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Robert Gott portrait by Meghan Lawson
This is a Dark Matter Zine podcast and I’m your host Nalini Haynes. Today I’m talking to cartoonist and author Robert Gott.
Dark Matter Zine Acknowledges this recording is taking place on the unceded Country of the Bunurong Peoples’ of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians of this Country. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Latrobe City council says Robert Gott is the author of 97 books, both fiction and non-fiction. He has written eight crime novels, set in Australia in the 1940s, two of which were shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. He is also the creator of the long-running newspaper cartoon The Adventures of Naked Man, which he draws the old-fashioned way: with a nib pen dipped in ink.. Robert channels the wit of Oscar Wilde and the absurdity of Yes Minister in his brand new novel about a junior minister thrilled to have his full-size nude portrait in the Archibald.
My review of Naked Ambition is here. Or will be within 24 hours of this podcast’s publication.
Book recommendations
Robert cited several authors whose work he loves. One such book’s title eluded him during our conversation. That was Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters.
Interview questions
Why does a governing body like Latrobe City Council happen to have one of the best introductions for you that I could find?
Before we start talking about your new book, we need to talk about your newspaper cartoon series The Adventures of Naked Man. If I’d known about this famous series before reading your book I would have laughed even more.
The Adventures of Naked Man started in 1998 and even features in reputable academic journals here and here. And Robert Gott featured as a repeat guest on Joy FM (Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ radio station).
Please tell us about your latest book, Naked Ambition.
How is this book related to your cartoon series the Adventures of Naked Man?
I can’t help but think there might be a dash of Yes Minister in Naked Ambition.
What stories do you enjoy, whether in paper or screen format?
When googling, I discovered upcoming events like Queenscliffe Literary festival’s May 2023 event titled “ROBERT GOTT: A COMEDY OF MODERN MORES”.
What other events do you have coming up? And are any of them available online?
Acknowledgement of Country
Dark Matter Zine Acknowledges this recording is taking place on the unceded Country of the Bunurong Peoples’ of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians of this Country. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
(I have occasionally acknowledged Country in podcasts. This year I aim to lift my game in many areas, so I plan to Acknowledge Country in every podcast. An Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners can be done by anyone. It’s a way of showing awareness of, and respect for, the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of the land where a meeting or event is held. For more information about Country and respect for Australia’s First Nations, read this post that also has links to useful websites.)
Thanks
Thank you to today’s guest, author Robert Gott! This recording took place a few weeks before I published the podcast so, at this stage, I don’t know who my next guest will be. Watch this space!
Thank you for listening, stay safe and have fun.