TGE's Current Read

On this episode of TGE’s Current Read (and a special bonus episode of The Great Equalizer), two of the fiercest women in the publishing and parenting space – Vanessa Raphaely and Karin Schimke – join your hosts, Sam and Charlene, to talk about their book: We Were Perfect Parents Until We Had Children.

Through combined effort, Vanessa and Karin gathered together several key experiences and insights from members of The Village – a 60k-member-strong Facebook group that offers support, wisdom and a shoulder to cry on for parents across South Africa.

The group provided the gems and remedies that Vanessa and Karin drew on to draft the marrow of the book: Non-judgmental nuggets of wisdom from the real parenting experts – the parents who form The Village – gathered and bound to help readers raise their families in their own perfectly imperfect way.

Vanessa chats with The Great Equalizer about the origins of The Village, Karin gets vulnerable about her own parenting journey, and we touch on the vast array of subjects that the book covers, including mental health, discipline, sex, gender, money matters, and self love.

Parenting doesn't get easier, folks. It just challenges us in all new, different and scary ways. Luckily, we have each other – and this book – to guide us through the tough times.

About the Authors:

Vanessa Raphaely started her career on London’s Fleet Street before returning to SA to become the multi-award-winning editor of Cosmopolitan, and to run Associated Media. After 20 years, Vanessa left and launched The Village, a Facebook group 60 000 members strong, well known and much-loved among South African parents (which we will be talking about, at length, in just a bit).

For years, author, editor and writing coach Karin Schimke was a parenting columnist for Femina magazine and a journalist who contributed regularly to Parent24. Karin is author the weekly ‘Love Letter’, which tracks her adventures in her post-parenting years.

BLURB:

‘I straighten her little tiara every morning – I lift her chin and remind her

that she is meant for greater things than playground bullies.’

‘Everything shines in its own time. There is no timetable for life.

Timetables are for classrooms, not for people.’

These are just some of the wisdoms shared on The Village, South Africa’s beloved Facebook group for parents raising tweens, teens and young adults.

Having kids is a baffling endeavour beset with sulks, meltdowns, anxiety and disappointment – and that’s just the parents! When you get that call to the principal’s office? When the school acceptances don’t come? When the bedroom door slams and you hear your child sobbing behind it? All awful but the family years are also, to many of us, our most precious time. The trick? To find a way to enjoy our families, love our children and believe in them and ourselves despite the daily challenges. And laugh . . .

In this book, Vanessa Raphaely and Karin Schimke have gathered together experiences and insights from The Village members. These are the gems and remedies from the real parenting experts – the parents – to help you raise your family in your own perfectly imperfect way.

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#parentingpodcast #motherhoodunplugged #goodenoughparenting #parentingpodcasts #nojudgies #currentread #podcastersofsouthafrica #podcastersofinstagram The Village | Facebook · Jonathan Ball Publishers | We Were Perfect Parents Until We Had Children

On this episode of TGE's Current Read, Sam chats to New York Times bestselling author Ashley Audrain, whose #1 bestselling debut, The Push, has not only been translated into a whopping 38 languages since its release, it's also broken countless barriers for millions of mothers across the world.

While we’ve been patiently waiting for the limited television series of The Push to come to fruition, we had the great pleasure of inhaling Ashley’s second novel, The Whispers when it was first released. She joined Sam and Charlene on the line (ahead of The Great Equalizer's milestone 100th episode) to chat about her latest instalment, and all the various insights it has on what it means to be a woman in modern day suburbia…

ABOUT THE WHISPERS:

A propulsive page-turner about four families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens – and what is lost when we give in to our own worst impulses...

On Harlow Street, the well-to-do neighborhood couples and their children gather for a catered barbecue as the summer winds down; drinks continue late into the night.

Everything is fabulous until the picture-perfect hostess explodes in fury because her son disobeys her. Everyone at the party hears her exquisite veneer crack – loud and clear. Soon after, that same young boy falls from his bedside window in the middle of the night. And then, his mother can only sit by her son’s hospital bed, where she refuses to speak to anyone, including her best friend who lives across the street.

What follows is the unravelling of four families on this street, as they try to understand what happened that night, and what secrets are being kept between friends and neighbours, ones that connect them all in ways they don’t know.

