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 won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize for his novel Denizen, which was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. Denizen also received a 2021 Varuna Residential Fellowship and a 2021 KSP Residential Fellowship. James' short stories have been recognised in Australian and international competitions. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings and the Newtown Review of Books. He works as a nurse. Find him on Twitter and Instagram or visit his website.
Jan 5, 2021
James and Ashley interview Nardi Simpson, Yuwaalaraay musician and author of 'Song of the Crocodile.' In it, they discuss Nardi's transition from writing lyrics to prose, the preservation of Indigenous languages, and the importance of non-Indigenous Australians accepting that some elements of Indigenous culture are not accessible to them.
Find out more about Nardi at her website, and buy a copy of 'Song of the Crocodile' from your local bookshop, Booktopia, or wherever else books are sold.
Books discussed in this episode:
- 'Bindi' by Kirli Saunders
- 'The Road to Woop Woop' by Eugen Bacon
- 'The End: My Struggle Book 6' by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Get in touch!
Ashley's Website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
James' Website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
Find out more about the online memoir and narrative non-fiction workshop Ashley is running in January 2021 at Mirrabooka Writers.