Secrets from the Green Room
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- 10. Nov. 2026
Über den Podcast
In each episode of the Secrets from the Green Room podcast hosts Irma Gold and Karen Viggers chat with a writer about their experience of the writing and publishing process in honest green room-style, uncovering some of the plain and simple truths, as well as some of the secrets – whether they be mundane or salubrious – and having a lot of fun in the process.
Folgen 91
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 Special Series: Episode 91: Sisonke Msimang
In our third special series at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats with Sisonke Msimang about growing up surrounded by South African freedom fighters, her first experience of racism as a child and …
Shownotes
In our third special series at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats with Sisonke Msimang about growing up surrounded by South African freedom fighters, her first experience of racism as a child and how it has helped her navigate it as an adult, how she made difficult decisions about what to include and what to leave out in her biography of Winnie Mandela, why she chose to write the biography in the 2nd person and how she managed to pull it off, why she never thought of herself as a writer and how Yale University changed that, why trying to write a novel has been so hard, and the lessons she learned as director of the Perth Writers Festival.
ABOUT SISONKE
Sisonke Msimang is the author of two books, Always Another Country: A Memoir of Exile and Home, and The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela: A Biography of Survival. She has written a number of essays and articles for the New York Times, Al Jazeera and the Guardian. She was previously the director of the Perth Writers Festival and she lives in Boorloo/Perth.
SHOW NOTES
Sisonke Msimang: https://www.sisonkemsimang.com/
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Canberra Writers Festival, Live Recording, Episode 90: Kate Forsyth & Charlie Jane Anders
In a live recording for the Canberra Writers Festival, Irma and Karen spoke to Kate Forsyth and Charlie Jane Anders for the Session ‘Witch, Hate, Love’ about women embracing their magic, defying those that seek …
Shownotes
In a live recording for the Canberra Writers Festival, Irma and Karen spoke to Kate Forsyth and Charlie Jane Anders for the Session ‘Witch, Hate, Love’ about women embracing their magic, defying those that seek to tear them down and unveiling their almighty true selves. Join us for epic tales of love, treachery and destruction, and a discussion about how women have always been made into witches.
ABOUT KATE
Kate Forsyth is an author and storyteller who writes historical fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, often with a mythical or fairytale twist. She has won awards for her work, including the American Library Award award for Best Historical Fiction and an Honour Book in the 2025 CBCA awards. She has a MA in creative writing, and a Doctorate of Creative Arts in fairytale studies. Her latest book is The Changeling.
ABOUT CHARLIE JANE
Charlie Jane Anders is the award-winning author of four novels, two short story collections, a young adult trilogy, and a book on creative writing. Her writing has appeared in publications like Tin House, the Paris Review and McSweeney's. She’s currently writing the comic book Star Trek: Zero Point for IDW. Her latest book is Lessons in Magic and Disaster.
SHOW NOTES
Kate Forsyth: Kate Forsyth - Kate Forsyth
Charlie Jane Anders: Charlie Jane Anders
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 8: Episode 89: Thomas Mayo
Karen and Irma chat about the uses of dialogue in writing and some of the mistakes writers make, and then talk about their latest book recommendations in Book Chat, featuring Frogsong by Melissa Manning and How …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about the uses of dialogue in writing and some of the mistakes writers make, and then talk about their latest book recommendations in Book Chat, featuring Frogsong by Melissa Manning and How to Love the World by Ilka Tampke.
Then Irma speaks to Thomas Mayo about how he found his voice as a wharfie, what it was like being thrust onto the national stage when campaigning for the Voice to Parliament Yes vote, how he dealt with the vicious criticism as a public leader, how Marcia Langton helped him get his first book deal, where he was when the shattering No verdict was delivered, how writing helped him in the aftermath, what publishers can do better to support First Nations stories, the ways in which the government should be supporting the publishing industry, and why seeing a stage show of his book Dear Son with his kids was a career high.
Show notes:
Thomas Mayo: https://www.thomasmayo.com.au/
About Thomas
Thomas Mayo is a Kaurareg Aboriginal man and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander who is a leading voice in human rights advocacy and an award-winning author of seven books. He co-led the campaign for Australia’s Voice referendum, and his Voice to Parliament Handbook won three ABIA awards, including Book of the Year. His latest book is a new edition of Dear Son: Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons.
Book Chat:
Frogsong by Melissa Manning
How to Love the World by Ilka Tampke
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 8: Episode 88: Melanie Cheng
Karen and Irma chat about AI dangers for writers, including scam emails and why publishers hate writers using AI proofreading software to 'polish' their work.Then Irma chats to Melanie Cheng about how …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about AI dangers for writers, including scam emails and why publishers hate writers using AI proofreading software to 'polish' their work.
Then Irma chats to Melanie Cheng about how a nosey friend resulted in an early pivotal moment, why she wrote in a secret for many years, and how winning a manuscript prize changed everything overnight, why her second book was so hard to write, the balance of having a public profile as an author and working as a GP, why she still has imposter syndrome as a writer, why she thought she would never write anything ever again after her second book, and why saying yes to every publicity opp led to a nightmare experience.
Show notes
Melanie Cheng: https://melaniechengwriter.com/
About Melanie
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. She has published two novels, Room for a Stranger and The Burrow, both of which were longlisted for the Miles Franklin award. The Burrow was also shortlisted for the Stella prize and nominated for the Dublin Literary Award.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 8: Episode 87: Alice Pung
Irma and Karen talk about the importance of the major dramatic question in writing fiction, and what they’ve been reading lately in Book Chat.Then Karen talks to Alice Pung about Alice’s unusual process of …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen talk about the importance of the major dramatic question in writing fiction, and what they’ve been reading lately in Book Chat.
Then Karen talks to Alice Pung about Alice’s unusual process of writing her first book in close contact with a publisher, how writing as a young person with no filters contributed to her early success, how she writes non-fiction with fiction techniques and vice versa, why she finds writing non-fiction harder than fiction, how giving talks to bored 14-year old boys enhanced her public speaking skills, why she has never wanted to be a fulltime writer, how she became penfriends with John Marsden, and how she thought she’d received spam when an email came through saying she’d been awarded an OAM.
About Alice
Alice Pung is the bestselling author of two memoirs, two novels, an essay collection, several children’s books, and the editor of two anthologies. Her books have been published both in Australia and overseas and have won or been short listed for many awards. In 2022 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her services to literature. She is a qualified practicing lawyer and lives in Naarm Melbourne.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 86: Virginia Haussegger
Irma and Karen make an exciting announcement about the future of the podcast, then discuss a cautionary tale involving a freelance editor and AI. Then Karen talks to journalist and feminist author Virginia …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen make an exciting announcement about the future of the podcast, then discuss a cautionary tale involving a freelance editor and AI.
Then Karen talks to journalist and feminist author Virginia Haussegger about how she became a TV journalist and was sent to Darwin to make all her mistakes, how working on TV has both changed and not changed for women since the 1980s, the ways that deadlines help her to write, how book ideas strike her like meteorites, why counting her writing hours on an app helps, and the outrage of discovering her latest book, Feminist Fightback, shelved under military history!
About Virginia
Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning television journalist, writer and commentator. She has worked in the TV and newsprint media for over 30 years both in Australia and overseas. She’s reported for current affairs programs and anchored the primetime national news in five capital cities, including 15 years in Canberra. She’s a public speaker, a podcaster, an ACT Australian of the Year, and a strong advocate for women.
Show notes
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 85: Debut author series: Sarah Walker and Sam Elliott
Irma and Karen talk about starting your novel with a bang to get readers’ attention.Then in our new occasional series, Karen talks to debut novelists Sarah Walker and Sam Elliott about the process of getting …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen talk about starting your novel with a bang to get readers’ attention.
Then in our new occasional series, Karen talks to debut novelists Sarah Walker and Sam Elliott about the process of getting their first books published, how Sam bounced back from workplace bullying to write fiction, how Sarah got an overseas agent, the ways having an agent or winning an award helps with getting published, what Sam learned through podcasting that helped with publishing, and the news that made Sarah scream at her workplace.
About Sarah and Sam
Sarah Walker is a Naarm (Melbourne-based) writer, artist and photographer. Her first book, The First Time I Thought I Was Dying, a collection of non-fiction essays, won the Quentin Bryce Award. Her debut novel is The Water Takes.
Sam Elliott is an author and interviewer. He is the founder and host of The Write Way podcast on which he has interviewed many authors, including both Irma and me. Haze is his debut novel. He lives in Sydney.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 84: Festival directors: Corrie Perkin and Veronica Sullivan
Karen and Irma chat about how to decide on the POV(s) for a novel, and how to listen to what the book itself wants to be.Then Irma talks to Melbourne Writers Festival Director Veronica Sullivan and Sorrento …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about how to decide on the POV(s) for a novel, and how to listen to what the book itself wants to be.
Then Irma talks to Melbourne Writers Festival Director Veronica Sullivan and Sorrento Writers Festival Director Corrie Perkin about their pathways to becoming directors of two of Australia’s biggest festivals, the way they plan their programs, practical advice on what writers and their publishers can do to break into the festival circuit, what writers do wrong when pitching to festivals and how to get it right, the controversy around the Sydney Writers Festival exclusivity clause and the Bendigo and Adelaide festival boycotts, what makes both a good panellist and a good panel, how Corrie’s devastating experience of closing her bookshop led to creating a new festival, and why an event with Behrouz Boochani had a profound impact on Veronica.
About Corrie and Veronica
Corrie Perkin began her career as a cadet reporter at the Age and over the next three decades, worked in a variety of editing and writing roles. In 2009, she opened an independent bookstore in Hawksburn that ran that for 12 years. Then in 2023, she founded the Sorrento Writers Festival, which has quickly grown to become Australia’s second-biggest literary festival.
Veronica Sullivan began as a volunteer at Melbourne Writers Festival, then went on to intern at the Emerging Writers’ Festival. She was a founding board member and then program manager of the Feminist Writers Festival, and then became head of programming at The Wheeler Centre, before assuming her current role as Director of Melbourne Writers Festival.
Show Notes
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 83: Debut author series: Lisa Moule and Dominic Amerena
Karen and Irma chat about structuring a novel, in particular the use of prologues and epilogues.Then in the first of an occasional series with debut authors, Irma talks to Dominic Amerena and Lisa Moule about …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about structuring a novel, in particular the use of prologues and epilogues.
Then in the first of an occasional series with debut authors, Irma talks to Dominic Amerena and Lisa Moule about the challenging process of writing their first novels, how to trust your writing instincts, their very different paths to finding agents and publishers, the brutal reality of rejection (how it stopped Dominic writing novels for a decade and why one rejection made Lisa cry like a teenage girl), how to best approach agents, how writing short form pieces helped lay the ground for their novels, why Lisa Moule decided not to voice her own audiobook (even though she is a voice actor), and Lisa’s Teams mishap with a psychedelic filter during her first important publishing meeting.
About Lisa and Dominic
Lisa Moule is the author of The Mother of All Calamaties, released in March this year by Allen & Unwin. She is also an actor, voice artist, and presenter of 3CR’s ‘Published or Not’ program. She is based in Naarm/Melbourne.
Dominic Amerena is the author of I Want Everything, which was the first novel published by Summit Books, the new literary imprint of Simon & Schuster, just over a year ago. It has since won or been shortlisted for a number of awards. He lives in Greece, and is coming to us from Athens today.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 82: Robbie Coburn
Irma and Karen answer a listener question about the transition from emerging writer to established, then chat about their latest reading recommendations.Then Karen talks to poet Robbie Coburn about how …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen answer a listener question about the transition from emerging writer to established, then chat about their latest reading recommendations.
Then Karen talks to poet Robbie Coburn about how discovering Edgar Allan Poe when he was 14 was like being let out of jail, how mimicking great writers can help develop your writing early on, how he connects poems to memories like songs, the best way for poets to get their work out into the world, the value of mentorship for poets, why allowing horses to gallop into his work helped him find himself as a writer, how to persist despite devastating rejection, and how his granny would have been proud of him receiving an award sticker for his verse novel.
About Robbie
Robbie Coburn is the author of several poetry collections and a young adult verse novel The Foal in the Wire. He has published several chapbooks and zines, and his poems have been published in numerous Australian and international journals. He has run poetry workshops for Headspace – a youth mental health organisation. He grew up on a farm in regional Victoria and now lives in Melbourne.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 81: Ingrid Laguna
Karen and Irma chat about the environmental cost of publishing books, and uncover some positive take-aways. Then Irma talks to children’s author Ingrid Laguna about how running away from home impacted her as a …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about the environmental cost of publishing books, and uncover some positive take-aways.
Then Irma talks to children’s author Ingrid Laguna about how running away from home impacted her as a creative, how the traumatic experience of losing her own twin boys led to her memoir and then a novel for kids, why her agent didn’t want to pitch her book but then her publisher ended up loving it, why kids books need to tackle tough subjects, how to keep going when you’re writing about traumatic personal events, writing book recommendations, and top tips for engaging school visits.
About Ingrid
Ingrid Laguna is a multi-award-winning novelist and educator. She has published a memoir and numerous books for children. Her work has been published internationally, featured by Reading Australia and given Notable recognition by the CBCA. Ingrid’s writing has featured in various publications, including The Monthly, The Age, Teacher Magazine and the AEU Magazine. She runs a range of writing courses and regularly presents to teachers and students at schools, libraries, festivals and conferences.
Show notes
Why plantation stock is better for making paper
Arts Law for any legal issues
The Writer’s Room by Charlotte Wood
The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watts
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 80: Toni Jordan
Irma and Karen talk about how different platforms – Instagram, Facebook, X, Substack and author websites – help sell books (or don’t!)Then Karen chats to Toni Jordan about how to successfully inject serious …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen talk about how different platforms – Instagram, Facebook, X, Substack and author websites – help sell books (or don’t!)
Then Karen chats to Toni Jordan about how to successfully inject serious subjects with humour, the book to film process of Addition, why she structures her life to the nth degree but with writing is completely unstructured, how to approach writing as a business and why networking should be reframed, why being a skilled public speaker is important as a writer, how she has managed to make a living as a writer, the painful experience of having a book that didn’t sell well, and how that then led to her greatest career high.
About Toni
Toni Jordan is an award-winning, internationally best-selling author of 8 novels. Her debut novel Addition was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and has recently been made into a film. Her novel Nine Days was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards, and Our Tiny, Useless Hearts was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. Toni is a physiologist who has also completed a PhD in creative writing and she lives in Melbourne.
Show Notes
'Social Media is Dead – Old School Marketing Tactics for Creatives' by Creative Plus Business
‘Millions of Followers? For Book Sales, it’s Unreliable’ on the New York Times
‘If you get a million views on a social media post, how many books will you sell?’ on Nicola Washington’s substack post about a viral Tweet about a book event that no one showed up to.
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 79: Tasma Walton
Karen and Irma talk about the importance of writers centres, and urge listeners to sign the Writers Victoria petition.Then Irma chats to Tasma Walton about novelising the story of her ancestor Nannertgarrook …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma talk about the importance of writers centres, and urge listeners to sign the Writers Victoria petition.
Then Irma chats to Tasma Walton about novelising the story of her ancestor Nannertgarrook, how she protected herself in the process of writing about trauma, the reclamation of her Boonwurrung language and the importance of language in her novel, how writing and acting feed into each other, the challenges of writing versus acting, how writers rooms for TV and film work, and an embarrassing green room encounter with an Australian music legend.
About Tasma
Tasma Walton is a proud Boonwurrung woman from the saltwater country of Melbourne and surrounding coastlines. She has had a hugely successful career as an actor in film and television, with acclaimed roles in everything from Blue Heelers and The Secret Life of Us to Mystery Road and How to Please a Woman. In 2009, her first novel, Heartless, was nominated for an ABIA Award, and the first book in her children’s series Nerra: Deep Time Traveller was longlisted for the DANZ Children’s Book Award. Her most recent novel, I am Nannertgarrook, won the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
Show notes
Find out more about Irma and Karen
Visit Irma Gold’s website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Visit Karen Viggers’ website, or follow her on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Secrets From the Green Room on Instagram and Facebook
Season 7: Episode 78: Fleur McDonald
Karen and Irma debate whether AI is useful to break writer’s block.Then they both chat to Fleur McDonald about pioneering the way in rural crime writing, how she built her profile over the years and then …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma debate whether AI is useful to break writer’s block.
Then they both chat to Fleur McDonald about pioneering the way in rural crime writing, how she built her profile over the years and then rebranded, connecting emotionally with readers, using imposter-syndrome to motivate her next book, how an imaginary character changed her life, fighting for your rights as an author and why she changed publishers, why making a difference with her writing is so important to her, how experts help inform her crime fiction, why she is refusing to use AI, the value of having an agent (especially when you’re having a hissy fit!), why she insists on being involved in planning the publicity campaign, and how meeting her writing hero left her speechless.
About Fleur
Fleur McDonald is a prolific bestselling rural crime author who lives in Western Australia. She’s published 26 novels and sold over a million books, with her 27th book out in April. She is an active public speaker and an advocate for rural women experiencing domestic violence. She has worked as a jillaroo, and then a farmer and parent, and is now a fulltime author.
Show notes
‘Should you use AI to break writer’s block?’ in The Conversation
‘AI can help authors beat writer’s block, says Bloomsbury chief’ in The Guardian
Season 7: Episode 77: Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Pulitzer Prize finalist)
Irma and Karen chat about the year ahead, and dive into their first Book Chat of the year, championing Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, and Colony by Annika Norlin.Then Karen talks to Colombian writer Ingrid Rojas …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen chat about the year ahead, and dive into their first Book Chat of the year, championing Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, and Colony by Annika Norlin.
Then Karen talks to Colombian writer Ingrid Rojas Contreras about how she coped with all the international attention after being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, how the violence of the Pablo Escobar era stimulated her curiosity as a writer, caring for yourself when writing from trauma, how she uses inherited stories and hauntings in her work, how she involved her family in fictionalising her childhood, how she hid microphones to collect her mother’s stories, using dreams in fiction, and why losing her memory was the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
(Karen met Ingrid at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025)
About Ingrid
Ingrid Rojas Contreras was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. Her memoir,
The Man Who Could Move Clouds won the California Book Award and was a
finalist in multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. Her debut novel was Fruit of the Drunken Tree, and her essays and short stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines. She lives in California.Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 76: Craig Leeson (impact filmmaker)
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Craig Leeson (impact filmmaker) about how growing up in Tasmania made him an environmental activist, how to find a hook to …
Shownotes
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Craig Leeson (impact filmmaker) about how growing up in Tasmania made him an environmental activist, how to find a hook to capture your audience, how to tell a story in few words, the importance of character development, how to keep an audience engaged, how to avoid overwhelming people when telling tough stories, and how hitting the lowest low of his career paved the way for the highest high.
Supported by the ACT Government
About Craig
Craig Leeson is an acclaimed Australian filmmaker, television presenter, explorer, public speaker, and entrepreneur. He is the director, narrator, and writer of the multi-award-winning documentary feature films A Plastic Ocean, and The Last Glaciers: Journey To The Extreme . He was the 2022 Tasmanian Australian of the Year and is an International Fellow of the Explorers Club.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 75: Banu Mushtaq (International Booker Prize Winner 2025)
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Indian author, winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize, Banu Mushtaq about what drives her to write about the …
Shownotes
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Indian author, winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize, Banu Mushtaq about what drives her to write about the fundamentalist Muslim community in which she grew up, how she became an activist for women’s rights, how stories can change lives and culture, the process of working with her translator, how she injects humour into dark stories, the censorship she faces, and the meaningful impact of winning the Booker.
Supported by the ACT Government
About Banu
Banu Mushtaq is an Indian writer, activist, and lawyer from the Karnataka region of southern India. She is best known for Heart Lamp, a selection of her short stories translated by Deepa Bhasthi, which won the International Booker Prize in 2025. She has published six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection, and a poetry collection. Her work has been translated into Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and English.
Ubud Readers & Writers Festival Special Series: Episode 74: Jenny Erpenbeck (International Booker Prize Winner 2024)
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats to German author, winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize, Jenny Erpenbeck, about the pros and cons of coming from a family …
Shownotes
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats to German author, winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize, Jenny Erpenbeck, about the pros and cons of coming from a family of famous writers, why she mourns aspects of the German Democratic Republic and is driven to express this through writing, how she weaves the personal and political together, the translation process, the financial support available to German authors that we do not have in Australia, why the worst moment of her career was having one of her plays produced, and the best was finding out she’d won the Booker (while busting for the toilet!)
Supported by the ACT Government
About Jenny
Jenny Erpenbeck is an acclaimed German novelist, playwright and opera director born in East Berlin. She has been translated into over 20 languages and has won many prizes, including the 2015 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for The End of Days and the 2024 International Booker Prize for Kairos.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 73: Lech Blaine
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Lech Blaine about how to shape a memoir and find a meaningful throughline within the truth, what it was like being edited by …
Shownotes
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Lech Blaine about how to shape a memoir and find a meaningful throughline within the truth, what it was like being edited by Helen Garner, how to decide what to leave out of a memoir, the ethical dilemmas of writing about trauma in relation to friends and family, how he found the voice for the ‘characters’ in his memoirs, how he scored his Quarterly essays and the way he approaches long-form essays, and what he loves and hates about the publishing process.
Supported by the ACT Government
About Lech
Lech Blaine is the award-winning author of the two works of creative non-fiction/memoir Car Crash and Australian Gospel and two Quarterly Essays Top Blokes and Bad Cop. He was the 2023 Charles Perkins Centre writer in residence, and his writing has appeared in Good Weekend, Griffith Review, The Guardian and The Monthly.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025 Special Series: Episode 72: Nina Karnikowski (travel writer)
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats to travel writer Nina Karnikowski about why she no longer wants to do a five-day trip to Paris and would rather opt for longer …
Shownotes
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats to travel writer Nina Karnikowski about why she no longer wants to do a five-day trip to Paris and would rather opt for longer more immersive travel, tips for how to get started as a travel writer, why a luxury trip to Bali was one of her worst experiences, and how a moment with a polar bear in the Arctic changed her life, how she organises the various tasks that make up freelance travel writing, tips on how to pitch travel articles and why writing her memoir so quickly had huge benefits.
Supported by the ACT Government
About Nina
Nina Karnikowski is a writer exploring how travel can help solve social and environmental problems. Having reported from over 60 countries, her work weaves together storytelling, systems thinking and a deep respect for place. She is the author of three books about travel and creative living, and a deck of writing prompt cards. Based in Byron Bay, she also mentors purpose-driven creatives.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025 Special Series: Episode 71: Green room stories
In this episode Irma and Karen chat about the 2025 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, painting a picture of the festival atmosphere and sharing some of the highlights. Then they ask six authors at the festival …
Shownotes
In this episode Irma and Karen chat about the 2025 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, painting a picture of the festival atmosphere and sharing some of the highlights.
Then they ask six authors at the festival – Clare Wright, Jenny Erpenbeck, Lech Blaine, Yves Rees, Craig Leeson and Virginia Haussegger – to share a green room story. They uncover Bryan Brown’s funny festival request, Thomas Keneally's unwitting green room 'theft', Jenny Erpenbeck’s props room catastrophe, Annabel Crabb’s near miss, David Attenborough's pub oration, and how Virginia Haussegger burnt a hole in a green room floor.
Supported by the ACT Government
Season 6: Episode 70: Sophie Cunningham (ASA Chair)
Karen and Irma chat about early drafts and tips for gaining momentum again after a break.Then Irma talks to Sophie Cunningham in her role as Chair of the Australian Society of Authors about the impact of AI …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about early drafts and tips for gaining momentum again after a break.
Then Irma talks to Sophie Cunningham in her role as Chair of the Australian Society of Authors about the impact of AI, the closure of Meanjin, the ASA’s role with industry issues, the ways in which authors need to change their expectations around publishing, how the Stella Prize changed the literary landscape, but also why prizes can be devastating for the majority who don’t make the lists, why we need to rethink the acquisition of independents by multinational publishing houses, and why seeing writing as a job helps her avoid the destablising effect of career highs and lows.
About Sophie
Sophie Cunningham has written 10 books, was co-founder of The Stella Prize, is a former editor of Meanjin, and a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to literature. She is currently a non-executive director of the Copyright Agency and the Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, which is the capacity in which we are chatting with her today.
Season 6: Episode 69: Craig Cormick
Irma and Karen chat about the upcoming Ubud Readers & Writers Festival at which they will be recording interviews with several international writers, as well as some of the books they've been reading …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen chat about the upcoming Ubud Readers & Writers Festival at which they will be recording interviews with several international writers, as well as some of the books they've been reading recently.
Then both Karen and Irma chat to Craig Cormick about the pros and cons of big versus small publishers, how he’s got author gigs on cruise ships and what they’ve involved, how he’s managed to be such a prolific writer while having a full-time job as a science communicator and responsibilities as a carer, the ways he’s seen the publishing landscape change over the last three decades, how to prevent the shiny new idea from derailing your current project, advice for writers wanting to include First Nations characters in their books and how to go about it the right way, the industry differences between writing for adults and kids, how he has landed multiple Antarctica residencies, and why the highest moment of his career was also his lowest.
ABOUT CRAIG
Dr Craig Cormick is an award-winning author and science communicator. He writes books for children and adults, and stopped counting them somewhere after 30, but by our count he’s published 46 over the last xxx years. He is drawn to stories of people whose voices have been hidden from history, and his most recent book is Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians Discovered Captain Cook and What they Tell about the Coming of the Ghost People, which is co-written with Gunditjmara - Gunai-kurnai author Darren Rix.
Season 6: Episode 68: Emily Maguire
Irma and Karen chat about small regional writers’ festivals.Then Karen talks to Emily Maguire about how a high school teacher initially crashed her dreams of becoming a writer, how she became a feminist without …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen chat about small regional writers’ festivals.
Then Karen talks to Emily Maguire about how a high school teacher initially crashed her dreams of becoming a writer, how she became a feminist without realising it, how she avoids putting her own opinions into the heads of her characters, how she has learned to focus her anger when writing about feminist issues, how much joy she gains from teaching creative writing, the impact of AI on the writing world, and some very important lifestyle questions you should consider if you want to be a fulltime writer.
About Emily
Emily Maguire is the author of seven novels and three non-fiction books. Her novel An Isolated Incident, published in 2016, was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Her 2022 novel Love Objects and latest book Rapture have also been shortlisted or long listed for several awards. Emily has a Master of Arts in literature, and works as a mentor to young and emerging writers.
Season 6: Episode 67: Pip Williams
Irma and Karen talk about copyright, and the productivity commission’s recent recommendations regarding AI. Then Karen talks to Pip Williams about how she shifted from academic research to writing novels, how …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen talk about copyright, and the productivity commission’s recent recommendations regarding AI.
Then Karen talks to Pip Williams about how she shifted from academic research to writing novels, how COVID lockdown inadvertently boosted sales of The Dictionary of Lost Words, how a genius promotions idea for The Bookbinder of Jericho turned into stunning window displays in bookshops, the process of watching her book become a stage play, how writing might be easier than reading for people with dyslexia, how parents can support the writing of children with dyslexia, and how mentorship from other writers has supported her creative journey.
About Pip
Pip Williams first book was a memoir, One Italian Summer, and her first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, was one of Australia’s most successful debuts. It became a New York Times bestseller and was the first Australian novel to be selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. It also won several major Australian literary awards and was shortlisted for the international Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. Her second novel The Bookbinder of Jericho was also very successful.
Season 6: Episode 66: Terri-ann White (publisher)
Karen and Irma chat about book to film adaptations, and recommend recent reads in their new Book Chat segment.Then Irma talks to Upswell Founder and Publisher Terri-ann White about the current state of the …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about book to film adaptations, and recommend recent reads in their new Book Chat segment.
Then Irma talks to Upswell Founder and Publisher Terri-ann White about the current state of the publishing industry and what needs to change, why she thinks too many books are being published, why she believes there is not enough risk-taking happening, the cult of the writer and its impact on the publicity demands placed on authors, how shame and guilt pervade the industry, the devastating experience of discovering her first book with Upswell contained plagiarism and the subsequent high of publishing an award-winning book by Josephine Wilson, and why booksellers are magic.
About Terri-ann
Terri-ann White was Director and Publisher at UWA Publishing for 14 years until 2020. Prior to this, she founded and directed a cross-disciplinary research centre at UWA, taught literature and writing in universities, was a bookseller for 16 years, and organised ‘ideas’ festivals. In 2021 she founded independent publishing house Upswell in Perth.