Exploring envy, women’s friendships, desire, and the intuitions that we silence, The Whispers is a chilling novel that marks Audrain as a major women’s fiction talent.

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#TGECurrentRead #CurrentRead #Motherhood #MotherhoodUnplugged #Fiction Ashley Audrain – Website

In this episode of TGE’s Current Read*, journalist Sam Herbst welcomes Cecelia Ahern bestselling novelist known for romance sensations like PS I Love You and Where Rainbows End (AKA Love, Rosie).

 

Cecelia is arguably one of the most prolific writers of our time, having written a book a year since publishing her debut novel (PS, I Love You) at just 21 years old. Cecelia’s bibliography now totals 19 novels (and counting) and she’s sold more than 25-million copies worldwide, across 40 countries and 30 languages.

 

The author joins Sam Herbst in studio to chat about her writing journey and her latest book, in a thousand different ways, which deals with empathy and a real-world experience of synaesthesia. She also reveals the title and premise of her forthcoming book, Into the Storm, due this October.

 

*TGE’s Current Read is a sister subsidiary of The Great Equalizer, an unfiltered podcast about parenting.

 

Blurb for in a thousand different ways:

Alice sees the worst in people.

She also sees the best.
She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.
Every. Single. Day.

But it’s the dark thoughts.
The sadness. The rage.
These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her.

Where will the journey to find herself begin?

'Utterly wonderful . . . Cecelia Ahern is a master storyteller at the absolute peak of her powers. Her heroine, Alice Kelly, is completely unique – beguiling, complicated, extraordinary - and she'll change the way you see the world' Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity Project

'

A novel that's so wise and profound, there's gold on every page.' Donal Ryan, Booker-longlisted author of The Queen of Dirt Island

 

About Cecelia Ahern:

After completing a degree in Journalism and Media Communications, Cecelia wrote her first novel at 21 years old. Her debut novel, PS I Love You was published in January 2004, and was followed by Where Rainbows End (aka Love, Rosie) in November 2004. Both novels were adapted to films; PS I Love You starred Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler, and Love, Rosie starred Lily Collins and Sam Claflin.

Along with writing novels, Cecelia has created, produced and written original TV series including co-creating the US ABC Comedy Samantha Who? 

Cecelia’s highly acclaimed collection of short stories, Roar, was adapted for the silver screen and debuted in 2020 on Apple TV+ featuring an all-star cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Issa Rae, Merrit Weaver and Alison Brie (among others). Cecelia has also written a TV series currently in development with Picturestart, and has worked on a feature film sequel to PS I Love You titled Postscript, which is in development with Alcon Entertainment. 

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#ceceliaahern #bookstagram #booklover #psiloveyou #bookworm #books #reading #booksbooksbooks #postscript #booksofinstagram #bookstagrammer #book #ceceliaahernbooks #bibliophile #bookish #nicholassparks #romance #hilaryswank #bookphotography #gerardbutler #love #bookreview #johngreen #instabook #novel #bookaholic #bookaddict Pagecast: Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

Feminist, activist, crime author, novelist and Mother – Margie Orford wears many hats and joins Sam Herbst in studio to chat about her memoir, Love & Fury.

This is a book that will cut close to the bone for women everywhere. It's at once a tribute to South Africa's incredible history, the invisible work and labour of mothers, and feminists fighting for equality and women's rights the world over.

With bravery and grace, Margie delves into the details of her life and career to date, including her divorce, how she's battled depression and how she navigated the impossible balance of work and motherhood.

Huge thanks to Margie for taking the time to join us in studio!

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BLURB:

‘This book kept me alive.’

Love and Fury is the compelling and intimate account of the life, loves and furies of Margie Orford. In this brave memoir, the renowned South African crime writer divulges some of the harrowing experiences that have shaped her life and influenced her writing. Through sexual assault, divorce, depression and personal loss, Orford illuminates the trauma she has navigated. Tender and courageous chapters vividly recall memories of what she has been through as a woman, mother, wife, feminist and ambitious writer. Love and Fury shows why trauma in our past can have such an enduring and debilitating effect on women’s lives. It also unpacks the healing power of love, creativity, courage and self-reflection, ultimately offering a profound message of hope and joy for any woman who has ever questioned themselves, their trauma and who they are in the world. This book is every woman’s love and fury.

