Podcasts about writing nsw

This week I’m interviewing a guest who I’ve been wanting to get on the show for years! Meet publishing supremo Fiona Hazard. Fiona has been in the book publishing business for over 25 years, both in Australia and in the UK, and has worked with a diverse range of authors and illustrators to help them share their stories with readers around the world. Previously Group Publishing Director for Hachette Australia & New Zealand, she is now Head of Strategy & Development for independent publisher Keeperton and a board member for Writing NSW. Fiona led the publication of my four books in her role at Hachette Australia, and I’ve been fascinated speaking to her about how quickly the publishing industry is developing, and how more accessible than ever it is to get your work published as a result. It’s an exciting time to be an author! In myself and Fiona’s chat, we cover: The biggest block she sees people having writing - and publishing - a book Whether you should just go ahead and write or decide on how to publish it first The different publishing options - self-publish vs go with a publisher (and other options in between!) What you need to get a book deal with a publisher What KDP is and how it’s revolutionising the publishing industry What kind of authors tend to do well with self publishing If it's possible to actually make money from books nowadays Which route she would choose if she was a first-time author now The resources she recommends to authors researching their publishing options The hot genres to watch in publishing To find out more about Keeperton, visit keeperton.com. My May Bali retreat has just TWO SPOTS LEFT! Find out more here: lorrainemurphy.com.au/bali-retreat-may-2025 And October’s retreat has just opened: lorrainemurphy.com.au/bali-retreat-oct-2025 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cold Truth, Ashley's new thriller, is out now. James and Ashley discuss just how difficult writing this book was, plus why she chose to set in a city that makes headlines for being colder than the surface of Mars. They also chat about real-life research, including the time Ashley learned how to pick a lock with a credit card. Plus, James horrifies Ashley with a true story about digital privacy.  Cold Truth is available now from Booktopia, your local bookshop and your library.   Books & authors discussed in this episode: Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen My Dream Time by Ash Barty Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader Newcastle author talk – Thursday, 20 Feb, 6pm at Newcastle Library Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the South Coast Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but I didn't have any ideas that I thought could extend to a novel-length work.'  In episode 110, Michelle See-Tho shares her journey from aspiring writer to winner of the 2023 Penguin Literary Prize for her debut novel, Jade and Emerald. Though she started out writing short stories and video game reviews, she discusses how drawing on inspiration from her own life, including her passion for video games, helped her shape the world of her novel.  Michelle See-Tho is a freelance writer and copywriter. She has had articles and stories published in Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin, Overland and The Big Issue Fiction Edition. Jade and Emerald is her first novel.  You can read Michelle's article 'Why Aren't There More Books About Video Games?' for Nintendo Life here.  Get your copy of Jade and Emerald from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Melanie Cheng Katherine Collette Annette Higgs Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Translations by Jumaana Abdu The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison by Andrew Hamilton The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgård Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain Cold Truth Melbourne with Sally Hepworth – Monday 10 February, 6.30 at Cheltenham Library Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the Sout Coat Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Here it is - the annual end-of-year book recommendation extravaganza! This bumper episode contains every single edition of 'What are you reading?' from 2024, in which James, Ashley and guests discuss the books on their shelves, and why you should read them too (or not). Use it as a last-minute Christmas shopping guide or a wishlist for your own personal library in 2025. Books and authors discussed in this episode (brace yourself, this is a long list): From episode 92 (Kylie Ladd, author of 'I'll Leave You With This') The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (Kylie) The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James) Red River Road by Anna Downes (Ashley) A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold. From episode 93 (Adele Dumont, author of 'The Pulling') Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (Adele) The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James) Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran (Ashley) From episode 94 (no guest) Red River Road by Anna Downes (James) The Consultant by Im Seong Sun, translated by An Seon Jae (Ashley) From episode 95 (Liz Nugent, author of 'Strange Sally Diamond') The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Liz) In the Woods by Tana French (James) The Witch Elm by Tana French (James) Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (Ashley) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Liz) From episode 96 (Tracy Sorensen, author of 'The Vitals') I'll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd (Tracy) Number Go Up by Zeke Faux (Ashley) The Trial by Franz Kafka (James) Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt (James) From episode 97 (no guest) The Cop Who Fell To Earth by Craig Semple (Ashley) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (James) From episode 98 (Imbi Neeme, author of 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not') Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (Imbi) Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami (Ashley) On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen (Ashley) The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood (James) From episode 99 (Siang Lu, author of 'Ghost Cities') He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan (Siang) Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager (James) So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan (James)  Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith (Ashley) From episode 100 (no guest) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Ashley) Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester (James) From episode 101 (Khin Myint, author of 'Fragile Creatures') Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin (Khin) Quiet by Susan Cain (Khin) The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Ashley) Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (James) From episode 102 (Zahid Gamieldien, author of 'All the Missing Children') Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (Zahid) The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (James) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Ashley) The Guest List by Lucy Foley (Ashley) From episode 103 (Robyn Harding, author of 'The Haters') This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead (Robyn) Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (James) Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (James) Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans (Ashley) From episode 104 (Michael Klim, author of 'Klim') Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Michael) The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Michael) Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan (James) Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston (James) From episode 105 (Arna Radovich, author of 'Limits of Forgetting') Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Arna) What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Arna) The Glass House by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist (Arna) Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (Arna) Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen (James) The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti (James) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (James) Revisionist History season 11: Hitler's Olympics by Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey (Ashley) [Podcast] Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke (Ashley)  From episode 106 (Simone Amelia Jordan, author of 'Tell Her She's Dreamin'' The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman (Simone) Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro (Simone) Parable by the Sower by Octavia E Butler (Ashley) From episode 107 (Maggie Walters, author of 'Split') In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich (Maggie) For Life by Ailsa Piper (Maggie) The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas (Ashley) My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (James) Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

It's that time of year again - the annual Bed on a Plinth Awards, in which James and Ashley discuss the best books they've read in the last twelve months! Use this particularly eclectic list to gather Christmas gift ideas, or simply top up your own 'to be read' pile. Books & authors discussed in this episode (spoilers below!): Red River Road by Anna Downes  The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern An Ambush of Widows by R.W.R. McDonald (audiobook) Seventeen Years Later by JP Pomare Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor The Pulling by Adele Dumont (interviewed in episode 93) Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen  Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters by Ivan Cleary & Andrew Webster  Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint (interviewed in episode 101) Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (interviewed in episode 99) Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Sociopath by Patric Gagn The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood  Tyranny of the Minority by Daniel Ziblatt & Steven Levitsky  Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'It's not a mental illness. It's actually a creative coping mechanism.'  What's it like to discover other people living in your own head? In Maggie Walters' debut memoir, she describes her life with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder (which remains Maggie's preferred term). After surviving years of abuse as a child, Maggie now lives with 40 alters and has spent much of her adulthood learning to understand herself, as well as how to share her experience with others. In episode 107, she describes living with her alters, how she wrote her memoir, and why, after years of keeping her reality a secret, she's now sharing it with the world.  Maggie Walters lives in the NSW Northern Rivers with her family. As a trauma survivor, she shares her journey towards wholeness, confronting stereotypes around mental health. Her debut memoir, Split, was published in 2024. An early draft of Split was longlisted for the 2022 Richell Emerging Writers Prize. Get your copy of Split from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Books & authors discussed in this episode: The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich For Life by Ailsa Piper The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'That was the most naive, worst decision I've ever made in my life, because the disease came back with a vengeance.'  In episode 106, Ashley speaks to award-winning memoirist Simone Amelia Jordan about the career that took her from Australia to New York City, and the health crisis that changed everything. We also speak about family heritage and family support, and how writing a memoir helped Simone recover herself and reinvent her career.   Simone Amelia Jordan is Australia's most successful hip-hop journalist, with a career spanning print, radio, TV and digital media. At twenty-three, she founded Urban Hitz, the country's highest-selling rap and R&B publication. Later, in New York City, she served as the content director of The Source, the iconic 'Hip-Hop Bible'. Simone is also an ambassador for Crohn's Colitis Australia. Her memoir, Tell Her She's Dreamin', won the 2021 Richell Prize winner, and is published in Australia and the United States. Get your copy of Tell Her She's Dreamin' from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Nothing in this episode is intended as medical advice. If you have health concerns, speak to your GP. Books & authors discussed in this episode: The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro  Parable by the Sower by Octavia E Butler  Hayley Scrivenor  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'For me, the only decision was to put myself out there and become more of service to others.'   Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim speaks with James about his diagnosis and life with CIDP, the same autoimmune condition James lives with. Michael discusses his childhood and Olympic career, how his worsening health affected his mental health, and how he ultimately decided to become vocal about his condition and support others.  Michael Klim is a renowned Australian swimmer. He competed in three Olympic Games and won six medals, including two gold. Since 2020, Michael has lived with a rare autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). He has established the Klim Foundation to provide support to sufferers and champion the search for new treatments.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston  Open by Andre Agassi  Kelly Slater: For the Love by Kelly Slater Get your copy of Klim from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors. Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm  James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm Ashley is doing her first author tour to the Mid North and Central Coast. Catch her speaking in Forster on Monday 21 October, in Port Macquarie on Monday 21 October, in Kempsey on Tuesday 22 October and at Erina Library on Wednesday 23 October. Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction in Bowral on Thursday 7 November, 10am-4pm.  Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

