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The Battler is a podcast about culture, politics and media in Australia, hosted by Patrick Marlborough and Timwintoncellectuals. thebattler.substack.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes59Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsNewsPolitics

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Artwork for The Battler

Latest Episodes

This week, the c*bbers talk to Will Cox, critic and author of Hyacinth, a gothic retelling of various episodes of Keeping Up Appearances. They chat about the nature of old media and nostalgia, serialisation, experimentation in modern fiction, transla... more

On this very special late night/laggy recording of The Battler, Pat talks about the splendour and the beauty of living in the ADHD capital of Australia, while Tim discusses his first time with Ridley Scott’s criminally underseen ‘Alien.’

We also ge... more

Battlers! Tim is sick with Hentai Virus and Pat has been busy animating Hentai! So we’ve had to take the week off—Latham forgive us!But on Tuesday, May 12, Pat had the honour of sitting down with renowned OzLit scholar/academic/critic Emmett Stinson ... more

This week the wh*te d*gs don’t have much to talk about in the news, so they talk about the Fremantle Dockers bris-based goal celebrations, Sopranos dolewave, Paul Kelly’s italian heritage erasure, Sergeant Johnson’s Purple Heart award, slurs for whit... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Will Cox
Author; author of Hyacinth (Casuals Network Press) and creator of Pictureland
Casuals Network Press; Pictureland
Episode: Ep57 Keeping Up Appearances w/ Will Cox
Emmett Stinson
Literary scholar, critic and academic
Edith Cowan University
Episode: Bonus Ep.
Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle
Author; host of Bad Fluner reading series
Joramondo/Bad Flunters
Episode: Ep53_Creating Drama w/ Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle
Michael Winkler
Esteemed author and essayist, author of Grimmish and Griefdogg
Author (Grimmish, Griefdogg)
Episode: Ep51. GrimmDogg with Michael Winkler
Steve Toltz
Australian novelist, author of Rising of the Lights
Penguin, author of four acclaimed novels
Episode: Ep50. Fraction of the Toltz.
Amy Remeikis
Chief Political Analyst at the Australia Institute; former Chief Political Reporter for Guardian Australia
Australia Institute / Guardian Australia
Episode: Ep48. Howard Battlers ft. Amy Remeikis
Yaraman Thorne
Gamilaroi guy, co-host of Uplate podcast, writer and actor
ABC
Episode: Ep42– Closing the Yap with Yaraman Thorne
Lexi Freiman
Author of 'Inappropriation' and 'Book of Ayn'
Episode: Ep39: Ozlit Shrugged with Lexi Freiman
Miriam Webster
Author and writer
Aniko Press, Melbourne
Episode: Ep. 36: Slop, Slap, Slip ft. Miriam Webster

Hosts

Patrick Marlborough
Co-host of The Battler; long-running cultural, political, and media commentator in Australia.
Tim Winton Selectuals
Host focusing on literature, political culture, and media commentary; a core voice with broad engagement across topics.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 20 ratings
  • Great YA fiction podcast!

    No but is is good though

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Brewben_o
    New Zealand4 months ago
  • Funny stuff

    Ozpol, ozlit, he do the police in different voices.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LutherEnjoyer
    Australia5 months ago
  • Great chats

    Love the thought provoking discussions, literary snobbery and expanding my reading list. Great takes on culture and politics.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cat______________
    Australia8 months ago
  • My favourite source of actionable content

    Thank the lord for the great Australian anti-defamation legal loophole. Get in while you still can for the most cathartic take-downs of the most cooked c*nts in Auspol, Auslit and beyond

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    moelrt
    Australia8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Show offers provocative, sometimes provocative critique that resonates with culture-war discourse.
Guests bring strong expertise, enriching discussions with literary and policy insights.
Some listeners note the irreverent tone may be polarizing for non-fans.
Praises for nuanced discussions on media and Indigenous representation across episodes.
Listeners appreciate the sharp, candid takes on Australian culture and politics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#139
Australia/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep57 Keeping Up Appearances w/ Will Cox
Q: How do you see translation and cross-cultural influence shaping Australian literature, especially with Auslan and the Gothic you explore?
Translation introduces opacity and compression; Australian writing benefits from not being entirely legible, and Auslan-influenced approaches create a unique cadence that helps Australian Gothic feel global yet distinct.
Ep57 Keeping Up Appearances w/ Will Cox
Q: This cover looks so striking; could you walk us through how you decided to serialize Hyacinth and what your publishing journey looked like?
I started by rewriting the Keeping Up Appearances episode guide, then serialized the chapters as short, standalone pieces, building toward a larger narrative while keeping the fragments and gaps that give the prose its depth.
Ep51. GrimmDogg with Michael Winkler
Q: What drew you to constructing Grimmish as a self-published breakthrough before finding wider publication?
Winkler explains decades of rejection in traditional publishing and how self-publishing, aided by a supportive literary community online, ultimately helped Grimmish gain attention and momentum.
Ep50. Fraction of the Toltz.
Q: What is Rising of the Lights about in a nutshell?
It's a novel that sits at the edge of consciousness, with sleepwalking, dreams, and an emerging sense of artificial intelligence, all centered on a single year in the life of the protagonist Russell Wilson, exploring the unknowns and the limits of knowledge.
Ep. 25 Meanjin Streets ft. Eli McLean
Q: What is the future of Australian literary culture post-Meanjin?
There are still great publications like Overland and Voice Works, and new cultural spaces need to be created to preserve and promote literary voices.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Battler

What is The Battler about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on Australian culture, politics, and media, often blending sharp critique with humor and cultural commentary. Episodes frequently feature long-form conversations with authors, journalists, and cultural commentators, exposing underlying themes in Australian literature, politics, and public discourse while spotlighting media ecosystems and social issues. A notable strength is its willingness to interrogate established narratives, criticize power structures, and highlight Indigenous representation and the Australian literary scene, making it potentially engaging for listeners who enjoy candid, opinionated analysis with a progressive tilt.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Battler?

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How many listeners does The Battler get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Battler have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Battler has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Battler?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Battler:

1. Lamestream
2. We Used to be Journos
3. Chapo Trap House
4. Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella
5. TRUE ANON TRUTH FEED

How many episodes of The Battler are there?

The Battler launched 10 months ago and published 59 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Battler?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Battler?

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What guests have appeared on The Battler?

Recent guests on The Battler include:

1. Will Cox
2. Emmett Stinson
3. Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle
4. Michael Winkler
5. Steve Toltz
6. Amy Remeikis
7. Yaraman Thorne
8. Lexi Freiman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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