https://simplecast.com The Secret Life of Writers by Tablo The Secret Life of Writers is a series of rambling conversations with some of the world’s most interesting and visionary writers and creative icons about how they got where they are, what they’re working on now, and how they balance art and life. These warm and personal interviews take you behind-the-scenes of the writing world. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, formerly of the Sydney Writers' Festival and Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and now the Creative Director at Tablo. Subscribe to hear a new episode (released on a Thursday every few weeks). For writers, readers and anyone who loves great life stories. 2020 Tablo Publishing en Mon, 20 Jun 2022 21:00:00 +0000 Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:55:55 +0000 https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com The Secret Life of Writers by Tablo https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/541ec58a-892d-4055-9e5f-0df21d5cc837/11da0d5f-177e-4243-84ca-3bbfa4696056/3000x3000/jemma-square-text.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com episodic The Secret Life of Writers is a series of rambling conversations with some of the world’s most interesting and visionary writers and creative icons about how they got where they are, what they’re working on now, and how they balance art and life. These warm and personal interviews take you behind-the-scenes of the writing world. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, formerly of the Sydney Writers' Festival and Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and now the Creative Director at Tablo. Subscribe to hear a new episode (released on a Thursday every few weeks). For writers, readers and anyone who loves great life stories. Jemma Birrell, Tablo Publishing no https://feeds.simplecast.com/rxiUxizZ authors, book, books, interview, jemma birrell, jk rowling, literary, neil gaiman, publishers, publishing, readers, stephen king, tablo, writers, writers festival, melbourne writers festival, sydney writers festival, literary festival Tablo Publishing ash@tablo.io 59ddd322-d256-44a3-b2af-03781296d241 Steve Toltz on writing fear, Here Goes Nothing, and nailing why we do what we do Steve Toltz is the author of A Fraction of the Whole, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award and Quicksand, which won the Russell Prize for Humour. Booklist called A Fraction of the Whole ‘a deliriously philosophical novel . . . with uproarious ruminations on freedom, the soul, love, death, and the meaning of life" and in a way that applies to Steve's work as a whole and his new book, Here Goes Nothing. 

The Irish Times described Here Goes Nothing as, ‘a smart social commentary on our fossil fuel-guzzling, warmongering, information-obsessed, pandemic-riddled world’ and as The Scotsman said, he writes with ‘remorseless, brilliantly withering contempt’, though this sits alongside a story and characters that are both affecting and strangely moving.

Steve’s also worked as screenwriter on shows like No Activity and Guilty Party.

]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2022 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (jemma birrell, Steve Toltz) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/steve-toltz-on-writing-fear-here-goes-nothing-and-nailing-why-we-do-what-we-do-0BimiS5u Steve Toltz is the author of A Fraction of the Whole, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award and Quicksand, which won the Russell Prize for Humour. Booklist called A Fraction of the Whole ‘a deliriously philosophical novel . . . with uproarious ruminations on freedom, the soul, love, death, and the meaning of life" and in a way that applies to Steve's work as a whole and his new book, Here Goes Nothing. 

The Irish Times described Here Goes Nothing as, ‘a smart social commentary on our fossil fuel-guzzling, warmongering, information-obsessed, pandemic-riddled world’ and as The Scotsman said, he writes with ‘remorseless, brilliantly withering contempt’, though this sits alongside a story and characters that are both affecting and strangely moving.

Steve’s also worked as screenwriter on shows like No Activity and Guilty Party.

]]> Steve Toltz on writing fear, Here Goes Nothing, and nailing why we do what we do jemma birrell, Steve Toltz 00:50:00 Featuring: Steve Toltz's new book Here Goes Nothing and why it’s set in the afterlife; using time in the writing process like a painter uses light; Steve’s spiritual home; juggling editorial notes from different countries; the overarching project of Steve’s work; a short reading; on writing humour and hilarious characters (who are also very entertaining to write); his experience in writers' rooms, how Steve first got an agent; his play that didn't eventuate; what's next and some wonderful reading recommendations. ‘A writer uses time like a painter uses light - without time you can’t even see what it is that you’ve done.’ ‘Years go by without ever showing anyone a word…I get it as good as I can possibly get it without burying it in the garden for six months' ‘I don’t feel like I’ve ever really been in a literary world that much’ On editorial notes: ‘There’s always the clear understanding that you can take them or leave them...I end up always taking about 80% of the notes because they’re always generally great.' Featuring: Steve Toltz's new book Here Goes Nothing and why it’s set in the afterlife; using time in the writing process like a painter uses light; Steve’s spiritual home; juggling editorial notes from different countries; the overarching project of Steve’s work; a short reading; on writing humour and hilarious characters (who are also very entertaining to write); his experience in writers' rooms, how Steve first got an agent; his play that didn't eventuate; what's next and some wonderful reading recommendations. ‘A writer uses time like a painter uses light - without time you can’t even see what it is that you’ve done.’ ‘Years go by without ever showing anyone a word…I get it as good as I can possibly get it without burying it in the garden for six months' ‘I don’t feel like I’ve ever really been in a literary world that much’ On editorial notes: ‘There’s always the clear understanding that you can take them or leave them...I end up always taking about 80% of the notes because they’re always generally great.' here goes nothing, humour, novel, editing, fiction, agents, australian writer no full 36 e33ed5b6-0477-4cdf-bbdf-c38649e51d9c Claire Messud on A Dream Life, self-deception and the pursuit of truth Claire Messud is the author of seven works of fiction, including the bestselling books The Emperor’s Children, The Woman Upstairs and The Burning Girl, as well as a book of essays, Kant’s Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write. She has received Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships, and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters among many other accolades.

Claire is also, one of the first writers published under new literary imprint Tablo Tales. Her novella A Dream Life, written in The American Library in Paris, launched Tablo Tales’ short book series of great women writers from around the world. Helen Garner described A Dream Life as ‘A perfect frolic of a book, puffed on breezes of beauty and wit: it waltzes you through a little fear, a little darkness, and tips you out, refreshed and laughing, into the sun'. Fiction Editor of Kirkus Reviews, Laurie Muchnick chose A Dream Life as her pick on the Fully Booked podcast saying: ‘It’s just so delightful to be back reading the voice of Claire Messud with its x-ray vision and her really precise writing…It’s a real comedy of manners and really sharp and funny.’ 

A Dream Life published by Tablo Tales and distributed by IPG in the US, Manda Group in Canada, Gazelle Book Services in the UK and New South Books in ANZ.

]]> Wed, 9 Feb 2022 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Claire Messud, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/claire-messud-on-a-dream-life-self-deception-and-the-pursuit-of-truth-Rhv9EoSQ Claire Messud is the author of seven works of fiction, including the bestselling books The Emperor’s Children, The Woman Upstairs and The Burning Girl, as well as a book of essays, Kant’s Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write. She has received Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships, and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters among many other accolades.

Claire is also, one of the first writers published under new literary imprint Tablo Tales. Her novella A Dream Life, written in The American Library in Paris, launched Tablo Tales’ short book series of great women writers from around the world. Helen Garner described A Dream Life as ‘A perfect frolic of a book, puffed on breezes of beauty and wit: it waltzes you through a little fear, a little darkness, and tips you out, refreshed and laughing, into the sun'. Fiction Editor of Kirkus Reviews, Laurie Muchnick chose A Dream Life as her pick on the Fully Booked podcast saying: ‘It’s just so delightful to be back reading the voice of Claire Messud with its x-ray vision and her really precise writing…It’s a real comedy of manners and really sharp and funny.’ 

A Dream Life published by Tablo Tales and distributed by IPG in the US, Manda Group in Canada, Gazelle Book Services in the UK and New South Books in ANZ.

]]> Claire Messud on A Dream Life, self-deception and the pursuit of truth Claire Messud, Jemma Birrell 01:05:08 Featuring: writing as a strange quixotic thing; how Claire was first published; her grandfather's memoir; Claire's childhood years in Sydney ‘the light, the air, the birds’; writing A Dream Life in The American Library in Paris; when fantasy keeps us alive and when it becomes something pernicious; on writing complex, alive characters; literary and familial influences; writing about adolescence; what Claire’s working on now; memories of Robert Silvers. With two readings. ‘I’m always very interested in deception and self-deception, this is a life-long thing.’ ‘Fiction like life is a balance between freedom and constraint, and you do need some constraints.’ ‘For the most part my work has not been autobiographical, or only elements have. It’s almost like a coat hanger, from which you make papier maché.’ ‘If something’s too close to life then I don’t feel free.’ ‘One has a different self in each language.’ Featuring: writing as a strange quixotic thing; how Claire was first published; her grandfather's memoir; Claire's childhood years in Sydney ‘the light, the air, the birds’; writing A Dream Life in The American Library in Paris; when fantasy keeps us alive and when it becomes something pernicious; on writing complex, alive characters; literary and familial influences; writing about adolescence; what Claire’s working on now; memories of Robert Silvers. With two readings. ‘I’m always very interested in deception and self-deception, this is a life-long thing.’ ‘Fiction like life is a balance between freedom and constraint, and you do need some constraints.’ ‘For the most part my work has not been autobiographical, or only elements have. It’s almost like a coat hanger, from which you make papier maché.’ ‘If something’s too close to life then I don’t feel free.’ ‘One has a different self in each language.’ camus, 1970s, bob silvers, writer and mother, the burning girl, harvard, robert silvers, algeria, teaching creative writing, james wood, the hunters, jean rhys, algiers, the woman upstairs, deception, a dream life, claire messud, tablo tales, sydney no full 35 81beb996-f376-44b3-a6c7-e93f470f9b54 Hannah Kent on the freedom and delight in writing Devotion, not being shackled to history and her writing life Australian novelist Hannah Kent’s first novel Burial Rites, about the last woman executed in Iceland, was a bestseller internationally and translated into 30 languages. It won a mountain of awards including the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s People’s Choice Award and is being adapted for film. Her second novel The Good People set in Ireland in 1825 is also being adapted for film and was also critically acclaimed – Paula Hawkins described it ‘a literary novel with the pace and tension of a thriller’ which could be applied to Hannah's work as a whole. While all of her novels are very different, they’re also tied together by bringing the past alive, and writing about enigmatic people who are often outsiders - and writing about the heart of life – about love and death and suffering. Hannah’s new novel Devotion is just out, and readers everywhere will be delighted to hear it’s ‘a glorious love story’ as Sarah Winman described. It’s both lyrical and compelling and Hannah pulls you in from the first page.

]]> Wed, 17 Nov 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Hannah Kent, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/hannah-kent-on-her-writing-path-and-the-freedom-and-delight-in-writing-her-new-novel-devotion-eBU7ImJU Australian novelist Hannah Kent’s first novel Burial Rites, about the last woman executed in Iceland, was a bestseller internationally and translated into 30 languages. It won a mountain of awards including the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the Victorian Premier’s People’s Choice Award and is being adapted for film. Her second novel The Good People set in Ireland in 1825 is also being adapted for film and was also critically acclaimed – Paula Hawkins described it ‘a literary novel with the pace and tension of a thriller’ which could be applied to Hannah's work as a whole. While all of her novels are very different, they’re also tied together by bringing the past alive, and writing about enigmatic people who are often outsiders - and writing about the heart of life – about love and death and suffering. Hannah’s new novel Devotion is just out, and readers everywhere will be delighted to hear it’s ‘a glorious love story’ as Sarah Winman described. It’s both lyrical and compelling and Hannah pulls you in from the first page.

]]> Hannah Kent on the freedom and delight in writing Devotion, not being shackled to history and her writing life Hannah Kent, Jemma Birrell 00:57:30 Featuring: Hannah's earlier books Burial Rites and The Good People; the landscape in her life and work; the messiness of first drafts; on writing Devotion, a modern novel that's 'a queer love story'; celebrating the light; returning to that place of play; balancing imagination and research; the Prussian and Lutheran history of South Australia; the occult; exploring places of absence and silence; the experience of screenwriting; what working at Kill Your Darlings taught Hannah; a love of poetry. Featuring: Hannah's earlier books Burial Rites and The Good People; the landscape in her life and work; the messiness of first drafts; on writing Devotion, a modern novel that's 'a queer love story'; celebrating the light; returning to that place of play; balancing imagination and research; the Prussian and Lutheran history of South Australia; the occult; exploring places of absence and silence; the experience of screenwriting; what working at Kill Your Darlings taught Hannah; a love of poetry. south australia, drafting, burial rites, prussian, the craft of writing, the good people, queer, historical novel, ship journey, love story, the occult, devotion, lutherean, hannah kent, fiction, drafts, landscape no full 34 a3421bd3-d99a-4b37-b29e-ebc5a4b3b136 Charlotte Wood on taking out the lies, The Luminous Solution and following the heat Charlotte Wood is one of Australia’s finest, most original writers. She is the author of six novels; a collection of interviews called The Writers’ Room; Love & Hunger; and The Luminous Solution, about creativity and resilience. Charlotte’s most recent novel The Weekend is funny, tender and often uncomfortable, and won the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year. The Natural Way of Things was a bestseller and published internationally. It received various awards including the Stella Prize, and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. Charlotte also has two podcast series, The Writers’ Room and Eat like the Animals. 

The Luminous Solution is wise and filled with energy and inspiration - it isn’t just for writers and artists but for anyone wanting to enrich their inner life. As Ailsa Piper describes, it is a ‘magnificent book of consolation, inspiration, completely individual observation, scholarship, honesty, wisdom and wonder. Every page contains food for the mind and spirit.’ 

]]> Wed, 20 Oct 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Charlotte Wood, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/charlotte-wood-on-taking-out-the-lies-the-luminous-solution-and-letting-go-9dsRPRzv Charlotte Wood is one of Australia’s finest, most original writers. She is the author of six novels; a collection of interviews called The Writers’ Room; Love & Hunger; and The Luminous Solution, about creativity and resilience. Charlotte’s most recent novel The Weekend is funny, tender and often uncomfortable, and won the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year. The Natural Way of Things was a bestseller and published internationally. It received various awards including the Stella Prize, and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. Charlotte also has two podcast series, The Writers’ Room and Eat like the Animals. 

