The Fremantle Press Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fremantle Press
Perhaps you're a lover of literature or just love book chat of any kind; perhaps you're an aspiring author or illustrator; perhaps you're someone who hopes one day to work in publishing. If you fit any of these descriptions, this is one podcast you may want to subscribe to. We share our love of books and publishing throughout the year, with podcast episodes based on our book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia by Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn and extended interviews with many of our authors to find out more about their books, their lives and their writing habits. Stay tuned by subscribing and stay in touch @FremantlePress.
In this podcast you get to hear the voice of Screech, Jodie Tes’ titular character. What might surprise you is that Screech is a sulphur-crested cockatoo. Jodie says, ‘I was on a morning walk, listening to Radio National, when an interview with a hilarious and passionate wildlife ecologist sparked the idea for Screech. She was […]
About the episode The life of beloved children’s author Julia Lawrinson is stranger than fiction – and she draws on all her power as a storyteller to turn a life of intense headlines into a wild, marvellous tale. In the fourth episode of this six-part series, Julia returns to her hometown in the south-eastern suburbs […]
About the show The life of beloved children’s author Julia Lawrinson is stranger than fiction – and she draws on all her power as a storyteller to turn a life of intense headlines into a wild, marvellous tale. In the third episode of this six-part series, Julia delves into her family history to examine the generation gap between herself and her grandparents – and in particular how the role of domesticity divided them. Julia explores the makings of a generation defined by their ‘put up and shut up’ attitude and how it played a role in her upbringing. About the […]
About the show The life of beloved children’s author Julia Lawrinson is stranger than fiction – and she draws on all her power as a storyteller to turn a life of intense headlines into a wild, marvellous tale. In episode two of this series, Julia takes us back to her rowdy youth and the start […]
About the show The life of beloved children’s author Julia Lawrinson is stranger than fiction – and she draws on all her power as a storyteller to turn a life of intense headlines into a wild, marvellous tale. In the first episode of this 6-episode series, Julia immerses herself in the history of her own […]
What happens when two writers of literary fiction get together for a chat? Find out in the latest Fremantle Press podcast as 2021 Fogarty Literary Award winner Brooke Dunnell interviews shortlisted writer Katherine Allum. Katherine has a one in six chance of winning $20,000 and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press and she’ll find out […]
Patrick Marlborough has been published in many national and international publications, and their novel, A Horse Held at Gunpoint, was shortlisted in the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award. Now they are in the running for the 2023 Fogarty Literary Award for Nock Loose. In their novel, a retired Olympic archer and former stuntwoman (whose character was […]
Prema Arasu has a one in six chance of winning $20,000 and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press. Their manuscript, The Anatomy of Witchcraft, is in the running for the prestigious 2023 Fogarty Literary Award for Western Australian writers aged 18 to 35. The Anatomy of Witchcraft is a captivating young adult novel blending themes […]
In this special podcast episode, Emily Paull tells Brooke Dunnell how perseverance and dedication to her craft secured her a place on the Fogarty Literary Award shortlist with a novel she’s been working on for 15 years. The Dreamers is a novel which, after many rewrites, may find itself on the way to publication. Georgia […]
Karleah Olson has a one in six chance of winning $20,000 and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press. Her manuscript, A Wreck of Seabirds, is in the running for the prestigious 2023 Fogarty Literary Award for Western Australian writers aged 18 to 35. It’s a gothic YA novel that Georgia Richter describes as a ‘beautiful […]
Josh Kemp is no stranger to the Fogarty Literary Awards. He’s previously stood upon the stage at The Edith Spiegeltent to receive his longlisting for Banjawarn – his now award-winning debut novel – which, coincidentally, is in the running for a Western Australian Premier’s Award. This time Josh has a one in six chance of […]
Joy Killian-Essert joins the podcast to chat with Maria Papas, winner of the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, about her manuscript, The Slow Patience of the Sea & Other Stories – an immersive and intimate collection of short stories that weaves its narrative closely with nature. For Joy, the process of writing has been […]
Maria Papas, winner of the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, chats with Marie O’Rourke about her shortlisted manuscript, Kintsugi, a wise and gentle piece of narrative non-fiction. Kintsugi is inspired by the Japanese artform by the same name, celebrating beauty in breakage. Marie discusses how her manuscript uses a delicate touch to work with […]
Gerard McMann joins Maria Papas, winner of the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, to talk about his manuscript called Tell Me the Story, a generous and insightful personal narrative non-fiction. Tell Me the Story is a compelling read that reinforces to publisher Georgia Richter that when a story is well told, anything is possible. […]
On today’s podcast, Molly Schmidt discusses her manuscript, Salt River Road – a beautiful and moving piece combining verse and prose – with Maria Papas, winner of the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. Salt River Road is set in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and follows the aftermath of a beloved mother’s […]
Speaking to host Brooke Dunnell on the Fremantle Press podcast, novelist David Whish-Wilson said the main problem he sees from his students as a Creative Writing teacher is ‘overcoming the fear of the known; overcoming this fear that your life is somehow not authentic and your life is not as interesting as other people’s.’ David’s […]
Tyrown Waigana joins the podcast to chat to Helen Milroy about the importance of learning the Noongar language and believes his collaborative book with Jayden Boundry, Noongar Boodja Waangkan, could change how we interact as a culture. Tyrown says, ‘It would be cool if this book influences everyone around here and we start talking Noongar […]
Speaking to Brooke Dunnell on the Fremantle Press podcast, novelist Karen Herbert says she didn’t know how the narrative was going to pan out until the end of her writing. Karen says, ‘The story started with chapter four … It was really one of those stories that evolved as you write them. I didn’t know […]
Bron Bateman sits down with Unlimited Futures contributors Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes and Afeif Ismail to chat about translating texts and the consequential loss of original meaning and intention. ‘Because language is very much intimately linked with the history, the experience, the culture of the people in question,’ says Yirga ‘when we are unable to bring […]
In this episode of the poetry podcast Andrew Sutherland talks to Bron Bateman about how he found his queer identity as a teenager through cult TV, horror movies and science fiction. Andrew says, ‘I really enjoy as an art-maker bringing academia or bringing the canon or the classics down to play in the dirt with […]
Kaya! In this first episode, Jayden Boundry introduces the pronunciation guide and his new book with Tyrown Waigana: Noongar Boodja Waangkan: First Noongar Words He introduces himself, his language and why it’s important to share language on Country.
