The WestWords Podcast

Amelia McInerney (The Book Chook; Bad Crab) speaks with James about that first idea, learning from the best, and letting go of the reins once the text goes to the illustrator. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Our very own James Roy (WestWords' program manager for Blacktown and the Blue Mountains) is also the award-winning author of 35 books, including Town , a collection of short stories which won the 2008 Ethel Turner Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Award, and was nominated for the prestigious German Youth Literature Prize. In this masterclass he goes from interviewer to presenter, to discuss some...

Poet for adults and children, Harry Laing, shares his love of poetry, offers some useful tips for getting started, and explains why we should even bother. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Bestselling author for young people, Tim Harris (Toffle Towers; Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables) talks with James Roy about how he uses setting to create believable worlds for his characters, and his readers. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

"The middle ground between tokenism and stereotype is just good storytelling". Australian YA legend Melina Marchetta (Looking for Alibrandi; Saving Francesca; Finnikin of the Rock; The Piper's Son) talks about what she has learnt about writing from the perspective of identity in the 28 years since her first novel was released, and what has changed – or hasn't changed – in the way writers can best...

Award-winning writer of over fifty books, Catherine Jinks (Pagan's Crusade; Evil Genius; City of Orphans series; Shepherd) discusses her approach to finding authenticity in language when writing historical fiction. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Poet, essayist, critic and memoirist Fiona Wright speaks of her approach to the intersection between essays and memoir, and how she uses the smallest details to explore the bigger, grander themes of family, belonging, and our social fabric. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

"Don't bring me a story – bring me an angle." Journalist, sports writer and biographer James Knight discusses how a non-fiction writer takes an idea, then zooms in, zooms out, and examines it from every side, looking for the best angle. Plus James Roy tells a terrible joke about Sherlock Holmes going camping. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Award-winning writer John Larkin (The Shadow Girl; The Pause) talks about how he creates and raises tension in his works of fiction. Plus there's a retelling of his infamous Possum Story. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Rawah Arja (The F Team) discusses how she drew on personal experience - and a deep dislike for reading as a child - to create the characters in her debut YA novel. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Bestselling author for young people, Tim Harris (Toffle Towers, Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables), talks to James Roy about plotting and planning, and accepts a time-sensitive challenge. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.

Popular Australian children's author and highly sought-after creative writing teacher Deborah Abela (Grimsdon; New City; The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee) talks about how she hunts, gathers and uses ideas, and how she turns them into stories that keep her readers turning the page. The WestWords Mini-Masterclasses are supported by the Cultural Fund Copyright Agency.