Paperback Perfumes

“And I will remember your small room the feel of you the light in the window your records your books our morning coffee…” - Charles Bukowski, Raw with Love This week, I sit down with self-taught perfumer Marie-Pierre Blanchette, whose creations blend art, emotion, and storytelling through scent. We explore her Rococo collection—a celebration of joy, pleasure, and the subtle politics of beauty. Mar...

“My purpose is to echo the ancient truth of culture in an expression deeply rooted in Aboriginal songlines and memory codes.” - Lee Couch In this episode, I’m joined by Gamilaroi woman and founder of LA COUCH , Lee Couch. Lee shares her journey of cultural understanding and the powerful role scent plays in healing, memory, and connection to Country. We talk about sacred scents, traditional bush me...

“Sniff, Sniff, Sniff! Haddock and hay, Pizza and penguins, and farther away The smell of the thief, and - how very exciting - Thousands of pages all covered in writing!” - Julia Donaldson & Sara Ogilvie, The Detective Dog In this episode, I’m joined by Tammy Burnstock, whose work explores the rich intersections between scent, cinema, and storytelling. Tammy describes her practice as scent arch...

“ Perfume is substance and spirit. It must be a story, a myth, long before people wear it. ” - Michael Edwards, Perfume Legends In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Edwards, one of the most influential voices in the fragrance world. Known as the creator of Fragrances of the World and the fragrance wheel, Michael has transformed the way we talk about, understand, and choose perfumes. Our conversa...

“Once Upon a Time, at the beginning of Everything, there were two spirits with no names and no desires other than to observe. ” - Pia Long, Demo Accords In this episode, I’m joined by Finnish-born, UK-based perfumer and author Pia Long, co-founder of Olfiction and Eau de Boujee. With a career spanning four decades, Pia sees scent as a form of communication and perfume as bottled stories, shaped by...

“Seek awe and nature daily... show kindness; practise grace; eschew vanity; be bold; embrace friends, family, faith and doubt, imperfection and mess; and live deliberately.” ― Julia Baird, Phosphorescence: On Awe, Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Carr, founder of Barnes Fragrance Fair and co-founder of We Wear Perfume . Amanda has be...

“Virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when it is crushed.” ― Baroness Emmuska Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel In this episode I’m joined by Katrina Cochrane, founder of Archer Farrar Perfume Atelier. Katrina’s journey into natural perfumery began with her love for plants and aromatherapy, and today, she creates stunning perfumes using only the finest sustainably sourced botanicals. We discus...

“What you’re trying to say is that it’s easier for you to hide in your own darkness, than emerge cloaked in your own vulnerability. No better, but easier. However, the longer you hold it in, the more likely you are to suffocate. At some point, you must breathe.” ― Caleb Azumah Nelson, Open Water In this episode of Paperback Perfumes , I’m joined by UK-based writer and podcaster Haydn, whose work e...

“And in their corner all they had was Murderbot, who just wanted everyone to shut up and leave it alone so it could watch the entertainment feed all day.” ― Martha Wells, All Systems Red This episode’s guest is Anjali Vandemark, an artisanal perfumer and writer based on Bainbridge Island, WA. Born and raised in India, Anjali’s early life was steeped in the rich aromas of tropical flowers, attars,...

"We don't just travel on roads and seas. We travel in stories and in dreams." ― Joanne Harris, Vianne This episode’s guest is Sarah McCartney, owner and perfumer of the artisan fragrance house, 4160 Tuesdays. Sarah is a self-taught perfumer with a background in writing, and her work is known for blending playfulness with complexity—often drawing on personal memories, cultural touchstones, and stor...

“There was no stopping us now. We had running water, a heater, a cooker and a road. We were fast becoming slaves again to all the things we had come to this benighted spot to flee.” ― Chris Stewart, Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía In this episode I talk with Helida Dodd, founder of Marabella Perfumes. Helida shares her unexpected journey from a career in industrial engineering and su...

“Absence is the figure of privation; simultaneously, I desire and I need. Desire is squashed against need: that is the obsessive phenomenon of all amorous sentiment.” ― Roland Barthes, A Lover's Discourse: Fragments In this episode, Liam Sardea, philosopher of aesthetics and Brand Experience Manager at NOAH, discusses the transformative power of creativity and imagination in everyday life. Drawing...

“He looked at the walls, awed at the heights his people had achieved and for a moment -- just a moment -- all that lay behind him passed from view.” ― Herbert Mason Translation, The Epic of Gilgamesh Ashek Zubayer, the talented perfumer behind the innovative Byermia fragrances, shares his fascinating and unique journey into the captivating world of perfumery in this episode. Throughout our convers...

Be it Pine, Juniper or Bay - Tanin, Resin, Leaf Litter, Wood Smoke or Quinine… This episode explores the rich, invisible world of smell — and I use that word very deliberately — with my guest Frauke Galia, host of An Aromatic Life , a podcast that elevates the sense of smell in a world dominated by sight and sound. Together, we dive into how fragrance can shape identity, stir memory, and deepen em...

“An android,” he said, “doesn’t care what happens to another android. That’s one of the indications we look for." “Then,” Miss Luft said, “you must be an android.” ― Philip K. Dick In this episode I’m joined by content creator, photographer, and fellow sci-fi geek LC James to explore the fragrant and philosophical depths of Philip K. Dick’s literary work Together, we dive into the ethical implicat...

“ The first function of mythology is showing everything as a metaphor to transcendence”.  - Joseph Campbell In this episode, I sit down with Michael Nordstrand, a renowned perfumer and the visionary founder of Mythologist Studio. Michael takes us on an aromatic journey into the world of perfumery, where he reveals the profound importance of mythology and storytelling in the creation of fragra...

“How cyclical and bittersweet for a child to retrace the image of their mother. For a subject to turn back to document their archivist.” ― Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart This episode’s guest is Thomas Dunckley — fragrance expert, six-time Jasmine Award winner, and the voice behind the much-loved blog The Candy Perfume Boy . Thomas has made it his mission to make perfume accessible, joyful, and...

“People need things like perfume and poetry, music and art more than ever during times like this. People need to remember the simple joys in life. If you forget, if life loses its colour then they have won. Those cowardly, heartless bastards have won.” ― Kate Lord Brown, The Perfume Garden In this episode we explore the House of James, a fragrance house that treats scent as a form of storytelling....

“Already your future has been planned out. There is not much choice about what to become in the small town where you live . . .” ― Adelle Stripe, Base Notes: the scents of a life This episode’s guest is Dr. Adelle Stripe — a Sunday Times best-selling author whose remarkable work dives deep into the rich heart of Northern England’s complex cultural and working-class history. Her impressive body of...

“The time I think of you the most is when the sun comes up. The moment before, the minute or two, when night yawns for morning and the sea starts to separate from the sky.” ― Emma Stonex, The Lamplighters In this episode’s guests are Juliette Fournier and Richard Adamson from NSW-based Hart + Hedi. Juliette, a former fashion designer, and Richard, a brewer and part owner of Young Henry's, share th...

“Kya knew judgment had no place here. Evil was not in play, just life pulsing on, even at the expense of some of the players. Biology sees right and wrong as the same color in different light.” - Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing This episode’s guest is Aysha Hansen, a passionate perfumer with a fascinating story. Aysha shares her unique journey from being a fragrance lover to becoming a profes...

Smells s enrich our life experiences like colours on a canvas. When asked to reflect on their sense of smell, people often have many a story to tell… In this episode, we have a slightly different focus, thanks to the fascinating work of our guest, Erin Adams. Erin is behind Smell Art, a unique blend of art and science that explores the power of scent. Her journey into olfactory art began in 2007 a...

“Can you walk the road your dream goes? Sometimes. Sometimes I am afraid to. Who is not.” -Ursula K. Le Guin Dr Caroline McMillan is a researcher, designer, speaker, olfactory art expert, and smell tech founder and we discuss science fiction and possible futures of olfactive design. Dr McMillan’s work has been featured at SXSW, Cannes Lions, CTM Festival Berlin, Holitopia Festival, the BR41N.io re...

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh.” Storytelling is key in creating fragrances and how scents connect to our emotions. Using Pema Chodron’s ideas on change and fear, Karen Gilbert helps examine how these themes relate to personal gro...

“I should like to bury something precious in every place where I've been happy and then, when I'm old and ugly and miserable, I could come back and dig it up and remember.” Fliss Walton returns to the podcast to engage in a thoughtful discussion about Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited,' a novel that stands out as one of her all-time favourite books. Waugh’s has a beautifully light touch when it...