Secrets from the Green Room

Irma and Karen chat about how a two-book deal was secured via an explosive Booktok profile. Then in a new occasional segment, Book Chat, they share recent reads they’ve enjoyed.Next Karen talks to Markus Zusak about his family of storytellers, how he used his writing heroes to develop his own voice, how The Book Thief arose from three separate ideas that came together like a volcanic eruption, how the success of that book impacted his life and future work, finding the right spark in writing, and the highs and lows of writing Three Wild Dogs and the Truth.About MarkusMarkus Zusak is the award-winning internationally bestselling author of six novels, including The Book Thief, Bridge of Clay and The Messenger. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages, and two of them have been adapted to film, television and theatre. 

Karen and Irma chat about BookTok and book publicity.Then Irma talks to school librarian Helen Farch about how she became an Instagram superstar, why so many schools no longer have a teacher librarian or even a library, the issues faced in determining what is appropriate to buy in for kids, what kind of budgets government schools are working with, the controversies around books on sex and LGBTQI+ themes, how to engage reluctant readers, the gaps in children’s publishing, and the broad spectrum of issues school libraries are facing.About HelenHelen Farch has been a Library Technician at Forest Hill College, a government co-educational school in Melbourne, for over 11 years. Her role includes managing the school library, as well as marketing for the school. Helen is passionate about advocating for school libraries, promoting Australian authors and illustrators, and promoting the value of reading, all whilst keeping the library a vibrant and relevant part of the school community. Her efforts are showcased through the library’s Instagram account that has over 16,000 Followers.

Irma and Karen chat about finishing a draft of a novel. Then Karen talks to Favel Parrett about why she decided to give up being a postie and become an author, why she signed up for a writing course but didn’t finish, how her novel Past the Shallows changed her life and keeps on giving, why she likes school visits, how she received not one but two Antarctic Arts Fellowships, why she likes writing child characters, how she came to write about dingoes, how rewarding it can be to write for young readers, and how the worst moment of her writing career also turned out to be one of the best.About FavelFavel Parrett’s debut novel Past the Shallows was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and won the Dobbie Literary Award. The following year she won the ABIA Newcomer of the Year Award. Her second novel When the Night Comes, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin and shortlisted for many other awards. Her third novel There Was Still Love was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and won the Indie Awards Book of the Year. Favel has also written two novels for children: Wandi and Kimmi.

Karen and Irma talk about the intel Irma has gleaned from booksellers on her Shift book tour. Then Irma chats to Tania McCartney about how she made the transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing, creative burn-out and how to come out the other side, deciding to become an illustrator when she was already an established author, the idea that we should all ask for five things we are certain we’ll get a no to, why illustrators need greater recognition, the ways in which the children’s industry is undervalued, and one special reader who means everything.About TaniaTania McCartney is an author, illustrator, designer and editor of 65 books, published in 20 countries, with titles including Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants, Wildlife Compendium of the World and the Plume picture book series. Tania is a juvenile literacy ambassador and the founder of Kids’ Book Review and The Happy Book podcast. Her awards include the CBCA Awards, the NSW Premier’s Literary Award and the Australian Book Design Awards. 

Irma and Karen chat about juggling jobs to survive while writing. Then Karen talks to Nardi Simpson about the creative crossover between making songs and writing books, why she decided to start writing novels, how writing helps her to explore larger questions, how her writing mentors inspired her, what she learned from the Year of the Novel course, how sending a story out into the world is like throwing a boomerang, how she opens herself to playing with ideas and language, why she no longer writes lists of rules for herself when starting to write a new book, how competitiveness gets in the way of her writing, how green rooms differ between music gigs and writers festivals, how her partner met Trent Dalton in a green room, and how sharing stories and sitting with love and family are the most important things in her life.About NardiNardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay woman living in Sydney. She’s a singer/songwriter in the vocal duo the Stiff Gins, in which she has performed nationally and internationally and released four albums, two singles, an EP and countless compilations. In 2018 Nardi won the Black & Write! Fellowship for the manuscript that became her first novel, Song of the Crocodile, which went on to win  the ASAL Gold Medal and be longlisted for both the Stella Prize and Miles Franklin Awards. Her second novel is The Belburd. 

