What's it like putting your creative work out in the world and discovering that some people hate it? 

In episode 103 of James and Ashley Stay at Home, international bestselling author Robyn Harding joins James and Ashley to explore her extensive career in writing. She shares her experience of releasing her first book in 2004, and how her journey has evolved up to the launch of her latest novel, The Haters. 

Robyn also shares insights into the challenges of dealing with online negativity, the psychological impact of reviews, and what inspired her to write a story centered around an author’s worst nightmare. We also discuss managing negativity bias and maintaining a long-term career in the ever-changing literary world.

Robyn Harding is the author of numerous international bestsellers, including The Party, The Arrangement and The Drowning Woman. She is also the screenwriter and executive producer of the independent film, The Steps. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and two rescue chihuahuas. 

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Troll Hunting by Ginger Gorman;  
• This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead;
• The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead; 
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor; 
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor; 
• Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt; 
• How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt;
• Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans

Get your copy of 'The Haters' from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors. 

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm 
• James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning,  Wednesday 11 Sept, 6.15pm AEST
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm 
• James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I wasn't even sure I was going to write a novel.' 

Author Zahid Gamieldien joins us to discuss his debut novel, All the Missing Children. Zahid speaks about his start writing short stories, his decision to transition to novel writing based on the advice of a publisher, and how he sees the differences between prose and screenwriting. 

He also speaks about the challenge of fitting in writing time while raising children, and his four-year-old son's assessment of his work.  

Plus, more spec fiction talk! 

Zahid Gamieldien is an author, screenwriter, editor and writing tutor. His short fiction has been published in literary journals including Overland, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Island Magazine and many others. His co-written screenplays have been listed for awards such as the Australian Writers’ Guild’s John Hinde Award and the AMC One-Hour Pilot Award at the Austin Film Festival. His debut novel is All The Missing Children.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• 2666 by Roberto Bolaño; 
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; 
• Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor; 
• The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin; 
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley; 
• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Get your copy of All the Missing Children from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors. 

Zahid and James will be appearing in conversation together to discuss 'All the Missing Children' at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October.

And make sure to check out Zahid at Bad Crime Sydney on Friday 13 September. 

Upcoming events 

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm 
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm 
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I didn't believe that I'd stalked my partner.' 

In episode 101, we speak with debut author Khin Myint about the multiple strands of biography he explores in his memoir Fragile Creatures. One of these is the sudden and extreme betrayal he faced from his ex-partner, who accused him of stalking her. 

We also discuss the ambiguous illness his sister Theda lived with for years, at times diagnosed as depression, CFS/ME and chronic Lyme disease, and how she chose to end her life after thirteen years of symptoms and divisiveness. We also consider whether our societal silence around suicide is potentially contribuiting to its rise.  

Khin also describes how he came to understand masculinity as a shadow, a pressure that follows men and ultimately shapes them. He asks, 'What is this pressure that socialises boys to adhere to some of these toxic expectations of maleness?'  

Fragile Creatures is a must-read memoir, and this conversation is only the tip of more than one culturally urgent conversation.  

Plus in What Are You Reading, we chat about a surprising number of speculative fiction titles. 

Khin Myint is an author based in Perth. His writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, Liminal and The West Australian, and more. He was selected as one of ten participants in the Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter scheme in 2021. His debut memoir is Fragile Creatures. 

Books & authors (and one podcast) discussed in this episode:

• The Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51); 
• 'What do trigger warnings actually do?' from Search Engine; 
• Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin; 
• Quiet by Susan Cain; 
• The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth; 
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb; 
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons;
• Orson Scott Card

Get your copy of Fragile Creatures from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors. 

Upcoming events: 

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm 
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm 
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

We made it to 100 episodes! In this celebration of books, reading and creative community, James and Ashley reflect on how the podcast came about, their favourite books and moments from the podcast, and how their lives, health and writing have changed over the four years since episode 1. 

You'll also hear from a variety of past guests and listeners, and get an update on the newest books from all our incredible range of previous guests. Plus, we announce the winner of our book pack giveaway. 

