Podcasts by Better Words

Vampires with a twist and genre constructs with Claire Kohda from 2022-04-27T12:30

Claire Kohda is a writer and musician. She reviews books for publications including the Guardian and the TLS, specialising in books from and about East Asia...

Diabetes and choosing words carefully with Carly Nugent from 2022-04-20T12:00

Carly Nugent lives in Bright, Victoria. Her short fiction has featured in numerous publications, including the Bellevue Literary Review and Award Winning Australian Writing. Her first novel, The...

Joyful Black stories and turning a blog into a book with Lizzie Damilola Blackburn from 2022-04-13T06:00

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer, born in Peckham, who wants to tell the stories that she and her friends have longed for but never seen. In 2019 she won the Literary Consu...

Meet cutes, puzzles and publishing with Kimberley Allsopp from 2022-04-06T14:30

Kimberley Allsopp has had her work appear in Kidspot, The Sunday Telegraph and WHIMN (now Body & Soul) and she co-hosts the rom-com podcast, Meet Cute, which allows her to justify some of he...

Our 2021 favourites from 2022-02-10T07:09

We've finally got our act together to share with you our favourite fiction, films, TV and audio of the year. Thank you for joining us in 2021 and supporting our wonderful authors.

(You ca...

Festive recommendations for Christmas from 2021-12-16T03:30:12

In this festive bonus episode, we share some Christmas reads. 

Michelle's recommendations

One Day in December by Josie Silver: A sweet rom-com about missed opportuni...

Non-fiction November Recommendations from 2021-11-20T20:00

In this bonus episode, Michelle and Caitlin share some of their favourite non-fiction reads from 2021 just in time for #NonFictionNovember.

Before we get into our recommendations, here are...

The future of dystopia and exploring the mother-daughter bond with Sara Foster from 2021-10-26T18:00

Sara Foster was born and raised in England but now lives in Perth with her husband and young daughters. She has previously worked as an editor in-house at HarperCollins UK and then freelance and...

Gaming, esports and fanthropology with Alexis Nedd from 2021-10-19T22:40:18

Alexis Nedd is a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable where she writes about TV, movies and video games with a sci-fi and fantasy focus. Her writing has appeared across numerous online publ...

The absurdity of the human body with Sarah Walker from 2021-10-12T18:00

Sarah Walker is a writer, artist and photographer. She makes work about anxiety, control and intimacy in text, video and immersive installation across Australia and internationally. She is a Wal...

Horror films, acting dynasties and the strange limbo of grief with Danielle Binks from 2021-10-06T08:24:53

Danielle Binks was one of the very first people to join us on Better Words, but we’ll be honest the sound quality is pretty bad so don’t try to listen! Anyway, our guest has supported the show f...

Hybrid genre novels and the world of artificial intelligence with Eli Lee from 2021-09-29T07:39:41

Eli Lee was born in Dorset and now lives in London. She writes fiction and non-fiction for a variety of anthologies, magazines and websites. She is the fiction editor and a contributor to the li...

Unlikely friendships, dads in YA and feedback from your favourite authors with Tobias Madden from 2021-09-22T08:23:09

Tobias Madden has a special place in our hearts - a friend of the show and someone we are DYING to one day have a coffee with. Our guest grew up in Ballarat and worked for 10 years as a performe...

Finding characters, PS I Love You and lessons from 18 novels with Cecelia Ahern from 2021-09-15T03:25:49

Cecelia Ahern almost needs no introduction. She is the best selling novelist at 21 when her first book PS I Love You was published and later made into a hit film. Since then she has published 17...

What makes a'suspense'novel and leaving law for writing with Sonia Velton from 2021-09-07T21:00

Sonia Velton grew up living between the Bahamas and the UK. She has worked as a solicitor at an international law firm and lived in the Middle East for eight years. She has since moved back to E...

Dramatic teen years and telling stories to find ourselves with Samera Kamaleddine from 2021-08-24T20:00

Samera Kamaleddine is a Sydney-based journalist who spent the early part of her career writing about boys, annoying parents and friendship dramas in the teen magazines we grew up reading - Dolly...

