Anonymous Was A Woman Podcast

Astrid Edwards interviews Samah Sabawi about her memoir Cactus Pear For My Beloved which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Edwards interviews Melanie Cheng about her novel The Burrow, which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Edwards interviews Amy McQuire about Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media, which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Edwards interviews Jumaana Abdu about Translations, which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Edwards interviews Santilla Chingaipe about Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia, which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Edwards interviews Michelle de Kretser about Theory & Practice, which is shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are back! Jamila Rizvi introduces a special Stella Season of Anonymous Was A Woman. Astrid Edwards, FW book nerd and Chair of Judges for the 2025 Stella Prize, has interviewed the six authors shortlisted this year. Astrid interviews Michelle de Kretser (Theory & Practice), Santilla Chingape (Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia), Melanie Cheng (The Burrow), Samah Sabawi (Cactus Pear For My Beloved), Jumaana Abdu (Translations) and Amy McQuire (Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media). Interviews will drop before the winner is announced on Friday 23 May 2025. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Anon listeners! We wanted to share another podcast we think you'll love about Australia's childcare crisis. It's called At What Cost? In the blur of early parenthood, many parents don’t stop to think about how the roles they adopt at home – as the primary caregiver, or as the breadwinner – impact their careers and finances in the long-term. But they do. And when families can’t access affordable childcare, it’s generally women whose job security takes a hit. This fuels gender inequality on a national scale… contributing to the gender pay gap and the super gap. It also leaves real mums like Emma, whose story we hear in this episode, grappling with housing insecurity and an uncertain future. Join our host Georgie Dent in our third and final full-length episode as we unpack the costs of the childcare crisis to gender equality and the economy Plus: experts share five key solutions that could help make childcare truly accessible and affordable for all – which would be transformative for our country, and especially women. At What Cost is an FW podcast in partnership with The Parenthood, a not-for-profit with a mission to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent and raise a child. Join 80,000 other parents and carers today Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Anon listeners! We wanted to share another podcast we think you'll love about Australia's childcare crisis. It's called At What Cost? When is a choice not a choice? Almost a quarter of Australia’s population is now living in a ‘childcare desert’ - and this scarcity means that many families’ financial and work schedules hinge on being offered a childcare spot in the first place. In this episode, we hear from real parents and experts about the near-impossible workarounds for families who can’t access suitable childcare and can’t afford not to work: from regional mum Kelly, who forked out for a private carer when the local childcare refused her son full days of care, to agricultural workers taking their kids to work on the farm. At What Cost is an FW podcast in partnership with The Parenthood, a not-for-profit with a mission to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent and raise a child. Join 80,000 other parents and carers today Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Anon listeners! We wanted to share another podcast we think you'll love about Australia's childcare crisis. It's called At What Cost? Australia is known as the “lucky country”. So how did struggling to access affordable childcare become the norm? Amid a cost-of-living crunch, most families say they need two incomes to make ends meet. But with childcare fees in Australia being among the highest in the world, parents are caught in a “cost of working trap”: they can’t afford not to work, but the cost of care is so high it eats into their earnings. Follow At What Cost? on Spotify, Apple, Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts. Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello listeners! We're sharing another FW podcast we think you'll love called Too Much. In it, FW founder and managing director Helen McCabe speaks to high-achieving women who overcame suffocating stereotypes, bucked trends, disrupted systems and refused to quit. Women who built careers by forging their own paths. Does cockiness make you better at your job? That's what former Matildas star Lydia Williams was told when she rose to the sport's top flight. Williams joins McCabe to reflect on her journey as a Matilda and how she pushed past being labelled “too humble” at key points in her career. Liked this episode? Follow Too Much to hear more Become an FW member to join the movement and fast-track your professional development. Keep up with @futurewomen on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask any woman and she'll tell you about a time when she was too something. At work, women are suffocated by stereotypes about who we should be and how we should behave. In FW's new podcast, Too Much, join Helen McCabe as she speaks with high-achieving women who bucked trends, disrupted systems and refused to quit. Women who built careers by forging their own paths. Episodes drop weekly. Listen now on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts by searching 'Too Much by Future Women'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to domestic and family violence, it's easy to feel helpless. But did you know that more than half of family violence victim-survivors open up to family and friends for help first?* Whether you're worried about your own relationship, or you're a friend, family member or a colleague - knowing subtle signs and red flags can make a big difference. Episode 1 of There's No Place Like Home season two is now live. Episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or Google Play Visit the official website Keep up with @Futurewomen on Instagram and Twitter and stay in touch with hashtag #TNPLH More information on Commbank Next Chapter Join Future Women If you have experienced or at risk of domestic and family violence and/or sexual assault, you can call the national counselling service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, or if you are not feeling safe, always call the police on 000.   There's No Place Like Home is a Future Women podcast in collaboration with our proud partner, Commonwealth Bank, who are committed to helping end financial abuse through CommBank Next Chapter. No matter who you bank with, if you're worried about your finances because of domestic and family violence, you can contact CommBank's Next Chapter Team on 1800 222 387 within Australia or visit commbank.com.au/nextchapter. *Source: ANROWS. (2022). Transforming responses to intimate partner and sexual violence: Listening to the voices of victims, perpetrators, and services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Through ten captivating episodes, There's No Place Like Home pulls back the curtain to reveal the nature and impact of domestic and family violence in Australia. Told in survivors' own words, each episode tells the story of ten extraordinary people who generously share their most intimate thoughts, feelings, and experiences with you. There's No Place Like Home is hosted by Tarang Chawla, whose sister Nikita was killed by her partner in 2015. Tarang brings his lived experience, empathy and understanding to the fore as he presents an unflinching assessment of the current situation and explores the possible solutions. This is a podcast by Future Women, made in collaboration with CommBank, which is supporting long-term financial independence for victim-survivors through CommBank Next Chapter. There's No Place Like Home drops 22 February 2022. Subscribe now. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or Google Play Visit the official website Follow @Futurewomen on Instagram and Twitter and stay in touch with hashtag #TNPLH  More information on Commbank's Next Chapter Join Future Women Content note: This podcast includes descriptions of family violence and may be upsetting to some listeners. If you have experienced or are at risk of domestic and family violence and/or sexual assault, you can call the national counselling service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, or if you are not feeling safe, always call the police on 000. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aja Barber has pledged to never take a dollar from fast fashion, and in her 2021 book 'Consumed' she explains why. She is passionate about racial justice and exposing endemic injustices in our consumer and fashion industries. Aja is also no stranger to campaigning for change. Her Instagram video 'Why Performative Allyship is Triggering', which called out brands and influencers for monetising the Black Lives Matter movement, has accumulated over one million views. The video also put a spotlight on the disparity between fast fashion brand billionaires and their unpaid factory workers during the Covid-19 economic downturn. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards are joined by Future Women's Bojana Kos.  Chapter 1: Jamila asks whether or not books can help drive our understanding of sustainability, and Astrid takes issues with the term itself. Chapter 2: Jamila brings Ash Davidson's powerful debut, 'Damnation Spring' to the podcast. Chapter 3: Astrid once again picks a non-fiction work and recommends 'Under a White Sky: The nature of the future' by Pulitzer-prize winning writer Elizabeth Kolbert. Join us on Thursday for an interview with the brilliant Aja Barber. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Millar is the co-host of ABC TV's News Breakfast, and 'Daring to Fly' is her memoir about conquering fear and finding joy. Lisa returned to the ABC in Australia after finishing a decade-long posting as bureau chief in both London and Washington DC, covering some of the world's biggest stories. She began her career at the Gympie Times in 1988 and has worked in print, TV and radio. She won a Walkley Award in 2005 for investigative reporting. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards are joined by Future Women's Ella Jackson.  Chapter 1: Jamila, Astrid and Ella consider the different ways women choose to tell their own stories, and the stories of those who have come before them. Chapter 2: Jamila brings Lucy Adlington's historical fiction novel 'The Dressmakers of Auschwitz' to the podcast.  Chapter 3: This week Astrid chooses a non-fiction read and recommends 'My Life in Full: Work, family, and our future' by Indra Nooyi (the first female CEO of PepsiCo!). Join us on Thursday for an interview with journalist Lisa Millar. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Humphries is the resident satirist on ABC-TV's 7.30, and he recently published 'On Politics and Stuff' with Evan Williams. In this interview, Mark considers the role of satire in politics and tackles the question of how to satirise female politicians without being misogynist. Mark's other writing has appeared in The Guardian and the Sun-Herald, and he has previously created satirical sketches for SBS's The Feed and ABC's The Roast. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards are bring their favourites to the table, and they are joined by Future Women favourite Madison Howarth. Chapter 1: Everyone brought memoir this week! So to kick off the episode, Jamila, Astrid and Madi reflect on how memoir has changed over the last decade (for the better, as we are seeing fewer formal autobiographies and more stories of lived experience being published). Chapter 2: Jamila suggests reading 'All About Yves: Notes from a transition' by Yves Rees. Chapter 3: Astrid still wants everyone to read anything by Claire G. Coleman, and in this episode discusses Claire's first non-fiction book 'Lies Damned Lies: A personal exploration of the impact of colonisation'. Recommendations: Jamila recommends Maxine Beneba Clarke's memoir 'The Hate Race', as well as 'Mao's Last Dancer'  by Li Cunxin. Madi recommends 'Dark Emu' by Bruce Pascoe, as well as 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'  by Maya Angelou. Join us on Thursday for an interview with satirist Mark Humphries. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annika Smethurst is the state political editor at The Age newspaper in Melbourne. She is a double Walkley Award winner and has two Melbourne Quill Awards for political reporting. In 2019, Annika became the accidental poster woman for press freedom when her house was raided by the AFP over a story she wrote revealing a government plan to allow the Australian Signals Directorate to spy on Australians. In her 2020 essay, 'On Secrets', she explored the impact of the raids and examined the importance of press freedom. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again, Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards consider the world through the lens of reading and books. Chapter 1: So, what is politics and why does it matter? And what do books have to do with politics anyway? Chapter 2: Jamila delights in revisiting the revised and updated edition of Julia Baird's 'Media Tarts'. Chapter 3: Astrid presents Marion Wilkinson's 'The Carbon Club: How a network of influential climate sceptics, politicians and business leaders fought to control Australia's climate policy' and explains why it should be one of the few books that should stay in print for decades. Recommendations: Jamila gushes over the biography of Bob Hawke 'Wednesdays with Bob', written by Derek Rielly and Bob Hawke himself. Astrid brings some light into her reading choices and recommends 'The Future We Choose: The stubborn optimist's guide to the climate crisis' by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. Join us on Thursday for an interview with journalist and reporter Annika Smethurst. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Brnadi is an award-winning writer of literary crime. His stories tend to focus on the darkness in the world as experienced from young or disadvantaged protagonists. 