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Ngadi-Ngadi — the numbers to count, including one, ten, and many. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Many
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Walken — the colours of the rainbow, including blue, orange and pink. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: Purple Blue Green Yellow Orange Red Pink
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Noonook moorditj — the words and phrases we use, including hello, how are you, and talk to you later. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: Hello / Yes Welcome No / Nothing Look out […]
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Yeyi wer boorda — the times of the day, including afternoon, tomorrow, and sunset. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: Day Night Morning / Dawn Afternoon Evening Today Yesterday Tomorrow Sunrise Sunset
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Bonar — the Noongar seasons including December – January, February – March, and April – May. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: December – January February – March April – May June – July […]
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Ngany and Moolymari — the parts of our body and face, including the head, cheeks, and teeth. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: Hair Head Heart Arm Hand Stomach Bum Knee Leg Foot Eye […]
In this episode, Jayden Boundry shares the Noongar words for Moort — the members of a family and the people around us, including mother, child, and friend. Get your copy of Noongar Boodja Waangkan and read along as you learn the Noongar words for: Mother Father Sister Daughter Son Brother Grandfather Grandmother Cousin Aunty Uncle […]
In Nadia Rhook’s latest collection Second Fleet Baby she writes of the differences and similarities between motherhood in contemporary and convict times. Nadia says of herself and her ancestor Susannah Mortimer, ‘As white women we have in common that part of our desirability, or function in the colony, is to reproduce the settler population. And […]
Paula Hayes says she hopes young people find comfort and escapism in her books. Reading as an adult took her out of her day to day and immersed her in a world she didn’t want to leave. ‘You just enter a different world for a while, but the themes of your own reality are still there and being picked and pulled at and gently examined,’ Paula says.
Paula and Helen discuss the importance of portraying these real-world problems in books for children to teach them how to deal with and express certain issues. Paula portrays these kinds of issues in her own book where Lily and her friends learn about bullying, a common problem children have to face growing up, to allow young readers to learn what they could do in a similar situation. She says she hopes that adults and parents will also learn from her book and that her book acts as a catalyst for these types of conversations between parents and children.
Topics covered
Writing for children and young adults
Dealing with feedback
How reading can shape young minds
Writing as a career
Books, shows, people and places mentionedAnne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
About the host:
Dr Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was born and educated in Perth and has a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. She is currently a professor at the University of Western Australia, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Her books have been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards (2019, 2020), the Readings Children’s Book Prize (2020) and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020). And her book, Backyard Birds, won the Whitley Award for the Young Children’s Reader Category (2021).
Backyard Beasties, Backyard Bugs, Backyard Birds and Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories are available in all good bookstores and online. Her new book, Backyard Beasties, is coming soon in 2022.
About the guest:
Paula Hayes is an Australian writer who enjoys writing magical realism for young people. This means she is good at making strange stuff up and setting it in real life. Her first novel, Lily in the Mirror, was a CBCA Notable in 2017. She has four adult kids, two grandkids and has worked in education which gives her an endless spring of inspiration for stories for young people. In a parallel universe she studied at UWA but now writes from a desk in her pantry. This has its pros and cons. Paula is passionate about children’s literature and literacy and has a foot in each camp. Her latest book, The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin will be published by Fremantle Press in 2022.
Find this author at https://paulahayesblog.wordpress.com/
Her book
Growing up, Kathryn Lefroy was not allowed to watch television, and was instead encouraged to create stories for herself and read books.
