Better Words
Episodes
Aussie rom-com recommendations bonanza and Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Caitlin gives you dozens of recommendations for brilliant Aussie rom-coms. While Michelle chats briefly about Paul McCartney's new bo...
Reviews: Girl Dinner, Park Avenue, The Americans and The Buccaneers
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're chatting about:The secret skill of book signingsGirl Dinner by Olivie Blake*Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh*The Americans (TV seri...
Book Club: The Names by Florence Knapp
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're discussing The Names by Florence Knapp. Unlike review episodes, book club chats will include some spoilers (although we'll stil...
Seasonal reading recommendations (for summer or autumn)
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're chatting about seasonal reading: what we're looking for and what it means to us. Then we share some recommendations for the sum...
Reviews: The Life of a Showgirl, Make Me a Monster and Love Overdue
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're chatting about:Michelle's birthday trip to The Lake District and our excitement for the bookish girl autumn Maisie Peters is te...
Book club: Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're discussing Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson. Unlike review episodes, book club chats will include some spoilers (although we'll...
Reviews: Lucy Jane Wood's cosy fantasy, The Book Thief, and The Newsreader
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're chatting about:Rewitched and Uncharmed by Lucy Jane WoodThe Book Thief by Markus ZusakThe Newsreader (TV series)But for your co...
The Thursday Murder Club movie is finally out! Here's what we thought
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're chatting about:Behind the scenes of setting up a new bookshopSeeing The Thursday Murder Club in the cinemaOur thoughts on the m...
Watching TV the Y2k way and the upcoming releases we're excited for
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Oh, hello! We're back and trying a new format. In short: we burnt out and lost the love for making the podcast (although we loved speaking to authors)...
Our 2024 favourites
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our favourite episode: the yearly wrap! We're sharing our reading stats, 2024 goals and the books, TV, film and audio we loved in 2024. Mak...
Childhood, community and bookselling with Jennie Godfrey
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is inspired by her childhood there in the 19...
From a parenting email to being a US bestseller with Emma Grey
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Grey is a novelist, feature writer, photographer, professional speaker and accountability coach. She wrote her first adult novel, The Last Love N...
Behind the glamour of Hollywood and writing about writers with Pip Drysdale
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pip Drysdale writes ‘sexy-cool’ thrillers with a dash of witty humour. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York a...
How we can live in the wake of trauma with Melanie Cheng
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner. She was born in Adelaide, grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in Melbourne. Her debut collection of...
From writers rooms to writing a novel with Steph Tisdell
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steph Tisdell is a rising star of the comedy scene in Australia. Her acting credits include Class of ’07, Total Control, Bump and Netflix Original L...
What it means to be experienced with Kate Young
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Young is a writer and cook. Her award-winning Little Library Cookbooks feature food inspired by beloved works of literature. After a sunny A...
Telling authentic teenage stories with Gary Lonesborough
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man, who grew up on the Far South Coast of New South Wales as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. Gary was always...
Celebrating Pride with inclusivity and platonic love stories with Anna Zoe Quirke
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Zoe Quirke is a queer and autistic author and librarian from the North of England. She currently lives in Manchester with her partner, Rachael, a...
Recent reads and musical performances
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode where we catch up on things we've recently bought, read and watched. We've shared bits of this over on Substack, where we p...
The strange timing of stories and juggling creative careers with Sophie Green
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Green is an author and publisher who lives in Sydney. In her spare time she writes about country music on her website, Sunburnt Country Music. ...
Romance tropes and quitting TV production to become an author with Amy Hutton
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Hutton writes contemporary romantic comedies from her home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. An award-winning Television Producer by trade, she walk...
Big love stories and being published in a foreign country first with Emma Steele
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Steele was born and raised on the west coast of Scotland before studying law at The University of Aberdeen. Working as a solicitor in Edinburgh, ...
Forms of masculinity and coming of age with Avi Duckor-Jones
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Avi Duckor-Jones trained as a lawyer before gaining his MA in creative writing from Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters in...
Inside East Berlin and never giving up on getting published with Josie Ferguson
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Born in Sweden, to a family of writers and readers, Josie Ferguson moved to Scotland when she was two. She returned to Sweden in her twenties, where s...
The Re-Read: Lauren Draper
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Re-Read: bonus episodes where we chat with previous Better Words guests and catch up on what's happened since they joined us on the pod...
The Re-Read: Bri Lee
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Re-Read: bonus episodes where we chat with previous Better Words guests and catch up on what's happened since they joined us on the pod...
Ghostwriting, ego and art with Liam Pieper
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Liam Pieper is an author and ABIA-winning ghostwriter. The first was a memoir, The Feel-Good Hit of the Year, shortlisted for the National Biography A...
