Lit Up

The city of Venice is the key character in Christopher Bollen’s latest novel A Beautiful Crime. Christopher joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss the summer internship that brought him to Venice for the first time, exploring power dynamics in romantic & platonic relationships and how he writes likeable characters who do bad things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exhausted by writing, Mira Jacob used illustration to explore themes of family, love and race in her graphic memoir Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations. She joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss her parents’ love story, teaching herself to draw and the idea that love is the opposite of racism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veronica Roth’s latest dystopian novel, Chosen Ones, explores the negative side of fame. Veronica joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss building dystopian worlds in her novels, being critiqued in the media and how the unexpected success of her first novel, Divergent, lead her to undergo therapy in her early 20’s.

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It took 18 years for Kate Elizabeth Russell to write her debut novel, My Dark Vanessa, about a student who falls in love with her teacher. She joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss power dynamics within relationships, consent and how the Me-Too Movement influenced her writing.   

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An 18-month break from dating forced UK journalist Dolly Alderton to learn to become comfortable being alone. Dolly discusses her debut book, Everything I Know About Love, with host Angela Ledgerwood, the intensity of female friendships and why her Australian therapist compared her to Donald Trump.

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Losing her job at Vogue forced Lauren Mechling to create a new identity for herself outside of work. Lauren joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss her latest novel ‘How Could She’, the impact working in magazines had on her writing and why she has an Instagram dedicated to clogs.

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Moving to New Orleans gave Jami Attenberg a new perspective on her characters. Her latest novel, All This Could Be Yours, follows one dysfunctional family in New Orleans who are coming to terms with their secrets. Jami joins host Angela Ledgerwood to discuss finding ideas in unexpected places, calling out the male gaze and how all readers see themselves in her different characters.

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All families are nuts, according Vicki Laveau-Harvie and there was no better place to explore her family's eccentricities than her Stella Award winning debut memoir The Erratics. Vicki talks with host Angela Ledgerwood about her experience growing up with, and escaping, a narcissistic mother and creating a new life for herself in France & Australia with her chosen family.

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All families are nuts, according Vicki Laveau-Harvie and there was no better place to explore her family's eccentricities than her Stella Award winning debut memoir The Erratics. Vicki talks with host Angela Ledgerwood about her experience growing up with, and escaping, a narcissistic mother and creating a new life for herself in France & Australia with her chosen family.

The perfect life is different for everyone and what we all dream of but sometimes it isn’t everything we think it is. Elaine Welteroth lifts the veil on the perfect social media life in her new book More Than Enough: Claiming Space For Who You Are and talks about finding those little clues in your earlier life full of enthusiasm to help you on your journey to doing what you love.

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