WellRead's October 2025 Selection: Hollow Air by Verity Borthwick

Typically, when we deliver an atmospheric read to your door, we encourage you to immerse yourself – if the story is set in the misty Tasmanian mountains, we want you to rug up on the lounge and sip your favourite hot beverage; if the story is set on a beautiful beach in Maine, we want you to find your nearest deck chair and slip, slop, slap. 

As you crack open this month’s read we wholeheartedly do not recommend this approach. Read this one in a well-lit room, with the sound of other humans nearby … and maybe one eye looking over your shoulder. 

Full of tension and mystery, Hollow Air is set in the Tablelands of Far North Queensland on an old mining site that is rapidly losing the hope of locals. Sarah is a FIFO Geologist, often working alone at the mine or, when she’s not alone, surrounded by men who show her little respect. 

But Sarah’s hardy, strong, and she likes the isolation. Until odd things start to happen around the site and she realises that she’s the only person she really trusts – and her own mind might be playing tricks on her. 

Split across two timelines, Hollow Air asks questions about isolation, trust, the space we take up on this earth, and the legacy we leave behind. 

There is a tiny part of us that believes we’re cut out for life in isolation. Hollow Air reminds us we wouldn’t last a day. 

Enjoy your reading in broad daylight, 

– The WellRead Team x