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#memoir #motherhood #feminist #writer Love & Fury by Margie Orford (Jonathan Ball)

We have another all-new BONUS episode out today featuring the phenomenal Minna Dubin.

Minna is a US-based journalist and author whose essays and articles on motherhood and identity have been featured across all the best known outlets, including the New York Times, The Times, The Philadelphia Enquirer, LitHub, and so much more.

Minna is a leading feminist voice on mom rage and she talks to The Great Equalizer's Sam Herbst about her debut book, MOM RAGE: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood.

🎧 LISTEN. 💛 LIKE. 🗣 SHARE. 🟡 SUBSCRIBE

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#momrage #maternalrage #maternalmentalhealth #minnadubin #currentlyreading #booktube #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged

In this BONUS episode of The Great Equalizer / TGE's Current Read, your host Samantha Herbst sits down with award-winning animator Daniel Snaddon. Daniel has worked on several highly acclaimed (and well loved) animations, including Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes, and a host of animations based on the beloved books of children's book author Julia Donaldson.

Daniel already has two BAFTAs under his belt, as well as two International Emmy Kids Awards, the most recent being an iEmmy for Best Kids Animation, in recognition of his work on The Smeds & The Smoos, which Daniel co-directed with fellow South African Samantha Cutler.

Daniel's work echoes through the TGE households and we were so pleased to have him in studio to chat more about his career and some of his upcoming work (including a new Julia Donaldson adaptation!).

Are you a fan of the Julia Donaldson adaptations? Let us know in the comments. They're all available to view (in South Africa) on Showmax.

🎧 LISTEN. 💛 LIKE. 🗣 SHARE. 🟡 SUBSCRIBE

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#kidslit #booktube #childrensliterature #juliadonaldson #showmax #triggerfish #iemmy #childrensanimation THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS! Local directors take home Emmy for Julia Donaldson adaptation

"We are closer than ever to the first pregnancy outside of the human body... but are we ready for the radical future of birth?"

Host of TGE's Current Read Sam Herbst chats with author and feminist academic Claire Horn about her book, Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth.

Eve is a radical interrogation of the ethics and future of birth, detailing the near-future probability of ectogenesis, AKA artificial human gestation (babies created in and born from machines).

We're not talking science fiction here, folks. Radical technological developments are making it possible for babies to be created and gestated outside of the human body, and Eve explores what this will mean for us as a race.

Horne delves into the complex legal, social and ethical questions that ectogenesis raises, and explores what this scientific breakthrough might mean for motherhood, womanhood and parenthood. She also breaks down the history of artificial gestation, which goes back decades, and considers what the sociopolitical implications might be in countries that don't respect the autonomy of pregnant people.

Horne is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the intersection of science, ethics and matrescence, giving measured insight into a complex and ethically fraught topic.

LISTEN. LIKE. SHARE. SUBSCRIBE.

And please let us know what you think of the episode!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Horn is a postdoctoral research fellow at Dalhousie University's Health Law Institute. Her work over the last six years has focused on law and policy governing sexual and reproductive health, rights, and technologies. She has written for a variety of academic and nonfiction publications, including the Journal of Medical Ethics, the Medical Law Review, Feminist Legal Studies, Catalyst, Aeon, and Lady Science.

#ectogenesis #ectobirth #artificialwomb #artificialbirth #matrescence #feminism #biotechnology #currentread #tbr #thegreatequalizer @jonathanballpublishers2050 @WellcomeCollection

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BLURB:

Throughout human history, every single one of us has been born from a person. So far. But that is about to change.

Scientific research is on the cusp of being able to grow babies outside human bodies, from machines, for the very first time. Claire Horn takes us on a truly radical and urgent deep dive into the most challenging and pertinent questions of our age. Could artificial wombs allow women to redistribute the work of gestating? How do we protect reproductive and abortion rights? And who exactly gets access to this technology, in our vastly unequal world?

In this interrogative and fascinating story of modern birth, Eve imagines with eye-opening clarity what all this might mean for the future of humanity. Claire Horn takes us on a journey from the first orchid-like incubators in the 1880s to the cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs of today. As she explores the most challenging and pertinent questions of our age, Horn reflects on her own pregnancy. Could artificial wombs allow women to redistribute the work of gestating? How do we protect reproductive and abortion rights? And who exactly gets access to this technology, in our vastly unequal world? www.news24.com

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023, Cecile Pin's debut novel Wandering Souls (4th Estate) has clearly made its mark on the southeast Asian diaspora, with glowing author endorsements from the likes of Ocean Vuong (On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous), RF Kuang (Yellowface) and Helena Lee (East Side Voices), among many others.

Inspired by Pin's personal family history, Wandering Souls tells the forgotten story of the Vietnamese boat people – southeast Asian refugees who fled post-war Vietnam in the late seventies – and how their collective trauma and loss would both cement them to their history and have lasting impact on generations to come.

In this interview with Current Read host Sam Herbst, Pin speaks about writing during the pandemic, her creative process, the research that went into Wandering Souls and what key message she hopes readers will take from the book.

She also gives us her thoughts on the southeast Asian diaspora, and gives us a sneak peek into what she's working on next.

LISTEN. LIKE. SUBSCRIBE. SHARE.

(and please tell us what you think!)

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#debutnovel #TGECurrentRead #parentingpodcast #bookstagram #booktok #2023releases #wanderingsouls #historialfiction #diasporafiction Cecile Pin's Wandering Souls transcends the limits of historical fiction to offer hope for future generations

On this episode of TGE’s Current Read, Sam touches base with comedy writer Monica Heisey, author of one of Elle Magazine’s most anticipated reads of 2023, Really Good, Actually. This fresh take on break-up comedy fiction chronicles a year in the life of 28-year-old Maggie as she separates from her husband after only 608 days of marriage.

Heisey is no stranger to comedy, having contributed to some of our favourite moments as a writer on shows like Workin’ Moms and Schitt’s Creek. It’s therefore no surprise that this book, which can be described as a quintessentially millennial ode to becoming an adult in the 2020s, is a laugh a minute, with relatable moments on every page that will have you choking on your double short.

On the face of it, Really Good, Actually might look like a humorous take on ending a relationship that you thought was “forever”, but Heisey’s comedic spin on modern young adulthood cuts deep into the millennial psyche, with relatable home truths punctuated by sharp witticisms.

At the heart of it, this is a story of self-actualisation. It’s about one woman’s journey back to the self she never knew she’d lost. It’s also inspired by the author’s personal experience as a young divorcee, and explores what would’ve happened had Heisey acted on the spur-of-the-moment impulses she’d had during the lowest lows of her divorce (assuming she were she as unsupported and, frankly, unhinged as her protagonist).

Monica chats with Sam about what she wanted to explore with the book, how it differs from the average coming-of-age millennial novel, and what she’s working on next.

#currentread #darkcomedy #comedy #darkhumor #funny #breakupfiction #divorcefiction #darkhumour #funnymemes #netflix #darkhumourmemes #drama #debutnovel #TGECurrentRead #parentingpodcast #bookstagram #booktok #2023releases #reallygoodactually

The Invincible Miss Cust details how English Aristocrat Aleen Cust overcame a myriad of obstacles in the late 1800s and early 1900s to become Britain and Ireland's first woman veterinary surgeon, paving the way for aspiring female vets who have sought to follow in her footsteps.

As a lover of animals and the outdoors who grew up on a dairy farm, author Penny Haw merged her passion for nature with her love of writing, drawing on her own innate knowledge of animals but also honouring the need for accuracy within the genre.

Haw draws on the fascinating true-to-life details of Aleen’s friendships and love life, weaving romance and intrigue into the main story arc to keep the narrative alive. She captures Aleen Cust as a politely stubborn yet likeable renegade, and has the reader rooting for her as she fights for her rights during a doggedly patriarchal time.

Penny Haw recently chatted with Samantha Herbst about how she discovered the true story of Aleen Cust, and how she worked to separate fact from fiction to produce a reimagining of Miss Cust’s life and career.

LISTEN. LIKE. SHARE. SUBSCRIBE. Penny Haw's Website · The Invincible Miss Cust – Penguin Books South Africa