The Battler

This week the fellxs talk to Lexi Freiman, author of Inappropriation and The Book of Ayn . They talk NEW YORK vs Sydney vs Hungary, the nature of satire, and the problems besetting Australian literary culture. Lexi tells us about At Large, the reading series she is putting on in Sydney with an unnamed legend of the field, the first session of which is taken place on the 22nd of January at Sean and...

In this week’s episode, Los Guerreros talk about the precipitous idiocy of a “Royal Commission” into an attitude. As always, things have become six times stupider since the podcast was recorded, so listen here for the talking points you’ll need to use when people bring up the Royal Commission that has actually now been announced. They also talk about the wonderful country of Venezuela and its obsc...

This week The Battlers process the events of the last week, starting with the antisemitic attack in bondi on Sunday. Tim talks about the atmosphere at bondi over the week, they discuss the cynical response by the universe of grifters on the Right. We also chat about it the geopolitical context and the mistakes that our noble fourth estate have made in reporting on the issue. It’s the last episode...

The Battlers yarn with author Miriam Webster about her brilliant debut short story collection, The Slip , out now via Aniko Press. Beyond that, Pat and Tim stake their claim as “Australia’s wokest podcast” and discuss the social media ban, the inevitable BPDification of Barnaby Joyce’s blood pact with Pauline Hanson, Pat’s huge hog…and more! You can buy Miriam’s book here. As always, subscribe to...

Tim is back from Nippon, where he destroyed Tokyo in a fight to save Mothra from George “Hands” Christensen. The B*ttlers talk about the Great Land of Wa; kids TV and capitalism in the 1990s; Tony Abbott’s new collab with James Murphy and the glorious reversion of Pauline Hanson to the One True Faith. They also talk about Albo’s great Craft Beer Wedding and the AUKUS aesthetics of its Ben Folds pl...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebattler.substack.com

This week, the fell*s discuss the death of Graham “Richo” Richardson and John “Sponsor” Laws, and what this means for the era of “bloke” politics and aesthetics that they represented. We also chat about the coup of 1975, probably garbling some of the nuanced history that makes it such an interesting event. We chat a little about the Greens and the NSW Socialists Conference, which Tim went to over...

The Battlers meet in the flesh again as Pat drifts East-side to look at the back of Andrew G’s head at Blue Mountain Writers Festival. A wild and rambling episode that covers the usual, but most importantly features a lengthy chat about 2025’s must watch TV: Columbo. Follow Straying for the Morsel and Patrick Marlborough and special thanks to Dan ‘The Man’ Dare for all things behind the scenes. Th...

This week The Battlers discuss Albo’s scene cred (has he ever listened to Mark E. Latham?), the Trump and Albo craft beer summit, the undeniable wow factor of LNP wunderkind (37) James Paterson, and of course, the dire state of OzLit and Oz culture funding. Thanks as always to producer Dan Dare who makes everything sound decent! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with othe...

It’s 30 episodes of Battlerdom, and the fellas are on a tredecennial tear. They talk Millenial culture, Stitch race science, Barnxit and the collapse of the Coalition, rightwing grifter meme politics, the Radio National top 100 colouring books of the 21st century, Israel’s Blood Meridian (Epstein revelations). And an old friend joins the pod– Wokey Allen. Song is No Strain by the Southend Rainbows...

Ceasefire, all alone in the moonlight. Trump has saved the world and brought the Gazans back from the dead in their thousands. He has a stately pleasure dome decreed on the beleaguered strip. Meanwhile, Australian cookers are on the prowl and the patron saint of guys whose undies have lost their elastic (Paul Thomas Anderson) has made another movie. Pat and Tim talk One Battle After Another, consp...

This week, the boys talk about the March of the far right across the world. Trump in Amerikkka; Farage in the UKKK and Hastie’s hasty march forward in AuSStralia. In unrelated news they have discovered a cure for autism, and all our fans are lesbians. Pat and Tim also unveil the FY25-26 plan for cultural appropriation, dubbed the “axis accents” report. This is the year of Japanese Sopranos. Thanks...

This week, Tim is in Coffs and Pat is in Melbourne; so unclear as to who has the bum end of the stick. They talk through the stakes of recognising Palestine; Trump’s love of Andrew Lloyd Weber; the Kirk Memorial; Hamburgler Melania; ballroom pizzagate; Tim fielding accusations of Italian human trafficking; the Ausstralian Far Right’s love of Amerikkka; Pine gap; the disappearance of the liberal an...