'The Others' is his third - and perhaps most haunting - novel. Mark's bestselling novel, 'Wimmera', won the coveted British Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger, and was named Best Debut at the 2018 Australian Indie Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards Literary Fiction Book of the Year, and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year. His second novel, 'The Rip', was also published to critical acclaim. Mark graduated with a criminal justice degree and worked extensively in the justice system, before changing direction and deciding to write. Originally from Italy, he grew up in rural Victoria. His shorter work has appeared in The Guardian, The Age, the Big Issue, and in journals both here and overseas. His writing is also sometimes heard on ABC Radio National. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamila Rizvi is back! We have missed her, and from this week Jamila is back leading our discussion of all things books. Chapter 1: As they so often do, Jamila and Astrid consider the harder things in life. This week, the theme is darkness, and they reflect on what they like to read and when. Chapter 2: Jamila introduces Jaivet Ealom's 2021 memoir, 'Escape from Manus'. Jaivet is the only person known to have escaped from Manus Island, and his life experience is truly extraordinary. Despite the darkness, this is a hopeful story. Jaivet now resides in Canada, where he is a spokesperson for the Rohingya community. Chapter 3: Astrid turns to crime fiction and considers 'I Shot the Devil' by Ruth McIver. Whilst this is very much crime fiction, it is also so much more - it is a nuanced exploration of female trauma, grief and survival. Recommendations: Astrid recommends Rachel Cusk's 'Second Place', which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021. Jamila returns to Amani Haydar's one-of-a-kind memoir, 'The Mother Wound'. Join us on Thursday for an interview with literary crime writer Mark Brandi. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Melbourne Writers Festival was curtailed in September 2021 because of the pandemic, so Jamila Rizvi and Astrid spoke to two of the authors who would have appeared live on stage. Claire Thomas discusses her novel 'The Performance' - an extraordinary exploration of women's inner lives that is both enthralling and profound. Sophie Gonzales reflects on her YA novel 'Only Mostly Devastated', which was recently shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and is a book you want to give the teenagers in your life. Stay tuned for Monday's episode, when Jamila rejoins Astrid to discuss all the latest in what they are reading. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen McCabe once again joins Astrid Edwards on Anonymous Was A Woman. Tis week they agree and love two wonderful debut works of fiction (unlike last week!). Chapter 1: This week our loose theme is questioning. Astrid asks Helen what she thinks will happen in 2022, and Helen has a great answer. Chapter 2: Helen recommends 'Small Joys of Real Life' by Allee Richards. Chapter 3: Astrid discusses 'Other People's Clothes' by Calla Henkel.  Join us on Thursday to hear Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards talk to two writers who were to appear at Melbourne Writers Festival. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grace Jennings-Edquist is a journalist at the ABC, where she writes articles on issues including gender equality and wellbeing. 'The Yes Woman: How to reclaim your power by finally saying no' is her first book. As a former senior editor at Mamamia Women's Network, Grace has written extensively about women's mental health for an audience of millennial Australian women. Grace's writing has appeared widely online, including in The Guardian, Crikey, The Australian, news.com.au, New Statesman and Ms. Magazine. She has appeared on radio and television, and is the recipient of a 2018 Michael Gordon Fellowship from the Melbourne Press Club. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen McCabe once again joins Astrid Edwards on Anonymous Was A Woman to discuss equality and equity, and of course, the latest in fiction and non-fiction. Chapter 1: Astrid and Helen consider equity (and yes, both are still in lockdown in Melbourne and Sydney). Chapter 2: Helen shares her vehement thoughts on 'The View Was Exhausting', the debut novel from couple Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta. Chapter 3: Astrid recommends Lucia Osborne-Crowley's memoir 'I Choose Elena' and follow up research 'My Body Keeps Your Secrets'. And don't forget, join us on Thursday to hear Jamila Rizvi in conversation with Grace-Jennins-Edquist. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Binks is a writer, reviewer and literary agent. This year she released 'The Monster of Her Age', her debut YA novel. The Year the Maps Changed, Danielle's debut middle-grade novel, was a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers 2021, longlisted for the ABIA Book of the Year Award for Younger Children 2021, shortlisted for the Readings Children's Book Prize 2021 and longlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2021.  In 2017, she edited and contributed to Begin, End, Begin, an anthology of new Australian young adult writing inspired by the #LoveOzYA movement, which won the ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children (Ages 13+) and was shortlisted in the 2018 Gold Inky Awards. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 5 of Anonymous Was A Woman starts today. To kick off the season, Helen McCabe joins Astrid Edwards (we promise, Jamila Rizvi will be with us on Thursday). Chapter 1: We picked a happy topic to kick off the season! Helen and Astrid consider the idea of innovation, and areas where women are the ones driving the change. Chapter 2: Helen introduces the timely 'Vaxxers: The Inside Story of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine and the Race Against the Virus' by Professor Sarah Gilbert and Dr Catherine Green. Chapter 3: Astrid explores 'Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine And Myth in a Man-Made World' by Elinor Cleghorn. And don't forget, join us on Thursday for an interview with beloved YA author Danielle Binks. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join journalist and presenter, Leila McKinnon, as she chats to inspirational women who are living their lives, their way. Find out what drives them; the lessons they've learned; and the ones they wish they'd known earlier. Subscribe now or search for 'Future Women Drive' wherever you get your podcasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wait for Season 5 we are bringing back our highest rating episodes. This interview with Louise Milligan was originally released on 5 February 2021. Louise is an investigative reporter for ABC TV's Four Corners and the author of Cardinal, which won the Walkley Book Award and broke massive international news preceding the court case involving one of the most senior members of the Catholic Church. Her second work is Witness: An investigation into the brutal cost of seeking justice. In this interview, Louise explains the state of our legal system and just how traumatising it can be for complainants and witnesses. Most importantly, she tells Jamila and Astrid what we can do about it. Content warning: This interview contains references to sexual assault and sexual abuse.  CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wait for Season 5 we are bringing back our highest rating episodes. This interview with Min Jin Lee was originally released on 15 June 2020. Min Jin joined Jamila and Astrid to discuss triumph in literature. The hero's journey has shaped fiction since before we called it that. Is the heroine's journey different? Chapter 1: Min Jin Lee joins Jamila and Astrid from New York to discuss her novel Pachinko and explore the different ways her female characters experience success and triumph.  Chapter 2:Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. Chapter 3:Rising Strong by Brené Brown. Recommendations: Astrid recommends The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar and No Friend But the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani. For children, Jamila recommends We're All Wonders by R. J. Palacio. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wait for Season 5 we are bringing back our highest rating episodes. This interview with Tara June Winch was originally released on 20 August 2020. Tara joined Jamila and Astrid from her lockdown in France to discuss creativity and solitude. Tara was awarded the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2020 for The Yield, and the novel was also shortlisted for The Stella Prize. In this interview, Tara reflects on the recent novel, The White Girl, written by her mentor Tony Birch (who was also shortlisted for the prize this year). Tara also considers the importance of her creative professional relationship with Behrouz Boochani (author of No Friend but the Mountains) during this period of isolation, as well as her work behind the scenes on the #sharethemicnow campaign earlier in 2020. Other Australian writers mentioned in this interview include Melissa Lucashenko, Michelle de Kretser, Claire G. Coleman and Josephine Wilson. Please note, Tara recorded this interview remotely in regional France, and her Internet connection was not great. We apologise for the audio quality, but we think Tara is worth it! CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wait for Season 5 we are bringing back our highest rating episodes. This interview with Brit Bennett was originally released on 4 February 2021. Brit is an American writer with a brilliant track record. Her debut novel The Mothers (2016) was a New York Times best-seller, as was her second novel, The Vanishing Half (2020). In this interview, Brit talks to Jamila and Astrid about her brilliant novels, and also about some big topics - passing, colourism and the state of the publishing industry. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Norman Swan was one of the first medically qualified journalists in Australia, with a broadcast career spanning more than 30 years. He hosts Radio National's The Health Report and co-hosts Coronacast. 