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.
Jul 8, 2025
In episode 119, debut author Nathan Dunne joins us to discuss his memoir, When Nothing Feels Real, which shares the story of his onset of severe depersonalisation and his quest to find a diagnosis.
He shares the challenge of conveying his experience to those unfamiliar with the condition, his multi-year challenge to reach a proper diagnosis, and the long and uneven journey to recovery. We also discuss the community of fellow sufferers that supported him in the completion of his memoir.
Nathan Dunne was born in Brisbane and grew up in India. As a journalist and critic, he has contributed to many publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Guardian and Slate. He now lives in Sydney. His debut book is When Nothing Feels Real, a memoir about living with depersonalisation, a frequently misunderstood mental illness.
Books & authors discussed in this episode:
- My First Book by Honor Levy;
- The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff;
- Luminous by Silvia Park
Upcoming events
- Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October
- James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9
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.
Get in touch!