The Luminous Solution is wise and filled with energy and inspiration - it isn’t just for writers and artists but for anyone wanting to enrich their inner life. As Ailsa Piper describes, it is a ‘magnificent book of consolation, inspiration, completely individual observation, scholarship, honesty, wisdom and wonder. Every page contains food for the mind and spirit.’ 

]]> Charlotte Wood on taking out the lies, The Luminous Solution and following the heat Charlotte Wood, Jemma Birrell 01:07:28 Featuring: When Charlotte committed to writing; overriding fear and doubt; allowing it to happen; the grumpy struggle, despair and the luminous solution; the elation when the solution or connection suddenly appears; Susan Sontag's rules for writing; creating personal rituals around writing; trusting instinct and intuition; not shutting down ideas that don't make sense; the way the book will tell you how to write it; following the heat; on being 'relatable'; the qualities of a good sentence; showing up for the ideas to come; on Georgia Blain to whom Charlotte dedicated the book. Featuring: When Charlotte committed to writing; overriding fear and doubt; allowing it to happen; the grumpy struggle, despair and the luminous solution; the elation when the solution or connection suddenly appears; Susan Sontag's rules for writing; creating personal rituals around writing; trusting instinct and intuition; not shutting down ideas that don't make sense; the way the book will tell you how to write it; following the heat; on being 'relatable'; the qualities of a good sentence; showing up for the ideas to come; on Georgia Blain to whom Charlotte dedicated the book. charlotte wood, art and writing, on writing, the natural way of things, intuition, creativity, painting, the luminous solution, on creativity, susan sontag, craft of writing, the weekend no full 33 3eee8577-c011-476b-8f20-bd1c3ac11670 Sinéad Gleeson on the power of your own story Sinéad Gleeson is a writer and editor, based in Dublin. Her book of personal essays Constellations: Reflections from Life, won the Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and the Dalkey Literary Award for Emerging Writer. It explores an array of subjects from Sinéad’s experience with illness, to friendship, grief, falling in love, motherhood and ghosts, and throughout these disparate yet connected pieces she weaves stories about art and artists, music and literature. As Anne Enright says ‘if you want to know where passion and tenacity are born, read this book’. 

Sinéad’s short stories have been published widely and she has also edited four award-winning Irish short story anthologies. Her new anthology of music essays co-edited wih Kim Gordan is coming out in 2022.

]]> Wed, 6 Oct 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Sinéad Gleeson, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/sinead-gleeson-on-writing-the-body-music-and-choosing-a-form-that-fits-iMtDoHxv Sinéad Gleeson is a writer and editor, based in Dublin. Her book of personal essays Constellations: Reflections from Life, won the Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and the Dalkey Literary Award for Emerging Writer. It explores an array of subjects from Sinéad’s experience with illness, to friendship, grief, falling in love, motherhood and ghosts, and throughout these disparate yet connected pieces she weaves stories about art and artists, music and literature. As Anne Enright says ‘if you want to know where passion and tenacity are born, read this book’. 

Sinéad’s short stories have been published widely and she has also edited four award-winning Irish short story anthologies. Her new anthology of music essays co-edited wih Kim Gordan is coming out in 2022.

]]> Sinéad Gleeson on the power of your own story Sinéad Gleeson, Jemma Birrell 01:09:39 'To commit to art is to commit to living.' 'I do believe in agency and I do believe in the power of the story and the power of your own story.' Featuring: the Irish storytelling tradition; writing about illness; resilience; the agency in telling your own story; books and music as saviours; the artists whose lives and art were beacons of hope; advice from John Banville; on interviewing; watching New York go by with George Saunders; how to decide what goes into an anthology; a love of the short story; the elasticity of the essay; overriding fear; ghosts in the family; the novel-in-progress, and the upcoming music anthology Sinéad has edited with Kim Gordon. 'To commit to art is to commit to living.' 'I do believe in agency and I do believe in the power of the story and the power of your own story.' Featuring: the Irish storytelling tradition; writing about illness; resilience; the agency in telling your own story; books and music as saviours; the artists whose lives and art were beacons of hope; advice from John Banville; on interviewing; watching New York go by with George Saunders; how to decide what goes into an anthology; a love of the short story; the elasticity of the essay; overriding fear; ghosts in the family; the novel-in-progress, and the upcoming music anthology Sinéad has edited with Kim Gordon. anthologies, essay, illness, kim gordon, irish writer, constellations, short story, irish writing, music, the body no full 32 d77e66d8-01c3-4ab4-b492-7d2334f28758 Anna Gerber on playful storytelling, channeling Sylvia Beach and bringing creatives together Anna Gerber is an award-winning Creative Director, working with storytelling, design and technology. For over 20 years, she’s worked with global teams and companies like Google, Penguin, Mercedes and WeTransfer. Anna co-founded Visual Editions, a publishing house with refreshingly innovative book design and ideas. It won many awards and each book they made joined the permanent collection at The Art Institute of Chicago. Anna also dreamed up Editions at Play with Britt Iversen and Tea Uglow from Google Creative Lab, to tell experimental stories for the mobile phone. They made the first ever blockchain book, and published a ghost story that knows where the user is, and a book using Google Street View to travel the world. They received a Peabody Futures Award, and each Editions At Play story is part of the permanent collection at The British Library. In the pandemic Anna worked on Stories of Splendid Isolationwith voice activated stories for the home, and Anna is currently working with The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles on making the first ever open access digital scent archive. In all of her work, Anna brings stories into the world in surprising ways, and helps make our digital experiences more thrilling and human. www.annagerber.com

]]> Wed, 8 Sep 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (jemma birrell, anna gerber) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/anna-gerber-on-playful-storytelling-innovative-publishing-and-bringing-creatives-together-_MZiGf97 Anna Gerber is an award-winning Creative Director, working with storytelling, design and technology. For over 20 years, she’s worked with global teams and companies like Google, Penguin, Mercedes and WeTransfer. Anna co-founded Visual Editions, a publishing house with refreshingly innovative book design and ideas. It won many awards and each book they made joined the permanent collection at The Art Institute of Chicago. Anna also dreamed up Editions at Play with Britt Iversen and Tea Uglow from Google Creative Lab, to tell experimental stories for the mobile phone. They made the first ever blockchain book, and published a ghost story that knows where the user is, and a book using Google Street View to travel the world. They received a Peabody Futures Award, and each Editions At Play story is part of the permanent collection at The British Library. In the pandemic Anna worked on Stories of Splendid Isolationwith voice activated stories for the home, and Anna is currently working with The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles on making the first ever open access digital scent archive. In all of her work, Anna brings stories into the world in surprising ways, and helps make our digital experiences more thrilling and human. www.annagerber.com

]]> Anna Gerber on playful storytelling, channeling Sylvia Beach and bringing creatives together jemma birrell, anna gerber 01:05:21 Featuring: what Anna learned from Sylvia Beach and carried into her life; her first taste of creative freedom; having a visual memory; how mistakes are positive; her first book All Messed Up; bringing artists and designers together; creating the publisher Visual Editions and the visually astounding books that were published; writing a love letter to Jonathan Safran Foer; pushing the boundaries of what a book can be; reader out-louders at V&A; storytelling in Ace hotels and live experiences; working with Google Creative Lab; playing with the familiar and not familiar; using technology as a tool to tell stories in a way that’s delightful; meeting audiences where they are already; looking at scent, and working with The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. Featuring: what Anna learned from Sylvia Beach and carried into her life; her first taste of creative freedom; having a visual memory; how mistakes are positive; her first book All Messed Up; bringing artists and designers together; creating the publisher Visual Editions and the visually astounding books that were published; writing a love letter to Jonathan Safran Foer; pushing the boundaries of what a book can be; reader out-louders at V&A; storytelling in Ace hotels and live experiences; working with Google Creative Lab; playing with the familiar and not familiar; using technology as a tool to tell stories in a way that’s delightful; meeting audiences where they are already; looking at scent, and working with The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. britt iversen, tree of codes, jonathan safran foer, anna gerber, the institute for art and olfaction, stories of splendid isolation, peabody futures award, visual editions no full 31 1ab9e4c1-14ca-460a-a3a0-8c3387aca0c6 Katie Kitamura on her new novel Intimacies, building dread and unconventional endings Katie Kitamura’s writing is taut, morally complex, beguiling, and gets under your skin. Garth Greenwell described her as ‘among the most brilliant and profound writers at work today’ and as Evie Wyld said she’s ‘one of the best living writers I’ve read, and she gives the dead ones a run for their money'. Katie has written for publications like the New York Times, The Guardian and Granta, and teaches creative writing at New York University. Her first novel was The Longshot and then came Gone To The Forest. Katie’s third novel, A Separation, was a finalist for the Italian award Premio von Rezzori, was translated into sixteen languages, and is being adapted for film. Her new novel, Intimacies has just come out and was recently one of Barak Obama’s summer reading selections. The narration has an elegance and deceptive distance at first, then it pulls you in til you’re utterly hooked. It’s a beautifully written and thought-proving book with astute observations about human nature, performance, language, and how we grapple with a world that doesn’t have clear cut edges. 

Find Katie's novels in all good bookshops such as: 

Readings in Melbourne https://www.readings.com.au

LRB in London https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk

City Lights in San Francisco http://www.citylights.com

]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (katie kitamura, Jemma birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/katie-kitamura-on-her-new-novel-intimacies-creating-a-landscape-of-dread-and-unconventional-endings-h8ZFaIdU Katie Kitamura’s writing is taut, morally complex, beguiling, and gets under your skin. Garth Greenwell described her as ‘among the most brilliant and profound writers at work today’ and as Evie Wyld said she’s ‘one of the best living writers I’ve read, and she gives the dead ones a run for their money'. Katie has written for publications like the New York Times, The Guardian and Granta, and teaches creative writing at New York University. Her first novel was The Longshot and then came Gone To The Forest. Katie’s third novel, A Separation, was a finalist for the Italian award Premio von Rezzori, was translated into sixteen languages, and is being adapted for film. Her new novel, Intimacies has just come out and was recently one of Barak Obama’s summer reading selections. The narration has an elegance and deceptive distance at first, then it pulls you in til you’re utterly hooked. It’s a beautifully written and thought-proving book with astute observations about human nature, performance, language, and how we grapple with a world that doesn’t have clear cut edges. 

Find Katie's novels in all good bookshops such as: 

Readings in Melbourne https://www.readings.com.au

LRB in London https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk

City Lights in San Francisco http://www.citylights.com

]]> Katie Kitamura on her new novel Intimacies, building dread and unconventional endings katie kitamura, Jemma birrell 01:00:25 Featuring: how it took some time for Katie to call herself a writer; the effect of teaching on her own writing; influential authors; where the idea for Intimacies came from; connective points between A Separation and Intimacies; crafting tension; characters who work with language and Katie’s own relationship with languages; why Katie set Intimacies in The Hague; structures of power and our complicity; different ways of writing violence; the role of performance in court; the interiority and unreliability of the narrator; and keeping doors open. Featuring: how it took some time for Katie to call herself a writer; the effect of teaching on her own writing; influential authors; where the idea for Intimacies came from; connective points between A Separation and Intimacies; crafting tension; characters who work with language and Katie’s own relationship with languages; why Katie set Intimacies in The Hague; structures of power and our complicity; different ways of writing violence; the role of performance in court; the interiority and unreliability of the narrator; and keeping doors open. interpretation, performance, creative writing, a separation, interpreter, language, translation, intimacies, icc, war crimes tribunal, nyu, paris, katie kitamura, gone to the forest, the hague, teaching, international court, international criminal court, the longshot no full 30 f11a1687-4364-437f-82bb-34327f6e7076 Doireann Ní Ghríofa on A Ghost in the Throat and the mystery of writing and life Doireann Ní Ghríofa has published in both Irish and English and has written six acclaimed collections of poetry. Her most recent, To Star the Dark was described by The Irish Independent as ‘playful, serious, joyful, and moving’. Her book of prose called A Ghost in the Throat received Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and had phenomenal reviews across the word. Doireann has also received many other awards and accolades including a Lannan Literary Fellowship, Italy’s Ostana Prize, a Seamus Heaney Fellowship and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

A Ghost in the Throat dives into all manner of subject from bees and breastfeeding to anatomy and what happens to bodies when they’re given over to science. Many scenes are grounded in the minutiae of a woman’s life, as Doireann both celebrates and documents motherhood, rearing children and the joy and messiness of it all.  At the heart of the story is one of Ireland’s great poets, a woman named Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill and her iconic poem or keen of lament. A Ghost in the Throat is part obsession, part honouring and it is not actually classifyable, which is also part of the appeal. To use Doireann’s own term, this is a female text.

]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Doireann Ní Ghríofa) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/doireann-ni-ghriofa-on-ghost-in-the-throat-and-the-mystery-of-writing-and-life-nnKxg8Pn Doireann Ní Ghríofa has published in both Irish and English and has written six acclaimed collections of poetry. Her most recent, To Star the Dark was described by The Irish Independent as ‘playful, serious, joyful, and moving’. Her book of prose called A Ghost in the Throat received Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and had phenomenal reviews across the word. Doireann has also received many other awards and accolades including a Lannan Literary Fellowship, Italy’s Ostana Prize, a Seamus Heaney Fellowship and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

A Ghost in the Throat dives into all manner of subject from bees and breastfeeding to anatomy and what happens to bodies when they’re given over to science. Many scenes are grounded in the minutiae of a woman’s life, as Doireann both celebrates and documents motherhood, rearing children and the joy and messiness of it all.  At the heart of the story is one of Ireland’s great poets, a woman named Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill and her iconic poem or keen of lament. A Ghost in the Throat is part obsession, part honouring and it is not actually classifyable, which is also part of the appeal. To use Doireann’s own term, this is a female text.

]]> Doireann Ní Ghríofa on A Ghost in the Throat and the mystery of writing and life Jemma Birrell, Doireann Ní Ghríofa 01:09:25 Featuring: Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s Irish Book Award-winning A Ghost in the Throat that reads like a literary detective story; her muse Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill at the centre of the book and Doireann’s hunt for details about her life; oral history and being passed down in the bodies of women; the all-consuming journey of translating Eibhlín’s iconic poem; the obsession that countered the loneliness of motherhood; how an experience of dissection changed the trajectory of Doirean’s life; the surprising way she began writing; how the place we write makes itself felt in the texture of a book; the worlds between languages and their particular melodies; writing poetry in both English and Irish; and following hunches. Featuring: Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s Irish Book Award-winning A Ghost in the Throat that reads like a literary detective story; her muse Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill at the centre of the book and Doireann’s hunt for details about her life; oral history and being passed down in the bodies of women; the all-consuming journey of translating Eibhlín’s iconic poem; the obsession that countered the loneliness of motherhood; how an experience of dissection changed the trajectory of Doirean’s life; the surprising way she began writing; how the place we write makes itself felt in the texture of a book; the worlds between languages and their particular melodies; writing poetry in both English and Irish; and following hunches. to star the dark, dissection, ireland, doireann ní ghríofa, motherhood, translation, eibhlín dubh ní chonaill, irish writing, oral history, ghost in the throat, poetry, breastfeeding, book of the year irish book award no full 29 566c7d27-c815-41f0-910d-06aaf1393a7a Louise Adler on the extraordinary story of her parents, a life in publishing and what she learnt along the way Louise Adler is one of the most significant figures in Australian publishing. Born in Melbourne, Louise was educated locally and studied in Israel at the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University, then in Britain at the University of Reading, and in America at Columbia University. She taught literature at Columbia for ten years and also taught at the University of Melbourne. 

Louise has since had a range of impressive roles that include Editor of Australian Book Review, Publishing Director of Reed Books Australia, Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Melbourne Age and Presenter of Arts Today on Radio National. More recently she was CEO and Publisher-in-Chief of Melbourne University Publishing and served on the boards of both the Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art for over a decade. Louise is currently Publisher at Large at Hachette Australia and on the board of the Monash University Museum of Art. She has been awarded the Order of Australia for services to literature.

]]> Thu, 15 Jul 2021 02:27:50 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Louise Adler) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/louise-adler-on-the-extraordinary-story-of-her-parents-a-life-in-publishing-and-what-she-learnt-along-the-way-wLtMSHBQ Louise Adler is one of the most significant figures in Australian publishing. Born in Melbourne, Louise was educated locally and studied in Israel at the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University, then in Britain at the University of Reading, and in America at Columbia University. She taught literature at Columbia for ten years and also taught at the University of Melbourne. 

Louise has since had a range of impressive roles that include Editor of Australian Book Review, Publishing Director of Reed Books Australia, Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Melbourne Age and Presenter of Arts Today on Radio National. More recently she was CEO and Publisher-in-Chief of Melbourne University Publishing and served on the boards of both the Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art for over a decade. Louise is currently Publisher at Large at Hachette Australia and on the board of the Monash University Museum of Art. She has been awarded the Order of Australia for services to literature.

]]> Louise Adler on the extraordinary story of her parents, a life in publishing and what she learnt along the way Jemma Birrell, Louise Adler 00:56:54 Featuring: The experiences of Louise’s parents in Europe and her father’s time in the French Resistance; how her parents' passion for the arts impacted Louise’s life; an early obsession with books; studying and teaching at Columbia University; her time as Edward Said’s teaching assistant; being socially engaged; her major roles in publishing and the arts, and what she learnt from them; a love of commissioning; finding Australian stories and readers; Hilary McPhee’s brief for MUP; the role of a publisher; some stand-out titles Louise published in the past and what she is publishing now (and some wonderful reading recommendations). Featuring: The experiences of Louise’s parents in Europe and her father’s time in the French Resistance; how her parents' passion for the arts impacted Louise’s life; an early obsession with books; studying and teaching at Columbia University; her time as Edward Said’s teaching assistant; being socially engaged; her major roles in publishing and the arts, and what she learnt from them; a love of commissioning; finding Australian stories and readers; Hilary McPhee’s brief for MUP; the role of a publisher; some stand-out titles Louise published in the past and what she is publishing now (and some wonderful reading recommendations). reed books australia, wwii, edward said, enid blyton, melbourne university press, australian book review, french resistance, hachette australia, non-fiction, mup, columbia university, migrant history no full 28 834268c2-1dd1-4d5d-853e-21a551b1365f Andrew Solomon on a lifetime writing about humanity, surviving the Pacific Ocean and the power of listening Andrew Solomon’s work has had a major impact across the world. His books have made concrete changes for the better, fostering empathy and understanding in everyone who reads them. Andrew writes on politics, culture and psychology and is an activist in LGBTQ rights, mental health, and the arts. He’s a Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University, a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale University and is a former President of PEN American Centre, and currently on their Board of Directors. He founded the Solomon Research Fellowships in LGBT Studies at Yale University and has written for publications such as The New Yorker, the London Times, and more. He’s lectured widely and his TED talks have had over twenty million views.

Andrew’s first book was a study of Russian artists, called The Irony Tower: Soviet Artists in a Time of Glasnost. Then came his novel A Stone Boat that was described by Harold Bloom as ‘one of the authentic achievements in American fiction’. His memoir, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression won the 2001 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and was one of the London Times One Hundred Best Books of the Decade. Solomon’s book, the bestselling Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity came out in 2012 and tells the stories of families raising exceptional children who find profound meaning in doing so. It received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction; the Wellcome Book Prize and many more accolades. There was also a celebrated documentary based on the book. The last book Andrew published was Far and Away: How Travel Can Change the World, a collection of his international reporting, and he has also more recently published an Audible Original called New Family Values that explores how the concept of family in America today has utterly changed, though the economic and legal structures lag behind.

]]> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Andrew Solomon, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/andrew-solomon-on-a-lifetime-writing-about-humanity-surviving-the-pacific-ocean-and-the-power-of-listening-UHmcv2fn Andrew Solomon’s work has had a major impact across the world. His books have made concrete changes for the better, fostering empathy and understanding in everyone who reads them. Andrew writes on politics, culture and psychology and is an activist in LGBTQ rights, mental health, and the arts. He’s a Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University, a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale University and is a former President of PEN American Centre, and currently on their Board of Directors. He founded the Solomon Research Fellowships in LGBT Studies at Yale University and has written for publications such as The New Yorker, the London Times, and more. He’s lectured widely and his TED talks have had over twenty million views.

Andrew’s first book was a study of Russian artists, called The Irony Tower: Soviet Artists in a Time of Glasnost. Then came his novel A Stone Boat that was described by Harold Bloom as ‘one of the authentic achievements in American fiction’. His memoir, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression won the 2001 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and was one of the London Times One Hundred Best Books of the Decade. Solomon’s book, the bestselling Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity came out in 2012 and tells the stories of families raising exceptional children who find profound meaning in doing so. It received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction; the Wellcome Book Prize and many more accolades. There was also a celebrated documentary based on the book. The last book Andrew published was Far and Away: How Travel Can Change the World, a collection of his international reporting, and he has also more recently published an Audible Original called New Family Values that explores how the concept of family in America today has utterly changed, though the economic and legal structures lag behind.

]]> Andrew Solomon on a lifetime writing about humanity, surviving the Pacific Ocean and the power of listening Andrew Solomon, Jemma Birrell 01:05:32 Featuring: how Andrew’s life has changed; living with uncertainty; his travel writing over the last thirty years and what still rings true today; experiences in Cambodia and Rwanda; one of the most memorable musical evenings of Andrew’s life that took place in Afghanistan; an early calling to write; 20 years since The Noonday Demon came out; what has been effective in treating his own depression; the ability to listen without passing judgement; Andrew’s family and the families he writes about; how the legal system is so behind in defining family today; polygamy and polyamory; books that have brought Andrew solace. We discuss the body of Andrew’s work, what he has been working on and the books we can look forward to in the future. You can find Andrew Solomon's books at all good bookshops including: - McNally Jackson in NY https://www.mcnallyjackson.com - Better Read than Dead in Sydney: https://www.betterread.com.au - Shakespeare and Company in Paris: https://shakespeareandcompany.com - London Review Bookshop in London https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk Featuring: how Andrew’s life has changed; living with uncertainty; his travel writing over the last thirty years and what still rings true today; experiences in Cambodia and Rwanda; one of the most memorable musical evenings of Andrew’s life that took place in Afghanistan; an early calling to write; 20 years since The Noonday Demon came out; what has been effective in treating his own depression; the ability to listen without passing judgement; Andrew’s family and the families he writes about; how the legal system is so behind in defining family today; polygamy and polyamory; books that have brought Andrew solace. We discuss the body of Andrew’s work, what he has been working on and the books we can look forward to in the future. You can find Andrew Solomon's books at all good bookshops including: - McNally Jackson in NY https://www.mcnallyjackson.com - Better Read than Dead in Sydney: https://www.betterread.com.au - Shakespeare and Company in Paris: https://shakespeareandcompany.com - London Review Bookshop in London https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk family, myanmar, listening, the noon day demon, new family values, the irony tower, depression, far from the tree, afghanistan, pandemic, travel writing, rwanda, parents no full 27 123fcb83-f94a-4cde-9b84-1174a207a1d8 Evie Wyld on the landscapes of her life, not tying things up neatly, trusting the subconscious, and our remaining monsters. Since Evie Wyld was first published, her writing has been celebrated for its fine observations, and way of pinning down emotional nuance. Her first novel, After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and a Betty Trask Award and Evie was listed as one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. Her second novel, All the Birds Singing, won the Miles Franklin Award, the Encore Award, the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, and was longlisted for the Stella Prize. Then with her third novel The Bass Rock she won the Stella Prize. It weaves together the lives of three women across different periods of time and explores male violence, in different guises. But Evie doesn’t just explore male violence, she gets in deep, and leaves you reeling from the cumulative impact of this age-old misogyny. It’s one of the most unsettling and artfully written novels of recent times. Evie’s also written a graphic novel with illustrator Joe Sumner called Everything Is Teeth, and she co-runs Review, an indie bookshop in Peckham London.

]]> Wed, 9 Jun 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Evie Wyld) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/evie-wyld-on-the-landscapes-of-her-life-not-tying-things-up-neatly-trusting-the-subconscious-and-our-remaining-monsters-VdJHa4X4 Since Evie Wyld was first published, her writing has been celebrated for its fine observations, and way of pinning down emotional nuance. Her first novel, After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and a Betty Trask Award and Evie was listed as one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists. Her second novel, All the Birds Singing, won the Miles Franklin Award, the Encore Award, the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, and was longlisted for the Stella Prize. Then with her third novel The Bass Rock she won the Stella Prize. It weaves together the lives of three women across different periods of time and explores male violence, in different guises. But Evie doesn’t just explore male violence, she gets in deep, and leaves you reeling from the cumulative impact of this age-old misogyny. It’s one of the most unsettling and artfully written novels of recent times. Evie’s also written a graphic novel with illustrator Joe Sumner called Everything Is Teeth, and she co-runs Review, an indie bookshop in Peckham London.

]]> Evie Wyld on the landscapes of her life, not tying things up neatly, trusting the subconscious, and our remaining monsters. Jemma Birrell, Evie Wyld 00:57:32 Featuring: Evie’s life and books; writing every novel very differently; where The Bass Rock came from; religion and paganism; when in doubt; paying attention to negative reviews; getting nothing done at writers’ retreats; what Australia meant to Evie as a child; the role of character and landscape; writing confronting scenes and the high body count; the exhaustion for women in constantly being vigilant; ghosts and hauntings; the links between religion and misogyny; Evie’s first reader and editor; the writers who helped teach Evie to write; the Victorian idea of a companion; behind the scenes of Review, Evie’s bookshop in Peckham; and book recommendations. In Australia find Evie's books at all good bookshops such as Readings: https://www.readings.com.au In the UK find Evie's books and browse many other delights at Review in Peckham http://www.reviewbookshop.co.uk Featuring: Evie’s life and books; writing every novel very differently; where The Bass Rock came from; religion and paganism; when in doubt; paying attention to negative reviews; getting nothing done at writers’ retreats; what Australia meant to Evie as a child; the role of character and landscape; writing confronting scenes and the high body count; the exhaustion for women in constantly being vigilant; ghosts and hauntings; the links between religion and misogyny; Evie’s first reader and editor; the writers who helped teach Evie to write; the Victorian idea of a companion; behind the scenes of Review, Evie’s bookshop in Peckham; and book recommendations. In Australia find Evie's books at all good bookshops such as Readings: https://www.readings.com.au In the UK find Evie's books and browse many other delights at Review in Peckham http://www.reviewbookshop.co.uk the bass rock, the miles franklin award, indie bookshop, granta's best young british novelists, review, bookshop, all the birds singing, australia, the stella prize, sharks, after the fire a still small voice no full 26 e383a021-89ef-424a-83a4-e69295f22895 Jhumpa Lahiri on paring back, building bridges and her new book Whereabouts Since Interpreter of Maladies was published in 1999, Jhumpa Lahiri has written three works of fiction in English, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth, and the Booker shortlisted, The Lowland. She has also written a work of nonfiction, In Other Words, which was the first book she wrote in Italian, translated into English by Ann Goldstein. In addition Jhumpa edited The Penguin Book of Short Italian Stories, highlighting a thrilling selection of Italian writers, some of whom hadn’t been seen in English before. She has also translated various books from Italian including Domenico Starnone’s Trick. 

Jhumpa received the Pulitzer Prize for Interpreter of Maladies and numerous other awards for her writing including the PEN/Hemingway Award; the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award; and a National Humanities Medal, awarded by Barak Obama. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Whereabouts is Jhumpa’s new book, her first novel written in Italian and this time, she also translated it into English. There’s a grace and a gentle precision to her pared back style as she looks at every day moments in specific places, and the solitude, frustrations and intimacies of being human. 

]]> Wed, 19 May 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jhumpa Lahiri, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/jhumpa-lahiri-on-paring-back-building-bridges-and-her-new-book-whereabouts-_DrEarOy Since Interpreter of Maladies was published in 1999, Jhumpa Lahiri has written three works of fiction in English, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth, and the Booker shortlisted, The Lowland. She has also written a work of nonfiction, In Other Words, which was the first book she wrote in Italian, translated into English by Ann Goldstein. In addition Jhumpa edited The Penguin Book of Short Italian Stories, highlighting a thrilling selection of Italian writers, some of whom hadn’t been seen in English before. She has also translated various books from Italian including Domenico Starnone’s Trick. 

Jhumpa received the Pulitzer Prize for Interpreter of Maladies and numerous other awards for her writing including the PEN/Hemingway Award; the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award; and a National Humanities Medal, awarded by Barak Obama. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Whereabouts is Jhumpa’s new book, her first novel written in Italian and this time, she also translated it into English. There’s a grace and a gentle precision to her pared back style as she looks at every day moments in specific places, and the solitude, frustrations and intimacies of being human. 

]]> Jhumpa Lahiri on paring back, building bridges and her new book Whereabouts Jhumpa Lahiri, Jemma Birrell 01:00:44 Featuring: the way books begin, the conversation between languages, on teaching and writing, untranslatable words, finding a way to get rid of excess, translating her own novel from Italian and the intense scrutiny involved, Jhumpa's upcoming book of short stories called Roman Stories, the anthology of Italian writers Jhumpa edited, those authors with whom Jhumpa feels an affinity, the machinery of publishing and the differences between countries, advice on starting out as a writer, having a threshold for uncertainty and how rejections are crucial. * There’s background noise in a few places, apologies. Featuring: the way books begin, the conversation between languages, on teaching and writing, untranslatable words, finding a way to get rid of excess, translating her own novel from Italian and the intense scrutiny involved, Jhumpa's upcoming book of short stories called Roman Stories, the anthology of Italian writers Jhumpa edited, those authors with whom Jhumpa feels an affinity, the machinery of publishing and the differences between countries, advice on starting out as a writer, having a threshold for uncertainty and how rejections are crucial. * There’s background noise in a few places, apologies. whereabouts, pulitzer, translation, italian, natalia ginzburg, beckett, jhumpa lahiri, publishing, primo levi no full 25 01976474-fea1-4fc2-907f-8a0499035e9e Nikki Gemmell on writing with audacity, her new poetic thriller and surviving financially as a writer Nikki Gemmell is one of Australia’s great writers. Since Les Murray printed Nikki’s first short story in Quadrant Magazine, she’s written thirteen novels. One of them, was the erotic blockbuster The Bride Stripped Bare which was published anonymously back in 2003. It was described as a ‘raw and unflinching’ look at sexuality – and it’s that raw and unflinching eye that makes her writing as a whole so engaging. Nikki’s books have been translated into 22 languages and in France, she's been described as a ‘female Jack Kerouac’. Nikki also writes books for children, is a columnist for the Weekend Australian Magazine and she’s published various non-fiction books, musing about life, love and death. In all of her work there’s a sort of sinewy energy that bristles on the page, and her fine observations and sensual descriptions are a joy to read in all of their guises. Her book After has the feel of a literary detective story as Nikki investigates her mother’s death, though at the heart, it’s a celebration of her life and their relationship in all of its wondrous complexity. Her new novel that’s just come out is called The Ripping Tree. It’s a poetic thriller that’s vividly imagined and confronting – a particularly Australian story, set in the time of white settlement. 

You can find Nikki’s books at all good bookshops, and here's a Sydney-based one for starters: Kinokuniya Books https://australia.kinokuniya.com/productsis_searching=true&restrictBy%5Bauthor%5D=Gemmell+Nikki&taxon=2

]]> Wed, 5 May 2021 14:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Nikki Gemmell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/nikki-gemmell-on-writing-with-audacity-her-new-poetic-thriller-and-surviving-financially-as-a-writer-cezOYxwH Nikki Gemmell is one of Australia’s great writers. Since Les Murray printed Nikki’s first short story in Quadrant Magazine, she’s written thirteen novels. One of them, was the erotic blockbuster The Bride Stripped Bare which was published anonymously back in 2003. It was described as a ‘raw and unflinching’ look at sexuality – and it’s that raw and unflinching eye that makes her writing as a whole so engaging. Nikki’s books have been translated into 22 languages and in France, she's been described as a ‘female Jack Kerouac’. Nikki also writes books for children, is a columnist for the Weekend Australian Magazine and she’s published various non-fiction books, musing about life, love and death. In all of her work there’s a sort of sinewy energy that bristles on the page, and her fine observations and sensual descriptions are a joy to read in all of their guises. Her book After has the feel of a literary detective story as Nikki investigates her mother’s death, though at the heart, it’s a celebration of her life and their relationship in all of its wondrous complexity. Her new novel that’s just come out is called The Ripping Tree. It’s a poetic thriller that’s vividly imagined and confronting – a particularly Australian story, set in the time of white settlement. 

You can find Nikki’s books at all good bookshops, and here's a Sydney-based one for starters: Kinokuniya Books https://australia.kinokuniya.com/productsis_searching=true&restrictBy%5Bauthor%5D=Gemmell+Nikki&taxon=2

]]> Nikki Gemmell on writing with audacity, her new poetic thriller and surviving financially as a writer Jemma Birrell, Nikki Gemmell 01:00:13 Featuring: Living in London, a fierce love of Australia, juggling work and family, bringing unspoken things into the light, strong headstrong women, on Nikki's book After and her mother’s suicide, the importance of cherishing loved ones, memories of getting published, the women in publishing who lifted Nikki up, getting outed as the writer of The Bride Stripped Bare, the pleasures of editing, and the writers who excite Nikki today. Featuring: Living in London, a fierce love of Australia, juggling work and family, bringing unspoken things into the light, strong headstrong women, on Nikki's book After and her mother’s suicide, the importance of cherishing loved ones, memories of getting published, the women in publishing who lifted Nikki up, getting outed as the writer of The Bride Stripped Bare, the pleasures of editing, and the writers who excite Nikki today. quiet, the weekend australian magazine, getting published, the bride stripped bare, fiction, after, surviving as a writer, nikki gemmell no full 24 d42a45b0-a436-4163-b179-a7b70bd222fd Charles Yu on writers' rooms and Westworld, his National Book Award-winning novel Interior Chinatown and a love of short stories Charles Yu writes playful and inventive novels and short stories, often with a kind of sly irreverence. There’s warmth and wisdom at their heart, he’s very funny. Charles has written two collection of stories, Third Class Superhero and Sorry Please Thank You and the novels How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and his latest Interior Chinatown that won the National Book Award and Le Prix Médicis Étranger. Charles has also received the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Award, been nominated for two Writers Guild of America awards for his work on the television series Westworld, and has written for shows on FX, AMC, Facebook Watch, and Adult Swim. He’s also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine,The Atlantic and Wired. 

]]> Wed, 14 Apr 2021 21:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Charles Yu, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/charles-yu-on-a-love-of-short-stories-writers-rooms-and-westworld-and-his-national-book-award-winning-novel-interior-chinatown-xNPDYi9_ Charles Yu writes playful and inventive novels and short stories, often with a kind of sly irreverence. There’s warmth and wisdom at their heart, he’s very funny. Charles has written two collection of stories, Third Class Superhero and Sorry Please Thank You and the novels How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and his latest Interior Chinatown that won the National Book Award and Le Prix Médicis Étranger. Charles has also received the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 Award, been nominated for two Writers Guild of America awards for his work on the television series Westworld, and has written for shows on FX, AMC, Facebook Watch, and Adult Swim. He’s also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine,The Atlantic and Wired. 

]]> Charles Yu on writers' rooms and Westworld, his National Book Award-winning novel Interior Chinatown and a love of short stories Charles Yu, Jemma Birrell 00:57:01 A wide-ranging conversation throughout the' universe of Charles Yu, featuring: race in America; using humour as a compass; the roles we play; the early years coping with rejection and the benefits of having low expectations when starting out; television’s writing room etiquette and servicing a story; the editorial process; what he learnt from Wong Kar-wai; the tiny surgical cuts that lift a manuscript; and the challenges of adapting your own novel. A wide-ranging conversation throughout the' universe of Charles Yu, featuring: race in America; using humour as a compass; the roles we play; the early years coping with rejection and the benefits of having low expectations when starting out; television’s writing room etiquette and servicing a story; the editorial process; what he learnt from Wong Kar-wai; the tiny surgical cuts that lift a manuscript; and the challenges of adapting your own novel. facebook watch, getting published, interior chinatown, humour, adult swim, editing, getting rejections, anti-asian violence, writers room, national book award winner, writing television, how to live safely in a science fictional universe, charles yu, george saunders, short stories, writing advice, wong kar-wai no full 23 5d04c30b-b930-40ef-b5cf-73cfc8c81d40 Andy Griffiths on the wild ride from punk band to rockstar children's author Andy Griffiths is one of the most loved authors in Australia. Andy and his partner in crime illustrator Terry Denton have collaborated on more than 33 bestselling books including the Treehouse series, all of which have sold over 10 million copies – which must make them some of bestselling Australian authors of all time. They’ve been published in over 35 countries and have had various books adapted for stage with sell out seasons at the Opera House. Andy is an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation and has received countless awards for his books and contribution to Children’s Literature. 

* You might want to listen to this interview in a few sessions as it’s much longer than usual (everything Andy said was gold so I didn't edit it down). He’s incredibly humble, generous and funny (forgive my excessive laughter) and his life story is an inspiration. Enjoy.

]]> Wed, 31 Mar 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Andy Griffiths, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/andy-griffiths-on-the-wild-ride-from-punk-band-and-driving-taxis-to-one-of-the-worlds-bestselling-authors-for-children-iTuRoejJ Andy Griffiths is one of the most loved authors in Australia. Andy and his partner in crime illustrator Terry Denton have collaborated on more than 33 bestselling books including the Treehouse series, all of which have sold over 10 million copies – which must make them some of bestselling Australian authors of all time. They’ve been published in over 35 countries and have had various books adapted for stage with sell out seasons at the Opera House. Andy is an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation and has received countless awards for his books and contribution to Children’s Literature. 

* You might want to listen to this interview in a few sessions as it’s much longer than usual (everything Andy said was gold so I didn't edit it down). He’s incredibly humble, generous and funny (forgive my excessive laughter) and his life story is an inspiration. Enjoy.

]]> Andy Griffiths on the wild ride from punk band to rockstar children's author Andy Griffiths, Jemma Birrell 01:21:02 Featuring: wonder, silliness and how Andy has made millions of kids fall in love with reading. He talks about the early days figuring out what kind of writer he was; dealing with initial rejections; the algebra of comedy and fiction; his characteristic too-much-information detail; the joy of collaborating and the genius of Terry and Jill; the endless rewrites and hard work alongside many laughs; how deadlines are useful; why the Treehouse series went ballistic; the art of performance; working with The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and what books are coming next. There are also loads of book and film recommendations. * You might want to listen to this interview in a few sessions as it’s much longer than usual (everything Andy said was gold so I didn't edit it down). He’s incredibly humble, generous and funny (forgive my excessive laughter) and his life story is an inspiration. Enjoy. Featuring: wonder, silliness and how Andy has made millions of kids fall in love with reading. He talks about the early days figuring out what kind of writer he was; dealing with initial rejections; the algebra of comedy and fiction; his characteristic too-much-information detail; the joy of collaborating and the genius of Terry and Jill; the endless rewrites and hard work alongside many laughs; how deadlines are useful; why the Treehouse series went ballistic; the art of performance; working with The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and what books are coming next. There are also loads of book and film recommendations. * You might want to listen to this interview in a few sessions as it’s much longer than usual (everything Andy said was gold so I didn't edit it down). He’s incredibly humble, generous and funny (forgive my excessive laughter) and his life story is an inspiration. Enjoy. just joking, getting published, the treehouse series, just tricking, andy griffiths, jemma birrell, jill griffiths, comedy', terry denton no full 22 990cdfe1-c64a-4386-a99b-715951bbd18a Melissa Harrison on nature writing, taking risks, advice for new writers and learning birdsongs Melissa Harrison is an award-winning novelist, nature writer and podcaster. Melissa’s podcast The Stubborn Light of Things has the same title as her book that was named the Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year. In the book it feels like she’s taking us by her side as she walks through the greens of London and the English countryside, sharing warm and poetic observations of the natural world. There’s a joy in her lush descriptions, with the magic of frogspawn, seahorses in the Thames, murmurations of starlings, elfin dog violets and more. Melissa’s writing is finely observed, musical and intimate and she echoes this in her podcast with her soothing voice and recordings of the fields and birds. 

Melissa also contributes a monthly nature column to The Times, which the book was based on, and writes for various other publications. Her most recent novel, All Among the Barley, was described by Jon McGregor as “a masterpiece”. Her other novels are Clay and At Hawthorn Time and she’s written a non-fiction meditation called Rain: Four Walks in English Weather, and edited four anthologies of the seasons. 

]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Melissa Harrison) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/melissa-harrison-on-nature-writing-taking-risks-advice-for-new-writers-and-learning-birdsongs-TZgaz5jU Melissa Harrison is an award-winning novelist, nature writer and podcaster. Melissa’s podcast The Stubborn Light of Things has the same title as her book that was named the Sunday Times Nature Book of the Year. In the book it feels like she’s taking us by her side as she walks through the greens of London and the English countryside, sharing warm and poetic observations of the natural world. There’s a joy in her lush descriptions, with the magic of frogspawn, seahorses in the Thames, murmurations of starlings, elfin dog violets and more. Melissa’s writing is finely observed, musical and intimate and she echoes this in her podcast with her soothing voice and recordings of the fields and birds. 

Melissa also contributes a monthly nature column to The Times, which the book was based on, and writes for various other publications. Her most recent novel, All Among the Barley, was described by Jon McGregor as “a masterpiece”. Her other novels are Clay and At Hawthorn Time and she’s written a non-fiction meditation called Rain: Four Walks in English Weather, and edited four anthologies of the seasons. 

]]> Melissa Harrison on nature writing, taking risks, advice for new writers and learning birdsongs Jemma Birrell, Melissa Harrison 00:57:00 Featuring: Melissa’s novels and non-fiction; advice to new writers; her hit podcast that has been a balm for so many people during the pandemic; connection to place and becoming more attuned to the natural world; life in a rural village; a fascination with England; the authors Melissa reads now and read as a child; defining moments in her writing life; a love of dance music; and the dark side of nostalgia. In this interview Melissa also discusses her new children’s book 'By Ash, Oak and Thorn' that you can now find at your local independent bookshop. The interview took place at the end of 2020. Featuring: Melissa’s novels and non-fiction; advice to new writers; her hit podcast that has been a balm for so many people during the pandemic; connection to place and becoming more attuned to the natural world; life in a rural village; a fascination with England; the authors Melissa reads now and read as a child; defining moments in her writing life; a love of dance music; and the dark side of nostalgia. In this interview Melissa also discusses her new children’s book 'By Ash, Oak and Thorn' that you can now find at your local independent bookshop. The interview took place at the end of 2020. nature writing, by ash oak and thorn, all among the barley, melissa harrison, clay, the stubborn light of things, fiction, children's book, english countryside, dance music, rain: four walks in english weather, publishing, writing advice, suffolk, at hawthorn time no full 21 548a9315-1245-4938-b5f3-797e5ae80648 Janine di Giovanni on reporting war, love, responsibility and her calling to write Janine di Giovanni is an author of various award-winning books and one of the world’s great foreign correspondents. She has had a thirty year career in war zones, reporting on conflicts from the first Palestinian intifadato the siege of Sarajevo, the Rwandan genocide and many other wars across the world. She was a long-time Senior Foreign Correspondent for The Times of London and a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, and now writes for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, Harpers and more. Janine has received countless awards for her work including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Magazine Award, the Courage in Journalism award, and the Blake Dodd, from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  She’s also a Senior Fellow and lecturer at Yale University.  

Janine has written nine books including Ghosts by Daylight: A Memoir of War and Love and more recently The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria. Each book of hers should be required reading. In addition to contextualising the conflicts, Janine shares the human stories – and in a way, she sheds light on what many people choose to remain in the dark about. She exposes what we find so hard to confront about humanity and ourselves. Follow Janine on twitter @janinedigi.

]]> Wed, 3 Mar 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Janine di Giovanni) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/janine-di-giovanni-on-reporting-war-love-responsibility-and-her-calling-to-write-y_Qitz8k Janine di Giovanni is an author of various award-winning books and one of the world’s great foreign correspondents. She has had a thirty year career in war zones, reporting on conflicts from the first Palestinian intifadato the siege of Sarajevo, the Rwandan genocide and many other wars across the world. She was a long-time Senior Foreign Correspondent for The Times of London and a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, and now writes for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Review of Books, Harpers and more. Janine has received countless awards for her work including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Magazine Award, the Courage in Journalism award, and the Blake Dodd, from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  She’s also a Senior Fellow and lecturer at Yale University.  

Janine has written nine books including Ghosts by Daylight: A Memoir of War and Love and more recently The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria. Each book of hers should be required reading. In addition to contextualising the conflicts, Janine shares the human stories – and in a way, she sheds light on what many people choose to remain in the dark about. She exposes what we find so hard to confront about humanity and ourselves. Follow Janine on twitter @janinedigi.

]]> Janine di Giovanni on reporting war, love, responsibility and her calling to write Jemma Birrell, Janine di Giovanni 00:50:45 Featuring: Giving a voice to the voiceless, observations of America today, from war zones to living Paris and New York, the concept of moral injury, ghosts from Bosnia and living with injustice, Syria and the mass exodus of refugees, investigating human rights, the nature of ‘evil’, how foreign reporting has drastically changed, the anchor of faith, and Janine's new book ‘The Vanishing: The twilight of Christianity in the Middle East’.  *Some of the content in this conversation is disturbing as we’re talking about the reality of war. *The film Janine recommends is ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ A 2020 Bosnian film written, produced and directed by Jasmila Žbanić. Featuring: Giving a voice to the voiceless, observations of America today, from war zones to living Paris and New York, the concept of moral injury, ghosts from Bosnia and living with injustice, Syria and the mass exodus of refugees, investigating human rights, the nature of ‘evil’, how foreign reporting has drastically changed, the anchor of faith, and Janine's new book ‘The Vanishing: The twilight of Christianity in the Middle East’.  *Some of the content in this conversation is disturbing as we’re talking about the reality of war. *The film Janine recommends is ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ A 2020 Bosnian film written, produced and directed by Jasmila Žbanić. \, aida?, bosnia, writing, quo vadis, foreign correspondent, middle east, sarajevo, reporting, palestine, syria, faith, memoir, christianity, refugees, rwanda, jasmila žbanić, war, war zones no full 20 ffffba67-a3f3-4e8d-996f-c65413266221 Jenny Hewson on her role as a literary agent, looking for a distinctive voice and how rejection is often part of the process Jenny Hewson is a literary agent based in London. She worked for 13 years as an agent at one of England’s best agencies, Rogers Coleridge and White or RCW as it’s known, representing authors across fiction and non-fiction. A year ago she joined the prestigious Lutyens & Rubinstein agency, bringing her list of authors with her, including Sarah Perry, Melissa Harrison, Amy Sackville and Alexander Macleod.
Lutyens and Rubinstein was the first literary agency to own an independent bookshop when they opened their doors in Notting Hill in 2009. The bookshop itself has a beautifully curated selection which makes it a pleasure to browse – and of course having a bookshop means the agents can witness the appetite of readers daily.

]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2021 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Jenny Hewson) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/jenny-hewson-on-her-role-as-a-literary-agent-looking-for-a-distinctive-voice-and-how-rejection-is-often-part-of-the-process-8BkIzj5E Jenny Hewson is a literary agent based in London. She worked for 13 years as an agent at one of England’s best agencies, Rogers Coleridge and White or RCW as it’s known, representing authors across fiction and non-fiction. A year ago she joined the prestigious Lutyens & Rubinstein agency, bringing her list of authors with her, including Sarah Perry, Melissa Harrison, Amy Sackville and Alexander Macleod.
Lutyens and Rubinstein was the first literary agency to own an independent bookshop when they opened their doors in Notting Hill in 2009. The bookshop itself has a beautifully curated selection which makes it a pleasure to browse – and of course having a bookshop means the agents can witness the appetite of readers daily.

]]> Jenny Hewson on her role as a literary agent, looking for a distinctive voice and how rejection is often part of the process Jemma Birrell, Jenny Hewson 00:50:06 Featuring: How Jenny started out; learning from the iconic British agent Deborah Rogers (who represented authors from Ian McEwan to Angela Carter); championing writers; the importance of trust and rapport; choosing the right publishers for authors; the art of contracts; and working for Lutyens and Rubinstein. This interview took place at the end of 2020. The title of Jenny’s last book recommendation is ‘Love after Love’ by Ingrid Persaud. Featuring: How Jenny started out; learning from the iconic British agent Deborah Rogers (who represented authors from Ian McEwan to Angela Carter); championing writers; the importance of trust and rapport; choosing the right publishers for authors; the art of contracts; and working for Lutyens and Rubinstein. This interview took place at the end of 2020. The title of Jenny’s last book recommendation is ‘Love after Love’ by Ingrid Persaud. book publishing, ingrid persaud, literary agent, melissa harrison, rcw, love after love, lutyens and rubinstein, how to get published, london, deborah rogers, sarah perry, publishing, rogers coleridge and white, agenting, the essex serpent no full 19 2e50bb77-d970-4acf-9caf-3e3e304e414e Lang Leav on poetry as emotion, September Love and finding her tribe. Lang Leav is a poet and novelist whose work has a rare and powerful way of connecting with readers. Lang was born in a refugee camp, grew up in Sydney’s Cabramatta and now lives in New Zealand. She has received various accolades including a Churchill fellowship and a Goodreads Readers’ Choice Award. Her first book, 'Love & Misadventure' was self-published and became a runaway success. Her following poetry books and novels have all been international bestsellers. Lang also shares her writing on Instagram and other social networks to a combined audience of over 2 million people. There’s something intimate, even diary-like in her tone as though she’s sharing her innermost thoughts, exploring themes from love and loss to feminism and the nature of writing. She celebrates the female spirit, her heritage and craft. Lang’s new book is 'September Love'. In the forward Lili Reinhart describes her words as ‘individually plucked with precision and purpose’ and ‘like looking straight into her heart and seeing my own heart silhouetted underneath’.

]]> Wed, 3 Feb 2021 21:48:52 +0000 ash@tablo.io (jemma birrell, lang leav) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/lang-leav-on-poetry-as-emotion-september-love-and-finding-her-tribe-p9UIzs2P Lang Leav is a poet and novelist whose work has a rare and powerful way of connecting with readers. Lang was born in a refugee camp, grew up in Sydney’s Cabramatta and now lives in New Zealand. She has received various accolades including a Churchill fellowship and a Goodreads Readers’ Choice Award. Her first book, 'Love & Misadventure' was self-published and became a runaway success. Her following poetry books and novels have all been international bestsellers. Lang also shares her writing on Instagram and other social networks to a combined audience of over 2 million people. There’s something intimate, even diary-like in her tone as though she’s sharing her innermost thoughts, exploring themes from love and loss to feminism and the nature of writing. She celebrates the female spirit, her heritage and craft. Lang’s new book is 'September Love'. In the forward Lili Reinhart describes her words as ‘individually plucked with precision and purpose’ and ‘like looking straight into her heart and seeing my own heart silhouetted underneath’.

]]> Lang Leav on poetry as emotion, September Love and finding her tribe. jemma birrell, lang leav 00:41:36 The first episode of season two! Featuring: Lang self-publishing her first book then getting an agent and a publishing deal; becoming a bestselling author and social media sensation; Lang’s remarkable mother; the power of words to change lives; the impact of speaking different languages (including a rare form of Chinese) on her writing; and writing to her past and future self. Lang also gives some readings of her work. * This interview was recorded at the end of 2020. Enjoy! The first episode of season two! Featuring: Lang self-publishing her first book then getting an agent and a publishing deal; becoming a bestselling author and social media sensation; Lang’s remarkable mother; the power of words to change lives; the impact of speaking different languages (including a rare form of Chinese) on her writing; and writing to her past and future self. Lang also gives some readings of her work. * This interview was recorded at the end of 2020. Enjoy! lang leav, readings, lili reinhart, social media, self publishing, instagram, self-publishing, agent, poetry, september love, tablo, publishing deal, poets no full 18 cfb6b578-4376-47e0-89ec-77fc8bb1abff James Rebanks on his life’s work, the surprising path to bestselling writer, an urgency to rethink modern farming and how we can change the world. James is an old-fashioned farmer based in England’s The Lake District where his family have lived and worked for over 600 years. He’s the author of the bestselling memoir The Shephard’s Life which won the Lake District book of the year, was shortlisted for the Wainwright and Ondaatje prizes and translated into sixteen languages. It speaks of his life’s work and his profound connection to the land. It resonated around the world, as have his photos and words on social media where he’s become a sensation.
James’ new book is called English Pastoral and as with the first, it feels like a kind of love song to his father and grandfather. It continues the conversation from The Shephard’s Life sharing personal anecdotes and observations but also looks at the big picture and the consequences of large scale industrial farming and the loss of ancient rhythms of work. It’s about what farming was like in James’ childhood and what it has become, not just in England but across the world. It’s devastating to read about this ‘total war on nature’ and while there’s a lot of grief about what has been lost, there’s also hope, showing what we can learn from the old ways to reinvigorate our natural landscapes. And James’ writing, his descriptions of the wilds, the animals and his farm is luminous – the book really is a revelation.

]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2020 20:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, James Rebanks) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/james-rebanks-on-his-lifes-work-the-surprising-path-to-bestselling-writer-an-urgency-to-rethink-modern-farming-and-how-we-can-change-the-world-PBvhxmiy James is an old-fashioned farmer based in England’s The Lake District where his family have lived and worked for over 600 years. He’s the author of the bestselling memoir The Shephard’s Life which won the Lake District book of the year, was shortlisted for the Wainwright and Ondaatje prizes and translated into sixteen languages. It speaks of his life’s work and his profound connection to the land. It resonated around the world, as have his photos and words on social media where he’s become a sensation.
James’ new book is called English Pastoral and as with the first, it feels like a kind of love song to his father and grandfather. It continues the conversation from The Shephard’s Life sharing personal anecdotes and observations but also looks at the big picture and the consequences of large scale industrial farming and the loss of ancient rhythms of work. It’s about what farming was like in James’ childhood and what it has become, not just in England but across the world. It’s devastating to read about this ‘total war on nature’ and while there’s a lot of grief about what has been lost, there’s also hope, showing what we can learn from the old ways to reinvigorate our natural landscapes. And James’ writing, his descriptions of the wilds, the animals and his farm is luminous – the book really is a revelation.

]]> James Rebanks on his life’s work, the surprising path to bestselling writer, an urgency to rethink modern farming and how we can change the world. Jemma Birrell, James Rebanks 00:56:51 Featuring: The most important nine years of his life, from class clown to double firsts at Oxford, travelling the world with UNESCO, what 'The Old Man and the Sea' showed him, the dangers of mass industrial farming, what we can learn from traditional ways, meeting Wendell Berry, rewiggling the rivers and planting trees - all of which weaves in discussion of both 'The Shephard’s Life' and James’ new book 'English Pastoral'. Featuring: The most important nine years of his life, from class clown to double firsts at Oxford, travelling the world with UNESCO, what 'The Old Man and the Sea' showed him, the dangers of mass industrial farming, what we can learn from traditional ways, meeting Wendell Berry, rewiggling the rivers and planting trees - all of which weaves in discussion of both 'The Shephard’s Life' and James’ new book 'English Pastoral'. jemma birrell, farming, tablo, james rebanks no full 17 ec60e6d1-36e9-4497-bafe-c74887a56be9 Penny Hueston on the art of translation, her life in publishing and making a book sing. Penny Hueston is the co-owner with Michael Heyward of Text Publishing, one of Australia’s great independent houses. Text publishes some of the world’s most loved writers including Helen Garner, Graeme Simsion, Elena Ferrante and J.M. Coetzee. They’ve done a lot for Australian writing in general, championing books internationally and their Text Classics series has brought back many important Australian books into print, including those by Elizabeth Harrower. Penny herself is an incredibly skilled editor and translator. Her translations are by authors such as Nobel prize-winning Patrick Modiano, Sarah Cohen-Scali, Emmanuelle Pagano and Marie Darrieussecq. She’s translated six books of Marie’s including Being Here: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker for which she just received the 2020 Medal for Excellence in Translation.









