Stories Behind The Story With Better Reading

Melissa Fu talks to Cheryl Akle about the importance of identity and place, and how she adapted her novel Peach Blossom Spring from a short story she wrote about her father.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Diane Armstrong talks to Cheryl Akle about her experience as a child holocaust survivor and how her family escaped to Australia. Her latest novel, Dancing with the Enemy, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caroline Petit talks to Cheryl Akle about her journey from the US to Australia, and how the forgotten wife of a 19th-century naturalist inspired her novel, The Natural History of Love. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robbi Neal talks to Cheryl Akle about her experience with cancer, and how her latest novel, The Secret World of Connie Starr, was influenced by her family.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Journalist and author Carrie Cox talks to Cheryl Akle about how she uses fiction as a vessel to explore marriage and long term relationships. Her latest novel, So Many Beats of the Heart, is out now.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Annabel Abbs talks to Cheryl Akle about their shared love of cookbooks and why there needs to be more food in fiction. Her latest novel, The Language of Food, is out now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catherine Deveny talks to Cheryl Akle about growing up with dyslexia, being an ‘arts tradie’, and how honesty is easy. Her memoir, True North, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Averil Kenny talks to Cheryl Akle about growing up in rural Australia and how this bleeds into her writing. Her latest novel, The Girls of Lake Evelyn, is out now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Stella Rimington DCB talks to Cheryl Akle about her experience as Director General of the MI5 and how this translates into her writing. Her latest thriller, The Devil's Bargain, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer talks to Cheryl Akle about the rise of the fantasy genre, and why we're seeking escapism more and more. Her latest book, Forging Silver into Stars, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Liane Moriarty talks to Cheryl Akle about her astonishing success as a New York Times bestselling author with an award-winning TV adaptation. Her latest book, Apples Never Fall, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Artist Judy Cotton talks to Cheryl Akle about art, Tokyo and New York, and how she deals with the constant longing for Australia. Her memoir, Swimming Home, is out now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Faine talks to Cheryl Akle about the legendary siblings Apollo and Thelma and his relationship to them both.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alix Bradfield's parents were once, officially, the oldest couple in Australia. Here she talks to Cheryl Akle about her research into growing older and her book, Energy for Life.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Booker Prize-winning author Damon Galgut talks to Cheryl Akle about the complexities of South Africa, and how death can bring a family together. His novel, The Promise, is out now. Damon is currently at the Sydney Writers' Festival.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert talks to Cheryl Akle about how she survived 804 days in an Iranian prison and her journey back home. Her memoir, The Uncaged Sky, is out now. Kylie is currently at the Sydney Writers' Festival.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chloe Hooper talks to Cheryl Akle about reading the right book at the right time, and how she used the stories to explore grief and loss in her memoir, Bedtime Story. Chloe is currently at the Sydney Writers' Festival. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan talks to Cheryl Akle about how reading can help us process grief, and why change is so important. Her latest novel, What Eden Did Next, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shelley Burr talks to Cheryl Akle about the success of her debut novel WAKE, which won the CWA Debut Dagger Award. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Lauren Chater talks to Cheryl Akle about the 17th-century gown that inspired her latest historical novel, The Winter Dress. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.