Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg

Andy Griffiths is one of Australia’s most successful children’s book authors, who drew on his experience as a school teacher to redefine what it was that made kids want to read.

Anyone who reads books to their kids knows that some are just excellent, and some are pretty ordinary.

This conversation peels back the curtain on what makes kids actually want to read – not what we think they should read, but what gets them genuinely excited to turn the page. And in writing about poos, bums, and wees - all in the service of getting more kids to read - Andy has sold Millions and millions of books.

As far as Andy is concerned - sometimes the best stories have absolutely no moral lesson whatsoever. There’s also a  brilliant take on how limiting yourself creatively – like writing a story in just 50 words – can actually make your work better.

He brings insights into creative writing, childhood development, and the publishing industry which is really fascinating.

It’s a conversation about imagination, creativity, and why sometimes the best thing we can do for our kids is let them eat a little dirt.

LINKS 

• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

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Jess Urlichs is an author, poet and joins Osher for a conversation about motherhood, seeking help when things might be less than tickety-boo and the precious fleeting nature of all the annoying kid chaos.

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On this episode, Osher speaks with Antonia Murphy, discussing her experience running an ethical escort agency in New Zealand, where sex work is fully decriminalised.

Her brilliant book is called Madam - it’s out now and it’s such a sensation it’s becoming a whole TV series.

This chat covers the broader idea of human connection, dignity, and the impact of modern technology on relationships.

Antonia’s approach to her industry has always centred on consent, safety, and professionalism, challenging stereotypes while highlighting society's complex relationship with intimacy and pleasure.

Osher and Antonia also discuss the importance of touch and intimacy for all people, including those with disabilities, and how stigma persists despite legal status.

LINKS 

• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few highlights from when Osher spoke with singer-songwriter Angie McMahon.

They cover exercise, minding her mental health, overcoming fear of performing, and assessing her relationship with alcohol.

LINKS 

• Check out Angie on tour: https://angiemcmahon.com/
• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma Watkins joins Osher to discuss her post-Wiggles PhD, her new children’s entertainment project Emma Memma and her work on the ABC show Teenage Boss - which is streaming now on iView.

LINKS 

• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blair Joscleyne aka MOOG is one half of the global Aussie YouTube phenomenon “Mighty Car Mods”.

He’s also a prolifically talented multi-instrumentalist and composer who has created the soundtracks to hundreds, even thousands of commercials that you could probably whistle.

The Maccas jingle?

If you heard it in Australia, Blair played it.

Same guy.

Not only that Blair is one of the hosts of Top Gear Australia, and alongside JLP and Beau Ryan they are taking this legendary show that was never really about cars and turning it on its head.

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Think for a moment, what  would happen if you had a dream career, pilot, engineer, drummer - and your family absolutely did not back you in what you were trying to achieve.

You’re a teenager. They have your best interests at heart, they love you and just want success for you, but you might have other ideas.

Would you try anyway?

That’s pretty much what happened with Ada Nicodemou. For 31 years she’s been on Australian screens, and now she’s on our bookshelves with the release of a new series of books titled “Mia Megastar”, aimed kids 8 and up.

Today she speaks with Osher about her path to success, what keeps her successful, and why books are so important for growing minds.

LINKS 

• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few highlights from when Osher spoke with Sylvia Jefferies, an incredibly accomplished journalist and presenter, originally from Brisbane Australia.

Sylvia has a matter-of-fact, get-after-it vibe about her which makes the career success she’s had make perfect sense.

Sylvia is very open about how she juggles family life and home life, also how she has found particularly interesting ways to deliberately work emotional regulation into her day so she’s able to go back home to her kids after a day exposing herself to the unedited grim realities of the world.

LINKS 

• Catch Sylvia weekdays on Today Extra
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s Osher’s three favourite facts about Dr Matt Agnew:

1. He’s not that kind of doctor.
2. He’s lovely.
3. He has a PhD in Astrophysics.

Matt has been busy, heading back to uni to study AI - and on the back of that he’s written a new book “IS MY PHONE READING MY MIND?”

What he has to say today about AI, about the powerfully transformative effect it is already having on education, and democracy - in both positive and negative ways - might just chill you to the bone and give you goosebumps at the same time.

This was recorded a week out from the 2024 US election, so please understand why I’m Osher isn’t commenting on something which is now glaringly obvious to us as a community.

He’s in the past.

It’s simple time travel.

And there’s no better person to speak to about that than Dr Matt Agnew.

LINKS 

• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As far as Osher is concerned, Abbie Chatfield to be one of the most exciting figures in Australian media today.

They have a long history together, so at the time Abbie and Osher spoke, she was single and feeling hopeless in love.

Things are very different for her today, so listening back to these moments will 100% warm your heart.

LINKS 

• The full video of this conversation is here.
• Sign up to the Better Than Yesterday newsletter
• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch full stories recorded live at Story Club on YouTube
• Get tickets for our next Story Club show
• Get Osher's latest book "So What? Now What?" here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.