112 | Choosing to have children as a creative with Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman
Release Date: 03/11/2025
133 | Bonus ep! Have a listen to ... The Word Count podcast
James and Ashley Stay at Home
In ep 133, James and Ashley share an episode one of their favourite Australian writing podcasts – The Word Count with Jo Dixon, Fiona Taylor and Jacq Ellem. If you've not heard The Word Count before, this bonus episode will give you a taste of what it's all about. If you have, then you already know you're in for a treat. We'll be back in a fortnight with another author interview! The Word Count episode 59: It’s the news we’ve been bursting to share for months … Jo spills all the behind-the-scenes details of her HUGE FOUR-BOOK DEAL with Poisoned Pen Press! Jo shares: How the...
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132 | Being resilient when the feedback is tough with author Susannah Glenn and creativity coach Ginger Moran
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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131 | Your body is a scam with Penguin Literary Prize winner Mary Colussi
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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130 How to be a career author with JP Pomare, author of The Gambler
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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129 | Claudia Karvan joins Ashley & James at the Sydney launch of Like, Follow, Die, recorded live
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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128 | Invisible and insidious with Susan Francis, author of Revelation Beach
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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127 | ‘I don’t think I’ll ever write another book like that' with author and publisher Anita Heiss
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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126 | How to keep readers hooked with Christian White, author of The Long Night
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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125 | An early Christmas present - what we've read in 2025
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
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124 | How nature can heal your brain with Darryl Jones, author of (Be)Wilder
James and Ashley Stay at Home
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...
info_outlineWhat 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.
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.
Get in touch!