Better Words
97 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingStarted by two book bloggers who also happen to be best friends, Better Words is a podcast about books. We'll be having bookish discussions as well as talking to some amazing authors, bloggers and generally awesome people. Grab yourself a cup of tea and join Caitlin and Michelle for Better Words!
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Episodes
From obsession to contemporary YA with Phil Stamper
March 17, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBPhil Stamper is currently celebrating the publication of his debut novel The Gravity of Us! He grew up playing piano, writing and looking up at the stars in rural Ohio and now lives in New York City. We talked to him about the space program, reality tv and of course his new book. The Gravity of Us is a queer love story set against the backdrop of a modern space program. Before the interview, Caitlin and Michelle share a few uplifting and joyful recommendations. Interview starts at 14:30. Ch...
Finding your own voice with Anna Whateley
March 03, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBAnna Whateley has a PhD in young adult fiction, first class honours in English Literature and Post-Grad Certificate in Education. We're delighted to talk to her today about her debut YA novel, Peta Lyre's Rating Normal. We chat about her journey to publication and how she's spent years trying to understand her own neurodiversity and exploring that through the novel. Ahead of that wonderful chat, Caitlin and Michelle talk about their recent reads (superheros and outer space are mentioned) and...
Writing about the big questions with Emery Lord
February 11, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 70.3 MBEmery Lord is the amazing young adult author of Open Road Summer, The Start of Me & You, The Names They Gave Us and When We Collided. She is currently celebrating the publication of her fifth novel, The Map From Here To There. We talked to Emery about her writing process, how she started writing, how her first novel was published and The Great British Bake Off! Before the interview, Michelle and Caitlin talk about snow, rainy weekends and our latest TV binges. Interview starts at 21:30. Che...
A love letter to people watchers with Libby Page
January 28, 2020 18:00 - 58 minutes - 54.5 MBIn this episode we chat about writing, friendship, people watching, outdoor swimming and breakfast foods with Libby Page. Her debut novel The Lido has been sold into 20 territories and is one of Michelle's favourites. Her second novel, The 24 Hour Cafe was just released in Australia and the UK. Before the chat, Caitlin talks about both movies she saw on the weekend, Michelle's latest reality tv obsession and our current reads. Interview starts at 19:05. Check out the shownotes here. Join o...
New chapters and special places with Vanessa McCausland
January 14, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBWelcome to 2020! Vanessa McCausland has worked as a journalist for 17 years, is currently the weekend editor at kidspot.com.au and her novel The Lost Summers of Driftwood was just released! We talked to Vanessa about how she separates creative writing from work plus the themes and inspirations for her novel. To start, Michelle and Caitlin chat about what they were reading, watching and listening to over Christmas break. Interview starts at 12:10. Check out the shownotes here. Join our Face...
Distance doesn't matter with Tara Eglington
December 22, 2019 18:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBToday's guest is the wonderful Tara Eglington! Tara joins us to talk about her fourth novel, The Long Distance Playlist. We discuss the inspirations for the story and main characters, the role music plays in the novel and her creative process. You can listen to the offical The Long Distance Playlist playlist on Spotify here. Before the interview, Michelle and Caitlin share their very own friendship playlist! Interview starts at 16:30. Check out the shownotes here. Join our Facebook group ...
Inside an indie publisher with Bella Pearson
December 10, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBThis episode is our very first inside look into publishing! We chat to Bella Pearson from Guppy Books about her experience in the publishing, the amazing books she's worked on, some of the challenges in the industry and publishing children's books. Before that, Michelle and Caitlin are getting into the Christmas spirit with lots of recommendations! Interview starts at 16:00. Check out the shownotes here. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. Follow us on Instagram @betterwo...
The highs and lows of online life with Fiona Thomas
November 28, 2019 13:26 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBThis week we're joined by freelancer Fiona Thomas to discuss how having a mental breakdown led to a new career as a writer and the publication of her first book, Depression in a Digital Age. She's currently writing a guide to freelancing due for release in 2020. In the intro, we're discussing Holly Bourne's How Do You Like Me Now, David Burton's Man in the Water and Iliza Shlesinger's UnVeiled. Interview with Fiona starts at 18:10. Thanks to Trigger Publishing for providing a copy of the ...
The vulnerability of life writing with Bri Lee
November 12, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBToday's guest is a lawyer and an award winning, critically acclaimed writer. We are so excited to have Bri Lee on Better Words! We talked about Eggshell Skull, the newly released Beauty, other writing projects and her campaign to have the Queensland Law Reform Commission review consent and 'mistake of fact' laws (consentlawqld.com). To start, Michelle and Caitlin talk about tea and their recent reads. Interview starts at 13:30. Check out the shownotes here. Join our Facebook group to cont...
Writing the stories we needed with Nina Kenwood
October 29, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBIt Sounded Better In My Head seems to have been the talk of the Australian bookstagram community for the past few months. Nina Kenwood has worked in the book industry for over a decade, including with Melbourne’s iconic Readings bookshop. After winning the 2018 Text Prize, her first novel was published in Australia in August (and will be out in the UK and US in early 2020). We talked to Nina about her writing and publishing journey, body positive characters and how much we love Aussie's summ...
Wielding our power with Julie Mayhew
October 15, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 62 MBOur first guest for season 4 has done just about everything. Julie Mayhew is an author, radio dramatist, playwright, screen writer, actress and journalist. We chat with Julie about her new book, Impossible Causes, what it's like to write across so many mediums and separating the world you create from the world you live in. Before that, Michelle and Caitlin discuss what they've been watching, reading and listening to over the break. Interview starts at 20:40. Check out the shownotes here. ...
Spilling the tea part 3
August 08, 2019 10:28 - 42 minutes - 39.8 MBIn this shorter episode Michelle and Caitlin are chatting about supporting independent book stores, the rise of the beach read, how intimidating literary fiction can seem, a lucky library sale purchase and what the heck Cats is actually about. Stay tuned to the end for a special announcement. Time to spill some tea! Check out the shownotes here. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod and please subscribe and leave a rating or review.
While you were writing with Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus
July 23, 2019 15:24 - 48 minutes - 45.2 MBThe Book Ninjas are back! We welcome Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus back to Better Words to discuss their second bookish rom-com, While You Were Reading. We explore the changes in writing a second book and the publication challenge of including real #bookstagram shots in the novel. In the introduction, we're talking about Yesterday, Parenthood, Luther, and the weird CATS trailer. *Interview starts at 20m* Check out the shownotes here. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. F...
Written in the stars with Danielle Wood
July 09, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBDanielle Wood, Minnie Darke or Angelica Banks? Our guest goes by a few names but we just called her Danielle. You've probably seen Star Crossed on your Instagram and whether you follow astrology or not, it's a very fun read. We talked to Danielle about her inspiration for Star Crossed, her interest in astrology, writing and her experiences in journalism. In our intro, Michelle talks about her weekend trip to Liverpool and Caitlin discusses what she's been watching and reading. Interview star...
Learn, write and rise with Renee Watson
June 26, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBRenee Watson is a New York Times best selling author and has published multiple middle grade and young adult novels. Her poetry and fiction explores the lived experiences of black girls and women, and the intersections of race, class, gender, and body image. We talk about her writing, activism, publishing experience and her latest novel, Watch Us Rise, co-authored with Ellen Hagan. Interview starts at 18:10. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. Follow us on Instagram @bette...
Grieving in words with Helena Fox
June 11, 2019 19:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBOur guest is very well travelled and is now based in Wollongong, New South Wales. Helena Fox is celebrating the publication of her debut, How It Feels To Float. We talked to her about grief being a unique and individual experience, mental health, characters, and writing. Before that we discuss the length and cancelling of various tv shows as well as what else we've been reading and watching. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod and ple...
Embracing and loving YA with Michael Earp
May 28, 2019 22:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBMichael is a editor, bookseller and writer who loves children's and young adult literature. While chatting to him, we spent the whole conversation gushing about books. Key topics include Kindred: 12 #LoveOzYA Stories, Underdog Short Stories and his experience in the bookish community. In our first internationally recorded introduction, Michelle tells us about her first few days in the UK and Caitlin talks about her latest aerial activities. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversat...
