trent's mum. We couldn't be happier for him!
Close on Dalton's heels was another favourite Australian author, Markus Zusak, with his 2005 novel, The Book Thief.
The weekend marked a celebration of storytelling, community, and the books that have shaped us. It also highlighted the power of Australian writing, with 26 of the top 100 books written by Aussies, including Geraldine Brooks, Helen Garner, and Anna Funder.
If you missed out, don't worry! You can find the full list of the top 100 books here, or listen back to Radio National hosts counting down the top 10. You can also check out the stats behind the votes in this online article.
Plus, tune in to a special episode of The Bookshelf to revisit the weekend's biggest moments, and hear about the books that almost made the cut. Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (2003), Samantha Harvey's Orbital (2023), and Anna Burns' Milkman (2018) were all surprise exclusions from the top 100 — not to mention Tim Winton's Juice (2024) just missing out at number 101.
And, for a bit of wry analysis, read this article from host of Saturday Extra Nick Bryant, who says the broadcast signified a "dagger through the heart of the cultural cringe".
If you listened in or cast your vote, thanks for joining us — and happy reading!
Kate