 

]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2020 21:14:40 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Penny Hueston, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/penny-hueston-on-the-art-of-translation-her-life-in-publishing-and-making-a-book-sing-mA6ZkDmp Penny Hueston is the co-owner with Michael Heyward of Text Publishing, one of Australia’s great independent houses. Text publishes some of the world’s most loved writers including Helen Garner, Graeme Simsion, Elena Ferrante and J.M. Coetzee. They’ve done a lot for Australian writing in general, championing books internationally and their Text Classics series has brought back many important Australian books into print, including those by Elizabeth Harrower. Penny herself is an incredibly skilled editor and translator. Her translations are by authors such as Nobel prize-winning Patrick Modiano, Sarah Cohen-Scali, Emmanuelle Pagano and Marie Darrieussecq. She’s translated six books of Marie’s including Being Here: The Life of Paula Modersohn-Becker for which she just received the 2020 Medal for Excellence in Translation.









 

]]> Penny Hueston on the art of translation, her life in publishing and making a book sing. Penny Hueston, Jemma Birrell 00:51:44 Featuring: Living in France, the different ways of acquiring books, finding treasures in the slush pile, the evolution of Text Publishing, bridging the chasm between languages in translation, the relationship between author and translator and the work of Marie Darrieussecq. Featuring: Living in France, the different ways of acquiring books, finding treasures in the slush pile, the evolution of Text Publishing, bridging the chasm between languages in translation, the relationship between author and translator and the work of Marie Darrieussecq. paula modersohn-becker, rilke, emmanuelle pagano, sarah cohen-scali, michael heyward, francoise mouilly, patrick modiano, marie darrieussecq, di gribble, tablo, mcphee and gribble, penny hueston, publishing no full 16 26f63d7e-5149-4f8a-a9b7-1a99ed24539b Jane Harper on becoming a bestselling novelist, how to get readers hooked and the stories behind her novels and new book The Survivors. Jane Harper is one of the rare authors whose books are so successful that they’ve carved out a whole new genre – it’s called Outback or Rural Noir, and it has taken the world by storm. Jane is the author of international bestsellers The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and the new book that’s recently come out called The Survivors which sold an extraordinary 20,000 copies in the first week it was released in Australia, immediately going to no. #1 on the bestseller lists. Jane does many things to weave her particular magic. She captures the hostility as well as the beauty of the Australian landscape, and she writes characters you’re invested in, with pacey stories you can’t put down. Her books have been published in over 40 territories and have won numerous awards including the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, The Sunday Times Crime book of the year, Amazon’s Best Mystery and Thriller Novel - the list goes on. The film adaptation of The Dry, made by Reese Witherspoon and her production company, will be released next year.

]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2020 23:20:57 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Jane Harper) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/jane-harper-on-becaming-a-bestselling-novelist-how-to-get-readers-hooked-and-the-stories-behind-her-novels-and-new-book-the-survivors-r3u0Ohzl Jane Harper is one of the rare authors whose books are so successful that they’ve carved out a whole new genre – it’s called Outback or Rural Noir, and it has taken the world by storm. Jane is the author of international bestsellers The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and the new book that’s recently come out called The Survivors which sold an extraordinary 20,000 copies in the first week it was released in Australia, immediately going to no. #1 on the bestseller lists. Jane does many things to weave her particular magic. She captures the hostility as well as the beauty of the Australian landscape, and she writes characters you’re invested in, with pacey stories you can’t put down. Her books have been published in over 40 territories and have won numerous awards including the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, The Sunday Times Crime book of the year, Amazon’s Best Mystery and Thriller Novel - the list goes on. The film adaptation of The Dry, made by Reese Witherspoon and her production company, will be released next year.

]]> Jane Harper on becoming a bestselling novelist, how to get readers hooked and the stories behind her novels and new book The Survivors. Jemma Birrell, Jane Harper 00:52:47 Featuring: A masterclass in writing with a generous discussion of craft, process and research; getting the right feedback; the reality of writing books and how it was having a wedding and book auction on the same day. Featuring: A masterclass in writing with a generous discussion of craft, process and research; getting the right feedback; the reality of writing books and how it was having a wedding and book auction on the same day. pan macmillan, writing research, on writing, self publishing, force of nature, jemma birrell, the survivors, bestseller, writing masterclass, crime, tablo, jane harper, the dry, rural noir, outback noir, publishing no full 15 0011cfae-8ced-4744-9489-2b64345b759b Emily St John Mandel on the writing life, imagining a flu pandemic in Station Eleven vs the reality, The Glass Hotel and finding moral grey areas Emily St John Mandel grew up in Canada and now lives in New York. She has written various prize-winning books including The Singer’s Gun that won the 2014 Prix Mystère de la Critique in France and Station Eleven, which one reviewer likened to ‘Cormac McCarthy seesawing with Joan Didion’. It’s a story that moves between the night a particular strain of flu starts spreading like wildfire and the future 20 years later following a band of itinerant musicians and Shakespearean actors. It won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award and The Toronto Book Award and is of course even more prescient now than when it came out in 2014. Emily’s brilliant new novel, The Glass Hotel, is as The Guardian said ‘a portrait of everyday obliviousness … a tale of Ponzi schemes, not pestilence’. The thing about this novel and all of Emily’s books really is that they’re not just absorbing stories that are beautifully written – there’s also so many big hearty ideas within them, and musings about humanity, about who we are in the dark and about our dreams and the ghosts that haunt us. And all of this makes her books resonate long after you’ve put them down.

]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2020 20:30:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Tablo Publishing) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/emily-st-john-mandel-on-the-writing-life-imagining-a-flu-pandemic-in-station-eleven-vs-experiencing-one-her-brilliant-new-novel-the-glass-hotel-and-finding-those-moral-grey-areas-tiHgwClu Emily St John Mandel grew up in Canada and now lives in New York. She has written various prize-winning books including The Singer’s Gun that won the 2014 Prix Mystère de la Critique in France and Station Eleven, which one reviewer likened to ‘Cormac McCarthy seesawing with Joan Didion’. It’s a story that moves between the night a particular strain of flu starts spreading like wildfire and the future 20 years later following a band of itinerant musicians and Shakespearean actors. It won the 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award and The Toronto Book Award and is of course even more prescient now than when it came out in 2014. Emily’s brilliant new novel, The Glass Hotel, is as The Guardian said ‘a portrait of everyday obliviousness … a tale of Ponzi schemes, not pestilence’. The thing about this novel and all of Emily’s books really is that they’re not just absorbing stories that are beautifully written – there’s also so many big hearty ideas within them, and musings about humanity, about who we are in the dark and about our dreams and the ghosts that haunt us. And all of this makes her books resonate long after you’ve put them down.

]]> Emily St John Mandel on the writing life, imagining a flu pandemic in Station Eleven vs the reality, The Glass Hotel and finding moral grey areas Tablo Publishing 00:56:27 Featuring: deciding to write professionally, dealing with rejection, finding an agent and getting published for the first time, the good and bad of 2020, living in New York during the pandemic, the terrifying mystery of illness, the conversation between Emily’s novels, Ponzi schemes, ghosts and the counterlife. The discussion weaves between Emily’s various books from her first novel Last Night in Montreal to Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel. Featuring: deciding to write professionally, dealing with rejection, finding an agent and getting published for the first time, the good and bad of 2020, living in New York during the pandemic, the terrifying mystery of illness, the conversation between Emily’s novels, Ponzi schemes, ghosts and the counterlife. The discussion weaves between Emily’s various books from her first novel Last Night in Montreal to Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel. no full 14 a6d02e51-db5a-4096-88dc-f095b77f6841 Alison Bell on writing and acting for TV, the joys of collaborating, her Netflix hit ‘The Letdown’ and what’s coming next Alison Bell is the co-creator, co-writer, producer and star of the award-winning ABC and Netflix series 'The Letdown'. It explores the early years of motherhood in a way that’s honest and moving as well as very funny - there’s the mothers’ group, the sleep training, the non-existent sex life and much more. Like the best writing, there’s something universal, in which we can recognise our own experience. Alison and her co-writer Sarah Scheller won an AACTA Award for Best Television Screenplay, and for Best Comedy Program for both seasons one and two, and Alison herself won the AACTA award for best comedy performer for season two. Before 'The Letdown' Alison performed in various stage productions and television shows. You might have seen her in the series 'Laid', 'The Leftovers', 'No Activity' and Steven Spielberg’s 'Amazing Stories'. Alison has also worked as a script editor and screenwriter for production companies such as Revolver and Madman. And she’s got lots of exciting projects coming up which you’ll hear about here.

]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:00:00 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Alison Bell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/alison-bell-on-writing-and-acting-for-tv-the-joys-of-collaborating-the-lowdown-on-her-netflix-hit-the-letdown-and-whats-coming-next-wJ18HK0q Alison Bell is the co-creator, co-writer, producer and star of the award-winning ABC and Netflix series 'The Letdown'. It explores the early years of motherhood in a way that’s honest and moving as well as very funny - there’s the mothers’ group, the sleep training, the non-existent sex life and much more. Like the best writing, there’s something universal, in which we can recognise our own experience. Alison and her co-writer Sarah Scheller won an AACTA Award for Best Television Screenplay, and for Best Comedy Program for both seasons one and two, and Alison herself won the AACTA award for best comedy performer for season two. Before 'The Letdown' Alison performed in various stage productions and television shows. You might have seen her in the series 'Laid', 'The Leftovers', 'No Activity' and Steven Spielberg’s 'Amazing Stories'. Alison has also worked as a script editor and screenwriter for production companies such as Revolver and Madman. And she’s got lots of exciting projects coming up which you’ll hear about here.

]]> Alison Bell on writing and acting for TV, the joys of collaborating, her Netflix hit ‘The Letdown’ and what’s coming next Jemma Birrell, Alison Bell 00:52:37 Featuring: Giving up your darlings, getting a TV show up, portraying authentic women on screen, adapting Melanie Cheng's 'Australia Day', working on an interactive romcom, reading recommendations and the difference between working in America and Australia. Featuring: Giving up your darlings, getting a TV show up, portraying authentic women on screen, adapting Melanie Cheng's 'Australia Day', working on an interactive romcom, reading recommendations and the difference between working in America and Australia. collaborating, netflix, fx, reading recommendations, writing tv, new projects, 'australia day', sharon horgan, melanie cheng, the letdown, interactive romcom, abc no full 13 3dc3c4dd-31d6-4398-998d-1e672253efb3 Inua Ellams on poetry as freedom, theatre for the human spirit, the oral storytelling tradition in Nigeria and themes of immigration, displacement and destiny Inua Ellams is many things – he’s a poet, playwright, a creator of community, graphic artist and designer. He’s moved, entertained and challenged audiences around the world, on stages from Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Sydney Opera House to the Glastonbury Festival. Inua is an ambassador for the Ministry of Stories, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has published various prize-winning books of poetry. His most recent book is ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ that ‘The Guardian’ described as ‘a playful, epic contemporary retooling of Greek mythology…a story of feuding gods and journeys to the edge of the universe’. As with his poetry, his plays have been critically acclaimed. ‘The Barber Shop Chronicles’ for example, sold out two runs at The National Theatre and was recently one of the special selection of works live streamed and made accessible for a period during the pandemic. Inua is also the founder of Midnight Run, a nocturnal urban excursion. He’s undertaken several commissions, for places like the Tate Modern, Soho Theatre and the BBC and he also runs a R.A.P. Party for poets to read work inspired by hip-hop.

Inua’s new book of poetry is called ‘The Actual’, and as Bernardine Evaristo said 'This is what poetry looks like when you have nothing to lose, when you speak from the heart, when you have spent years honing your craft so that you can be free. This is what poetry looks like when you are a word sorcerer, a linguistic swordsman, a metaphor-dazzler, a passionate creator of poetry as fire, as lament, as beauty, as reflection, as argument, as home. I was blown away by this book'.

www.inuaellams.com

Listen to the audio documentary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000m5lt

]]> Wed, 16 Sep 2020 22:00:08 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Tablo Publishing) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/inua-ellams-on-poetry-as-freedom-theatre-for-the-human-spirit-the-oral-storytelling-tradition-in-nigeria-themes-of-immigration-displacement-and-destiny-the-pleasure-of-writing-for-television-and-the-huge-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-artists-OmJ0tOkE Inua Ellams is many things – he’s a poet, playwright, a creator of community, graphic artist and designer. He’s moved, entertained and challenged audiences around the world, on stages from Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Sydney Opera House to the Glastonbury Festival. Inua is an ambassador for the Ministry of Stories, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has published various prize-winning books of poetry. His most recent book is ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ that ‘The Guardian’ described as ‘a playful, epic contemporary retooling of Greek mythology…a story of feuding gods and journeys to the edge of the universe’. As with his poetry, his plays have been critically acclaimed. ‘The Barber Shop Chronicles’ for example, sold out two runs at The National Theatre and was recently one of the special selection of works live streamed and made accessible for a period during the pandemic. Inua is also the founder of Midnight Run, a nocturnal urban excursion. He’s undertaken several commissions, for places like the Tate Modern, Soho Theatre and the BBC and he also runs a R.A.P. Party for poets to read work inspired by hip-hop.