What's it like putting your creative work out in the world and discovering that some people hate it?  In episode 103 of James and Ashley Stay at Home, international bestselling author Robyn Harding joins James and Ashley to explore her extensive career in writing. She shares her experience of releasing her first book in 2004, and how her journey has evolved up to the launch of her latest novel, The Haters.  Robyn also shares insights into the challenges of dealing with online negativity, the psychological impact of reviews, and what inspired her to write a story centered around an author's worst nightmare. We also discuss managing negativity bias and maintaining a long-term career in the ever-changing literary world. Robyn Harding is the author of numerous international bestsellers, including The Party, The Arrangement and The Drowning Woman. She is also the screenwriter and executive producer of the independent film, The Steps. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and two rescue chihuahuas.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: Troll Hunting by Ginger Gorman;   This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead; The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead;  Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor;  Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;  Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt;  How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt; Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans Get your copy of 'The Haters' from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.  Upcoming events: Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm  James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning,  Wednesday 11 Sept, 6.15pm AEST Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm  James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I wasn't even sure I was going to write a novel.'  Author Zahid Gamieldien joins us to discuss his debut novel, All the Missing Children. Zahid speaks about his start writing short stories, his decision to transition to novel writing based on the advice of a publisher, and how he sees the differences between prose and screenwriting.  He also speaks about the challenge of fitting in writing time while raising children, and his four-year-old son's assessment of his work.   Plus, more spec fiction talk!  Zahid Gamieldien is an author, screenwriter, editor and writing tutor. His short fiction has been published in literary journals including Overland, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Island Magazine and many others. His co-written screenplays have been listed for awards such as the Australian Writers' Guild's John Hinde Award and the AMC One-Hour Pilot Award at the Austin Film Festival. His debut novel is All The Missing Children. Books & authors discussed in this episode: 2666 by Roberto Bolaño;  A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan;  Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor;  The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin;  The Guest List by Lucy Foley;  Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Get your copy of All the Missing Children from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.  Zahid and James will be appearing in conversation together to discuss 'All the Missing Children' at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October. And make sure to check out Zahid at Bad Crime Sydney on Friday 13 September.  Upcoming events  Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm  Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I didn't believe that I'd stalked my partner.'  In episode 101, we speak with debut author Khin Myint about the multiple strands of biography he explores in his memoir Fragile Creatures. One of these is the sudden and extreme betrayal he faced from his ex-partner, who accused him of stalking her.  We also discuss the ambiguous illness his sister Theda lived with for years, at times diagnosed as depression, CFS/ME and chronic Lyme disease, and how she chose to end her life after thirteen years of symptoms and divisiveness. We also consider whether our societal silence around suicide is potentially contribuiting to its rise.   Khin also describes how he came to understand masculinity as a shadow, a pressure that follows men and ultimately shapes them. He asks, 'What is this pressure that socialises boys to adhere to some of these toxic expectations of maleness?'   Fragile Creatures is a must-read memoir, and this conversation is only the tip of more than one culturally urgent conversation.   Plus in What Are You Reading, we chat about a surprising number of speculative fiction titles.  Khin Myint is an author based in Perth. His writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, Liminal and The West Australian, and more. He was selected as one of ten participants in the Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter scheme in 2021. His debut memoir is Fragile Creatures.  Books & authors (and one podcast) discussed in this episode: The Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51);  'What do trigger warnings actually do?' from Search Engine;  Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin;  Quiet by Susan Cain;  The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth;  Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb;  Hyperion by Dan Simmons; Orson Scott Card Get your copy of Fragile Creatures from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.  Upcoming events:  Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm  Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

We made it to 100 episodes! In this celebration of books, reading and creative community, James and Ashley reflect on how the podcast came about, their favourite books and moments from the podcast, and how their lives, health and writing have changed over the four years since episode 1.  You'll also hear from a variety of past guests and listeners, and get an update on the newest books from all our incredible range of previous guests. Plus, we announce the winner of our book pack giveaway.  Authors and books discussed in this episode: Red River Road by Anna Downes (from ep 5) The Shadow House by Anna Downes The Safe Place by Anna Downes Meshi: A Personal History of Japanese Food by Katherine Tamiko Arguile (from ep 7) The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern (from ep 12)  The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern  The Liars by Petronella McGovern  The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13)  The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39)  Dirt by David Vann (from ep 23)  Bianca Millroy, upcoming curator of Science Write Now  Josephine Taylor (from ep 20)  Adele Dumont (from ep 93) Little Bit by Heather Taylor Johnson (forthcoming) (from ep 41)  Ten Thousand Aftershocks by Michelle Tom (from ep 38)  The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (from ep 96) Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint  Madrid: A New Biography by Luke Stegemann (from ep 26)  Happy Millionth Birthday by RWR McDonald (from ep 32)  Ghost Cities by Siang Liu (from ep 99)  The Keepers by Al Campbell (from ep 65)  Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell (from ep 33)  Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (from ep 14)  Love & Autism by Kay Kerr (from ep 37)  Australiana by Yumna Kassab (from ep 57)  The Lovers by Yumna Kassab  Politico by Yumna Kassab  Good Dog by Kate Leaver (from ep 8)  Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran (from ep 48)  Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51)  Taken by Dinuka McKenzie The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine (from ep 52)  Dying to Know by Rae Cairns (from ep 58)  The Good Mother by Rae Cairns  Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood by Darryl Jones (from ep 67)  Never Ever Forever by Karina May (from ep 78) Compassion by Julie Janson (from ep 80)  Benevolence by Julie Janson  Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson  Love, Dad by Laurie Steed (from ep 87) Greater City Shadows by Laurie Steed Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (from ep 68)  Imbi Neeme (from ep 98)  A Real Piece of Work by Erin Riley  Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50)  Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56)  Jacinta Dietrich, favourite friend of the podcast and co-host of Differently Brained (from ep 45) Ada Palmer (from ep 16) The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (from ep 76)  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  David Copperfield by Charles Dickens  Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester  Upcoming events  James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning on Tuesday 23 July, 6.15pm Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm  Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

We've made it to episode 98! Author Imbi Neeme joins James and Ashley to discuss life with misophonia, a hypersensitivity to sounds that she describes as 'like a cheese grater against the brain'. Imbi speaks both about how she discovered that her personal experiences are shared by others, and how she's explored the condition in her latest novel, 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not.' They also discuss the challenge of second books and developing a writing career in an industry obsessed with debuts.  Imbi Neeme won the 2019 Penguin Literary Prize for The Spill, which was published by Penguin Random House in 2020. She blogged for many years at Not Drowning, Mothering, which won the 2010 Bloggies Award for best ANZ Weblog. She lives in Melbourne. Books and authors discussed in this episode: Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami Ghost Cities by Siang Lu On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood Katherine Collette (from ep 55) Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13) Get your copy of Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.    Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Throughout their careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. Now, they're each sharing a few of their most effective writing techniques (starting with episode 94 - James' shortcut to compelling characters).   In this episode, Ashley gives a mini-masterclass on narrative drive and shares some revelations inspired by a book she refuses to name. She breaks down the four components of narrative drive in writing and explores the importance of each.   Plus, she shares the official title of her forthcoming thriller!    Books and authors discussed in this episode Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss; Candice Fox; JP Pomare;  In the Woods by Tana French; Red River Road by Anna Downes;  The Secret History by Donna Tartt; The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga;  Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56);  Toni Jordan;   How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt; The Cop Who Fell From the Sky by Craig Semple;  Demon Copperhead by Barbara;  Annette Higgs (from ep 86); Indira Naidoo (from ep 82) Upcoming events  James is appearing at the Bathurst Writers Festival as part of the  Rural Crime Fiction: A Cross Examination panel, Saturday 25 May 1pm Ashley is teaching a Memoir Masterclass as part of the Words on the Waves Festival on Saturday 1 June, 2-4pm Ashley is appearing at the Words on the Waves Writers Festival as part of the Back from the Abyss panel on Sunday 2 June, 1.30-2.30pm Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.    Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.   Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'The doctors were telling me, "We're going to take your greater omentum out" … I had no idea what these terms meant.'  In episode 96, author Tracy Sorensen joins us to discuss her remarkable novel/cancer memoir, The Vitals, narrated by her internal organs. After her original cancer diagnosis, a desire to better understand her body led Tracy to crochet her peritoneal organs. This in turn helped her to develop each organ's personality as they became point-of-view characters in the novel. She delves into her creative process, including the three-word sticky note that guided her writing. Part of her goal was a deliberate departure from conventional 'battle' narratives surrounding cancer, opting instead for a more nuanced approach that challenges societal expectations. She also shares her approach to crafting narrative drive. Tracy Sorensen is a writer and scholar. She grew up in Carnarvon on the north coast of Western Australia and now lives in Bathurst, New South Wales, with her partner, Steve. Her first novel, The Lucky Galah, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2019. The Vitals, her second novel, is based on her experience with advanced primary peritoneal cancer, a form of ovarian cancer.  Books and authors discussed in this episode Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk   Enid Blyton The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico I'll Leave You with This by Kylie Ladd Number Go Up by Zeke Faux The Trial by Franz Kafka Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt Get your copy of The Vitals from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024 Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

‘I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.'  Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl.  Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidence through writing, and to her recent brain surgery. Liz also dives into her latest novel, sharing insights into the creation of its unique protagonist and her writing process.  Plus, Liz makes a call on the greatest crime novel of the past ten years! Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond – have each been number one bestsellers. She has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin. Books and authors discussed in this episode The Lost Man by Jane Harper; Val McDermid; Ian Rankin; Graham Norton; Dervla McTiernan; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Lisa Jewell;  The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch; In the Woods by Tana French; The Hunter by Tana French; The Search by Tana French; Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica; Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Get your copy of Strange Sally Diamond from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm  See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Throughout their writing careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. In the coming months, they'll each share a few of their most effective writing techniques, starting with James' shortcut to compelling characters.  British science-fiction author Karen Traviss writes remarkably nuanced characters. She also writes remarkably quickly, once tapping out 37,000 words in two days. In this episode, James delves into one of Traviss's novels to understand what makes her characters so compelling. He then shares the four questions he now always asks himself about his characters before writing.  Plus, we talk about the latest novel from one of our very first guests.   You can find a summary of James' tips here.  You can find Karen Traviss' wildly entertaining and informative FAQ page here.  Books and authors discussed in this episode Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss; The Corrections by Jonathon Franzen; The Walking Dead (series) by Robert Kirkman;  Red River Road by Anna Downes;  The Consultant by Im Seong Sun, translated by An Seon Jae Upcoming events Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm  See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I kept this condition very, very secret from everybody.' Adele Dumont's remarkable new memoir, The Pulling, details her life with trichotillomania — a mental health condition that, at times, has consumed her life. In this episode, she discusses the unique writing process that enabled her to put long-held secrets first on the page and then into the public sphere. She also describes the impact of revealing her illness through her memoir, especially to family and friends who knew nothing about her condition. We discuss the shame linked to trichotillomania and whether sharing her story has shifted this feeling. Adele Dumont is an Australian writer and critic. Her work has appeared in Griffith Review, Meanjin, Southerly, ABR, and Sydney Review of Books. Adele's first book, No Man Is an Island, is an account of her experiences teaching English to asylum seekers in detention. Adele lives in Sydney, where she works as an English language teacher and examiner.  'Get your copy of The Pulling from Booktopia or your local bookshop.' Books and authors discussed in this episode: Lee Kofman (from episode 76); Helen Garner; Adele's Guardian article; Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid; The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård; Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran (from episode 48) Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 As part of Seniors Week, Ashley is teaching memoir writing at Glen Street & Warringah Mall Library, on 15 and 19 March Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Ashley attempts to wish you well, James is extra James, and they both share upcoming workshops and appearances.    Upcoming events Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Get in touch ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'The whole concept of transplantation still blows me away. There is something a bit magical about it. But as with most things people do, it can also find ways to blow up in people's faces.'  Author and neuropsychologist Kylie Ladd joins us to speak about her latest book, 'I'll Leave You with This.' She shares her research into the incredible science of human organ and tissue donation, and the family tragedy that inspired her beautiful novel.  Plus, you'll never guess what James is reading!  Kylie Ladd is a novelist, psychologist and freelance writer. Her novels have been published in Australia and overseas, and her short works appear widely across Australia. She holds a PhD in neuropsychology. Get your copy of 'I'll Leave You with This' from Booktopia or your local bookshop. You can register to become an organ donor online.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen;  The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård; Red River Road by Anna Downes (from episode 5); A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold;  Andrew Solomon;  Dani Vee, host of the Words and Nerds Podcast Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

