In this evocative episode of Matt’s Chitchats, Matt reunites with former colleagues Kerstin Pilz and Amanda Burns to delve into the enduring allure of Italy and the transformative power of storytelling.
In this series, Matt's Chitchats, part of The Secret Life of Language, our host Matt Absalom will talk to all sorts of different people about all sorts of different things relating to languages.
From the hallowed halls of the University of Melbourne to the shores of Lake Garda and the tropics of Queensland, our guests discuss how they traded academic rigour for literary bravery.
The conversation centres on the authors' transition from academic careers to writing non-fiction and fiction that challenges the invisible phase of women in midlife.
· Amanda Burns discusses her book, An Italian Affair, a fictional story about a widowed woman reclaiming her identity through a journey back to Italy.
· Kerstin Pilz shares the deeply personal origins of her memoir, Loving My Lying, Dying, Cheating Husband, which chronicles her experience with grief, caregiving, and self-discovery following her husband's terminal illness.
Whether you're an Italophile, an aspiring writer, or someone navigating the complexities of midlife, this episode offers a profound look at reclaiming one’s voice and the healing beauty of a second language.
Buy An Italian Affair here
Find Loving my lying, dying, cheating husband: A memoir here
Matt's Chitchats is a mini-series of The Secret Life of Language, a podcast from the University of Melbourne’s School of Languages and Linguistics. The series is produced by Matt Absalom and Gavin Nebauer. Recorded and mixed by Gavin Nebauer at the Horwood Recording Studio, the University of Melbourne.
The Secret Life of Language is licensed under Creative Commons.