Chopper loses his ears but gains an unexpectedly popular literary career, after becoming (sort of) pen pals with crime writer John Silvester.

This week, we finish the Chopper tale, figuring out how Chopper managed to reinvent himself from hardened crim to comedian, artist, rapper and… children's book author.

Warning: This episode discusses intimate partner violence, racism, transphobia, homophobia and misogyny.

SOURCES

Shand, Adam (2025). The Real Chopper: The Man Behind the Legend, Inside and Out. Penguin Books

Mayr, Andrea. "Chopper: From the inside: Discourses of the 'celebrity' criminal Mark Brandon Read." Language and Literature 21.3 (2012): 260-273.

Read, Mark Brandon (1991). Chopper: From the inside. Floradale Productions.

Oakes, L. "Guess who's coming in from the cold? An interview with Mark 'Chopper' Read." Psychotherapy in Australia 8.1 (2001): 30-33.

Read, Mark Brandon (2002). Hooky the cripple: The grim tale of a hunchback who triumphs (A. Cullen, Illus.). Pluto Press Australia.

Cartwright, Garth (2013). Guardian Obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/09/mark-chopper-read-obituary

Ubaldi, Simone. "Serial thriller." Monthly, The Nov 2013 (2013): 18-19.

Jackson, Rochelle (2011). Partners and Crime. Crows Nest, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin (see chapter by Mary-Anne Hodge).

Hosted by Alecia Simmonds and Leigh Boucher
Supervising Producer: Hannah Reich
Development Producer: Beverley Wang
Executive Producers: Clare Rawlinson and Eric George
Head of ABC Audio on Demand: Jessica Radburn
Theme: Martin Peralta
Artwork: Gabriel Virata-Alves
Sound Engineering: Brendan O'Neill

Chopper: The Christmas card that changed his life (part 2)

The Dead Can't Sue

Chopper: The Christmas card that changed his life (part 2)