If you listen to James and Ashley Stay at Home, you know that both Ashley and James credit much of their skill development to their writers group. And they're not the only ones! You can hear rom com author Jonathon Shannon talk about what he learned from the group, as well as literary fiction author Amy Lovat. Like Ashley and James, they joined as aspiring writers, and their manuscripts have gone on to be published.      Ashley's such a big fan of writers groups, she's put together a new on-demand workshop on the topic – and this short bonus ep tells you all about it.    This one-hour course covers everything from how to find a group near you, or start or your own, how to give and receive feedback, and how to know when your group isn't working and what to do about it.     Find Ashley's course, Get the Most from Writing Groups and Get Published at Bold Authors.   Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024 Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

The tables are turned! Recorded live at the Inaugural Boorowa Literary Festival, festival director, book lover, and all-round excellent human Jeremy Clarke interviews James and Ashley.    Learn more about the Absolutely Superb Bibliothèque and Occasional Wine Bar and its upcoming literary events here!   Hear the James and Ashley Stay at Home origin story! Discover the connection between wine bars and readers. Plus, get an answer to the classic question, 'You've just had a farm visit – how was it?'     Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.    Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.   Upcoming events Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024    Books and authors discussed in this episode The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell Mistakes and Other Lovers by Amy Lovat (from ep 83) Bound to Happen by Jonathon Shannon (from ep 84) Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

It's books wrap-up season! James and Ashley are getting on the bandwagon and discussing their favourite reads from 2023 in the first annual 'Bed on a Plinth Awards.' Books and authors discussed in this episode (warning: spoilers!): Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt Crushing by Genevieve Novak The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane Desire by Jessie Cole Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders The Wych Elm by Tana French When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu Fire with Fire by Candice Fox Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier  The Push by Ashley Audrain  The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward  Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024 Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Our most popular episode of the year is back! James has gathered the best 'What Are You Reading?' segments from 2023 into a comprehensive summary of book recommendations from our guests.   We discuss a huge variety of books, including thriller, mystery, memoir, rom com, literature, essays, poetry, nonfiction, plays and audiobooks. We also delve into reading habits. Do you read several books at a time, or restrict yourself to one? Do you finish most books you pick up, or allow yourself to quit? And so much more.  This episode features Hilton Koppe, Sanchana Venkatesh, Lee Kofman, Anna Spargo-Ryan, Karina May, Hannah Bent, Holden Sheppard, Hayley Scrivenor, Danielle Binks, Julie Janson, Mark Brandi, Indira Naidoo, Amy Lovat, Jonathon Shannon, Ali Thomas, Jacinta Dietrich, and Annette Higgs.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief by Victoria Chang; The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill;  Lost Connections by Johann Hari; Homesickness by Janine Mikosza; The Fire and the Rose by Robyn Cadwallader; Turning Points in Medieval History by Dorsey Armstrong; Crying in H Mary by Michelle Zauner; Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata; Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason; Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner; Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom; The Wych Elm by Tana French; In the Woods by Tana French; The Others by Mark Brandi; Stolen Focus by Johann Hari; Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka; Crushing by Genevieve Novak; No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak; The Shot by Naima Brown; The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka; The Road by Cormac McCarthy; The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy; Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy; The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; Ghost Music by An Yu; Eta Draconis by Brendan Ritchie; We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson; The Long Knives by Irvine Welsh; We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis; Windhall by Ava Barry; The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane; Limberlost by Robbie Arnott; Benevolence by Julie Janson; Compassion by Julie Janson; Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami; The People of the River by Grace Karskens; Nardi Simpson (from ep 18); Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky; Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright; The Trial by Franz Kafka; Mistakes and Other Lovers by Amy Lovat; Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier; Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier; A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno; Brilliant Lies by David Williamson; Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller; Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler; A Swim in the Pond in the Road by George Saunders; Lee Kofman (from ep 76); Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13); Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50); From Bhutan to Blacktown by Om Dhungel; Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver; Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe Stolen Focus by Johann Hari; Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang;      Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey; Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey; Lucy Clarke; Echolalia by Briohny Doyle; Bunny by SE Tolsen; On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs; When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu; Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld; A Mile Down by David Vann; A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh; The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; The Reader by Bernard Schlink; The Tilt by Chris Hammer; The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes; The Joy Thief by Penny Moodie; We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough; Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo; Obsession by Nicole Madigan  Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

‘I wanted to find compassion for me and for any writer out there who's doing the best they can but it's not working out the way they planned.'   Author Laurie Steed shares how crippling anxiety affected both his literary career and his experience of fatherhood. Before he could address the anxiety, he first had to unlearn the lessons around masculinity that prevented him from expressing vulnerability. Working with a creativity coach, Laurie has developed new ways of thinking about his writing, his career, and himself.  Plus, James and Ashley discuss their own ongoing health challenges and how their approaches to discussing health have changed (or not) over time.  Laurie Steed is the author of You Belong Here, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, and Greater City Shadows, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. His debut memoir is Love, Dad: Confessions of an Anxious Father.  Get your copy of Love, Dad from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events  James is in conversation with Benjamin Stevenson about his newest novel, Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect – Wednesday 6 December, 6.30pm at Warringah Mall, $5 Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March, 2024 Books and authors discussed in this episode: You Belong Here by Laurie Steed Greater City Shadows by Laurie Steed (forthcoming) ZZ Packer Jack Kornfield The Disorganisation of Celia Stone by Emma Young Trapdoor by JP Pomare  Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy. James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Ashley reveals the inspiration behind the twists and turns in her bestselling psychological thriller, Dark Mode.  Together with return guest Jacinta Dietrich and self-described enthusiastic reader Ali Thomas, Ashley and James delve into every scintillating Dark Mode detail they normally can't discuss, including the novel's real-life inspirations.   Jacinta Dietrich is the author of This Is Us Now, and co-hosts Differently Brained, a podcast focussed on neurodivergent celebration and mental health awareness. Ali Thomas is a former high school English teacher and featured as part of the inaugural Boorowa Literary Festival.  Upcoming events: Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm Books and authors discussed in this episode: The Reader by Bernard Schlink  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon  Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz  The Tilt by Chris Hammer A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold Troll Hunting by Ginger Gorman  Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates The Guest List by Lucky Foley  Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes The Joy Thief by Penny Moodie We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich  Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy. James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.  Get in touch ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I was still in that really optimistic, sort of naive, wonderful space as an early writer, where you think everything you write is just publishable.' Debut author Jonathon Shannon shares his journey from aspiring writer to published author – including the decision to join James and Ashley's writers' group.  We discuss how he took his debut romcom from a four-word pitch to a publishing contract, the rejection of his first manuscript, and his transition to writing romantic comedy alongside his wife, author Elodie Cheesman.  Plus, do you have a book you're saving to read before you die?  Jonathon Shannon is a Sydney-based writer and creative director. His work has been recognised at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, screened at the St Kilda Film Festival, and is housed in the permanent archives of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Bound to Happen is his debut novel.  Get your copy of Bound to Happen or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events  James is in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor as part of the National Young Writers Festival, 28 Sept to 1 Oct Ashley is appearing in-person at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival, happening Saturday 7 October.  Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm Books and authors discussed in this episode: 'I'm the Wrong Ghost for This Haunting' by Ren Arcamone Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld A Mile Down by David Vann  A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Love, In Theory by Elodie Cheesman Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy. James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

‘I conflate so many experiences throughout my life with the level of pain I was in at the time.' Amy Lovat, debut author of Mistakes and Other Lovers and founder of Secret Book Stuff, gets real with us about the challenges of maintaining a creative practice with endometriosis. She also discusses writing about the dark side of modern evangelical Christianity, setting her novel in her hometown of Newcastle, and that time she was rushed to emergency in agonising pain and – well, you'll just have to listen. Plus, James and Ashley receive personalised reading recommendations from this master bibliophile! Amy Lovat is a writer, editor and the founder of Secret Book Stuff. She has a PhD in English and Writing from the University of Newcastle and lives with her partner Laura, two dogs, a bird and thousands of books in Gadigal Country, Sydney. Get your copy of Mistakes and Other Lovers or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events  Ashley is appearing at Bloody Scotland on 15 September! Catch her in person in Stirling, UK, or online!  James is in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor as part of the National Young Writers Festival, 28 Sept to 1 Oct Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm Books and authors discussed in this episode: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari;  Hot Little Hands by Abigail Ulman; Just a Girl by Kirsten Krauth; Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney; Normal People by Sally Rooney; A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu; Friends and Dark Shapes by Kavita Bedford (from ep 24); Adult Fantasy by Briohny Doyle (read Ashley's review); Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang;      Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey; Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey; Lucy Clarke; Echolalia by Briohny Doyle; Bunny by SE Tolsen; On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs; The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane; When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu; Plus hear Amy talk about Secret Book Stuff in ep 34!  Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy. James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.  Check out Writing NSW's online course program, and Podcasting 101.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