Karen and Irma chat about the challenges of being able to accept praise. Then Irma talks with Katherine Collette about how co-hosting The First Time podcast was life-changing, her most excruciating experience with the podcast, the excitement of overseas deals for her debut novel and the huge low that followed, how the US market differs from the ANZ market, the secrecy around book sales, the challenges in moving from writing books for adults to writing for kids, how to write humour on the page, how to navigate the emotional headspace of writing, the best and worst advice she’s received, the odd liminal space that unpublished writers can exist in for years when they are ‘not quite there yet’, the key things debut authors commonly don’t understand when they enter the publishing process, and why she doesn’t think social media promo makes much difference to sales. About KatherineKatherine Collette has written two novels for adults, The Helpline and The Competition. She has also written and illustrated Out of Bounds, the first in the children’s book series The Too Tall Tales of Alma T Best, and was co-host of The First Time podcast. She is a former engineer and current writing coach.

In this discussion, Cate Kennedy, an award-winning Australian author and creative writing teacher, dives into her journey as a writer. She shares the thrill of her first big break with The New Yorker, explaining how it reshaped her career. Cate likens writing short stories to diving into a pool, highlighting the intensity of the experience. She discusses overcoming procrastination and the impact of judging awards on her craft. Additionally, she recounts a charming anecdote about a mysterious tea encounter in a green room, showcasing the warmth of the literary community.

Irma and Karen chat about their top books from the last 12 months. Then Karen chats with lifelong activist and former politician Bob Brown about why writing is so important to activism, why storytelling with intent is important, how he approached writing his memoir, why the practice of writing notes while out in nature is key, the ways in which writing fiction is important in getting people to think about other lives and issues, why he’s given up writing his speeches, the ways in which hope sustains him, how collaboration with other artists is fundamental to his work, and his friendship with Richard Flanagan.About BobBob Brown is a former politician and leader of the Australian Greens party. He’s also an environmentalist and activist. Bob was a founder of the Wilderness Society and a key campaigner to save the Franklin River from being dammed. Since then, Bob has campaigned tirelessly on many social justice and environmental issues, including the establishment of protected wilderness areas, the preservation of native forests, threatened and endangered species, and action on climate change and human rights. Bob has written a number of books for different audiences, including memoir, poetry, children’s fiction, travel, and stunning photo books. 

In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) Omar Musa chats with Irma about how growing up in an artistic family set his course, why he stopped reading and writing during a dark period and how a new form of expression saved him, the ways in which earning a living from the thing you love can be deeply problematic, why winning the Australian Poetry Slam took him to UWRF and was a gateway into the literary world, why he wants to challenge his own assumptions and biases through his work, why he found it so difficult to go from poetry to writing his first novel, what it’s like collaborating with his cellist wife, and how he deals with deep fear and self-doubt.About OmarOmar Musa is a Bornean-Australian author, visual artist and poet. He has released four poetry books, four hip-hop records, and a novel, Here Come the Dogs, which was long-listed for the International Dublin Literary Award and Miles Franklin Award. In 2015, he was named one of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Novelists of the Year. His one-man play, Since Ali Died, won Best Cabaret Show at the Sydney Theatre Awards in 2018. He has had several solo exhibitions of his woodcut prints, and his most recent book, Killernova, combines prints and poetry. His next novel Fierceland is out 2025, and here at the Ubud Writers and Readers festival he is performing The Offering with cellist Mariel Roberts.

In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Bora Chung chats with Irma about how she wrote her first short story solely for prize money but it eventually led to a short fiction collection that was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, why her publisher thought an approach from Anton Hur to translate her collection into English was a scam, what it was like to be at the Booker Prize ceremony and the strange thing every judge said to her, how the Booker has impacted her career, why she doesn’t translate her own work into English even though she is a translator herself, the future of AI in terms of both writing and translation, why she translates books just for fun without the promise of a publishing contract, and why her Indian publisher recently submitting Your Utopia for a small Indian prize has meant more to her than shortlisting for the Booker.About BoraBora Chung has written four novels and six collections of short stories. In 2022, her collection Cursed Bunny was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2023, it was a finalist in the U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature. She has an MA in Russian and East European studies from Yale University, and a PhD in Slavic literature from Indiana University. She has taught Russian language and literature and science fiction studies at Yonsei University, and translates modern literary works from Russian and Polish into Korean.