Sarah Konoski

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I'm Sarah Konoski.

Thanks for listening.

Justin Hazelwood grew up in Burnie, on the northwest coast of Tasmania.

For years, he imagined Burnie as somewhere he had to leave, especially if he was going to be any kind of artist.

And there were other, more personal reasons that made staying in Burnie complicated.

Justin's mum has schizophrenia and growing up he was her carer, something he did his best to hide from teachers and friends.

So after school, Justin headed to the mainland and did the tough work of building a career in comedy and music.

But life can take unexpected turns and Justin's path took him back to Burnie.

He now has a new book, Dream Bernie, which celebrates the creative humans like him who are making art far away from the big cities.

It's also a book about going back to your hometown and writing an entirely new story there.

Hi, Justin.

When you were growing up in Burnie, where was the best place to get takeaway?

So this was home for you with all of its special symbols and rituals.

How would other Tasmanians have described Burnie back then?

What kind of reputation did it have?

Take me inside your house.

Who lived at home with you?

Was your dad on the scene at all, Justin?

So it was just you and your mum.