After Indira Naidoo lost her sister to suicide during the pandemic lockdowns, she unexpectedly found herself turning to nature to help her heal. Speaking with Ashley, Indira shares the journey through grief that led to her memoir 'The Space Between the Stars,' including her relationship with an especially consoling Moreton Bay fig. She describes the challenge of writing the book when she struggled even to speak her sister's name, and delves into our innate need to connect with the natural world.    Indira Naidoo is one of Australia's most popular broadcasters and authors. During her multi-decade award-winning journalistic career, she has hosted and reported for some of the country's most distinguished news and current affair programs, including the ABC TV's Late Edition and SBS TV World News, and she is currently the host of ABC TV's Compass and ABC Radio Sydney's Evenings Program. She is an ambassador for Sydney's homeless crisis centre the Wayside Chapel. Get your copy of The Space Between the Stars online or from your local bookshop. The South Coast Writers Festival is happening 18 to 20 August at Wollongong Town Hall. Hear from James, Ashley, Hayley Scrivenor, Shankari Chandran, and more! Authors include Alan Baxter, Alexis Wright, Caroline Baum, Emma Viskic, Helena Fox, Indira Naidoo, Kate Holden, Kate Scott, Loraine Peck, Meredith Jaffe, Mykaela Saunders, Pamela Cook, Sara Ayoub, Sarah Saleh, Tim Ayliffe, Tim Flannery and Will Kostakis. Indira is appearing on the panel 'Ritual, Nature and Grace,' alongside poet Tamryn Bennett, to discuss nature mysticism and medicine, rituals, and how writers express the things that strain beyond words. They'll be speaking with festival director Sarah Nicholson. Upcoming events  South Coast Writers Festival, 18-20 August, Wollongong Town Hall – see Ashley and James in person!  Online: Building Suspense in Writing – Ashley is teaching this online workshop through Writers Victoria, Sunday 27 August, 10am-4pm Bound to Happen launch – Join Ashley in conversation at Better Read than Dead in Newtown for the launch of Jonathon Shannon's debut romcom, Saturday 2 September, 6.30-8pm  Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm Books and authors discussed in this episode: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver; Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe  Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy. James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Bettina is a Writer and Author with more than 16 years of experience in Public Relations and corporate writing. Originally from Germany, she moved to Australia in 2008. Following her creative calling, she graduated from the International School of Colour and Design in 2011 and self-published Downsize with Style in 2014.  As a freelance writer, she was published in Australian House & Garden, Home Ideas Magazine, Jetstar inflight magazine, and the Retiree Magazine. She started her life-writing journey in 2015 and is a member of Writing NSW, the Australian Writer's Centre, and the Australian Society of Authors. Other courses include an NLP Practitioner Training and energy work. She currently lives in Sydney, has two sons (20 and 17) and loves ballroom dancing, Pilates, meditation, and tea. Her midlife memoir Dare to Dance was published in April 2022 by MBW Publishing Enterprises.   FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/bettina.deda/ Linkedin Profile: http://au.linkedin.com/in/bettinadeda Instagram: @bettina_deda     Your Host Karen Roberts   At Mintwave Radio Station and the 'Raising Vibrations' podcast network on Podbean, we provide a comprehensive range of services to coaches, consultants, therapists, healers, and experts who want to share their message with a wider audience. Our offerings include a complete podcast production service and an advanced AI-powered sales and marketing system that takes care of lead generation and nurturing for online course sales. We assist our clients in designing, creating, marketing, and selling their courses through various strategies such as educational funnels, podcast funnels, appointment funnels, sales pages, and membership areas. Our "Done 4 you" service encompasses editing podcasts, optimizing sound quality by removing filler words, crafting engaging show notes, producing intros and outros, creating podcast ads and snippets for social media marketing, and helping our clients achieve their first 50,000 downloads. If you're a coach who sells online courses and would like to learn How To Use AI To Build A List And Sell Your Coaching Program Fast......... >> https://karenrobertscoaching.com/ai  ATTN: Coaches, Consultants & Experts STUCK at 5-10k Months, How to Turn Your Podcast into a Sales Machine......... check out this free on demand class “Podcast Profits Unleashed” >>https://karenrobertscoaching.com/podcast-profits

How do you work through a major edit on your book when you have a traumatic brain injury? And how do you write about the death of a loved one while you're grieving? Jackie Bailey, author of debut novel 'The Eulogy' and professional deathwalker, joins us to discuss her experience with both. Jackie Bailey is a professional writer and researcher and a recognised international expert on cultural diversity in the arts. She has a Creative Writing PhD from UNSW and is on the Board of Merrigong Theatre Company. Jackie is also an ordained interfaith minister, trained deathwalker and practising funeral director. 'The Eulogy' is her debut novel. Get your copy of 'The Eulogy' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold. Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: 'In life, my sister taught me how to love. In death, she made me want to fix the funeral industry' by Jackie Bailey for the Guardian; Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor; Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl; The Smell of Fresh Rain: The Unexpected Pleasures of Our Most Elusive Sense by Barney Shaw; Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; Denizen by James McKenzie Watson (featured in ep 60); Virginia Woolf; Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller; How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

Author Al Campbell joins us to discuss her debut book 'The Keepers,' a fictionalised account of her own life both as the mother of two autistic boys and the survivor of an abusive parent.  Al shares the reasons behind her choice to write fiction instead of memoir, what people don't realise about the life of a full-time carer, and the struggle for disability advocacy.  'The Keepers' is a contemporary Australian novel infused with deep love and wild torment, 'about the damage done by parents who can't love, the failures of a community that only claims to care, and the resilience of those whose stories mostly go untold'. Born in Brisbane, Al Campbell is a mother and full-time carer. Long ago she studied a bit, acted a bit, and pulled a lot of beers. Her first publication was in 'Overland' in 2020, followed by a story in 'Signs of Life.' 'The Keepers' is about issues – and people – that matter to her more than anything. Get your copy of 'The Keepers' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold. Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; David Vann; Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon; We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver; The Signal Line by Brendan Colley; Denizen by James McKenzie Watson; The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (who we spoke to back in ep 4); The Suspect by Michael Robotham; The Road by Cormac McCarthy; All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy; Curlews on Vulture Street by Darryl Jones; The Whispering by Veronica Lando; Vikki Petraitis James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

***Warning! Spoilers for Denizen by James McKenzie Watson in this episode*** Heads up, this episode of James and Ashley Stay at Their Respective Homes in Separate Cities is full of spoilers for Denizen. If you haven't read Denizen yet, you can still enjoy reading about our special double-guest episode, and then get even more excited to go and read Denizen so you can listen without spoiler concerns. Double guests? That's right, we finally get to speak with debut novelist Hayley Scrivenor, plus we welcome back our one and only repeat guest, author Jacinta Dietrich. We jump in immediately by talking about *that ending* and then discuss the ethics of writing violence, one-star reviews, and, of course, the great lasagna-with-a-side-of-peas debate.  Hayley Scrivenor is the author of the number one Australian bestseller Dirt Town, also out now in the US and UK. She is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. An earlier version of Dirt Town was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley lives on Dharawal country, on the east coast of Australia, and has a PhD in Creative Writing. Jacinta Dietrich is a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her first book, This Is Us Now, was published in 2021 by Grattan Street Press. We first spoke to Jacinta back in episode 45. Get your copy of Denizen from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold. Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.  Books and authors (and one doco) discussed in this episode:  Robert Gott;  This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);  Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;  Petronella McGovern (from ep 12);  Abducted in Plain Sight (Netflix), directed by Skye Borgman;  Halibut on the Moon by David Vann (from ep 23);  There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura;  Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov;  Karl Ove Knausgård (of course);  My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach;  The Keepers by Al Campbell;  Dark Deeds Down Under, edited by Craig Sisterson;  Reacher Said Nothing: The Making of Make Me by Andy Martin;  Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle;  Earthlings by Sayaka Murata;  The Whispering by Veronica Lando  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com  Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt  Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt  James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com  James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson  James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

Author Bronwyn Birdsall joins us to discuss the writing of her first novel, 'Time and Tide in Sarajevo,' and her life after chronic fatigue syndrome. We discuss living with a mindset of rest and recovery, moving overseas and reinventing yourself, and the question at the heart of the book – how do we find hope in a world that feels beyond repair?   As always, nothing in this episode is intended as medical advice.  Bronwyn Birdsall grew up in Sydney. At the age of twenty-four, she moved to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and worked as an English teacher. The four years she spent there provided the inspiration for 'Time and Tide in Sarajevo.' Her writing centres around contemporary life and finding meaning in the everyday. She writes from her home on Bundjalung Country, in Northern New South Wales. Books and authors discussed in this episode: Sarah Sentilles;  Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski; Indelible City by Louisa Lim;  The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman;   Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti;  A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan;  The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis;  The Whispering by Veronica Lando  Get your copy of 'Tide and Tide in Sarajevo' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold.  James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.  Upcoming events: James: Author talk at Taree Library, Friday 26 August 2022, 11am-12pm, free, RSVP here.   James: Author talk at Port Macquarie Library, Saturday 27 August 2022, 10:30-11:30am, free, RSVP here.   James and Ashley: Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Saturday 3 September, 9.30-5pm. James: BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022, 'Three Prizewinners Walk into a Bar...' Friday 9 September, 3-4pm. Ashley is teaching The Joy of Creative Writing, Tuesday 30 August, 7.45-9pm, online via Zoom. Ashley's new six-week course Online: Creative Non-Fiction takes place Monday 31 October to Friday 9 December 2022, through Writing NSW.  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

In our second Book Week Bonus episode (yes, we're celebrating Book Week throughout the entire month of August!) we have another author interview recorded at the recent Kids and YA Festival, held at Writing NSW in Sydney and curated by author Belinda Murrell. This time, hear from super-accomplished kids and YA author (and recent Survivor contestant!) Wai Chim. Hear more about her writing career, books like The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling, Freedom Swimmer and more! Read the show notes: https://www.onemorepagepodcast.com/ Email us at: onemorepagepodcast@gmail.com Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/onemorepageAU Twitter: www.twitter.com/onemorepageau Instagram: www.instagram.com/onemorepageau

To celebrate Book Month (because we all know the Book Week festivities really go all month long!), we have a series of episodes coming to you throughout August! Team OMP recently attended the amazing Kids and YA Festival held at Writing NSW in Sydney, curated by author Belinda Murrell. On the day, Kate interviewed several of the authors who spoke at the festival, and the first of these was Deb Abela. In our first Book Week Bonus episode, hear a fascinating chat with one of the Australian kids' book industry's most beloved authors. Discover more about her brand new middle grade release, The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, insights into her writing life and lots more! Read the show notes: https://www.onemorepagepodcast.com/ Email us at: onemorepagepodcast@gmail.com Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/onemorepageAU Twitter: www.twitter.com/onemorepageau Instagram: www.instagram.com/onemorepageau

