100 | Where snark meets explosive laughter – a podcast retrospective
Release Date: 07/16/2024
114 | Bonus ep! Winter Writing Retreat with Lynne Ainsworth
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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113 | Rewriting your stalker with Pip Drysdale, author of 'The Close-Up'
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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. . Pip Drysdale is an author, musician and actor. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and...
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112 | Choosing to have children as a creative with Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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,...
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111 | Surviving second book syndrome - James and Ashley talk 'Cold Truth'
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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 , your and your library. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen My Dream Time by Ash Barty Upcoming events: ...
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110 | Back to the 90s with Michelle See-Tho, author of 'Jade and Emerald'
James and Ashley Stay at Home
'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...
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109 | What have we read? Every book recommendation from 2024
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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108 | Compelling, subversive, beautiful: the books we loved most in 2024
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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107 | Living with dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder with Maggie Walters, author of 'Split'
James and Ashley Stay at Home
'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,...
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106 | The worst decision ever with Richell-Prize-winner Simone Amelia Jordan
James and Ashley Stay at Home
'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...
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105 | Finding community with author and artist Arna Radovich
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
info_outlineWe 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
*Correction: Bianca is hosting an eight-part takeover of Science Write Now, started by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White.
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!