Women make history with Clare Wright
May 14, 2019 19:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBWe learned a lot in this episode and we hope you do too. Clare Wright is a historian and award winning author. She talked to us about the Australian's women suffragette movement and how women won the right to vote. We also chatted to Clare about her research, writing process and making history cool again. Before that, listen to Caitlin and Michelle's last in person (for them) introduction for a while, as Michelle gets ready to move to the UK. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversati...
Creating your authentic with Sara Tasker
April 30, 2019 15:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBHow can we live as our most authentic selves? Sara Tasker is a writer, photographer, business coach, podcaster, Instagram guru and author. She joins us to talk all about the process of writing and putting together her book and living a creative life. Our chat goes off on many tangents, which proves how much we love to talk! Before the interview, hear about Caitlin's encounter with a friendly kangaroo and Michelle's new crime podcast Predator. Join our Facebook group to continue the convers...
Fairy tales and folklore with Kate Forsyth
April 21, 2019 20:54 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBIt's our first LIVE episode! So, we've decided to keep it simple and just present to you our interview with the incredible Kate Forsyth at CapriCon Rockhampton 2019. We discuss how a childhood trauma shaped her passion for reading, the origins of fairytales and the magic of retellings, the productivity of writing for a living, and ideas and inspiration. Join our Facebook group to continue the conversation. Follow us on Instagram @betterwordspod and please subscribe and leave a rating or r...
An Underdog’s dream with Tobias Madden
April 02, 2019 18:00 - 58 minutes - 54.2 MBWe're discussing office sitcoms, British TV dramas and astrology all before being joined by Tobias Madden. He is a man of many, many talents! We chat all about Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories, the bookish community, musicals and changing careers. Follow us on Instagram and please leave a rating or review. Thanks for listening!
Revisiting our yesterday with Karen Sepulveda
March 20, 2019 05:29 - 54 minutes - 50.4 MBThis week we're discussing Kinky Boots, Harry Potter movies, Underdog short stories, plus an exciting announcement. Our guest is Karyn Sepulveda, author of Letters to My Yesterday, chatting about uncovering the extraordinary stories of ordinary women, writing 'apprenticeships' and the classification of women's writing. Follow us on Instagram. Thanks to Ventura Books for providing a copy of Letters to My Yesterday for this episode.
Body positive and pop culture obsessed with Jenna Guillaume
March 05, 2019 15:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBTo celebrate the release of What I Like About Me, we welcome author and journalist Jenna Guillaume. We discuss her journey to publication, the wonderful character of Maisie, rom coms, Dirty Dancing, body positivity and more. Michelle and Caitlin also discuss the Oscars, catching up on movies and the Jonas Brothers.
Life shaped by words with Angela Meyer
February 19, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MBThis week we're discussing binge-worthy crime dramas (The Cry and Dirty John), sitcoms (Derry Girls and New Girl), and our brand new Facebook group. Our guest is Angela Meyer, author of genre bending novel A Superior Spectre. We're talking about choosing to abandon the 'safe' writing path, why words are so important and the creative anxiety so many writers experience.
The winding road to publication with Carly Findlay
February 05, 2019 18:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBThis week we're talking about that New Yorker article, You, and Mary Queen of Scots. We're also thrilled to be joined by our friend Carly Findlay, whose memoir Say Hello is now on shelves. She's discussing the long editing process, the cover design, and what she wasn't expecting after publication. If you enjoyed this episode, we recommend you also listen to Carly chatting to Zara and Michelle from Shameless. Find them in your podcast app. For shownotes and more information about this pod...
The universal language with Cristy Burne
January 23, 2019 08:11 - 1 hour - 56 MBWelcome to our first interview of 2019. This week we're delighted to welcome Cristy Burne: science writer and educator, with a swag of children's adventure novels to her name. She's also the author of Zeroes and Ones: The geeks, heroes and hackers who changed history. We're chatting about our fear of science, how we can help children become more literate in the universal language, and the inspiring forgotten women of science and engineering.
