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.
Dec 9, 2022
'When I sat down to write, it felt like I had killed someone.' Hayley Scrivenor opens up about managing creative anxiety, what it means to write through our feelings, and the experience of having her novel 'Dirt Town' debut as a number one Australian bestseller. Plus James turns the interview into a therapy session.
Hayley Scrivenor is the author of 'Dirt Town', published as 'Dirt Creek' in North America. An earlier version was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize and won the Kill Your Darlings Unpublished Manuscript Award. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing and is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival.
Books and authors discussed in this episode:
- George Saunders;
- Sulari Gentill;
- Anna Downes (from ep 5);
- Garry Disher;
- Dinuka McKenzie;
- Jane Harper;
- Kirli Saunders;
- Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson;
- The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgård;
- Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran (from ep 48);
- My Name Is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian Blunt;
- Rattled by Ellis Gunn (from ep 56);
- Curlews on Vulture Street by Darryl Jones (from ep 67)
- Taken by Dinuka McKenzie (from ep 51)
Get your copy of 'Dirt Town' from your local bookshop, Booktopia or wherever good books are sold.
James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and buy your copy here.
Get in touch!
- Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
- Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
- Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
- James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
- James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
- James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson