James and Ashley Stay at Home

'If he wants to follow me, I can't stop him.' After a random encounter with poet and author Ellis Gunn at an auction, a stranger decides to stalk her. Years later, she sits down to write about the experience – and realises it's connected to a lifetime of gendered abuse, including surviving both sexual assault and domestic violence. In this wide-ranging and compelling interview, Ellis discusses wha...

If you've ever dreaded public speaking, this episode is for you! Author and podcaster Katherine Collette speaks about her charming new novel The Competition, which satirises the world of competitive speaking clubs. We explore why public speaking is so intimidating for most people. We also discuss Katherine's personal experience with public speaking clubs, and how they can build both confidence and...

38,000 people go missing every year in Australia, yet only a small number of these cases garner public interest. In 'The Missing Among Us,' author Erin Stewart explores the issue of missing persons from a variety of perspectives, including the lack of police resources that leave families leading their own searches, the Stolen Generations, and cults. And what drew Erin to the topic is just as fasci...

Fiona Robertson lived with migraines for years, writing short stories as a creative pursuit. Now she's free from migraines and the award-winning author of the debut short story collection, If You're Happy. Her work explores the lives of lonely people seeking happiness in a turbulent world.  She tells us about the common threads that bind her stories, why they're her chosen form, and how living wit...

Lech Blaine is the author of the memoir 'Car Crash' and the Quarterly Essay 'Top Blokes'. Here, he speaks to James and Ashley about the challenge of writing and releasing these two publications back to back during the pandemic, and the burnout that followed. He also discusses the epiphanies that writing a memoir can bring and the emotional toll of sharing so much vulnerability with readers.  His w...

When Dinuka McKenzie first sat down to write a novel, she had no dreams of publication or experience in the craft of fiction. She was the working mother of two young kids, feeling like everyone wanted something from her all the time, and in search of something that was purely for herself. Now she's the award-winning author of The Torrent, a police procedural set in small-town Australia. We talk to...

It's our 50th episode! Author Sarah Sentilles joins us to talk about her new memoir, Stanger Care. She discusses coping with unexpected loss, who counts as family, and how at heart, all of us are baby monkeys. She also shares how each of us can use our creativity to remake the world around us.  Stranger Care is a memoir of Sarah and her husband's experience with the foster system in Idaho and the...

***Warning! Spoilers for Earthlings by Sayaka Murata in this episode*** After arguing about the intense and disturbing ending to Earthlings by Sayaka Murata in episode 45 , James and Ashley rope past guest Jacinta Dietrich into returning to the podcast to try and figure out what might happened in the novel's closing pages. If you've read Earthlings, you know what we mean! If you haven't – well, As...

How do we build community and a sense of self after loss, especially the kind of loss that echoes for generations? James and Ashley speak with Australian Sri Lankan author Shankari Chandran about her new novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, and how her efforts to find connection in the writing community echo her Tamil family's work to build community after being dispossessed from their homeland i...

The last episode for 2021 is a special bonus interview with Michelle Tom, who James and Ashley first spoke to in episode 38 (the most downloaded episode of the year). As part of Avid Reader 's Festival of Cancelled Events, James joined Michelle in conversation for an online event to discuss her memoir, 'Ten Thousand Aftershocks.' This event took place on October 18 2021.  A video recording of this...

The best (and most!) book recommendations of the year! We share the 'What Are You Reading?' highlights from a wide range of our 2021 guests, including Nardi Simpson, David Vann, Kavita Bedford, Luke Stegemann, Ruhi Lee, Joanna Nell, Fiona Murphy, Heather Taylor Johnson, Jacinta Dietrich and – of course – James and Ashley.  Books discussed in this episode (all 44 of them): Bindi by Kirli Saunders T...

James and Ashley speak with Melbourne-based author Jacinta Dietrich about her debut book 'This Is Us Now', which explores a young couple's relationship as one of them faces a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Based on her boyfriend's experience of surviving lymphoma, the book explores two individuals who don't know where their relationship is going and have to figure out how they feel about each oth...

CSI: TASMANIA, the Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, is happening 27 & 28 November 2021, and it's entirely online! In this bonus ep, James and Ashley speak to festival director and author LJM Owen about this year's festival highlights. (This isn't a paid promo, we just love connecting readers and writers.)   TAF2021 - CSI: TASMANIA online, 27 & 28 November 2021 Tasmania's Internationa...

James is back! He and Ashley chat about his recent CIDP relapse and ongoing recovery, and how his perspective on living with chronic illness has shifted. Thankfully, the steroids haven't affected his sense of humour.   Disclaimer: None of the information in this episode is medical advice, and if you're concerned about your own health, you should consult a proper medical professional.  Books and au...

Ashley's on her own again, and without James around, things get really earnest really fast. She shares ten of her favourite quotes from a variety of books, summarising 'The Most True Things She Knows About Life and Writing' (one of them, at least, is funny.) Then she does a deepdive #WhatAreYouReading into Rutger Bregman's 'Humankind: A Hopeful History,' recommended by recent guest Lyn Yeowart. Bo...

Ashley interviews author and editor Heather Taylor-Johnson. When Heather was diagnosed with Ménière's disease at age 25, one of the many things it meant was quitting skydiving. She discusses how more than two decades of living with chronic illness have inspired her writing and led to the anthology 'Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of Illness and Chronic Pain'. She also shares Van Gogh's misdiagn...

James and Ashley interview David Heska Wanbli Weiden about his multi-award-winning debut novel 'Winter Counts.' In it, they discuss the shocking American laws that let crimes on Native American Reservations go unpunished, the importance of food in cultural reclamation, and the marvel of Carhenge. Learn more about David on his website , and buy a copy of Winter Counts from your local bookshop ,  Bo...

James and Ashley interview Lyn Yeowart, author of the rural-noir thriller, 'The Silent Listener.' In it, they discuss how Lyn's own childhood shaped the events in the book, the fascinating world of synesthesia, and why it's never too late to start writing.  Learn more about Lyn on her website , and buy a copy of 'The Silent Listener' from your local bookshop ,  Booktopia  or wherever else books ar...

James and Ashley interview Michelle Tom about her stunning memoir 'Ten Thousand Aftershocks.' In it, they discuss the captivating and highly original structure of Michelle's book, the strange parallels between childhood trauma and earthquakes, and the transformative power of owning your narrative.  Learn more about Michelle on her website , and buy a copy of Ten Thousand Aftershocks from your loca...

James and Ashley interview Kay Kerr and Anna Whateley, neurodiverse authors of young-adult fiction. In it, Kay and Anna discuss their journeys to diagnosis as adults, their upcoming second books, and their remarkable friendship. Learn more about Kay on her website , and buy a copy of her debut novel 'Please Don't Hug Me' from your local bookshop ,  Booktopia  or wherever else books are sold.  Lear...

James and Ashley interview Fiona Murphy about her memoir 'The Shape of Sound.' In it, they discuss the complexities of Deaf culture and identity, the corrosive power of secrets, and the challenges of being deaf in the healthcare industry.  Learn more about Fiona on her website , and buy a copy of The Shape of Sound from your local bookshop ,  Booktopia  or wherever else books are sold.  Books and...

James and Ashley are interviewed by Amy Lovat of Secret Book Stuff (who they interviewed in episode 34 ), for Amy & Laura's radio show 'Reading Makes You Better in Bed.' In it, they discuss reading habits, the history of James and Ashley's podcast, and whether or not reading really does make you better in bed. This interview originally aired on Newcastle Live Radio on June 25 2021.  You can learn...

James and Ashley interview Amy and Laura, multitalented writers, social entrepreneurs, and radio hosts/podcasters from Newcastle, NSW. In it, they discuss the story behind Secret Book Stuff, transformative writing, and, of course, why reading makes you better in bed.  You can learn more about Secret Book Stuff on their website , follow them on Instagram and Facebook , or explore their various radi...

James and Ashley interview GP and author Joanna Nell about her new novel 'The Great Escape from Woodland's Nursing Home.' In it, they discuss positive ageing, the challenges faced by Australia's aged care system, and the runaway success of the 'uplit' genre. Learn more about Joanna on her website , and buy a copy of 'The Great Escape from Woodland's Nursing Home' from  your local bookshop ,  Bookt...

James and Ashley interview RWR McDonald about his new novel 'Nancy Business,' follow-up to the bestselling 'The Nancys.' In it, they discuss the parallels between the original girl detective Nancy Drew and The Nancys' Tippy Chan, the art of balancing the humorous and heavy in fiction writing, and the physical toll of a creative life.  Learn more about Rob on his website , and buy a copy of 'Nancy...