I know what you read last summer
January 15, 2019 15:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBBefore we kick off the podcast properly in 2019, we're back to discuss what we read and watched over the Christmas/New Year break.
That's a wrap on 2018
December 18, 2018 15:00 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBListen in as we discuss and gush all of our favourite things in 2018. From books, movies, TV shows and podcasts to other fabulous things that happened in between. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Finding your place with Zoya Patel
December 04, 2018 14:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBWe've had a heatwave, fires, storms and a stand up show. That's just our intro! In this wonderful chat with Aussie writer Zoya Patel, we discuss feminism, equality, her migrant experience and fangirl over Mama and Papa Patel. If you've ever felt like you don't belong, this episode and book is for you.
Women in power with Jane Caro
November 20, 2018 14:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBJane Caro is an Australian writer and social commentator. We we're very excited to chat to her about her young adult trilogy about Queen Elizabeth I, discussing her research, writing and women in history. Listen also as we wrap up Crimes of Grindelwald!
Ideal timing with Karen Foxlee
November 07, 2018 06:38 - 58 minutes - 41.2 MBThis week, author Karen Foxlee is talking to us about her writing process, creativity and the timing of ideas. Caitlin and Michelle are also discussing Bohemian Rhapsody and the brilliance of the new Queen bio-pic.
'You're a collector, Harry!' with Peter Kenneth
October 28, 2018 01:47 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBYou think your Harry Potter collection is big? Step aside, because Peter Kenneth's magical library of roughly 1300 Harry Potter editions will take your breath away. In this episode, we chat to Peter about all things Potter from falling in love with Hogwarts to becoming an expert on JK Rowling signatures and the best covers of the series. Grab your wand and join us for a spellbinding interview!
Scarred not scared with Michelle Elman
October 10, 2018 10:51 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBMichelle Elman is an all-round fabulous woman. She's spoken at TEDx and has built a powerful social media following after the #scarrednotscared tag went viral. Her memoir Am I Ugly? is a moving journey through multiple surgeries and the way they've shaped her body confidence. Michelle explains how she learned to love her body and how you can too. Listen up pod squad, it's time to share the love.
Tropical vibes with Fiona Bell
September 25, 2018 15:00 - 50 minutes - 37.8 MBQueensland might be hot, but the gorgeous landscape makes up for it. Fiona Bell joins us to chat about her debut, Waterhole! We discuss writing, publishing, inspiration, English in high schools and what it's like to have your novel taught in the next classroom.
Australian Reading Hour with Danielle Binks
September 20, 2018 06:29 - 25 minutes - 14.5 MBThis week we're joined by editor and agent Danielle Binks for a special minisode celebrating Australian Reading Hour - as if the BW squad needed an excuse to set aside some reading time, right?! Listen for some great recommendations from Danielle including new releases to keep an eye on.
Bookish life with Lucy from The Literary Edit
September 11, 2018 22:46 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBNamed London Book Fair's Book Blogger of the Year, Lucy is pretty accomplished. She chats to us about moving internationally, her love for Sydney and rebranding her blog as The Literary Edit! Michelle and Caitlin also give a quick wrap up of their weekend at Brisbane Writers Festival.
Forces of nature with Sally Piper
August 28, 2018 15:00 - 50 minutes - 37.1 MBThis week Sally Piper joins us to talk about how her love of nature and the Australian bush influenced her latest novel, The Geography of Friendship. We're also discussing how Sally's previous career as a nurse helps her writing in the most unlikely ways, and the pressure of winning literary awards.
A quick update
August 21, 2018 14:30 - 7 minutes - 6.33 MBHi everyone, we just have a quick update for you this week. From now on, we'll be doing fortnightly episodes. Thanks! - Caitlin & Michelle
How to change your life with Lisa Stephenson
August 14, 2018 15:00 - 55 minutes - 63.7 MBThis week we are joined by Lisa Stephenson whose debut book Read Me First will help you find a new path to success, however you define it. In what is probably our most inspirational interview to date, Lisa walks us through how she wrote Read Me First after building a successful life coaching career and shares with us the simple ways we can all start to make changes in our daily lives to take us where we want to be.
Words spilling out with Nikki McWatters
August 07, 2018 15:00 - 46 minutes - 34.4 MBThis week's guest is a writer, mother and former rock groupie. She’s done every job from TV acting to legal counselling to check-out chick and cleaner. We're chatting to Nikki all about her ideas, writing and the difference between writing fiction and non-fiction. There's something for everybody in this episode!
Happy 1st Birthday Better Words
July 31, 2018 14:30 - 39 minutes - 27.7 MBWe have been doing this for a whole year! Thank you so much for listening and for supporting us over the past year. For our first birthday, we're throwing it back to our first episode and having a Harry Potter party! We're chatting Fantastic Beasts, ships, 20th anniversaries and playing a game of would you rather.
Bookshop antics with Mischa from Better Read Than Dead
July 24, 2018 15:00 - 46 minutes - 53.2 MBDream of working in a bookshop? Us too! This week we're joined by Mischa from Better Read Than Dead, an iconic store in Sydney's Newtown. We're discussing the weird things customers say, how much of a difference awards and adaptations actually make and how booksellers balance their budgets when they're surrounded by the things they love.
Becoming an Instagram guru with Sarah Taviani
July 17, 2018 15:00 - 1 hour - 95.5 MBWant to build a bookstagram feed which will stop people scrolling and get them double tapping? Insta guru Sarah Taviani is joining us for a special workshop covering all elements of improving your feed including photography, content, and account management. Get some pen and paper - you'll want to take notes!
When ideologies clash with Randa Abdel-Fattah
July 10, 2018 15:00 - 54 minutes - 41.9 MBMichelle is back from her holiday! But that's not the most exciting thing! 'Does My Head Look Big In This?' and 'When Michael Met Mina' author Randa Abdel-Fattah joins us for an amazing discussion. Michelle and Caitlin say 'wow' a lot and just soak up everything Randa says.
Lush histories with Julian Leatherdale
July 03, 2018 14:30 - 1 hour - 51.3 MB'Palace of Tears' and 'The Opal Dragonfly' author Julian Leatherdale is the first male guest of Better Words! We're discussing theatre, documentaries, historical fiction, writing and publishing. There's something for everybody in this episode.
It's a mid year gush fest
June 26, 2018 15:00 - 41 minutes - 31.6 MBThis year is going by so fast! Join us for a full on GUSH fest of everything we've loved in the first half of 2018. We're talking tv shows, movies, music, podcasts and of course, books. Also, there's another update from Michelle and Jack on their Irish adventure.
We're very jealous of The YA Room
June 19, 2018 15:00 - 50 minutes - 39.6 MBThis week we're joined by Sarah and Alex of Melbourne's young adult book club, The YA Room. Chatting all about how they got started, hosting book launches and events, to the first YA Day! Hopefully next year we can attend, but until then, listen to our chat (and find out our dream dinner guests!)
You're a marshmallow, Veronica Mars
June 12, 2018 15:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBLike Kristen Bell? Teenage detectives? Feminist, progressive and sassy TV shows? If you answered 'yes' and haven't watched Veronica Mars then you should! Our discussion about the sassy woman herself will either make you want to watch or rewatch the TV series and movie. Plus enjoy a clip from Michelle and Jack from Dublin!
Book ninjas unite with Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus
June 05, 2018 16:00 - 54 minutes - 31 MBWant to spread the bookish love? Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus are Melbourne's own book ninjas and their mission to add a little literature to everyone's day has become a national success. This week they're joining us to talk about Book on the Rain and their brand new YA debut based on the venture.
Spilling the tea (part 2)
May 29, 2018 15:00 - 50 minutes - 29.2 MBThis week we are spilling the tea on the latest bookish news and discussing whether creators should leave their characters alone, how many editions of Harry Potter we'll buy and whether 'Netflix for books' is a good idea. Listen on Apple Podcast, Overcast, CastBox, Stitcher or Libsyn.