Paperback Perfumes

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains."-Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses

On September 12–13, I'll be at the Geelong Fragrance Fair and to mark it, this special episode gathers voices from everyone I've interviewed on Paperback Perfumes this past year. Sixteen perfumers, founders and scholars, each paired with a book, woven into one conversation about scent, story and identity. Here they are, in the order they first appeared on the show. Come find me at the Fair and say hello!

Ep 3, Return of the Rivers — Laura Bass (Lore Perfumery) pairs fragrance with Rivers of London and The Return of the King.

Ep 21, Artistic Aliens — Corey Newcombe (Criminal Elements) on a decade of artisanal scent, nose training and dream-born fragrances.

Ep 26, Inheritance — John Domjan (Örök Fragrances) on telling queer community stories through scent.

Ep 44, Futurism — Dr Caroline McMillan on smell tech, sci-fi and the future of olfactory art.

Ep 46, Resilience — Aysha Hansen on sensory memory, teaching perfumery and building a fragrance line.

Ep 47, Story Keepers — Juliette Fournier & Richard Adamson (Hart + Hedi) on collaboration, memory and native Australian botanicals.

Ep 49, The Land of Flowers — Justin James (House of James) on niche perfumery as artistic rebellion.

Ep 51, Fairy Tales — Michael Nordstrand (Mythologist Studio) on myth, the hero's journey and Scandinavian fairy tales.

Ep 54, Kings and Heroes — Ashek Zubayer (Byermia) on the Epic of Gilgamesh and his mythological Folklore series.

Ep 55, Aesthetics — Dr Liam Sardea on the philosophy of aesthetics, memory and meaning in scent.

Ep 60, More Than a Dandy — Katrina Cochrane (Archer Farrar) on natural perfumery and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Ep 65, Sacred Scent — Lee Couch (LA COUCH), a Gamilaroi woman, on Aboriginal bush medicine, songlines and healing.

Ep 71, A Box of Spices — Alina Tadevosyan (ARAKYÁL) on Armenian heritage, memory and cultural resilience.

Ep 78, A Beautiful Grimoire — Troy Vu (Grimoire Perfumes) on Dorian Gray, myth and the macabre.

Ep 82, Finding Language — Saskia Dodds-Painter (KOLIDO, Nose Magazine) on the language we use for smell.

Ep 84, Makeup and Murder — David Clarke (Rivendare) on Agatha Christie and building a perfume house from scratch.

Sixteen episodes, one thread: scent as story. Listen to the full compilation now, then come find me in person at the Geelong Fragrance Fair, September 12–13 — I'd love to swap book and fragrance recommendations with you.

Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can."- Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

Aysha Hansen is an independent Australian perfumer with an uncompromising focus on exceptional quality, detail and sensorial elegance. Born in Geelong and raised in the coastal town of Torquay, Aysha's approach to perfumery is largely inspired by memories, daydreams and adventures. As an artisan perfumer, she draws on her passion for nature, history and travel to create fragrances that transport the wearer through evocative storytelling. Aysha conducts custom perfume workshops from her studio in Geelong, and has launched her eponymous luxury perfume collection in July of 2025.

This episode welcomes back perfumer Aysha to reflect on a breakthrough year, including a finalist nomination at the Institute of Art and Olfaction's Golden Pears, an unforgettable trip to Athens, and the craft of turning memory into scent. The conversation explores community in perfumery, the restorative power of Aysha's workshops, and a book pairing with Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic that helps frame Aysha's first three fragrances: Golden Thread, Ghost Lover and Ambrosia.

Fragrances mentioned:

Golden Thread

Ghost Lover

Ambrosia

Book discussed:

Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman

Find Aysha at:

Instagram:

@ayshahansenfinefragrance

Website:

www.ayshahansen.com

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Australian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!

Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“In the secular night you wander aroundalone in your house. It’s Two-Thirty”- Margaret Atwood, In the Secular Night

Regina Mamou is a research-based installation artist whose work sits at the crossroads of history, ideology and scent. Raised in a multiethnic household, her mother Polish-American, her father a Christian Chaldean priest who fled Iraq for fear of persecution. Regina's practice blends fact and fiction to interrogate belief systems, particularly communism and totalitarianism. Since 2020, she has been the first artist-in-residence at The Wende Museum of the Cold War in Los Angeles, where she investigates Iraqi-Soviet bilateral relations through an immersive, experiential installation. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and completed a Fulbright project on mapping and memory in Amman, Jordan.

In this episode, Regina shares her unique work at the crossroads of olfactive art, history and political memory, and how scent can evoke powerful narratives and personal histories. We talk about her use of tincturing, and materials like gypsum, ash and bitumen, to conjure historical and cultural memory, and the delicate process of capturing vapour in immersive, scent-based installations.

We dig into the role of surprise, secrecy and the unexpected in her work, echoes of surveillance and propaganda, and how her Iraqi heritage threads through pieces exploring Middle Eastern history and identity. Regina's piece "Hang Our Gods" was a finalist at the Institute for Art and Olfaction's Golden Pear Awards, and we talk about the audience reactions it provokes. We also pair the conversation with Margaret Atwood's poem "In the Secular Night," exploring its themes of solitude, loss and spirituality alongside Regina's own meditations on memory and belief.

Works mentioned:

Hang Our Gods (Institute for Art and Olfaction Golden Pear Awards finalist), Iraqi-Soviet relations installation — The Wende Museum residency

Poem discussed:

In the Secular Night - Margaret Atwood

Find Regina at:

reginamamou.com

researchbermudatriangle.xyz

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Australian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!

Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
― Lois Lowry, The Giver

Bawo Ijirigho is the founder and creative force behind Ilé Olomu, a fragrance house rooted in West African heritage and storytelling. A great-grand nephew of 19th-century Nigerian agricultural pioneer Nana Olomu, Bawo draws on his family's legacy and a modern artistic vision to bring the spirit of Nigeria into fine perfumery, co-developing each fragrance in Zürich alongside master perfumer Andreas Wilhelm.

In this episode, Bawo takes us through his unexpected path from music into perfumery, and the meaning behind the name Ilé Olomu — Ilé means "house" in Yoruba, a deliberate departure from the French "Maison" tradition. We talk about how the Nigerian diaspora and indigenous flora, from the yellow trumpet to native lilies, shape his creative process, and the story behind Verdant, a fragrance built on memory, plantain and home, as well as the winner of the People Choice for the Gold Pear awards in 2026.

Food and celebration run through the conversation too, with plantain, ginger and even a nod to Milo finding their way into his fragrance concepts. We also pair this episode with Lois Lowry's The Giver, exploring how storytelling and memory intertwine in both literature and scent, before Bawo shares his ambitions to take Ilé Olomu global and build lasting cultural connection.

Ilé Olomu fragrances mentioned:

Milora

Verdant

Atalẹ Gold

Books discussed:

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Find Ilé Olomu at:

Instagram:

@ileolomu

Website:

ileolomu.com

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Australian listeners — the Geelong Fragrance Fair is on from 11–13 September 2026, and tickets are on sale now. It's a great opportunity for the Australian fragrance community to get together — come and see me pair books with Lore Perfumery live on the Saturday!

Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There I was, a woman on the rocks by the ocean, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for the return of her lover. Everything I knew about art would say that I was a painting. I was certainly a poem. Sappho was too - her life, perhaps, unknowable, but her feelings were mine. I was mythic.”
― Melissa Broder, The Pisces

April Lea is the founder, perfumer and creative force behind LVNEA, a Canadian fragrance house known for its richly layered natural perfumes. Drawing on mythology, folklore, art history and the natural world, April creates scents that invite us to slow down, reflect and connect more deeply with the stories carried by fragrance.

Recorded prior to the 2026 Institute for Art and Olfaction Awards in Athens, our conversation explores the inspiration behind her award-finalist Vanitas fragrances and the centuries-old artistic traditions that informed their creation. April shares insights into her creative practice, from collaborating with perfumers and working with living botanical materials to translating emotion, memory and meaning into scent.