Season 6: Episode 65: Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist
Karen and Irma chat about foreign rights deals, and Irma shares some shocking stats.Then Irma chats to Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist about how a conversation between them on their first wedding anniversary was …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about foreign rights deals, and Irma shares some shocking stats.
Then Irma chats to Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist about how a conversation between them on their first wedding anniversary was pivotal in Anne’s career, the low of splitting with Graeme’s publisher after the three Rosie Project books, how they manage the process of planning and writing books together, why they think their book tour to 400 bookshops made no difference to sales, what does impact sales and tips for how to secure publicity that works, the ups and downs of The Rosie Project movie, and the most meaningful reader feedback.
About Graeme & Anne
Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist are partners in both life and writing. Together they have written four books, the latest being The Oasis, which is the second Menzies Mental Health novel. And separately they both have established individual careers.
Graeme is a screenwriter, playwright, and former IT consultant, and his debut novel, The Rosie Project, was an international bestseller. He followed it up with two sequels, and the standalone The Best of Adam Sharp, a collection of short stories, two data modelling books and the writing guide, The Novel Project.
Anne has published five psychological thrillers – four in the Natalie King series, and the standalone The Long Shadow. She also has over 40 years of clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry.
Season 6: Episode 64: Markus Zusak
Irma and Karen chat about how a two-book deal was secured via an explosive Booktok profile. Then in a new occasional segment, Book Chat, they share recent reads they’ve enjoyed.Next Karen talks to Markus Zusak …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen chat about how a two-book deal was secured via an explosive Booktok profile. Then in a new occasional segment, Book Chat, they share recent reads they’ve enjoyed.
Next Karen talks to Markus Zusak about his family of storytellers, how he used his writing heroes to develop his own voice, how The Book Thief arose from three separate ideas that came together like a volcanic eruption, how the success of that book impacted his life and future work, finding the right spark in writing, and the highs and lows of writing Three Wild Dogs and the Truth.
About Markus
Markus Zusak is the award-winning internationally bestselling author of six novels, including The Book Thief, Bridge of Clay and The Messenger. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages, and two of them have been adapted to film, television and theatre.
Season 6: Episode 63: Helen Farch (librarian)
Karen and Irma chat about BookTok and book publicity.Then Irma talks to school librarian Helen Farch about how she became an Instagram superstar, why so many schools no longer have a teacher librarian or even a …
Shownotes
Karen and Irma chat about BookTok and book publicity.
Then Irma talks to school librarian Helen Farch about how she became an Instagram superstar, why so many schools no longer have a teacher librarian or even a library, the issues faced in determining what is appropriate to buy in for kids, what kind of budgets government schools are working with, the controversies around books on sex and LGBTQI+ themes, how to engage reluctant readers, the gaps in children’s publishing, and the broad spectrum of issues school libraries are facing.
About Helen
Helen Farch has been a Library Technician at Forest Hill College, a government co-educational school in Melbourne, for over 11 years. Her role includes managing the school library, as well as marketing for the school. Helen is passionate about advocating for school libraries, promoting Australian authors and illustrators, and promoting the value of reading, all whilst keeping the library a vibrant and relevant part of the school community. Her efforts are showcased through the library’s Instagram account that has over 16,000 Followers.
Season 6: Episode 62: Favel Parrett
Irma and Karen chat about finishing a draft of a novel. Then Karen talks to Favel Parrett about why she decided to give up being a postie and become an author, why she signed up for a writing course but didn’t …
Shownotes
Irma and Karen chat about finishing a draft of a novel.
Then Karen talks to Favel Parrett about why she decided to give up being a postie and become an author, why she signed up for a writing course but didn’t finish, how her novel Past the Shallows changed her life and keeps on giving, why she likes school visits, how she received not one but two Antarctic Arts Fellowships, why she likes writing child characters, how she came to write about dingoes, how rewarding it can be to write for young readers, and how the worst moment of her writing career also turned out to be one of the best.
About Favel
Favel Parrett’s debut novel Past the Shallows was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and won the Dobbie Literary Award. The following year she won the ABIA Newcomer of the Year Award. Her second novel When the Night Comes, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin and shortlisted for many other awards. Her third novel There Was Still Love was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and won the Indie Awards Book of the Year. Favel has also written two novels for children: Wandi and Kimmi.
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