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Writing The Illogical Adventure focuses on the craft challenges and ethical questions involved in co‑writing a memoir with two distinct voices. Rebecca continues her conversation with James MacDuff, who—alongside his wife, Mirriam Mweemba—coauthored The Illogical Adventure. What began as James’s solo MFA writing project about travel evolved into a shared memoir when he realized the story only worked if it fully included Mirriam’s perspective.
James describes the collaborative process they developed to protect authenticity and trust: recorded interviews, drafting in Mirriam’s own words, and an iterative editing workflow that allowed her to set clear boundaries around privacy. He reflects on how feedback from mentors and early readers shaped the book’s structure, helping them balance the two voices and gradually weave them together as their lives converged. The episode also explores the emotional labour of memoir—deciding what to disclose, how to portray family and friends fairly, and whether the work is worth the personal cost when publication is uncertain.
The conversation closes with a practical look at publishing, as James explains how a local creative nonfiction prize offered a realistic, accessible path from manuscript to book—underscoring the importance of small presses in bringing new voices into the world.

• (00:38) - Chapter 01