Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

114. Maya Newell: Wrestle, Gayby Baby & masculinity.


Listen Later

A funny book about growing up in a family with two mums inspired by Gus Skattebol-James' story in the award-winning documentary, Gayby Baby.
I love wrestling. When I grow up, I want to be just like my wrestling heroes: big and tough, with really huge muscles. The only problem is, my mums don't like fighting...
A funny story about identity, family and dressing up, inspired by the award-winning documentary, Gayby Baby.
'Big hearted, bold and beautiful. For any parent who knows there is no "right way" to make a family, and for any kid who knows there is no "right way" to be yourself.' Ben Law, author of The Family Law
Maya Newell grew up with two mums in a little cottage in the Inner West of Sydney. Every year, they would dress up and march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - in her family, the parade was better than Christmas! From a young age knew she wanted to be a storyteller. She picked up a camera and realised this was the tool she could use to show (not tell) beautiful and bold tales that could open up new worlds to the masses who were blind-hearted.
Charlotte Mars is from the Blue Mountains and her childhood was spent creating imaginary worlds in the bush. It was not unexpected that those imaginary worlds would one day inspire her to write and make films of her own. Even now, Charlotte still dips into them, and can often be found getting lost in her head and talking to herself. Some days she feels like a woman, some days she doesn't, so Charlotte loves stories that speak to gender diverse identities and experiences.
Maya and Charlotte spent 8 years making a film about the experiences of children in same-sex attracted families, Gayby Baby. To get the film and its messages out there in the world, Maya and Charlotte did all kinds of funny things - they once crashed a TV talk show, another time they staked-out a morning news show to try and get on air, and one time they made a live video from a rollercoaster! Even when fighting for important issues, they always try to have fun. They also took the film, and a group of Gaybies, to share stories and discuss policy with our nation's leaders at state and federal parliaments.
One of the kids they followed around for 3 years making Gayby Baby, is their co-author, Gus Skattebol-James. These days, Gus isn't obsessed with wrestling, but he is a black belt in Aikido (a Japanese martial art) and is mad about skateboarding. Now that Gus is almost a grown up, he is finishing his HSC exams and next year he wants to travel the world.
Tom Jellett has illustrated a number of books for children including Whale in the Bath by Kylie Westaway, The Gobbledygook is Eating a Book by Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting, and My Dad Thinks He's Funny by Katrina Germein. Tom has also been included in the Editorial and Book category for Illustrators 53 and exhibited at the Society of Illustrators, New York in 2011 and 2013.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.By Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

14 ratings


More shows like Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

View all
No Filter by Mamamia Podcasts

No Filter

587 Listeners

Conversations by ABC

Conversations

847 Listeners

So You Want to be a Writer by Australian Writers' Centre

So You Want to be a Writer

43 Listeners

The Bookshelf by ABC

The Bookshelf

37 Listeners

Mamamia Out Loud by Mamamia Podcasts

Mamamia Out Loud

650 Listeners

Chat 10 Looks 3 by Chat 10 Looks 3

Chat 10 Looks 3

220 Listeners

The Book Show by ABC

The Book Show

19 Listeners

Middle Grade Mavens by Julie Grasso+Pamela Ueckerman

Middle Grade Mavens

2 Listeners

The Imperfects by Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg

The Imperfects

418 Listeners

Lise and Sarah by Those Two Girls

Lise and Sarah

58 Listeners

Writers off the Page by Chenee Marrapodi

Writers off the Page

0 Listeners

Big Small Talk by MIK MADE

Big Small Talk

37 Listeners

The Book Deal by Tina Strachan, Madeleine Cleary & Natasha Rai

The Book Deal

3 Listeners

Inherited by Shameless Media

Inherited

69 Listeners

We Used to be Journos by Ette Media

We Used to be Journos

13 Listeners