Former journalist and writer, Michael Brissenden discussed his latest novel, ‘Dust’ with me on the show.

Topics included:

- How Dust came to be - its real-world, real location inspiration.

- Communities turning on one another during a crisis - how the finger-pointing/blame-shifting can happen so quickly and how factions can form so easily.

- The role media and media coverage plays, even in small, local community issues and what lasting, widespread impact it can have.

- Forms of self-radicalisation and how they are shown in the novel.

- And a ton more!

Thanks be to Michael for discussing Dust with me on the show!

Writer, producer, and academic, Seth Robinson, joined me to discuss ‘Unfolded’ - the University of Melbourne’s new podcast that he co-hosts with writer and novelist, Tony Birch.

Topics we talked about include:

- How ‘Unfolded’ started with one unique idea - bringing a writer’s stories to life with actors - and interviewing the writers about their work and their reaction to this vision of their work.

- Collaborative work - how ‘Unfolded’ is a creative community working together to produce something unique - and the positive experiences of that.

- The differences in imaginations and interpretations - how writers can be surprised by their own work through its interpretations by other creatives.

- How we as individuals can connect so easily, so completely, with audio storytelling.

- And heaps more!

Thanks very much to Seth for chatting with me about Unfolded on the show. You can listen to all current episodes on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Here’s the Spotify link:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0Z8DDtqdQ6QD2dVE88FqQL?si=273e272f0836461b

Writer, editor, actor, Laura McCluskey, joined me to discuss her debut novel, ‘The Wolf Tree’,

Topics included:

- What inspired ‘The Wolf Tree’ and how it went into crafting the fictional island setting of Eilean Eadar.

- Trust in its many forms.

- Tradition - what compels an individual and a people to uphold it.

- Fear - how it features in different ways and dynamics in the novel.

- And a ton more!

Thanks heaps to Laura for chatting with me on the show - get your copy of ‘The Wolf Tree’ now!

Bestselling author Dervla McTiernan joined me to discuss her latest Cormac Reilly novel, 'The Unquiet Grave'.

We talked about:

- Origins of ‘The Unquiet Grave’ and bog bodies!

- Returning to writing Cormac Reilly. Is it harder to write with an entirely new protagonist, or a recurring one beloved by fans?

- The different examples of familial obligations found throughout the novel.

- How is it that we always see the best, or best version in those close to us, even when there’s mounting evidence contradicting that?

- And so much more!

Thanks muchly to Dervla for chatting with me on the show, be sure to get your copy of ‘The Unquiet Grave’ now!

The first (and likely only) guest for 2025 is novelist Alicia Thompson!

She joined me to discuss her second published novel, ‘Ex’.

Topics we covered include:

- The origins of ‘Ex’.

- The freedoms and limitations imposed by writing such a unique novel.

- Alicia’s exhaustive research process and how it informs her writing.

- Memories, how they can change over time and how they can shape our life.

- And plenty more!

Huge thanks to Alicia for talking with me on the show. Get your copy of ‘Ex’ now!

Musician, writer and author, Jack Ellis, joined me to talk about his 2nd novel, ‘Home And Other Hiding Places.’

Topics discussed include:

- What inspired ‘Home And Other Hiding Places’.

- How children's lives are shaped by what they are/aren’t told and how their imagination fills out the rest.

- Children taking on the roles of protector and provider for parents.

- Writing from a child’s perspective - how it isn’t innately optimistic, but more a story told from someone that hasn’t yet ‘soaked in expectations’.

- And so much more!

Big thanks to Jack for discussing ‘Home And Other Hiding Places’ with me on the show. Be sure to check out his next EP dropping very soon too!

Writer and novelist, Hayley Scrivenor, dropped in to chat about her second novel, ‘Girl Falling’.

Topics include:

- The genesis of ‘Girl Falling’ - including the idyllic setting of the Blue Mountains.

- The need (and total inability) to know what someone else - someone close to ourselves - is thinking.

- How others sometimes, seemingly, know us even better than we do.

- Book Two Syndrome - how did Hayley prevail over it?

- And so much more!

Thanks very much to Hayley for talking all about ‘Girl Falling’ with me on the program - get your copy from the good folks at Pan Macmillan now!!

Writer, podcaster and novelist, Karen Viggers, joined me to discuss her latest novel, ‘Sidelines’.

Topics include:

- The origins of ‘Sidelines’.

- How ultra-competitive parents can be drawn to highly-ranked clubs.

- The insatiable at-all-costs need to win that drives some parents and (by extension) their children.

- Passion being used as an excuse for toxic behaviour and how some people aren’t even aware of their own behaviour.

- And so much more!

Thanks heaps to Karen for chatting with me about ‘Sidelines.’

Journalist and novelist, Ali Lowe, joined me to discuss her latest novel, ‘The School Run’.

Topics discussed include:

- The real-world inspo for ‘The School Run’.

- St Ignatius Boys’ School - what such an institution represents to these characters and how they can find themselves willing to do anything - anything at all - in order to secure a spot for their child in such a place.

- The similarities between parent and child - how parents can be hard and harsh on their child out of fear that they are seeing mini versions of themselves.

- Obligations. How promises and the keeping of them can define and drive characters.

- And a ton more!

Thanks very much to Ali for talking with me about ‘The School Run’ on the show.

Award-winning journalist and novelist, Michael Brissenden, joined me to talk about his latest crime novel, ‘Smoke’.

Topics discussed include:

- The origins of ‘Smoke’.

- Shifting writing stories set in Australia to the U.S. - the similarities and differences of the two countries and settings.

- Journalists - the individuals that frequently risk both life and limb in the pursuit of the truth.

- The power of loyalty - and the various versions of loyalty presented throughout the novel.

- And lots more!

Thank you Michael for chatting with me about all things ‘Smoke’.