Millennial malaise, trivial grievances and what really matters in life with Bridie Jabour from 2021-08-17T19:00

Bridie Jabour is the opinion editor of Guardian Australia. She has previously worked as a journalist for NewsCorp and Fairfax, where she has reported on social affairs, politics and regional iss...

Teenage male friendships, all-boys schools and peak-2000s culture with Rhiannon Wilde from 2021-08-10T19:00

Rhiannon Wilde has been telling stories for as long as she can remember - inside her head but also as a journalist and high school English teacher in Brisbane. Her short story inspired by urban ...

Imagining alternate histories and fighting fascism through English literature with Jane Thynne from 2021-08-03T21:00

Jane Thynne was born in Venezuela and moved around the world with her parents and two brothers before settling in London. She is a journalist and writer who has published several historical fict...

Welcome to Better Words Season 7 from 2021-08-03T13:42:46

Welcome to Better Words. We're so glad you're joining us!

Life (and writing) after The Flatshare with Beth O'Leary from 2021-04-28T02:00

Beth O'Leary is one of the biggest names in contemporary fiction at the moment. Her debut novel, The Flatshare, has sold over half a million copies and her second novel, The Switch has been opti...

Feminism in a nuclear winter and anger as fuel for writing with Claire Zorn from 2021-04-20T20:00

Claire Zorn is a multi-award-winning author of young adult literature. Her resume of awards is incredibly impressive including the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards, the Inky Awards, t...

Greek tragedies, feminist gothic literature and the power of teaching with Phoebe Wynne from 2021-04-15T12:39:32

Phoebe Wynne worked as a teacher for eight years, teaching Classics in the UK and English Language and Literature in Paris. She left teaching to write and we’re delighted today to be talking abo...

Creating a music icon and oral history narratives with Dawnie Walton from 2021-04-07T11:09:44

Dawnie Walton was born and raised in Florida, but now lives in Brooklyn New York with her husband. She earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2018 and has a journalism degree. She was ...

Culturally diverse storytelling and the complexity of migrant experiences with Rebecca Lim from 2021-03-30T22:07:03

Rebecca Lim is a writer, illustrator, editor and lawyer. She is the author of over twenty books and has been nominated for multiple awards. She is  a co-founder of the Voices from the Intersecti...

Violence against women, the'perfect victim'myth and slow writing with Leanne Hall from 2021-03-23T18:00

Leanne Hall is an author of and specialist in young adult and children’s fiction. Her debut novel, This Is Shyness, won the Text Prize and was followed by a sequel, Queen of the Night. Her novel...

Break-up revenge, queer friendships and anti-running propaganda with Laura Kay from 2021-03-16T18:00

Laura Kay is a writer and editor. She has an MA in American History from the University of Sheffield, and now lives in London with her wife and cat. In 2018, Laura was selected as one of the 10 ...

Dating advice, queer rom-coms and writing for an American audience with Sophie Gonzales from 2021-03-10T12:04:25

Sophie Gonzales is a young adult author who lives in Melbourne. When she isn’t writing, she can be found ice skating, performing in musical theatre, and practising the piano. Today we’re talking...

Exploring abuse and trauma in children's fiction with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley from 2021-03-02T18:42:58

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley was the sort of kid who would skip lunch breaks to read and talk with the school librarian. She studied chemistry and worked as a research chemist after school, writing...

Writing funny and publishing in a pandemic with Abigail Mann from 2021-02-23T18:00

Abigail Mann is a Norfolk native living in London, surviving on a diet of three-shot coffee, bourbon biscuits and vegetarian sausage rolls. The manuscript which became her debut novel was runner...

Our 2020 favourites from 2020-12-27T20:00

We’re sharing our favourite films, books, TV and audio of the year. Because we all know the 2020 has given us PLENTY of time to consume new content. Thanks for joining us this year and for suppo...

Celebrating your truth and pimping pain with Arvin Ahmadi from 2020-12-01T21:00

Arvin Ahmadi grew up outside Washington DC, graduated from Columbia University, and worked in the tech industry prior to becoming a full-time writer. He now lives in New York City and has publis...

