Secrets from the Green Room

Karen and Irma discuss how to craft a good sentence. Then Irma talks to Eliza Henry-Jones about why ‘paddock beanbagging’ is her preferred way to write, how writing a novel every year since she was 14 helped her understand her world, how difficult it was to first be published at the age of 25, why as a writer she is a ‘chaos demon’, how having a child changed her as a writer, why she wrote Salt an...

Karen and Irma discuss book tours. Then Irma chats with Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker about the process of ghostwriting (or co-writing) Aaron’s memoir, how they tackled sensitive subjects like suicide, racism and Aaron’s domestic violence history, the decision-making process on what to include and what to not, why Aaron almost pulled the project many times but ultimately never did, how M...

Karen and Irma talk about presenting at sales conferences. Then Irma chats with Robbie Arnott about his ‘chaotic’ writing process, how landscapes inspire him and how he approaches writing about climate change to avoid being preachy, why his first book rejection really knocked his confidence, the way he fictionalised family history to avoid friction with family members, how a background in advertis...

Irma and Karen chat about festivals and events they’ve been attending.  Then Karen talks to former Canberra Writers Festival Artistic Director Jeanne Ryckmans about how a literary festival is programmed, the role of publicists and why sometimes they don’t work in the author’s best interests, how a writer should pitch themselves to an artistic director, the positive developments as a result of COVI...

Irma and Karen chat about attending festivals as an interlocutor or as a panellist.  Then Karen talks to Jock Serong about making the move from lawyer to novelist, why he dives into dark places, the fraught territory of navigating writing First Nations characters and history as a descendant of settler Australians, why he goes on writing excursions with his characters, a surreal green room experien...

Karen and Irma chat about the pros and cons of online writing courses.  Then they chat to Marion Halligan about how Sylvia Plath inspired her to get started, what she bought with her first earnings, how writing is a kind of madness, the challenge of writing a memoir about her late daughter, good and bad editing experiences and what it was like being edited by her sister, why essays are her favouri...

Karen and Irma chat about writing residencies.  Then they talk to bookseller and sales rep Deb Stevens about what goes on behind the scenes in the book trade, how books are sold into bookshops, if and when and how authors should contact their sales reps, preparing for your book’s release, how authors can work maximise promo of their books, the most wonderful authors Deb has worked with and the div...

Irma and Karen chat about a new writing book, The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman.  Then Karen speaks with Inga Simpson about why choosing a character’s name to boost a word count ended up in a prize and her debut novel, how a childhood spent in nature influenced her writing, her determination not to let the second-book pressure derail her, the risks and challenges around telling stories involving...

Irma and Karen chat about how organised (or disorganised!) they are with their writing. Then Irma chats to booksellers Katarina Pearson (Harry Hartog), Alison Page (Dymocks) and Peter Arnaudo (The Book Cow) about how to get friendly with booksellers – what to do (when and how) and what not to do, how long you can expect your book to stay on the shelves, how sales and returns work, the important ro...

In a special series direct from the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, Irma chats with Natasha Lester about how utter despair before an award ceremony preceded the best moment of her life, the lightbulb moment that changed the course of her career, the rewards of constructive sulking after rejection, how a fraught editing process almost destroyed her current book, how she manages three b...

We wish to advise that this episode has been removed following charges laid against Craig Silvey, to which he has pleaded guilty.

In a special series direct from the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, Irma chats with siblings Rhett and Brooke Davis about what it’s like sharing the world of publishing with a sibling, their very different paths to becoming published authors, the downsides of a worldwide tour when your book is a smash hit, the childhood books that shaped them and are now echoed in their writing, how g...

In a special series direct from the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, Irma talks to Claire G. Coleman about how poetry influences her non-fiction style, the downsides of book touring, how she deals with Twitter trolls, the complications of working with two publishers, her love-hate relationship with the editing process, and how she responds to criticisms that she’s ‘not blak enough’. Ab...

Craig and Irma unpack the role Amazon plays in the book world. Then Irma chats with Ultimo Press publisher Robert Watkins about why diverse publishing is so important to him, how to nab an editorial job, the way that authors should own the publicity stage and be proud, what makes him want to publish a manuscript, what good sales mean in terms of hard numbers, the impact of Covid on the publishing...

Craig and Irma talk about books that have wowed them. Then Tony Birch chats to Irma about the sensitivity around fictionalising family, the importance of First Nations writing, who has the right to tell certain stories, the problems with teaching writing at university, the rejections that have really stung, the time his mum threatened a radio host, and the famous writers who have snubbed him in gr...

Irma and Graig talk about teaching writing in schools. Then Craig talks to Sulari Gentill about how she turned a hobby into a profession, why she can write anywhere but finds a quiet environment impossible, how she was snubbed at a major awards ceremony, the pros and cons of the profit share model of publishing, the ways in which writing about the past reveals patterns in contemporary times, and t...

Irma and Craig discuss inspirational quotes. Then Craig chats to writing couple Cat Sparks and Rob Hood about whether there’s competition in a relationship when you’re both writers, how your book can be a sausage in the sausage factory, how hard it is as an editor to get what you want from a slush pile (because authors don’t read the freaking guidelines!). Also, the benefits of being published by...

Irma and Craig talk about the differences in typing and handwriting work. Then they both speak to Nigel Featherstone about how he always feels like an outsider, why it shits him that writing isn’t considered real work, how Tony Abbott was the unlikely inspiration for his novel Bodies of Men , the strange benefits of interviewing his characters, why he is an obsessive re-drafter, the experience of...

Irma and Craig talk about literary tourism. Then Craig talks with bestselling fantasy author Isobelle Carmody on the challenges of meeting fan expectations, why her writing income has suddenly dropped dramatically and how she adapted, whether genre labels are useful, the benefits of doing a creative PhD, and the repercussions of being an activist author. About Isobelle Isobelle Carmody is one of A...

Craig and Irma talk about the dead authors they would most like to interview. Then Irma talks with Allison Tait (AL Tait) on why the first structural edit she received did her head in and how she now works through them, the most difficult book rejection she’s ever experienced, why children’s book authors don’t get the kudos they deserve, and a whole lot more. About Allison Allison Tait (or AL Tait...

Craig and Irma discuss lesson learned from life on the road doing a book tour for Irma's novel The Breaking . Then Irma speaks with national living treasure Charlotte Wood about the terror of public exposure on releasing a book into the world, the discomfort of the first draft and why it’s important to ‘look for trouble’, how and when to get feedback on work-in-progress, how the pandemic has...

Irma and Craig discuss Covid-19 impacts on book sales. Then Craig chats with Mirandi Riwoe about combining fact and fiction in her historical novels, viewing the past through the lens of the present, why it's important to her to write Eurasian and Chinese characters, and the important difference between accuracy and authenticity.  About Mirandi Mirandi Riwoe is the author of the novella The F...

Irma and Craig talk about balancing the writing life with real life. Then they both chat with Jack Heath about what working as a full-time author looks like, feeling like a fraud even when you’ve published 36 books, the differences (and similarities) between writing and promoting both adult and kids’ books, what characterises an ideal publisher, the perils of social media and whether it’s actually...

Craig and Irma talk about what you write on your immigration card and when you first feel like a ‘real’ writer. Then Irma talks to Nikki Gemmell about the trauma of being outed for The Bride Stripped Bare , the importance of re-drafting and harsh edits, how words can change the world, the creep of imposter syndrome even when you have published a ton of books, dealing with vicious criticism, and ho...

Craig and Irma talk about the good the bad and ugly sides of teaching writing. Then they both chat with Lisa Fuller about the state of publishing, how the industry can better support First Nations writers and editors, how the Pancake Parlour figured in her winning a major prize, and the many books her dog has eaten! About Lisa Lisa Fuller is a Wuilli Wuilli woman from Eidsvold, Queensland, and is...