Kathryn gave up writing for fun when academia and university studies took her away from her path. So when she did circle back to it, Kathryn said she made a conscious decision not to learn how to write. Instead she says she ‘vomit drafted’ her first manuscript. She got it onto the page before she went back to learning her craft and the skills she needed to be a storyteller.
From there, Kathryn says she got many rejections before publication, ‘I’ve been rejected hundreds of times. Hundreds and hundreds of times. I’ve had people say to me “you’re really not as good as you think you are”. I’ve had people say to me “don’t give up your day job” and I’m like, this is my day job, that’s awkward. I’ve had people say all kinds of things and I just keep coming back to the fact that creative industries are so subjective. So if you get one bad piece of feedback that does not mean you should give up, that means, if anything, you should work harder to prove that person wrong.’
Topics covered:
- Instilling hope in your writing
- Never giving up
- Not comparing yourself to others
- Resilience and persistence
Books mentioned The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
About the host: Dr Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was born and educated in Perth and has a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. She is currently a professor at the University of Western Australia, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Her books have been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards (2019, 2020), the Readings Children’s Book Prize (2020) and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020, 2022). And her book, Backyard Birds, won the Whitley Award for the Young Children’s Reader Category (2021).
Backyard Beasties, Backyard Bugs, Backyard Birds and Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories are available in all good bookstores and online.
About the guest: Kathryn Lefroy writes novels, screenplays, articles – and the occasional shopping list. She has a PhD in marketing, several screenwriting credits and her stories have appeared in magazines, journals and online. Her debut novel, Alex and the Alpacas Save the World, was shortlisted for the 2019 WA Premier’s Book Awards. She spends way too much time in conversation with imaginary characters, and not-so-secretly wishes she lived in a dance movie.
Find this author at www.kathrynlefroy.com/, on Instagram @KathrynLefroy and Facebook @KathrynLefroyAuthor
Her books Alex and the Alpacas Ride Again and Alex and the Alpacas Save the World are available in all good bookstores and online.
Original music ‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineering Aidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
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The amazing Helen Milroy returns to the podcast chair for her first interview of 2022. Helen chats to the co-creator of Stars in Their Eyes, Aśka.
You’ll love hearing about Aśka’s journey from high flying physicist to high flying visual storyteller – what a leap of faith! She chats about her unique collaboration with Jessica Walton and discusses the changes made to Stars in Their Eyes while getting the graphic novel ready for an American audience.
Show links
Neil Gaiman
https://www.neilgaiman.com/
Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
https://www.scbwi.org/
Dave McKean
https://www.davemckean.com/
Pictures that Tick.
Tadeusz Baranowski is a polish comic maker and some of his comics are on Amazon: Antresolka Profesorka Nerwosolka.
About the host Dr Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was born and educated in Perth and has a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. She is currently a professor at the University of Western Australia, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Her books have been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards (2019, 2020), the Readings Children’s Book Prize (2020) and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020). And her book, Backyard Birds, won the Whitley Award for the Young Children’s Reader Category (2021).
Backyard Beasties, Backyard Bugs, Backyard Birds and Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories are available in all good bookstores and online.
About the guest Aśka is co-creator of the book Stars in their Eyes with Jessica Walton. Aśka is an energetic visual storyteller, illustrator and science communicator who is a passionate advocate for visual literacy. She has illustrated ten published books and is a regular contributor to The School Magazine and other children’s publications. An active member of the local literature sector, she is part of many creative organisations, and for four years was the Illustrator Co-ordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators – Australia West. She is also a recipient of several government arts grants, prizes and the May Gibbs Fellowship.
Original music ‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineering Aidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced by Claire Miller and the Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications Department
This podcast was produced in Walyalap in Wadjuk Boodja, on the lands of the Noongar people.
Speaking to Brooke Dunnell on the Fremantle Press podcast, novelist Maria Papas said when she was younger some people told her ‘Writing’s not really a career for a girl from Bunbury … you have to pick something safer’. But, as she points out, her enjoyment of writing has held her in good stead so far.
Maria won the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award for her novel Skimming Stones which follows paediatric nurse Grace as she is confronted by childhood memories of her sister’s illness.
Papas’ book Skimming Stones doesn’t follow a typical narrative arc. In this interview, she explains why not. She said, ‘I kept trying to tell the story as a narrative … and I kept on getting stuck … it didn’t feel natural.’ She said she started to research how somebody in trauma or illness did typically tell a story and found that, for the most part, their stories didn’t follow a linear path. Maria said, ‘The person might go back in time to remap what happened or what alternative options could have happened, if only… or they might go to the future to map a more palatable future for the people involved. It’s very difficult to stay in the present moment and very difficult to have a timeline that doesn’t have all those other events that haven’t actually occurred. There is a word for this it’s called the dis-narration.’
Topics discussed:
The origins and inspiration behind Skimming StonesWriting illness and trauma
Dis-narration
Point of view and representation
Submitting your manuscript for awards
Skimming Stones is available in all good bookstores and online.
About the host
Brooke Dunnell is the author of the short story collection Female(s and) Dogs, which was a finalist for the 2020 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award. Her short stories have been recognised in competitions including the Bridport Short Story Prize 2019 and the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2017, and have appeared in The Best Australian Stories, New Australian Stories 2, The Big Issue fiction edition and other anthologies. Brooke has worked as a creative writing mentor, workshop facilitator and judge in various creative writing competitions. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Western Australia and lives in Perth. Her novel, The Glasshouse, won the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award and will be published in November 2022.
Connect with Brooke at brookedunnell.com or on Twitter @TheSpineLabel or Instagram @Brooky.Brooks.
About the guest Maria Papas is a West Australian writer whose fiction, creative non-fiction and academic essays have appeared in various journals including TEXT, Griffith Review, Axon and The Letters Page. She holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia where she researched the ways people share narratives of illness and trauma. In 2020, the creative component of her research won the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, and has since been published as her debut novel, Skimming Stones. Maria works as an English teacher and sessional academic, and when she is not writing or working, you can find her near the coast or with family.
Connect with Maria at mariapapas.com or on Twitter @mariapapas5 or Instagram @MiaMaria_Books.
Books, authors and other stuff mentioned L
Olivia Lanchester, CEO and company secretary of The Australian Society of Authors, joins Claire Miller and Georgia Richter for a chat about the ASA and what writers can gain from being members. Olivia discloses the advocacy work of the ASA being a national body that speaks for authors and talks about the importance of writing groups in connecting established and emerging writers. Editor Rachel Hanson appears as our new Miss Metaphor with the Macquarie Word of the Year for 2021.
Topics discussed: * The importance of writing groups for authors * Services the ASA offers * Recommended rates of pay for authors * Why writers should be members of the ASA * Tips for new writers * The Macquarie Dictionary 2021 word of the year
The How to Be an Author edition of the Fremantle Press podcast is an informal series of chats between publishing industry professionals. Co-hosted by Marketing and Communications Manager Claire Miller and Publisher Georgia Richter, it features regular guest appearances by editors Rachel Hanson, as Miss Metaphor and Kirsty Horton, The Hyphenator and special publishing industry guests and top tips from contributors to the book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia.
Show Notes Extend your podcast How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia by Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn is available in all good bookstores and online. Between its pages you’ll find everything you need to know about the business of being a writer from people who live and breathe books.
Connect with Georgia and many of the contributors to the book and podcast in the Facebook group.
Guests Olivia Lanchestor is the ASA’s CEO and company secretary. Olivia has worked as a senior intellectual property lawyer in private practice and as a freelance editor. Prior to becoming CEO, she ran the ASA’s Contract Assessment Service and has reviewed hundreds of publishing contracts during her time with the ASA.
Organisations discussed Australian Society of Authors
WritingWA
ALIA
Books and authors mentioned Beneath the Trees by Cristy Burne
The Night Village by Zoe Deleuil
The Silence of Water by Sharron Booth
Louise Allan
Original musicTitle Music and Miss Metaphor theme by Mo Wilson (copyright 2021)
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
EditingClaire Miller
Produced byClaire Miller, Chloe Walton and Jessica Checkland, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
This podcast was produced in Walyalup in Whadjuk Boodja, on the lands of the Noongar people.
Our 2021 Fogarty Literary Award winner, Brooke Dunnell, is behind the wheel and driving this year’s Fremantle Press podcast series. In her first episode Brooke visits the Western Australian Wheatbelt to experience the heat and intensity of the harvest through the eyes of her guest, novelist and combine harvester aficionado, David Allan-Petale. His book, Locust Summer, charts the progress of Rowan, a reluctant son and temporary farmhand, bent on rejecting the land he grew up on. David says, ‘Rowan goes from minus ten at the start to zero at the end … so it’s a homecoming story and it’s a redemption story, but [the novel] doesn’t show you that redemption, it shows you the possibility of redemption and the journey that it takes to get to zero.’
David, whose time as a reporter in the Wheatbelt helped shape the book, experienced his own summer harvest when he spent a season on a friend’s farm. He says he was glad he did the harvest because it moved him beyond the simple mechanics of it and clued him into the emotional undercurrents of belonging: ‘The main thing I would say was that doing the harvest gave me an appreciation for how dedicated people are.’
Topics discussed:
- Advice for unpublished writers
- Does being a journalist make you a better novelist?
- Feeling your way into complex characters; embracing the weirdness of humanity
- Writing the harvest; exploring work, land, the environment and belonging
Locust Summer is available in all good bookstores and online.
Show notes About the host Brooke Dunnell is the author of the short story collection Female(s and) Dogs, which was a finalist for the 2020 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award. Her short stories have been recognised in competitions including the Bridport Short Story Prize 2019 and the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize 2017, and have appeared in The Best Australian Stories, New Australian Stories 2, The Big Issue Fiction Edition and other anthologies. Brooke has worked as a creative writing mentor, workshop facilitator and judge in various creative writing competitions. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Western Australia and lives in Perth. Her novel, The Glass House, won the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award and will be published in November 2022.
Connect with Brooke at brookedunnell.com, on Twitter @TheSpineLabel or Instagram @Brooky.Brooks.
About the guest David Allan-Petale is a writer living between bush and sea north of Perth, Western Australia. He worked for many years as a journalist in WA with the ABC and internationally with BBC World. Written while travelling the globe over five years, Locust Summer was shortlisted for the Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award (2017) and was developed through a fellowship at Varuna, the National Writers’ House.
Connect with David at davidallanpetale.com, on Twitter @DaveAllanPetale or Facebook @DavidAllanPetaleAuthor.
Locust Summer is available in all good bookstores and online.
Books, authors and other stuff mentioned Boola Bardip, WA Museum
Ernest Hemingway
Ford Madox Ford
Gabrielle Carey
Graham Greene
Judith Rossell<
By his calculations, Penguin Random House account manager Gavin Burbidge attempts to place 432 books into Australian bookstores per month. Across the publishing industry, that means your book will be competing against thousands of titles and your account manager’s pitch could be less than ten seconds long. For a deep dive into sales, Penguin Random House account managers Gavin Burbidge and Jane Parkhill join Claire and Georgia on the How to be an Author podcast. Meanwhile the final Comma Chameleon episode is all about the Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year and Georgia and Claire discuss the relative merits of featuring cats vs dogs, and gerbils vs Hugh Jackman in your author publicity shots.
Topics discussed:
- Competition for shelf space
- How many titles your book competing with
- Key promotions times for authors
- The Macquarie Dictionary’s word of the year
- Tips for authors on how to work with booksellers
- What does a typical sell-in look like?
The How to Be an Author editions of the Fremantle Press podcast are an informal series of chats between publishing industry professionals. Co-hosted by Marketing and Communications Manager Claire Miller and Publisher Georgia Richter, it features regular guest appearances by editor Armelle Davies, as the Comma Chameleon, special publishing industry guests and top tips from contributors to the book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia.
Show Notes Extend your podcast How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia by Georgia Richter and Deborah Hunn is available in all good bookstores and online. Between its pages you’ll find everything you need to know about the business of being a writer from people who live and breathe books.
Connect with Georgia and many of the contributors to the book and podcast in the Facebook group.
Guests Gavin Burbidge and Jane Parkhill are both account managers for Penguin Random House Australia.
Author tip Brendan Ritchie is a writer and filmmaker from Fremantle, WA. In 2015 he published his debut novel, Carousel, and was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing. Carouselhas been critically acclaimed and is longlisted for the 2016 Gold Inky Award. The sequel, Beyond Carousel, was released to critical acclaim in 2016. In addition to writing, Brendan spends his time lecturing across a range of creative disciplines.
Organisations, books and people discussed Books for Cooks
Chickensaurusby James Foley
Collins Bookstores
Hugh Jackman
Macquarie DictionaryMatthew Riley
Moira Court
James Foley says the transition from a part-time day job to making a living from his craft was huge and he does not recommend any one quit their job, overnight, on a whim. It took James 14 years to get himself to the point of earning an income from his work as an author/illustrator. In the meantime, he says he was standing on two icebergs: one was his day job, the other his creative work. He says, ‘after a while, the two icebergs started to drift apart and I was doing the splits, and I can’t do the splits, so I had to choose between books and the day job … I was stubborn. I was not going to not make books.’
Listen to the whole podcast to learn more about James’ journey and his new book Stellarphant.
Topics discussed:
Benefits of reading to kids
Diplomacy and the editor/creator relationship
Pros and cons of being a writer and an illustrator, not one or the other
Self-care for writers
To quit or not to quit the day job
Trusting that your inspiration will return
Show Notes About the host Dr Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was born and educated in Perth and has a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. She is currently a professor at the University of Western Australia, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission. Her books have been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards (2019, 2020), the Readings Children’s Book Prize (2020) and the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (2020). And her book, Backyard Birds, won the Whitley Award for the Young Children’s Reader Category (2021).
Backyard Bugs, Backyard Birds and Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories are available in all good bookstores and online. Her new book, Backyard Beasties, is coming soon in 2022.
About the guest James Foley is an ambassador for Books In Homes and Room To Read. James makes picture books, middle grade novels and comics for kids. He’s the author/illustrator of the S.Tinker Inc. graphic novel series for middle primary: Brobot (2016), Dungzilla (2017), Gastronauts (2018) and Chickensaurus (2020). The series stars Sally Tinker, the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve, and Joe Tinker, full-time baby. James also illustrated the Toffle Towers series written by Tim Harris; the cult-favourite and CBCAChildren’s Book Council of Australia-shortlisted My Dead Bunny (2015); and its follow-up, There’s Something Weird About Lena (2020). James contributed to Total Quack Up (2018) and Funny Bones (2019), both anthologies of funny stories, with proceeds going to charity. His earlier books, In The Lion (2012), The Last Viking (2011) and The Last Viking Returns (2014), have all scored several honours, including children’s choice awards, shortlistings in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year awards, and selection to the International Youth Library’s White Raven list.
His next book, Stellarphant, is out now.
Books, authors and organisations mentioned Aesop’s Fables
Animalia
Jessica Walton, co-creator of the new graphic novel Stars in Their Eyes, says when young people become disabled or are born with a disability, they're often in a family of non-disabled people and don't always get connected to the disabled community soon enough. She’s passionate about all young people getting to see themselves represented in literature, film and television and believes that adults have a responsibility to make sure children are exposed to disability in the fictional world before they interact with them in the real world.
Topics discussed
Being kind to your writing self
Diversifying your bookshelf
Encouraging kids to make a career out of writing
Self-care and writing time when you have a disability
Representation in literature
Using a Kickstarter campaign to get your book published
Working with an illustrator
For the full show notes go to www.fremantlepress.com.au.
Original music‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced byClaire Miller, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications Manager
This podcast was produced in Walyalup in Whadjuk Boodja, on the lands of the Noongar people.
Born in 1927, Gladys Milroy was taken to the Parkerville Orphanage at two years old and spent the next 14 years separated from her mother, Daisy. Gladys say, ‘I think the thing is about growing up in an orphanage is that you live in a story all the time because that’s the way you survive.’
Now in her tenth decade, Gladys says she getting more stories than ever before. ‘A lot of stories I get at night when I’m dreaming … it’s all in colour and I’m part of it … that’s what I love about it. It’s like I’m in this beautiful story that I’m writing.’
Of writing books for children she says, ‘I think people have to be very honest and truthful with their kids. Don’t dress it up and fancy it up. They need to see the truth … We’re all part of each other, we all belong to each other and we’re all part of nature.’
Topics discussed
Aboriginal storytelling
Connecting to nature through stories
Dreaming and writing in full colour
Illustrating an entire story in one image
Where do stories come from?
For the full show notes go to www.fremantlepress.com.au.
Original music‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced byClaire Miller, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications Manager
This podcast was produced in Walyalup in Whadjuk Boodja, on the lands of the Noongar people.
Leanne Hall joins us on the podcast! We are so pleased to have a bookseller chat to us. Leanne is an author of young adult and children's fiction and works as an online children’s and YA specialist at the independent bookshop Readings. Once you’ve listened to this podcast you’ll feel like you know your local bookseller, and the business of selling books, a lot better.
Though she acknowledges the highly competitive nature of our industry, Leanne’s interview is brimming with tips and encouragement. Even her idea of networking makes it sound quite nice really. She says, ‘I think a lot of people cringe with the idea of … networking in this really sort of callous, calculating way, but it doesn’t have to be like that, it can be a beautiful, natural and organic thing. Most writers are writing because they love books. They genuinely love reading and they love books … Act accordingly; demonstrate your passion and it will come back to you for sure.’
Topics discussed:
Competition for shelf space
Creating a relationship with your local bookseller
How bookstores choose books
Learning from your genre specialist before you’re published
Myth-busting the art of bookselling
Unlocking your writers block with Sasha Wasley
When NOT to approach your bookseller
The How to Be an Author editions of the Fremantle Press podcast are an informal series of chats between publishing industry professionals. Co-hosted by Marketing and Communications Manager Claire Miller and Publisher Georgia Richter, it features regular guest appearances by editor Armelle Davies, as the Comma Chameleon, special publishing industry guests and top tips from contributors to the book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia.
Original musicTitle Music and Comma Chameleon Theme by Mo Wilson (copyright 2021)
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced byTiffany Ko, Claire Miller and Chloe Walton, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
This podcast was produced in Walyalup in Whadjuk Boodja, on the lands of the Noongar people.
Katie Stewart said she turned to art because she couldn’t keep up with her two older sisters who were incredibly bright. Drawing was her way to do something that distinguished her from them.
With pressure on her to go to university and make the most of the opportunities her mother never had, Katie first did a degree in archaeology then had many career twists and tangents. Katie was well into her fifth decade before she finally turned back to her abiding passion for art. In this podcast she discusses her work and her journey with Helen Milroy.
Topics discussed
Artist studio or hoarder’s paradise?
Critical thinking for kids
Digital illustration
Following your passion
Where do ideas come from?
For the full show notes go to https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/c/news
Original music‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced byClaire Miller, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications Manager
Lesley Reece, founder and former director of The Literature Centre, joins Claire Miller and Georgia Richter for a chat about how to prepare yourself to face a room full of under-17s! Leslie ìmparts top tips for aspiring children’s book writers while Claire and Georgia discuss the merits of book hoovering. Writer and editor Amanda Curtin shares her reading recommendations, and the Comma Chameleon has a slanging match with the hosts.
