Stories Behind The Story With Better Reading

Bestselling author Anita Abriel talks to Cheryl Akle about her family's history during World War II, and why she decided to write about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Kate Elizabeth Russell talks to Cheryl Akle about why she decided to write about the confronting topics in her debut novel My Dark Vanessa and what inspires her writing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

World-renowned dancer and author Mary Li talks to Cheryl Akle about her Rockhampton upbringing, the impact of her husband's bestselling book Mao's Last Dancer, and how having her daughter changed her life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author and mother Sue Brierley talks to Cheryl Akle about why she chose adoption, the different challenges she faced with it, and how it strengthened her family. All things discussed in her book, Lioness. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Social anthropologist and author Ceridwen Dovey talks to Cheryl Akle about her multicultural upbringing and how her experience at Harvard shaped her latest book, Life After Truth. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Astronomer and author Greg Quicke talks to Cheryl Akle about stargazing in the outback, and how the stars can change our perspective on life. Is the Moon Upside Down? is Greg's latest book. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Candida Baker talks to Cheryl Akle about life in the theatre, moving to Australia, and coming out of the psychic closet. She has a profound connection to animals, especially horses, which she writes about in her latest book, The Heart of a Horse. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Journalist and author Sue Smethurst talks to Cheryl Akle about her career in journalism, the family story she had to tell, and her book The Freedom Circus. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author Denise Leith talks to Cheryl Akle about her travels through the Middle East, shares some stories about her time there, and reveals how it shaped her new novel, The Night Letters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Gary Disher talks to Cheryl Akle about how he published his first book and how crime fiction has evolved throughout the years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Political scientist and biographer Jenny Hocking talks to Cheryl Akle about the Whitlam Government and the fight to release the infamous Palace Letters between Sir John Kerr and Queen Elizabeth II. All things explored in her book, The Palace Letters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Fiona McIntosh talks to Cheryl Akle about Champagne, how travelling has influenced her writing, and the incredible story behind her newest book, The Champagne War. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

William McInnes talks to Cheryl Akle about the fun and wonder in the mundane, his love of Christmas, and how both these are celebrated in his latest book, Christmas Tales. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Award winning actor and family man, Matthew McConaughey talks to Cheryl Akle about humour (and how we need more it), values and his new book Greenlights. And he also reflects on the year he spent in Australia as an exchange student. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author Joanne Fedler talks to Cheryl Akle about exploring the female experience, and how turning fifty changes your perspective, something she explores in her new book, Unbecoming. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bestselling author Monica McInerney talks to Cheryl Akle about the experience of releasing a book during Covid, and how her childhood shaped her writing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author Rebecca Higgie talks to Cheryl Akle about how libraries have evolved with the digital age, and how the writing process is often romanticized. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Author and journalist Patrick Carlyon talks to Cheryl Akle about the infamous Melbourne gangland killings, and the city's dark history of crime. All things explored in his new book, Lawyer X. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian and author Fiona O'Loughlin talks to Cheryl Akle about her religious upbringing in a small South Australian town, and her experiences with alcoholism. Her memoir, Truths from an Unreliable Witness explores this and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nigella Lawson talks to Cheryl Akle about how the mundane tasks involved in cooking free up her creative side, and her latest bestseller, Cook, Eat, Repeat. She also reviews Cheryl's Crème Brûlée (yes she's tried it!). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.