Edits & Annotations
Edits & Annotations is a podcast about writing and literature, hosted by Tenille McDermott, Mia-Francesca Jones and Bethany Keats, and sponsored by the Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing.
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Season One
Photo: Nisha Hunter
Naag Mountain is a book born from a dream. In this episode, writer and artist Manisha Anjali describes the craft of writing from the subconscious to explore cultural identity and hidden histories. She delves into the process of producing writing that is rich in sensory and imaginative description while drawing from archives and dreams
Manisha Anjali is a writer and artist. She is the author of Naag Mountain (Giramondo, 2024), which was shortlisted for The Judith Wright Calanthe Award at the Queensland Literary Awards. Manisha was a recipient of BLINDSIDE’s Regional Arts & Research Residency at Mooramong, a Writer-in-Residence at Incendium Radical Library and a Hot Desk Fellow at The Wheeler Centre. She is the founder of Neptune, a research and documentation platform for dreams, visions and hallucinations. Manisha has lived in Fiji, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Photo: Jonathan van der Knapp
Hannah Kent is the author of three novels: Burial Rites, The Good People and Devotion. She also wrote the screenplay for the psychological thriller, Run Rabbit Run. She chats about finding stories in the archives and the ethical considerations when it comes to speculating someone else’s story.
Hannah Kent’s first novel, the international bestseller, Burial Rites (2013), was translated into over 30 languages and won multiple awards including the Victorian Premier's People's Choice Award. Her second novel, The Good People (2016) has been translated into 10 languages and was shortlisted multiple prizes including the Walter Scott Award for Historical Fiction. Hannah’s latest novel, Devotion (2021) won Booktopia’s Favourite Australian Book Award and her first feature Run Rabbit Run film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. She is also the co-founder of the Australian literary journal Kill Your Darlings. Hannah lives and works on Peramangk Country in South Australia.
Host: Bethany Keats
Kate Mildenhall photo: Cat Black
In this special feature episode, Tenille speaks with Alice Robinson (Anchor Point, The Glad Shout, If You Go) and Kate Mildenhall (Skylarking, The Mother Fault, The Hummingbird Effect) about the related themes across their work: the environment, time, motherhood, and where technology may take us.
Alice Robinson is the author of two previous novels: Anchor Point, longlisted for the Stella Prize and the Indie Book Awards; The Glad Shout, shortlisted for an Aurealis Award and The Colin Roderick Literary Award and winner of the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. In 2012, Alice earned a PhD by research in Creative Writing at Victoria University, for which she was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Peak Award. Alice lives in Melbourne with her kids, and works at Federation University and RMIT.
Kate Mildenhall is a writer who lives on the outskirts of Melbourne with her family. Her debut novel, SKYLARKING, was published in Australia by Black Inc. in 2016 and in the UK by Legend Press in 2017. Skylarking was longlisted for the Voss Literary Prize 2017 and the Indie Book Awards 2017. Kate has received residencies at Varuna, the Writers House and at Bundanon. With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time podcast, a podcast about the first time you publish a book. Kate’s second novel, THE MOTHER FAULT, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020 and Harper Collins in the UK in May 2021. THE HUMMINGBIRD EFFECT, Kate’s third novel, was published in Australia 2023. You can read more from Kate at her newsletter, ‘The Bowerbird’.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman and a writer, editor, academic and 'publishing all rounder'. Her debut novel Burn was published in 2023 and her first romantic comedy novel, Love Unleashed, was published in 2024. Her newest work, A Good Kind of Trouble, is a heart-warming collaborative project with Brooke Blurton full of high-school longing, friendship and footy. In this episode, Melanie shares her knowledge of the industry, what it means to be a writer online today, finding literary community, the co-writing process, and hopping from one genre to another.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Boori Monty Pryor has had an extraordinary career as both a writer and musician, penning award-winning children's books and television shows and touring schools around Australia. In this episode, Boori speaks with Tenille about working across different mediums, the connection between music and writing, and the power of storytelling.
Boori Monty Pryor was born in North Queensland. His father is from the Birrigubba of the Bowen region and his mother from Yarrabah (near Cairns), a descendant of the Kungganji. Boori is a multi-talented performer who has worked in film, television, modelling, sport, music and theatre. He is also an accomplished didgeridoo player who has performed with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra and appeared in many schools. Boori has written several award-winning children's books with Meme McDonald including My Girragundji, The Binna Binna Man and Njunjul The Sun. His memoir Maybe Tomorrow was re-released in an anniversary edition in 2010 and its message for reconciliation is as relevant as ever. His stories are about finding strength within to deal with the challenges without.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Alli Parker is the author of At the Foot of the Cherry Tree and Tania Blanchard is the author of six novels,The Girl from Munich, Suitcase of Dreams, Letters from Berlin, Daughter of Calabria/Echoes of War, A Woman of Courage, and An Undeniable Voice. Each of these books are inspired by family histories and play with the relationship between history and fiction. They chat in conversation about their approaches to novelising family stories, including the challenge of telling personal stories to a public audience.
Alli Parker is a Japanese-Australian bestselling author and screenwriter. Her debut historical fiction novel At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is novelisation of the true story of Australia’s first Japanese war bride and Alli’s grandmother. It became an instant bestseller, was shortlisted for the 2024 Australian Book Industry Award – Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year, the Dymocks Book of the Year 2023 and was longlisted for the Aus Indie Book Awards 2024. She wrote episodes of crime drama series Jack Irish, romantic thriller series Secret Bridesmaids’ Business and mystery telemovie series Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries. She lives and works on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
Tania Blanchard writes historical fiction inspired by the true stories and the rich cultural heritage of her family’s history. Her bestselling, acclaimed stories of love, loss and hope and the challenges facing women in defining moments in modern history span world wars and pivotal moments in time during great social and political upheaval, and are beloved by readers everywhere. Her books are The Girl from Munich, Suitcase of Dreams, Letters from Berlin, Daughter of Calabria,A Woman of Courage, A Woman of Courage, and An Undeniable Voice.
Host: Bethany Keats
In this panel episode, Mia speaks with former CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Dr Paul Hardisty, and award-winning Icelandic writer, Andri Snær Magnason , on how to craft powerful environmental stories. How do we find language big enough to describe the magnitude of the climate crisis that lies before us? Reaching across two hemispheres, this episode explores the interconnected plights of glaciers and coral reefs through elegy, metaphor and personal narrative.
Andri Snær Magnason is an Icelandic writer and documentary film director. He has written poetry, fiction, non fiction and science fiction. His work has been published or performed in more than 40 languages and he has won the Icelandic Literary Awards in all categories. Andri has received international awards like the Philip K Dick honorary mention for LoveStar, the Prima Tiziano Terzani in Italy for On Time and Water and The Green Earth Book Award for his books for children. He is the co-director of three documentary films that have premiered in international festivals like IDFA, RIFF, CPH:DOX and HOTDOCS. Andri has been active in the fight to preserve the highlands of Iceland and raising awareness about our fast changing climate. His eulogy for the first glacier that Iceland lost to climate change, the Ok glacier, was shared by millions in 2019.
Hailing originally from Canada, Dr Paul E Hardisty has spent thirty years working all over the world as an engineer, hydrologist and environmental scientist. He co-founded international environmental consultancy Komex Environmental Ltd, which he helped develop from a startup to a $50 million-a-year company with 1,000 employees, and sold to ASX-listed Worley in 2007. Paul is a university professor and was CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) from 2017 to 2023. He is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, two textbooks on environmental sustainability, and seven novels. The Abrupt Physics of Dying was named Telegraph Thriller of the Year in the UK and was shortlisted for the CWA Creasy Prize. His latest novel, The Forcing, and its prequel, The Descent, imagine a near future affected by climate change. The Forcing was shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Lovers' Awards in the UK. Paul lives in Western Australia.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Photo: Leah Jing McIntosh
In this episode, Tenille chats with essayist and critic Cher Tan about her book Peripathetic, what makes a great book review, the impact of the internet on writing and culture, and producing art in the era of late capitalism.
Cher Tan is an essayist, critic and editor living and working on unceded Wurundjeri land (so-called “Melbourne”). She previously lived in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide and Singapore, where she was born and raised. Her work has appeared in Sydney Review of Books, Hyperallergic, Kill Your Darlings, Cordite, Gusher magazine, Catapult, The Guardian, Art Guide Australia and The Age, among many others.
She is the reviews editor at Meanjin Quarterly and an editor at LIMINAL magazine. In 2023 she was a book columnist at the ABC. Her critically-acclaimed debut essay collection, Peripathetic: Notes on (Un)belonging, is out with NewSouth Publishing.
Cher’s work thinks through technology, late capitalism, borders and boundaries, power and complicity, and the construction of identity, self, and culture in a hyper-real world.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Photo: Darren James
Kate Grenville has published 18 books over her 40-year career. Her novels include The Idea of Perfection, Lilian’s Story, Joan Makes History, The Secret River, and Restless Dolly Maunder, which was shortlisted for the Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary award. In this episode, Kate talks about historical perspectives, women's history, and the Doctorate of Creative Arts that became The Secret River.
Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most celebrated writers. Her international bestseller The Secret River was awarded local and overseas prizes, has been adapted for the stage and as an acclaimed television miniseries, and is now a much-loved classic. Grenville’s other novels include Sarah Thornhill, The Lieutenant, Dark Places and the Orange Prize winner The Idea of Perfection, the bestselling A Room Made of Leaves and Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award shortlisted Restless Dolly Maunder. Her recent non-fiction includes One Life: My Mother’s Story, The Case Against Fragrance and Elizabeth Macarthur’s Letters. She has also written three books about the writing process. In 2017 Grenville was awarded the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature.
Host: Bethany Keats
Mia, Tenille and Bethany chat about the podcast, creative writing PhDs, and their own writing lives.
E&A x EWF 2025
In these three special episodes of the Edits & Annotations, we partner with the Emerging Writers Festival to interview emerging writers from regional Queensland. From NQ to your ears, these episodes explore trauma, place, writing as recovery, and each writers’ unique creative process.
Jade Reilly is a writer and criminologist who lives in Australia with her English husband and two children. Legitimising a fascination with crime from an inappropriately young age, she spent much of her career as a criminologist advocating for social justice reform. For most of the last decade, she undertook specialist reviews of homicides, filicides and suicides to inform coronial inquests and deliberations. Jade is a graduate of the Curtis Brown novel-writing course and is currently working on her debut novel.
Please note: this episode discusses domestic and family violence, PTSD, and childhood cancer.
Host: Bethany Keats
Chelsea is a PhD student at James Cook University, Townsville. Her research explores the intersection of true crime, life writing and feminist poetry. She was awarded the P.F Rowland Memorial Prize in 2023 for producing the most outstanding BA Honours thesis in English. Her current project poses biographical poetry as a nuanced writing tool for the re-mediation and re-vision of dominant narratives surrounding women victims and perpetrators of crime.
Please note: this episode references violent crimes.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Sarah Burke is a descendant of Antekerrepenh and Alyawarre women. They are currently a Phd candidate with the Indigenous Education Research Centre at JCU. Sarah’s writing focuses on bringing to life stories influenced by the bush. Such as gothic landscapes, tall tales,ghost stories and yarns about moral ambiguity. She writes short stories, poetry and is currently working on a screenplay.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Season Two
Steve MinOn was an internationally awarded advertising copywriter and a restaurateur before becoming a writer of fiction. He grew up in North Queensland, and he now lives on Turrbal land in Magandjin/Brisbane. The manuscript for Steve's debut novel First Name Second Name (UQP 2025) won the Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer in the 2023 Queensland Literary Awards, and when published was shortlisted for People's Choice Queensland Book of the Year in 2025. He has written often about outsiders and his family’s mixed-race ancestral history, and his articles and short stories have been published in SBS Voices and various newspapers and anthologies.
Host: Bethany Keats
What insight can writing give into religion? How does a character emerge from a draft? And what's the connection between Frida Kahlo and a 9th-century female pope?
Award-winning writer and 2025 Roderick Centre Visiting Fellow Emily Maguire joins Tenille to discuss creative collisions, writing careers, and her latest novel, Rapture.
Emily is the author of seven novels and three non-fiction books. Her novel An Isolated Incident was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and her 2022 book Love Objects was shortlisted for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award.
She was the 2018/2019 Writer-in-Residence at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney and the 2023 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellow at the Australian National University. Emily has an MA in literature and works as a teacher and mentor to young and emerging writers.
Her latest book is the novel, Rapture, which has been longlisted for the Stella Prize and shortlisted for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Candice Chung is a writer, editor and a former restaurant reviewer for The Sun-Herald. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Food, The Australian Gourmet Traveller, SBS Food, Griffith Review and more. She is a founding member of Diversity in Food Media Australia, which supports and promotes underrepresented voices in food media.
In this conversation, we discuss being anti love-language, crafting the I in memoir, and food as means of communicating frustration and fear, anxiety and affection.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Khin Myint is an author based in Perth. His writing has appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, Liminal magazine and The West Australian, among other publications. He was selected as one of ten participants in the Wheeler Centre's Next Chapter scheme in 2021. His debut book, Fragile Creatures, won the 2025 Foundation for Australian Literary Studies Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Jessica Mansour-Nahra chats with Bethany about her debut novel The Farm, which remasters 18th century gothic for the 21st century. Jessica shares her writing process and discusses scene setting, international rights, and the ongoing relevance of gothic literature.
