Better Words

Have you ever stumbled upon a strange fact and wanted to know more? This week Lauren Chater shares the story behind her beautiful historical fiction debut, sparked by a book about Estonia lace weaving. Lauren, who also has a talent for delicately decorated book-themed cookies, shares some insights from the kitchen with us as well.

She's well known as the award winning author of four novels, but Fiona Wood had a successful screenwriting career before turning her hand at books. This week, we discuss what goes on behind the scenes and off the set, as well as how three friends write a novel.

How do you create a better understanding of the many diverse lives we're living without representation in the stories we're told from childhood? Faced with a disappointing lack of diverse picture books, Jessica Walton crowdfunded and published her own story about gender identity. In this episode, we discuss diversity in publishing and how it can be improved.

What are you going to do after high school? The dreaded question for anyone without a five-year plan. But Kate O'Donnell explains why it's okay not to have a plan post-graduation, the dilemmas faced by teens growing up in rural and regional areas and how passion guided her career choices.