The expat experience and TV writing with Brydie Lee-Kennedy
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brydie Lee-Kennedy is an Australian TV writer. She has written on shows for Netflix, Apple TV and Disney. In a former life, she was a cabaret performe...
The Re-Read: Jodi McAlister
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Re-Read: bonus episodes where we chat with previous Better Words guests and catch up on what's happened since they joined us on the pod...
A novel in stories and exploring family dynamics with Emma Darragh
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Darragh spends most of her time on Gadigal and Dharawal Lands. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong, where she w...
Food, family and expectation with Lottie Hazell
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lottie Hazell is a contemporary literary scholar, board game designer and writer in Warwickshire. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing and her research...
Career apathy and doomed affairs with Madeleine Gray
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Madeleine Gray is a writer and critic from Sydney. She was a 2021 Finalist for the Walkley Pascall Prize for Arts Criticism and has written for many p...
Teenage pregnancy and abortion in Northern Ireland with Kelly McCaughrain
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kelly McCaughrain is a YA writer from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her first book, Flying Tips for Flightless Birds won the Children's Books Ireland Boo...
The Re-Read: Libby Page
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Re-Read: bonus episodes where we chat with previous Better Words guests and catch up on what's happened since they joined us on the pod...
Welcome to Better Words Podcast
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Better Words. Hosted by book-loving besties Caitlin and Michelle. We share interviews with authors talking about their books, writing and p...
Our 2023 favourites
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our favourite episode: the yearly wrap! We're sharing our reading stats, 2024 goals and the books, TV, film and audio we loved in 2023. Mak...
Fancying your friend, writing with heart, and publishing prejudice with Matt Cain
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Cain is an author, broadcaster and former journalist. He was Channel 4’s first Culture Editor, Editor in Chief of Attitude magazine and current...
Telling uncomfortable stories about complicated people and with Huma Qureshi
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Huma Qureshi is an award-winning author and journalist. Her memoir How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures was shortlisted for the Books ...
Teenage friendship circles and writing processes as a new mum with Megan Williams
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Megan Williams won the 2022 Text Prize for her debut YA novel Let’s Never Speak of This Again. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and ...
Adult work experience and lessons from a marathon with Michelle Upton
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Upton writes short stories and novels examining our darkest fears and illuminating hope and possibility. Born in Birmingham, Michelle emigrat...
String Theory and writing rom-com as a straight man with Jonathon Shannon
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathon Shannon is a Sydney-based writer and creative director. His work has been recognised at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity...
Chaotic comedy and the scam of striving for success with Eleanor Elliott Thomas
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor Elliott Thomas worked for many years as a human rights lawyer before devoting herself full-time to writing. She lives in Melbourne with her pa...
An accidental bestseller and the life-changing world of amateur drama with Janice Hallett
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Janice Hallett is the author of three best-selling novels. Her debut, The Appeal, was awarded the CWA Debut Dagger of 2021. Her second novel, The Twyf...
Storytelling across generations and writing for all ages with Alice Pung
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alice Pung OAM is one of Australia's foremost writers. She wrote the memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter, and edited anthologies Growin...
Inherited trauma and Australian Jewish culture with Elise Esther Hearst
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elise Esther Hearst is a Melbourne-based playwright and author, working and living on Boon Wurrung country. She studied Creative Arts at Melbourne Uni...
The highs and lows of small town life and re-discovering sport with Clare Fletcher
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clare Fletcher was born and raised in regional Queensland, Australia. Her debut novel, romantic comedy Five Bush Weddings, was published in 2022, and ...
Arthurian legend meets queer YA romance with Lex Croucher
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London with an elderly cat....
Enduring mysteries, serial killers and the dark web with Ashley Kalagian Blunt
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of Dark Mode, an internationally published psychological thriller. Her earlier books are How to Be Australian, a m...
The romance of French cuisine with Karina May
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Karina May is a Sydney-based former magazine journalist turned digital marketer, avid reader and writer of lively love stories that span the globe. Wh...
Haunted houses and horrifying insects in Vietnam with Trang Thanh Tran
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Trang Thanh Tran writes speculative stories about food, belonging and the Vietnamese diaspora. When not writing, they can be found over-caffeinating o...
Authentic wish fulfilment and green flag romance with Claire Christian
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Christian tells stories: she is a writer, theatre maker and facilitator. She has three novels published with Text publishing. Beautiful Mess wo...
Owning your sexuality and overcoming shame with Josh Silver
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh grew up on a farm in the Lake District before moving to Manchester with his family, where he spent his teenage years loving the city. He moved to...
'Dumb bitch lit' and situationships with Genevieve Novak
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Genevieve Novak is a writer from all over, but who now lives in Melbourne on Wurundjeri land. She writes romantic comedies, women’s fiction, and col...
Verse novels and accidentally writing a 'pandemic book' with Karen Comer
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Karen Comer is a freelance editor and presents writing workshops to children and adults. Earlier in her career, she worked in educational publishing a...
Romantic tropes and transitioning from publishing to writing with Jessica Dettmann
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jessica Dettmann is the author of three novels: How To be Second Best, This Has Been Absolutely Lovely, and Without Further Ado, and a picture book ca...
Playing games and solving puzzles with Leanne Yong
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leanne is an Asian-Australian author of Singaporean and Malaysian heritage who loves writing the diaspora experience into contemporary and fantasy fic...
The Re-Read: Our 2022 favourites
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's our favourite episode of the year – our favourite books, films, TV and audio of the year. Thank you for joining us in 2022 and supporting our w...
The Re-Read: Gabrielle Tozer and Rhiannon Wilde
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're switching things up for Season 9: Welcome to The Re-Read. In this mini-season, we check in with a selection of past guests to find out what they...
The Re-Read: Pip Harry and Ellie Marney
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're switching things up for Season 9: Welcome to The Re-Read. In this mini-season, we check in with a selection of past guests to find out what they...
The Re-Read: Laura Kay and Danielle Wood (Minnie Darke)
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're switching things up for Season 9: Welcome to The Re-Read. In this mini-season, we check in with a selection of past guests to find out what they...
The Re-Read: Tobias Madden and Nina Kenwood
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're switching things up for Season 9: Welcome to The Re-Read. In this mini-season, we check in with a selection of past guests to find out what they...
The Re-Read: Michelle's wedding and what we read on our UK trip
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're switching things up for Season 9: Welcome to The Re-Read. In this mini-season, we check in with a selection of past guests to find out what they...
Sketch comedy and owning our mistakes with Hayli Thomson
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hayli Thomson lives in Sydney, Australia, and writes novels about candid characters for anybody who ever watched Jo March leap a fence and longed to b...
Theatre kids, reality TV and studying pop culture with Jodi McAlister
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jodi McAlister is an author and academic. In her author life, her latest books are Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending, a campus rom-com about theatr...
Liminal spaces, burnout and female friendship with Abigail Bergstrom
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Abigail Bergstrom has written for national publications and worked in the publishing industry for a decade. She has edited and represented countless b...
Writing a book about grief that isn't sad with Lauren Draper
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Draper is a Melbourne-based writer and marketing professional. She is a graduate of RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing program and now w...
Female anger and family curses with Mary Watson
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Watson is from Cape Town and now lives on the west coast of Ireland. She’s worked as an art museum guide, library assistant, theatre duty manag...
Growing up Lebanese and writing for a new audience with Sarah Ayoub
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Ayoub is a journalist, bestselling author and academic with a PhD in migrant Australian YA literature. She is a Stella Schools Program ambassado...
Writing about tricky topics in romantic comedy with Mhairi McFarlane
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mhairi McFarlane was born in Scotland (which is why her unnecessarily confusing name is pronounced Vah-Ree). After working as a journalist, Mhairi sta...
Public speaking clubs and the process of writing a novel with Katherine Collette
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Collette is a novelist, podcaster and engineer living in Melbourne. Her debut novel, The Helpline, was published in the US, UK, Germany and ...
Vampires with a twist and genre constructs with Claire Kohda
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Kohda is a writer and musician. She reviews books for publications including the Guardian and the TLS, specialising in book...
Diabetes and choosing words carefully with Carly Nugent
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carly Nugent lives in Bright, Victoria. Her short fiction has featured in numerous publications, including the Bellevue Literary Review and Award Winn...
Joyful Black stories and turning a blog into a book with Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer, born in Peckham, who wants to tell the stories that she and her friends have longed for but ne...
Meet cutes, puzzles and publishing with Kimberley Allsopp
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberley Allsopp has had her work appear in Kidspot, The Sunday Telegraph and WHIMN (now Body & Soul) and she co-hosts the rom-com podcast, Meet ...
Our 2021 favourites
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've finally got our act together to share with you our favourite fiction, films, TV and audio of the year. Thank you for joining us in 2021 and supp...
Festive recommendations for Christmas
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this festive bonus episode, we share some Christmas reads. Michelle's recommendationsOne Day in December by Josie Silver: A sweet rom-com about mi...
Non-fiction November Recommendations
20 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, Michelle and Caitlin share some of their favourite non-fiction reads from 2021 just in time for #NonFictionNovember.Before we g...
The future of dystopia and exploring the mother-daughter bond with Sara Foster
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sara Foster was born and raised in England but now lives in Perth with her husband and young daughters. She has previously worked as an editor in-hous...
Gaming, esports and fanthropology with Alexis Nedd
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Alexis Nedd is a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Mashable where she writes about TV, movies and video games with a sci-fi and fantasy focus. Her writ...
The absurdity of the human body with Sarah Walker
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Walker is a writer, artist and photographer. She makes work about anxiety, control and intimacy in text, video and immersive installation across...
Horror films, acting dynasties and the strange limbo of grief with Danielle Binks
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Danielle Binks was one of the very first people to join us on Better Words, but we’ll be honest the sound quality is pretty bad so don’t try to li...
Hybrid genre novels and the world of artificial intelligence with Eli Lee
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Eli Lee was born in Dorset and now lives in London. She writes fiction and non-fiction for a variety of anthologies, magazines and websites. She is th...
Unlikely friendships, dads in YA and feedback from your favourite authors with Tobias Madden
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tobias Madden has a special place in our hearts - a friend of the show and someone we are DYING to one day have a coffee with. Our guest grew up in Ba...
Finding characters, PS I Love You and lessons from 18 novels with Cecelia Ahern
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cecelia Ahern almost needs no introduction. She is the best selling novelist at 21 when her first book PS I Love You was published and later made into...
What makes a 'suspense' novel and leaving law for writing with Sonia Velton
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sonia Velton grew up living between the Bahamas and the UK. She has worked as a solicitor at an international law firm and lived in the Middle East fo...
Dramatic teen years and telling stories to find ourselves with Samera Kamaleddine
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Samera Kamaleddine is a Sydney-based journalist who spent the early part of her career writing about boys, annoying parents and friendship dramas in t...
Millennial malaise, trivial grievances and what really matters in life with Bridie Jabour
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bridie Jabour is the opinion editor of Guardian Australia. She has previously worked as a journalist for NewsCorp and Fairfax, where she has reported ...
Teenage male friendships, all-boys schools and peak-2000s culture with Rhiannon Wilde
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rhiannon Wilde has been telling stories for as long as she can remember - inside her head but also as a journalist and high school English teacher in ...
Imagining alternate histories and fighting fascism through English literature with Jane Thynne
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jane Thynne was born in Venezuela and moved around the world with her parents and two brothers before settling in London. She is a journalist and writ...
Life (and writing) after The Flatshare with Beth O'Leary
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Beth O'Leary is one of the biggest names in contemporary fiction at the moment. Her debut novel, The Flatshare, has sold over half a million copies an...
Feminism in a nuclear winter and anger as fuel for writing with Claire Zorn
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Zorn is a multi-award-winning author of young adult literature. Her resume of awards is incredibly impressive including the Children’s Book C...
Greek tragedies, feminist gothic literature and the power of teaching with Phoebe Wynne
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Phoebe Wynne worked as a teacher for eight years, teaching Classics in the UK and English Language and Literature in Paris. She left teaching to write...
Creating a music icon and oral history narratives with Dawnie Walton
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dawnie Walton was born and raised in Florida, but now lives in Brooklyn New York with her husband. She earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop...
Culturally diverse storytelling and the complexity of migrant experiences with Rebecca Lim
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Lim is a writer, illustrator, editor and lawyer. She is the author of over twenty books and has been nominated for multiple awards. She is a...
Violence against women, the 'perfect victim' myth and slow writing with Leanne Hall
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Leanne Hall is an author of and specialist in young adult and children’s fiction. Her debut novel, This Is Shyness, won the Text Prize and was follo...
Break-up revenge, queer friendships and anti-running propaganda with Laura Kay
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Kay is a writer and editor. She has an MA in American History from the University of Sheffield, and now lives in London with her wife and cat. I...
Dating advice, queer rom-coms and writing for an American audience with Sophie Gonzales
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Gonzales is a young adult author who lives in Melbourne. When she isn’t writing, she can be found ice skating, performing in musical theatre,...
Exploring abuse and trauma in children's fiction with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley was the sort of kid who would skip lunch breaks to read and talk with the school librarian. She studied chemistry and worked...
Writing funny and publishing in a pandemic with Abigail Mann
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Abigail Mann is a Norfolk native living in London, surviving on a diet of three-shot coffee, bourbon biscuits and vegetarian sausage rolls. The manusc...
Our 2020 favourites
27 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sharing our favourite films, books, TV and audio of the year. Because we all know the 2020 has given us PLENTY of time to consume new content....