Melina Marchetta
Australian author of award-winning young adult fiction whose semi-autobiographical novel Looking for Alibrandi became an Australian classic; also a former teacher and author of later novels including The Place on Dalhousie and the What Zola Did series.
Best podcasts with Melina Marchetta
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Mar 31, 2026 • 53min
Encore: The real life story behind 'Looking for Alibrandi'
Melina Marchetta, an award-winning Australian writer who drew on her Sicilian-Australian upbringing, talks about the making of Looking for Alibrandi. She recounts family migration, secret letters, cultural hiding at school, first trip to Italy, repeated rejections before publication, and the book's surprising reach. The conversation also touches on foster care, open adoption, and passing on Sicilian traditions.
