Guardian Australia has launched Australia Reads, a new podcast that provides a way for audiences to experience some of Australia’s finest feature writing.

Three times a week an editor from Guardian Australia’s newsroom selects and introduces a piece of Guardian journalism that they have found particularly captivating.

The article is then read aloud by a diverse pool of professional voice actors, with each episode lasting around 15 minutes.

Episodes will draw on the Guardian Australia’s vast stable of journalism, from the narrative to the investigative, from politics to culture, from the environment to Indigenous affairs.

Episode one, featuring acclaimed author Thomas Keneally reading his own piece on the fractured state of Australia’s federation, is available to listen to now.

Hosted by Jane Lee, the show recognises the increasing popularity of podcasting as a storytelling medium, and reflects increased demand for text-to-speech content.

It follows in the footsteps of The Guardian’s highly successful Audio Long Reads podcast, but differs in several key respects, being shorter and more frequent, and produced specifically for an Australian audience.

Guardian Australia editor, Lenore Taylor, says, “We know that our readers are hungry for quality, independent, high-quality journalism. But many are also time-poor – busy working, exercising, raising children, running errands. Others may simply want to limit their screen time.

“With Australia Reads, we read the story to you, so you can listen while doing those other things in your day.”