James and Ashley Stay at Home
By James McKenzie Watson and Ashley Kalagian Blunt
Through discussions and interviews with writers, artists and health professionals, author friends James McKenzie Watson and Ashley Kalagian Blunt explore the big questions: how do books get written? How do people navigate life with chronic illness? And just what ARE you reading? Hosted by James McKenzie Watson, winner of the 2021 Penguin Literary Prize, and Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of 'Dark Mode.'
Latest episode
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113 | Rewriting your stalker with Pip Drysdale, author of 'The Close-Up'
How does having a stalker change your life? We talk with bestselling novelist Pip Drysdale about her latest novel 'The Close-Up,' its real-life inspirations, and how surviving a stalker shifted her worldview. We also discuss how to navigate... -
112 | Choosing to have children as a creative with Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman
What considerations come into choosing to have a baby for creatives? And once baby enters the picture, how do you balance parenting with your creative practice? We ask Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman, two beloved past guests who happen to be both... -
111 | Surviving second book syndrome - James and Ashley talk 'Cold Truth'
Cold Truth, Ashley's new thriller, is out now. James and Ashley discuss just how difficult writing this book was, plus why she chose to set in a city that makes headlines for being colder than the surface of Mars. They also chat about real-life... -
110 | Back to the 90s with Michelle See-Tho, author of 'Jade and Emerald'
'I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but I didn’t have any ideas that I thought could extend to a novel-length work.' In episode 110, Michelle See-Tho shares her journey from aspiring writer to winner of the 2023 Penguin Literary Prize... -
109 | What have we read? Every book recommendation from 2024
Here it is - the annual end-of-year book recommendation extravaganza! This bumper episode contains every single edition of 'What are you reading?' from 2024, in which James, Ashley and guests discuss the books on their shelves, and why you should rea… -
108 | Compelling, subversive, beautiful: the books we loved most in 2024
It's that time of year again - the annual Bed on a Plinth Awards, in which James and Ashley discuss the best books they've read in the last twelve months! Use this particularly eclectic list to gather Christmas gift ideas, or simply top up your own..… -
107 | Living with dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder with Maggie Walters, author of 'Split'
'It's not a mental illness. It's actually a creative coping mechanism.' What's it like to discover other people living in your own head? In Maggie Walters' debut memoir, she describes her life with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known... -
106 | The worst decision ever with Richell-Prize-winner Simone Amelia Jordan
'That was the most naive, worst decision I've ever made in my life, because the disease came back with a vengeance.' In episode 106, Ashley speaks to award-winning memoirist Simone Amelia Jordan about the career that took her from Australia to... -
105 | Finding community with author and artist Arna Radovich
In ep 105, James and Ashley interview Arna Radovich, the author of Limits of Forgetting, a collection of stories interwoven with themes of memory, grief and reflection. Arna shares insights into how her own experiences provide the background for her.… -
104 | Staying afloat with Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim
'For me, the only decision was to put myself out there and become more of service to others.' Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim speaks with James about his diagnosis and life with CIDP, the same autoimmune condition James lives with. Michael...