Inua’s new book of poetry is called ‘The Actual’, and as Bernardine Evaristo said 'This is what poetry looks like when you have nothing to lose, when you speak from the heart, when you have spent years honing your craft so that you can be free. This is what poetry looks like when you are a word sorcerer, a linguistic swordsman, a metaphor-dazzler, a passionate creator of poetry as fire, as lament, as beauty, as reflection, as argument, as home. I was blown away by this book'.

www.inuaellams.com

Listen to the audio documentary: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000m5lt

]]> Inua Ellams on poetry as freedom, theatre for the human spirit, the oral storytelling tradition in Nigeria and themes of immigration, displacement and destiny Tablo Publishing 00:51:44 Featuring: memories of childhood, the international hit 'The Barber Shop Chronicles', the pleasure of writing for television, the huge impact of the pandemic on artists, The National Theatre’s 'Three Sisters', adapting 'The Little Prince' into an Afro-futurist world facing ecological disaster, the process of drafting, The Midnight Run, 'The Half-God of Rainfall', a reading from the new book of poetry 'The Actual' and the audio documentary 'Nuskka Is Burning' on Nigeria’s first indigenous university that’s produced formidable voices like Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie. Featuring: memories of childhood, the international hit 'The Barber Shop Chronicles', the pleasure of writing for television, the huge impact of the pandemic on artists, The National Theatre’s 'Three Sisters', adapting 'The Little Prince' into an Afro-futurist world facing ecological disaster, the process of drafting, The Midnight Run, 'The Half-God of Rainfall', a reading from the new book of poetry 'The Actual' and the audio documentary 'Nuskka Is Burning' on Nigeria’s first indigenous university that’s produced formidable voices like Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie. no full 12 c265c82d-82d3-40a7-8db3-6eb204a2eda2 Sylvia Whitman on running Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, the famous history, how books get you through testing times and the joys of matchmaking people and books. Wed, 2 Sep 2020 21:00:16 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Tablo Publishing) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/sylvia-whitman-on-running-shakespeare-and-company-bookshop-in-paris-the-famous-history-how-books-get-you-through-testing-times-and-the-joys-of-matchmaking-people-and-books-FTrPJI1h Sylvia Whitman on running Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, the famous history, how books get you through testing times and the joys of matchmaking people and books. Tablo Publishing 00:59:28 Featuring: the beauty and mysticism of Paris, witnessing the fire at Notre Dame, what Sylvia Beach and Adrienne Monnier did for France and publishing, the illustrious writers who’ve been associated with the shop, Sylvia's father George Whitman, taking in strangers and the tumbleweed tradition, the man who stayed seven years in the rare books room, buying book collections across Paris, finding an unpublished novel by Gregory Corso stuffed behind the loo, wonderful reading recommendations and a poem in the morning like a shot of espresso. Sylvia Whitman started running the iconic Parisian bookshop Shakespeare and Company in 2004 when she was 23 years old and now co-manages it with her partner David Delannet. She took up the reins from her father, George Whitman, who founded the bookshop in 1951. Sylvia breathed freshness, energy and new life into the shop while also continuing its most loved traditions such as having writers, called tumbleweeds sleeping amongst the shelves. She’s had many creative ventures over the years – she’s launched a festival, opened a café, grown the bookshop and created a contest for unpublished novellas – but the beating heart of everything is, of course, the beautiful bookshop itself. Since it first opened it has been a haven for everyone who’s walked through its doors. There’s been many descriptions of it over the years: Henry Miller called it ‘a wonderland of books’, James Baldwin described it as ‘The old curiosity shop’ and Anaïs Nin wrote it was ‘a house of gentle warmth, with walls of books and tea ceremonies’. Featuring: the beauty and mysticism of Paris, witnessing the fire at Notre Dame, what Sylvia Beach and Adrienne Monnier did for France and publishing, the illustrious writers who’ve been associated with the shop, Sylvia's father George Whitman, taking in strangers and the tumbleweed tradition, the man who stayed seven years in the rare books room, buying book collections across Paris, finding an unpublished novel by Gregory Corso stuffed behind the loo, wonderful reading recommendations and a poem in the morning like a shot of espresso. Sylvia Whitman started running the iconic Parisian bookshop Shakespeare and Company in 2004 when she was 23 years old and now co-manages it with her partner David Delannet. She took up the reins from her father, George Whitman, who founded the bookshop in 1951. Sylvia breathed freshness, energy and new life into the shop while also continuing its most loved traditions such as having writers, called tumbleweeds sleeping amongst the shelves. She’s had many creative ventures over the years – she’s launched a festival, opened a café, grown the bookshop and created a contest for unpublished novellas – but the beating heart of everything is, of course, the beautiful bookshop itself. Since it first opened it has been a haven for everyone who’s walked through its doors. There’s been many descriptions of it over the years: Henry Miller called it ‘a wonderland of books’, James Baldwin described it as ‘The old curiosity shop’ and Anaïs Nin wrote it was ‘a house of gentle warmth, with walls of books and tea ceremonies’. tablo publishing, jemma birrell, shakespeare and company, shakespeare and co, tablo, sylvia whitman no full 11 522dd642-bd51-48a0-8ea0-1c137c9386e8 Daniel Morden on why ancient myths are still relevant today, 30 years as a traditional storyteller and the sleeping giants beneath Wales Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:35:36 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Daniel Morden) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/daniel-morden-on-why-ancient-myths-are-still-relevant-today-30-years-as-a-traditional-storyteller-and-the-sleeping-giants-beneath-wales-rupkXz4A Daniel Morden on why ancient myths are still relevant today, 30 years as a traditional storyteller and the sleeping giants beneath Wales Jemma Birrell, Daniel Morden 00:43:55 Featuring: when stories shapeshift, separation of the beloved, the Cassandra myth in #metoo, performance as a test of character and ecstatic poetry. Daniel Morden is one of the world’s most popular tellers of traditional stories. He’s been telling stories to adults and children for over thirty years, in venues great and small from palaces to prisons, from The National Theatre, to the Barbican and Broadway. Daniel’s repertoire ranges from fairytales and myths of love and loss to classics like 'The Odyssey'. He’s written or co-written eleven books, and is also part of a longstanding storytelling and musical collaboration called 'The Devil’s Violin'. Daniel has been awarded the Hay Festival medal and a Welsh Books Council award and is currently a visiting fellow at the University of South Wales. As BBC radio has said ‘To experience Daniel Morden in full flight is an amazing thing’. Featuring: when stories shapeshift, separation of the beloved, the Cassandra myth in #metoo, performance as a test of character and ecstatic poetry. Daniel Morden is one of the world’s most popular tellers of traditional stories. He’s been telling stories to adults and children for over thirty years, in venues great and small from palaces to prisons, from The National Theatre, to the Barbican and Broadway. Daniel’s repertoire ranges from fairytales and myths of love and loss to classics like 'The Odyssey'. He’s written or co-written eleven books, and is also part of a longstanding storytelling and musical collaboration called 'The Devil’s Violin'. Daniel has been awarded the Hay Festival medal and a Welsh Books Council award and is currently a visiting fellow at the University of South Wales. As BBC radio has said ‘To experience Daniel Morden in full flight is an amazing thing’. wales, myths, mythology, traditional storytelling, oral storytelling, storytelling no full 10 0ed639af-d45e-4e4a-a4ba-8a868ee947c1 Pip Williams on The Dictionary of Lost Words, a room of one’s own and searching for a life worth living Wed, 5 Aug 2020 21:00:30 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Pip Williams, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/pip-williams-on-a-room-of-ones-own-finding-your-lifes-work-and-the-dictionary-of-lost-words-that-has-taken-the-world-by-storm-h53tj54w Pip Williams on The Dictionary of Lost Words, a room of one’s own and searching for a life worth living Pip Williams, Jemma Birrell 01:00:08 Featuring: the history of language, living in Italy, getting published for the first time, the role of mentors, and the joy of writing 'The Dictionary of Lost Words'. Pip Williams was born in the UK, grew up in Sydney and now calls the Adelaide Hills home. She has written the memoir 'One Italian Summer' and 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' a novel that’s only recently come out in Australia and has already sold over 50,000 copies in just a few months. Later this year it will be released in many other territories throughout the world. The novel is a beautiful, all-engrossing tale, imagining another story behind the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s also the story of a young woman growing into herself and a story about finding and pursuing your life’s work and passion. If you haven't yet read it, order it immediately at your local independent bookshop. Featuring: the history of language, living in Italy, getting published for the first time, the role of mentors, and the joy of writing 'The Dictionary of Lost Words'. Pip Williams was born in the UK, grew up in Sydney and now calls the Adelaide Hills home. She has written the memoir 'One Italian Summer' and 'The Dictionary of Lost Words' a novel that’s only recently come out in Australia and has already sold over 50,000 copies in just a few months. Later this year it will be released in many other territories throughout the world. The novel is a beautiful, all-engrossing tale, imagining another story behind the Oxford English Dictionary. It’s also the story of a young woman growing into herself and a story about finding and pursuing your life’s work and passion. If you haven't yet read it, order it immediately at your local independent bookshop. author, the dictionary of lost words, pip williams no full 9 cb9d8c06-63ab-4b0f-9ff7-1f59c262e2bb Catherine Milne on the secret life of publishing, hunting out books that matter and going from reading the slush pile to head of fiction at Harper Collins. Wed, 22 Jul 2020 22:45:37 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Catherine Milne, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/catherine-milne-on-the-secret-life-of-publishing-hunting-out-books-that-matter-and-going-from-reading-the-slush-pile-to-head-of-fiction-at-harper-collins-eY__ixEO Catherine Milne on the secret life of publishing, hunting out books that matter and going from reading the slush pile to head of fiction at Harper Collins. Catherine Milne, Jemma Birrell 00:53:37 Featuring: novels that make her cry, how to get through acquisitions, the joyous dance of editing and publishing books that have the rare combination of being both commercial and literary. Catherine has worked in publishing for many years, including with Penguin Books, Pan Macmillan, Allen & Unwin, and since 2012, with HarperCollins, where she is Head of Fiction. She has an eclectic list, publishing across fiction and non-fiction. Recent standouts include Julia Baird’s bestselling 'Phosphorescence'; Vicki Laveau-Harvie’s Stella Prize-winning memoir 'The Erratics'; Catherine McKinnon’s Miles Franklin-shortlisted 'Storyland'; Stan Grant’s acclaimed 'Talking to My Country'; and Trent Dalton’s phenomenal 'Boy Swallows Universe'. Her rule of thumb in publishing is that a book has got to make her feel something – she wants to feel passionately invested in everything she publishes. It’s all about heart, soul, meaning and joy. Featuring: novels that make her cry, how to get through acquisitions, the joyous dance of editing and publishing books that have the rare combination of being both commercial and literary. Catherine has worked in publishing for many years, including with Penguin Books, Pan Macmillan, Allen & Unwin, and since 2012, with HarperCollins, where she is Head of Fiction. She has an eclectic list, publishing across fiction and non-fiction. Recent standouts include Julia Baird’s bestselling 'Phosphorescence'; Vicki Laveau-Harvie’s Stella Prize-winning memoir 'The Erratics'; Catherine McKinnon’s Miles Franklin-shortlisted 'Storyland'; Stan Grant’s acclaimed 'Talking to My Country'; and Trent Dalton’s phenomenal 'Boy Swallows Universe'. Her rule of thumb in publishing is that a book has got to make her feel something – she wants to feel passionately invested in everything she publishes. It’s all about heart, soul, meaning and joy. tablo publishing, harper collins, jemma birrell, catherine milne, tablo no full 8 f622f7ca-f4c5-4095-ae74-d51170a77569 Ali Cobby Eckermann on grief, finding family, solace in the desert and afternoon tea with Gloria Steinem Wed, 8 Jul 2020 21:00:29 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Ali Cobby Eckermann) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/ali-cobby-eckermann-on-grief-finding-family-solace-in-the-desert-and-afternoon-tea-with-gloria-steinem-vlV9VGlA Ali Cobby Eckermann on grief, finding family, solace in the desert and afternoon tea with Gloria Steinem Jemma Birrell, Ali Cobby Eckermann 00:56:54 Featuring: the life-changing literary award, healing through mentoring, standing inside your story, where 'Ruby Moonlight' came from, Australia’s first Aboriginal writers’ retreat and poetry readings. Ali Cobby Eckermann is a poet and artist from South Australia whose work has been published and celebrated around the world. Her poetry collections include 'little bit long time', 'Kami' and the award-winning collection 'Inside My Mother'. Her verse novels are 'His Father’s Eyes' and 'Ruby Moonlight' which won the first black&write! Indigenous writing fellowship, the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, a Deadly Award and was named the New South Wales Book of the Year. She’s also written the memoir 'Too Afraid to Cry'. In 2013 Ali toured Ireland as Australia’s Poetry Ambassador and in 2017 she received the Windham-Campbell Prize from Yale University which is only given to a select group of the world’s greatest writers. She’s described herself as ‘a dreamer, a gardener, a reader and a nomad’. Featuring: the life-changing literary award, healing through mentoring, standing inside your story, where 'Ruby Moonlight' came from, Australia’s first Aboriginal writers’ retreat and poetry readings. Ali Cobby Eckermann is a poet and artist from South Australia whose work has been published and celebrated around the world. Her poetry collections include 'little bit long time', 'Kami' and the award-winning collection 'Inside My Mother'. Her verse novels are 'His Father’s Eyes' and 'Ruby Moonlight' which won the first black&write! Indigenous writing fellowship, the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, a Deadly Award and was named the New South Wales Book of the Year. She’s also written the memoir 'Too Afraid to Cry'. In 2013 Ali toured Ireland as Australia’s Poetry Ambassador and in 2017 she received the Windham-Campbell Prize from Yale University which is only given to a select group of the world’s greatest writers. She’s described herself as ‘a dreamer, a gardener, a reader and a nomad’. ali cobby eckermann no full 7 26a45148-7405-4532-8092-8da537c568a7 Anna Funder on the magic curtain of language, her life in writing, 'Stasiland' thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell and what she’s working on now. Anna Funder is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and celebrated writers. Her multi-award winning novel All That I Am wasan homage to four extraordinary German anti-Hitler activists in exile in London in the 1930s. It won the Miles Franklin Prize, spent over one and a half years on the bestseller list, and is being made into a feature film. Anna’s Stasiland tells true stories of people who heroically resisted the communist dictatorship of East Germany, and of people who worked for the Stasi. A contemporary classic, Stasiland won the 2004 Samuel Johnson Prize for best non-fiction in English. Tom Hanks called it ‘fascinating, entertaining, hilarious, horrifying and very important’. Both books are international bestsellers, published in over 24 countries. In 2016 Anna published The Girl with the Dogs, a poignantly beautiful short story inspired by Chekhov’s The Lady with the Dogs. Anna is a former DAAD Fellow in Berlin, Australia Council Fellow, and Rockefeller Foundation Fellow. She lives in Sydney.

