Hembury Books Podcast

Safety first: How one mum’s experience is helping carers and childrenGul Salih is a passionate educator with over 20 years shaping young minds in primary classrooms. But it was a terrifying moment as a mother, when her own son went missing in public, that changed everything. That fear sparked a mission: to give children practical tools for staying safe. Her book, Red Light, Green Light, follows a...

Hembury Books Podcast - For the love of books: How Book Towns help communities thrive If you love reading and get excited by books, you might have joined a book club. But have you ever visited a Book Town? Book Towns thrive on visitors and locals who are passionate about the printed word. From Wales in the UK to Australia's own Clunes, these communities are vibrant hubs for readers, writers an...

Hembury Books Podcast - Why Aged Care and Estate Planning Need to Be Talked About Together Tony de Kort is the founder of Financial Aged Care Entry Solutions (FACES), who brings over 40 years in financial services to help families navigate aged care decisions with clarity and confidence. Alongside him is his son, Sebastiaan de Kort, director of FACES, whose commercial background in operations and...

Hembury Books Podcast - How strengthening your psychology increases your resiliencePeter Charleston has spent over 30 yearshelping people break through limitations and build the life skills to truly thrive. He is a speaker, author, coach, and psychologist, and the founder of a leading Melbourne psychology practice. Known for blending compassion with no-nonsense insight, Peter has appeared as an ex...

Hembury Books Podcast - Truth, silence, and the stories we refuse to bury Onyeka Nwelue is a Nigerian writer, filmmaker, and jazz musician whose restless curiosity has taken him from anthropology to African literature studies across four continents. Author of more than 50 books, including the award-winning The Strangers of Braamfontein – praised by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka – he's held acade...

Hembury Books Podcast - The Ups and Downs of Mostly UpsKerryn Harvey’s life changed when she lost her right arm to a flesh-eating bacterium in 2013. A survivor, she is now dedicated to empowering other people to live active and meaningful lives. When she’s not competing as a triathlete or running her personal training business, she is cheering for AFL team Collingwood at the MCG. Connect with Kerr...

Tracey Spicer AM is an award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster, renowned for her decades anchoring national programs for ABC, Network Ten and Sky News. Her best-selling book, Man-Made, was the result of seven years of investigative research into artificial intelligence. It won the Social Responsibility category at the Australian Business Book Awards and was long-listed for a Walkley Book...

Hembury Books Podcast - Trading fame for freedom: How the Tin Man found his heart Known to many for his appearances on The Bachelorette Australia and Bachelor in Paradise Australia, Davey Lloyd spent years chasing his next high through drugs, alcohol, sex and fame. His memoir, Tin Man: Why I Traded Sex, Drugs & Parties for Sobriety is a raw and brutally honest account of fame, addiction and re...

Hembury Books Podcast - Books to television with Elliot BlakeElliot Blake is an Emmy-winning animation producer, former Amazon Studios production and development executive, and writer. He is the executive producer of the animated Apple TV kids series The Sisters Grimm, the EP and director of the flagship Audible Original series Moriarty, and the author of the forthcoming science fiction novella In...

Hembury Books Podcast - E.J. Johnson on the legacy of PTSD in veterans in historical fictionEdward Johnson has worked as a barrister in workplace relations, a tribunal advocate for Victorian trade unions and a foreign languages teacher in France and Australia. His debut novel Blight tracks Australia’s military presence in Singapore throughout WW2, and is inspired by his father’s experiences as a C...

Hembury Books Podcast - At 63, Tami Lou Castillo's father became her true self: a trans-woman Tami Lou Castillo is a global educator who has taught literature, writing and curriculum design across the US and Australia for thirty years. With a background in scholarly writing, she is a debut memoirist who enjoys running, traveling and reading. Connect with Tami Lou Castillo: Instagram: https://www.i...

Hembury Books Podcast - The Sisterhood of Mary publishes books of faith with Hembury Sister Elpida is the leader of the Sisterhood. Norwegian born, she spent 14 years in the headquarters in Germany where she learnt directly from the founder, Mother Basilea’s, tutelage. In her leadership role, Sister Elpida supports the community with wisdom, perseverance, and a wealth of lived experience. Sister A...

