Your (Season 2026) summer reading guide
Much of our program next year draws from classic novels, from an adaptation of Helen Garner’s The Spare Room to Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw. So, we’ve rounded up a list of Season 2026-inspired books to consider for your next beach-side read this summer.
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
Four years after Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance premiered in New York, the famed Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson published his own epic tale of adventure, the pursuit of riches, and a raggedy crew of pirates.
With colourful characters and twists that still manage to catch you off guard almost 150 years after they were concocted, Treasure Island is perfect summer escapism.
The Pirates of Penzance will storm the Palais Theatre this summer: 31 January – 6 February 2026. Book now
True History of the Kelly Gang, by Peter Carey (2000)
It’s been 25 years since Peter Carey’s Booker Prize-winning novel was first published, and it has become almost as much of a cultural phenomenon as Ned Kelly himself.
True History of the Kelly Gang is an imagined autobiography of Australia’s legendary outlaw. With descriptive prose, it charts Ned Kelly’s villainous rampage, his popularity and his infamy — and leaves you questioning his legacy.
Don’t miss Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical at Her Majesty’s Theatre Ballarat, 28 March. Book now
The Magic Pudding, by Norman Lindsay (1918)
Albert is not a pudding to be trifled with. The hero of The Magic Pudding is short-tempered, bad-mannered, yet loves to offer himself up for a bite. Norman Lindsay wrote this story about Albert, the magically restoring pudding, during the food shortages of the First World War, and packed the story with koalas, possums, wombats and other native animals.
It’s no wonder The Magic Pudding was such a success, and remains an inspiration for writers, artists and theatre-makers alike over a century later.
See The Magic Pudding: The Opera at The Round, Darebin Arts Centre, or Bunjil Place, 15–30 May 2026. Book now
The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James (1898)
This gothic novel was first published as a serial in the late-19th century, and has since been the subject of countless adaptations, including Benjamin Britten’s 1954 chamber opera.
Like any good horror, The Turn of the Screw is fundamentally ambiguous. Could the English manor really be haunted? Or are the supernatural events simply manifestations of an unravelling mind?
Book tickets to The Turn of the Screw at the Palais Theatre, if you dare: 29 September – 1 October 2026. Book now
The Spare Room, by Helen Garner (2008)
Rage, compassion and perplexity are the major themes of Helen Garner’s acclaimed novel about a woman caring for her friend who is dying of bowel cancer. The author draws from her own experience watching a friend battle cancer while seeking ‘alternative’ treatments, each more ludicrous than the last.
In true Helen Garner style, she tackles this heavy subject matter with humour and grace — and doesn’t pull any punches.
See The Spare Room at Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse, 7–10 October 2026. Book now
