Kill Your Darlings joined Sisters in Crime last month for their event Past Imperfect. Sisters in Crime have been celebrating women’s crime writing since 1991, and in this event they celebrated the debut novels of Dervla McTiernan (The Rúin), Sarah Schmidt (See What I Have Done) and Katherine Kovacic (The Portrait of Molly Dean). Listen in as they discuss the mix of historical facts and speculation that fuelled their criminally good reads with chair Robyn Walton. This event was recorded live at Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel on April 6 2018.

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Meaghan Dew: Hello and welcome back to the Kill Your Darlings Podcast. Today on the podcast we have a recording of a very special event from Sisters in Crime. Sisters in Crime have been celebrating women’s crime writing since 1991. The organisation hosts a busy yearly calendar of events including interview panels, debates and book launches, as well as running an annual short story competition and the Davitt Awards, which celebrate the best crime books published by Australian women.

KYD joined Sisters in Crime last month for their event Past Imperfect, when authors Dervla McTiernan, Sarah Schmidt and Katherine Kovacic discussed how their debut novels shine light on unsolved crimes both real and imagined.

Robyn Walton: My name is Robyn Walton. A topic for tonight is delving into the swirl of history, mystery, intrigue and any other large words you can think of like that. So in other words, our three guest writers have dipped into the past for their plots. So we’re very happy to speak with them and I’ll be introducing each of them in a minute.

First of all though, I will do our normal Welcome to Country. At the outset as usual, we respectfully acknowledge the Yalukut Weelam of the Boon Wurrung clan. We pay our respects to their elders both past and present. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land. And we welcome any indigenous people who may be here this evening. Thank you.

I’ll now introduce these three writers. I’ll start directly beside me, shall I, and go across? Which I think – no it’s not in alpha order. So who knows what order it’s in.

Katherine Kovacic is directly beside me. Her book is The Portrait of Molly Dean. It’s very recently released. It’s flying up the charts over at Readings in St. Kilda because it’s set around Elwood and St. Kilda, so anyone who’s local or a Melbournian will really probably enjoy this one.

Next to Katherine is Sar-ah – or Sarah? You prefer Sarah? – Sarah Schmidt. Sarah was going to be a guest last year and unfortunately had to drop out, but we didn’t let her go, we brought her back this year. Which I think is even better, because her book is not one of those ones which sank without trace, but in fact it’s grown in lustre virtually every month since then. It’s won a number of awards. It’s just been listed for an international award for women’s writing. She also received an award over in Adelaide [applause] – Yes, yes! And I think a record number of reviews in mainstream Australian publications for a book by a woman.