Stories Behind the Story with Better Reading

He left home for work. He never came home.Patrizia Cassaniti joins Cheryl Akle to tell the story of her son Christopher, who was killed in a workplace accident at just 18. She shares the unimaginable impact of losing a child, how her family learned to live with a new normal, and the mission she began in Christopher’s honour: advocating for workplace safety and making sure other families don’t experience the same loss.

Heather Morris joins Cheryl Akle to discuss her latest novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, and the remarkable true story that inspired it. She shares how a chance conversation with composer Hans Zimmer led her to this story of courage, survival and the power of music, along with her writing process and journey to becoming a bestselling author. The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse is out now.

What happens when a bestselling crime writer returns to the novel he first wrote in his twenties? Michael Robotham joins Cheryl to reveal the story behind Tell Me Something True, his deeply personal first novel set in Australia, and discusses lost manuscripts, small-town secrets, family, love, loss and why this is a crime story unlike anything he’s written before...

What happens when a lifelong book lover becomes a writer? Nina Kenwood joins Cheryl Akle to talk about her new novel People Skills, a slow-burn romance set around a literary festival, and the winding path that led her there. From obsessing over The Baby-Sitters Club and John Marsden as a teenager to abandoned manuscripts, a 10-year writing group and writing a rom-com while parenting a newborn, Nina shares the highs, challenges and unexpected moments behind becoming a published author. People Skills is out now...

What happens when an Australian comedian heads to Hollywood with big dreams and no idea what’s coming? Ash Williams shares the wild, hilarious and unexpected stories behind Almost Killing It in Hollywood, from chasing big opportunities to the moments that didn’t quite go to plan. His latest work, Almost Killing It in Hollywood, is out now.

Three sisters disappear from a bridal shop at the foot of the pyramids. That’s where Tess Woods’ new novel, The Cairo Bridal Shop, begins. Tess joins Cheryl to talk about the very personal story behind the book, her Egyptian heritage, her beloved grandmother and the unexpected journey that took her from physiotherapy to bestselling author. The Cairo Bridal Shop is out now.

Yumna Kassab joins Cheryl Akle to talk about the stories, memories and sense of place behind her new book. Yumna shares how growing up Lebanese-Australian in Parramatta shaped her writing, her unusual path from studying science and teaching to becoming an acclaimed author, and how a short story competition led to her first book, The House of Youssef. She also talks about her unique writing process and why she captures her ideas by hand in notebooks. Her new book, Parramatta, a Dictionary of Place and Memory, is out now.

In the first episode of Everyone Has a Story, Sivine Tabbouch tells Cheryl the extraordinary story of her mother, Amina, who raised 15 children.Amina’s life was shaped by family, love, loss and extraordinary strength. As she grew older and her health declined, Sivine became her carer and found new ways to communicate with her mother.But the story takes an unexpected turn after Amina’s death, when two baby girls who weren’t her own came to be buried beside her. Listen to find out how...

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.