On this episode the boys mourn their wonderful friend Charlie Kirk, murdered by the coward Tyler Robinson. They remember his calm, measured presence in debate; his commitment to democracy and his belief in a free, egalitarian, multi-ethnic America. They also talk about Trump’s ballroom (of course), Albo’s pitch into authoritarianism and the evil of creative writing programs. Song is No Strain by t...

This week on the pod The Battlers talk to the suddenly former deputy editor of Meanjin, Eli McLean, about the untimely killing of the 85yo literary journal. Jump to 37.55 for the interview. Before that, Pat and Tim discuss Australia under Iranian rule, Bondi ZioNazis, and Glorious Leader Xi Danping. As always, subscribe to Straying for the Morsel and Patrick Marlborough This is a public episode. I...

This week, Pat and Tim talk about the March for Australia that cooked on the streets of Sydney, Melbourne, and the other cities last weekend. Tim was there and gives an eyewitness account. The lads talk about why all nazis are pedos, and the poor honest racists who were blindsided by the presence of fash at the rally (sorry to Tim’s uncle). They also talk Trump, the New American Novel and Tim’s “...

This week it’s just Pat and Tim, the way God intended. Unencumbered by guests, they rage about the resposne of the government to the protest on Sydney Hamas Bridge; the rising tide of Naarm Nazism; the cowardice of Bendigo Writers’ Festival adopting a stifling definition of antisemitism in their code of conduct; and Christos Tsiolkas’ delightful article on the benefits of fencesitting. It’s a quic...

On July 18th, The Battler host Patrick Marlborough joined with the podcast’s most ‘faptastic’ fan, Giacomo Bianchino, to launch Patrick’s debut novel, NOCK LOOSE , in a city that counts (Sydney), at the big smoke’s best bookstore, Better Read Than Dead. A feral chat about OzLit and the creative process and long term unemployment, enjoy Giacomo’s attempts to get Patrick to admit he is horny for car...

This week Pat n Tim talk shop with author and artiste Madison Griffiths, who has just released Sweet Nothings, her second monograph after 2022’s Tissue . We talk about the book, which is a study of four relationships between students and university teachers. We walk through power dynamics; horny academia ; and the interminable thirst of European writers for stories of scholarly seduction. Producti...

This week, Pat and Tim talk with Max Easton, paesano and the author of novels liek The Magpie Wing and Paradise Estate and the reams of top-notch music crit over at Barely Human . We talk about “Western Sydney Literature,” the DIY ethos and class autonomy, the importance of self-publishing, and the singularity of Rugby League. It’s a big yarn, and a very invested take on writing in Aus in 2025. Sh...

20th EPISODE SPECTACULAR! The Battler Boys meet in person for the FIRST TIME and immediately attempt to kill each other as they reckon with show mascot, Mark Latham, being accused of doing Mark Latham things (allegedly). Also touched on (allegedly) is the pedogeddon of the Epstein files, Albo’s woeful drip on his China trip, the soothing sounds of Israeli psytrance, Ancient Greek pottery, and whet...

This week, Pat M talks to Pat L: Journalist, Writer and substacker at the Nonsense Newsletter We cover Lenton’s new book, In Spite of You; queer lit; youth media and vulture capitalism. Unfortunately, Tim had “technical difficulties” (nothing to do with queerphobia) on his extended Eurotrip at “Marxist summer school,” and couldn’t make it to the interview (mistimed his alarm and nursed a raki hang...

This week, Pat and Tim talk about the Sabsabi decision, the solidification of anti-protest reactionism across the world, and the transformation of the ALP into a Party of Order and domination. We talk about the brutalisation of Hannah Thomas and Tony Burke’s response; the practice of “slave day” in East Coast schools; and the changing structure of Labor’s branches. We are still on opposite sides o...

This week, Pat and Tim are guestless and ill, but stoked nonetheless as a self-proclaimed socialist takes the dem nomination in the New York mayoral elections. We talk about what the DSA is in 2025, how it has outgrown its own grad-student-podcast nexus, and what we can learn from the movement in Australia. We also talk about the importance of white genocide, Trump’s dropping of F and other bombs,...

Battlers! First off, sorry for the delay! With Pat sick, and Tim in Italy, and a few tech issues, producer Dan (that Saint, that Angel!) has had to work overtime to stitch this episode together. But thank CHRIST for him, because it is a BEAUTY! This week, we talk to award wining poet (author of Drop Bear ) and editor of Overland Literary Journal and overall genius, Evelyn Araluen, about what it me...