In this episode, Pamela Cook takes us through the process behind writing her novel All We Dream. We talked about the differences between traditional and independent publishing and Pam gave some fabulous tips on things like cover design and advertising and marketing. Pam also, very generously, ran through some of the before and after changes to the novel between its two editions and how those changes improved the novel. I was also really keen to talk to Pam about two writing craft aspects she is really knowledgeable about and actually teaches to other writers - how to write in deep point of view and how to, as she calls it, turn up the tension in your writing to keep your readers turning the page. We also discussed the importance of visiting the place you're writing about if possible and how she works with her agent.You'll find links to buy both paperback and ebook versions of All We Dream here.ABOUT PAMELA COOKPamela Cook is an author, podcaster, writing teacher and mentor. Her best-selling debut novel Blackwattle Lake (2012) was published by Hachette Australia in 2012 followed by three rural fiction titles. Her latest releases Cross My Heart (2019) and All We Dream (2020) have taken her writing in an exciting new direction.Pamela writes page-turning contemporary women's fiction, delving deep into the psychology of her characters and the complexity of relationships in all their forms. She explores the impact of trauma, grief and generational conflict, drawing on the resilience and courage she finds in inspirational women. Her writing is imbued with a deep love of the natural world and its power to heal. Producing and hosting Writes4Women, a weekly podcast that supports women writers and celebrates women's writing, is one of Pamela's not-so-guilty pleasures. She is also a Writer Ambassador for Room To Read, a not-for-profit organisation promoting literacy and gender equality in developing countries.An experienced teacher, Pamela tutors at Writing NSW and the Australian Writers' Centre and loves to mentor emerging authors. When she's not writing or reading, she wastes as much time as possible riding her handsome quarter horse Rio, hanging out with her three adult daughters and menagerie of animals on her dream-come-true rural property in the beautiful Illawarra region of NSW, and dreaming of a road trip in Virginia, her vintage caravan.Website: https://pamelacook.com.au/https://www.writes4women.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamelaCookAuthorInstagram: @pamelacookwritesTwitter: @PamelaCookAUPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pamelacookwrites/LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEDonald Maass - The Emotional Craft of FictionLisa Hall-Wilson - Deep Point of ViewWatch Pam talk with Lisa Hall-Wilson on Writes4Women podcastMargie Lawson - Editing System (colour coded)Turn Up the Tension - Course at Writing NSW (released soon)This podcast is recorded on the beautiful, unceded lands of the Garigal people of the Eora nation.Full show notes available at writersbookclubpodcast.com

Writing with Passion Deborah Abela talks about the highs and lows of her career, her passions, inspiration and writing process, building a career as a children's writer, things she wished she'd known when she started out, pivoting during the pandemic, and being part of a writing community. In conversation with Belinda Murrell.

Building Career Longevity: Publicity, social media, marketing and resilience How do you build a thriving writing career in a rapidly changing industry? How do you help make your books sell? These highly successful professionals discuss the business of publishing including creating dynamic author platforms, social media, dealing with publishers and booksellers, advances and royalties, diverse income streams, and building resilience. With Dot Tonkin, Paul Macdonald, Mick Elliott and Belinda Murrell (chair).

'If he wants to follow me, I can't stop him.' After a random encounter with poet and author Ellis Gunn at an auction, a stranger decides to stalk her. Years later, she sits down to write about the experience – and realises it's connected to a lifetime of gendered abuse, including surviving both sexual assault and domestic violence. In this wide-ranging and compelling interview, Ellis discusses what she learned through the experience of writing her debut memoir, Rattled, including the psychological impacts of stalking, the reactions of her family and friends, and the concepts of agency deletion and radical empathy.  Ellis Gunn is a Scottish writer and poet who now lives in Australia. Her poetry, essays and reviews have been published widely in the UK and she has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Book Festival and the British Embassy in Berlin. She lives near the beach with her partner, two children, a cat and some ants. Learn more about Ellis on her website, and buy a copy of 'Rattled' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.  Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk; 'Tribes and Traitors', Hidden Brain podcast from Shankar Vedantam; Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and Its Human Fallout by Ginger Gorman; The Writing Life by Annie Dillard;  The Luminous Solution by Charlotte Wood; How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt; Outline by Rachel Cusk; The Break by Katherena Vermette Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

If you've ever dreaded public speaking, this episode is for you! Author and podcaster Katherine Collette speaks about her charming new novel The Competition, which satirises the world of competitive speaking clubs. We explore why public speaking is so intimidating for most people. We also discuss Katherine's personal experience with public speaking clubs, and how they can build both confidence and empathy. As she says, 'You sign up to learn to speak. But the real power is in having to listen.' Finally, we answer the question – is some discomfort in life necessary? Katherine Collette is a novelist, podcaster and engineer living in Melbourne with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, The Helpline, was published in Australia, Germany, Italy and the US and UK. She co-hosts the writing podcast The First Time with author Kate Mildenhall. Books and authors discussed in this episode: After Story by Larissa Behrendt; David Sedaris; Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl; Sarah Krasnostein; Love Stories by Trent Dalton; Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton; Ben Hobson Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

38,000 people go missing every year in Australia, yet only a small number of these cases garner public interest. In 'The Missing Among Us,' author Erin Stewart explores the issue of missing persons from a variety of perspectives, including the lack of police resources that leave families leading their own searches, the Stolen Generations, and cults. And what drew Erin to the topic is just as fascinating.  Erin talks to Ashley and James about how the ambiguity of living with chronic illness drove her interest in missing persons. 'The Missing Among Us' is 'about finding a space for those conversations about ambiguous circumstances in order to understand the complex issue of missing persons.' She also describes her experiences with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the research behind her book.  Erin Stewart is a Canberra-based freelance writer who has written for a range of Australian and international publications including Meanjin, Voiceworks, ABC Online, SBS Online, Daily Life, Overland, and many others. She has been an opinion columnist for The Age and made regular appearances on ABC Sydney Mornings to talk about books and the arts. An earlier version of this book was shortlisted for the Portobello Books Unpublished Manuscript Prize in the UK. She holds a PhD in non-fiction writing. You can buy a copy of 'The Missing Among Us' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: The Myth of Closure by Pauline Boss; Brave New Humans by Sarah Dingle;  'What if there's no such thing as closure' by Meg Bernhard, New York Times; All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy; Missing Richard Simmons podcast  Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

How do we build community and a sense of self after loss, especially the kind of loss that echoes for generations? James and Ashley speak with Australian Sri Lankan author Shankari Chandran about her new novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, and how her efforts to find connection in the writing community echo her Tamil family's work to build community after being dispossessed from their homeland in the Sri Lankan civil war. Shankari discusses writing from a place of anger and love, the changing Australian publishing landscape, and how literature creates an archive of the dispossessed.  This episode connects to our conversations with previous guests Nardi Simpson (ep 18), Luke Stegemann (ep 26), David Heska Wanbli Weiden (ep 40), in which we explore the legacy of mass traumatic events on the health of communities and society. Shankari Chandran was raised in Canberra, Australia. She spent a decade in London, working as a lawyer in the social justice field, before returning to Australia, where she now lives with her husband and children. She is the author of two previous novels, Song of the Sun God, and The Barrier, and has been shortlisted for the Fairway National Literary Award and the Norma K Hemming Award for speculative fiction.  Learn more about Shankari on her website, and buy a copy of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: A Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam; Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell; Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson (from ep 18); Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie; They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall; David Heska Wanbli Weiden (from ep 40); Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian translated by Mabel Lee; Amnesia Road by Luke Stegemann (from ep 26) Check out Shankari's essay on writing and resilience published by Writing NSW. Plus, join Ashley for her Laneway Learning online workshop, The Joy of Creative Writing (Monday 31 January, 7:45-9pm AEDT) and her upcoming online event with Anna Downes (Thursday 3 Feb, 11am AEDT).  Get in touch! Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

This week, we're excited to be bringing you a collection of stories, poems and songs performed live at Boundless Festival of Indigenous and Culturally Diverse writers.  Boundless is presented by Writing NSW and Bankstown Arts Centre and is made possible with the support of Create NSW, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund and the Australia Council for the Arts. For more information about Boundless Festival, you can click here. In this episode we're sharing sharing three beautiful performances from the Boundless Program. The first two come from 'When Breath Meets Air,' a performance event curated by Tina Huang which aims to showcase the power of the spoken word and to highlight why– as Eileen Myles writes, we should “believe in sound.” Why we should believe in the tiniest shakings, in the smells dispersing, in the tingling moments between breath and between air. First we hear from Gomeroi poet, essayist and law academic Alison Whittaker. You can find Alison on Twitter @AJ_Whittaker. Next we hear from human rights activist, poet and writer Sara Saleh. Sara is the daughter of migrants from Palestine, Egypt and Lebanon and is currently living on Gadigal Land. Her work has been published in English and Arabic in various national and international outlets and anthologies. Sara was the first poet to win the Peter Porter Poetry Prize and the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, she is currently developing her first novel. You can find her @SaraSalehOz on Twitter and @instasaraade on Instagram.  To close our episode, we have a poem performed by Nicole Smede as part of 'Empty City, Lonely Girl,' also curated by Tina Huang this performance event featured stories of loneliness and connection. Nicole is a multi-disciplinary artist of Worimi and European descent and uses language, song and poetry as a form of connection. Her voice can be heard on award-winning film scores, and poetry in visual and sound works, and publications including Guwayu: for all times, and 20x20x12 Sensing Place. You can find her @nicolesmede on Twitter and @nicole.smede on Instagram.  All The Best credits Production Manager: Danni Stewart Editorial Manager: Mell Chun Host: Helenna Barone-Peters  Episode Mix and Compile: Danni Stewart Social Media Producers:  Emma Pham  Community and Events Coordinator: Lidiya Josifova  SYN Mentee Producer: Wing Kuang  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James and Ashley interview Kay Kerr and Anna Whateley, neurodiverse authors of young-adult fiction. In it, Kay and Anna discuss their journeys to diagnosis as adults, their upcoming second books, and their remarkable friendship. Learn more about Kay on her website, and buy a copy of her debut novel 'Please Don't Hug Me' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.  Learn more about Anna on her website, and buy a copy of her debut novel 'Peta Lyre's Rating Normal' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.  Books and authors discussed in this episode Late Bloomer by Clem Bastow; The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough; Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde; Future Girl by Asphyxia; When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro; The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; Vodka and Apple Juice by Jay Martin; A History of My Brief History by Billy Ray Belcourt; The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson You can read James' interview with Writing NSW here.  Get in touch! Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

Sally Bradfield, author of Not Quite 30-Love, spoke to Samuel Elliot of The Write Way podcast, about the role Writing NSW's self-publishing course with Joel Naoum helped get her book out.

