Apollo and Thelma

In Apollo and Thelma, broadcaster and lawyer Jon Faine shares a yarn that has enthralled him for forty years, taking him from Melbourne's depression-era slums to the isolation of the outback.

Apollo and Thelma have been a constant in Jon Faine's life for decades. As a young lawyer, he was captivated by his favourite client, the Mighty Apollo, a legendary strongman and circus star, famous for pulling trams with his teeth and having an elephant stand on him. Apollo's sister, Thelma, on the other hand, ruthless and rugged, had survived decades running solo one of the most remote pubs in the outback until unexpectedly dying, leaving behind a complicated estate.

Befriending Apollo and immersing himself in Thelma's estate, Jon is forced to untangle a long line of astonishing stories and episodes in our distant and recent history that keep intersecting with his own. Via the circuitous route of these two larger-than-life characters - alongside a supporting cast of characters from the world of politics, law, literature and media - Jon reflects on their stories and is inevitably forced to rethink his own.

Apollo and Thelma is a uniquely Australian story, beautifully told.

About the Author

Jon Faine is an award-winning journalist who, until October 2019, hosted the agenda-setting morning broadcast for ABC Radio in Melbourne for more than twenty years. Before joining the ABC in 1989 to host 'The Law Report' on Radio National, Jon had practised for seven years in both commercial litigation and as a legal aid/human rights advocate. He regularly contributes to major newspapers with opinion pieces, has been nominated for three Walkley awards, and does countless conference presentations, panel moderations, guest lectures and public events. His best-selling travel book was published by ABC books.

Jon is well known for his provocative and probing debate, quick wit and thought-provoking ideas.