Stories Behind the Story with Better Reading

From the archives: Christian White talks to Cheryl about how personal experiences, especially fatherhood and ageing, influence his writing, the differences between crafting novels and screenplays, and the importance of trusting readers to engage actively with his stories.
If you haven’t read The Ledge yet, add it to your TBR on the What Are You Reading app.
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From the archives: Karen Brooks talks to Cheryl about her family-run brewery in Hobart, the influence of feminism on her writing, how she approaches research for her historical fiction, her connection to fantasy stories and what lies ahead in her writing journey.

If you haven’t read The Whisky Widow yet, add it to your TBR on the What Are You Reading app.
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In this replay of Stories Behind The Story, we remember acclaimed Australian author Blanche d’Alpuget, who joined Cheryl Akle in 2019 to talk about her extraordinary life, her writing career and her relationship with former Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

Blanche shares the story of how she first met Bob, what drew her to write his biography, and what it was like to spend 25 years together. She also reflects on his remarkable political career, his love of Australia and the people he served, and the final years of his life.

A fascinating conversation with a much-loved Australian author, revisited in her memory.
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Nadine Browne talks to Cheryl Akle about her debut novel Gone Guru, a funny and chaotic literary mystery inspired by her own experiences as a writer in New York. She discusses imposter syndrome, class and cultural differences between Australia and America, and how her experiences of leaving religion, finding her voice and trying to belong in the literary world ultimately shaped Gone Guru, which is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sisters Kabora and Razia Ali talk to Cheryl Akle, sharing their family’s journey from Afghanistan to Australia. Exploring identity, belonging and resilience, Kabora reflects on becoming the first woman of Afghan descent to join the Australian Army at 18. The sisters also share how their family’s history and Kabora’s personal experiences came together to create the book. Their memoir, First of Her Kind, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.