Sally Bradfield, author of Not Quite 30-Love, spoke to Samuel Elliot of The Write Way podcast, about the role Writing NSW's self-publishing course with Joel Naoum helped get her book out.

By its definition, the key to good microfiction is brevity. There is no time for plot and character development; every word must count. The writer plunges the reader into the story and wrenches them back out, leaving it to the reader’s imagination to reflect upon what they have read.Three Minute Microfiction features three microfiction pieces from the Tall And True writers’ website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead. At the end of the episode, Robert provides an insight into the microfiction genre and the three pieces.The show notes include links to the pieces on Tall And True and the podcast's theme music and sound effects.Support the podcast: supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-readsWriter's Insight into Three Minute Microfiction piecesI discovered the microfiction genre when reviewing a collection for Writing NSW, Loopholes by Susan McCreery. Wiktionary.org defines microfiction as “Fiction that has a significantly shorter than average length.” Synonyms include drabble, flash fiction, flashfic, short-short story, sudden fiction and even twitterature.By its definition, brevity is the key to good microfiction. There is no time for plot and character development; every word must count. The writer plunges the reader into the story and wrenches them back out, leaving it to the reader’s imagination to reflect upon what they have read, what lead to the situation, and how it might resolve itself.Microfiction will not be to every reader’s taste. Some may consider it a modern malaise, where our pace of life has become too fast to enjoy a leisurely read. Or Twitteresque, where US Presidential pronouncements are reduced to 280-character tweets. And yet, microfiction is not as recent a form as some might imagine. Ernest Hemingway is said to have written a famous piece in response to a challenge to write a six-word novel: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”I wrote these three microfiction pieces at different times in my life. There Is No Need Wake Up was written for a local radio competition in 2000. The brief was to include the tag line, “There is no need to wake up”. As luck would have it, I have occasionally dreamed my footy team has won games that, in reality, they lost.And I Didn't Even Get Convicted was also written for a local radio competition in 2014. The story had to be 200 words or less and to end with the line, “And I didn’t even get convicted”. I received a nice thank you for my entry. But I didn’t even get selected as a winner.The final short piece, We Need To Talk, was written for a competition run by Meanjin Quarterly to celebrate the introduction of 280-character Twitter in 2017. The rules were simple: tweet a 280-character story and include the hashtag #meanjin280. I didn't win the competition. But I repurposed the piece for another microfiction competition run by the Australian Writers' Centre in 2019, as We Need to Talk in 29 Words. And this was published on their blog.I hope you enjoyed this dabble with microfiction. You can read these pieces and all my short stories, blog posts and other writing at TallAndTrue.com.Thank you for listening. The next episode of Tall And True Short Reads will be in your podcast feed shortly. In the meantime, please check your feed for earlier episodes. And subscribe to the podcast and rate and review it via your favourite listening app. And don’t forget to tell your family and friends about Tall And True Short Reads and the Tall And True writers’ website.Read these microfiction pieces on the Tall And True website:• Number 1, There’s No Need To Wake Up - tallandtrue.com.au/microfiction/no-need-to-wake-up• Number 2, And I didn’t even get convicted - tallandtrue.com.au/microfiction/and-i-didn-t-even-get-convicted• Number 3, We Need to Talk - tallandtrue.com.au/microfiction/we-need-to-talk.Podcast Theme and Podcast Sound EffectsRoyalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:Sports fans cheering: https://freesound.org/people/FlatHill/sounds/324756/Siren: https://freesound.org/people/lluiset7/sounds/367442/Children playing: https://freesound.org/people/yacou/sounds/190894/News jingle: https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/Heart monitor (beeping): https://freesound.org/people/iluminati_2705/sounds/536706/Respirator: https://freesound.org/people/dansotak/sounds/137709/Phone message notification: https://freesound.org/people/katjajansen1997/sounds/538006/Production NotesTall And True Short Reads produced using Audacity. Thanks to Josh (VoiceOverMaster) Meyer for Audacity recording tips and tricks.Acast Podcast Supporter Page See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ryan O'Neill chats about appropriate The Drover's Wife, Writing NSW and writing shorts stories.

This recording is part of the Honouring Australian Writers series, where Writing NSW pays tribute to writers who have made an important contribution to our literary culture. In 2020 we honour renowned author, journalist, playwright, and political activist Katharine Susannah Prichard. As part of re-examining Prichard’s legacy, this conversation between Jacqueline Wright and Jeanine Leane critically considers Prichard’s 1929 novel Coonardoo, and its place within a broader context of how Aboriginal people have been portrayed in their colonisers’ stories. In this discussion are Jacqueline Wright, editor, teacher and author with over 20 years’ experience as a linguist in WA’s remote north-west on Australian Aboriginal language, interpreting and cultural programs, and Jeanine Leane, Wiradjuri writer, poet and academic who as published widely in the area of Aboriginal literature, writing otherness and creative non-fiction. This conversation was recorded during NAIDOC Week, and Writing NSW recognises the 2020 theme Always Was, Always Will Be. First Nations people are the original storytellers on this land, and have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. For more recordings, videos and reading material, including a list of the texts mentioned in this recording, visit the Katharine Susannah Prichard Honouring page at writingnsw.org.au

Chickin’ Lickin’ was Lindsay Holliday’s first reading memory that started a life-long love for funny characters and good stories. Reading kept her company through boarding school and backpacking through-out Asia. She read War and Peace and Shantaram while solo trekking the Annapurna circuit in Nepal in flips flops! Her travels from England ended in Australia. Lindsay fell in love with the country and its people and determined to settle. Bills had to be paid and she pushed her writing to an enjoyable hobby while she pursued a fun and interesting career as a media & entertainment lawyer. Her legal career reached a high as the legal director for Yahoo! Europe, in London during the heady days of the internet explosion in the late 1990s. Determined to return to Sydney she left Yahoo! to volunteer and consult until 2014 when she had an epiphany. Writing was her true passion. Lindsay set to work in earnest to pursue her dream. A few draft manuscripts later, courses with the Faber Writing Academy; Writing NSW; and University of Sydney (which had to fit in with a young family) she finally wrote the first of the Danger series, Danger Versus the Ranger. Lindsay has taken much of her inspiration from the world around her and that of her children. She had so much fun writing this first Danger story – she wrote the next four books. She doodled some drawings for a prototype book to entice children to read her first Danger book and get feedback. Kids liked the characters, the stories and, to her surprise, the illustrations too. COVID has been, in some ways, a positive for Lindsay as the frenetic pace of the modern family life slowed and a period of self-isolation gave her more time to concentrate on drawing over 250 illustrations and working out how to self-publish. She is committed to writing more Danger stories and other stories for children.

Books don’t just emerge fully formed on our bookshelves. Writing NSW is at the heart of our writing community providing support to writers across their careers through festivals, courses and opportunities to network. All that is at risk following a funding announcement by Create NSW that ends Writing NSW’s ongoing state funding. The funding slashes a third of Writing NSW budget at a time when Coronavirus restrictions have already shut down so many events and opportunities for writers.Writing NSW CEO Jane McCredie joined Andrew to discuss these funding challenges and what they tell us about how the arts are valued in the community at large.

Words and Nerds partner with Writing NSW to bring you more literary goodness! YAY! writingnsw.org.au

Inside Publishing was part of the Write Around the Murray program for 2019. Get an insider's look into the world of book publishing with Elissa Baillie of Simon & Schuster, Coco McGrath from Affirm Press and Jacqueline Kent, author of A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life. Chaired by Jane McCredie. Event sponsored by Writing NSW. Recorded 13/09/2019 Write Around the Murray is an annual literary-based festival held in Albury. It brings together some of Australia's best authors and storytellers in a welcoming and relaxed environment. The diverse program includes author talks and workshops, art exhibitions, a poetry slam, writing competitions, WAM4Kids family events, and always an element of surprise. Many events are free or low cost and provide a unique opportunity for rural communities from NE Victoria, the Southern Riverina and beyond to not only listen to their favourite authors, storytellers and illustrators, but also to meet, greet and talk to them. Regular presenter Jason Steger describes the festival as “small and perfectly formed”. Past guests include Isobelle Carmody, Tim Flannery, Graeme Base, Benjamin Law, Graeme Simsion, Alison Lester and Jackie French. If you enjoyed this podcast please subscribe, give Write Around the Murray a 5 star rating and share it with your friends.

UK based, best selling author, Hannah Richell, graces us with her stories on the Convo Couch this episode. She speaks with Pam Cook about her impressive and extensive writing career and how she discovered the writing patterns that are her biggest strengths. Then Pam and Kel delve deeper into the idea of "writing to your strengths" and the patterns that make us. Thank you to Writing NSW for their ongoing support of the Writes4Women podcast. SHOWNOTES: Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter / Instagram @w4wpodcast W4W Patreonhttps://www.writes4women.com/support-us-on-patreon Hannah Richellhttps://hannahrichell.wordpress.com/about/Facebook @hannahrichellauthorTwitter @hannahrichell Writing NSWhttps://writingnsw.org.auFacebook @WritingNSWTwitter @writingNSW Pamela Cookwww.pamelacook.com.auFacebook @pamelacookauthorTwitter @PamelaCookAU Listen Up Podcasting (Kel Butler)www.listenuppodcasting.com.auFacebook @kelbutler / @listenuppodcastingTwitter @KelB

Pam chats with Petronella McGovern, Debut Author of "Six Minutes," a thriller that has already been Longlisted for the 2020 Indie Book Awards. Petronella chats about writing a book from several character perspectives and how she moved from ghost writing to finally publishing her own book. As the holidays are upon us and gifts will be given soon, Pam and Kel talk conscious gift giving and eco friendly presents. Tis the season to be giving back as much as we give to each other, why not do both at the same time! If you like this episode of the Writes4Women podcast, check out our other episodes at www.writes4women.com OR SUBSCRIBE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your pods. #PetronellaMcGovern #SixMinutes #Allen&Unwin #Fiction #Thriller #Parenting #WritingLife #WritingCommunity #podcasts #WritingNSW #RoomtoRead #IndigenousLiteracyFoundation #AdoptaKoala SHOWNOTES: Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter / Instagram @w4wpodcast W4W Patreonhttps://www.writes4women.com/support-us-on-patreon Petronella McGovernhttps://www.petronellamcgovern.com.auFacebook @PetronellaMcGovernTwitter@PetronellaMcGov Pamela Cookwww.pamelacook.com.auFacebook @pamelacookauthorTwitter @PamelaCookAU Listen Up Podcasting (Kel Butler)www.listenuppodcasting.com.auFacebook @kelbutler / @listenuppodcastingTwitter @KelB Writing NSWhttps://writingnsw.org.auFacebook / Twitter @WritingNSW Room to Readhttps://www.roomtoread.org Indigenous Literacy Foundationhttps://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au World Wildlife Fund - Adopt a Koala or Tigerhttps://www.wwf.org.au

