James and Ashley Stay at Home: Recent Episodes

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In episode 132, author Susannah Glenn joins us to discuss the creative process behind her second novel, Without a Trace, alongside her creativity coach and writing mentor, Ginger Moran.

Ginger and Susannah discuss what goes into a relationship centred on both support and skill development, and the tough love and resilience required to make a story the best it can be.

Susannah shares what initially led her to approach Susannah, when she transitioned to full-time writing while working on her first novel, and Ginger shares her approach to mentoring and the common challenges creatives face.

Susannah Glenn is a domestic noir author. She has worked as a print journalist, editor, magazine publisher and managing editor. She has also worked in corporate communications, public relations, marketing, publications, media and event management. Susannah divides her time between her farm on the Mid North Coast of NSW and Adelaide. Her debut novel was Between Husbands and Wives, and her latest novel, Without a Trace, is out now.

Dr Ginger Moran is an award-winning writer and book mentor. She has a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, and has published books, articles and essays. She taught literature and writing in universities, schools and organisations until she became a full-time mentor.

This episode features a special guest appearance from Morwyn the collie puppy.

Find Without a Trace through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode * Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden * The Widow of Walcha by Emma Partridge * Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke * The Gambler by JP Pomare (from ep 130) * The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier * Every Time She Wakes by Petronella McGovern * The Wolf Tree by Laura McClusky * It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell * London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe * The Years by Annie Ernaux * In the Woods by Tana French * I Won't Bite by Rod Campbell (note: major spoilers discussed) * She Lied First by Dinuka McKenzie * Shari Lapena * Paula Hawkins * Gillian Flynn * Sally Hepworth * Liane Moriarty * Kelli Hawkins * Ali Lowe * Virginia Woolf

Upcoming events * Sydney – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Berkelouw Paddington, Thursday 30 July, 6pm * Sydney – Ashley is part of Woollahra's Library After Dark event, happening from 6-10pm on Thursday 30 July. RSVP for free * Central Coast – Ashley is part of the Crafting Crime Panel for Crime Fic Fest at Gosford Regional Library, Thursday 6 August, 6-7pm * Brisbane – Ashley is making a special appearance at the Books@Stones crime book club on Wednesday 19 August, 6-7pm * Sydney – Ashley is teaching From Scene Structure to Story Structure for the BAD Sydney Crime Festival, Friday 21 August, 10am-1pm, in person * Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Mary Colussi says her debut novel Touch Grass, winner of the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize, is a 'Noah's ark of her weird interests.' Penguin Literary Prize judge Jack Harkin puts it a little differently: 'part warning, part screwball comedy - and a riot of brilliant, incisive writing about social media, body politics and the effects of worshiping false gods.'

In episode 131, Mary shares with James how she went from writing Buzzfeed listicles to finishing the first draft of Touch Grass in under 90 days, and how she used her writing to 'metabolise her anxieties about the future'. She describes how illness has turned her into a 'diplomat for her own physical form' and how she took inspiration from Kurt Vonnegut to juxtapose the absurd with the deeply philosophical.

Mary Colussi is an Australian American writer currently based in Sydney. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and the National Institute of Dramatic Art, she was shortlisted for the 2025 Katie Lees Fellowship and received a 2025 Residential Fellowship at Varuna, the National Writers' House. As well as fiction, she writes satire, plays and screenplays. Touch Grass, her first novel, won the 2025 Penguin Literary Prize.

Find Touch Grass through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode: * A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle * Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler * Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler * Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut * Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell * Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell * Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell * Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth, translated by Charlotte Barslund * Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Upcoming events

• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Sydney – Ashley is reading at Twisted Fiction, a free event at the Shakespeare Hotel in Surry Hills, Tuesday 7 July, 6pm
• Sydney - James is in conversation with Nicholas Timms about his debut crime novel, The Lineup, at The Rose Red Bookshop in Summer Hill on Friday July 10, 7pm
• Penrith – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Penrith Library, Friday 27 July, 6pm
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Ashley is launching Dinuka McKenzie's latest thriller, She Lied First, at Gleebooks Glebe on Monday 27 July, 6.30pm
• Sydney – Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about her latest thriller, Every Time She Wakes, at Berkelouw Paddington, Thursday 30 July, 6pm
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Bestselling crime author JP Pomare joins us to discuss his latest novel The Gambler, and reflects on how his writing process has changed since his debut in 2018.

He discusses his start as a sandwich artist, his impulse to write away from cliche, and his advice for aspiring authors.

JP Pomare is an award-winning author whose debut novel, Call Me Evie, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. In the Clearing was made into a Disney+ Original Series, The Clearing, while Tell Me Lies was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. The Last Guests was made into a Stan Original TV series, Watching You. Seventeen Years Later was shortlisted for both the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, and is currently being adapted for the screen. The Gambler is his eighth novel.

Find The Gambler through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode

• On Writing by Stephen King
• Karl Ove Knausgaard
• Tierney Page
• Sally Hepworth
• He Read, She Read podcast with author Sarah Bailey
• The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins
• Land by Maggie O'Farrell
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• In the Woods by Tana French
• Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
• Dune by Frank Herbert (aka 'June')
• Vigil by George Saunders
• Departure(s) by Julian Barnes
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
• The Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung
• The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Upcoming events

• Darwin – join Ashley for her first-ever Darwin event, part of NT Writers Festival, Sunday 31 May, 10.15am
• Darwin – join Ashley in conversation for a Book Besties Darwin special event, Monday 1 June, 6pm
• Sydney – join James for the launch of Touch Grass by Mary Colusi, Tuesday 2 June, 6.30 pm
• Sydney – join Ashley and Petronella McGovern at Balmain Library, Thursday 4 June, 6.30pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for a free workshop, Connecting with Your Creative Practice, Friday 19 June, 10am-2pm
• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm
• Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In March, Ashley launched her new thriller 'Like, Follow, Die.' In episode 129, hear a live recording of the very special Sydney launch event at Gleebooks, Glebe, where James interviewed Ashley and superstar actor and audiobook narrator Claudia Karvan.

Claudia Karvan is one of Australia's most respected and acclaimed film and television actors. She co-created, produced, and starred in the Stan series Bump, earning AACTA and Silver Logie nominations for her performance, and the 2026 AACTA Award for Best Narrative Comedy Series. Claudia also appeared in Disney+'s The Clearing. Earlier, she co-created and produced Doctor Doctor for Nine Network and co-created, produced and starred in the Foxtel series Spirited and Love My Way, winning two Silver Logies and two AFI Awards for the latter. In 2023, she was honoured with an Order of Australia for her service to the industry.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate's Manosphere by Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin
• Alain de Botton

Find Like, Follow, Die through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library, or listen to the audiobook only from Audible, narrated by Claudia Karvan, Ryan Corr and Laurence Boxhall.

Upcoming events

• Sydney – join Ashley in conversation at Avalon Library, Wednesday 6 May, 5.45pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for her Memoir Writing workshop as part of Writer's Toolbox Day at Kirrawee Library, Saturday 9 May
• Online – Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May
• Orange, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Orange author talk on Thursday 14 May, 5.30pm
• Bathurst, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Bathurst author talk on Friday 15 May, 15 May
• Sydney – join Ashley, Pip Drysdale, Hayley Scrivenor and Rachael Johns for Booked for Lunch, a special She Journeys celebration of books and writing, Saturday 16 May, 9am-3pm
• Sydney – join Ashley at the BAD Sydney Crime Book Club to discuss the spoilers and behind-the-scenes of Like, Follow, Die, Wednesday 27 May, 12.30pm
• Darwin – join Ashley for her first-ever Darwin event, part of NT Writers Festival, Sunday 31 May, 10.15am
• Darwin – join Ashley in conversation for a Book Besties Darwin special event, Monday 1 June, 6pm
• Sydney – join James for the launch of Touch Grass by Mary Colussi, Tuesday 2 June, 6.30 pm
• Sydney – join Ashley for a free workshop, Connecting with Your Creative Practice, Friday 19 June, 10am-2pm
• Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 128, author Susan Francis joins James and Ashley to share the insidious ways invisible illness and ageism have impacted her sense of self and forced her to reframe her thinking.

At 65 years old, Susan lives with atrial fibrillation (AF), a type of arrhythmia that can lead to heart failure. She shares the challenges of this condition and her creative efforts to be a good (literary) friend despite the limitations of her health.

Susan also discusses her shift from memoir to fiction, and how she crafted her debut historical novel, Revelation Beach, which explores East Timor during the era of the Balibo Five.

Plus, in this month's What Are You Reading segment, Ashley and Susan go deep into Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (warning: slight spoiler), we return to the frustration/brilliance of Tana French's In the Woods, and James introduces his razor-blade theory of novel endings.

Susan Francis is a writer, teacher and editor. Her memoir The Love that Remains was published in 2020. Her debut novel, Revelation Beach, came out in 2025. Find Revelation Beach and Susan's memoir at Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
• So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
• The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria, translated by Ramon Glazov
• The Gambler by JP Pomare
• Recursion by Blake Crouch
• In the Woods by Tana French

Upcoming events

• Central Coast – join Ashley and Anna Downes for the launch of Like, Follow Die on Thursday 27 March, 6pm
• Sydney – James and Ashley are in conversation with Claudia Karvan for the launch of Like, Follow – Tuesday 31 March, 6pm at Gleebooks, Glebe
• Adelaide – join Ashley and Michelle Prak for the launch of Like, Follow, Die on Tuesday 14 April, 6pm
• Orange, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Orange author talk on Thursday 14 May, 5.30pm
• Bathurst, NSW – join Ashley for her first-ever Bathurst author talk on Friday 15 May 14, link to come
• Sydney – join Ashley, Pip Drysdale, Hayley Scrivenor and Rachael Johns for Booked for Lunch, a special She Journeys celebration of books and writing, Saturday 16 May, 9am-3pm
• Sydney – join Ashley at the BAD Sydney Crime Book Club to discuss the spoilers and behind-the-scenes of Like, Follow, Die, Wednesday 27 May, 12.30pm
• Darwin – Ashley's first NT author events TBA soon!
• Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands
• Online – Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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It's been 30 years since award-winning author Anita Heiss made her debut on the Australian literary scene. She reveals the moment she finally felt she'd made it in the industry and why her powerful historical novel, Dirrayawadha, was one of the most challenging books of her career.

Anita opens up about crafting a love story against the violence of the Bathurst War, and how she balances stories of trauma with scenes of profound love and joy. Plus, she shares about her forthcoming rom-com with a political heart, The Paradise Pact, and the insights she's learned from her latest role as publisher-at-large of Bundyi, a First Nations imprint from Simon & Schuster.

Dr Anita Heiss is an internationally published, award-winning author of over 20 books, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction and children's novels. She is a proud member of the Wiradyuri Nation of central New South Wales and Publisher at Large of Bundyi, an imprint of Simon & Schuster cultivating First Nations talent. Today we're discussing her career, including her historical fiction novel, Dirrayawadha (Rise Up), about the Bathurst War of 1824, and her latest rom com, The Paradise Pact.

Find The Paradise Pact and Anita's other books at Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937 by Anita Heiss
• Not Meeting Mr Right by Anita Heiss
• Secrets by Judy Morrison
• I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton
• Robbie Arnott
• Larissa Behrendt
• Tell Her She's Dreaming by Simone Amelia Jordan, from ep 106
• It's Been a Pleasure Noni Blake by Claire Christian
• The Pearl of Tagai Town by Lenora Thacker
• The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
• Test Cricket: A History by Tim Wigmore
• The Graduate by Rebecca Lim

Upcoming events

• James is speaking at Fresh Voices: The Penguin Literary Prize Shortlist on Wednesday 11 March
• Ashley is on book tour across Australia with events in Canberra, Perth, Bowral, Hobart, Launceston, Brisbane, Melbourne, Mornington, Wollongong, the Central Coast, Sydney and Adelaide (and Darwin TBA)
• Ashley is Teaching Unexpected Editing Strategies in person at Avid Reader on Sunday 15 March
• Ashley is at Manly Writers Festival on Friday 20 March
• James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible or pre-order the book – out 24 February 2026!

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library. Get in touch! * ashleykalagianblunt.com * jamesmckenziewatson.com * Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 126, internationally bestselling author Christian White describes, in graphic detail, how he thinks of his readers as lobsters. He also shares how his grandmother convinced him to fear trees (but only at night) and why he finds comfort in horror stories, like his latest novel, The Long Night. Plus, he shares his one key takeaway – and it's not what you'd expect.

Christian White is an Australian author and screenwriter whose credits include feature film Relic and Netflix series Clickbait. His debut novel The Nowhere Child was one of Australia's bestselling debut novels ever, with rights sold in 17 international territories and a major screen deal. The Wife and the Widow, Wild Place and The Ledge were all instant bestsellers. The Long Night is his fifth novel.

Find The Long Night and Christian's other books at Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
• The Gambler by JP Pomare
• The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
• Different Seasons by Stephen King
• -The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
• Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
• Bag of Bones by Stephen King
• Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip Knight (aka Pip Drysdale from ep 113)

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW starting 4 February 2026
• Like, Follow, Die launches in Brisbane at Avid Reader on Saturday 14 March
• Ashley is Teaching Unexpected Editing Strategies in person at Avid Reader on Sunday 15 March
• James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crime Writing for Faber Academy starting 12 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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It's that time of year again! (Well, almost … it's actually a bit early.) Collected here is a varied selection of 2025's 'What Are You Reading' book recommendations, nice and early so you can get your Christmas shopping started sooner rather than later!

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

From ep. 110

• Translations by Jumaana Abdu (Michelle See-Tho)
• The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison by Andrew Hamilton (Ashley)
• The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgård (James)

From ep. 111

• Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen (Ashley)
• My Dream Time by Ash Barty (James)

From ep. 112

• The Lady's Handbook to Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey (Ashley)

From ep. 113

• I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Pip Drysdale)

From ep. 114

• Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham (Lynne Ainsworth)
• Clare Keegan (Lynne Ainsworth)
• The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (Lynne Ainsworth)
• We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (James)
• Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra (James)
• Freedom by Lea Ypi (Ashley)

From ep. 115

• Anatomy of a Secret by Gerard McCann (Jay Martin)
• The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart (Ashley)
• The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (Ashley)
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Ashley)

From ep. 117

• The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (Melenie Cheng)
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Oliver Ready (James)
• Bat Eater (and other names for Cora Zheng) by Kylie Lee Baker (Ashley)

From ep. 119

• My First Book by Honor Levy (Nathan Dunne)
• The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff (James)
• Luminous by Silvia Park (Ashley)

From ep. 120

• Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister (Michelle Prak)
• A Fortunate Life by AB Facey (Michelle Prak)
• Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (Michelle Prak)
• Universality by Natasha Brown (James)
• The Last Victim by Tracy Hall and Summer Land (Ashley)

From ep. 122

• Falling TJ Newman (James & Ashley)
• Drowning by TJ Newman (James & Ashley)
• Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman (James & Ashley)

From ep. 123

• She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper (Matt Rogers)
• Orbital by Samantha Harvey (James)
• Legend of a Suicide by David Vann (James)

From ep. 124

• Outback Cop by Neale McShane and Evan McHugh (Ashley)

This episode

• Moderation by Elaine Castillo
• The Eyes are the Best Part by Monica Kim
• Molka by Monica Kim
• 'Salem's Lot and Cujo by Stephen King

Upcoming events

• James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March, 2026

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 124, urban ecologist and past guest Darryl Jones returns to discuss the power of nature to heal your brain and other topics from his latest book, (Be)Wilder, which delves into elephants in Thailand, bearded pigs in Borneo, and conservationist farmers in the Snowy Mountains.

Darryl also speaks about the recent brain surgery he underwent as treatment for Parkinson's, and the story of how the disease got its name.

Darryl Jones is a Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane, where for over 30 years he has been investigating the many ways that people and wildlife interact. He is particularly interested in why some species have been so successful in urban landscapes while many others have not, and how best to deal with the ensuing conflicts. His books include Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood, Feeding the Birds at Your Table and Curlews on Vulture Street, which we spoke to him about in J&A Stay at Home episode 67.

Find Darryl at Brisbane Writers Festival or any of his upcoming events.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Mark Cocker
• Enchantment by Birds by Russell McGregor
• Apeirogon by Colum McCann
• Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
• Outback Cop by Neale McShane and Evan McHugh

Upcoming events * Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October * James is speaking with Christian White at Manly Library on Sunday 2 November * Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November * James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March, 2026

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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How do you write thirty-five novels in a decade and sell a million copies while doing it? Bestselling author Matt Rogers is here to share his secrets.

Matt began writing fiction at age six, then dropped out of university to pursue writing full time. He discusses the differences in traditional and self-publishing, how his obsession with philosophy has bled into his thriller writing, and why he believes quantity leads to quality.

Matt Rogers is the internationally bestselling author of the Dante Jacoby series. Matt began self-publishing at the age of 18, and in the following eight years he single-handedly wrote and marketed more than 35 thriller novels. His books have collectively sold over one million copies. 'The Forsaken' is his debut novel for Simon & Schuster.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Henry David Thoreau
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Lee Child
• 'Things that aren't doing the thing' from Strangest Loop
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson
• Orbital by Samantha Harvey
• Legend of a Suicide by David Vann

Upcoming events:

• James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2
• Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October
• Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 122, Ashley asks fellow crime fiction fan and podcaster what it's like to find yourself as a fictional character in a new novel from one of your favourite authors.

Felix 'Flex' Shannon shares his experience of being fictionalised in the latest mystery novel from Sulari Gentill, Five Found Dead. Hear from Sulari in ep 121!

Felix Shannon is a radio presenter, producer, technician and educator. Together with Benjamin Herder, Felix hosts the crime and mystery fiction podcast Death of the Reader.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill
• After She Wrote Him by Sulari Gentill
• Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill
• Benjamin Stevenson
• When They Cry by Ryukishi07
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson
• Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath
• Learned Behaviours by Zeynab Gamieldien
• The Scope of Permissibility by Zeynab Gamieldien
• All the Missing Children by Zahid Gamieldien (from ep 102)
• Falling TJ Newman
• Drowning by TJ Newman
• Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman
• I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
• The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Chris Hammer

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching a one-day narrative drive workshop for Writers at the Woolshed on Thursday 11 September and providing manuscript feedback sessions on Friday 12 September
• Ashley is doing one-on-one manuscript assessments for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival on Saturday 13 September (only two spots available!)
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September
• James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
• Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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When bestselling author Sulari Gentill was diagnosed with stage four cancer, she decided to write the ending she wanted. In episode 121, she joins James and Ashley to discuss her seventeenth novel, Five Found Dead, which features a main character riding the Orient Express to celebrate his recent cancer recovery – and who ends up solving several murders along the way.

