The WestWords Podcast

In this mini-practicum, James Roy leads you through a short writing exercise that will hopefully help you better understand the benefits to finding a more simple but more effective way to tell your story.

Curative - does the word suggest something that cures, or something that assists in curating? Conversations, for example. Dave Griffiths opened his cafe with two purposes in mind, and neither of them was to make money. One was to make a previously much-loved but now deserted space into somewhere alive again. The other was to attract people with a story to tell, almost as a form of self-therapy. Th...

Writer and creative writing teacher Lee Kofman talks about writer's block, the art of redrafting, and the spectre of "the pram in the hall".

Lullabys are universal, and in this episode, four writers and literature experts share lullabys and vague approximations of same with James Roy. I'f you'd like to share a lullaby with us, please email admin@westwords.com.au Views expressed by guests on this podcast are not necessarily those of the WestWords organisation

This special edition of the WestWords Mini-Masterclass podcast is taken from an interview conducted with the winning and two highly commended poets (Simone King, Kirsten Krauth and Gershon Maller) from the 67th Blake Poetry Prize, a biennial poetry prize examining the world of belief and spirituality. In this interview, James Roy discusses the inspiration behind each of the three poems, and asks t...

James Roy and WestWords Fellow Brittany Kempaiah chat with slam poet Alasdair Carter about his work, particularly with respect to his "other job", which is working in the nursing field. *** DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by guests of WestWords are not necessarily those of the WestWords organisation. ***

Writer, lecturer and doctoral candidate Georgia Monaghan talks about the evolution of her work looking at the concept of spectacle, and the associated creative project. *** DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by guests of WestWords are not necessarily those of the WestWords organisation. ***

In this episode, James throws some curly questions at Ally Burnham (screenwriter and WestWords' creative producer), Margo Lanagan (multi-award winning author) and Michael Campbell (biographer and WestWords' executive director. *** DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by guests of WestWords are not necessarily those of the WestWords organisation. ***

In this episode, James Roy discusses the first song of the stage musical Hamilton , and the seemingly unusual decision to announce the method of the main character's ultimate demise. It's a structural choice designed to ramp up tension throughout the work. Does it work? *** DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by guests of WestWords are not necessarily those of the WestWords organisation. ***

James Elazzi is an Australian born writer, of Lebanese decent. His writing stems from his upbringing, combining a hybrid cultural melting pot of Lebanese and Australian heritage. His award-winning writing for the stage includes Lady Tabouli , Omar and Dawn and Son of Byblos . Recently James completed his first screenplay, titled Karim's Cello . In this episode he speaks with James Roy about the di...

This fortnight, James is speaking with Jane Godwin, who is an award-winning writer of over thirty books for young people, which she managed to achieve during a thirty year career as an editor and then publisher at a major publishing house. In this interview, Jane speaks about the unique challenges of having to wear three hats that look kind of similar, but are in fact quite different. janegodwin.c...

In this conversation, James' guest Lili Wilkinson discusses the censorship of literature for young people, and how allowing them to 'experience' the lives of those outside their own world through books can lead to empathy,, kindness and understanding. Lili also reveals which bits she would cut and which she would keep in her hypothetical director's cut of Love Actually . liliwilkinson.com

Welcome back! It's the first episode for 2022, and Number 50 since we began the Mini-Masterclass podcast series. James' guest this episode is author, illustrator, TV writer and producer, screenwriter and more, Mick Elliott. They discuss how our younger generations of readers are growing up in a different world, with different stories, different ways of telling those stories, and different ways of...

What happens when a YA fiction writer and a poet get together to write a genre fiction novel, where they're both working on the same character and no one is designated driver? In this conversation, held at Daffodil Cottage, they discuss their "experimental" approach to collaboration.

This fortnight we feature a conversation with publisher and editor from  Tyle&Bateson Publishing ,  Leonie Tyle . She speaks with James Roy about the publishing prospects of new writers now, compared with thirty or more years ago, and the shift in thinking that may be required to claim your spot in the world of the published writer. 

Corporate coach, networking expert and media commentator Amanda Rose (amandarose.com.au and @theamandarose) shares her expert insights into how anyone trying to make a go of it in the business and/or creative world can make the most of the social media and networking tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. She discusses the business-like approach that is required to turn...

Award-winning children's and young adult writer and previous WestWords presenter, Wai Chim, recently appeared in Australian Survivor: Brains vs Brawn, which saw two teams of competitors face off in the Australian outback. Wai and made it through 44 of the 48 days in punishing conditions, to be in the final five out of 24, which was an incredible effort. In this Mini-Masterclass...

In this podcast, James Roy takes a closer look at Emma Coats' (@lawnrocket) legendary "22 Rules of Storytelling According to Pixar".

Fiona Murphy is an award-winning Deaf poet and author. Her work has been appeared in The Guardian , ABC , The Age , Kill Your Darlings , Overland , The Saturday Paper , Griffith Review , The Big Issue , and in many other outlets. Her debut memoir, The Shape of Sound , was released by Text Publishing in 2021. In this conversation with James Roy, Fiona talks about how to seek feedback, what kin...

Lifelong educator and champion of public libraries, Paula Kelly Paull, speaks with James about the journey of libraries, from public spaces to hallowed halls of learning, and all the way back to public spaces. Listen to the end for some tips on the role libraries can continue to play in a time of COVID.

Erica Wagner is a thirty-plus year veteran of the Australian publishing industry, and has worked at Penguin and Allen and Unwin, amongst others. In this conversation with James she discusses what publishers are looking for, how best to pitch your work, and even pitches her own idea about a boy with memory loss who becomes a frog.

Writer and former journalist - and current WestWords-Whitlam Institute Female Orphan School Writer-in-Residence Laura Greaves speaks with James Roy about some of the necessary ethical considerations one must make when writing historical fiction.

Kirsty Eagar (Raw Blue; Summer Skin) speaks about the process and the challenges involved in adapting her YA novel Raw Blue into a feature film.

Writer, journalist and WestWords Western Sydney Emerging Writing Fellow Emma O'Neill-Sandham speaks with James about looking for the unusual "monkey-fish" moments in people's stories and memories, and offers some useful tips for effectively and productively interviewing subjects.

James Knight recently prepared the text for the WestWords-MECA Refugee Week postcard project, and in this mini-masterclass he talks about the method he used to identify the threads of a bigger story so he could create short pieces that still had an impact.