Fat acceptance and living life unapologetically with Stephanie Yeboah from 2020-11-25T10:32:12

Stephanie Yeboah has been part of the fat acceptance and body positivity movement since 2014. She has since then written for multiple publications and her own blog about intersectionality in the...

Fame and music stardom in YA with Frances Chapman from 2020-11-18T13:41:01

 Frances Chapman was born in Henley-On-Thames in England and she spent her childhood pinballed between continents before settling in Sydney. She worked as a journalist and social researcher for ...

The balance between history and fiction with Alison Booth from 2020-11-10T18:00

Alison Booth was born in Melbourne, brought up in Sydney and has worked in the UK and in Australia as a professor as well as a novelist. She holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Ec...

The fluidity of adolescence and reflections on life and success with Meg Rosoff from 2020-11-04T08:11:18

Meg Rosoff spent 15 years working in advertising before writing her first novel. That book, How I Live Now, has since sold over one million copies in 36 territories, won prestigious award...

Fairytale retellings and creating new narratives with Kalynn Bayron from 2020-10-28T10:25:09

Kalynn Bayron is an author and classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Alaska, which apparently means skiing and ice-skating in PE class. She studied opera in college, trained in ballet and...

Nobel prize winners and the craft of short stories with Laura Elvery from 2020-10-20T19:40:51

Our guest this week is an award winning writer, she has a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies, her work has been published in Overland, Griffith Review, The Big Issue fiction edition an...

Violence, isolation and a changing Ireland with Louise O'Neill from 2020-10-13T18:00

Ireland is a land known for its literary exports and our guest this week is certainly adding to the country’s reputation for impeccable fiction. Louise O'Neill is from West Cork and has been des...

The sorrow and bliss of writing life with Meg Mason from 2020-10-06T19:34:45

Meg Mason started her career at the Financial Times and The Times of London - definitely not too shabby! Since then, she’s been published in major Australian newspapers, The New Yorker, Sunday S...

Asexual pride and publishing as a teenager with Alice Oseman from 2020-09-30T17:27

Alice Oseman is a formidable young writer.  Alice's first book was published when she was just 19. Now at 25, our guest has already published four celebrated novels and written and illustra...

Folklore and circus'freaks'with Nydia Hetherington from 2020-09-22T19:00:07

Nydia Hetherington grew up in Leeds in the north of England and moved to London in her twenties to start an acting career. She studied at a renowned French theatre school and went on to create h...

Exploring autism through YA fiction with Kay Kerr from 2020-09-15T19:00:33

Kay Kerr is a former journalist and community newspaper editor from Brisbane. She now lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and daughter and works as a freelance writer. Her debut young a...

Writing romance and escapist fiction with Laura Jane Williams from 2020-09-08T19:00:02

Laura Jane Williams is an incredibly talented storyteller who has written columns for numerous magazines, published two non-fiction books and has just celebrated the release of her second fictio...

Exploring culture and religion through memoir with Zoya Patel (recast from December 2018) from 2020-09-02T09:00:04

We apologise for the audio quality of some parts of this episode. It was originally published in December 2018. 

When we spoke to Zoya we discussed her memoir No Country Woman and t...

Queer meet-cutes&Kindred stories with Michael Earp (Recast from May 2019) from 2020-08-26T15:00:47

This interview with Michael Earp was originally broadcast in May 2019.

When we spoke to Michael, he was getting ready to launch Kindred: a Queer #LoveOzYA short story collection. He...

Body positivity&the power of pop culture with Jenna Guillaume (Recast from March 2019) from 2020-08-18T19:00:06

This interview with Jenna Guillaume was originally broadcast in March 2019.

When we spoke to Jenna, she was celebrating the release of her debut novel. We want to re-visit this chat...

Art as activism with Renée Watson (Recast from June 2019) from 2020-08-11T19:00:13

This interview with Renée Watson was originally broadcast in June 2019

It seems fitting to re-release this chat with author, activist, and teacher Renée Watson in the wake of George...

Coming soon: Season 5 from 2020-07-30T09:55:45

We're (almost) back, baby! We're returning with Season 5 of Better Words in September. Until then, we're going to be re-publishing some episodes from the archive which we hope you'll enjoy.