]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2020 21:00:17 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Tablo Publishing) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/anna-funder-on-the-magic-curtain-of-language-her-life-in-writing-stasiland-thirty-years-after-the-berlin-wall-fell-and-what-shes-working-on-now-HllnAlE4 Anna Funder is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and celebrated writers. Her multi-award winning novel All That I Am wasan homage to four extraordinary German anti-Hitler activists in exile in London in the 1930s. It won the Miles Franklin Prize, spent over one and a half years on the bestseller list, and is being made into a feature film. Anna’s Stasiland tells true stories of people who heroically resisted the communist dictatorship of East Germany, and of people who worked for the Stasi. A contemporary classic, Stasiland won the 2004 Samuel Johnson Prize for best non-fiction in English. Tom Hanks called it ‘fascinating, entertaining, hilarious, horrifying and very important’. Both books are international bestsellers, published in over 24 countries. In 2016 Anna published The Girl with the Dogs, a poignantly beautiful short story inspired by Chekhov’s The Lady with the Dogs. Anna is a former DAAD Fellow in Berlin, Australia Council Fellow, and Rockefeller Foundation Fellow. She lives in Sydney.

]]> Anna Funder on the magic curtain of language, her life in writing, 'Stasiland' thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell and what she’s working on now. Tablo Publishing 00:52:48 Featuring: writing into the dark to make things visible, Why 'All that I Am' had to be fiction, the strange and lovely process of being commissioned and the pleasure of being edited. Featuring: writing into the dark to make things visible, Why 'All that I Am' had to be fiction, the strange and lovely process of being commissioned and the pleasure of being edited. \, anna funder, stasi, podcast, the girl with the dogs, stasiland, reading recommendations, the berlin wall, life in writing, interview, all that i am, germany, surveillance no full 6 a89f5280-f61a-451d-97b0-e684aec23e4d Leanne Shapton on where it all began, jealousy and ghosts, living in New York as a writer and artist, and the weirdest book so far. Leanne is an extraordinary artist and writer. She is the author of 'Was She Pretty' which looks at jealousy and how we fixate on our partner’s exes; 'Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry' which tells the demise of a relationship in a way no one else would think of; 'Native Trees of Canada'; 'Swimming Studies' which won the National Book Critic's Circle Award Award; and 'Women in Clothes' that Leanne wrote with Sheila Heti and Heidi Julavits. Her latest is 'Guestbook', a book about ghosts that isn’t just about ghosts. Leanne’s also written a picture book called 'Toys Talking', and she’s done many other things – art director of the New York Times op ed page, cover designer, co-founder of the publisher J&L Books and judge of The Booker Prize. And she’s a mum to Tomasina. Leanne’s Canadian but has lived in New York for many years.

You can find Leanne's work here: http://www.leanneshapton.com

 

]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2020 20:30:02 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Leanne Shapton) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/leanne-shapton-on-jealousy-and-ghosts-living-in-new-york-as-a-writer-and-artist-and-the-weirdest-book-so-far-1g3qTN5f Leanne is an extraordinary artist and writer. She is the author of 'Was She Pretty' which looks at jealousy and how we fixate on our partner’s exes; 'Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry' which tells the demise of a relationship in a way no one else would think of; 'Native Trees of Canada'; 'Swimming Studies' which won the National Book Critic's Circle Award Award; and 'Women in Clothes' that Leanne wrote with Sheila Heti and Heidi Julavits. Her latest is 'Guestbook', a book about ghosts that isn’t just about ghosts. Leanne’s also written a picture book called 'Toys Talking', and she’s done many other things – art director of the New York Times op ed page, cover designer, co-founder of the publisher J&L Books and judge of The Booker Prize. And she’s a mum to Tomasina. Leanne’s Canadian but has lived in New York for many years.

You can find Leanne's work here: http://www.leanneshapton.com

 

]]> Leanne Shapton on where it all began, jealousy and ghosts, living in New York as a writer and artist, and the weirdest book so far. Jemma Birrell, Leanne Shapton 00:54:02 Featuring where it all began, the joys of working and collaboration, thoughts on leadership and insubordination, books that talk to each other, how we read pictures, 'Women in Clothes' with Miranda July and Cindy Sherman, and the film option. Leanne Shapton creates some of the most intriguing books today that often combine images and text – but they’re not just intriguing, they’re beautiful, revealing, curious-making, smart and often funny too. This is an ambling chat not just about Leanne’s work but also her life, creative ideas and new projects on the go. Featuring where it all began, the joys of working and collaboration, thoughts on leadership and insubordination, books that talk to each other, how we read pictures, 'Women in Clothes' with Miranda July and Cindy Sherman, and the film option. Leanne Shapton creates some of the most intriguing books today that often combine images and text – but they’re not just intriguing, they’re beautiful, revealing, curious-making, smart and often funny too. This is an ambling chat not just about Leanne’s work but also her life, creative ideas and new projects on the go. artist, muse, on writing, sheila heti, jealousy, canada, jemma birrell, paris, painting, ghosts, new york, book cover art, tablo, leanne shapton no full 5 9917182b-a9e9-46c0-94b0-552f26283956 Julia Baird on savouring life, growing in the dark and finding solace in the natural world. Featuring the bestselling Phosphorescence, forest therapy and moonbows, Rachel Carson on wonder, the rafts that keep you afloat, love of cuttlefish and a mother’s grace.

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2020 23:34:55 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/julia-baird-on-savouring-life-growing-in-the-dark-and-finding-solace-in-the-natural-world-rF2QsF_G Featuring the bestselling Phosphorescence, forest therapy and moonbows, Rachel Carson on wonder, the rafts that keep you afloat, love of cuttlefish and a mother’s grace.

]]> Julia Baird on savouring life, growing in the dark and finding solace in the natural world. Jemma Birrell 00:38:51 Featuring the bestselling Phosphorescence, forest therapy and moonbows, Rachel Carson on wonder, the rafts that keep you afloat, love of cuttlefish and a mother’s grace. Dr Julia Baird writes for The New York Times and the Sydney Morning Herald, and hosts the current affairs tv show The Drum. She’s also a mother of two, a regular ocean swimmer and has now written three books. Her biography of Queen Victoria was critically acclaimed internationally - Janet Maslin described it as ‘frisky, adventurous’ and ‘exhilarating’, which is like all of Julia’s writing really. Her new book is called Phosphorescence and it’s also taking the world by storm. It’s about how you find light within your life, not just when the world goes dark but all of the time. Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. Featuring the bestselling Phosphorescence, forest therapy and moonbows, Rachel Carson on wonder, the rafts that keep you afloat, love of cuttlefish and a mother’s grace. Dr Julia Baird writes for The New York Times and the Sydney Morning Herald, and hosts the current affairs tv show The Drum. She’s also a mother of two, a regular ocean swimmer and has now written three books. Her biography of Queen Victoria was critically acclaimed internationally - Janet Maslin described it as ‘frisky, adventurous’ and ‘exhilarating’, which is like all of Julia’s writing really. Her new book is called Phosphorescence and it’s also taking the world by storm. It’s about how you find light within your life, not just when the world goes dark but all of the time. Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. the drum, phosphorescence, interview, julia baird no full 4 103dbd8e-c563-4477-b9dd-122dabbaec23 Michael Christie on going from pro-skater to award-winning writer http://www.michaelchristie.net

]]> Thu, 4 Jun 2020 00:00:03 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Jemma Birrell, Michael Christie) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/michael-christie-on-going-from-pro-skater-to-award-winning-writer-lD3ss0iV http://www.michaelchristie.net

]]> Michael Christie on going from pro-skater to award-winning writer Jemma Birrell, Michael Christie 00:40:05 Featuring the stories within trees, building a house on Galiano Island, literary launches around the world, weaving life into fiction, where Michael’s novel Greenwood came from, adapting for the screen and the strange phenomenon of multiple books on similar subjects coming out simultaneously. Michael Christie is the author of the novel If I Fall, If I Die, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Kirkus Prize and was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice Pick. His collection of stories, The Beggar's Garden, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction, and won the Vancouver Book Award. His essays and book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Globe & Mail. Greenwood, his most recent novel, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and just won best novel at the Arthur Ellis awards for crime writing. http://www.michaelchristie.net Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. Featuring the stories within trees, building a house on Galiano Island, literary launches around the world, weaving life into fiction, where Michael’s novel Greenwood came from, adapting for the screen and the strange phenomenon of multiple books on similar subjects coming out simultaneously. Michael Christie is the author of the novel If I Fall, If I Die, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Kirkus Prize and was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice Pick. His collection of stories, The Beggar's Garden, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction, and won the Vancouver Book Award. His essays and book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Globe & Mail. Greenwood, his most recent novel, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and just won best novel at the Arthur Ellis awards for crime writing. http://www.michaelchristie.net Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. tablo publishing, if i fall i die, greenwood, tablo, michael christie no full 3 aaf1ed39-0620-47c0-882e-913ce0fdc017 Ceridwen Dovey on hustling to survive, exploring outer space and the compulsion of writing. Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:05 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Ceridwen Dovey, Jemma Birrell) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/ceridwen-dovey-on-hustling-to-survive-exploring-outer-space-and-the-compulsion-of-writing-gDdasCyx Ceridwen Dovey on hustling to survive, exploring outer space and the compulsion of writing. Ceridwen Dovey, Jemma Birrell 00:43:50 Featuring the invisible work of mothering, the dark and light of creativity, unhooking reality, Kangaroo Island post-fires, audio firsts, experimentation and expressing your inner weird. As well as writing prize-winning fiction, Ceridwen Dovey writes thought-provoking essays and profiles which have appeared in publications like Wired and The New Yorker. She has written a collection of short stories, Only the Animals, and the novels Blood Kin, In the Garden of the Fugitives and Life After Truth. A selection of her profiles were published in the collection Inner Worlds Outer Spaces and she has written a literary biography of J.M.Coetzee that’s also a memoir of sorts. Her recent audio-only novel, Once More with Feeling, is now available on Audible. www.ceridwendovey.com Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. Featuring the invisible work of mothering, the dark and light of creativity, unhooking reality, Kangaroo Island post-fires, audio firsts, experimentation and expressing your inner weird. As well as writing prize-winning fiction, Ceridwen Dovey writes thought-provoking essays and profiles which have appeared in publications like Wired and The New Yorker. She has written a collection of short stories, Only the Animals, and the novels Blood Kin, In the Garden of the Fugitives and Life After Truth. A selection of her profiles were published in the collection Inner Worlds Outer Spaces and she has written a literary biography of J.M.Coetzee that’s also a memoir of sorts. Her recent audio-only novel, Once More with Feeling, is now available on Audible. www.ceridwendovey.com Subscribe to The Secret Life of Writers for new episodes every second Thursday. Hosted by Jemma Birrell, and presented by Tablo Publishing. tablo publishing, melbourne writers festival, literary, festival, book festival, sydney writers' festival, books, ceridwen dovey, j.m. coetzee, authors, audio books, tablo, writers festival, kangaroo island, book reviews, writers no full 2 da4d9aec-1e97-4233-8d9b-4df48437d7f8 Luke Davies on going from starving poet to one of the most in-demand scriptwriters in Hollywood Thu, 21 May 2020 00:00:29 +0000 ash@tablo.io (Tablo Publishing) https://the-secret-life-of-writers-by-tablo.simplecast.com/episodes/luke-davies-gwfxyBww Luke Davies on going from starving poet to one of the most in-demand scriptwriters in Hollywood Tablo Publishing 00:43:02 Featuring filming Catch 22 in Italy, the allure of Paris, how Lion was career-changing, a dinner with Philip Seymour Hoffman, how not to be pigeonholed and working with Woody Harrelson on The Most Dangerous Man in America. Luke Davies, poet, novelist and screenwriter, adapted his semi-autobiographical novel Candy for the screen in 2006. His other novels are Isabelle the Navigator and God of Speed which was inspired by the life of Howard Hughes. He’s written five volumes of poetry, the latest, Interferon Palms, won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 2012. Luke has written screenplays for film and television in both the US and Australia. His feature films include Life, Beautiful Boy, Angel of Mine and Lion, which went on to win BAFTA and AACTA awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Luke is also the creator of TV series Catch-22 and is currently working on The Most Dangerous Man in America. It was recently announced that Luke will write the next script for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin, adapting Colum McCann’s novel Apeirogon (this was one of the things we couldn't talk about at the time the episode went to air). Featuring filming Catch 22 in Italy, the allure of Paris, how Lion was career-changing, a dinner with Philip Seymour Hoffman, how not to be pigeonholed and working with Woody Harrelson on The Most Dangerous Man in America. Luke Davies, poet, novelist and screenwriter, adapted his semi-autobiographical novel Candy for the screen in 2006. His other novels are Isabelle the Navigator and God of Speed which was inspired by the life of Howard Hughes. He’s written five volumes of poetry, the latest, Interferon Palms, won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 2012. Luke has written screenplays for film and television in both the US and Australia. His feature films include Life, Beautiful Boy, Angel of Mine and Lion, which went on to win BAFTA and AACTA awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Luke is also the creator of TV series Catch-22 and is currently working on The Most Dangerous Man in America. It was recently announced that Luke will write the next script for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin, adapting Colum McCann’s novel Apeirogon (this was one of the things we couldn't talk about at the time the episode went to air). no full 1