Authors and books discussed in this episode:

• Red River Road by Anna Downes (from ep 5)
• The Shadow House by Anna Downes
• The Safe Place by Anna Downes
• Meshi: A Personal History of Japanese Food by Katherine Tamiko Arguile (from ep 7)
• The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern (from ep 12) 
• The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern 
• The Liars by Petronella McGovern 
• The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13) 
• The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39) 
• Dirt by David Vann (from ep 23) 
• Bianca Millroy, upcoming curator of Science Write Now* 
• Josephine Taylor (from ep 20) 
• Adele Dumont (from ep 93)
• Little Bit by Heather Taylor Johnson (forthcoming) (from ep 41) 
• Ten Thousand Aftershocks by Michelle Tom (from ep 38) 
• The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (from ep 96)
• Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint 
• Madrid: A New Biography by Luke Stegemann (from ep 26) 
• Happy Millionth Birthday by RWR McDonald (from ep 32) 
• Ghost Cities by Siang Liu (from ep 99) 
• The Keepers by Al Campbell (from ep 65) 
• Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell (from ep 33) 
• Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (from ep 14) 
• Love & Autism by Kay Kerr (from ep 37) 
• Australiana by Yumna Kassab (from ep 57) 
• The Lovers by Yumna Kassab 
• Politico by Yumna Kassab 
• Good Dog by Kate Leaver (from ep 8) 
• Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran (from ep 48) 
• Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran
• Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51) 
• Taken by Dinuka McKenzie
• The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie
• Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine (from ep 52) 
• Dying to Know by Rae Cairns (from ep 58) 
• The Good Mother by Rae Cairns 
• Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood by Darryl Jones (from ep 67) 
• Never Ever Forever by Karina May (from ep 78)
• Compassion by Julie Janson (from ep 80) 
• Benevolence by Julie Janson 
• Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson 
• Love, Dad by Laurie Steed (from ep 87)
• Greater City Shadows by Laurie Steed
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (from ep 68) 
• Imbi Neeme (from ep 98) 
• A Real Piece of Work by Erin Riley 
• Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50) 
• Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56) 
• Jacinta Dietrich, favourite friend of the podcast and co-host of Differently Brained (from ep 45)
• Ada Palmer (from ep 16)
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (from ep 76) 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 
• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 
• Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester 

*Correction: Bianca is hosting an eight-part takeover of Science Write Now, started by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White. 

Upcoming events 

• James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning on Tuesday 23 July, 6.15pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm
• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm 
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm 
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or library. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'There are so many books in bookstores, how could it possibly be that, by complete randomness, someone would pick yours up?' 

Author Siang Lu joins us to discuss his second novel, Ghost Cities, and the multilayered inspirations behind his multilayered fiction, including Catch-22 and Paradise Lost. 

We also discuss talent stacking, the challenge of building an author brand and Siang's novel approach to doing so. 

Siang Lu is the author of Ghost Cities and The Whitewash, and the co-creator of The Beige Index. In 2023 he was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Asian-Australians at the Asian Australian Leadership Awards. He has written for film and television, and is based in Brisbane, and Kuala Lumpur.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller;
• Viet Thanh Nguyen;
• Paradise Lost by John Milton;  
• Katherine Collette (from ep 55);
• He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan;
• Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager;
• So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan;  
• Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith

Get your copy of Ghost Cities from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events 

• Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm
• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

We want to hear from you!

The 100th episode of 'James and Ashley Stay at Home' is fast approaching, and it’s going to be a very special one. To celebrate this milestone, we want you to send us a voice memo with your thoughts, comments and memories about the show, to be included in episode 100. This is open to anyone, whether you're an old listener, a new discoverer or a previous guest!

Did the podcast introduce you to a book you ended up loving? Is there an episode that’s really stuck in your mind? Was your experience of being a guest less painful than you’d expected? Why is James your favourite host? (Guess who ended up writing these shownotes).

Send your voice recording as an email attachment to [email protected] by July 10 2024. There’s no minimum length, but please keep memos to under a minute.

