James and Ashley Stay at Home

Mark Brandi is the author of four novels, including his latest, Southern Aurora. He joins us to discuss how a short story he began in 2015 became his newest novel, his choice to set the story in rural Australia in the 1980s, and how he writes so convincingly from a child's point of view. We also talk about sustaining yourself creatively over multiple books.  Plus, who's going to die first – Ashley...

It wasn't until a year into working on her novel 'Madukka the River Serpent' that Julie Janson decided to make it a crime novel. At once a story of corporate greed, environmental destruction and government inaction, 'Madukka the River Serpent' also celebrates older women who hold their families together in the face of extreme challenges. In this episode, Julie discusses the writing of her first cr...

How can winning an artistic residency impact your creative career? Hear from four Australian authors about their experiences entering and winning the ASA/Varuna Ray Koppe Young Writers Fellowship, and how their careers have developed since.  Hannah Bent is the author of When Things Are Alive They Hum . She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Film from Central Saint Martins School of Art...

The idea for Karina May's novel came to her while she was in the ICU, recovering from brain surgery. In this open-hearted interview, Karina shares the experience of living with a brain tumour for two decades before undergoing multiple surgeries to have it removed, and the resulting anxiety and creative inspiration she experienced.  Despite now being the author of the popular romcom 'Duck à l'Orang...

'There's a reason that this has happened. Science could predict this outcome for me, even though I feel like I'm in constant chaos.' Anna Spargo-Ryan is the author of the memoir A Kind of Magic . In this illuminating interview, she describes the gap between what science understands and what she's experienced over a lifetime of mental illness. Anna speaks about the profound impact one 'silly' sugge...

Author Lee Kofman returns to discuss her hugely popular writing memoir and guide, The Writer Laid Bare – James's favourite book of 2022! Lee dives into the concept of emotional honesty and 'nonesty' in writing and life, and why it's essential to her practice.  We also discuss the importance of reading as writers and her recommendation to 'read up'. Lee explores how writers can ensure they're not w...

Does anxiety go hand-in-hand with creative ambition Psychologist Sanchana Venkatesh joins Ashley and James to discuss the positives of creativity for mental wellbeing and the common problem of creative anxiety.  An emerging writer herself, she's familiar with the types of anxiety common to creatives. She delves into why we often can't just sit down and have fun with our creativity, provides advice...

A garden shop owner goes out for her morning run and discovers the body of a woman who looks just like her. As more murders shake the city, she fears her past is catching up with her.  A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel 'Dark Mode' delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time. A...

Keen for insights into how to get an agent and a book publisher? This is the ep for you!  This is one of four weekly mini-episodes in celebration of the March 1st Australian release day! A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time. Y...

Ashley wrote 40,000 words into the first draft of Dark Mode before scrapping most of it and restarting. Then she ploughed through to the end of a clunky draft in order to create a scene-by-scene outline of the plot mechanics. The outline became the blueprint for the next major revision – the one that landed her an agent. In this ep, Ashley also talks about how she draws on her writers' group (or a...

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Ashley's debut novel Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time. But it didn't start there! Ashley began the manuscript while recovering from a major rejection, and envisioned it as Black Mirror inspired spec fic. Hear how the manuscript developed into...

What happens when your job results in PTSD, forcing you into unexpected retirement? You write a memoir, of course! At least, that's what Dr Hilton Koppe did when he suddenly had to leave his practice as a rural GP.  Hilton speaks to James and Ashley about his PTSD diagnosis, the secret of work/life, how he turned to creative writing as a form of therapeutic intervention, and seeking permission to...

This special episode gathers the best 'What Are You Reading?' segments from 2022 into a comprehensive summary of book recommendations from Australian and international authors. These well-informed highlights will give you plenty of last-minute gift solutions and ideas for how to spend your Christmas gift cards! Plus, James and Ashley each declare their book of the year for 2022.  Books discussed i...

'When I sat down to write, it felt like I had killed someone.' Hayley Scrivenor opens up about managing creative anxiety, what it means to write through our feelings, and the experience of having her novel 'Dirt Town' debut as a number one Australian bestseller. Plus James turns the interview into a therapy session. Hayley Scrivenor is the author of 'Dirt Town', published as 'Dirt Creek' in North...

'I regard my seventh book, Curlews on Vulture Street ... as my first real writing. You know, this is the one I'm most proud of. It was the biggest challenge and the one I enjoyed the most.' Urban ecologist and noted bird guy Darryl Jones joins us to share his transition from popular science to narrative nonfiction writer.    Darryl discusses the importance of having a beginner's mindset, what life...

How do you work through a major edit on your book when you have a traumatic brain injury? And how do you write about the death of a loved one while you're grieving? Jackie Bailey, author of debut novel 'The Eulogy ' and professional deathwalker, joins us to discuss her experience with both. Jackie Bailey is a professional writer and researcher and a recognised international expert on cultural dive...

Author Al Campbell joins us to discuss her debut book 'The Keepers,' a fictionalised account of her own life both as the mother of two autistic boys and the survivor of an abusive parent.  Al shares the reasons behind her choice to write fiction instead of memoir, what people don't realise about the life of a full-time carer, and the struggle for disability advocacy.  'The Keepers' is a contempora...

***Warning! Spoilers for Denizen by James McKenzie Watson in this episode*** Heads up, this episode of James and Ashley Stay at Their Respective Homes in Separate Cities is full of spoilers for Denizen . If you haven't read Denizen yet, you can still enjoy reading about our special double-guest episode, and then get even more excited to go and read Denizen so you can listen without spoiler concern...

Author Bronwyn Birdsall joins us to discuss the writing of her first novel, 'Time and Tide in Sarajevo,' and her life after chronic fatigue syndrome. We discuss living with a mindset of rest and recovery, moving overseas and reinventing yourself, and the question at the heart of the book – how do we find hope in a world that feels beyond repair?   As always, nothing in this episode is intended as...

Ashley's got some exciting news she's been bursting to share, and you're just going to have to listen to this episode to find out what it is!  Read more here !  Get in touch! Ashley's website:  ashleykalagianblunt.com Ashley's Twitter:  @AKalagianBlunt Ashley's Instagram:  @akalagianblunt James' website:  jamesmckenziewatson.com James' Twitter:  @JamesMcWatson James' Instagram:  @jamesmcwatson

This special episode is a recording of Denizen's online launch, which was live-streamed on Thursday July 21, two days after Denizen's release. It was one of a series of launch events, alongside in-person events in Dubbo and Sydney, and ahead of tonight's Melbourne launch (6:30pm August 3 at Readings Emporium - there's still time to book! ) The event was hosted by Dani Vee of the Words and Nerds po...

'Denizen,' the Penguin Literary Prize winning novel from James McKenzie Watson is finally out in the world! In this episode, Ashley asks James about the experience of taking 'Denizen' from idea to published novel. He shares insights into how to seriously improve your writing craft and how to understand your work as a reflection of your life. James also answers the big question – what does his mum...

In this bonus episode, James and Ashley share an episode from a brand new podcast series called Queer Writes Sessions (QWS), a Words and Nerds Podcast spin-off series in partnership with Blarney Books & Art. The series is hosted by R.W.R. McDonald, who we interviewed in episode 32. Each month, QWS Podcast will interview a LGBTIQA+ writer and shout-out books and authors from our rainbow communities...

After a broken finger brought on a debilitating illness, author Rae Cairns lost two years as her doctors searched for the right treatment. A bad reaction to drugs caused her hair to fall out. When her health had stabilised enough for her to return to writing, she lost her literary agent. Undeterred, Rae self-published her novel. After being shortlisted for a major award, she had a new agent and a...

In her exploration of life in rural Australia, author Yumna Kassab draws on horror, crime and gothic inspiration to craft a thematically linked experiment in form and style. She speaks to us about her own experiences of rural life and how her science background has influenced her experimental approach to writing. Plus, James pitches her writing on the Pilliga as Australia's answer to The Blair Wit...