Hembury Books Podcast - Beyond Burnout: Elizabeth Blackley & Steven Puri on High Performance Elizabeth Blackley, founder and managing director of NeoConnections, brings The Pause into organisations seeking clarity, connection, and better ways of working. Working across Australia and the United States, she applies a global perspective to designing environments and practices that leverage human...

Kim Pavy has worked across medical, surgical, midwifery, neonatal intensive care and now geriatric nursing. Starting with research articles before writing short stories and poems, she has published her first novel, Love Amongst the Fear. She practices Tai Chi and artmaking in her home on the North Coast of NSW which she shares with her dog Ruby. Connect with Kim Pavy: Instagram: https://www.instag...

Kate Purcell is an author, speaker and peer worker whose work is motivated by her own experiences with eating disorders. She writes to help others find the hope they are missing and joins readers on their journey. Kate lives in Perth WA with her partner, Leon, and their fur-baby, Pan. Connect with Kate Purcell: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purcellkate?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&a...

Charbel Raish is the founder of Parousia Media, a distribution company that aims to form people in the faith. He travels widely to promote his book, How Islam Led me Back to Christ (2020). He is also married with nine children. Connect with Charbel Raish: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charbelraish?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Hayley Hughes is an Australian author and working mother who writes to heal. In 2024, burnout compelled Hayley to leave her successful senior management career to pursue a more fulfilling life. These experiences led to Thank You, Burnout, a powerful memoir about self-discovery and transformation. Connect with Hayley Hughes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleyhughesauthor?utm_source=ig_web_b...

Born in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Karen Hamilton is an audio typist turned true crime writer. After working with the police as a typist for 25 years, Karen began writing true crime to work through harrowing personal experiences. Nightmare on Cromwell Street is her debut novel and chronicles her time spent living with infamous British serial killers, Fred and Rose West. Kathleen Richards, is origin...

David Ryan has loved AFL since he was six, following first South Adelaide Panthers and then Geelong Cats. As an adult, he played football in Adelaide Hills. His passion eventually led to a Creative Writing PhD exploring the relationship between the sport and community in Victoria. Two of David’s three children are also diehard Cats’ supporters. Anna Spargo-Ryan is an Australian author, scriptwrite...

Patti Miller is the author of ten books, both fiction and nonfiction, including Australia’s best-selling life writing texts, Writing Your Life, The Memoir Book and Writing True Stories. Her work is critically acclaimed across all genres. She is published regularly in literary journals and national newspapers and magazines including the SMH, The Guardian, The Age and The Australian. She has been a...

Chris Munnery has worked in the Australian publishing Industry for over twenty years and is currently the Senior Key Account Manager at IngramSpark Australia. IngramSpark is the Print on Demand self-publishing arm of the Ingram Content Group which has a 40,000+ global book distribution network for both online sales and brick and mortar bookstores and libraries. The vision for IngramSpark’s future...

Josh Bernoff is an expert on business books and how they can propel thinkers to prominence. Books he has written or collaborated on have generated over $20 million for their authors. More than 50 authors have endorsed Josh’s Build a Better Business Book: How to Plan, Write, and Promote a Book That Matters, a comprehensive guide for business authors. Authors can subscribe to his advice with the Ber...

Pip Harry is a bestselling Australian children's author and editor. Her middle grade novel The Little Wave won the 2020 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. August & Jones won the CBCA Shadow Judging Book of the Year, voted by school students. Her new titles include The Inside Dog, ABIA-shortlisted Over or Under? Young adult verse novel Drift...

Julia Ferracane has more than 30 years of experience in publicity and public relations and has held roles as the Arts and Publishing Publicist at both The Australian Ballet and Penguin Random House Australia. In her current work, she partners with authors across traditional, indie, hybrid publishing and self published. She also works with creatives and arts organisations. Julia is passionate about...

Lauren and Alana are the co-founders of Book World Magazine and Book World Club, two rapidly growing book-world brands built on storytelling, community and bringing readers together. What began as a simple idea for a fresh and reader-friendly magazine has grown into an international publication and has been read in more than 22 countries. Alongside the magazine, Book World Club offers guided book...