Sulari shares her own experience of riding the Orient Express and describes how her creativity and writing reminded her who she was at a time when her illness was reducing her sense of self to 'patient'.

Plus she shares an excellent story involving red carpets, international awards and to-die-for chocolate cake.

Published in English in Australia, the UK and the US, and in translation in more than a dozen territories, Sulari Gentill is the author of The Hero Trilogy and the multi-award-winning Rowland Sinclair Mysteries. The first book in this ten-book series was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the second won the Davitt Award. Her novel After She Wrote Him won the Ned Kelly Award. The Woman in the Library was a USA Today Bestseller, and The Mystery Writer won the 2025 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her latest novel, Five Found Dead is out now in the US, UK and Australia.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Agatha Christie;
• Death of the Reader podcast;
• Kylie Ladd (from ep 92);
• The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan;
• Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park and State of Fear by Michael Crichton;
• Stephen King;
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Upcoming events:

• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September
• James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
• Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 120, bestselling author Michelle Prak discusses how she set her latest thriller against the backdrop of Australia’s housing crisis and why she writes flawed, sometimes rash characters.

She also reflects on how growing up in a lower socio-economic home influenced her love of reading and her ambition to be a writer, and also how it delayed her efforts to make that dream happen.

Michelle Prak is a professional communicator with a thirty-year career in PR, social media, and politics. She lives in Adelaide and teaches communication subjects at the University of South Australia. Her bestselling debut thriller The Rush was published internationally in 2023. Barren Cape is her second novel.

Books and authors discussed in this episode: * 'The habit of writing' by Michelle Prak for Sisters in Crime; * Colin Thiele * Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister * A Fortunate Life by AB Facey * Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt * Universality by Natasha Brown * The Last Victim by Tracy Hall and Summer Land

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is at the Mudgee Readers' Festival teaching narrative drive on Friday 15 August and speaking on Technology & The Future of Crime Fiction on Saturday 16 August
• Ashley is teaching a one-day narrative drive workshop for Writers at the Woolshed on Thursday 11 September and providing manuscript feedback sessions on Friday 12 September
• Ashley is doing one-on-one manuscript assessments for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival on Saturday 13 September (only two spots available!)
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In episode 119, debut author Nathan Dunne joins us to discuss his memoir, When Nothing Feels Real, which shares the story of his onset of severe depersonalisation and his quest to find a diagnosis.

He shares the challenge of conveying his experience to those unfamiliar with the condition, his multi-year challenge to reach a proper diagnosis, and the long and uneven journey to recovery. We also discuss the community of fellow sufferers that supported him in the completion of his memoir.

Nathan Dunne was born in Brisbane and grew up in India. As a journalist and critic, he has contributed to many publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Guardian and Slate. He now lives in Sydney. His debut book is When Nothing Feels Real, a memoir about living with depersonalisation, a frequently misunderstood mental illness.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• My First Book by Honor Levy;
• The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff;
• Luminous by Silvia Park

Upcoming events

• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
• James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley's brand new thriller Like, Follow, Die is out now as an audiobook exclusive from Audible! In episode 118, Ashley discusses the book's unique development and what it was like working with an ensemble cast of prominent Australian actors to bring her third book to life.

Like, Follow, Die is a "shattering and provocative psychological thriller that dives into the darkest corners of the internet and the powerful bonds between parents and children." Learn more and listen to it here.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• John Sandford (narrated by Richard Ferrone)
• JP Pomare
• Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? by Pierre Novellie
• Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
• Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne
• Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm
• Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
• James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Award-winning author Melanie Cheng joins James and Ashley to discuss her writing practice, her pet rabbit, and The Burrow, her 'most personal book' and its many parallels to her own life.

She also shares her experience of writing toward her greatest fear, coming to terms with her cyclical writing process, and how teaching narrative to medical students can help increase communication between doctors and patients.

Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner. She was born in Adelaide, grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in Melbourne. Her debut collection of short stories, Australia Day, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2016 and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction in 2018. Room for a Stranger, her highly acclaimed first novel, was published in 2019. The Burrow was published in 2024, and has since been shortlisted for numerous major Australian prizes, including the Stella Prize, the Age Book of the Year and the Miles Franklin Award.

Read the Kill Your Darlings interview with Melanie discussed in this episode here.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• The Burrow by Franz Kafka
• Tender Is the Flesh by Augustina Batzerrica
• Helen Garner
• Maxine Beneba Clarke
• Tony Birch
• Alice Pung
• Hilton Koppe (from ep 70)
• The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
• Sanchana Venkatesh (from ep 75) and #MyYearWithAnneTyler
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Oliver Ready
• Bat Eater (and other names for Cora Zheng) by Kylie Lee Baker, recommended by @EmilyEatsPages
• Laura McClusky
• Riley James
• Jacinta Dietrich

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne
• Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm
• Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
• James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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If you missed hearing Ashley and James live in conversation at the launch of Cold Truth, we've got the full event recording for you here, complete with fake nazi invasions, terrifying cybercrime stats, and the satisfying crunch of James being forced to try genuine Manitoban dill pickle chips.

Thanks to local bookseller Roaring Stories for hosting this event!

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May
• Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop, Booktopia or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop, Booktopia or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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How did Jay Martin go from an award-winning memoir to a fiction manuscript she ultimately abandoned? And what did she learn that helped her craft her debut novel, Boom Town Snap?

Jay talks with Ashley and James about what toxic workplaces have in common with abusive relationships, and how we get trapped in toxic relationships at the community level as well.

Ashley is in conversation with Jay Martin to launch Boom Town Snap at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm

Jay Martin’s first book, Vodka and Apple Juice: Travels of an Undiplomatic Wife in Poland, won the Hungerford Award and was published in 2018. She has worked in a range of roles including in community development, government policy and consulting. This included positions in federal government in Canberra, as well as in consulting firms in Australia and Canada. Jay designs and runs writing workshops and programs around Western Australia. Her debut novel is Boom Town Snap.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Arna Radovich (from ep 105)
• Anatomy of a Secret by Gerard McCann
• The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart
• The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39)
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
• Tender Is the Flesh by Augustina Batzerrica

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is in conversation with Jay Martin to launch Boom Town Snap at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Dinuka McKenzie at Sutherland Library, Thursday 5 June, 6.30pm
• Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne
• Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm
• Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Lynne Ainsworth is the founder of Writers at the Woolshed, an emerging writer, and a person who 'loves hanging out with people who read and write'. She loves it so much, she not only created a pop-up festival to connect authors with regional readers and writers, she's now hosting the first Winter Writing Retreat, featuring masterclasses with Eleanor Limprecht, Betty O'Neil, Audrey Molloy, Ashley Kalagian Blunt and Lee Kofman (from eps 3, 76 and 112).

In this special bonus episode, Lynne tells us how she first became a festival director, and shares details of the retreat, happening 13-18 July in Mittagong, NSW.

An alumna of Varuna and Faber Writing Academy, Lynne Ainsworth has several short stories published, and was awarded a Masterclass with Patti Miller at Varuna in 2017, a one-month placement as Artist in Residence at The Old School House at Mt. Wilson, and a CreateNSW Small Project Grant for her current memoir, Sambio, set in Papua New Guinea.

Find out more from Writers at the Woolshed.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Clare Keegan
• Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham
• The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
• We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
• Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
• Freedom by Lea Ypi

Upcoming events:

• Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.
• Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May
• Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm
• Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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How does having a stalker change your life? We talk with bestselling novelist Pip Drysdale about her latest novel 'The Close-Up,' its real-life inspirations, and how surviving a stalker shifted her worldview.

We also discuss how to navigate public image and the role anxiety has to play in creative pursuits.

Plus, this ep's What Are You Reading? inspires a debate about what's derivative and what's inspired, and if those can be the same thing.

Join Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.

Pip Drysdale is an author, musician and actor. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and London, and lives on a steady diet of coffee, dreams, and literature. Her first four books – The Sunday Girl, The Strangers We Know, The Paris Affair and The Next Girl – have been bestsellers in Australia. Her latest book, The Close-Up is out now in Australia/NZ and North America. She lives in Sydney.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• 'My Stalker, My Novel' by Pip Drysdale for Crime Reads;
• I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman;
• We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer;
• Anna Downes;
• House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

Upcoming events:

• Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.
• Ashley is the guest author of the Bloom & Bound 'Bound to Roam' bookshop crawl happening Saturday 26 April, Sydney
• Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May
• Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm
• Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July
• Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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What considerations come into choosing to have a baby for creatives? And once baby enters the picture, how do you balance parenting with your creative practice?

We ask Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman, two beloved past guests who happen to be both authors and parents, about their decision to have children and how they manage their writing lives as parents.

Plus, James has a big announcement – you'll never guess what it is.

Lee Kofman is a Russian-born, Israeli-Australian memoirist, novelist, editor and writing coach. She’s the author of three fiction books and two memoirs, including Imperfect, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Nib Literary Award in 2019. Her short works have been widely published in Australia, US, UK, Israel and Canada. Lee’s most recent book is The Writer Laid Bare (Ventura Press).

Dinuka is the author of the Detective Kate Miles crime series, The Torrent, Taken and Tipping Point, published in Australia and the UK. She was the winner of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize and has been shortlisted for numerous major Australian crime writing awards. Dinuka lives with her family in Southern Sydney on Dharawal country.

Mascara Literary Review is looking for essays, flash fiction and poetry from disabled and chronically ill writers – closes 31 March.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Cyril Connolly
• The Lady's Handbook to Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey
• Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko
• At the Strangers' Gate by Adam Gopnik
• Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart
• Your Baby Doesn't Come with a Book by Daniel Golshevsky
• The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

Upcoming events

• James is having a baby! Well, not him personally. His wife. But he'll be there. Date and time TBA.
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the South Coast Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am
• Ashley is doing her first-ever Canberra author talk at Big River Gin Distillery, Thursday 20 March, 6 pm, featuring chocolate martinis
• Ashley is returning to the Occasional Wine Bar, Boorowa, on Friday 21 March, 6.30pm
• Ashley is appearing at Book Face Erina with Anna Downes on Tuesday 25 March, 6pm
• Ashley is appearing at Newcastle Writers Festival with Anna Downes & Petronella McGovern, and with Shankari Chandran & Jock Serong, 5-6 April
• Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Cold Truth, Ashley's new thriller, is out now. James and Ashley discuss just how difficult writing this book was, plus why she chose to set in a city that makes headlines for being colder than the surface of Mars. They also chat about real-life research, including the time Ashley learned how to pick a lock with a credit card. Plus, James horrifies Ashley with a true story about digital privacy.

Cold Truth is available now from Booktopia, your local bookshop and your library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode: * Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen * My Dream Time by Ash Barty

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February
• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025
• Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain
• Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton
• Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader
• Newcastle author talk – Thursday, 20 Feb, 6pm at Newcastle Library
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the South Coast Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but I didn’t have any ideas that I thought could extend to a novel-length work.'

In episode 110, Michelle See-Tho shares her journey from aspiring writer to winner of the 2023 Penguin Literary Prize for her debut novel, Jade and Emerald. Though she started out writing short stories and video game reviews, she discusses how drawing on inspiration from her own life, including her passion for video games, helped her shape the world of her novel.

Michelle See-Tho is a freelance writer and copywriter. She has had articles and stories published in Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin, Overland and The Big Issue Fiction Edition. Jade and Emerald is her first novel.

You can read Michelle's article 'Why Aren't There More Books About Video Games?' for Nintendo Life here.

Get your copy of Jade and Emerald from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Melanie Cheng
• Katherine Collette
• Annette Higgs
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• Translations by Jumaana Abdu
• The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison by Andrew Hamilton
• The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgård

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February
• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025
• Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain
• Cold Truth Melbourne with Sally Hepworth – Monday 10 February, 6.30 at Cheltenham Library
• Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton
• Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the Sout Coat Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Here it is - the annual end-of-year book recommendation extravaganza! This bumper episode contains every single edition of 'What are you reading?' from 2024, in which James, Ashley and guests discuss the books on their shelves, and why you should read them too (or not). Use it as a last-minute Christmas shopping guide or a wishlist for your own personal library in 2025.

Books and authors discussed in this episode (brace yourself, this is a long list):

From episode 92 (Kylie Ladd, author of 'I'll Leave You With This')

• The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (Kylie)
• The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James)
• Red River Road by Anna Downes (Ashley)
• A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold.

From episode 93 (Adele Dumont, author of 'The Pulling')

• Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (Adele)
• The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James)
• Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran (Ashley)

From episode 94 (no guest)

• Red River Road by Anna Downes (James)
• The Consultant by Im Seong Sun, translated by An Seon Jae (Ashley)

From episode 95 (Liz Nugent, author of 'Strange Sally Diamond')

• The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Liz)
• In the Woods by Tana French (James)
• The Witch Elm by Tana French (James)
• Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (Ashley)
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Liz)

From episode 96 (Tracy Sorensen, author of 'The Vitals')

• I’ll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd (Tracy)
• Number Go Up by Zeke Faux (Ashley)
• The Trial by Franz Kafka (James)
• Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt (James)

From episode 97 (no guest)

• The Cop Who Fell To Earth by Craig Semple (Ashley)
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (James)

From episode 98 (Imbi Neeme, author of 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not')

• Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (Imbi)
• Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami (Ashley)
• On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen (Ashley)
• The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood (James)

From episode 99 (Siang Lu, author of 'Ghost Cities')

• He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan (Siang)
• Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager (James)
• So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan (James)
• Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith (Ashley)

From episode 100 (no guest)

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Ashley)
• Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester (James)

From episode 101 (Khin Myint, author of 'Fragile Creatures')

• Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin (Khin)
• Quiet by Susan Cain (Khin)
• The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Ashley)
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (James)

From episode 102 (Zahid Gamieldien, author of 'All the Missing Children')

• Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (Zahid)
• The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (James)
• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Ashley)
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley (Ashley)

From episode 103 (Robyn Harding, author of 'The Haters')

• This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead (Robyn)
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (James)
• Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (James)
• Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans (Ashley)

From episode 104 (Michael Klim, author of 'Klim')

• Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Michael)
• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Michael)
• Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan (James)
• Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston (James)

From episode 105 (Arna Radovich, author of 'Limits of Forgetting')

• Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Arna)
• What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Arna)
• The Glass House by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist (Arna)
• Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (Arna)
• Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen (James)
• The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti (James)
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (James)
• Revisionist History season 11: Hitler's Olympics by Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey (Ashley) [Podcast]
• Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke (Ashley)

From episode 106 (Simone Amelia Jordan, author of 'Tell Her She's Dreamin''

• The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman (Simone)
• Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro (Simone)
• Parable by the Sower by Octavia E Butler (Ashley)

From episode 107 (Maggie Walters, author of 'Split')

• In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich (Maggie)
• For Life by Ailsa Piper (Maggie)
• The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas (Ashley)
• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (James)

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025
• The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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It's that time of year again - the annual Bed on a Plinth Awards, in which James and Ashley discuss the best books they've read in the last twelve months! Use this particularly eclectic list to gather Christmas gift ideas, or simply top up your own 'to be read' pile.

Books & authors discussed in this episode (spoilers below!):

• Red River Road by Anna Downes
• The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern
• An Ambush of Widows by R.W.R. McDonald (audiobook)
• Seventeen Years Later by JP Pomare
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor
• The Pulling by Adele Dumont (interviewed in episode 93)
• Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen
• Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters by Ivan Cleary & Andrew Webster
• Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint (interviewed in episode 101)
• Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (interviewed in episode 99)
• Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
• Sociopath by Patric Gagn
• The Writer’s Room by Charlotte Wood
• Tyranny of the Minority by Daniel Ziblatt & Steven Levitsky
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025
• The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'It's not a mental illness. It's actually a creative coping mechanism.'

What's it like to discover other people living in your own head? In Maggie Walters' debut memoir, she describes her life with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder (which remains Maggie's preferred term). After surviving years of abuse as a child, Maggie now lives with 40 alters and has spent much of her adulthood learning to understand herself, as well as how to share her experience with others.

In episode 107, she describes living with her alters, how she wrote her memoir, and why, after years of keeping her reality a secret, she's now sharing it with the world.

Maggie Walters lives in the NSW Northern Rivers with her family. As a trauma survivor, she shares her journey towards wholeness, confronting stereotypes around mental health. Her debut memoir, Split, was published in 2024. An early draft of Split was longlisted for the 2022 Richell Emerging Writers Prize.

Get your copy of Split from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman
• In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich
• For Life by Ailsa Piper
• The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas
• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November
• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025
• The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'That was the most naive, worst decision I've ever made in my life, because the disease came back with a vengeance.'

In episode 106, Ashley speaks to award-winning memoirist Simone Amelia Jordan about the career that took her from Australia to New York City, and the health crisis that changed everything.

We also speak about family heritage and family support, and how writing a memoir helped Simone recover herself and reinvent her career.

Simone Amelia Jordan is Australia's most successful hip-hop journalist, with a career spanning print, radio, TV and digital media. At twenty-three, she founded Urban Hitz, the country's highest-selling rap and R&B publication. Later, in New York City, she served as the content director of The Source, the iconic 'Hip-Hop Bible'. Simone is also an ambassador for Crohn’s Colitis Australia. Her memoir, Tell Her She's Dreamin', won the 2021 Richell Prize winner, and is published in Australia and the United States.

Get your copy of Tell Her She's Dreamin' from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library.

Nothing in this episode is intended as medical advice. If you have health concerns, speak to your GP.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler
• Hayley Scrivenor

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November
• Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In ep 105, James and Ashley interview Arna Radovich, the author of Limits of Forgetting, a collection of stories interwoven with themes of memory, grief and reflection. Arna shares insights into how her own experiences provide the background for her fiction, and how she found the resolve to release her collection after the loss of her husband.

We also delve into Arna's multifaceted creative practice, which spans poetry, prose, fiction and nonfiction for both children and adults. We discuss her dedication to both evolving her practice and contributing to her artistic community, affirming how art and connection foster resilience and insight amidst personal and collective challenges.

