Friday First Chapters #42: Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn read ‘Old Bertie’

July 17, 2026

In this episode of the Your Kid’s Next Read Friday First Chapters series:

Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn read ‘Old Bertie’

Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn read from ‘Old Bertie’, their new novel for readers 12+

About Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn

Dan Osborn (left) and Vincenzo Perrella are an award-winning creative team who have written for film, television and live performance.

Old Bertie is their first novel.

Find out more about Perrella and Osborn.

About ‘Old Bertie’

George Jones is fed up and hungry for change. She’s stuck on an island with a bunch of judgmental jerks who all live in fearful deference to Old Bertie, a Giant Squid. Old Bertie devoured George’s mother, leaving her father an emotional mess and George a social reject.

But George’s world changes when a mysterious stranger washes ashore. Fernandez is the first person to ever enter Old Bertie’s watery domain and live to tell the tale. If Fernandez was spared by the Great Beast, could her mum still be out there? And is George willing to break her dad’s heart in her quest to know the truth?

This story will appeal to readers looking for a satisfying blend of heart and humour, with a speculative, fantastical twist.

Find out more

Published by Fremantle Press