Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

NB: This episode details Jack's adult novel Hangman as well as his children's books. If you want a child-friendly version listen to Episode #33 Jack Heath: Writing action-packed stories to engage young readers (PG EDIT of #32)

In this hilarious not-to-be-missed episode Jack Heath chats about writing his first adult novel, Hangman from the perspective of a crime fighting cannibal. We chat about the development of a complex and compelling villain who acts in ways we can't imagine and yet we want him to find peace.

Jack also talks about writing action packed stories for his younger audience and how important it is to engage our young readers with thrilling scenarios and challenges.

As young Australian of the Year, Jack explains the process of winning such an accolade and how this helped shape him as an writer. He also chats about his year reading books written by women in order to promote female authors. We also chat about random things such as first dates, listening to Marilyn Manson and creating complex men and women in his stories.

As a fellow Jack Bauer fan, we discuss our favourites from the popular series and why the TV series resonated with its audiences.

One of the most fun-filled and honest interviews that went way over time because we were having so much fun.

Tristan Bancks chats to us about the importance of storytelling and how he enjoys telling stories in a variety of media. We chat about the importance of encouraging reading and his role as writer-ambassador for the Room to Read organisation. A wonderfully down to Earth writer keen to make a change in the world.

Tristan Bancks is a children’s and teen author who started out as an actor and filmmaker.

His books include the Tom Weekly series, Mac Slater and Two Wolves a crime-mystery novel for middle-graders. Two Wolves won Honour Book in the 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. It also won the YABBA and KOALA Children’s Choice Awards.

Tristan’s latest book is The Fall, a new thriller novel for ages 10+, a 2018 CBCA Notable Book and shortlisted for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. His next book, Tom Weekly: My Life & Other Failed Experiments is out in July 2018.

Tristan is excited by the future of storytelling and inspiring others to create. You can connect with him, learn more about his books, play games, watch videos and help him try to change the world here at www.tristanbancks.com

Meet Tim Harris, writer of children's books, most recently Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables about a colourful and unique teacher who is trying to connect with students in innovative ways. Tim brings his knowledge as an ex-teacher to the role and chats about the teachers who inspired Mr Bambuckle.

We also talk about chocolate. A fun interview, that is not to be missed. Tim is a genuinely nice guy and by the sound of the podcast enjoys a laugh.

Books and chocolate. There's nothing better.

Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, author of the compelling novel The Lebs talks about his original manuscript and how it formed the basis of his PhD. We chat about the novel through an academic lens and he takes us through his personal experiences of growing up Lebanese in Australia, and his work of fiction detailing Bani Adam's experiences attending Punchbowl High School.

An insightful and robust discussion about Australian culture and where we go from here.

An episode certainly not to be missed.

Will Kostakis is an award winning Australian novelist of The Sidekicks and The First Third. Will is an absolute delight to chat to, and opens up about being self-reflective and admitting our errors in order to become a better human. After all, what we do after our mistakes is what matters.

Will provides an insight into his professional career after coming out and how he hopes his experiences will make it easier for the next person. We chat about the importance of representing all people in society and how The Sidekicks character Sticks was so important in representing people living with cerebral palsy. Will talks about his family, literature and reaching out to young people.

We chat about a lot in half an hour, don’t miss this episode!

13

Kate Forsyth chats about fairytales, feminism and providing a voice for the forgotten women in history. Discussing the incredible Charlotte de la Force in Bitter Greens and her determination to live life the way she intended, we follow her incredible journey, you will fall in love with her and not just because she dressed up as a bear to rescue her younger lover, although this is reason enough.

How wonderful was it to learn about the origins of Happily Ever After, this type of ending of a fairytale was, believe it or not, had quite a feminist angle. In this time period, marriage was to simply improve the position of others in society, never for love. Therefore, if a woman managed to marry the man she desired, and a man of her choice then she really did live happily ever after, unlike so many before her.

In Beauty in Thorns, one of Kate's latest novels, we chat about Lizzie Siddal, the model in the infamous Ophelia painting as well as the women in the pre-Raphaelite era trying to be heard. We read about their lovers, their struggles, opium addiction, eating disorders and the importance of art to change the world.

Kate Forsyth has sold more than a million books, which ones have you read?

Rusty Young, author of the incredibly eye-opening Marching Powder and Colombiano chats to us about his relationship with Thomas, a drug-trafficker he befriended in a Bolivian prison, and the fictional Pedro drawn from the stories of child soldiers. Rusty gives a detailed and horrific account of the experiences of child soldiers, including real-life stories of tortures that occurred as a result of the war in South America.

His documentary Wildlands has him interviewing George Jung, depicted by Johnny Depp in Blow; and Popeye, Escobar's assassin, a man responsible for countless murders during Escobar's reign. Rusty takes us through the interviews and provides an insight into what really happened behind the scenes.

Colombiano is a haunting and disturbing depiction of the life of a child soldier in a war where no one wins. An absolute must read. It's book you need to talk about afterwards, so drop us a line on Twitter (WordnNerds), FB or Insta once you've read it!

In this latest Indie Hour we chat to Australian authors A.K. Leigh and Ellen Read, romance/mystery novelists. Celebrating female Indie authors.

A.K. Leigh's Triple Threat centres around the Farris triplets as they investigate cold cases. Interesting because A.K. Leigh is a triplet herself, giving an authentic insight into the challenges and joys of being an identical triplet.

Ellen Read, chats about her beautifully murder mystery novel The Dragon Sleeps, set in the 1920s this mystery novel centres around a family who sell and collect antiques, and what people are willing to do to get their hands on something valuable.

Mark Smith, Australian author of dystopian novels A Road to Winter and Wilder Country chats to podcaster and educator Dani Vee about writing Australian dystopia, winning the YA Fiction Category in the Indie Book Awards 2018, and engaging boys in reading.

A brilliantly entertaining and honest discussion about writing, Australian influences, staying moral in an immoral world and the power of nature.

This episode we speak to the enthusiastic and hilarious Arnie Cantarero, American/Latin American author of the Indie sci-fi book Emotions, from the perspective of an alien visiting Earth. The book and the podcast was a wild ride, and we had an absolute blast talking to Arnie. This one will make you laugh.

The second episode on our Indie Hour special we chat to Derek Borne, Canadian author of the Ultimate Agent. A more insightful chat about superheroes and what it means to make a difference. We also chat about surviving the cold, mums and food.

We love Indie authors.