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Imagining The Past episodes
- S12 Ep5: Imagining the Past—2026—Leonie Norrington
Leonie Norrington chats with Greg Johnston about her novel, A Piece of Red Cloth, and the intricacies of writing in conjunction with Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga, and Djawundil Maymuru.
1 hr 2 min - S12 Ep4: Imagining the Past—2026—Dave Warner
Dave Warner chats with Will Yeoman about his novel, Sound Mind Dead Body, at the City of Perth Library. Not only does Dave speak, he sings, accompanied by Will on guitar and Nicole Warner on backup vocals, a first for Imagining the Past.
58 min - S12 Ep3: Imagining the Past—2026—Lauren Keegan
Lauren Keegan chats with Greg Johnston about her first published novel, All the Bees in the Hollows, long-listed for the ARA Historical Novel Prize 2025.
42 min - S12 Ep2: Imagining the Past—2026—Mary-Lou Stephens
In April 2026, Mary Lou Stephens launched her fourth novel, The Hobart Hotel, in the place the novel is set – Hobart’s glamorous Wrest Point Hotel Casino. Join Mary-Lou and author Karen Brooks in the Stardust room for a sparkling and twirling conversation.
49 min - S12 Ep1: Imagining the Past—2026—Debra Oswald
Debra Oswald’s One Hundred Years of Betty was longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize 2025. She chats with Greg Johnston about her long career writing for film, television, stage, radio, fiction and children's fiction.
43 min - S11 Ep7: Imagining the Past—Summer Mesclun Season—2025/26—Sue WIlliams
Imagining the Past Summer Season is here. Enjoy catching up with book launch discussions featuring your favourite authors and new voices.
This podcast is truly a mesclun. In Feb 2026, Sue Williams launched her fourth novel, The Duke’s Secret, at the rowdy and aptly relevant pub, the Hero of Waterloo, in Sydney’s Rocks district. She was also interviewed by James Dunbar about some of the stories behind the story.
30 min - S11 Ep6: Imagining the Past—Summer Mesclun Season—2025/26—Shelley Dark
Imagining the Past Summer Season is here. Enjoy catching up with book launch discussions featuring your favourite authors and new voices.
In early December 2025, Shelley Dark launched her second novel, Son of Hydra, with book coach Hayley Saunders at the Noosa Library.
45 min - S11 Ep5: Imagining the Past—Summer Mesclun Season—2025/26
Imagining the Past Summer Season is here. Enjoy catching up with book launch discussions featuring your favourite authors and new voices.
Alexandria Burnham’s debut novel, Swallow, through Westwords Publication, was launched by Lauren Chater at the HNSA History Unbound Festival dinner, held in Parramatta in November 2025.
www.westwords.com.au/product/swallow/
33 min - S11 Ep4: Imagining the Past—Summer Mesclun Season—2025/26
Imagining the Past Summer Season is here. Enjoy catching up with book launch discussions featuring your favourite authors and new voices.
Wendy J. Dunn launched her new novel, Shades of Yellow, on November 15th, 2025, at Eltham Library in Melbourne. Dr Anne Casey gave an enthusiastic invocation, followed by Wendy’s response and reading from the novel.
31 min - S11 Ep3: Imagining the Past—Summer Mesclun Season—2025/26Imagining the Past Summer Season is here. Enjoy catching up with book launch discussions featuring your favourite authors and new voices.
Konrad Muller’s debut novel, My Heart at Evening, is published by a new imprint, Evercreech Editions. In November 2025, Konrad chatted with Rodney Croome at the Devonport Library about the novel’s recreation of the final days of colonial surveyor, artist and amateur botanist Henry Hellyer.
https://www.evercreecheditions.com/shop44 min
About Imagining The Past
From the publisher's feed
The Imagining the Past podcast series is brought to you by the Historical Novel Society Australasia. We feature authors appearing at our biennial conferences or have been recognised in our $150,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
Our HNSA hosts, Greg Johnston and Kelly Gardiner, discuss researching, writing and publishing historical fiction with acclaimed writers of the genre in its many forms from crime to fantasy to literary fiction, set in eras stretching from ancient times to the Swinging Sixties, and for readers of all ages.
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our writing programs and the ARA Historical Novel Prize. #writing #history #historicalfiction #fiction #books #podcast
Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.
Our hosts
Greg (G.S. )Johnston is the author of three historical novels – Sweet Bitter Cane (2019), The Cast of a Hand (2015), and The Skin of Water (2012), and a fourth novel set in contemporary Hong Kong, Consumption (2011). After completing a degree in pharmacy, a year in Italy re-ignited his passion for writing and he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. Feeling the need for a broader canvas, he started writing short stories and novels. He is the Treasurer of HNSA.
Kelly Gardiner writes historical fiction for all ages. Her latest series is The Firewatcher Chronicles. Her other books include Goddess, based on the life of Mademoiselle de Maupin; 1917: Australia’s Great War, shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize and Asher Award; the Swashbuckler pirate trilogy; and a picture book, Billabong Bill’s Bushfire Christmas. Her young adult novels Act of Faith and The Sultan’s Eyes, were both shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, while Act of Faith was shortlisted for the ASA’s Barbara Jefferis Award.
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