AND – if you send in a voice memo, regardless of whether or not we use it in the episode, you’ll go into the draw to win a pack of 4 books by authors we’ve interviewed on the show!

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.    Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

We've made it to episode 98! Author Imbi Neeme joins James and Ashley to discuss life with misophonia, a hypersensitivity to sounds that she describes as 'like a cheese grater against the brain'. Imbi speaks both about how she discovered that her personal experiences are shared by others, and how she's explored the condition in her latest novel, 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not.' They also discuss the challenge of second books and developing a writing career in an industry obsessed with debuts. 

Imbi Neeme won the 2019 Penguin Literary Prize for The Spill, which was published by Penguin Random House in 2020. She blogged for many years at Not Drowning, Mothering, which won the 2010 Bloggies Award for best ANZ Weblog. She lives in Melbourne.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
• Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
• On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen
• The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood
• Katherine Collette (from ep 55)
• Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13)

Get your copy of Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events 

• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.    Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Throughout their careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. Now, they’re each sharing a few of their most effective writing techniques (starting with episode 94 - James’ shortcut to compelling characters).

In this episode, Ashley gives a mini-masterclass on narrative drive and shares some revelations inspired by a book she refuses to name. She breaks down the four components of narrative drive in writing and explores the importance of each.

Plus, she shares the official title of her forthcoming thriller! 

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss;
• Candice Fox;
• JP Pomare; 
• In the Woods by Tana French;
• Red River Road by Anna Downes; 
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt;
• The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga; 
• Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56); 
• Toni Jordan;  
• How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• The Cop Who Fell From the Sky by Craig Semple; 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara; 
• Annette Higgs (from ep 86);
• Indira Naidoo (from ep 82)

Upcoming events 

• James is appearing at the Bathurst Writers Festival as part of the  Rural Crime Fiction: A Cross Examination panel, Saturday 25 May 1pm
• Ashley is teaching a Memoir Masterclass as part of the Words on the Waves Festival on Saturday 1 June, 2-4pm
• Ashley is appearing at the Words on the Waves Writers Festival as part of the Back from the Abyss panel on Sunday 2 June, 1.30-2.30pm
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'The doctors were telling me, "We’re going to take your greater omentum out" … I had no idea what these terms meant.' 

In episode 96, author Tracy Sorensen joins us to discuss her remarkable novel/cancer memoir, The Vitals, narrated by her internal organs.

After her original cancer diagnosis, a desire to better understand her body led Tracy to crochet her peritoneal organs. This in turn helped her to develop each organ's personality as they became point-of-view characters in the novel. She delves into her creative process, including the three-word sticky note that guided her writing.

Part of her goal was a deliberate departure from conventional 'battle' narratives surrounding cancer, opting instead for a more nuanced approach that challenges societal expectations. She also shares her approach to crafting narrative drive.

Tracy Sorensen is a writer and scholar. She grew up in Carnarvon on the north coast of Western Australia and now lives in Bathurst, New South Wales, with her partner, Steve. Her first novel, The Lucky Galah, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2019. The Vitals, her second novel, is based on her experience with advanced primary peritoneal cancer, a form of ovarian cancer. 

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk  
• Enid Blyton
• The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico
• I’ll Leave You with This by Kylie Ladd
• Number Go Up by Zeke Faux
• The Trial by Franz Kafka
• Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt

Get your copy of The Vitals from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

‘I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.’ 

Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl. 

Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidence through writing, and to her recent brain surgery. Liz also dives into her latest novel, sharing insights into the creation of its unique protagonist and her writing process. 

Plus, Liz makes a call on the greatest crime novel of the past ten years!

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond – have each been number one bestsellers. She has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• The Lost Man by Jane Harper;
• Val McDermid;
• Ian Rankin;
• Graham Norton;
• Dervla McTiernan;
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee;
• Lisa Jewell; 
• The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch;
• In the Woods by Tana French;
• The Hunter by Tana French;
• The Search by Tana French;
• Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica;
• Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov;
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro;
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Get your copy of Strange Sally Diamond from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events 

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm 
• See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024 
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. 

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson