The Empty Page: Recent Episodes
Gavin Miller
On the last episode of Season 3, an epic chat with Karen Turner about her epic book Stormbird and the process of writing it.
Adrian Hyland talks about his writing process and his new book Canticle Creek on the penultimate episode of the season.
Barry Maitland chats about his latest book The Russian Wife, the process of writing it, and some of the lessons he has learned in his long writing career.
It's Spanian's amazing life story in "Spanian: The Unfiltered Hood Life", but it was Christopher Kevin AU who put the words on the page.
Nore Hoogstad talks about her new book Gunfire Lullabies, the process of writing it, and the decision to self-publish.
Author and animal lover Emily Bitto chats about her amazing new novel Wild Abandon and the process of writing it.
Charlotte Wood talks about her latest book The Luminous solution and her writing life. For any writer who loves to explore the creative process, this is a must-listen episode.
Guitar nut and music journalist Joe Matera chats about his debut book Backstage Pass and the process of writing it. If you love a good rock 'n' roll story, you'll find plenty of them courtesy of Joe on this episode.
Author and podcaster Lola Berry chats about her new book Fearlessly Failing and we end up drifting into a conversation about the ideas and people that inspire us both.
Music writer Clinton Walker talks about diving into Australian post war/pre-Countdown music history in Suburban Songbook.
Kate Langbroek chats (as only Kate can) about her first book Ciao Bella and the Italian adventure that inspired it.
Sarah Bailey chats about her new book The Housemate and the process of writing it on this completely spoiler-free episode of The Empty Page.
Bruce Elder is a dead-set legend of the writing world, and in this episode he chats about music writing, travel writing, and his extraordinarily thorough website, aussietowns.com.au
In this completely spoiler free episode of The Empty Page, Margaret Hickey talks about her debut novel Cutters End, the process of writing it, and how teaching kids how to write gives her faith that the next generation will still be in love with books.
Jeff Apter makes his triumphant return to The Empty Page to chat about his new Bon Scott book, Bad Boy Boogie. This book tells the Bon Scott story in a unique and revealing way, and even the most ardent Bon Scott fan will learn something new about Bon when they read Jeff's book.
Lisa Millar is the co-host of ABC TV's News Breakfast, so the fact that she found the time to write her memoir with those brutal early starts is an achievement in itself. A self-described reluctant memoirist, Lisa has a fascinating story and a great way of telling it. In this episode we chat about her book Daring To Fly, the process of writing it, and the lengths Lisa went to in order to overcome her fear of flying.
David Allan-Petale is living proof that every writer has their own unique way of going about their business. In David's case, he sets fire to his first draft before he starts his second. Really! This is one of many fascinating aspects of David's writing life that you'll hear about in this episode, and if you haven't yet read his amazing new book Locust Summer, you can be assured that this podcast is spoiler free.
To kick off season 3 of The Empty Page, three of Australia's best music writers swap stories with each other about their multi-decade careers. You'll hear how Jeff Apter once had Tex Perkins light a bonfire just for him, Stuart Coupe talks about being sent to Paris to interview Bruce Springsteen, and it's safe to say that Barry Divola’s name never appeared on Glenn Frey's Christmas card list. We all felt like we barely scratched the surface in this conversation, so you can expect part two of the music writer's round table in the not too distant future on The Empty Page podcast.
On this episode we get stuck into the topic of writing for radio with two of the absolute best. Dave Gibson and Party Parslow chat about their time writing for The Doug Mulray show.
Long-time friends and first-time co-authors Meredith Burgmann and Nadia Wheatley chat about their writing lives and the process of collaborating on their extraordinarily entertaining new book, Radicals: Remembering The Sixties.
Josh Langley does all sorts of writing, from radio ads to kids books. He chats about his writing life, the evolution of his illustrations, and the sometimes tricky territory of being a children's author and an out and proud gay man.
Gabriel Bergmoser chats about his latest nail-biter The Inheritance and the process of writing it.
R.W.R. McDonald chats about his new book Nancy Business, the process of writing it, and the importance of having feisty and believable queer characters in his books.
Rachel Givney chats about the process of writing her latest book, Secrets My Father Kept.
Amanda Hampson has been writing professionally for over 20 years, so she has a lot of wisdom to share with her fellow writers. On this episode Amanda chats about her new novel Lovebirds and the process of writing it.
Candice Fox chats about her new book The Chase, the process of writing it, and her continuing adventures in the writing world involving the likes of James Patterson and Bill Clinton. Expect some serious casual name dropping on this episode!
Barry Divola chats about his new book Driving Stevie Fracasso and the process of writing it. Opinionated music writing is my thing, and nobody does it better than Barry Divola, so it's not an accident that this is the longest episode of this podcast series so far.
Nicole Webb chats about her new book China Blonde, which chronicles her time living in China with her young family.
US based Aussie author Cassandra Austin chats about the process of writing her latest novel Like Mother.
Returning champion Jeff Apter chats about his new book Behind Dark Eyes, The True Story Of Jon English. As you would already know if you heard Jeff's episode in Season 1, he is a massive planner, and you'll hear more about that on this episode as well as how Jeff feels about reading reviews of his books.
Based on the true story of the Queen's 1954 Australian visit, The Tour is Andrew Mackie's first novel, but he is by no means a beginner. Andrew has achieved massive success as a film distributor and producer and in addition to sharing the story of his writing life Andrew also has some great advice to offer screenwriters in this episode.
Christian Hull's memoir Leave Me Alone is - like Christian himself - laugh out loud funny. On this episode Christian chats (as only Christian can) about his adventures in the world of commercial radio, the career he has invented for himself as a social media superstar, and the process of writing his first book.
On this episode Susan Johnson talks about the long and winding road that took her towards her latest book, the incredibly heartfelt and compelling From Where I Fell. Susan has been writing professionally since the mid-80's, so she knows more than most about what it takes to make it as a writer.
On this episode Gretel Killeen talks about her new book My Daughter’s Wedding, the tricky art of writing words that make readers laugh out loud, and Gretel shares a technique she uses to get herself in the zone to come up with her best stuff. Gretel also has some wise advice for aspiring writers, and above all of that she’s just really fun to chat to.
Eamon Evans dives into some great Aussie mysteries in his new book "Whatever Happened To Ned Kelly’s Head?" On this episode Eamon talks about the process of researching and writing his books, the art of writing to make readers laugh, and the ups and downs of his writing career.
The Silent Listener is the kind of book that lives inside you long after you reach the last page, and on this episode Lyn Yeowart talks about the process of writing it, why it needed to be gritty in parts, and how she went about crafting one of the greatest story reveals I have ever read. Warning: The start of this episode is 100% spoiler free, but towards the end Lyn and I will tell anyone who hasn’t yet read her book exactly when to pause this podcast so that you don’t accidentally find out more than you need to know. But if you have already read The Silent Listener, you can go ahead and listen to this whole episode!
Poppy Gee has been a valued supporter of the Empty Page Podcast since the beginning of season 1 last year, and now she’s the star of the latest episode, talking about her gripping new suspense novel Vanishing Falls, her techniques for gently misdirecting her readers to make it harder for them to solve the crime before they reach the end of the book, and her writing routine. Poppy has a lot of great advice for aspiring writers in this episode.
If you love a good rock 'n' roll story, this is the podcast episode for you. Tana Douglas has not only been there and done that, she probably lit it and did the logistics as well. In this episode we chat about some of the incredible stories in Tana's new book Loud, her experiences on and off the road as the world's first female roadie, and how she gets her writing done.
Dan Kaufman has written a very funny book that will ring true for anyone who has ever been part of a shallow social scene. In the case of Drowning In The Shallows, the scene is Sydney, where his protagonist David reviews bars for a shrinking newspaper as he desperately searches for meaning. In this episode Dan talks about the process of writing this book, where he found the inspiration for his story and how he gets his writing done before real life takes over.
Mark Mordue kicks off season 2 of The Empty Page talking about his brilliant new book, Boy On Fire: The Young Nick Cave. Mark talks about the art of biography, the process of writing this book, and his writing life in general. (He's also a damn fine poet!) Whether you're a Nick Cave devotee or you're just curious about the process of writing a biography, there's plenty for you in this episode.
One of the challenges I set for myself in this podcast series was to read outside of my own comfort zone, and that's how I came to really enjoy the historical fiction of Fiona McIntosh. In this episode we talk about her new book, The Champagne War, how Fiona does her research, and how she manages to have three books on the3 go at any given time. I got a lot out of this chat!
Ceridwen Dovey draws on her experience studying at Harvard for her latest novel, Life After Truth. In this episode we chat about the awkwardness of reunions, writing through insomnia, and what it was like being at Harvard with Jared Kushner.
Jesse Fink is the co-author of Pure Narco, which tells the extraordinary story of Louis Antonio Navia, aka 'El Senador' and his 25 years inside the cartels. In amongst all the cocaine and danger, it's ultimately a redemption story, and it was a huge project for Jesse to undertake. In this episode Jesse talks about the lengthy and sometimes dangerous process of writing Pure Narco, his advice for writers, and early Elton John music.
Chris Hammer's background as a journalist informs the process of the books he writes. His latest book, Trust, is set in post-covid Sydney and it's depictions of the grimier aspects of the harbour city make for fascinating reading. In this episode Chris talks about writing Trust, coming up with memorable character names, and how he is a "pants-er" (writing by the seat of his pants) as opposed to being a planner.
Perth based writer Craig Silvey's latest book, Honeybee, is just brilliant. The fun part is, I get to tell him how much I loved it at the start of this episode. Craig chats about the process of writing Honeybee, the real life story that inspired it, his writing routine, and how he breathes life into his characters.
If you've ever been curious about mindfullness but you're not quite sure where to start, Shannon Harvey's new book might be just what you're looking for. On this episode Shannon discusses her new book, My Year Of Living Mindfully, the process of writing it, and the daily habits she developed during the process of writing this book that have now become part of her every day life. From learning meditation to tackling mobile phone addiction, there's something for everyone in this episode.
Ben Pobjie's new book, Second Best; The Amazing Untold Histories Of The Greatest Runners-Up, celebrates the stories of those people who didn't quite get there. Ben also chats about his day job writing about TV, and he is the first proper poet who has been a guest on this podcast. I enjoyed this chat with Ben Pobjie so much that I hereby declare this to be the second best episode in this podcast series.
Dr Karl's enthusiasm for science is infectious, and he knows a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff. His latest book, Dr Karl's Surfing Safari Through Science, is one of the first commercially available Australian books to make use of augmented reality technology, using the Dr Karl app. This podcast covers a wide range of topics, from pandemic eradication to dead fish that keep on swimming, to the bizarre fact that the world is running out of sand, to debunking all of the conspiracy theories around 5G, and so much more. During this strange time in history where science is so often either disbelieved or just plain ignored, the world needs more Dr Karls.
Benjamin Stevenson is a stand-up comedian, and it really shows in his writing. In this episode Benjamin talks about writing his new book, Either Side Of Midnight, how he gets his writing done even in crowded public places, and Benjamin also shares an amazing story of being very badly heckled during one of this stand-up shows.
Nick Place has been a professional writer since he was 17. He has co-authored a new book called Stalin's Wine Cellar which is a cracking read even for people who aren't wine buffs but just appreciate a really good yarn. The book tells John Baker's story, and it was Nick who worked with John to put it on the page. Nick chats about his writing life, how he goes about writing in someone else's voice, and - right at the end - some simple but important advice for aspiring writers.
When Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes sat himself down to write a memoir six years ago he had no idea that he would end up writing a trilogy. First came Working Class Boy, then Working Class Man, and now his third release, the incredibly entertaining and heartfelt Killing Time, a collection of short stories that is tremendous fun to read.
In this episode Jimmy talks about the challenges of writing this book during the onset of a global pandemic, how he is able to zone out and keep on writing even in a crowded room, and Jimmy also tells the amazing true story of being invited by Eddie Van Halen (more than once!) to join Van Halen.
Writing books about Australian music is how Jeff Apter makes his living, and he's damn good at it. On this episode Jeff talks about his latest book, "Friday On My Mind; The Life Of George Young", his method of meticulously planning before he writes, and Jeff's also got an amazing Aretha Franklin story from his days as a Rolling Stone correspondent.
Tasmanian youth counsellor Kyle Perry knows a thing or two about resilience. He wrote ten books - none of which were picked up by publishers - but he kept on believing in himself and he kept on writing. In 2020 Kyle finally gets his reward with the release of his stunning debut novel, The Bluffs. In this episode Kyle talks about the process of writing The Bluffs, those ten unpublished stories, how it felt to finally break through, and the importance of maintaining his physical and mental health for the sake of his writing.
Megan Goldin recorded this interview in her car, which is also where she does a large chunk of her writing. Megan's international career is taking off right now thanks her gripping new novel The Night Swim. Megan chats about the process of writing it, her time working in the Middle East as a journalist, and how she somehow juggles motherhood with getting her writing done in the midst of a global pandemic.
Stuart Coupe is one of Australia's best music writers and he doesn't mind a bit of a chat. Stuart has written a brilliant book (the only kind he knows how to write) about one of Australia's greatest ever singer/songwriters, Paul Kelly, and he has had a long and fascinating career as a writer, so there's a lot to cover in this episode.
Lili Wilkinson has a PhD in creative writing, so it's safe to say that Lili knows more about the subject of putting a story together than most people, and on this episode she shares some of that knowledge and talks about her new young adult novel, The Erasure Initiative.
Mikey Robins is a history buff, and he's also a funny bugger. His new book is called Reprehensible; Polite Histories Of Bad Behaviour and it is quite honestly the most fun I have ever had reading about history. In this interview Mikey talks about his new book, the process of writing it, and he also offers up some great advice for aspiring writers.
John Wood is not a full time writer, but he's got an impressive writing resume nonetheless. He is a successful playwright and he has written screenplays for legendary Aussie shows like The Sullivans, Cop Shop and Prisoner: Cell Block H. Then of course there's his other career as a much loved Gold Logie winning actor. John has been in our lounge rooms for over a quarter of a century as Michael Rafferty (Rafferty's Rules), Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon (Blue Heelers), and Patrick Tyneman (The Doctor Blake Mysteries). John's new memoir is called "How I Clawed My Way To The Middle".