Now an author, Jessica was a communications consultant and writer in Brisbane, London and Sydney, before tree-changing to a hamlet in Wiradjuri country, where she lives with her husband and their beloved dog. Jessica holds degrees in history and law from The University of Queensland.
Please be advised this interview discusses pregnancy loss and fertility and medical issues.
Host: Bethany Keats
Crime writer Nicole Crowe joins Tenille to talk about her funny and thrilling debut novel The Washup, along with first book jitters, the mysteries of the publication process, writing place, and her best advice for aspiring writers.
Nicole grew up in Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island in a little wooden house built by her father. The beauty and strangeness of the island, combined with her brother's former profession as a skydive tandem master, provided the inspiration for The Washup. Nicole still lives in Far North Queensland, but on the mainland, with her family, four chickens and a large neighbourhood python.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Isobelle Carmody is one of Australia’s most beloved authors, writing across science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. The eldest of eight children, she grew up entertaining her younger siblings with oral story-telling as a way of maintaining some semblance of order when left to baby sit. It’s safe to say Isobelle has had an extensive career in holding an audience’s attention and she has won an embarrassment of awards doing just that.
In this episode, she chats to Bethany about how the industry has changed throughout her career, how she keeps track of the worlds she creates, and what it’s like to have other people write PhDs about your work.
Host: Bethany Keats
Bonny Cassidy is the author of three poetry collections and one book of nonfiction, as well as a book critic and internationally recognised scholar of Australian literature. Formerly an academic, she is now an independent creative writing mentor and psychology student. In 2025 she was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal, Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and won the AAALS Creative Prose Prize. Bonny lives in the bush on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. In this episode, Mia and Bonny discuss the creative research and writing process of her literary memoir, Monument.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Mykaela is a Koori/Goori and Lebanese writer, critic and editor. Her speculative fiction collection, Always Will Be (2024), won the David Unaipon Award, was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award (Fiction) and NSW Literary Awards Indigenous Writers’ Prize, longlisted for the Stella Prize and Highly commended for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at Macquarie University researching First Nations speculative fiction. Mykaela worked in Aboriginal education in various capacities from 2003 to 2023 and has been teaching at the tertiary level since 2012. Her research explores her people’s past, present and future.
Host: Tenille McDermott
Jane Rawson is a novelist and essayist who lives in Lutruwita/Tasmania on the lands of the Palawa people. Her most recent book is Human/Nature: On life in a wild world (NewSouth 2025), a work of creative nonfiction that asks why we think about the natural world the way we do. Her novels include A History of Dreams (Brio 2022) and From the Wreck (Transit Lounge 2017). She is also the editor of Island literary magazine.
Mia talks to Jane about how to find nature everywhere and to write for joy even when everything seems doomed.
Host: Mia-Francesca Jones
Meet the Hosts
Photo: Bethany Keats
Tenille McDermott is a writer and PhD candidate in creative writing at James Cook University, exploring the intersection between time, narrative, and machine-generated text. She is the co-editor of Sūdō Journal and a 2025 Katherine Susannah Prichard Writers' Centre Fellow. Tenille has conducted interviews and moderated panels with a range of Australian writers at book launches and festivals, including Tim Winton, David Malouf, Anna Funder, Trent Dalton, and Pip Williams. An experienced bookseller of nearly two decades, she is a regular guest on ABC North Queensland’s breakfast program, discussing the latest and greatest book releases.
Photo: Leah Jing McIntosh
Dr Mia-Francesca Jones is a writer and researcher living in Naarm/Melbourne. She was lead producer of the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas’ flagship podcast, The Leap Year and a nature writing audio walk for ACMI’s Emporium Creative Hub. Her writing has been listed for the Overland VU Short Story Prize, the Richell Prize by Hachette Australia, the Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction, the Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction and highly commended for the Peter Blazey Fellowship for auto/biographical writing. She has a PhD in creative writing from James Cook University.
Photo: Katie Bennett
Bethany Keats is a Gurambilbarra/Townsville-based writer of gothic and historical fiction. Her PhD is combining history and creative writing to explore her own gothic family history, using her grandmother’s against-the-odds divorce as a case study. She is a co-editor of Sūdō Journal and a director of the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies. She has previously been a producer and reporter for ABC Radio Australia, acting editor of ABC Australia Plus Pacific, and a board member of 94.7 The Pulse.