Through discussions and interviews with writers, artists and health professionals, author friends James McKenzie Watson and Ashley Kalagian Blunt explore the big questions: how do books get written? How do people navigate life with chronic illness? And just what are you reading?
Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of Dark Mode, an internationally published psychological thriller. Her earlier books are How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, collected fiction and essays. Her writing appears in the Sydney Morning Herald, Overland, Griffith Review, Sydney Review of Books, and more. Ashley is an enthusiastic teacher of writing and creativity. Originally from Canada, she has lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico. Find her on Twitter and Instagram or visit her website.
James McKenzie Watson is the author of Denizen, which won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize and was shortlisted in 2023 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Debut. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings and the Newtown Review of Books. He has appeared at events including the Sydney Writers Festival, Newcastle Writers Festival and BAD Crime Sydney. He works as a nurse. Find him on Twitter and Instagram or visit his website.
Sep 16, 2025
How do you write thirty-five novels in a decade and sell a million copies while doing it? Bestselling author Matt Rogers is here to share his secrets.
Matt began writing fiction at age six, then dropped out of university to pursue writing full time. He discusses the differences in traditional and self-publishing, how his obsession with philosophy has bled into his thriller writing, and why he believes quantity leads to quality.
Matt Rogers is the internationally bestselling author of the Dante Jacoby series. Matt began self-publishing at the age of 18, and in the following eight years he single-handedly wrote and marketed more than 35 thriller novels. His books have collectively sold over one million copies. 'The Forsaken' is his debut novel for Simon & Schuster.
Books & authors discussed in this episode:
- Henry David Thoreau
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini
- Lee Child
- 'Things that aren't doing the thing' from Strangest Loop
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
- Denizen by James McKenzie Watson
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Legend of a Suicide by David Vann
Upcoming events:
- James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2
- Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October
- Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November
Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.
Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.
Get in touch!