'So You Think You Know What Is Good For You?' is his first book. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: What will happen tomorrow? How do writers explore what may come through both fiction and non-fiction? Chapter 2:  Jamila explores the latest novel from Kazuo Ishiguro, 'Klara and the Sun'. Chapter 3: Astrid takes a different approach and turns to non-fiction. She discusses two recent works from Stan Grant - 'Stan Grant on Thomas Keneally' and 'With the Falling of the Dusk'. Recommendations: Jamila recommends 'Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the Word' by Tyson Yunkaporta. Astrid recommends switching up your reading habits - if you tend to read fiction, pick up some non-fiction, and if you have a non-fiction habit, try a little fiction for your next read. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bri Lee is an author and freelance writer. Her first book, Eggshell Skull, won Biography of the Year at the ABIA Awards, the People's Choice Award at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, and was longlisted for the Stella Prize. Her latest work, Who Gets To Be Smart: Privilege, Power and Knowledge tackles the inequity in our eduction system. Her journalism has also appeared in publications such as The Monthly, The Saturday Paper, Guardian Australia and Crikey.  CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: Changing things up this week, Jamila and Astrid throw the idea of a weekly theme away and talk about the novels they feel like. They also both confess their love for the humble street library (particularly during lockdowns). Chapter 2:  Jamila brings 'Fleishman Is in Trouble' by Taffy Brodesser-Akner to the table. Beware, there is a spoiler! Chapter 3: Astrid reflects on three novels by Favel Parrett - 'There Was Still Love', 'When the Night Comes' and 'Past the Shallows'. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maria Lewis is an author, screenwriter and film curator, and she knows everything about women and representation in fantasy.  Her best-selling debut novel Who's Afraid? was published in 2016, followed by its sequel Who's Afraid Too? in 2017, which was nominated for Best Horror Novel at the Aurealis Awards. Who's Afraid? is currently being developed for television. Her Young Adult debut, It Came From The Deep, was released globally in 2018, followed by her fourth book, The Witch Who Courted Death, which won Best Fantasy Novel at the Aurealis Awards in 2019. Her fifth novel set within the shared supernatural universe - The Wailing Woman - was nominated for Best Fantasy Novel at the Aurealis Awards in 2020, followed by the publication of her sixth novel, Who's Still Afraid?, and book seven The Rose Daughter.  CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: Many of the highest-selling novels of all time are fantasy. So, why is fantasy so popular? Who is reading it? And who is writing it? Chapter 2:  Astrid enters the 'Grishaverse' and explores the diversity in the 'Shadow and Bone' series from Leigh Bardugo. Chapter 3: Jamila admits to reading a fantasy book - 'The Once and Future Witches' by Alix E. Harrow - and liking it. Recommendations: Astrid returns to old favourites - Jessica Townsend's 'Nevermoor Chronicles' for middle grade readers, the 'Shadow and Bone' series for the YA audience, and N. K. Jemisin for readers of world class adult fantasy. Jamila makes the case for the enduring relevance of the Harry Potter universe (despite, ahem, J. K. Rowling herself). CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement. His debut novel, 'The Tribe', won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, 'The Lebs', won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 2021 he has release his third novel, 'The Other Half of You'. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: What is heartbreak? When have you felt it and where do you turn when you are heartbroken? Chapter 2: Jamila recommends 'Heart Sick', the new non-fiction work by Jessie Stephens. Chapter 3: Astrid also recommends a non-fiction work - 'The Mother Wound' by Amani Haydar. Recommendations: Jamila recommends 'Aftermath: On Marriage and Separation' by Rachael Cusk, and Astrid brings us back to the world of fiction recommending 'Love Objects' by Emily Maguire. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kavita Bedford is an Australian-Indian writer with a background in journalism and anthropology. Her first novel 'Friends and Dark Shapes' was released this year, and her short form writing has previously appeared in Guernica, the Guardian and Griffith Review. She works and teaches in Sydney in media and global studies. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1:  Literature used to equate adulthood with parenthood, as did society. But what counts as 'growing up' these days? Is literature changing? Chapter 2: Astrid introduces 'The Other Half of You', the new novel by Michael Mohammed Ahmed that reads as something of a love letter from a father to a son. Chapter 3: Jamila takes us through 'The Smash Up' by American author Ali Benjamin. Recommendations: Astrid recommends Lauren Hough's 'Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing' (and yes, she talks about that Twitter controversy), and Jamila recommends 'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian' by Sherman Alexie. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Townsend is the ridiculously talented author behind the middle grade fantasy series 'The Chronicles of Morrigan Crow'. The series began in 2017 with 'Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow'. Jessica followed up that record-breaking first instalment with 'Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow' and 'Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow'. Best of all, there are six more books on the way. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: Jamila and Astrid dive into the books that first made them feel ‘grown up' and the ones that represented their shifts into adulthood. Regular listeners won't be surprised that Astrid says her coming of age read was Stephen King's 'It'. Jamila brings us back to the world of appropriate teenage reading by reminiscing about Melina Marchetta's 'Looking for Alibrandi'. Chapter 2: Jamila brings Chang Rae Lee's 'My Year Abroad' to the podcast, and she is more blunt than usual about a work of fiction. Chapter 3: And for the first time ever, Astrid recommends a rom-com - Naoise Dolan's 'Exciting Times' (Astrid assures us it is the thinking woman's rom-com). Recommendations: Two each this week! For adults, Jamila recommends 'Dreams from my Father' by Barack Obama. Jamila then refuses to take Astrid seriously when Astrid recommends Anne Rice's 1976 classic, 'Interview with the Vampire'. Both then make recommendations for middle grade readers - Jamila brings '45 and 47 Stella Street' by Elizabeth Honey, and Astrid brings 'The Chronicles of Morrigan Crow' series from Jessica Townsend. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Anita Heiss is an award-winning author of non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, children's novels and blogs. Her latest work is 'Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray', and it is the first commercial work published with only Aboriginal language on the cover in Australia. Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri Nation of central New South Wales and an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chapter 1: Jamila and Astrid consider why the past still matters, and why women and girls are all too often left out of the history books written by the victors. Chapter 2: Jamila brings her favourite musical - Hamilton - to life and discusses 'Hamilton: The Revolution' by Lin Manuel Miranda and Jeremy Carter. Astrid is completely out of her depth for this one. Chapter 3: Astrid reminisces about the post-World War II of her grandmother and great-grandmother and discusses 'The Husband Poisoner: Suburban women who killed in post-World War II Sydney' by Tanya Bretherton. Recommendations: Astrid recommends Hannah Kent's 'Burial Rites'. Jamila recommends 'Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China' by Jung Chang. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Ellis represented Adelaide in the Australian House of Representatives for Labor from 2004 until 2019. In the timely 'Sex, Lies and Question Time', she explores the good, the bad and the ugly of life as a woman in Australian politics. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamila Rizvi and Astrid Edwards are back for the fourth season of Anonymous Was a Woman. Chapter 1: Changing it up, Jamila and Astrid explore time, rather than emotions, in each episode. To begin, they consider the clear and present issues of our day through the books they are reading. Chapter 2: Jamila brings 'How Good Is Scott Morrison?' by Peter van Onselen and Wayne Errington to the table... and Astrid is not convinced. Chapter 3: Astrid introduces Jamie Marina Lau's spectacular second work of fiction, 'Gunk Baby'. Definitely find a copy of this one for your to-be-read pile! Recommendations: For those experiencing climate grief, Astrid recommends Jonica Newby's 'Beyond Climate Grief: A journey of love, snow, fire and an enchanted beer can'. Jamila (finally) embraces pandemic literature and suggests 'The Rationing' by Charles Wheelan. CHAT WITH US Join our discussion using hashtag #AnonymousWasAWomanPod and don't forget to follow Jamila (on Instagram and Twitter) and Astrid (also on Instagram and Twitter) to continue the conversation. This podcast is sponsored by Hachette Publishing and is brought to you by Future Women. The podcast is produced by Bad Producer Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.