Reflecting on her commitment to writing and community, Arna discusses her long-standing involvement with artist-run initiative Mounted. Their latest exhibition, Excavate, is happening in Sydney in November.

Arna Radovich writes for both adults and children. Her short fiction and poetry has been published widely and performed. She won the ZineWest 2020 Prize and 2nd prize in the 2019 Peter Cowan Short Story Award and has been a finalist in the 2018 Tasmanian Writers Prize, the Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award and the NWF/joanne burns Microlit Award.In 2024 she released her debut collection of new and selected short stories, Limits of Forgetting.

Meet Arna and other Blue Mountains artists at Excavate: an exhibition from Mounted ARI:

• 13 to 17 November, The Corner Gallery Stanmore
• Opening event: Friday 15 November, 5.30 to 7.30 pm

Get your copy of Limits of Forgetting from Rosey Ravelston Bookshop or your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Books & authors (and one podcast) discussed in this episode: * Forgetting: The Benefits of Not Remembering by Scott Small * Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout * The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman * If You're Happy by Fiona Robertson (from ep 53) * 'Vigil' by Amanda O'Callaghan * Helen Garner * What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan * The Glass House by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist * Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood * The Dinner Party by Victoria Benn * Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen * The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Legotti * Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy ('It's like Knausgård in the 1800s!') * War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy * Jon Ronson * Revisionist History season 11: Hitler's Olympics by Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey * Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke * Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

Further recommended reading from Arna: * The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary- * Francis O’Connor * Resilient Grieving: How To Find Your Way Through Devastating Loss: A Practical Guide To * Recovery by Dr Lucy Hone * Love, Death and Other Scenes by Nova Weetman

Upcoming events * Ashley is interviewing Pip Drysdale and Hayley Scrivenor at Harry Hartog Mosman on Thursday 31 October, 6-8pm * Ashley is speaking at Sydney Authors Inked in Summer Hill, Sunday 3 November, 12.30-2.30pm * Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction in Bowral on Thursday 7 November, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'For me, the only decision was to put myself out there and become more of service to others.'

Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim speaks with James about his diagnosis and life with CIDP, the same autoimmune condition James lives with. Michael discusses his childhood and Olympic career, how his worsening health affected his mental health, and how he ultimately decided to become vocal about his condition and support others.

Michael Klim is a renowned Australian swimmer. He competed in three Olympic Games and won six medals, including two gold. Since 2020, Michael has lived with a rare autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). He has established the Klim Foundation to provide support to sufferers and champion the search for new treatments.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
• This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan
• Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan
• Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston
• Open by Andre Agassi
• Kelly Slater: For the Love by Kelly Slater

Get your copy of Klim from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm
• Ashley is doing her first author tour to the Mid North and Central Coast. Catch her speaking in Forster on Monday 21 October, in Port Macquarie on Monday 21 October, in Kempsey on Tuesday 22 October and at Erina Library on Wednesday 23 October.
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction in Bowral on Thursday 7 November, 10am-4pm.

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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What's it like putting your creative work out in the world and discovering that some people hate it?

In episode 103 of James and Ashley Stay at Home, international bestselling author Robyn Harding joins James and Ashley to explore her extensive career in writing. She shares her experience of releasing her first book in 2004, and how her journey has evolved up to the launch of her latest novel, The Haters.

Robyn also shares insights into the challenges of dealing with online negativity, the psychological impact of reviews, and what inspired her to write a story centered around an author’s worst nightmare. We also discuss managing negativity bias and maintaining a long-term career in the ever-changing literary world.

Robyn Harding is the author of numerous international bestsellers, including The Party, The Arrangement and The Drowning Woman. She is also the screenwriter and executive producer of the independent film, The Steps. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and two rescue chihuahuas.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Troll Hunting by Ginger Gorman;
• This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead;
• The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead;
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt;
• How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt;
• Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans

Get your copy of 'The Haters' from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm
• James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning, Wednesday 11 Sept, 6.15pm AEST
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'I wasn't even sure I was going to write a novel.'

Author Zahid Gamieldien joins us to discuss his debut novel, All the Missing Children. Zahid speaks about his start writing short stories, his decision to transition to novel writing based on the advice of a publisher, and how he sees the differences between prose and screenwriting.

He also speaks about the challenge of fitting in writing time while raising children, and his four-year-old son's assessment of his work.

Plus, more spec fiction talk!

Zahid Gamieldien is an author, screenwriter, editor and writing tutor. His short fiction has been published in literary journals including Overland, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, Island Magazine and many others. His co-written screenplays have been listed for awards such as the Australian Writers’ Guild’s John Hinde Award and the AMC One-Hour Pilot Award at the Austin Film Festival. His debut novel is All The Missing Children.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• 2666 by Roberto Bolaño;
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan;
• Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor;
• The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin;
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley;
• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Get your copy of All the Missing Children from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Zahid and James will be appearing in conversation together to discuss 'All the Missing Children' at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October.

And make sure to check out Zahid at Bad Crime Sydney on Friday 13 September.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'I didn't believe that I'd stalked my partner.'

In episode 101, we speak with debut author Khin Myint about the multiple strands of biography he explores in his memoir Fragile Creatures. One of these is the sudden and extreme betrayal he faced from his ex-partner, who accused him of stalking her.

We also discuss the ambiguous illness his sister Theda lived with for years, at times diagnosed as depression, CFS/ME and chronic Lyme disease, and how she chose to end her life after thirteen years of symptoms and divisiveness. We also consider whether our societal silence around suicide is potentially contribuiting to its rise.

Khin also describes how he came to understand masculinity as a shadow, a pressure that follows men and ultimately shapes them. He asks, 'What is this pressure that socialises boys to adhere to some of these toxic expectations of maleness?'

Fragile Creatures is a must-read memoir, and this conversation is only the tip of more than one culturally urgent conversation.

Plus in What Are You Reading, we chat about a surprising number of speculative fiction titles.

Khin Myint is an author based in Perth. His writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, Liminal and The West Australian, and more. He was selected as one of ten participants in the Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter scheme in 2021. His debut memoir is Fragile Creatures.

Books & authors (and one podcast) discussed in this episode:

• The Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51);
• 'What do trigger warnings actually do?' from Search Engine;
• Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin;
• Quiet by Susan Cain;
• The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth;
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb;
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons;
• Orson Scott Card

Get your copy of Fragile Creatures from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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We made it to 100 episodes! In this celebration of books, reading and creative community, James and Ashley reflect on how the podcast came about, their favourite books and moments from the podcast, and how their lives, health and writing have changed over the four years since episode 1.

You'll also hear from a variety of past guests and listeners, and get an update on the newest books from all our incredible range of previous guests. Plus, we announce the winner of our book pack giveaway.

Authors and books discussed in this episode:

• Red River Road by Anna Downes (from ep 5)
• The Shadow House by Anna Downes
• The Safe Place by Anna Downes
• Meshi: A Personal History of Japanese Food by Katherine Tamiko Arguile (from ep 7)
• The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern (from ep 12)
• The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern
• The Liars by Petronella McGovern
• The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13)
• The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39)
• Dirt by David Vann (from ep 23)
• Bianca Millroy, upcoming curator of Science Write Now
• Josephine Taylor (from ep 20)
• Adele Dumont (from ep 93)
• Little Bit by Heather Taylor Johnson (forthcoming) (from ep 41)
• Ten Thousand Aftershocks by Michelle Tom (from ep 38)
• The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (from ep 96)
• Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint
• Madrid: A New Biography by Luke Stegemann (from ep 26)
• Happy Millionth Birthday by RWR McDonald (from ep 32)
• Ghost Cities by Siang Liu (from ep 99)
• The Keepers by Al Campbell (from ep 65)
• Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell (from ep 33)
• Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (from ep 14)
• Love & Autism by Kay Kerr (from ep 37)
• Australiana by Yumna Kassab (from ep 57)
• The Lovers by Yumna Kassab
• Politico by Yumna Kassab
• Good Dog by Kate Leaver (from ep 8)
• Safe Haven by Shankari Chandran (from ep 48)
• Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran
• Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51)
• Taken by Dinuka McKenzie
• The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie
• Australian Gospel by Lech Blaine (from ep 52)
• Dying to Know by Rae Cairns (from ep 58)
• The Good Mother by Rae Cairns
• Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood by Darryl Jones (from ep 67)
• Never Ever Forever by Karina May (from ep 78)
• Compassion by Julie Janson (from ep 80)
• Benevolence by Julie Janson
• Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson
• Love, Dad by Laurie Steed (from ep 87)
• Greater City Shadows by Laurie Steed
• Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (from ep 68)
• Imbi Neeme (from ep 98)
• A Real Piece of Work by Erin Riley
• Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50)
• Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56)
• Jacinta Dietrich, favourite friend of the podcast and co-host of Differently Brained (from ep 45)
• Ada Palmer (from ep 16)
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (from ep 76)
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
• Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester

Upcoming events

• James is teaching an online creative writing workshop for Laneway Learning on Tuesday 23 July, 6.15pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm
• Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September
• Ashley is teaching Online: Creative Nonfiction for Writing NSW, a six-week online course starting 30 September
• Ashley is in conversation with Heather Taylor Johnson in celebration of her latest novel, Little Bit, on Thursday 3 October, 6.30pm
• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'There are so many books in bookstores, how could it possibly be that, by complete randomness, someone would pick yours up?'

Author Siang Lu joins us to discuss his second novel, Ghost Cities, and the multilayered inspirations behind his multilayered fiction, including Catch-22 and Paradise Lost.

We also discuss talent stacking, the challenge of building an author brand and Siang's novel approach to doing so.

Siang Lu is the author of Ghost Cities and The Whitewash, and the co-creator of The Beige Index. In 2023 he was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Asian-Australians at the Asian Australian Leadership Awards. He has written for film and television, and is based in Brisbane, and Kuala Lumpur.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller;
• Viet Thanh Nguyen;
• Paradise Lost by John Milton;
• Katherine Collette (from ep 55);
• He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan;
• Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager;
• So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan;
• Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith

Get your copy of Ghost Cities from Booktopia or your local bookshop. Upcoming events * Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm * Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm * Ashley is part of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, 27-28 September

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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We want to hear from you!

The 100th episode of 'James and Ashley Stay at Home' is fast approaching, and it’s going to be a very special one. To celebrate this milestone, we want you to send us a voice memo with your thoughts, comments and memories about the show, to be included in episode 100. This is open to anyone, whether you're an old listener, a new discoverer or a previous guest!

Did the podcast introduce you to a book you ended up loving? Is there an episode that’s really stuck in your mind? Was your experience of being a guest less painful than you’d expected? Why is James your favourite host? (Guess who ended up writing these shownotes).

Send your voice recording as an email attachment to ashley@ashleykalagianblunt.com by July 10 2024. There’s no minimum length, but please keep memos to under a minute.

AND – if you send in a voice memo, regardless of whether or not we use it in the episode, you’ll go into the draw to win a pack of 4 books by authors we’ve interviewed on the show!

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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We've made it to episode 98! Author Imbi Neeme joins James and Ashley to discuss life with misophonia, a hypersensitivity to sounds that she describes as 'like a cheese grater against the brain'. Imbi speaks both about how she discovered that her personal experiences are shared by others, and how she's explored the condition in her latest novel, 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not.' They also discuss the challenge of second books and developing a writing career in an industry obsessed with debuts.

Imbi Neeme won the 2019 Penguin Literary Prize for The Spill, which was published by Penguin Random House in 2020. She blogged for many years at Not Drowning, Mothering, which won the 2010 Bloggies Award for best ANZ Weblog. She lives in Melbourne.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
• Ghost Cities by Siang Lu
• On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen
• The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood
• Katherine Collette (from ep 55)
• Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13)

Get your copy of Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern to launch her new novel on Monday 1 July, 6pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Throughout their careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. Now, they’re each sharing a few of their most effective writing techniques (starting with episode 94 - James’ shortcut to compelling characters). In this episode, Ashley gives a mini-masterclass on narrative drive and shares some revelations inspired by a book she refuses to name. She breaks down the four components of narrative drive in writing and explores the importance of each. Plus, she shares the official title of her forthcoming thriller! Books and authors discussed in this episode * Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss; * Candice Fox; * JP Pomare; * In the Woods by Tana French; * Red River Road by Anna Downes; * The Secret History by Donna Tartt; * The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga; * Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56); * Toni Jordan; * How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt; * The Cop Who Fell From the Sky by Craig Semple; * Demon Copperhead by Barbara; * Annette Higgs (from ep 86); * Indira Naidoo (from ep 82)

Upcoming events * James is appearing at the Bathurst Writers Festival as part of the Rural Crime Fiction: A Cross Examination panel, Saturday 25 May 1pm * Ashley is teaching a Memoir Masterclass as part of the Words on the Waves Festival on Saturday 1 June, 2-4pm * Ashley is appearing at the Words on the Waves Writers Festival as part of the Back from the Abyss panel on Sunday 2 June, 1.30-2.30pm * Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm * Ashley is in conversation with Lisa Kenway to launch her debut thriller on Thursday 1 August, 6.30pm

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch! * ashleykalagianblunt.com * jamesmckenziewatson.com * Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'The doctors were telling me, "We’re going to take your greater omentum out" … I had no idea what these terms meant.'

In episode 96, author Tracy Sorensen joins us to discuss her remarkable novel/cancer memoir, The Vitals, narrated by her internal organs.

After her original cancer diagnosis, a desire to better understand her body led Tracy to crochet her peritoneal organs. This in turn helped her to develop each organ's personality as they became point-of-view characters in the novel. She delves into her creative process, including the three-word sticky note that guided her writing.

Part of her goal was a deliberate departure from conventional 'battle' narratives surrounding cancer, opting instead for a more nuanced approach that challenges societal expectations. She also shares her approach to crafting narrative drive.

Tracy Sorensen is a writer and scholar. She grew up in Carnarvon on the north coast of Western Australia and now lives in Bathurst, New South Wales, with her partner, Steve. Her first novel, The Lucky Galah, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2019. The Vitals, her second novel, is based on her experience with advanced primary peritoneal cancer, a form of ovarian cancer.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
• Enid Blyton
• The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico
• I’ll Leave You with This by Kylie Ladd
• Number Go Up by Zeke Faux
• The Trial by Franz Kafka
• Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt

Get your copy of The Vitals from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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‘I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.’

Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl.

Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidence through writing, and to her recent brain surgery. Liz also dives into her latest novel, sharing insights into the creation of its unique protagonist and her writing process.

Plus, Liz makes a call on the greatest crime novel of the past ten years!

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels – Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond – have each been number one bestsellers. She has won four Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• The Lost Man by Jane Harper;
• Val McDermid;
• Ian Rankin;
• Graham Norton;
• Dervla McTiernan;
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee;
• Lisa Jewell;
• The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch;
• In the Woods by Tana French;
• The Hunter by Tana French;
• The Search by Tana French;
• Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica;
• Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov;
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro;
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Get your copy of Strange Sally Diamond from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm
• See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024
• Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Throughout their writing careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. In the coming months, they’ll each share a few of their most effective writing techniques, starting with James’ shortcut to compelling characters.

British science-fiction author Karen Traviss writes remarkably nuanced characters. She also writes remarkably quickly, once tapping out 37,000 words in two days. In this episode, James delves into one of Traviss's novels to understand what makes her characters so compelling. He then shares the four questions he now always asks himself about his characters before writing.

Plus, we talk about the latest novel from one of our very first guests.

You can find a summary of James’ tips here.

You can find Karen Traviss’ wildly entertaining and informative FAQ page here.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss;
• The Corrections by Jonathon Franzen;
• The Walking Dead (series) by Robert Kirkman;
• Red River Road by Anna Downes;
• The Consultant by Im Seong Sun, translated by An Seon Jae

Upcoming events * Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive as part of the Newcastle Writers Festival on Friday 5 April, 10am-4pm * See Ashley in conversation with Mirandi Riwoe at Newcastle Writers Festival, Saturday 6 April * Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024 * Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publication for Writing NSW on Saturday 15 June, 10am-4pm

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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’I kept this condition very, very secret from everybody.’

Adele Dumont's remarkable new memoir, The Pulling, details her life with trichotillomania — a mental health condition that, at times, has consumed her life.

In this episode, she discusses the unique writing process that enabled her to put long-held secrets first on the page and then into the public sphere. She also describes the impact of revealing her illness through her memoir, especially to family and friends who knew nothing about her condition. We discuss the shame linked to trichotillomania and whether sharing her story has shifted this feeling.

Adele Dumont is an Australian writer and critic. Her work has appeared in Griffith Review, Meanjin, Southerly, ABR, and Sydney Review of Books. Adele’s first book, No Man Is an Island, is an account of her experiences teaching English to asylum seekers in detention. Adele lives in Sydney, where she works as an English language teacher and examiner.

'Get your copy of The Pulling from Booktopia or your local bookshop.'

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Lee Kofman (from episode 76);
• Helen Garner;
• Adele’s Guardian article;
• Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid;
• The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård;
• Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran (from episode 48)

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024
• As part of Seniors Week, Ashley is teaching memoir writing at Glen Street & Warringah Mall Library, on 15 and 19 March
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'The whole concept of transplantation still blows me away. There is something a bit magical about it. But as with most things people do, it can also find ways to blow up in people’s faces.'

Author and neuropsychologist Kylie Ladd joins us to speak about her latest book, 'I'll Leave You with This.' She shares her research into the incredible science of human organ and tissue donation, and the family tragedy that inspired her beautiful novel.

Plus, you'll never guess what James is reading!

Kylie Ladd is a novelist, psychologist and freelance writer. Her novels have been published in Australia and overseas, and her short works appear widely across Australia. She holds a PhD in neuropsychology.