We also discuss the complexities of natural perfumery, including ethical sourcing, sustainability and the environmental and cultural histories embedded within fragrance ingredients. Together, we explore how perfume can be both deeply personal and inherently political, connecting us to land, community and place.

LVNEA fragrances mentioned:

Vanitas

Selkie

Les Lunatiques

Books discussed:

The Pisces - Melissa Broder

Find LVNEA at:

Instagram:

@lvneaperfume

Website:

lvenua.ca

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“At a small table, sitting very upright, was one of the ugliest old ladies he had ever seen. It was an ugliness of distinction—it fascinated rather than repelled.”
― Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express

Most perfumers focus on crafting fragrance but David Clarke, the creative mind behind Rivendare, transforms the entire process into a story. From an unexpected starting point with no initial interest in perfume, he has built a distinctive voice in artisanal perfumery from a remote corner of Australia, earning recognition from the Institute for Art and Olfaction.

Please note: this conversation was recorded prior to David receiving the Golden Pear Award in the Artisan category from the Institute for Art and Olfaction in June of 2026.

In this episode, David shares how a failed online business became the unlikely gateway into perfume-making, and how that pivot shaped his philosophy around creativity, independence, and experimentation. We explore the role of scarcity and mystique in niche fragrance, and how stepping away from commercial expectations can open space for truly original work.

David offers an inside look at the realities of small-batch perfumery, working with rare materials, navigating the challenges of sourcing from regional Australia, and pushing beyond conventional industry standards in pursuit of artistic freedom. His approach challenges traditional ideas of luxury, shifting the focus from status and scale to craftsmanship, creativity, and the ability of a fragrance to inspire and transport.

Rivendare fragrances mentioned:

1747

Tundra

Death by Vanity

Books discussed:

Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

Find Rivendare at:

Instagram:

@rivendareperfume

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Was I starting to feel evil? Yes, now I was worrying I'd be turned to the dark side by too much crochet.”
― Naomi Novik, A Deadly Education

In this episode, I have an excellent conversation with Benjamin Esposito, the self‑taught perfumer behind New York’s House of Mammoth. I have always admired the way Benjamin talks about his work, grounding it in what he calls radical attention, the practice of noticing the strange, tender and absurd moments that shape a life. His path into perfumery started far from fragrance, but he is someone who loved making things from scratch. That curiosity eventually led him to scent as a way to tell stories and hold space for memory.

We talk about how his fragrances draw from childhood moments, pop culture references and the sensory imprints of his cultural background. Benjamin shares why patience and slowness guide every part of his creative process and how artisanal work continues to matter in a world that moves faster every day.

Fragrances mentioned:

Everett - House of Mammoth & Michael Nordstrand 

You & I (Will Die) - House of Mammoth

Voices - House of Mammoth 

DinoS’mores - House of Mammoth 

Snippid - House of Mammoth 

Bad Lily - TALE Parfum 

Vetiver - Guerlain 

Joy - Jean Patou 

Rauque - Roberto Greco/Christopher Sheldrake

Books discussed:

Calvin and Hobbs

A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik

Find House of Mammoth at:

Instagram:

@house.of.mammoth

Website:

houseofmammoth.com

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“These empires, however, have no power of the language of scent. Scent in situ resides outside of oppressive systems. Despite a massive market valuation for scented products, the language of scent itself cannot be commodified, owned or managed”
- Catherine Hayley Epstein, Cognitive Impacts of Scent’s Languagelessness: A Persuasive Palette to Infuse Imagination and Healing, Nose Magazine, Issue 2 : Primed

Saskia Dodds‑Painter is the founder of KOLIDO, a hands‑on perfumery based in the Yarra Valley on Wurundjeri Country, and the creator of Nose Magazine, an independent print publication dedicated to cultivating olfactive curiosity. Working with a small team, Saskia approaches scent as both craft and storytelling, designing and producing every perfume in‑house — from early formulation to bottling and shipping. Nose Magazine extends this creative vision into print, exploring the cultural and emotional dimensions of smell and appearing in stockists across Australia, Europe, the UK, and the US.

In this episode, we explore how Saskia brings together her passion for scent, language, and community through the launch of KOLIDO and Nose. The conversation highlights the creative processes behind innovative fragrances, the importance of language in shaping how we experience scent, and the community‑driven approach that defines niche perfumery. Saskia shares how curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration guide her work, offering listeners insight into the evolving world of independent fragrance.

Kolido fragrances mentioned:

70s Taxi

Bareback

Placebo

Nymphetta

Writing discussed:

Nose Magazine - Issue 1: Top notes

Nose Magazine - Issue 2: Primed

Find Nose Magazine and Kolido at:

Instagram:

@nose.mag

@kolido__

Website:

nosenosenose.com

kolido.au

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Perfume is a language whose speech is worth learning and unpacking as one would a poem, book, or film. Scent is a path to getting closer to our senses, to instinct, and to our bodies and the earth at a time when those attachments are threatened.”Barbara Herman, Scent & Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume

Barbara Herman is a writer, vintage‑perfume historian, and the founder of ERIS Parfums, a fragrance house inspired by the bold, unconventional beauty of classic perfume styles. Her journey began with collecting and researching vintage fragrances, which led her to create the blog Yesterday’s Perfume and later write Scent and Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume, a book exploring the cultural and artistic history of scent . Her fascination with the expressive power of perfume eventually evolved into creative collaboration with perfumer Antoine Lie, resulting in ERIS Parfums — a brand known for its daring, boundary‑pushing compositions that pay tribute to the past while speaking to a modern audience.

In this episode, we explore the nuanced world of fragrance through vintage perfumes, challenge expectations as well as personal politics, and act as a form of artistic subversion.

Fragrances mentioned:

Lauren - Ralph Lauren 

Grey Flannel - Geoffrey Been

Polo - Ralph Lauren

Madeline de Madeline - Madeline Mono

Nuit de Noel - Caron

My Sin (Mon Peche) - Lavin

Baghari - Robert Piguet

Writing discussed:

Scent & Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume - Barbara Herman

Lolita - Vladamir Nabokov

Alice’s Adventure In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

Dune - Frank Herbert

Rebecca - Daphne De Maurier

Miss Benson’s Beetle - Rachel Joyce

The Giving Tree - Shel Silverman

Find Barbara and ERIS parfums at:

Instagram:

@erisparfums

@perfumaniac

Website:

barbaraherman.com

erisparfums.com

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There is a type of person who starts to GLOW FROM WITHIN when talking about perfumery…” - Pia Long, Excerpt from ‘Demo Accords’, featured in ‘On The Scent’ magazine, Issue 1 .

Jo Fairley is a celebrated writer, journalist, and one of the most influential voices shaping how we understand and talk about fragrance. As co‑founder of On The Scent magazine (and it’s inclusion in a burgeoning media empire), she has spent decades translating the invisible world of scent into stories that explore memory, culture, and the emotional power of perfume. Her award‑winning writing has helped build a bridge between the perfume industry and everyday readers, making the language of fragrance more accessible, expressive, and deeply human.

Alongside her work in scent journalism, Jo is also known for co‑founding Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate, a brand that reflects her instinct for storytelling, design, and thoughtful creation. Her entrepreneurial spirit and editorial eye come together in everything she builds, especially in her mission to cultivate community within the fragrance world.

In this episode, Jo shares her journey through perfume writing, the evolution of scent culture, and the magic behind creating a groundbreaking magazine dedicated to fragrance. It’s a conversation about creativity, connection, and the way scent helps us understand ourselves and the world around us.

Fragrances mentioned:

Shocking - Elsa Schiaparelli

Néroli Amara - Van Cleef & Arpels

Eau des Sens - Diptyque

Petitgrain - Perfumer H

Writing discussed:

On The Scent Magazine: Issue 1 (Digital Copy)

Find Jo and On The Scent Media:

Instagram:

@jofairley

@onthescentmedia

Website:

onthescentmedia.com

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.