Pam and Kel drop into the feed to tell you about the super cool things that are happening with the Writes4Women podcast. There are partnerships and websites and Patreon accounts and a whole different focus on the writers we are going to interview next year. It's all about talking to writers in genres and styles we haven't explored before. Take a sneak peek into the future of the Writes4Women podcast. Listen to all the episodes of the Writes4Women podcast at www.writes4women.com OR SUBSCRIBE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your pods. #Writes4Women #W4WPodcast #WritingNSW #Patreon #writing #WritingLife #WritingCommunity #podcasts #writingpodcasts SHOWNOTES: Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter / Instagram @w4wpodcast Pamela Cookwww.pamelacook.com.auFacebook @pamelacookauthorTwitter @PamelaCookAU Listen Up Podcasting (Kel Butler)www.listenuppodcasting.com.auFacebook @kelbutler / @listenuppodcastingTwitter @KelB Writing NSWhttps://writingnsw.org.auFacebook / Twitter @WritingNSW

Winnie Dunn joined Andrew in the studio to discuss Boundless festival.Boundless is a festival of Indigenous and culturally diverse writers, The festival is happening on Saturday October 26 at Bankstown Arts Centre and is presented by Writing NSW and Bankstown Arts Centre in association with Sweatshop.Winnie Dunn is a Tongan-Australian Writer from Mount Druitt. She’s the General Manager of Sweatshop: the Western Sydney Writers Movement and will be appearing at the festival.

Together they explore characters, point of view, writing as catharsis and the very feminist themes Pam has woven throughout.Our very own Pamela Cook jumps on the Convo Couch this ep and chats, in depth, to Kel Butler about writing her brand new book "Cross My Heart". "Cross My Heart" has received rave reviews and heart warming feedback since its release only a few weeks ago, in this interview Pam explains why the book is getting such a positive response and what it feels like to have self published her first book. Writes4Women have partnered with Writing NSW to bring you the latest writing news from NSW's premier writing and education centre.PLUS we have some big news! If you like this episode of the Writes4Women podcast, check out our other episodes at www.writes4women.com OR SUBSCRIBE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your pods. #CrossMyHeart #PamelaCook #Fiction #CommericalFiction #writing #WritingLife #WritingCommunity #podcasts #WritingNSW #SelfPublishing SHOWNOTES: Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter / Instagram @w4wpodcast Pamela Cookwww.pamelacook.com.auFacebook @pamelacookauthorTwitter @PamelaCookAU Listen Up Podcasting (Kel Butler)www.listenuppodcasting.com.auFacebook @kelbutler / @listenuppodcastingTwitter @KelB Writing NSWhttps://writingnsw.org.auFacebook / Twitter @WritingNSW

An asteroid’s approaching, there are zombies on the loose and our HQ, the Writing NSW building, is fast running out of biscuits (not to mention we’re surviving on instant coffee – help!). Yep, the apocalypse is here!! Join us as the end of the world approaches, and we try and get survival tips from award-winning author Bren MacDibble, whose books include environmental apocalyptic book How to Bee. We also venture out onto the streets (and take a much-needed detour to an awesome cronut-filled café), encounter Jules Faber flogging his new book Max Crack on a street corner, AND meet up with Deb Abela for Kids Capers (in a whoopee cushion factory, no less!). Don your gas mask and pack your snacks to join us on a journey to survive the apocalypse, sharing books reviews and giveaway news along the way! Read the show notes: www.onemorepagepodcast.com/episode-36/ Email us at: onemorepagepodcast@gmail.com Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/onemorepageAU Twitter: www.twitter.com/onemorepageau Instagram: www.instagram.com/onemorepageau

Can reading change the world? Jenn Martin and Jennifer Wong discuss reading and writing that makes a difference, then Jennifer Wong shares a personal life-changing read - How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee. Events, authors, and books mentioned in this episode Mudgee Readers Festival - https://www.mudgeereaders.com/ Writing NSW - https://writingnsw.org.au/ Cat Sparks on Climate Fiction - https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/70516 Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Growing up Queer in Australia edited by Benjamin Law Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit Mouth Full of Blood by Toni Morrison Don’t Get Too Comfortable by David Rakoff How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee What Girls Got Wrong (and Right!) About the Iowa Writers’ Workshop https://www.vulture.com/2015/01/what-girls-got-wrong-about-iowas-mfa-program.html Pilgrim at Tinkers Creek by Annie Dillard Reading suggestions for Liz Liz loved Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch Jenn and Keryn’s suggestions London Falling by Paul Cornell Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw The Rook by Daniel O’Malley The Company series by Kage Baker Thanks very much to Keryn Stewart for being our guest Readers Advisor on this episode! Music by Blue Dot Sessions. New episode every Saturday. Join us on Facebook to chat more about books and to get your own reading suggestions from Jenn: facebook.com/friendsatlibrary

In its annual Honouring Australian Writers series, Writing NSW pays tribute to writers who have made an important contribution to our literary culture. In 2019 Writing NSW honoured author, playwright and scriptwriter Sumner Locke Elliott(1917-1991). Featuring archival material, clips and readings, the event featured the following speakers: Walter Mason Margaret Fink Kim Knuckey Sharon Clarke Please note, we have edited out the video components of this recording. Clips and further material will be available on our website.

Ideas Generator, from Writing NSW's 2019 Speculative Fiction Festival. Chaired by Margaret Morgan, with James Bradley, Michael Gillings and Elise Bohan. Photo Credit: Anita Mathews.

World Building 101, from Writing NSW's 2019 Specualtive Fiction Festival. Chaired by Festival Director Keith Stevenson with Mitchell Hogan, Catherine McKinnon and Mykaela Saunders. Photo Credit: Anita Mathews

Science Fiction Now, part of Writing NSW's 2019 Speculative Fiction Festival. Chaired by Cat Sparks, with Margaret Morgan, Shauna O'Meara and Shankari Chandran. Please note that due to microphone issues on the day, we have had to edit out some sections of this podcast.

Panel 1 of the Writing NSW 2019 Speculative Fiction Festival: That Was Then, This is Now. Chaired by Sam Hawke and featuring Rob Hood, Kaaron Waaren and Shankari Chandran. For further Writing NSW festivals, events and courses, visit www.writingnsw.org.au Image Credit: Anita Mathews

Twenty-one today! In this episode, Elizabeth and Ben are joined by David Ryding of Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature as we rejoin Rincewind and some of his old friends in the 17th Discworld novel: 1994's Interesting Times. Rincewind, the worst student Unseen University ever had, has been quite literally to hell and back. But when a summons arrives in Ankh-Morpork requesting the presence of "the Great Wizzard", his old faculty bring him home, then send him to the far-flung Agatean Empire. All is not well on the Counterweight Continent: rebels are (gently) questioning centuries of enforced order, inspired by the revolutionary pamphlet "What I Did on My Holidays". The ruthless Lord Hong plots to change the Empire forever. The walls have failed to keep out a horde of barbarian invaders - seven of them, in fact. And it's about to be visited by a very special kind of butterfly... Pratchett revisits characters from his first Discworld novels, as Rincewind is reunited with Cohen the Barbarian in Twoflower's homeland. But in 2019, twenty-five years after it was first published, his depiction of a comic fantasy Asia leaves a bit to be desired. There's plenty going on, and some stirring speeches, but it's also hard to ignore that nearly all the main characters are white folks "saving" a nation inspired by real-world Asian countries from itself. Is there a clear message in the book? How does this sit on the evolution of Pratchett's work from parody to satire? And were you glad to see such old favourite characters return, or could you have done without them? We'd love to hear from you! Use the hashtag #Pratchat21 on social media to join the conversation. We hope you enjoyed our first ever live show, recorded at Nullus Anxietas VII, where we discussed Cohen's previous adventure in the short story Troll Bridge! We hope to record more bonus episodes in future, and you can help us do it by supporting Pratchat. In August we leave the Discworld and indeed fiction to read one of Pratchett's oddest books: The Unadulterated Cat, his 1989 collaboration with cartoonist Gray Joliffe, in which he makes the case that the only "real cat" is one that destroys gardens, eats wildlife and makes a thorough nuisance of itself. If you have questions, send them to us via social media using the hashtag #Pratchat22. Show Notes and Errata: David Ryding has been Director of the Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature office since its establishment in 2014 (though Melbourne has been a City of Literature since 2008). Prior to that he was director of the Emerging Writers Festival, then executive director of the NSW Writers Centre (now know as Writing NSW). You can find out more about what he does at the City of Literature office at cityofliterature.com.au, and they're also on Twitter at @MelCityofLit. If you're looking for other great literary podcasts made in Melbourne, you can find some listed on their site here.Men at Arms is the fifteenth Discworld novel, published in 1993. We covered it in episode one, Boots Theory, with Cal Wilson."Inscrutable" is a word long associated with stereotypical depictions of Asian cultures, especially the Chinese. It stems from a lack of effort to understand the differing cultural conventions encountered by Europeans, and seems to have reached a height in Victorian literature.Bill Bryson is an American-British non-fiction author whose work covers language, travel, history and science. His best known works include Notes From a Small Island, The Mother Tongue and A Short History of Nearly Everything. The white saviour is a trope in which non-white characters are unable to save themselves, and are rescued from disaster by a heroic white character. The Wikipedia article lists a large number of examples."Eurogames" are a tradition of modern boardgames with their roots in post-war Germany. Such games often focus on strategic depth and a balance of luck and skill. The Settlers of Catan,

On 2 April 2019, Writing NSW presented Talking Writing: Indigenous Languages. The panel was chaired by Gamilaroi and Anaiwon playwright Cathy Craigie, Gamilaraay author and linguist Donna Gayford McLaren, Gunai poet and children’s book author Kirli Saunders, Darug singer and songwriter Jacinta Tobin, and Yuwaalaraay songwriter Nardi Simpson. The panel discussed the endangered status of most Indigenous languages, the idea of a reclamation language, current pushes for healthy speech communities, poetry’s role in language revival, and much more. Talking Writing is Writing NSW's regular themed writing event, designed to explore the limits of what writing is and where it can take you. Keep an eye on our website for future events.

On 3 March 2019, Writing NSW presented Talking Writing: Lambs of God, an in conversation with internationally acclaimed novelist Marele Day and screenwriter Sarah Lambert on the adaptation of Lambs of God, from bestselling novel to highly anticipated prestige drama series premiering on the Foxtel network in 2019. Chaired by Suzanne Leal. In 2019, Foxtel will release a television adaptation of Marele Day’s novel 'Lambs of God', a dark, gothic tale about three nuns living in an isolated convent by the coast and an unwelcome visitor who enters their lives and changes their world forever.

Storyfest 2019 has launched with an almighty bang, featuring the voice and stories of almighty author, Markus Zusak. In this special episode of the W4W podcast Markus is in conversation with Storyfest organiser, Suzanne Leal, chatting about his brand spanking, much anticipated, new book "Bridge of Clay".Storyfest is a storytelling festival launching in Milton, NSW, 2019. It will be a featured part of the "Writes4Women Presents" podcast, showcasing regional writing festivals. Launching soon.- Thank you to the support of Writing NSW and Create NSW for making W4W Presents podcast possible.- SHOWNOTES:Writes4Festivals and Writes4WomenWeb - www.writes4women.comFacebook - @writes4womenTwitter/Instagram - @w4wpodcast StoryfestWeb - www.storyfest.org.auFacebook / Twitter - @storyfestinc- Chloe DaddFacebook - @chloedaddmusicPamela CookWeb - www.pamelacook.com.auFacebook - @pamelacookauthorKel ButlerFacebook/Twitter - @kelbutler

Pam and Kel have launched a brand new podcast...Writes4Festivals. Which is all about (You guessed it) - Festivals!With the support of Create NSW and Writing NSW, Pam and Kel have travelled all over regional NSW and beyond to bring you the diverse and colourful conversations, panels, interviews, events, readings, debates and comedy that our writing festivals have to offer. This is where all of the festival eps will be dropping from now on and here is a promo to give you a peek at what you can expect from the new podcast. Writes4Festivals brings the festival to you.#writersfestivals #writing #reading #feminism #publishing #books #writes4women #regionalNSW #createNSW #writingNSW #mudrf #fwf18 #nywf18 #storyfest19 #sconewf SHOWNOTES:Writes4Festivals / Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter and Instagram @w4wpodcastStoryfesthttps://www.storyfest.org.auMudgee Readers Festivalhttp://www.mudgeereaders.comNational Young Writers Festivalhttp://www.youngwritersfestival.orgFeminist Writers Festivalhttps://feministwritersfestival.comScone Writers Festivalhttp://www.sconewritersfestival.com.au

WRITES4FESTIVALS HAS LANDED!Pam and Kel from Writes4Women are launching a brand new podcast...Writes4Festivals. Which is all about (You guessed it) Festivals.With the support of Create NSW and Writing NSW, Pam and Kel have travelled all over regional NSW and beyond to bring you the diverse and colourful conversations, panels, interviews, events, readings, debates and comedy that our writing festivals have to offer.  You never have to miss out again because the Writes4Festivals podcast brings the festival to you.SHOWNOTES:Writes4Festivals / Writes4Womenwww.writes4women.comFacebook @writes4womenTwitter and Instagram @w4wpodcastStoryfesthttps://www.storyfest.org.auMudgee Readers Festivalhttp://www.mudgeereaders.comNational Young Writers Festival http://www.youngwritersfestival.orgFeminist Writers Festivalhttps://feministwritersfestival.comScone Writers Festivalhttp://www.sconewritersfestival.com.au

This was recorded at Honouring: Oodgeroo Noonuccal at the State Library of NSW on 18 August 2018. In its annual Honouring Australian Writers series, Writing NSW (formerly the NSW Writers’ Centre) pays tribute to writers who have made an important contribution to our literary culture. In 2018 we honoured Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-1993), Australia’s first published Aboriginal poet. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, known publicly as Kath Walker until 1988, when she readopted her traditional name, was also a political activist, educator, and artist. The event celebrating her contribution to Australian literature will include conversations, readings, and archival materials. Brenda Saunders is Wiradjuri writer and artist living in Sydney. She has won several prizes and fellowships and in 2014 was awarded the Scanlon Prize and the Woolhara Literary Prize for her collection ‘Looking for Bullin Bullin’. She has published three collections and her poetry and literary reviews appear regularly in national and international anthologies and journals including Best Australian Poems 2013 and 2015 (Black Inc). Brenda is currently completing a manuscript ‘Understory’ concerned with changes to Aboriginal culture and land since colonization.

This was recorded at Honouring: Oodgeroo Noonuccal at the State Library of NSW on 18 August 2018. In its annual Honouring Australian Writers series, Writing NSW (formerly the NSW Writers’ Centre) pays tribute to writers who have made an important contribution to our literary culture. In 2018 we honoured Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-1993), Australia’s first published Aboriginal poet. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, known publicly as Kath Walker until 1988, when she readopted her traditional name, was also a political activist, educator, and artist. The event celebrating her contribution to Australian literature will include conversations, readings, and archival materials. Evelyn Araluen is a poet, teacher and researcher working with Indigenous literatures at the University of Sydney. She has written poetry and criticism for a range of publications, including Overland and Southerly. In 2017 she won the Nakata Brophy Award for Young Indigenous Writers, and in 2018 won the Judith Wright Poetry Prize. Born and raised on the Dharug lands of Western Sydney, she is a descendant of the Bundjalung nation.

Storyfest 2019 has launched with an almighty bang, featuring the voice and stories of almighty author, Markus Zusak. In this special episode of the W4W podcast Markus is in conversation with Storyfest organiser, Suzanne Leal, chatting about his brand spanking, much anticipated, new book "Bridge of Clay".Storyfest is a storytelling festival launching in Milton, NSW, 2019. It will be a featured part of the "Writes4Women Presents" podcast, showcasing regional writing festivals. Launching soon. Thank you to the support of Writing NSW and Create NSW for making W4W Presents podcast possible. SHOWNOTES:Writes4WomenWeb - www.writes4women.comFacebook - @writes4womenTwitter/Instagram - @w4wpodcast StoryfestWeb - www.storyfest.org.au Facebook / Twitter - @storyfestinc Chloe DaddFacebook - @chloedaddmusicPamela CookWeb - www.pamelacook.com.auFacebook - @pamelacookauthorKel Butler Facebook/Twitter - @kelbutler

Writing NSW launched it’s rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Alana Hicks read from her television drama/comedy script 'Home is a Foreign Country'. ____ Alana Hicks is a Papua New Guinean-Australian digital content maker living in Sydney. A published poet, she has worked on a variety of projects from short films and documentaries to web sketch comedy and theatre. As a web series producer and writer, she has spearheaded The Kvetch Set Sketch Collective’s three online season, and several live shows. Literary anthology Going Down Swinging published a digital interactive feature based on superstition driven violence against women, written by Alana called Smoke and Fire. Alana recently participated in the State and National Talent Camps, Emerging Creative Development Workshops. Recorded by Zacha Rosen Image credit: Raphael Stephens

Writing NSW launched it’s rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Drew Rooke read from his book 'One Last Spin' published by Scribe Publications. Find out more about the book here: https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/one-last-spin ____ Drew Rooke is a Sydney-based author and journalist. His work deals primarily with contemporary Australian political and cultural issues, and has appeared in The Saturday Paper, Meanjin, Neighbourhood, and The Sydney Morning Herald. Drew was a finalist in the 2015 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers. One Last Spin: the power and peril of the pokies is his first book. Recorded by Zacha Rosen. Image credit: Raphael Stephens

Writing NSW launched it’s rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Jarrah read from his book 'Hey Brother' published by Allen & Unwin. Find out more about the book here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/popular-fiction/Hey-Brother-Jarrah-Dundler-9781760631123 ____ Jarrah Dundler was raised in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Since completing his arts degree at Griffith University he’s worked as a grant writer, pizza-chef, uni tutor, barista, and a stonemason’s labourer. His debut novel Hey Brother, about the challenges faced by a teenage boy when his brother returns from war, was selected for a Byron Writers Festival Residential Mentorship, a Varuna fellowship and shortlisted for the The Australian/Vogel Literary Award. Jarrah currently lives back in the Northern Rivers region – the setting for his fiction – where he works as a mental health peer worker. Recorded by Zacha Rosen. Image credit: Raphael Stephens

Writing NSW launched it’s rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Kerri Shying read from her book 'sing out when you want me' published by Flying Island Books/Cerberus Press. ____ Kerri Shying belongs to the Wiradjuri people and is of Chinese / Australian ancestry. A life of slow work with hidden people has given her respect for the small stories the hard places. She has published in the Roland Robinson Awards, and appears in the Women of Words series with Papatuanuku Press, Hunter Writers Centre, Grieve and Inclusion series and a variety of other journals, including Cordite, Billy Blue, Satellite, Users News, and Verity La. Recorded by Zacha Rosen. Image credit: Jeanne Kinninmont

Writing NSW launched it’s rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Shankari Chandran read from her book 'Song of the Sun God' published by Perera-Hussein. Find out more about the book here: https://pererahussein.com/index.php/books/novels/song-of-the-sun-god-phph.html ____ Shankari Chandran worked as a lawyer in the social justice field for over a decade. In 2017, she published her first two novels. Song of the Sun God (Perera-Hussein Publishing House) was short-listed for the Fairway National Literary Award (Sri Lanka, 2018). The Barrier (Pan Macmillan Australia) has been short-listed for the Norma K Hemming Award (2018) for speculative fiction. Both books have been optioned for television. Shankari is now working on her third book, a thriller also set in Sri Lanka. In 2017, she received a grant from Create NSW and the NSW Writers’ Centre which enabled her to go to Sri Lanka and conduct essential research. Recorded by Zacha Rosen. Photo credit: Jeanne Kinninmont

Writing NSW launched its rebrand, new website, and upcoming course program with a night of readings and literary festivities at Lazy Bones on Thursday 7 June 2018. Stephen Pham read from his 8000 word essay 'Centering the crush: The ephemeral joy of Carly Rae Jepsen' published by The Lifted Brow. ____ Stephen Pham is a Vietnamese-Australian writer from Cabramatta. He is a member of Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement. Stephen's short stories and essays have appeared in Overland, Meanjin, Griffith Review, SBS Life, and Sydney Review of Books. In 2017, Stephen received the Create NSW Writers' Fellowship to develop his debut novel, Vietnamatta. Recorded by Zacha Rosen Image credit: Raphael Stephens