Stories Behind the Story with Better Reading

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 Tabbouche 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.

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.

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.

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.

Hannah Richell joins Cheryl Akle to talk about grief, love, writing and the unexpected ways life can transform after loss. Hannah shares how writing her memoir after the death of her husband Matt became an act of release, remembrance and connection, and reflects on rebuilding a life that holds both profound grief and new joy. A moving conversation about the love we carry, the stories that shape us, and finding the courage to keep living. Hannah’s latest memoir, An Ocean and a Day, is out now.

Hannah Richell (The Search Party, The River Home) and Michelle Prak (The Rush) have a laugh and talk about their books One Dark Night and The Rush. Learn more about the two authors, how Prak's sons have helped her edit her books, Richell's favourite phase when writing, and as always, the publishing industry in this new episode of "Authors on Authors".

Holden Sheppard (Invisible Boys, The Brink) and Peter Polites (Down The Hume, God Forgets About the Poor) chat about the adaptation of Holden's book Invisible Boys, the LGBT+ community in Perth and Sydney and their unique, diverse backgrounds. Learn more about the two authors, their cultural influences, their writing processes, and as always, the book industry in this new episode of "Authors on Authors".