James and Ashley Stay at Home

86 | Starting late with Penguin Literary Prize winner Annette Higgs

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Episode notes

‘When I was a lawyer, I knew what was good enough, because if you did the job properly, you were paid, and if you didn’t do the job properly, you were sued. It was very clear-cut. With writing, you never know. There’s a lot of subjectivity.’   James speaks with Penguin Literary Prize winning author Annette Higgs about her debut novel, On a Bright Hillside in Paradise. They discuss the process of researching family ancestry to craft historical fiction, as well as the challenge of taking up writing later in life. Plus, Annette shares the story of how she learned she won the Penguin Literary Prize during a trip to Norfolk Island.    Annette Higgs is a writer living in Sydney, Australia. She has lived, worked and studied in Sydney, London and Italy, and holds a Doctor of Arts from the University of Sydney. A Pushcart nominee, her short work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies in Australia, the USA, the UK and India.    You can read Annette's March 2023 essay for the Bangalore Review, entitled 'Starting Late: Reflections on Becoming a Writer' here.    Get your copy of On a Bright Hillside in Paradise from Booktopia or your local bookshop.   Upcoming events 

  Books and authors discussed in this episode:
  • Limberlost by Robbie Arnott
  • The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane
  • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
  • Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
  • Obsession by Nicole Madigan 
  Ashley's psychological thriller Dark Mode is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.   James' novel Denizen is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy.    Get in touch!