Feminism

25. On sisters

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We talk to two best-selling authors, Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell, both prolific writers of women’s stories, who happen to be sisters.  What’s it like, growing up in a family of writers? Which literary or fictional sisters influenced them? What stories shaped them?

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Our guests

Kate ForsythKate Forsyth wrote her first novel at the age of seven. Her books include Bitter Greens, a retelling of the story of Rapunzel; The Wild Girl, based on the life of Dortchen Wild and the forbidden romance behind the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales; and The Beast’s Garden, set in the Resistance in Nazi Germany. She has sold more than a million copies around the world. Recently voted one of Australia’s Favourite Fifteen Novelists, Kate is also an accredited master storyteller with the Australian Guild of Storytellers. Her latest book is Beauty in Thorns, on the lives of the women of the Pre-Raphaelite circle.

Belinda MurrellBelinda Murrell has worked as a travel journalist, technical writer, editor and public relations consultant. Her books for children include the Sun Sword fantasy trilogy, timeslip novels The Locket Of Dreams, The Ruby Talisman, The Ivory Rose and The Sequin Star, and historical novels The Forgotten Pearl, The River Charm and The Lost Sapphire. Her Lulu Bell series for younger readers, about friends, family, animals, and growing up in a vet hospital has sold over 200,000 copies. Pippa’s Island is Belinda’s latest series.

Our thanks to Bendigo Writers Festival for enabling us to talk to Kate and Belinda while we were all participating in the wonderful 2018 festival.

(PS We recorded in an echoing room, right above the Green Room, so sorry about the echoey sound and the odd background noise. Risks of the field.)

8. On festivals

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Who chooses the writers we see at writers festivals, and how do they decide? Do they create their programs with gender and diversity in mind?

We talk to the women behind the legendary Auckland and Melbourne Writers Festivals, the North Texas Teen Book Festival, and Australia’s new Feminist Writers Festival.

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About our guests

In May each year, the Auckland Writers Festival stages over 120 public events, gathering together 160 of the best writers and thinkers from New Zealand and across the world, with over 22,000 festival goers and more than 5,000 young readers.

Director Anne O’Brien has been with the Festival since 2011. A trained journalist, Anne has worked on the legendary radio show ‘Nine To Noon with Kim Hill’ and with Women in Film and Television.

Rose Brock is a librarian and academic, and one of the founders of the hugely successful North Texas Teen Book Festival. It’s a free, one-day event featuring over 70 writers for young adult and middle grade readers talking with each other and 6,000 fans about books. It also includes a workshop day for teachers and librarians.

We spoke to Anne and Rose on site during their festivals (hence the audible excitement in the background!).

Auckland Writers Festival theme for 2016: Read the World

Auckland Writers Festival theme for 2016: Read the World

Then we brought committee members from the recently announced Feminist Writers Festival and the director of the Melbourne Writers Festival into the studio to talk with us about their processes and decision-making.

The Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is an annual, two-week celebration for writers, readers and thinkers, held in August. It includes events for people of all ages and its Schools’ Program is Australia’s biggest literary festival for students. Last year over 56,000 people attended the festival – its biggest year ever, after thirty years of festivals.

Lisa Dempster is the Director of the Festival, and prior to that was with the Emerging Writers Festival, and worked as a writer, editor and small press publisher.

Joining us from the Feminist Writers Festival are Veronica Sullivan and Stephanie Convery.

Veronica is Prize Manager of the Stella Prize. She is a 2016 Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellow, and was one of Melbourne Writers Festival’s 30 Writers Under 30 in 2015.

Stephanie is the festival’s Sponsorship Manager, and is a writer and the deputy editor of Overland. She was recently appointed as the deputy culture editor at The Guardian.

Image of Melbourne Writers Festival theme for 2016: Identity

Melbourne Writers Festival theme for 2016: Identity

4. On romance

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Just as her heroines break conventions of their era, historical romance writer Tessa Dare dares to break the conventions of her genre.

Adele caught up with Tessa at the Romantic Times Booklovers conference in Las Vegas.

We also asked some readers what they love about the romance genre.

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(If you’re on a mobile device, use iTunes, Audioboom or your favourite podcast app.)

About our guest

Trained as a librarian, Tessa Dare’s writing career began after winning the first Avon FanLit competition in 2005.  The Romantic Times called her first novel, Goddess of the Hunt, ‘… a daring debut…From the hilarious opening to the poignant climax, Dare uses wit and wisdom, humor and sensuality .’

Photo of Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare.
Photo: Raphael Maglonzo

She is now the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen historical romance novels and four novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and multiple Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Awards.  Booklist magazine named her one of the ‘new stars of historical romance,’ and her books have been contracted for translation in more than a dozen languages.