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 Simon...

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 practi...

'For me, the only decision was to put myself out there and become more of service to others.'   Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim speaks with James about his diagnosis and life with CIDP, the same autoimmune condition James lives with. Michael discusses his childhood and Olympic career, how his worsening health affected his mental health, and how he ultimately decided to become vocal about his c...

What's it like putting your creative work out in the world and discovering that some people hate it?  In episode 103 of James and Ashley Stay at Home, international bestselling author Robyn Harding joins James and Ashley to explore her extensive career in writing. She shares her experience of releasing her first book in 2004, and how her journey has evolved up to the launch of her latest novel, Th...

'I wasn't even sure I was going to write a novel.'  Author Zahid Gamieldien joins us to discuss his debut novel, All the Missing Children. Zahid speaks about his start writing short stories, his decision to transition to novel writing based on the advice of a publisher, and how he sees the differences between prose and screenwriting.  He also speaks about the challenge of fitting in writing time w...

'I didn't believe that I'd stalked my partner.'  In episode 101, we speak with debut author Khin Myint about the multiple strands of biography he explores in his memoir Fragile Creatures. One of these is the sudden and extreme betrayal he faced from his ex-partner, who accused him of stalking her.  We also discuss the ambiguous illness his sister Theda lived with for years, at times diagnosed as d...

We 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 ou...

'There are so many books in bookstores, how could it possibly be that, by complete randomness, someone would pick yours up?'  Author Siang Lu joins us to discuss his second novel, Ghost Cities, and the multilayered inspirations behind his multilayered fiction, including Catch-22 and Paradise Lost.  We also discuss talent stacking, the challenge of building an author brand and Siang's novel approac...

We've made it to episode 98! Author Imbi Neeme joins James and Ashley to discuss life with misophonia, a hypersensitivity to sounds that she describes as 'like a cheese grater against the brain'. Imbi speaks both about how she discovered that her personal experiences are shared by others, and how she's explored the condition in her latest novel, 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not.' They als...

Throughout their careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. Now, they're each sharing a few of their most effective writing techniques (starting with episode 94 - James' shortcut to compelling characters). In this episode, Ashley gives a mini-masterclass on narrative drive and shares some revelations inspired by a book she refuse...

'The doctors were telling me, "We're going to take your greater omentum out" … I had no idea what these terms meant.'  In episode 96, author Tracy Sorensen joins us to discuss her remarkable novel/cancer memoir, The Vitals, narrated by her internal organs. After her original cancer diagnosis, a desire to better understand her body led Tracy to crochet her peritoneal organs. This in turn helped her...

'I had thought I was going to be like Harper Lee. I was going to write one book, it was going to be a massive global success, and then I would go into hiding.'  Hear from award-winning Irish author Liz Nugent, whose novel Strange Sally Diamond may have turned Ashley into a total fangirl.  Liz discusses her journey from a childhood accident leading to dystonia, to finding success and self-confidenc...

Throughout their writing careers, James and Ashley have each picked up some excellent writing tricks, plus developed a few of their own. In the coming months, they'll each share a few of their most effective writing techniques, starting with James' shortcut to compelling characters.  British science-fiction author Karen Traviss writes remarkably nuanced characters. She also writes remarkably quick...

'I kept this condition very, very secret from everybody.' Adele Dumont's remarkable new memoir, The Pulling, details her life with trichotillomania — a mental health condition that, at times, has consumed her life. In this episode, she discusses the unique writing process that enabled her to put long-held secrets first on the page and then into the public sphere. She also describes the impact of r...

'The whole concept of transplantation still blows me away. There is something a bit magical about it. But as with most things people do, it can also find ways to blow up in people's faces.'  Author and neuropsychologist Kylie Ladd joins us to speak about her latest book, 'I'll Leave You with This.' She shares her research into the incredible science of human organ and tissue donation, and the fami...

If you listen to James and Ashley Stay at Home, you know that both Ashley and James credit much of their skill development to their writers group. And they're not the only ones! You can hear rom com author Jonathon Shannon  talk about what he learned from the group, as well as  literary fiction author Amy Lovat . Like Ashley and James, they joined as aspiring writers, and their manuscripts have go...

The tables are turned! Recorded live at the Inaugural Boorowa Literary Festival, festival director, book lover, and all-round excellent human Jeremy Clarke interviews James and Ashley.    Learn more about the Absolutely Superb Bibliothèque and Occasional Wine Bar and its upcoming literary events here !   Hear the James and Ashley Stay at Home origin story! Discover the connection between wine bars...

It's books wrap-up season! James and Ashley are getting on the bandwagon and discussing their favourite reads from 2023 in the first annual 'Bed on a Plinth Awards.' Books and authors discussed in this episode (warning: spoilers!): Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt Crushing by Genevieve Novak The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane Desire by Jessie Cole Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo A S...

Our most popular episode of the year is back! James has gathered the best 'What Are You Reading?' segments from 2023 into a comprehensive summary of book recommendations from our guests.   We discuss a huge variety of books, including thriller, mystery, memoir, rom com, literature, essays, poetry, nonfiction, plays and audiobooks. We also delve into reading habits. Do you read several books at a t...

'I wanted to find compassion for me and for any writer out there who's doing the best they can but it's not working out the way they planned.'   Author Laurie Steed shares how crippling anxiety affected both his literary career and his experience of fatherhood. Before he could address the anxiety, he first had to unlearn the lessons around masculinity that prevented him from expressing vulnerabili...

'When I was a lawyer, I knew what was good enough, because if you did the job properly, you were paid, and if you didn't do the job properly, you were sued. It was very clear-cut. With writing, you never know. There's a lot of subjectivity.' James speaks with Penguin Literary Prize winning author Annette Higgs about her debut novel, On a Bright Hillside in Paradise. They discuss the process of res...

Ashley reveals the inspiration behind the twists and turns in her bestselling psychological thriller, Dark Mode .  Together with return guest Jacinta Dietrich and self-described enthusiastic reader Ali Thomas, Ashley and James delve into every scintillating Dark Mode detail they normally can't discuss, including the novel's real-life inspirations.   Jacinta Dietrich is the author of This Is Us Now...

'I was still in that really optimistic, sort of naive, wonderful space as an early writer, where you think everything you write is just publishable.' Debut author Jonathon Shannon shares his journey from aspiring writer to published author – including the decision to join James and Ashley's writers' group.  We discuss how he took his debut romcom from a four-word pitch to a publishing contract, th...

'I conflate so many experiences throughout my life with the level of pain I was in at the time.' Amy Lovat, debut author of Mistakes and Other Lovers and founder of Secret Book Stuff, gets real with us about the challenges of maintaining a creative practice with endometriosis. She also discusses writing about the dark side of modern evangelical Christianity, setting her novel in her hometown of Ne...

After Indira Naidoo lost her sister to suicide during the pandemic lockdowns, she unexpectedly found herself turning to nature to help her heal. Speaking with Ashley, Indira shares the journey through grief that led to her memoir 'The Space Between the Stars,' including her relationship with an especially consoling Moreton Bay fig. She describes the challenge of writing the book when she struggled...