Get your copy of 'I'll Leave You with This' from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

You can register to become an organ donor online.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen;
• The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård;
• Red River Road by Anna Downes (from episode 5);
• A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold;
• Andrew Solomon;
• Dani Vee, host of the Words and Nerds Podcast

Upcoming events * Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 * Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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If you listen to James and Ashley Stay at Home, you know that both Ashley and James credit much of their skill development to their writers group. And they're not the only ones! You can hear rom com author Jonathon Shannon talk about what he learned from the group, as well as literary fiction author Amy Lovat. Like Ashley and James, they joined as aspiring writers, and their manuscripts have gone on to be published. Ashley's such a big fan of writers groups, she's put together a new on-demand workshop on the topic – and this short bonus ep tells you all about it. This one-hour course covers everything from how to find a group near you, or start or your own, how to give and receive feedback, and how to know when your group isn't working and what to do about it. Find Ashley's course, Get the Most from Writing Groups and Get Published at Bold Authors. Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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The tables are turned! Recorded live at the Inaugural Boorowa Literary Festival, festival director, book lover, and all-round excellent human Jeremy Clarke interviews James and Ashley. Learn more about the Absolutely Superb Bibliothèque and Occasional Wine Bar and its upcoming literary events here! Hear the James and Ashley Stay at Home origin story! Discover the connection between wine bars and readers. Plus, get an answer to the classic question, 'You’ve just had a farm visit – how was it?' Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events * Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 * Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Books and authors discussed in this episode * The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt * The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes * The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell * Mistakes and Other Lovers by Amy Lovat (from ep 83) * Bound to Happen by Jonathon Shannon (from ep 84)

Get in touch! * ashleykalagianblunt.com * jamesmckenziewatson.com * Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson * Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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It's books wrap-up season! James and Ashley are getting on the bandwagon and discussing their favourite reads from 2023 in the first annual 'Bed on a Plinth Awards.'

Books and authors discussed in this episode (warning: spoilers!):

• Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt
• Crushing by Genevieve Novak
• The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
• Desire by Jessie Cole
• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
• The Wych Elm by Tana French
• When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu
• Fire with Fire by Candice Fox
• Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
• Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
• The Push by Ashley Audrain
• The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
• The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Our most popular episode of the year is back! James has gathered the best 'What Are You Reading?' segments from 2023 into a comprehensive summary of book recommendations from our guests.

We discuss a huge variety of books, including thriller, mystery, memoir, rom com, literature, essays, poetry, nonfiction, plays and audiobooks. We also delve into reading habits. Do you read several books at a time, or restrict yourself to one? Do you finish most books you pick up, or allow yourself to quit? And so much more.

This episode features Hilton Koppe, Sanchana Venkatesh, Lee Kofman, Anna Spargo-Ryan, Karina May, Hannah Bent, Holden Sheppard, Hayley Scrivenor, Danielle Binks, Julie Janson, Mark Brandi, Indira Naidoo, Amy Lovat, Jonathon Shannon, Ali Thomas, Jacinta Dietrich, and Annette Higgs.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief by Victoria Chang;
• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill;
• Lost Connections by Johann Hari;
• Homesickness by Janine Mikosza;
• The Fire and the Rose by Robyn Cadwallader;
• Turning Points in Medieval History by Dorsey Armstrong;
• Crying in H Mary by Michelle Zauner;
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata;
• Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason;
• Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner;
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom;
• The Wych Elm by Tana French;
• In the Woods by Tana French;
• The Others by Mark Brandi;
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari;
• Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka;
• Crushing by Genevieve Novak;
• No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak;
• The Shot by Naima Brown;
• The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka;
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy;
• The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy;
• Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy;
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho;
• Ghost Music by An Yu;
• Eta Draconis by Brendan Ritchie;
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson;
• The Long Knives by Irvine Welsh;
• We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis;
• Windhall by Ava Barry;
• The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane;
• Limberlost by Robbie Arnott;
• Benevolence by Julie Janson;
• Compassion by Julie Janson;
• Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami;
• The People of the River by Grace Karskens;
• Nardi Simpson (from ep 18);
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte;
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky;
• Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright;
• The Trial by Franz Kafka;
• Mistakes and Other Lovers by Amy Lovat;
• Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier;
• Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier;
• A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno;
• Brilliant Lies by David Williamson;
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller;
• Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler;
• A Swim in the Pond in the Road by George Saunders;
• Lee Kofman (from ep 76);
• Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13);
• Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50);
• From Bhutan to Blacktown by Om Dhungel;
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver;
• Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari;
• Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang;
• Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey;
• Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey;
• Lucy Clarke;
• Echolalia by Briohny Doyle;
• Bunny by SE Tolsen;
• On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs;
• When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu;
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld;
• A Mile Down by David Vann;
• A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh;
• The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger;
• The Reader by Bernard Schlink;
• The Tilt by Chris Hammer;
• The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes;
• The Joy Thief by Penny Moodie;
• We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough;
• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo;
• Obsession by Nicole Madigan

Learn more about Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy here or from your local bookshop. Upcoming events * Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March 2024 * Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction, a six-week online course with Faber starting 15 May 2024

Get in touch! * ashleykalagianblunt.com * jamesmckenziewatson.com * Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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‘I wanted to find compassion for me and for any writer out there who’s doing the best they can but it’s not working out the way they planned.’

Author Laurie Steed shares how crippling anxiety affected both his literary career and his experience of fatherhood. Before he could address the anxiety, he first had to unlearn the lessons around masculinity that prevented him from expressing vulnerability. Working with a creativity coach, Laurie has developed new ways of thinking about his writing, his career, and himself.

Plus, James and Ashley discuss their own ongoing health challenges and how their approaches to discussing health have changed (or not) over time.

Laurie Steed is the author of You Belong Here, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards, and Greater City Shadows, which was shortlisted for the 2022 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. His debut memoir is Love, Dad: Confessions of an Anxious Father.

Get your copy of Love, Dad from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• James is in conversation with Benjamin Stevenson about his newest novel, Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect – Wednesday 6 December, 6.30pm at Warringah Mall, $5
• Ashley is teaching Online Feedback: Manuscript Development for Writing NSW starting 4 March, 2024

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• You Belong Here by Laurie Steed
• Greater City Shadows by Laurie Steed (forthcoming)
• ZZ Packer
• Jack Kornfield
• The Disorganisation of Celia Stone by Emma Young
• Trapdoor by JP Pomare

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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‘When I was a lawyer, I knew what was good enough, because if you did the job properly, you were paid, and if you didn’t do the job properly, you were sued. It was very clear-cut. With writing, you never know. There’s a lot of subjectivity.’

James speaks with Penguin Literary Prize winning author Annette Higgs about her debut novel, On a Bright Hillside in Paradise. They discuss the process of researching family ancestry to craft historical fiction, as well as the challenge of taking up writing later in life. Plus, Annette shares the story of how she learned she won the Penguin Literary Prize during a trip to Norfolk Island.

Annette Higgs is a writer living in Sydney, Australia. She has lived, worked and studied in Sydney, London and Italy, and holds a Doctor of Arts from the University of Sydney. A Pushcart nominee, her short work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Australia, the USA, the UK and India.

You can read Annette's March 2023 essay for the Bangalore Review, entitled 'Starting Late: Reflections on Becoming a Writer' here.

Get your copy of On a Bright Hillside in Paradise from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is in Goulburn on Saturday 11 November running her Joy of Creative Writing workshop (1-3pm) and in conversation about Dark Mode (3.30-4.30pm) at Goulburn Mulwaree Library – RSVP for free
• Ashley is Brisbane in conversation with podcast guest Fiona Robertson on Saturday 25 Nov at 10am, Ashgrove Library –RSVP for free
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm
• James is in conversation with Benjamin Stevenson to celebrate the release of his new book 'Everyone On This Train is a Suspect' on Wednesday 6 Dec at 6:30pm at Warringah Mall Library - bookings required, $5

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
• The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
• Obsession by Nicole Madigan

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley reveals the inspiration behind the twists and turns in her bestselling psychological thriller, Dark Mode.

Together with return guest Jacinta Dietrich and self-described enthusiastic reader Ali Thomas, Ashley and James delve into every scintillating Dark Mode detail they normally can’t discuss, including the novel's real-life inspirations.

Jacinta Dietrich is the author of This Is Us Now, and co-hosts Differently Brained, a podcast focussed on neurodivergent celebration and mental health awareness. Ali Thomas is a former high school English teacher and featured as part of the inaugural Boorowa Literary Festival.

Upcoming events:

• Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania
• Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Reader by Bernard Schlink
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon
• Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz
• The Tilt by Chris Hammer
• A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold
• Troll Hunting by Ginger Gorman
• Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
• The Guest List by Lucky Foley
• Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes
• The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
• The Joy Thief by Penny Moodie
• We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough
• This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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'I was still in that really optimistic, sort of naive, wonderful space as an early writer, where you think everything you write is just publishable.' Debut author Jonathon Shannon shares his journey from aspiring writer to published author – including the decision to join James and Ashley's writers' group.

We discuss how he took his debut romcom from a four-word pitch to a publishing contract, the rejection of his first manuscript, and his transition to writing romantic comedy alongside his wife, author Elodie Cheesman.

Plus, do you have a book you're saving to read before you die?

Jonathon Shannon is a Sydney-based writer and creative director. His work has been recognised at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, screened at the St Kilda Film Festival, and is housed in the permanent archives of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Bound to Happen is his debut novel.

Get your copy of Bound to Happen or from your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• James is in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor as part of the National Young Writers Festival, 28 Sept to 1 Oct
• Ashley is appearing in-person at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival, happening Saturday 7 October.
• Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania
• Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• 'I’m the Wrong Ghost for This Haunting' by Ren Arcamone
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
• A Mile Down by David Vann
• A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh
• The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Love, In Theory by Elodie Cheesman

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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‘I conflate so many experiences throughout my life with the level of pain I was in at the time.’ Amy Lovat, debut author of Mistakes and Other Lovers and founder of Secret Book Stuff, gets real with us about the challenges of maintaining a creative practice with endometriosis.

She also discusses writing about the dark side of modern evangelical Christianity, setting her novel in her hometown of Newcastle, and that time she was rushed to emergency in agonising pain and – well, you’ll just have to listen. Plus, James and Ashley receive personalised reading recommendations from this master bibliophile!

Amy Lovat is a writer, editor and the founder of Secret Book Stuff. She has a PhD in English and Writing from the University of Newcastle and lives with her partner Laura, two dogs, a bird and thousands of books in Gadigal Country, Sydney.

Get your copy of Mistakes and Other Lovers or from your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is appearing at Bloody Scotland on 15 September! Catch her in person in Stirling, UK, or online!
• James is in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor as part of the National Young Writers Festival, 28 Sept to 1 Oct
• Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is happening October 26 to 29, and Ashley will be part of two days of panel sessions happening that weekend in the Huon Valley, Tasmania
• Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari;
• Hot Little Hands by Abigail Ulman;
• Just a Girl by Kirsten Krauth;
• Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney;
• Normal People by Sally Rooney;
• A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu;
• Friends and Dark Shapes by Kavita Bedford (from ep 24);
• Adult Fantasy by Briohny Doyle (read Ashley's review);
• Yellowface by Rebecca Kuang;
• Dress Rehearsals by Madison Godfrey;
• Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey;
• Lucy Clarke;
• Echolalia by Briohny Doyle;
• Bunny by SE Tolsen;
• On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs;
• The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane;
• When One of Us Hurts by Monica Vuu;
• Plus hear Amy talk about Secret Book Stuff in ep 34!

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Check out Writing NSW's online course program, and Podcasting 101.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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After Indira Naidoo lost her sister to suicide during the pandemic lockdowns, she unexpectedly found herself turning to nature to help her heal.

Speaking with Ashley, Indira shares the journey through grief that led to her memoir 'The Space Between the Stars,' including her relationship with an especially consoling Moreton Bay fig. She describes the challenge of writing the book when she struggled even to speak her sister’s name, and delves into our innate need to connect with the natural world.

Indira Naidoo is one of Australia’s most popular broadcasters and authors. During her multi-decade award-winning journalistic career, she has hosted and reported for some of the country's most distinguished news and current affair programs, including the ABC TV’s Late Edition and SBS TV World News, and she is currently the host of ABC TV’s Compass and ABC Radio Sydney’s Evenings Program. She is an ambassador for Sydney’s homeless crisis centre the Wayside Chapel. Get your copy of The Space Between the Stars online or from your local bookshop.

The South Coast Writers Festival is happening 18 to 20 August at Wollongong Town Hall. Hear from James, Ashley, Hayley Scrivenor, Shankari Chandran, and more! Authors include Alan Baxter, Alexis Wright, Caroline Baum, Emma Viskic, Helena Fox, Indira Naidoo, Kate Holden, Kate Scott, Loraine Peck, Meredith Jaffe, Mykaela Saunders, Pamela Cook, Sara Ayoub, Sarah Saleh, Tim Ayliffe, Tim Flannery and Will Kostakis.

Indira is appearing on the panel 'Ritual, Nature and Grace,' alongside poet Tamryn Bennett, to discuss nature mysticism and medicine, rituals, and how writers express the things that strain beyond words. They’ll be speaking with festival director Sarah Nicholson.

Upcoming events

• South Coast Writers Festival, 18-20 August, Wollongong Town Hall – see Ashley and James in person!
• Online: Building Suspense in Writing – Ashley is teaching this online workshop through Writers Victoria, Sunday 27 August, 10am-4pm
• Bound to Happen launch – Join Ashley in conversation at Better Read than Dead in Newtown for the launch of Jonathon Shannon's debut romcom, Saturday 2 September, 6.30-8pm
• Online: Creative Nonfiction – Ashley is teaching her six-week online Writing NSW course starting 30 October
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver;
• Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Mark Brandi is the author of four novels, including his latest, Southern Aurora. He joins us to discuss how a short story he began in 2015 became his newest novel, his choice to set the story in rural Australia in the 1980s, and how he writes so convincingly from a child's point of view. We also talk about sustaining yourself creatively over multiple books.

Plus, who's going to die first – Ashley or James? Is one of us dead already? Listen to find out!

Mark Brandi's bestselling novel, Wimmera, won the coveted British Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger, and was named Best Debut at the 2018 Australian Indie Book Awards. Mark's second novel, The Rip, was published to critical acclaim in 2019, and his third novel, The Others, was shortlisted for the Best Fiction prize in the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards. His fourth novel is Southern Aurora. He graduated with a criminal justice degree and worked in the justice system before changing direction and deciding to write.

Get your copy of Southern Aurora online or from your local bookshop.

Upcoming events

• Ashley is conversation with Hayley Scrivenor about Dark Mode at Penrith Library, Monday 7 August, 6.30 pm
• Ashley and James in conversation about Dark Mode at Mona Vale Library, Tuesday 8 August, 7pm
• Ashley is in conversation with Petronella McGovern about Dark Mode at Concord Library, Thursday 10 August, 6.00pm
• South Coast Writers Festival, 18-20 August, Wollongong Town Hall – see Ashley and James in person!
• Building Suspense in Writing – Ashley is teaching this online workshop through Writers Victoria, Sunday 27 August, 10am-4pm
• Crafting Narrative Drive – an in-person workshop with Ashley at Avid Reader in Brisbane, Sunday 26 November, 10am-1pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Sofie Laguna;
• Tony Birch;
• Brilliant Lies by David Williamson;
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller;
• Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler;
• A Swim in the Pond in the Road by George Saunders;
• Lee Kofman (from ep 76);
• Kate Mildenhall (from ep 13);
• Sarah Sentilles (from ep 50);
• From Bhutan to Blacktown by Om Dhungel

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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It wasn’t until a year into working on her novel 'Madukka the River Serpent' that Julie Janson decided to make it a crime novel. At once a story of corporate greed, environmental destruction and government inaction, 'Madukka the River Serpent' also celebrates older women who hold their families together in the face of extreme challenges.

In this episode, Julie discusses the writing of her first crime novel, how she juxtaposes humour with serious political issues, and why she recommends getting involved with some outrageous men.

The South Coast Writers Festival is happening 18 to 20 August at Wollongong Town Hall. Hear from James, Ashley, Hayley Scrivenor, Shankari Chandran, and more!

Authors include Alan Baxter, Alexis Wright, Caroline Baum, Emma Viskic, Helena Fox, Indira Naidoo, Kate Holden, Kate Scott, Loraine Peck, Meredith Jaffe, Mykaela Saunders, Pamela Cook, Sara Ayoub, Sarah Saleh, Tim Ayliffe, Tim Flannery and Will Kostakis.

Julie Janson is a NSW Burruberongal woman of Darug Aboriginal nation and a critically acclaimed novelist, playwright, and poet. 'Madukka the River Serpent' is Julie's first Indigenous crime novel. Her earlier work, 'Benevolence', is an Indigenous historical novel. 'Madukka the River Serpent' has been longlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Award.

Upcoming events:

• Boorowa Literary Festival is happening July 14 and 15 – see Ashley and James in person!
• Mark Brandi in conversation with Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Thursday, 20 July, 6.30-7.30 pm
• Ashley is conversation with Hayley Scrivenor about Dark MOde at Penrith Library, Monday 7 August, 6.30 pm
• Ashley and James in conversation about Dark Mode at Mona Vale Library, Tuesday 8 August, 7pm
• South Coast Writers Festival, 18-20 August, Wollongong Town Hall – see Ashley and James in person!
• Building Suspense in Writing – Ashley is teaching this online workshop through Writers Victoria, Sunday 27 August, 10am-4pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Benevolence by Julie Janson;
• Compassion by Julie Janson;
• Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami;
• The People of the River by Grace Karskens;
• Nardi Simpson (from ep 18);
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte;
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky;
• Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright;
• The Trial by Franz Kafka;
• Mistakes and Other Lovers by Amy Lovat;
• Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier;
• Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier;
• A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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How can winning an artistic residency impact your creative career? Hear from four Australian authors about their experiences entering and winning the ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers Fellowship, and how their careers have developed since.

Hannah Bent is the author of When Things Are Alive They Hum. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Film from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London. She undertook further study in both directing and screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney. She won the Ray Koppe Young Writers Award in 2013.

Holden Sheppard is a multi award-winning author from Geraldton, Western Australia. His debut young adult novel, Invisible Boys, won multiple accolades including the 2018 TAG Hungerford Award and the 2019 Western Australian Premier's Book Award. His writing often focuses on themes of masculinity, sexuality and mental health.

Hayley Scrivenor is the author of the number one Australian bestseller, Dirt Town, published as Dirt Creek in North America. An earlier version of the book was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing and is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. To hear more from Hayley, listen to ep 68.

Danielle Binks is a writer, reviewer, agent and book blogger. She edited and contributed to Begin, End, Begin, an anthology of new Australian young adult writing inspired by the #LoveOzYA movement. The Year the Maps Changed, Danielle's debut middle-grade novel, was a CBCA Notable Book for Younger Readers 2021. The Monster of Her Age is Danielle's debut YA novel.

We also speak with Hilton Koppe, author of the memoir One Curious Doctor. To hear more from Hilton, listen to episode 70.

The ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers Fellowship for 2024 is open for applications from 15 June 2023. Each year, thanks to the generosity of the Koppe family, the Australian Society of Authors awards a two-week residential fellowship to an aspiring or emerging writer under the age of 35. The fellowship includes a two-week Varuna residency, a one-hour consultation, a year’s membership to the ASA, and travel subsidy for writers outside of NSW. For more information and to apply, visit the ASA website.

Upcoming events:

• See James at Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40, book here)
• Boorowa Literary Festival will take place on July 14 and 15 this year – see Ashley and James in person!
• Mark Brandi in conversation with Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Thursday, 20 July, 6.30-7.30 pm
• Save the date – Ashley and James in conversation on Dark Mode at Mona Vale Library, Tuesday 8 August, 7pm

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Ghost Music by An Yu;
• Eta Draconis by Brendan Ritchie;
• Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson;
• The Long Knives by Irvine Welsh;
• Jackie Bailey (from ep 66);
• Candice Fox;
• Tracey Lien;
• Garry Disher;
• Lee Kofman (from ep 76);
• We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis;
• Windhall by Ava Barry;
• Fiona McFarlane;
• Limberlost by Robbie Arnott

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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The idea for Karina May's novel came to her while she was in the ICU, recovering from brain surgery. In this open-hearted interview, Karina shares the experience of living with a brain tumour for two decades before undergoing multiple surgeries to have it removed, and the resulting anxiety and creative inspiration she experienced.

Despite now being the author of the popular romcom 'Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast,' Karina admits there was a time in her life when she didn't believe she was creative. We discuss the connection between her writing and health experiences, and what she's learned from both.

Karina May is a Sydney-based former magazine journalist turned digital marketer, avid reader and writer of lively love stories that span the globe. 'Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast' is her debut novel in print.

Get your copy of Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Note: Nothing in this podcast is intended as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health, speak to your GP.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Crushing by Genevieve Novak
• No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak
• The Shot by Naima Brown
• The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy
• Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Upcoming events with Ashley:

• Enter the Dark Web – in conversation at Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, Tuesday 30 May, 12.30-1.30 pm, free
• Words on the Waves Festival Shaping Australia panel – Sunday 4 June, 11.30 am-12.30 pm, day or weekend pass
• The Joy of Creative Writing – Ashley's online writing workshop, Tuesday 6 June, 7.45-9pm, $14

Upcoming events with James:

• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)
• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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A bonus episode to share some exciting upcoming events. Plus, listen to find out how you can win a signed copy of Denizen!

Upcoming events with Ashley:

• Brisbane Writers Festival Thrills and Chills – Saturday 13 May, 4-5 pm, Stale Library Queensland ($25)
• Author Talk, Sutherlandshire Libraries – Monday 15 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, free, RSVP required
• The Listening Station – Tuesday 16 May, 6.45-8 pm, Art Bau Gallery, Brookvale ($30)
• Enter the Dark Web – in conversation at Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, Tuesday 30 May, 12.30-1.30 pm, free
• Words on the Waves Festival Shaping Australia panel – Sunday 4 June, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm, day or weekend pass

Upcoming events with James:

• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson, in conversation with Ashley Kalagian Blunt – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)
• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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‘There’s a reason that this has happened. Science could predict this outcome for me, even though I feel like I’m in constant chaos.’ Anna Spargo-Ryan is the author of the memoir A Kind of Magic. In this illuminating interview, she describes the gap between what science understands and what she’s experienced over a lifetime of mental illness.

Anna speaks about the profound impact one ‘silly’ suggestion from her therapist had, as well as the deficiency of language about mental illness and resulting misunderstandings. She also reads to us about the years when she faced an inability to exist on the weekends.

Anna Spargo-Ryan is the author of two novels, The Gulf and The Paper House, and an acclaimed nonfiction writer and teacher. She was the inaugural winner of the Horne Prize and is the current nonfiction editor at Island Magazine.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• ‘A psychologist handed my partner an article to help with my anxiety. I’d written it’ by Anna Spargo-Ryan, Sydney Morning Herald
• Paul de Man, literary theorist;
• Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner;
• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom;
• The Wych Elm by Tana French;
• In the Woods by Tana French;
• The Others by Mark Brandi;
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari;
• Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Note: Nothing in this podcast is intended as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health, speak to your GP.

Upcoming events with Ashley:

• Taking the Next Step: Australian Society of Authors online workshop – Wednesday 3 May, 1-2 pm, ($30-60)
• Brisbane Writers Festival Thrills and Chills – Saturday 13 May, 4-5 pm, Stale Library Queensland ($25)
• Author Talk, Sutherlandshire Libraries – Monday 15 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, free, RSVP required
• The Listening Station – Tuesday 16 May, 6.45-8 pm, Art Bau Gallery, Brookvale ($30)
• Enter the Dark Web – in conversation at Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, Tuesday 30 May, 12.30-1.30 pm, free
• Words on the Waves Festival Shaping Australia panel – Sunday 4 June, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm, day or weekend pass

Upcoming events with James:

• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)
• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Author Lee Kofman returns to discuss her hugely popular writing memoir and guide, The Writer Laid Bare – James's favourite book of 2022! Lee dives into the concept of emotional honesty and 'nonesty' in writing and life, and why it's essential to her practice.

We also discuss the importance of reading as writers and her recommendation to 'read up'. Lee explores how writers can ensure they're not writing with political blinkers, how to craft complex and realistic characters, and what part of The Writer Laid Bare has resonated most with readers.

This episode offers inspiration and advice for anyone wanting to lead a more richly creative life.

Dr Lee Kofman is a Russian-born Israeli-Australian author of six books and editor of two anthologies, writing teacher and mentor based in Melbourne. Her books in English include the writing guide The Writer Laid Bare, and two memoirs: Imperfect, and The Dangerous Bride. She has also edited two anthologies of personal essays, Rebellious Daughters and Split.

Get your copy of The Writer Laid Bare from Booktopia or your local bookshop.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Karl Ove Knausgård;
• Jane Austin;
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce;
• A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders;
• Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose;
• Thomas Manne;
• The Fire and the Rose by Robyn Cadwallader;
• Turning Points in Medieval History by Dorsey Armstrong;
• Crying in H Mary by Michelle Zauner;
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata;
• Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason;
• Taken by Dinuka McKenzie

Upcoming events with Ashley:

• The Joy of Creative Writing: Laneway Learning online workshop – Tuesday, 2 May, 7.45-9pm ($9-14)
• Taking the Next Step: Australian Society of Authors online workshop – Wednesday 3 May, 1-2pm, ($30-60)
• Brisbane Writers Festival Thrills and Chills – Saturday 13 May, 4pm, Stale Library Queensland ($25)
• The Listening Station – Tuesday 16 May, 6.45-8pm, Art Bau Gallery, Brookvale ($30)
• Enter the Dark Web – in conversation at Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, Tuesday 30 May, 12.30-1.30 pm, free

Upcoming events with James:

• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Does anxiety go hand-in-hand with creative ambition Psychologist Sanchana Venkatesh joins Ashley and James to discuss the positives of creativity for mental wellbeing and the common problem of creative anxiety.

An emerging writer herself, she's familiar with the types of anxiety common to creatives. She delves into why we often can't just sit down and have fun with our creativity, provides advice on managing our creativity, and offers reading recommendations for further support.

This episode is full of practical tips for managing creative anxiety (and anxiety in general), for creatives of all types, including those writing about or exploring trauma in their work.

Sanchana Venkatesh is a psychologist and writer of short stories and essays. She has been practising as a psychologist in schools, public mental health, and non-profit settings since 2008, and is currently the sole practitioner and founder of flourish inside out psychology services. Her areas of special interest include anxiety, depression, chronic illnesses, life transitions, tics and Tourette’s. Sanchana enjoys working with creatives, single people, gifted individuals, and migrants and people of colour. She was shortlisted for the 2021 Peter Carey Short Story Award, and her writing appears in the 2017 Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology and the 2020 Better Read than Dead Writing Anthology.

You can find Sanchana's services at Flourish Inside Out, and find the dropping anchor exercise here.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Mastering Creative Anxiety by Eric Maisel
• Happy Never After by Jill Stark
• A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan
• The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
• Emotional Agility by Susan Davis
• Lost Connections by Johann Hari
• Homesickness by Janine Mikosza
• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Nothing in this podcast is intended as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health, speak to your GP.

Ashley's events:

• Secret Book Club online with Secret Book Stuff – Tuesday 28 March, 7.30-8.30pm ($11 or free for members)
• Global Girls Online – Wednesday 29 March, 8pm, join on Facebook Live
• Readers – Books & Conversations – Thursday 30 March, 8pm, Petersham Bowling Club ($10)
• Newcastle Writers Festival – Short & Sweet panel, Sunday 2 April, 1.30 pm (free!)
• The Listening Station – Tuesday 16 May, 6.45-8pm, Art Bau Gallery, Brookvale ($30)

James' events:

• Newcastle Writers Festival – I'd Like You to Meet: Lee Kofman chats to James McKenzie Watson, Saturday 1 April, 2-3pm (free!)
• New Blood: Crime Writers to Watch – Sunday 2 April 1:30pm at Newcastle Writers Festival ($20 – book here)
• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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In this poorly planned mess of a bonus episode, James and Ashley each share some upcoming events. Stick around to hear the punchline to James' favourite joke.

Ashley's events:

• Thursday 9 March, 6.30pm, Readings Carlton, Melbourne launch with Lyn Yeowart
• Wednesday 15 March, 8pm: online event with Better Reading, join on Facebook Live
• Wednesday 29 March, 8pm: online event with Global Girls Online, join on Facebook Live
• Thursday 30 March, 7pm: Petersham Bowling Club
• Sunday 2 April, 1.30 pm: Ashley at Newcastle Writers Festival, speaking about My Name Is Revenge (free!)

James' events:

• Scone Literary Festival - March 10 - 12, Scone NSW (James is on two panels on Saturday March 11)
• I'd Like You to Meet: Lee Kofman chats to James McKenzie Watson - Saturday 1 April 2pm at Newcastle Writers Festival (free!)
• New Blood: Crime Writers to Watch - Sunday 2 April 1:30pm at Newcastle Writers Festival ($20 - book here)

Ashley's novel 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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A garden shop owner goes out for her morning run and discovers the body of a woman who looks just like her. As more murders shake the city, she fears her past is catching up with her.

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel 'Dark Mode' delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

Ashley discusses how and why she wrote the novel, what authors inspired her, and the major mistake she made when sharing the manuscript with James. Plus, she reads an excerpt to get you in a 'Dark Mode' mood.

This is the last of four weekly mini-episodes in celebration of the March 1st Australian release day!

You can pre-order Dark Mode in Australia and in the UK, from these links or your favourite bookshop.

Join Ashley and Anna Downes at the Sydney launch of Dark Mode! (James will be there too!) Friday 3 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown – free, bookings essential.

Join Ashley and JP Pomare at the Melbourne launch of Dark Mode! Thursday 9 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St – free, bookings essential.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Tana French;
• Candice Fox;
• JP Pomare;
• John Sandford;
• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Keen for insights into how to get an agent and a book publisher? This is the ep for you!

This is one of four weekly mini-episodes in celebration of the March 1st Australian release day!

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

You can pre-order Dark Mode in Australia and in the UK, from these links or your favourite bookshop.

Join Ashley and Anna Downes at the Sydney launch of Dark Mode! (James will be there too!) Friday 3 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown – free, bookings essential.

Join Ashley and JP Pomare at the Melbourne launch of Dark Mode! Thursday 9 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St – free, bookings essential.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley wrote 40,000 words into the first draft of Dark Mode before scrapping most of it and restarting. Then she ploughed through to the end of a clunky draft in order to create a scene-by-scene outline of the plot mechanics. The outline became the blueprint for the next major revision – the one that landed her an agent. In this ep, Ashley also talks about how she draws on her writers' group (or as James calls it, emotional focus group) throughout her writing process in order to craft her scenes and story. Plus, she shares why she's glad she waited until she'd been writing for 20 years to try a crime manuscript.

This is one of four weekly mini-episodes in celebration of the March 1st Australian release day!

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

You can pre-order Dark Mode in Australia and in the UK, from these links or your favourite bookshop.

Join Ashley and Anna Downes at the Sydney launch of Dark Mode! (James will be there too!) Friday 3 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown – free, bookings essential.

Join Ashley and JP Pomare at the Melbourne launch of Dark Mode! Thursday 9 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St – free, bookings essential.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

But it didn't start there! Ashley began the manuscript while recovering from a major rejection, and envisioned it as Black Mirror inspired spec fic. Hear how the manuscript developed into the thriller it became, and the inspiration Ashley discovered while coping with chronic illness.

This is one of four weekly mini-episodes in celebration of the March 1st Australian release day!

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

You can pre-order Dark Mode in Australia and in the UK, from these links or your favourite bookshop.

Join Ashley and Anna Downes at the Sydney launch of Dark Mode! (James will be there too!) Friday 3 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown – free, bookings essential.

Join Ashley and JP Pomare at the Melbourne launch of Dark Mode! Thursday 9 March, 6.30-7.30pm, Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St – free, bookings essential.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• • ashleykalagianblunt.com
  • jamesmckenziewatson.com
  • Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
  • Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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What happens when your job results in PTSD, forcing you into unexpected retirement? You write a memoir, of course! At least, that's what Dr Hilton Koppe did when he suddenly had to leave his practice as a rural GP.

Hilton speaks to James and Ashley about his PTSD diagnosis, the secret of work/life, how he turned to creative writing as a form of therapeutic intervention, and seeking permission to share his patients' stories in his memoir.

Hilton Koppe is a writer, workshop facilitator, podcaster and doctor living on Bundjalung land on the east coast of Australia. He co-hosts the podcast Dementia In Practice, and is the author of One Curious Doctor: A Memoir of Medicine, Migration and Mortality.

Visit Hilton's website to learn more and get your copy of One Curious Doctor.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The House of God by Samuel Shem;
• Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales;
• Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief by Victoria Chang;
• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

You can pre-order Dark Mode in Australia and in the UK, from these links or your favourite bookshop.

James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Upcoming events:

• Make 2023 the Year You Write Your Book with Ashley: Monday 30 January, 7:45-9pm AEDT, online via Zoom
• Launch of Taken with Dinuka McKenzie in conversation with Ashley: Sunday 5 February, 4pm, Better Read Than Dead, Newtown; free, RSVP
• Dark Mode launch – Melbourne: Ashley in conversation with author JP Pomare, Thursday 9 March, 6.30 to 7.30 pm, Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon St. Free, bookings essential

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt + @JamesMcWatson
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

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This special episode gathers the best 'What Are You Reading?' segments from 2022 into a comprehensive summary of book recommendations from Australian and international authors. These well-informed highlights will give you plenty of last-minute gift solutions and ideas for how to spend your Christmas gift cards!

Plus, James and Ashley each declare their book of the year for 2022.

Books discussed in this episode:

From episode 48, with Shankari Chandran:

• Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell;
• Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson (from ep 18);
• Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie;
• They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall;
• Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian translated by Mabel Lee

From episode 49, with Jacinta Dietrich:

• Certain Prey by John Sandford;
• Mortal Prey by John Sandford

From episode 50, with Sarah Sentilles:

• Bewilderment by Richard Powers;
• A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
• The Rabbits by Sophie Overett;
• This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

From episode 51, with Dinuka McKenzie:

• Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding;
• How to End a Story: Diaries 1995-1998 by Helen Garner;
• Theft by Finding by David Sedaris;
• A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

From episode 55, with Katherine Collette:

• Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl;
• Love Stories by Trent Dalton;
• After Story by Larissa Behrendt

From episode 56, with Ellis Gunn:

• The Writing Life by Annie Dillard;
• The Luminous Solution by Charlotte Wood;
• How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• Outline by Rachel Cusk;
• The Break by Katherena Vermette

From episode 57, with Yumna Kassab:

• Blindness by Jose Saramago;
• The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez;
• Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann;
• The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
• Divorce Is in the Air by Gonzalo Torne;
• Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

From episode 56, with Rae Cairns:

• Autumn by Ali Smith;
• The Children's Bible by Lydia Millet;
• Negative Space by BR Yeager;
• Goat Mountain by David Vann;
• Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie

From episode 63, with Bronwyn Birdsall

• Indelible City by Louisa Lim;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman;
• A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan

From episode 65, with Al Campbell

• The Signal Line by Brendan Colley;
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (who we spoke to back in ep 4);
• Curlews on Vulture Street by Darryl Jones

From episode 67, with Darryl Jones:

• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (featured in ep 3);
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez;
• Auē by Becky Manawatu

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Make 2023 the Year You Write Your Book! Monday 30 January 2023, 7:45-9pm AEDT. Online via Zoom. Tix $9-14.

Launch of Taken with Dinuka McKenzie in conversation with Ashley Sunday 5 February, 4pm. Better Read Than Dead, Newtown (in person). Free, RSVP required.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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'When I sat down to write, it felt like I had killed someone.' Hayley Scrivenor opens up about managing creative anxiety, what it means to write through our feelings, and the experience of having her novel 'Dirt Town' debut as a number one Australian bestseller. Plus James turns the interview into a therapy session.

Hayley Scrivenor is the author of 'Dirt Town', published as 'Dirt Creek' in North America. An earlier version was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing and is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• George Saunders;
• Sulari Gentill;
• Anna Downes (from ep 5);
• Garry Disher;
• Dinuka McKenzie;
• Jane Harper;
• Kirli Saunders;
• Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson;
• The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgård;
• Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran (from ep 48);
• My Name Is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56);
• Curlews on Vulture Street by Darryl Jones (from ep 67)
• Taken by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51)

Get your copy of 'Dirt Town' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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'I regard my seventh book, Curlews on Vulture Street ... as my first real writing. You know, this is the one I'm most proud of. It was the biggest challenge and the one I enjoyed the most.' Urban ecologist and noted bird guy Darryl Jones joins us to share his transition from popular science to narrative nonfiction writer.