From obsession to contemporary YA with Phil Stamper from 2020-03-17T19:00

Phil Stamper is currently celebrating the publication of his debut novel The Gravity of Us! He grew up playing piano, writing and looking up at the stars in rural Ohio and now lives in ...

Finding your own voice with Anna Whateley from 2020-03-03T18:00

Anna Whateley has a PhD in young adult fiction, first class honours in English Literature and Post-Grad Certificate in Education. We're delighted to talk to her today about her debut YA novel, <...

Writing about the big questions with Emery Lord from 2020-02-11T19:00

Emery Lord is the amazing young adult author of Open Road Summer, The Start of Me & You, The Names They Gave Us and When We Collided. She is currently celebrating the publicati...

A love letter to people watchers with Libby Page from 2020-01-28T18:00

In this episode we chat about writing, friendship, people watching, outdoor swimming and breakfast foods with Libby Page. Her debut novel The Lido has been sold into 20 territories and ...

New chapters and special places with Vanessa McCausland from 2020-01-14T18:00

Welcome to 2020! Vanessa McCausland has worked as a journalist for 17 years, is currently the weekend editor at kidspot.com.au and her novel The Lost Summers of Driftwood was just relea...

Distance doesn't matter with Tara Eglington from 2019-12-22T18:00

Today's guest is the wonderful Tara Eglington! Tara joins us to talk about her fourth novel, The Long Distance Playlist. We discuss the inspirations for the story and main characters, t...

Inside an indie publisher with Bella Pearson from 2019-12-10T18:00

This episode is our very first inside look into publishing! We chat to Bella Pearson from Guppy Books about her experience in the publishing, the amazing books she's worked on, some of the chall...

The highs and lows of online life with Fiona Thomas from 2019-11-28T13:26:58

This week we're joined by freelancer Fiona Thomas to discuss how having a mental breakdown led to a new career as a writer and the publication of her first book, Depression in a Digital Age. She...

The vulnerability of life writing with Bri Lee from 2019-11-12T20:00

Today's guest is a lawyer and an award winning, critically acclaimed writer. We are so excited to have Bri Lee on Better Words! We talked about Eggshell Skull, the newly released Beauty, other w...

Writing the stories we needed with Nina Kenwood from 2019-10-29T18:00

It Sounded Better In My Head seems to have been the talk of the Australian bookstagram community for the past few months. Nina Kenwood has worked in the book industry for over a decade,...

Wielding our power with Julie Mayhew from 2019-10-15T18:00

Our first guest for season 4 has done just about everything. Julie Mayhew is an author, radio dramatist, playwright, screen writer, actress and journalist. We chat with Julie about her new book,...

Spilling the tea part 3 from 2019-08-08T10:28:48

In this shorter episode Michelle and Caitlin are chatting about supporting independent book stores, the rise of the beach read, how intimidating literary fiction can seem, a lucky library sale p...

While you were writing with Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus from 2019-07-23T15:24:54

The Book Ninjas are back! We welcome Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus back to Better Words to discuss their second bookish rom-com, While You Were Reading. We explore the changes in writing a second ...

Written in the stars with Danielle Wood from 2019-07-09T18:00

Danielle Wood, Minnie Darke or Angelica Banks? Our guest goes by a few names but we just called her Danielle. You've probably seen Star Crossed on your Instagram and whether you follow ...

Learn, write and rise with Renee Watson from 2019-06-26T18:00

Renee Watson is a New York Times best selling author and has published multiple middle grade and young adult novels. Her poetry and fiction explores the lived experiences of black girls and wome...

Grieving in words with Helena Fox from 2019-06-11T19:00

Our guest is very well travelled and is now based in Wollongong, New South Wales. Helena Fox is celebrating the publication of her debut, How It Feels To Float. We talked to her about g...

Embracing and loving YA with Michael Earp from 2019-05-28T22:00

Michael is a editor, bookseller and writer who loves children's and young adult literature. While chatting to him, we spent the whole conversation gushing about books. Key topics include Kin...