Beste Writers Festival Podcasts (2024)

1
Aussie Crime All-Stars 59:44

1d ago59:44

59:44

From parched paddocks to sleepy coastal towns, the bodies keep piling up – and Australian readers can’t get enough. This panel brings together some of Australia’s hottest local crime writers, with Sulari Gentill (The Mystery Writer), Dinuka McKenzie (Tipping Point) and Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone on this Train is a Suspect). Dust off your Akubra f…

1
Jodi Picoult - By Any Other Name 56:14

7d ago56:14

56:14

In October, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with best-selling US writer Jodi Picoult. Mamamia executive editor Jessie Stephens hosted the conversation, which centred on Jodi's well-researched and imaginative new book By Any Other Name about two women, living 400 years apart, who aspire to be playwrights and the battles they must f…

1
Australia’s Place in the World 48:10

5d ago48:10

48:10

In the wake of a shift in the global power balance, how can Australia best protect itself? Two of Australia’s most interesting foreign policy thinkers take a fresh look at Australia’s place in the world and come to some surprising conclusions. Clinton Fernandes (Sub-Imperial Power) and Sam Roggeveen (The Echidna Strategy: Australia’s Search for Pow…

1
Kasey Chambers - Lessons I've Learnt 1:09:31

7d ago1:09:31

1:09:31

In November, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with ARIA-winning musician and songwriter Kasey Chambers at the University of Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music. Danni Carr, Kasey's friend and host of the acclaimed podcast How I Quit Alcohol, hosted the conversation about her new memoir Just Don't Be a D**khead and Other Profound Th…

1
Tim Winton in Conversation 1:00:44

8d ago1:00:44

1:00:44

In October 2024, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with acclaimed Australian writer Tim Winton. Festival director Rosemarie Milsom hosted the conversation which centred on Tim's most recent novel Juice, described by Tara June Winch as a 'masterful story for the ages'. Tim speaks about its central theme of climate devastation and con…

1
In Defence of Nature 50:07

9d ago50:07

50:07

What is the writer’s role in an era of profound ecological change? This panel event brings together leading local nature writers James Bradley and Bruce Pascoe to discuss how best to defend our environment. James’ latest book, Deep Water: The World in the Ocean, dives into the waves, and Bruce’s Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra investigates tradition…

1
Paul Murray: The Bee Sting 58:18

13d ago58:18

58:18

"People have crazy lives," says Paul Murray. "The stuff that happens to – quote-unquote – ordinary folks is very operatic." Case in point: his Booker Prize shortlisted The Bee Sting which follows an unravelling household in the Irish Midlands who embody Tolstoy's proverb about unhappy families. Paul's third novel has been acclaimed by critics as “g…

1
Feminist Firebrands 53:16

21d ago53:16

53:16

Four waves in, the feminist fight for gender equality is far from over. This panel brings together the powerful and incendiary feminist voices of Hannah Ferguson, Sisonke Msimang and Jennifer Robinson. Hear from these leading writers and activists who between them offer daring feminist opinions on topics ranging from freedom of speech, right-wing p…

1
The Drowning with Bryan Brown and Sam Neill 54:44

27d ago54:44

54:44

Last year, Bryan Brown interviewed Sam Neill at the Festival. This year, it was Bryan’s turn in the hot seat as Sam interviewed him about his gripping new crime novel, The Drowning. Bryan is one of the most recognisable faces on our screens with more than 80 film and television projects to his name. This sensational new thriller with his characteri…

1
Hidden Heroines 1:00:01

29d ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Going deep into the historical past, Lauren Groff (The Vaster Wilds, Matrix) and Francesca de Tores (Saltblood) create memorable heroines, real and imaginary, whose stories have not been told. Their portrayals of ordinary women doing extraordinary things – a girl escaping alone into the wilderness, a pirate on the high seas – are richly detailed an…

1
Richard Flanagan and Anna Funder on Writing 1:02:54

1M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

Join two of the most admired writers in Australia today, Booker Prize–winning Richard Flanagan and Miles Franklin–winning Anna Funder as they discuss writing in the margins between fiction and non-fiction, history and memoir, personal and public. Historian Clare Wright leads this conversation, examining their genre-bending masterpieces. Through a h…

1
Dirty Laundry 49:23

1M ago49:23

49:23

While everyone has dirty laundry in their lives, not everyone will choose to air theirs publicly. Whether on social media, in written memoir, public speaking or on television, how can sharing the ‘self’ when the story touches on family and community, still be navigated ethically? What are the consequences and ramifications of bringing the personal …

1
PEN Lecture: Writing From Prison in Myanmar 50:58

2M ago50:58

50:58

Sean Turnell spent almost two years in Myanmar’s terrifying Insein Prison, accused of being a spy. Ma Thida was also incarcerated there, where, denied medical treatment, she came very close to dying. How did they survive? What hope do these important players in Myanmar’s government and politics hold for the return of democracy three years after the…

1
Melissa Lucashenko: Edenglassie 58:43

2M ago58:43

58:43

Melissa Lucashenko describes her latest novel, Edenglassie, as her “big book” – a multigenerational epic that torches Queensland’s colonial myths and reimagines Australia’s future. Set in Brisbane and rivalling the romances of Too Much Lip and Mullumbimby, two parallel love stories play out two centuries apart. In both the colonial era and the pres…

1
Julia Baird: Bright Shining 50:09

2M ago50:09

50:09

Following broadcaster and author Julia Baird’s multi-award-winning international bestseller, Phosphorescence, comes a beautiful and timely exploration of that most mysterious but necessary human quality: grace. Bright Shining: How grace changes everything asks what grace looks like today, how we recognise it, nurture it within ourselves and express…

1
The Presence of the Past 50:44

2M ago50:44

50:44

As conflict plays out across an unnamed region, the protagonist in Parramatta Laureate of Literature Yumna Kassab’s Politica imagines how she will later narrate her experiences: “We hadn’t spoken for years but then the war broke out...” Sharing difficult stories is also at the heart of Miles Franklin Award winner Shankari Chandran’s Safe Haven, whi…

1
Lauren Groff: The Vaster Wilds 58:01

2M ago58:01

58:01

After smash-hit Fates and Furies, the modern-day marriage story that was Barack Obama’s book of the year in 2015, Lauren Groff’s novels have looked to the past to understand the present. Her latest historical novel, The Vaster Wilds, is set on the edge of the New World at an unnamed British settlement in the Americas. Fleeing violence, disease and …

1
How to transition from emerging to ‘emerged’ 51:45

2M ago51:45

51:45

What does it mean to be ‘established’ when you feel like you’re just starting out? In this panel, playwright and journalist Sam Brooks will chair a panel with author Iona Winter and poet Devon Webb on what it means to move to a different phase of your writing life, what opportunities stop appearing and how it changes your approach to your craft.Thi…

1
Starling Micro Residency Panel Discussion 59:11

2M ago59:11

59:11

Starling is an online literary journal showcasing the best new poetry and prose from young New Zealand writers.Join Louise Wallace and Francis Cooke, Starling Editors, in conversation with Ada Duffy, Margo Montes de Oca and Maddie Ballard, the three young writers who’ve been undertaking a micro-residency in Ōtepoti as part of the 2024 NZ Young Writ…

1
Everything Pressing, Everything Pertinent - Writing and Reading in Solidarity 51:48

2M ago51:48

51:48

Leaning into the visceral, dynamic potential of multi-medium expression for community-building and activism, this short panel equips taiohi with skills to write and read for the progression of movements and causes close to their hearts. Join NZ Young Writers Fest 2024 Guest Curator Ruby Macomber and Helena Mayer, Frances Pavletich and Grace Cowley …

1
Journalism as an Act of Community Building 1:18:48

2M ago1:18:48

1:18:48

Interviews, profiles, reviews, essays. At a grassroots level, can these build communities? Join journalist Jamiema Lorimer, Critic Te Ārohi editor Nina Brown and Pantograph Punch kaiwāwahi and NZ Young Writers Fest’s 2024 Young Writer in Residence Sherry Zhang for a panel discussion on culture journalism, its responsibility in representing communit…

1
Te Ao Kāi Tahu - Writing the whenua and whakapapa of Te Waipounamu 57:40

2M ago57:40

57:40

The land holds our stories. In conversation with Tessa Patrick, Kāi Tahu writers Rauhina Scott-Fyfe and Iona Winter explore the vast and intergenerational perspectives of this land, its history, and its future, and how writers — regardless of their whakapapa — can delve deeper into this whenua within their work. This kōrero is for anyone seeking to…

1
Moana Speaks from the South 1:01:37

2M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

‘We sweat and cry salt water so we know the ocean is really in our blood’ (Teaiwa, 2017). Writers of Te Moana-Nui-a Kiwa swim with their words; our narratives are embodied, visceral and deeply intertwined with our senses of self. In this panel discussion, NZ Young Writers Fest 2024 Guest Curator Ruby Macomber talks with Emele Ugavule, Zech Soakai a…

1
Richard Flanagan: Question 7 57:28

3M ago57:28

57:28

Join Richard Flanagan as he discusses this hypnotic, genre-defying new book which entwines memoir, biography, autofiction and history through a daisy chain of stories both intimate and collective. Opening with his father as a prisoner of war, the book leads readers through a literary love affair into nuclear physics of the 1930s and 40s and finally…

1
Survival, Sustenance and Stories 53:47

3M ago53:47

53:47

Social change is driven by conversation, in sharing ideas, and translating those ideas for audiences who don’t agree or understand what is at stake. For many First Nations writers and journalists, this has been a huge priority over the last year, in particular, and one that comes with a cost. In a conversation with legendary truth-tellers, find out…

1
Susie Anderson, Sara M Saleh and Rob Waters – Writing Country and Connection 1:02:40

3M ago1:02:40

1:02:40

Poets Susie Anderson, Sara M Saleh and Rob Waters discuss the interconnection between identity and creativity with Magdalena Ball. This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a cu…

1
A.C. Grayling: The Meaning of Life in a Technological Age 55:25

3M ago55:25

55:25

The quest for a life worth living has been the business of philosophers for millennia. How can we pursue answers to life’s big questions in a world that feels increasingly dangerous and unstable thanks to big tech and AI? Unpack the ‘how’ in this unmissable episode from the pre-eminent philosopher A.C. Grayling. This episode was recorded live at th…

1
Kate Manne: Fighting Fatphobia 51:28

3M ago51:28

51:28

Anti-fatness is a system of oppression, argues Kate Manne, afflicting vulnerable bodies in intersectional ways. Building on her incisive studies of misogyny and male privilege, the Melbourne-born feminist philosopher’s latest book, Unshrinking: How to Fight Fatphobia, unpicks the dangerous virtues associated with dieting and deprivation, using a bl…

1
Hannah Ferguson - Biting Back 1:02:26

3M ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Hannah Ferguson co-founded an independent news commentary platform at a time when the world needed it most. In 2020, Cheek Media Co. quickly established itself as the go-to platform for daring feminist opinions and progressive perspectives on everything from right-wing politics to overcoming taboos around sex and pleasure. The mission? To provoke c…

1
Abdulrazak Gurnah: Afterlives 50:43

3M ago50:43

50:43

At 18, Abdulrazak Gurnah arrived in England as a refugee from the Zanzibar Revolution. Receiving the Nobel Prize more than 50 years later, he reflected that the “prolonged period of poverty and alienation” he experienced made him a writer. From the contemporary immigrant experience in his debut, Memory of Departure, to colonial wartime conscription…

1
Katy Hessel: The Story of Art Without Men 49:36

3M ago49:36

49:36

How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? And what is the Baroque anyway? Enter art historian and curator Katy Hessel’s The Story of Art Without Men, a response to E.H. Gombrich’s classic chronicle, The Story of Art, first published in 1950, which was recently updated to include... one woman. Katy’s revisionist history builds on he…

1
Russell Blackford – The Rise and Fall of Toleration 1:03:39

3M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

In his new book, How We Became Post-Liberal, Newcastle philosopher and legal scholar Russell Blackford examines how Western liberal democracies became nations where traditional liberal principles of toleration, individual liberty and freedom of speech are frequently dismissed to support conservative policies. He speaks to The Ethics Centre's Simon …

1
Michael Connelly’s Life of Crime 1:00:21

3M ago1:00:21

1:00:21

Crime fiction king Michael Connelly discusses the highlights of his illustrious career and the characters who have populated the pages of his cult classic novels. The bestselling author of 39 books, selling over 80 million copies worldwide, talks with The Monthly’s Michael Williams about the art of crime writing, seeing his work reach the screen, i…

1
Coffee and Headlines with Read This 53:08

3M ago53:08

53:08

How do you support writers if the market for their books is being steadily destroyed? As bookshops close their doors in record numbers and writers see their income steadily eroding, its time for government to take action. With a simple fix – to stop book discounting for a time after first publication, as many EU countries do. Both writers and indep…

1
Brenda Matthews – The Last Daughter 53:04

4M ago53:04

53:04

The book and film The Last Daughter centre on Brenda Matthew’s life journey, and how she reconciled both halves of her history; being raised by a white foster family, before being returned to her Aboriginal family. Brenda shares her story with Melissa Lucashenko. This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to …

1
Jake Adelstein: Tokyo Noir 58:37

4M ago58:37

58:37

Jake Adelstein has spent decades reporting on Japanese organised crime and is the only American journalist to be admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club. These unique experiences informed his memoir, Tokyo Vice, which was adapted into an HBO Max series starring Ansel Elgort, the second season of which premiered in February. Jak…

1
Bharat Nalluri – Boy Conquers Universe 1:03:58

4M ago1:03:58

1:03:58

The Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s much-loved novel Boy Swallows Universe has been applauded by the book’s loyal fans, but no one could have predicted its international success. Meet the Newcastle-based BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director, Bharat Nalluri, who helped bring this very Australian story to life for a global audience. Hosted by Rosem…

1
Samantha Shannon on The Roots of Chaos series 47:12

4M ago47:12

47:12

At 21, Samantha Shannon was hailed as the next big thing in genre fiction for her bestselling dystopian debut, The Bone Season. Samantha’s latest queer fantasy series, The Roots of Chaos, is a feat of feminist worldbuilding, reimagining the legend of Saint George and the Dragon to create a universe where princesses save themselves. Following smash-…

1
Suzie Miller: Prima Facie 49:19

4M ago49:19

49:19

[Content warning: Sexual assault] Suzie Miller’s disturbingly prescient play, Prima Facie, dramatises the price sexual assault victims pay for speaking out. This blistering one-woman show wowed audiences on Broadway and the West End, winning Suzie an Olivier Award and Killing Eve favourite Jodie Comer a Tony for her performance as the brilliant you…

1
Graham Akhurst, Kirli Saunders and Melanie Saward – Bright Young Things 57:06

4M ago57:06

57:06

It is the desire of many readers to see themselves reflected on the page, especially when their faces and voices have been excluded from the dominant narrative. Graham Akhurst, Kirli Saunders and Melanie Saward discuss writing First Nations characters in fiction for – and about – young people. Hosted by Yvette Henry Holt. This conversation was reco…

1
Nick Bryant: America's Unending Conflict With Itself 48:19

4M ago48:19

48:19

What is driving American decline, and what does it mean for the world? Long-time foreign correspondent Nick Bryant’s most recent posting took him to New York City to cover the Trump years. In his compelling analysis of American history and politics, Nick finds the roots of current polarisation and conflict in its history. If the American experiment…

1
Celeste Ng: Our Missing Hearts 54:36

4M ago54:36

54:36

Banning books, waving flags and persecuting racial minorities. Sound familiar? After New York Times–bestselling novel Little Fires Everywhere – which was adapted into a popular miniseries starring Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon – comes a similarly moving tale about the unbreakable bond between a mother and son. Celeste Ng’s third novel, Our…

1
Emily Perkins, Megan Rogers, and Christos Tsiolkas - Middle Age as Coming of Age 53:53

4M ago53:53

53:53

In their recent fiction, Emily Perkins, Megan Rogers and Christos Tsiolkas created characters at a crossroads, disrupting the traditional narrative of ‘coming of age’ as an experience of youth. They discuss belonging, change, and the perennial journey of ‘growing up’ with Ashley Hay. This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Fest…

1
Creativity, Joy, Grace 1:05:20

4M ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Find sanctuary in this uplifting celebration of creativity, chaired by Michaela Kalowski. Award-winning journalist Julia Baird follows her international bestseller, Phosphorescence, with Bright Shining, a stunning and insightful call for grace in a world which has forgotten its importance. Bestselling author Holly Ringland, whose debut novel, The L…

1
Charlotte Wood: Stone Yard Devotional 48:55

4M ago48:55

48:55

Can a person truly be good? What is forgiveness? Is losing hope a moral failure? And is the business of grief ever really finished? These questions pervade Charlotte Wood’s latest novel, Stone Yard Devotional, which is set on the Monaro plains where the much-loved author of The Natural Way of Things and The Weekend grew up. It follows a woman who a…

1
Shankari Chandran - Miles Franklin Award winner 1:03:15

4M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

From being told her books ‘weren’t Australian enough’, to winning the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her third novel Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, Shankari Chandran’s writing journey has been anything but linear. She speaks with Ailsa Piper about family and memory, and the stories that shape who we become. This conversation was recorded at…

1
Queer Love and Longing 59:44

4M ago59:44

59:44

Love is indeed a many splendoured thing in the work of K Patrick and Christos Tsiolkas, who know firsthand the pleasures of writing queer love stories. Hosted by Madeleine Gray, this beautiful conversation brings together two authors to discuss their sensual new novels. K’s Mrs S pulses with lust and longing at an elite boarding school, while Chris…

1
The Secret Lives of Women 51:09

5M ago51:09

51:09

“We are invisible”, writes Balli Kaur Jaswal in Now You See Us. “We clean your houses, we look after your children, we know your secrets.” The Singaporean-Australian writer is joined by Dominican-American novelist Elizabeth Acevedo (Family Lore) and Arab-Australian author Sara M Saleh (Songs for the Dead and the Living and The Flirtation of Girls) …

1
Bri Lee - Author, Academic, Activist 57:22

5M ago57:22

57:22

‘If you're doing work that you feel is important, it will be impossible to have everybody like you.’ Bri Lee first captured the literary world’s attention with her debut memoir Eggshell Skull, a very personal interrogation of the injustices experienced by survivors of sexual assault. Now, she’s turned her attention to fiction. Bri talks with Bridie…

1
Paul Lynch: Prophet Song 59:44

5M ago59:44

59:44

In his Booker Prize acceptance speech, Paul Lynch admitted his fifth novel, Prophet Song, had been difficult to write. “The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career,” he said, “though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters”. Set in Ireland’s near future, Prophet Song depicts a collapsing society in the g…

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