Topics discussed:
Becoming a children’s book writer
How sharing our mistakes makes us more engaging
What makes a good children’s book presenter
When to use slang in your book, and when not to
For the full show notes go to https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/c/news
Original musicTitle Music and Comma Chameleon Theme by Mo Wilson (copyright 2021)
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
EditingClaire Miller
Produced byTiffany Ko, Claire Miller and Chloe Walton, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
Ruth de Vos says children’s books inspired her textile art long before she became an illustrator. With six children in the house, she says storybooks were always a big part of family life, and she developed an appreciation for their brilliance and their accessibility as an art form. In this podcast, she takes us behind the scenes for a glimpse into how she created the illustrations for Shine by Danny Parker.
Topics discussed:
Editing illustrations
Capturing the joy and difficulty of parenthood
Celebrating ordinary, everyday moments
Finding a structure for the picture book
Killing your darlings
Real homes vs. Pinterest
For the full show notes go to https://www.fremantlepress.com.au/c/news
Original music‘Steel Cap Serenade’ by Aidan D’Adhemar, © 2021
Sound engineeringAidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire
Produced byClaire Miller, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications Manager
In this episode of the Love to Read Local podcast Mel Hall tells to our host Maria Papas that curiosity led her to writing her novel, The Little Boat on Trusting Lane. Mel says, ‘I was living in Fremantle and I was pretty curious and a bit questioning about some sort of wellness stuff that I was around … I was also having a lot of good talks with a close friend, who is a massive sceptic. I grew up in the church with faith so we were having really good conversations about what faith and belief are, and what community and church are. It really made me question those things and what they mean to me. And at the same time as that I was having this chronic pain and imaging different therapies about pain management that I thought might work … it all just started to become fiction.’
Love to Read Local is a state-wide, celebration of Western Australian stories, books and writers. Visit the Love to Read Local website to connect with other readers, tell us which local books you love to read and perhaps inspire others to read those books too!
Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from the Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton.
Producer: Claire Miller
Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar
Susan Midalia says families can be nurturing, or they can be really damaging, but most of us have them. Family plays a key role in her latest novel, Everyday Madness. Susan says the book is about the ways in which ordinarily rational people can become irrational due to certain personal or social circumstances.
She says she didn’t use the word ‘madness’ in a pejorative way but wanted people to think about the fact that depression is widespread and ‘everyday’ in that sense. Susan said, ‘It is becoming more readily diagnosed but the danger there I think is that sometimes people can assume because so many people have depression that it’s really just a case of the blues something we can easily recover from … the symptoms can in fact be really debilitating and frightening.’
In this podcast she jumps into the Love to Read Local hot seat for an interview with City of Fremantle Hungerford Award winner Maria Papas.
Love to Read Local is a statewide celebration of Western Australian stories, books and writers. Visit the Love to Read Local website to connect with other readers, tell us which local books you love to read and perhaps inspire others to read those books too!
Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from the Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton.
Producer: Claire Miller
Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar
Josephine Taylor says ‘Now Eye of a Rook is in the world and my vulvodynia story is complete. My pain was not invited but it has brought me to this. How can I not be grateful?’ In this Love to Read Local Podcast Jo talks to City of Hungerford winner Maria Papas about her new novel.
Vulvodynia, the condition at the heart of Eye of a Rook is one that affects over two million women in Australia. It is a condition known to medicine since Victorian times but one that the medical profession still doesn’t understand. Taylor says, ‘What … really incensed me about this was that so many women were experiencing this pain but nobody really knew anything about it. I think that I really felt that it was critical that women were given a voice.’
Love to Read Local is a statewide, celebration of Western Australian stories, books and writers. Visit the Love to Read Local website to connect with other readers, tell us which local books you love to read and perhaps inspire others to read those books too!
Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from the Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton.
The Last Bookshop by Emma Young is a book about what happens when you’re faced with the decision to sink or swim, it’s about a shared love of reading, finding your community and caring for one another. In this first #LoveToReadLocal podcast Emma talks to City of Hungerford winner Maria Papas.
We think it’s the perfect book to kick off Love to Read Local!
Love to Read Local is a statewide, online celebration of Western Australian stories, books and writers. Visit the Love to Read Local website to connect with other readers, tell us which local books you love to read and perhaps inspire others to read those books too!
Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from the Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton.
Producer: Claire Miller
Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar
Brooke Dunnell, Patrick Marlborough and Georgia Tree each have a one-in-three chance of taking out Australia’s newest and richest literary award for young writers. In this special edition of the Fremantle Press Podcast, Marketing and Communications Manager Claire Miller chats to each of the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award shortlisted writers and invites Fremantle Press publisher, Georgia Richter, to discuss why each writer's manuscript rose to the top of the reading pile.
The episode also includes a reading from each of the shortlisted manuscripts:
The Glass House by Brooke Dunnell (South Perth)
A Horse Held at Gunpoint by Patrick Marlborough (Fremantle)
Old Boy by Georgia Tree (Mt Lawley)
The Fogarty Literary Award is a biennial prize for an unpublished manuscript by a Western Australian author aged between 18 and 35 for a work of fiction, narrative non-fiction or young adult fiction. The winner receives a cash prize of $20,000 from the Fogarty Foundation and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press.
The Fogarty Foundation was established by Brett and Annie Fogarty in 2000 to support and provide educational and leadership opportunities for young people across the spectrum of the Western Australian community. As well as partnering with a range of organisations, the foundation has initiated its own programs that include the UWA Fogarty Scholarship Program, CoderDojo WA and Fogarty EDvance.
Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from The Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton. Producer: Claire Miller Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar
Georgia and Claire are joined by Rowena Morcom, Publisher and Editor of Good Reading Magazine, SpineOut and PK Mag, for a chat about what makes a good author interview and how authors make their way under the covers of her well-thumbed glossy pages for book lovers. Rowena dishes up a hot and greasy story about the things writers shouldn't do, and Claire and Georgia discuss using books in self-defence. Writer and journalist Anne-Louise Willoughby shares why resarch is vital and the Comma Chameleon shows how substandard Gen X is when it comes to choosing the right emoji.
Topics discussed:
Author interviews
Emojis
Pitching to the media
Research for writers
Staying authentic and thinking about your audience
The importance of preparing for interviews
What makes a good Fogarty Literary Award entry
The How to Be an Author editions of the Fremantle Press podcast are an informal series of chats between publishing industry professionals. Co-hosted by marketing and communications manager Claire Miller and publisher Georgia Richter, it features regular guest appearances by editor Armelle Davies, as the Comma Chameleon, special publishing industry guests and top tips from contributors to the book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia.
Original music Title Music and Comma Chameleon Theme by Mo Wilson (copyright 2021) Sound engineering Aidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire Editing Claire Miller Produced by Tiffany Ko, Claire Miller and Chloe Walton, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
Are you in a writing group? Georgia and Claire are joined by Deborah Hunn co-author of How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia for a chat about the ins and outs of workshopping manuscripts. Invisible Boys author Holden Sheppard shares his tips for finding your unique voice and the Comma Chameleon helps us ‘pick the dinkus’. Topics include: Where to find a writing group and how to start one from scratch When is it too early to workshop your manuscript? How to give and receive constructive feedback When to accept feedback and when to discard it Finding your best readers The How to Be an Author editions of the Fremantle Press podcast are an informal series of chats between publishing industry professionals. Co-hosted by marketing and communications manager Claire Miller and publisher Georgia Richter it features regular guest appearances by editor Armelle Davies, as the Comma Chameleon, special publishing industry guests and top tips from contributors to the book How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia. Original music Title Music and Comma Chameleon Theme by Mo Wilson (copyright 2021) Sound engineering Aidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire Editing Claire Miller Produced by Tiffany Ko, Claire Miller and Chloe Walton, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
Welcome to the first How to Be an Author in Australia edition of the Fremantle Press podcast, co-hosted by marketing and communications manager Claire Miller and publisher Georgia Richter. In the first episode, Georgia and Claire share the details of Georgia’s new book she co-wrote with Deborah Hunn, How to Be an Author: The Business of Being a Writer in Australia, and share the details of the How to Be an Author in Australia Facebook group. They talk to designer Nada Backovic about her tips on how to get the best cover for your book, writer Meg McKinlay tells authors to have a ‘frank conversation with themselves’ and the Comma Chameleon has a quiz that gets to the roots of obsolescence. For the full show notes, go to fremantlepress.com.au. Original music Title Music and Comma Chameleon Theme by Mo Wilson (Ó 2021) Sound engineering Aidan D’Adhemar, Fremantle PA Hire Production Tiffany Ko, Claire Miller and Chloe Walton, Fremantle Press Marketing and Communications
What happens when you put two podcasters into one studio? You get podcast mashup audio magic! In this episode host Rebecca Higgie celebrates the release of her debut novel, The History of Mischief, while Dani Vee celebrates the three-year anniversary of her tiny podcast with big ideas, Words and Nerds. English teacher, lit lover and self-confessed nerd Dani Vee describes her podcast, Words and Nerds, as a passion project created because of her love of literature and her desire to get into the minds of authors. Rebecca Higgie was thrown into the deep end as the Fremantle Press Podcast host after winning the Fogarty Literary Award. For the full show notes go to fremantlepress.com.au. Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from The Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton. Producer: Claire Miller Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar Sponsored by the Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund
In Rebecca Higgie’s penultimate episode as host of the Fremantle Press Podcast, we’re talking crime. Veteran crime writer Dave Warner joins the podcast to talk about his fifth book, Over My Dead Body, while new kid on the block Alexander Thorpe discusses his historical cosy crime debut, Death Leaves the Station. Join them as they travel from the 1920s and the Australian outback all the way to the mean streets of modern-day New York City. Sharing the journey will be a nameless friar, a missing corpse, a scientist who brings hamsters back from the dead and none other than Sherlock Holmes. For the full show notes go to the Fremantle Press website. Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from The Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton. Producer: Claire Miller Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar Sponsored by the Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund