Backstory

Nina Kenwood’s Young Adult novel, It Sounded Better in my Head, has been described by The Age as ‘a sweet, funny and relatable account of the dramas of those grappling with late adolescence’. She joins Backstory host Mel Cranenburgh to talk about the genesis of the book and the enjoyment she got from writing it.

Joey Bui then joins Mel to talk about her riveting first book, Lucky Ticket, a highly original collection of stories by a talented young writer.

Angela Savage discusses her novel, Mother Of Pearl, which explores the ethical minefield of international surrogacy through the stories of three women.

Mel Campbell and Anthony Morris, both Melbourne-based freelance journalist and critics then join Mel to talk about their second collaboration, Nailed It!

2019’s Miles Franklin award winner, Melissa Lucashenko, joins Mel on the line to talk about her novel, Too Much Lip.

R.W.R. McDonald then drops into the studio to tell us about his debut novel, 'The Nancys', a refreshing take on the popular Nancy Drew novels for a new generation.

Mel chats with Alice Bishop, author of A Constant Hum, a moving collection of vignettes that grapples with the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires. As one critic notes, some of the vignettes ‘cut to the bone; others are empathetic tales of survival, even hope’. 

Lee Kofman and Romana Koval then join Mel to chat about their new anthology, Split, a collection about loss, leaving and new beginnings.

Writer Amra Pajalic tells Mel Cranenburgh about her new book, Things Nobody Knows But Me, a memoir about being parented by mother with bi-polar disorder who is from a non-English speaking background. The book was published by Transit Lounge in 2019.

Peta Hanrahan and Anna Kennedy then talk Mel through a new production based on Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, adapted by Sentient Theatre and showing at fortyfivedownstairs.

In this episode of Backstory, Nicola Redhouse joins host, Mel Cranenburgh, to talk about Nicola’s latest release Unlike The Heart: A Memoir of Brain and Mind, a memoir which explores post-natal anxiety through a psychoanalytic lens.

And author Meg Keneally joins Mel to discuss her first solo novel, Fled, an epic historical adventure based on the extraordinary life of convict Mary Bryant.

In this episode, author Mark Brandi joins Mel Cranenburgh to talk about his new novel, The Rip, described as'an urban crime novel that slowly and masterfully hooks you in... then shocks with the horrific crime and the dread that the characters you care about aren't going to make it out alive'.

Then Melbourne-based animator, comic artist and zinemaker, Peo Michie, and multidisciplinary artist, musician and writer, Heather Joan Day, come by to chat with Mel about Interstitial, an event exploring life between cultures from the Emerging Writers Festival and Liminal.

In this episode, Bren MacDibble, author of the award-winning How To Bee, joins host Mel Cranenburgh to talk her new book, The Dog Runner, and what it's like to write for the 'middle audience' - those young readers aged between 9 and 12. 

Plus, we hear from Glen Eira Storytelling Festival Festival Director Suzanne Olb about this year's event, a cultural extravaganza of music, comedy, stories and workshops held from 22 June to 7 July.

On this episode, Fiona McGregor, author of A Novel Idea joins host Mel Cranenburgh to chat about what life is really like when a writer sits down to stare down the blank page.

Katie Smyrk, deputy editor of The Big Issue, also joins Melto review two books you need on your to-read list.

In this episode of Backstory, host Mel Cranenburgh is joined by author Wayne Macauley, whose latest book Simpson Returns. 'A concise satire of Australian platitudes about fairness and egalitarianism, it is timely, devastating and witheringly funny'. Released in time for 2019's Anzac Day 'celebrations', it has been received to critical acclaim with the Australian Book Review noting that 'they should teach this book at school.’ https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/simpson-returns

Mel is then joined by Izzy Roberts-Orr, Artistic Director of the Emerging Writers' Festival. They talk about the themes of the 2019 iteration of the festival which is held in Melbourne from June 19 - 29 at the Wheelers Centre. For more details, visit https://emergingwritersfestival.org.au/events/festival/2019/