Darryl discusses the importance of having a beginner's mindset, what life is like now that he's a full-time writer, buried treasure, and his experience of living with Parkinson's. And of course we talk birds! Should you feed the birds in Australia? Do rainbow lorikeets eat mince? Plus, our special bonus guest – the eastern koel that lives outside Ashley's window and has been shrieking her awake at 5 am every morning!

Darryl Jones is a Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane, where for over 30 years he has been investigating the many ways people and wildlife interact. He is particularly interested in why some species are extremely successful in urban landscapes, and how best to deal with the ensuing conflicts. More recently, he has been trying to understand more about the humans that also live in cities in large numbers, and how they engage with nature. This has led him into the strange and fascinating world of wild bird feeding. He is the author of several books, including 'The Birds at My Table', 'Feeding the Birds at Your Table', and his latest, 'Curlews on Vulture Street'.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Auē by Becky Manawatu;
• The Tilt by Chris Hammer;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (featured in ep 3);
• One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez;
• Tracker by Alexis Wright;
• Feeding the Birds at Your Table by Darryl Jones

Get your copy of 'Curlews on Vulture Street' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold. And if you want your own bush stone curlew t-shirt, you can find it here.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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How do you work through a major edit on your book when you have a traumatic brain injury? And how do you write about the death of a loved one while you're grieving? Jackie Bailey, author of debut novel 'The Eulogy' and professional deathwalker, joins us to discuss her experience with both.

Jackie Bailey is a professional writer and researcher and a recognised international expert on cultural diversity in the arts. She has a Creative Writing PhD from UNSW and is on the Board of Merrigong Theatre Company. Jackie is also an ordained interfaith minister, trained deathwalker and practising funeral director. 'The Eulogy' is her debut novel.

Get your copy of 'The Eulogy' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold.

Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• 'In life, my sister taught me how to love. In death, she made me want to fix the funeral industry' by Jackie Bailey for the Guardian;
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl;
• The Smell of Fresh Rain: The Unexpected Pleasures of Our Most Elusive Sense by Barney Shaw;
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck;
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson (featured in ep 60);
• Virginia Woolf;
• Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller;
• How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Author Al Campbell joins us to discuss her debut book 'The Keepers,' a fictionalised account of her own life both as the mother of two autistic boys and the survivor of an abusive parent.

Al shares the reasons behind her choice to write fiction instead of memoir, what people don't realise about the life of a full-time carer, and the struggle for disability advocacy.

'The Keepers' is a contemporary Australian novel infused with deep love and wild torment, 'about the damage done by parents who can’t love, the failures of a community that only claims to care, and the resilience of those whose stories mostly go untold'.

Born in Brisbane, Al Campbell is a mother and full-time carer. Long ago she studied a bit, acted a bit, and pulled a lot of beers. Her first publication was in 'Overland' in 2020, followed by a story in 'Signs of Life.' 'The Keepers' is about issues – and people – that matter to her more than anything.

Get your copy of 'The Keepers' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold.

Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte;
• David Vann;
• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon;
• We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver;
• The Signal Line by Brendan Colley;
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (who we spoke to back in ep 4);
• The Suspect by Michael Robotham;
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy;
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy;
• Curlews on Vulture Street by Darryl Jones;
• The Whispering by Veronica Lando;
• Vikki Petraitis

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Warning! Spoilers for Denizen* by James McKenzie Watson in this episode*

Heads up, this episode of James and Ashley Stay at Their Respective Homes in Separate Cities is full of spoilers for Denizen. If you haven't read Denizen yet, you can still enjoy reading about our special double-guest episode, and then get even more excited to go and read Denizen so you can listen without spoiler concerns.

Double guests? That's right, we finally get to speak with debut novelist Hayley Scrivenor, plus we welcome back our one and only repeat guest, author Jacinta Dietrich. We jump in immediately by talking about that ending and then discuss the ethics of writing violence, one-star reviews, and, of course, the great lasagna-with-a-side-of-peas debate.

Hayley Scrivenor is the author of the number one Australian bestseller Dirt Town, also out now in the US and UK. She is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. An earlier version of Dirt Town was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley lives on Dharawal country, on the east coast of Australia, and has a PhD in Creative Writing.

Jacinta Dietrich is a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her first book, This Is Us Now, was published in 2021 by Grattan Street Press. We first spoke to Jacinta back in episode 45.

Get your copy of Denizen from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold.

Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.

Books and authors (and one doco) discussed in this episode:

• Robert Gott;
• This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Petronella McGovern (from ep 12);
• Abducted in Plain Sight (Netflix), directed by Skye Borgman;
• Halibut on the Moon by David Vann (from ep 23);
• There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura;
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov;
• Karl Ove Knausgård (of course);
• My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach;
• The Keepers by Al Campbell;
• Dark Deeds Down Under, edited by Craig Sisterson;
• Reacher Said Nothing: The Making of Make Me by Andy Martin;
• Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle;
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata;
• The Whispering by Veronica Lando

Get in touch! * Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com * Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt * Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt * James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com * James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson * James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Warning! Spoilers for Denizen* by James McKenzie Watson in this episode*

Heads up, this episode of James and Ashley Stay at Their Respective Homes in Separate Cities is full of spoilers for Denizen. If you haven't read Denizen yet, you can still enjoy reading about our special double-guest episode, and then get even more excited to go and read Denizen so you can listen without spoiler concerns.

Double guests? That's right, we finally get to speak with debut novelist Hayley Scrivenor, plus we welcome back our one and only repeat guest, author Jacinta Dietrich. We jump in immediately by talking about that ending and then discuss the ethics of writing violence, one-star reviews, and, of course, the great lasagna-with-a-side-of-peas debate.

Hayley Scrivenor is the author of the number one Australian bestseller Dirt Town, also out now in the US and UK. She is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. An earlier version of Dirt Town was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley lives on Dharawal country, on the east coast of Australia, and has a PhD in Creative Writing.

Jacinta Dietrich is a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her first book, This Is Us Now, was published in 2021 by Grattan Street Press. We first spoke to Jacinta back in episode 45.

Get your copy of Denizen from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold.

Plus, check out the online courses from Writing NSW, including the six-week Online: Creative Non-fiction with Ashley, starting 31 October.

Books and authors (and one doco) discussed in this episode:

• Robert Gott;
• This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Petronella McGovern (from ep 12);
• Abducted in Plain Sight (Netflix), directed by Skye Borgman;
• Halibut on the Moon by David Vann (from ep 23);
• There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura;
• Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov;
• Karl Ove Knausgård (of course);
• My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach;
• The Keepers by Al Campbell;
• Dark Deeds Down Under, edited by Craig Sisterson;
• Reacher Said Nothing: The Making of Make Me by Andy Martin;
• Dancing Barefoot by Alice Boyle;
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata;
• The Whispering by Veronica Lando

Get in touch! * Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com * Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt * Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt * James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com * James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson * James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Author Bronwyn Birdsall joins us to discuss the writing of her first novel, 'Time and Tide in Sarajevo,' and her life after chronic fatigue syndrome. We discuss living with a mindset of rest and recovery, moving overseas and reinventing yourself, and the question at the heart of the book – how do we find hope in a world that feels beyond repair?

As always, nothing in this episode is intended as medical advice.

Bronwyn Birdsall grew up in Sydney. At the age of twenty-four, she moved to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and worked as an English teacher. The four years she spent there provided the inspiration for 'Time and Tide in Sarajevo.' Her writing centres around contemporary life and finding meaning in the everyday. She writes from her home on Bundjalung Country, in Northern New South Wales.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Sarah Sentilles;
• Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski;
• Indelible City by Louisa Lim;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman;
• Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti;
• A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan;
• The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis;
• The Whispering by Veronica Lando

Get your copy of 'Tide and Tide in Sarajevo' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.

Upcoming events:

• James: Author talk at Taree Library, Friday 26 August 2022, 11am-12pm, free, RSVP here.
• James: Author talk at Port Macquarie Library, Saturday 27 August 2022, 10:30-11:30am, free, RSVP here.
• James and Ashley: Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Saturday 3 September, 9.30-5pm.
• James: BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022, 'Three Prizewinners Walk into a Bar...' Friday 9 September, 3-4pm.
• Ashley is teaching The Joy of Creative Writing, Tuesday 30 August, 7.45-9pm, online via Zoom.
• Ashley's new six-week course Online: Creative Non-Fiction takes place Monday 31 October to Friday 9 December 2022, through Writing NSW.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley's got some exciting news she's been bursting to share, and you're just going to have to listen to this episode to find out what it is!

Read more here!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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This special episode is a recording of Denizen’s online launch, which was live-streamed on Thursday July 21, two days after Denizen’s release. It was one of a series of launch events, alongside in-person events in Dubbo and Sydney, and ahead of tonight's Melbourne launch (6:30pm August 3 at Readings Emporium - there's still time to book!)

The event was hosted by Dani Vee of the Words and Nerds podcast and live streamed via the Words and Nerds Facebook page. A video recording of the event is available there (which is worth watching for the facial expressions during the lasagne discussion alone). It also featured special guests Lyn Yeowart (author of The Silent Listener, interviewed in episode 39) and Petronella McGovern (author of Six Minutes and The Good Teacher, interviewed in episode 12).

Get your copy of 'Denizen' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold. Shout out to Australia's hardworking independent booksellers!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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'Denizen,' the Penguin Literary Prize winning novel from James McKenzie Watson is finally out in the world! In this episode, Ashley asks James about the experience of taking 'Denizen' from idea to published novel. He shares insights into how to seriously improve your writing craft and how to understand your work as a reflection of your life. James also answers the big question – what does his mum think of 'Denizen?'

James McKenzie Watson writes fiction with a focus on health and rural Australia. His novel 'Denizen' won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize. 'Denizen' also received a 2021 Varuna Residential Fellowship and a 2021 KSP Residential Fellowship. His writing has appeared in Meanjin and the Newtown Review of Books. He works as a nurse in regional New South Wales.

Get your copy of 'Denizen' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold. Shout out to Australia's hardworking independent booksellers!

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• David Vann (of course);
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• The Liars by Petronella McGovern (from ep 12), out in September 2022;
• The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman (from ep 4);
• RWR McDonald (from ep 32);
• Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39)

Denizen launch events:

• Dubbo Launch – Macquarie Regional Library, 19 July at 6:30pm (hosted by Book Connection, with special guest Nic Healey). Free, book here!
• Online Launch – hosted by @daniveebooks_wordsandnerds, 21 July at 8pm (with special guests Petronella McGovern and Lyn Yeowart). Follow Dani Vee Books – Words and Nerds Podcast on Facebook to join on the night!
• Sydney Launch – Gleebooks, Glebe, 28 July at 6:30pm, with special guest Ashley Kalagian Blunt, $12/$9/free, book here!
• Melbourne Launch – Readings Emporium, Melbourne, 3 August at 6pm, with special guest Lee Kofman. Free, book here!

Ashley's next online writing workshop, The Joy of Creative Writing, is on Monday 25 July, 7:45-9 pm AEST online via Zoom. Book in here!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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In this bonus episode, James and Ashley share an episode from a brand new podcast series called Queer Writes Sessions (QWS), a Words and Nerds Podcast spin-off series in partnership with Blarney Books & Art. The series is hosted by R.W.R. McDonald, who we interviewed in episode 32.

Each month, QWS Podcast will interview a LGBTIQA+ writer and shout-out books and authors from our rainbow communities. We’re sharing this episode of QWS in celebration of NAIDOC Week, which celebrates and recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is a chance to learn about First Nations cultures and histories. You can listen to each episode via Words and Nerds.

In this episode, Rob speaks with Professor Gregory Phillips, a writer from the Waanyi and Jaru Aboriginal Australian peoples. More information about this episode, including a transcript of the interview and list of books discussed, can be found here!

(Stick around to the end for 10 minutes of James and Ashley rambling about what they're reading.)

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Addictions and Healing in Aboriginal Country by Professor Gregory Phillips
• The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James
• Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas
• The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke
• The Ruins by Scott Smith

Denizen is coming out July 19! Find out more and pre-order here. Details about all the events discussed in this episode, including launch events in Sydney, Melbourne, Dubbo and online now available.

Book your tickets to Writers Unleashed, the 2022 Sutherland Shire Writers Festival, here! This is an all day event on Saturday, September 3 2022, at Tradies Gymea in Southern Sydney. Both James and Ashley will be appearing at events - it would be wonderful to see you there!

Ashley's next online writing workshop, The Joy of Creative Writing, is on Monday 25 July, 7:45-9 pm AEST online via Zoom. Book in here!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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After a broken finger brought on a debilitating illness, author Rae Cairns lost two years as her doctors searched for the right treatment. A bad reaction to drugs caused her hair to fall out. When her health had stabilised enough for her to return to writing, she lost her literary agent. Undeterred, Rae self-published her novel. After being shortlisted for a major award, she had a new agent and a two-book publishing deal with HarperCollins within a few weeks.

Rae talks to James and Ashley about living with chronic invisible illness, coping with brain fog, and cultivating the resilience to share a story that, in her words, she just had to tell.

Rae Cairns’s debut novel, 'The Good Mother,' was shortlisted for the 2021 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Debut Crime Fiction, and was published by HarperCollins in 2022. Her second novel will be out in 2023. Rae lives in Sydney.

You can buy a copy of 'The Good Mother' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else good books are sold. Shout out to Australia's hardworking independent booksellers!

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Missing Among Us by Erin Stewart (ep 54);
• Daughters of Eve by Nina D Campbell;
• Black and Blue by Veronica Gorrie;
• Autumn by Ali Smith;
• The Children's Bible by Lydia Millet;
• Negative Space by BR Yeager;
• My Name Is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• Goat Mountain by David Vann;
• It by Stephen King

Denizen is coming out July 19! Find out more and pre-order here. Details about launch events in Sydney, Melbourne, Dubbo and online now available.

Ashley is performing live and in-person at Generation Women, a storytelling night in Sydney. Wednesday 29 June, 6:30-8:30pm, The Beresford 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills. Get tickets here!

Ashley's next online writing workshop, The Joy of Creative Writing, is on Monday 25 July, 7:45-9 pm AEST online via Zoom. Book in here!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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In her exploration of life in rural Australia, author Yumna Kassab draws on horror, crime and gothic inspiration to craft a thematically linked experiment in form and style. She speaks to us about her own experiences of rural life and how her science background has influenced her experimental approach to writing. Plus, James pitches her writing on the Pilliga as Australia's answer to The Blair Witch Project.

Yumna Kassab is a writer from Western Sydney. She studied medical science and neuroscience at university. Her first book, The House of Youssef, was listed for prizes including the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, Queensland Literary Award, NSW Premier's Literary Award and The Stella Prize. You can buy a copy of 'Australiana' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au;
• Karl Ove Knausgaard;
• Blindness by Jose Saramago;
• Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Marquez;
• Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann;
• The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
• Divorce Is in the Air by Gonzalo Torne;
• Raise the Titanic by Clive Cussler;
• Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke

Find out more about Denizen here and check back for event details leading up to its release on July 19 2022!

Join Ashley for Put Them on the Edge of Their Seat, a workshop on crafting narrative tension. Saturday 11 June, 1-4pm in person at KSP Writers’ Centre, Perth.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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'If he wants to follow me, I can't stop him.' After a random encounter with poet and author Ellis Gunn at an auction, a stranger decides to stalk her. Years later, she sits down to write about the experience – and realises it's connected to a lifetime of gendered abuse, including surviving both sexual assault and domestic violence. In this wide-ranging and compelling interview, Ellis discusses what she learned through the experience of writing her debut memoir, Rattled, including the psychological impacts of stalking, the reactions of her family and friends, and the concepts of agency deletion and radical empathy.

Ellis Gunn is a Scottish writer and poet who now lives in Australia. Her poetry, essays and reviews have been published widely in the UK and she has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Book Festival and the British Embassy in Berlin. She lives near the beach with her partner, two children, a cat and some ants.

Learn more about Ellis on her website, and buy a copy of 'Rattled' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk;
• 'Tribes and Traitors', Hidden Brain podcast from Shankar Vedantam;
• Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and Its Human Fallout by Ginger Gorman;
• The Writing Life by Annie Dillard;
• The Luminous Solution by Charlotte Wood;
• How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• Outline by Rachel Cusk;
• The Break by Katherena Vermette

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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If you've ever dreaded public speaking, this episode is for you! Author and podcaster Katherine Collette speaks about her charming new novel The Competition, which satirises the world of competitive speaking clubs. We explore why public speaking is so intimidating for most people. We also discuss Katherine's personal experience with public speaking clubs, and how they can build both confidence and empathy. As she says, 'You sign up to learn to speak. But the real power is in having to listen.' Finally, we answer the question – is some discomfort in life necessary?

Katherine Collette is a novelist, podcaster and engineer living in Melbourne with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, The Helpline, was published in Australia, Germany, Italy and the US and UK. She co-hosts the writing podcast The First Time with author Kate Mildenhall.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• After Story by Larissa Behrendt;
• David Sedaris;
• Found, Wanting by Natasha Sholl;
• Sarah Krasnostein;
• Love Stories by Trent Dalton;
• Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton;
• Ben Hobson

Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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38,000 people go missing every year in Australia, yet only a small number of these cases garner public interest. In 'The Missing Among Us,' author Erin Stewart explores the issue of missing persons from a variety of perspectives, including the lack of police resources that leave families leading their own searches, the Stolen Generations, and cults. And what drew Erin to the topic is just as fascinating.

Erin talks to Ashley and James about how the ambiguity of living with chronic illness drove her interest in missing persons. 'The Missing Among Us' is 'about finding a space for those conversations about ambiguous circumstances in order to understand the complex issue of missing persons.’ She also describes her experiences with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the research behind her book.

Erin Stewart is a Canberra-based freelance writer who has written for a range of Australian and international publications including Meanjin, Voiceworks, ABC Online, SBS Online, Daily Life, Overland, and many others. She has been an opinion columnist for The Age and made regular appearances on ABC Sydney Mornings to talk about books and the arts. An earlier version of this book was shortlisted for the Portobello Books Unpublished Manuscript Prize in the UK. She holds a PhD in non-fiction writing.

You can buy a copy of 'The Missing Among Us' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Myth of Closure by Pauline Boss;
• Brave New Humans by Sarah Dingle;
• 'What if there's no such thing as closure' by Meg Bernhard,
• New York Times;
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy;
  Missing Richard Simmons podcast

Ashley is teaching in-person at Writing NSW! Crafting Memoir: An Introduction. Saturday 7 May 2022, 10am-4pm, in-person at Writing NSW, Callan Park, Sydney. Visit Writing NSW to learn more about their online course program.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Fiona Robertson lived with migraines for years, writing short stories as a creative pursuit. Now she's free from migraines and the award-winning author of the debut short story collection, If You're Happy. Her work explores the lives of lonely people seeking happiness in a turbulent world.

She tells us about the common threads that bind her stories, why they're her chosen form, and how living with unpredictable chronic illness impacted her life and creative work.

Fiona is a writer and doctor. Her short fiction has been published in literary magazines and anthologies in Australia and the UK, and has been shortlisted for international competitions. Her collection of stories, If You’re Happy, won the Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer at the 2020 Queensland Literary Awards. Fiona lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Learn more about Fiona on her website, and buy a copy of 'If You're Happy' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Louise Allan;
• The Keepers by Al Campbell, plus her Sydney Morning Herald article, 'The disappointing question I most often got after writing a book';
• Long Road to Dry River by Jen Severn;
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy;
• Child of God by Cormac McCarthy;
• Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy;
• David Vann;
• Denizen by James McKenzie Watson, out 19 July 2022!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Lech Blaine is the author of the memoir 'Car Crash' and the Quarterly Essay ‘Top Blokes’. Here, he speaks to James and Ashley about the challenge of writing and releasing these two publications back to back during the pandemic, and the burnout that followed. He also discusses the epiphanies that writing a memoir can bring and the emotional toll of sharing so much vulnerability with readers.

His writing has appeared in The Monthly, Guardian Australia, The Best Australian Essays, Griffith Review, Kill Your Darlings and Meanjin. He was an inaugural recipient of a Griffith Review Queensland Writing Fellowship.

Learn more about Lech on his website, and buy a copy of 'Car Crash' and 'Top Blokes' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Cloudstreet by Tim Winton;
• Timeline by Michael Crichton;
• Sphere by Michael Crichton;
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton;
• State of Fear by Michael Crichton;
• Lee Child;
• John Grisham;
• Know My Name: A Memoir by Channel Miller
• Specky Magee by Felice Arena and Garry Lyon;
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling;
• Glory Gardens by Bob Cattell

The Joy of Creative Writing – lunchtime workshop with Ashley: Tuesday 8 March, 12:15-1:15 pm AEDT, online via Zoom, tix $9-14

Whether you haven’t written creatively since high school or you’re the author of 12 books, this fun class will help you get your creativity flowing. Wherever you’re at, this is the class for you. Through a series of short, timed writing exercises, we’ll explore different ways to access the creative recesses of our minds and surprise ourselves! Get your ticket here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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When Dinuka McKenzie first sat down to write a novel, she had no dreams of publication or experience in the craft of fiction. She was the working mother of two young kids, feeling like everyone wanted something from her all the time, and in search of something that was purely for herself. Now she's the award-winning author of The Torrent, a police procedural set in small-town Australia. We talk to Dinuka about why she chose a pregnant detective as her main character, how her own experience as a working mum influenced her story, and how she managed to find time to write with everything else going on in her life!

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer and book addict. Her debut crime-fiction manuscript The Torrent won the 2020 Banjo Prize. She works in the environmental sector and is part of the Writers’ Unleashed Festival team. She lives in Southern Sydney with her husband, two kids and their pet chicken.

You can buy a copy of The Torrent from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Housemate by Sarah Bailey;
• The Others by Mark Brandi;
• The Shadow House by Anna Downes (from ep 5);
• The Good Mother by Rae Cairns;
• Wake by Shelly Burr;
• Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor;
• Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding;
• How to End a Story: Diaries 1995-1998 by Helen Garner;
• Theft by Finding by David Sedaris;
• A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

Catch Dinuka at her upcoming events!
Thurs 17 Feb 6.30 pm AEST via Avid Reader online
Thurs 24 Feb 6pm AEDT via Bad Sydney Crime online

Tips and Tricks to Writing Your Memoir: Tuesday 22 February, 6:15-7:30 pm AEDT, Online via ZoomSo you’re thinking of writing a memoir and you’re not sure how to start. Or you’ve already started and you’re not sure how to keep going. Learn tips and tricks to make the process easier and rewarding. This is a workshop for novice writers in the beginning stages of writing a memoir or thinking about starting one. Get your ticket here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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It's our 50th episode! Author Sarah Sentilles joins us to talk about her new memoir, Stanger Care. She discusses coping with unexpected loss, who counts as family, and how at heart, all of us are baby monkeys. She also shares how each of us can use our creativity to remake the world around us.

Stranger Care is a memoir of Sarah and her husband’s experience with the foster system in Idaho and the ten months they parented an infant named Coco, only to return her to her loving but vulnerable mother.

Sarah Sentilles is the author of Draw Your Weapons, Breaking Up with God, A Church of Her Own and Taught by America. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Divinity School, she lives in Idaho’s Wood River Valley. Her latest book is Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours. You can buy a copy of Stranger Care from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold, and find Sarah's workshops and retreats at sarahsentilles.com.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles;
• This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson;
• The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World by Elaine Scarry;
• The Rabbits by Sophie Overett;
• Bewilderment by Richard Powers;
• 'The abortion I didn't have' by Merrit Tierce;
• A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet

Ashley's Joy of Creative Writing workshop: Monday 31 January 2022, 7:45-9pm AEDT, Online via ZoomWhether you haven’t written creatively since high school or you’re the author of 12 books, this fun class will help you get your creativity flowing. Get your ticket here.

Library through the Lens: Ashley in conversation with Anna Downes: Thursday 3 February 2022, 11am AEDT, Online via ZoomJoin Ashley in conversation with international bestselling thriller author Anna Downes as she talks about her much-anticipated second novel. Free, RSVP here.

Here's what time it is Rockhampton.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Warning! Spoilers for Earthlings by Sayaka Murata in this episode

After arguing about the intense and disturbing ending to Earthlings by Sayaka Murata in episode 45, James and Ashley rope past guest Jacinta Dietrich into returning to the podcast to try and figure out what might happened in the novel's closing pages. If you've read Earthlings, you know what we mean! If you haven't – well, Ashley says you can listen to this ep anyway, since this book doesn't hinge on a twist. James disagrees.

Our guest is author Jacinta Dietrich, a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. Her first book, This Is Us Now, was published in 2021 by Grattan Street Press.

Books, articles and authors discussed in this episode:

• This Is Us Now by Jacinta Dietrich (from ep 45);
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori;
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata;
• How to Be Australian by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
• Certain Prey by John Sandford;
• Mortal Prey by John Sandford;
• David Vann (from ep 23);
• ‘The Future of Sex Lives in All of Us’ by Sayaka Murata for the NY Times;
• 'I acted how I thought a cute woman should act' by David McNeill for the Guardian;
• 'Of Darkness and Stars' by Sally Breen for Sydney Review of Books
• 'Earthlings' Summary and Study Guide from Bookrags
• Burgers, Beers and Books interview with Ashley

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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How do we build community and a sense of self after loss, especially the kind of loss that echoes for generations? James and Ashley speak with Australian Sri Lankan author Shankari Chandran about her new novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, and how her efforts to find connection in the writing community echo her Tamil family's work to build community after being dispossessed from their homeland in the Sri Lankan civil war.

Shankari discusses writing from a place of anger and love, the changing Australian publishing landscape, and how literature creates an archive of the dispossessed.

This episode connects to our conversations with previous guests Nardi Simpson (ep 18), Luke Stegemann (ep 26), David Heska Wanbli Weiden (ep 40), in which we explore the legacy of mass traumatic events on the health of communities and society.

Shankari Chandran was raised in Canberra, Australia. She spent a decade in London, working as a lawyer in the social justice field, before returning to Australia, where she now lives with her husband and children. She is the author of two previous novels, Song of the Sun God, and The Barrier, and has been shortlisted for the Fairway National Literary Award and the Norma K Hemming Award for speculative fiction.

Learn more about Shankari on her website, and buy a copy of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• A Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam;
• Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell;
• Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson (from ep 18);
• Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie;
• They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall;
• David Heska Wanbli Weiden (from ep 40);
• Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian translated by Mabel Lee;
• Amnesia Road by Luke Stegemann (from ep 26)

Check out Shankari's essay on writing and resilience published by Writing NSW.

Plus, join Ashley for her Laneway Learning online workshop, The Joy of Creative Writing (Monday 31 January, 7:45-9pm AEDT) and her upcoming online event with Anna Downes (Thursday 3 Feb, 11am AEDT).

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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The last episode for 2021 is a special bonus interview with Michelle Tom, who James and Ashley first spoke to in episode 38 (the most downloaded episode of the year). As part of Avid Reader's Festival of Cancelled Events, James joined Michelle in conversation for an online event to discuss her memoir, 'Ten Thousand Aftershocks.' This event took place on October 18 2021. 

A video recording of this event is available to watch on YouTube and includes Michelle answering questions from the audience at the end of the event.

See you in 2022!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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The best (and most!) book recommendations of the year! We share the 'What Are You Reading?' highlights from a wide range of our 2021 guests, including Nardi Simpson, David Vann, Kavita Bedford, Luke Stegemann, Ruhi Lee, Joanna Nell, Fiona Murphy, Heather Taylor Johnson, Jacinta Dietrich and – of course – James and Ashley.

Books discussed in this episode (all 44 of them):

• Bindi by Kirli Saunders
• The Road to Woop Woop by Eugen Bacon
• The End: My Struggle Book 6 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
• Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
• Shadow Child by PF Thomése
• Eight Lives by Susan Hurley
• The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
• Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
• The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen
• Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
• Deepfakes by Nina Schick
• The Possessed by Dostoevsky
• Thus Bad Begins by Javier Marias
• A Heart So White by Javier Marias
• The Stranger and short stories by Albert Camus
• When We Dead Awaken by James Robins
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
• We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
• Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
• The Ripping Tree by Nikki Gemmell
• On Quiet by Nikki Gemmell
• Beautiful Kate by Newton Thornburg
• The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
• Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
• The Animals in that Country by Laura Jean McKay
• Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
• A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet
• Ghost Species by James Bradley
• The Past by Tessa Hadley
• The Iceman by John Sandford
• Storm Prey by John Sandford
• Love, Clancy by Richard Glover
• Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover
• Prosopagnosia by Sonia Hernandez
• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer
• Late Bloomer by Clem Bastow
• The Rúin by Dervla McTiernan
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

What about you – what are you reading? Get in touch and let us know!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley speak with Melbourne-based author Jacinta Dietrich about her debut book 'This Is Us Now', which explores a young couple's relationship as one of them faces a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Based on her boyfriend's experience of surviving lymphoma, the book explores two individuals who don't know where their relationship is going and have to figure out how they feel about each other, all as one of them goes through chemo. Jacinta discusses how cancer treatment 'suppresses every part of a relationship', her decision to write the book she needed to read, and how she managed to write honestly about difficult feelings.

Jacinta Dietrich is a writer and editor who holds a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne. 'This Is Us Now' is her first book. You can order it from Booktopia and bookshops across Australia.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green;
• Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott;
• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks;
• Lee Kofman (featured in episode 3);
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata;
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata;
• Late Bloomer by Clem Bastow;
• Kay Kerr (featured in episode 37);
• The Rúin by Dervla McTiernan;
• Tana French;
• Dinuka McKenzie;
• Andrew Solomon, of course!
• Ten Thousand Aftershocks by Michelle Tom (featured in episode 38);
• Lyn Yeowart (featured in episode 39)

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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CSI: TASMANIA, the Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, is happening 27 & 28 November 2021, and it's entirely online! In this bonus ep, James and Ashley speak to festival director and author LJM Owen about this year's festival highlights. (This isn't a paid promo, we just love connecting readers and writers.)

TAF2021 - CSI: TASMANIA online, 27 & 28 November 2021

Tasmania's International Crime and Mystery Literary Festival features more than 35 crime and mystery authors speaking across panels, books clubs and mini-masterclasses. The line-up includes David Heska Wanbli Weiden (featured in episode 40), Ann Cleeves, Val McDermid, Liz Nugent, Garry Disher, Naomi Hirahara, Abir Mukherjee, Vanda Symon, JP Pomare, Candice Fox, Anita Heiss, RWR McDonald (featured in episode 32) and lots more!

For more info and tickets, visit TerrorAustralisFestival.com and follow @terroraustralisfestival on Instagram.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James is back! He and Ashley chat about his recent CIDP relapse and ongoing recovery, and how his perspective on living with chronic illness has shifted. Thankfully, the steroids haven't affected his sense of humour.

Disclaimer: None of the information in this episode is medical advice, and if you're concerned about your own health, you should consult a proper medical professional.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris;
• The Stand by Stephen King

The Joy of Creative Writing: an online workshop with Ashley

• Thursday 2 December, 6:15-7:30 pm AEDT
• Online via Zoom
• Tix $9-14

Whether you haven’t written creatively since high school or you’re the author of 12 books, this fun class will help you get your creativity flowing. Through a series of short, timed writing exercises, we’ll explore different ways to access the creative recesses of our minds and surprise ourselves! You might be a writer working on a specific project, a poet searching for new ideas, or someone who just wants to give creative writing a try for the first time in years – wherever you’re at, this is the class for you. Get your ticket here.

TAF2021 - CSI: TASMANIA online - November 27 + 28 2021
Tasmania's International Crime and Mystery Literary Festival features more than 35 crime and mystery authors speaking across panels, books clubs and mini-masterclasses.

The line-up includes: David Heska Wanbli Weiden (featured in episode 40), Ann Cleeves, Val McDermid, Liz Nugent, Garry Disher, Naomi Hirahara, Abir Mukherjee, Vanda Symon, JP Pomare, Candice Fox, Anita Heiss, RWR McDonald (featured in episode 32).

Early bird tickets are $90 and are available until Sunday 14 November. For more information on the festival and ticket follow this link.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley's on her own again, and without James around, things get really earnest really fast. She shares ten of her favourite quotes from a variety of books, summarising 'The Most True Things She Knows About Life and Writing' (one of them, at least, is funny.) Then she does a deepdive #WhatAreYouReading into Rutger Bregman's 'Humankind: A Hopeful History,' recommended by recent guest Lyn Yeowart.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• 'A Brief for the Defense' by Jack Gilbert;
• Humankind: A Hope History by Rutger Bregman;
• Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenrich;
• The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology by Mark Boyle;
• The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson;
• Billy Collins, poet;
• Sarah Sentilles, author

Boundless, the festival of Indigenous and culturally diverse writers, is taking place 30 Oct to 1 November, free and online. Book your tickets at boundlessfestival.org.au

Intro to Novel Writing: Finding Joy In Your First Draft with Ashley

• Tuesday 2 November 2021, 7:45-9 pm AEDT
• Online via Zoom
• Tix $9-14

Whether you’re planning to complete 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or you’re drafting your first masterwork at your own pace, this workshop is a gift basket of tips and tricks to make the process easy, efficient and fun. Learn how to tap into your creativity to get the words flowing, how to separate drafting from editing to make your writing process more efficient, and how to know if you’re on the right track. This is a workshop for novice writers who are in the early stages of a novel or memoir, or are keen to start one. Get your ticket here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley interviews author and editor Heather Taylor-Johnson. When Heather was diagnosed with Ménière's disease at age 25, one of the many things it meant was quitting skydiving. She discusses how more than two decades of living with chronic illness have inspired her writing and led to the anthology 'Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of Illness and Chronic Pain'. She also shares Van Gogh's misdiagnosis with her condition, describes how a year of studying art has changed her writing process, and tells us about her latest book, 'Rhymes with Hyenas'.

Learn more about Heather on her website, and buy a copy of 'Rhymes with Hyenas' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Heather Taylor-Johnson is a writer and editor. Born in Minnesota and now living in South Australia, she has written novels and poetry collections, and is the editor of 'Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of Chronic Illness and Pain'. Her writing has been published in Meanjin, Southerly, Cordite, Westerly, Griffith Review, Island and TEXT. She lives with Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability by Jennifer Bartlett (ed);
• Prosopagnosia by Sonia Hernandez;
• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview David Heska Wanbli Weiden about his multi-award-winning debut novel 'Winter Counts.' In it, they discuss the shocking American laws that let crimes on Native American Reservations go unpunished, the importance of food in cultural reclamation, and the marvel of Carhenge.

Learn more about David on his website, and buy a copy of Winter Counts from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

'Winter Counts' is a contemporary thriller about Virgil Wounded Horse, a hired vigilante on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Through it, Weiden reveals the profoundly broken criminal justice system on American reservations.

David Heska Wanbli Weiden is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation and the author of Winter Counts. His debut novel, Winter Counts was the winner of the 2021 Thriller Award for Best First Novel, the Spur Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Best First Novel, the Barry Award for Best First Novel, the Lefty Award for Best Debut Novel, and the Tillie Olsen Award for Creative Writing. He lives in Colorado.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Jim Thompson, US noir author;
• Don Becker, Denver comedian;
• Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby;
• These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall;
• They Can't Take Your Name by Robert Justice;
• The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville;
• The Shadow House by Anna Downes (our guest from episode 5);
• The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright;
• Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Lyn Yeowart, author of the rural-noir thriller, 'The Silent Listener.' In it, they discuss how Lyn's own childhood shaped the events in the book, the fascinating world of synesthesia, and why it's never too late to start writing.

Learn more about Lyn on her website, and buy a copy of 'The Silent Listener' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• The Spiral by Iain Ryan;
• Humankind, a Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman;
• Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman;
• How Fiction Works by James Woods;
• The Important Things by Audrey Molloy;
• The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright;
• Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary;
• One Hundred Years of Dirt by Rick Morton

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Michelle Tom about her stunning memoir 'Ten Thousand Aftershocks.' In it, they discuss the captivating and highly original structure of Michelle's book, the strange parallels between childhood trauma and earthquakes, and the transformative power of owning your narrative.

Learn more about Michelle on her website, and buy a copy of Ten Thousand Aftershocks from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Join Ashley for a fun online creative workshop, Monday 6 Sept, 6:15pm AEST. Book here!

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Memoir Writing For Dummies by Ryan Van Cleave;
• Trespasses: A Memoir by Lacy M Johnson;
• The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch;
• Lee Child's Jack Reacher series;
• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf;
• The Return by Rachel Harrison;
• It by Stephen King;
• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon (of course!)

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Kay Kerr and Anna Whateley, neurodiverse authors of young-adult fiction. In it, Kay and Anna discuss their journeys to diagnosis as adults, their upcoming second books, and their remarkable friendship.

Learn more about Kay on her website, and buy a copy of her debut novel 'Please Don't Hug Me' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Learn more about Anna on her website, and buy a copy of her debut novel 'Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Late Bloomer by Clem Bastow;
• The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough;
• Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde;
• Future Girl by Asphyxia;
• When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro;
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro;
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro;
• Vodka and Apple Juice by Jay Martin;
• A History of My Brief History by Billy Ray Belcourt;
• The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

You can read James' interview with Writing NSW here.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Fiona Murphy about her memoir 'The Shape of Sound.' In it, they discuss the complexities of Deaf culture and identity, the corrosive power of secrets, and the challenges of being deaf in the healthcare industry.

Learn more about Fiona on her website, and buy a copy of The Shape of Sound from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon;
• The Past by Tessa Hadley;
• The Iceman by John Sandford;
• Storm Prey by John Sandford;
• Love, Clancy by Richard Glover
• Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover

Join Ashley and a great line-up of authors for the Writers Unleashed Festival happening online, Saturday 21 August.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley are interviewed by Amy Lovat of Secret Book Stuff (who they interviewed in episode 34), for Amy & Laura's radio show 'Reading Makes You Better in Bed.' In it, they discuss reading habits, the history of James and Ashley's podcast, and whether or not reading really does make you better in bed. This interview originally aired on Newcastle Live Radio on June 25 2021.

You can learn more about Secret Book Stuff on their website, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, or explore their various radio shows/podcast appearances.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson (interviewed in ep 18);
• Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota (interviewed in ep 28);
• Of Gold and Dust by Samantha Wills;
• Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon;
• The Shape of Sound by Fiona Murphy;
• Hitch by Kathryn Hind;
• The Spill by Imbi Neeme;
• The Rabbits by Sophie Overett;
• The End, My Struggle Book 6 by Karl Ove Knausgaard;
• David Vann (interviewed in ep 23)

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Amy and Laura, multitalented writers, social entrepreneurs, and radio hosts/podcasters from Newcastle, NSW. In it, they discuss the story behind Secret Book Stuff, transformative writing, and, of course, why reading makes you better in bed.

You can learn more about Secret Book Stuff on their website, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, or explore their various radio shows/podcast appearances.

Books and authors discussed in this episode
- Hold Your Own by Kae Tempest;
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote;
- High Fidelity by Nick Hornby;
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch;
- Insomniac City by Bill Hayes;
- Animal People by Charlotte Wood;
- Hot Little Hands by Abigail Ulman;
- Tonight I'm Someone Else by Chelsea Hodson;
- Felicity by Mary Oliver;
- I'll Tell You in Person by Chloe Caldwell;
- Women by Chloe Caldwell;
- Joan Didion;
- Samantha Irby;
- The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien;
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende;
- Fun Home by Alison Bechdel;
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid;
- Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid;
- Betty by Tiffany McDaniel;
- The Animals in that Country by Laura Jean McKay;
- Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez;
- A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet;
- Ghost Species by James Bradley (read James's review here)

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview GP and author Joanna Nell about her new novel 'The Great Escape from Woodland's Nursing Home.' In it, they discuss positive ageing, the challenges faced by Australia's aged care system, and the runaway success of the 'uplit' genre.

Learn more about Joanna on her website, and buy a copy of 'The Great Escape from Woodland's Nursing Home' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode

• Providing Good Care at Night for Older People by Diana Kerr and Heather Wilkinson;
• The Ripping Tree by Nikki Gemmell;
• On Quiet by Nikki Gemmell;
• Beautiful Kate by Newton Thornburg;
• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview RWR McDonald about his new novel 'Nancy Business,' follow-up to the bestselling 'The Nancys.' In it, they discuss the parallels between the original girl detective Nancy Drew and The Nancys' Tippy Chan, the art of balancing the humorous and heavy in fiction writing, and the physical toll of a creative life.

Learn more about Rob on his website, and buy a copy of 'Nancy Business' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Harold Robbins (contact Rob for title recommendations);
• The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene;
• Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke;
• The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart;
• Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake;
• Goat Mountain by David Vann (who we interviewed in episode 23)

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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A very special episode to make a very special announcement!

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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James and Ashley interview Ruhi Lee, author of the hilarious and heartbreaking memoir 'Good Indian Daughter.' In it, they discuss what it means to be a girl in a South Asian family, the notion of unconditional parental love, and how one generation avoids making the same mistakes as the last.

Follow Ruhi on Instagram (@lee_ruhi), and buy a copy of 'Good Indian Daughter' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

• Books discussed in this episode:
• 'Yes Please' by Amy Poehler;
• 'This Is Going to Hurt' by Adam Kay;
• 'Damascus' by Christos Tsiolkas;
• 'Far from the Tree' by Andrew Solomon;
• 'We Are Never Meeting in Real Life' by Samantha Irby;
• 'Wow, No Thank You' by Samantha Irby

Get in touch!

• Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

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Ashley interviews a mystery guest from the Varuna Writer's House in Katoomba, NSW, where he's midway through a residential fellowship (hint: it's James). An episode for both those who've never been on a residential writing retreat and those who want to reminisce about their time at Varuna!

You can learn more about Varuna and the incredible work it does supporting Australian authors here. 

Books discussed in this episode:

• 'Shadowchild' by P.F. Thomése
• 'The Devil in the White City' by Erik Larson

Find out more about WestWords and their wonderful podcasts here:

• The WestWords Podcast
• WestWords Mini-Masterclass
• Poets' Corner

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Yumiko Kadota about her memoir 'Emotional Female,' which tells the story of her time as a junior doctor in the NSW public system. In it, they discuss the devastating effects of burnout, the difficulties women of colour face in the public health system, and the possible future directions of chronic fatigue research. 

Follow Yumiko on Twitter, and buy a copy of 'Emotional Female' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold. 

Books discussed in this episode:

• 'A Room Called Earth' by Madeleine Ryan
• 'Earthlings' by Sayaka Murata
• 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy
• 'Thus Spoke the Plant' by Monica Gagliano

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Emily Maguire about her stunning new novel 'Love Objects.' In it, they discuss our relationships with our belongings, the psychology of hoarding, and the beauty of writing for connection.

Learn more about Emily on her website, and buy a copy of 'Love Objects' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books discussed in this episode:

• 'Friends and Dark Shapes' by Kavita Bedford;
• 'The Shape of Sound' by Fiona Murphy;
• 'Convenience Store Woman' by Sayaka Murata;
• 'Emotional Female' by Yumiko Kadota;
• Writing in your pyjamas: a writing metaphor from Sandra Cisneros

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Luke Stegemann, author of 'Amnesia Road.' In it, they discuss the parallels between South-West Queensland and rural Andalusia's violent pasts, the ongoing ramifications of near-forgotten genocides, and little black dogs that portend death. 

You can follow Luke on Twitter, or buy a copy of 'Amnesia Road' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold. 

Books discussed in this episode:

• 'The Possessed' by Dostoevsky;
• 'Thus Bad Begins' by Javier Marias;
• 'A Heart So White' by Javier Marias;
• 'The Stranger' and short stories by Albert Camus;
• 'Far from the Tree' by Andrew Solomon;
• 'When We Dead Awaken' by James Robins

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley listen to some audio of themselves when unwell and have a conversation about the psychological impacts of chronic ill-health, the fears and anxieties that accompany invisible illnesses, and how difficult conversations like this one are to have. 

Books (and cults) discussed in this episode:

• Far from the Tree by Andrew Solomon;
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata;
• Children of Thunder

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Kavita Bedford, author of the novel 'Friends & Dark Shapes.' In it, they discuss the isolation and anonymity that comes with modern city living, the implications this disconnect has for those grieving, and the troubled relationship Sydney millennials have with their city and its identity.

Learn more about Kavita on her website, and buy a copy of 'Friends & Dark Shapes' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever else books are sold.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Sidewalks by Valeria Luiselli
• Teju Cole
• Olivia Lang
• Sheila Heti
• Rachel Cusk
• Jenny Offill
• Elizabeth Strout
• Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
• The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen
• Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
• Deepfakes by Nina Schick

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview David Vann, author of seven internationally bestselling novels including 2019's 'Halibut on the Moon.' In it, they discuss the trauma that inspired and haunts much of his work, the creative process that fosters his raw and visceral writing style, and the difficulties even an author of his status and calibre faces in the modern publishing landscape.

Just a warning: this episode contains an explicit conversation about suicide and mental illness.

Learn more about David on his website, and buy a copy of 'Halibut on the Moon' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold. David's back catalogue is also available to purchase on Booktopia and Amazon.

Books discussed in this episode:

• Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
• My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard
• Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
• The World According to Garp by John Irving
• Goat Mountain; Aquarium; Legend of a Suicide; Bright Air Black; Dirt; Last Day on Earth by David Vann
• Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
• Shadow Child by PF Thomése
• Eight Lives by Susan Hurley
• The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Nash, artist and author of 'What to Expect When You're Immigrating,' a hilarious and insightful commentary on the Australian immigration process. In it, they discuss using humour to cope with stressful situations, the challenges faced by new arrivals to Australia, and the commonalities between Sri Lanka and Melbourne (hint: its pigeons).

Follow Nash on Instagram, and buy a copy of 'What to Expect When You're Immigrating' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold.

Books discussed in this episode:

• Halibut on the Moon by David Vann
• When Marnie Was There by Joan G Robinson
• Glenn Loury & John McWhorter (technically YouTubers, not authors)

Nash will be in conversation with Mark Mariano for a live-streamed event via City of Marion Libraries at 2:30pm (ACST) on April 13 2021. Get more information or book a place here.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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This bonus episode contains a ten-minute excerpt from the newly released audiobook of Ashley's first book, 'My Name is Revenge.'

On 17 December 1980, at 9:47 am, two men shot the Turkish consul-general to Sydney and his bodyguard near the consul's home in Vaucluse. The assassins aimed, fired, and vanished.

A finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award and Longlisted for the 2020 Davitt Awards, 'My Name Is Revenge' is a novella set in 1980s Sydney and based on true events. From the assassination in Australia, one of a series of international terrorist attacks, the story traces back to the streets of 1920s Berlin and the Armenian genocide of World War I. Three companion essays provide historical context. The audiobook is narrated by Felix Johnson.

Listen on Audible, Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd or your favourite audiobook app.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Josephine Taylor, author of 'Eye of a Rook.' In it, they discuss vulvodynia, a poorly understood and often debilitating gynaecological condition, how this illness has shaped Josephine's life, and the stunning novel it's inspired her to write.

Find out more about Josephine at her website, and buy a copy of 'Eye of a Rook' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold. You can also check out Josephine's #FridayCookBook project on Instagram and join her for her Avid Reader online event with Lee Kofman on February 9, 2021.

For more support and information about vulvodynia, visit the following resources:

• The International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease
• The Australian and New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society
• The Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia
• The National Vulvodynia Association (US)
• The Vulval Pain Society (UK)

Books discussed in this episode:

• The Fifth Season by Philip Salem
• Wintering by Krissy Kneen
• 'The Wife's Story' by Ursula K LeGuin
• Imperfect by Lee Kofman (who we spoke to in episode 3)
• Unlike the Heart by Nicola Redhouse
• Pain and Prejudice by Gabrielle Jackson
• Show Me Where It Hurts by Kylie Maslen
• Hysteria by Katerina Bryant
• One Day I'll Remember This: Diaries 1987-1995 by Helen Garner
• In the Woods by Tana French

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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In this special crossover episode, James and Ashley interview Dani Vee from the Words and Nerds podcast and vice versa. It's a fascinating conversation about podcasting, health, reading, and why we're all doing what we're doing. 

This conversation is being simultaneously released as an episode of Words and Nerds. Big thanks to Dani for editing this chat. Find out more about Words and Nerds at the official website, or by searching for it wherever you get your podcasts.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Nardi Simpson, Yuwaalaraay musician and author of 'Song of the Crocodile.' In it, they discuss Nardi's transition from writing lyrics to prose, the preservation of Indigenous languages, and the importance of non-Indigenous Australians accepting that some elements of Indigenous culture are not accessible to them.

Find out more about Nardi at her website, and buy a copy of 'Song of the Crocodile' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold.

Books discussed in this episode:

• 'Bindi' by Kirli Saunders
• 'The Road to Woop Woop' by Eugen Bacon
• 'The End: My Struggle Book 6' by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

Find out more about the online memoir and narrative non-fiction workshop Ashley is running in January 2021 at Mirrabooka Writers.

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In the last episode for 2020, James and Ashley gather some fantastic writing tips provided by authors interviewed in the first sixteen podcasts. It features contributions from Kate Mildenhall, Anna Downes, Elizabeth Tan, Petronella McGovern and Ada Palmer. Don't forget to listen to the whole interviews these excerpts came from if you haven't already!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

• "Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration and the Artistic Process" edited by Joe Fassler, with a piece on getting the words down by David Mitchell
• Shaula Evans on the logogentics writing prompt
• "The Perfect Wife" by JP Delaney
• "Levels of Life" by Julian Barnes

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Ada Palmer, historian, composer and author of the 'Terra Ignota' sci-fi/fantasy book series. In it, they discuss Ada's astonishing body of work and how she's managed to achieve it while managing a number of invisible illnesses. They also explore the impact of COVID-19 on research, the relationship between identity and disability and why the renaissance wasn't actually a great time to be alive...

Find out more about Ada, her work and her writing on her website, and check out her blog, Ex Urbe.

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

Find out more about the online memoir and narrative non-fiction workshop Ashley is running in January 2021 at Mirrabooka Writers.

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James and Ashley discuss their very different motivations for writing, the processes they use to translate that to words, and some tips they've each learnt along the way. 

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Elizabeth Tan, author of 'Smart Ovens for Lonely People.' In it, they discuss the public health crisis of loneliness, the personal experiences that inspired some of these stories, and an unusual but highly effective writing prompt.

Find out more about Elizabeth on her website, or buy a copy of 'Smart Ovens for Lonely People' from your local bookstore, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold. 

Find the writing prompt discussed in this episode here. 

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Kate Mildenhall, bestselling author of 'The Mother Fault' and 'Skylarking.' They discuss the craft of novel writing, the challenges of penning a second book, and the creative anxieties that plague writers. 

Find out more about Kate on her website and buy a copy of 'The Mother Fault' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold. 

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Petronella McGovern, bestselling author of 'The Good Teacher' and 'Six Minutes.' They discuss the allures and dangers of fringe healthcare, the similarities shared by many Australian communities, and the differences between writing a first and second novel.

Find out more about Petronella at her website and buy a copy of 'The Good Teacher' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, Amazon, or wherever else books are sold.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Anthony Jeannot, a stand-up comedian who has spent the last decade taking a test-and-learn approach to anxiety management with the help of a professional therapist. They discuss the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on mental wellbeing, the mental health challenges faced by young men, and the idea of the Nintendo life.

Find out more about Anthony on his website, or get in touch with him on Twitter. You can stream his debut stand up comedy album on Spotify or Apple Music, or wherever else you listen to music. You can read his article, 'The Anti-Anxiety Techniques That Prepare You for a Crisis' on Tiny Buddha.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley discuss health - more specifically, their own chronic illnesses. In this episode, they explain their conditions, discuss how these affect day to day life, and explore how illness has impacted their senses of self.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Karin Foxwell, an art therapist and counsellor from South Australia’s Adelaide Hills. In this fascinating conversation, Karin describes the profound therapeutic power of art, as she's observed in her work with military and emergency services personnel who've sustained PTSD in the course of their service. She also describes a 'standard' art therapy session, discusses the therapeutic power of writing, and explains why she thinks everyone should engage in some kind of art therapy.

Karin's services are facilitated by The Road Home, a charity that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of veterans, emergency service personnel and their families across Australia. Find out more about The Road Home on their website.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview journalist, author and speaker Kate Leaver about her new book, 'Good Dog.' They discuss the remarkable therapeutic power of dogs, extraordinary pups from around the world, and the impact canine companionship has had on Kate's own mental wellbeing. (As if that wasn't reason enough to listen to this episode, it also features a very special canine guest... albeit, a very quiet one.)

Find out more about Kate on Twitter or on her website, or pick up a copy of her book (available now through Harper Collins).

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Katherine Tamiko Arguile, author of 'The Things She Owned.' They discuss the traumas that shaped Katherine's writing, the troubled mother-daughter relationship at the centre of the novel, and the secret, hybrid languages that develop when cultures overlap. You can find Katherine on Twitter, or pick up a copy of 'The Things She Owned' here.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley tell the stories of their writing journeys to date and each offer three tips that have helped them along the way. 

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

Ashley's book 'How to Be Australian' was published in Australia by Affirm Press on June 1, 2020. Learn more about it and get your copy here.

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James and Ashley interview Anna Downes, author of freshly released worldwide blockbuster 'The Safe Place.' Among other things, they discuss the role motherhood and post-natal anxiety played in the book's development in this wide-ranging chat. Find Anna on her website or on Twitter. And if you can't get to literally any bookshop in Australia, pick up a copy of 'The Safe Place' here!

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley turn the focus of their interviews inwards, with James interviewing Ashley about her new book, 'How to Be Australian.' They discuss the book's influences and inspiration, what its early drafts looked like, and how being part of a writing group transformed it into its current form.

'How to Be Australian' was published in Australia by Affirm Press on June 1, 2020. Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley interview Lee Kofman, author of 'Imperfect - How Our Bodies Shape the People We Become.' They discuss scars, body image, and the incredible experiences that have informed Lee's writing. Lee is an author of four other books, including the memoir The Dangerous Bride, and co-editor of Rebellious Daughters, an anthology of prominent Australian female writers. Her short works have been widely published in Australia, UK, Scotland, Israel, Canada and US. Find Lee via her website or on Twitter.

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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A special episode in which Ashley reads the first chapter of her new book, 'How To Be Australian.'

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson

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James and Ashley introduce their new podcast, in which they'll be discussing writing, health, and staying at home. 

Get in touch!

Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com

Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt

James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com

James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson