Licensed Poetics
Episodes
The accursed group of artistic people in which you find yourself…
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I SPELLED HER NAME WRONG! It’s Can Xue. Sorry!This week, FL and Derek discuss what a hot person would do in any given situation. They also mention a...
Do you think I seek out pain?! The crash out episode
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Recovering from their respective crash outs, the hosts of LP returns with an unexpected printer story, two reading updates, and a film update.
I had a crazy dream about Derek….
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the hosts discuss with some very French topics. FL begins her Annie Ernaux phase again. Derek watches a film and gets fascinated by its les...
How to make an indie short film! ft. Eva Chen
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
LP's favourite guest Eva returns!! She tells us about acting, screenwriting, fundraising, producing, everything she learned from making her short ...
Mars bar + veg soup kind of book… | Borne by Jeff VanderMeer bookclub
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TOW Derek and Fung-Ling are joined by Tom the amazing author and they discuss Borne by Jeff VanderMeer together.
2025 Reading Wrapped! Fave books, worst books, life changing books!
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
FL and Derek go through the books they read in 2025, some are all time favourites, some are huge disappointments, others are film and poems and TV sho...
Writing Year Review 2025
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Derek talks us through The Exorcist, a perfect Halloween novel, while FL goes over her writing year of 2025.
The best movie to watch on airplanes is ...?
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this succinct episode of LP, Fung-Ling and Derek try out a new format, the Teaser Section. FL gives an old-fashioned reading update on a fantastic ...
50. Writers react to Taylor Swift's lyrics | Full review of The Life of a Showgirl
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writers react to Taylor Swift's most recent album, The Life of a Showgirl, and discuss why it's not great.
49. We react to Rupi Kaur!
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This day is finally upon us... Licensed Poetics react to the biggest instagram poet of them all, Rupi Kaur. Rupi, if you are listening, we're sorry.
48. We laugh at Arctic Monkeys because we love them so much
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, FL comes back with a good old-fashioned reading update, talking about Junji Ito’s adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s classic novel No Longer H...
47. First rule of Fight Club, don't talk about Fight Club
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No intro music this week! The reason will become apparent as you listen :)LP film club continues!! One host watched this film during high school, the ...
46. Stay angry at work! Film club on Office Space
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
BFL emerges from her reading slump with some fantastic reading updates. Derek picked the film Office Space, which inspires an interesting discussion o...
45. We’re offended by this romance book, sorry! Part 2
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately the LP team didn’t like the second half of the book as much as the first half - maybe it went downhill right after the main character ...
44. Romance with a bravely forgettable title… Book club part 1
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Take a shot every time we say porn in this episode… Derek asserts that people who think they’re better than this book should read this book. LP’...
43. Improv led to throuples... Play story games with us!
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The title of this episode is to be taken literally. Shoutout to Story Games at https://perchance.org/storygames for providing us with prompts.Chapters...
42. Negotiating racial stereotypes: LP film club ft. Sofi Sun
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Long time LP collaborator Sofi dials in from Melbourne and discusses American Fiction, a satire-drama film about a Black author ironically using famil...
41. Derek reads a Bukowski poem for the first time: LIVE reaction
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special episode of LP where famous poetry hater Derek reads a poem by American writer Charles Bukowski for the first time, and what do you k...
40. I hosted a Pride and Prejudice watch party!
22 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
LP’s hosts reveal more about themselves than they ever have before. Fung-Ling was nearly laid off, Derek is in enormous pain, but both have decided ...
39. Neon Genesis Evangelion | Licensed Poetics Anime Club
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s time! LP’s first ever anime club pick is, of course, the industry-defining, culture-shifting, legendary Eva. We began with the 26 episodes av...
38. 2k words a day: a published novelist visits LP! ft. S.R. Stuart
25 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author SR Stuart appears on LP to discuss his debut novel, Mr Muerte, a mystery/thriller written during a two-year journey backpacking through the Ame...
37: Sherlock, Rick, and Oppenheimer: the Lone Genius trope and why it works
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why does the main character look like? In this very writerly discussion, Derek dissects tropes and wishes he could use them. BFL laments her past resi...
36. Books and Dating: Red Flag Books and yes, we’re attracted to them
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, BFL and Derek get real personal and delve into their love lives. What if your partner doesn’t like reading? What books would you performa...
35. “I’m not Patti Smith. This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel” | Bookclub on Just Kids
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, BFL and Derek read a musician’s memoir, Just Kids by Patti Smith, which is famously referenced in The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor...
34. Severance: religious & corporate satire | TV club with Licensed Poetics!
30 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
[Split into spoiler-free and spoiler sections] In LP’s first ever TV club, Derek and Fung-Ling dissect the TV show that everybody is talking about, ...
33. A Fun Read: Lovecraftian without the racism!? Bookclub ft. Kwame Slusher
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
LP sits down with Kwame, a friend from FBi Radio, and discuss Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. HP Lovecraft advanced the comic horror genre, but also l...
32. John Green: a secret formula behind his bestselling novels | Author Spotlight
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this casual episode, LP takes a break from book clubs and reminisce on an author who has a special place in many people’s hearts, John Green. BFL...
31. Bookclub on Milan Kundera: he gave us an STI and we outwanked this wanker
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In line with LP’s new branding as the BEST book podcast for writers, Derek and BFL discuss The Art of the Novel by the patron saint of literary wank...
30. Bookclub on Ken Liu: 'I hope my cancer stays away so I can finish the series' ft. Jeremy Khoa Dang
02 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Derek’s best friend and ex-landlord Jeremy recommended The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu, the translator of The Three Body Problem, so of course LP had ...
29. Do We Still Like This Neil Gaiman Book? ft. Ivy Xu
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sound expert Ivy Xu joins BFL for a book club episode on The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Previously, Ivy collaborated with LP on ‘A Literary Podc...
28. Reacting to One Star Reviews of Our Favourite Books Because We’re Wankers I mean Writers
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing wanker aesthetics and toxic soft boys, LP opens the first episode of 2025 by firmly positioning the itself as the book podcast for writers....
27. Reading Wrapped 2024! Our Favourite Books of the Year ft. Mildly Aggressive Bloopers
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Use the Chapters to navigate this episode! It's the end of 2024, Derek and BFL look back on their year of books and art. Derek drops some opinions abo...
26. Sexual Preferences and MPDGs: Bookclub on Breakfast at Tiffany’s
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week BFL and Derek read a classic American novel by Truman Capote. It’s a very writerly novel, so of course the hosts both loved it. BFL also d...
25. This Murakami Book is Literally So Pointless: Quotes Off II + Angela Wu
24 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BFL and Derek face off in an epic game of Quotes Off: how well do they actually know their favourite books? Also included in this episode is some snip...
24. Quotes Off: How Well Do We Know Our Fave Books? + Bookclub ft. Marlene Baquiran
10 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BFL claims to love The Catcher in the Rye. Derek claims to love Community by Dan Harmon. But can they identify lines from the book/show? Or have they ...
23. Our Problematic Fave Books and Flat is Wack ft. Eric Jiang
27 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BFL read his poem during lockdown and has wanted to meet him ever since - it’s the incredible Chinese Australian poet Eric Jiang! In this very spicy...
22. Terrible British Accent Ruined This Audiobook (Sorry But Do Better Srsly) ft. Angela Wu
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, BFL chats with Angela Wu, a comic artist based in Singapore! We hit you with Hamilton horror stories, opinions on Lord Andy (Andrew Lloyd W...
21. A Five Star Read! Bookclub on Convenience Store Woman ft. Marlene Baquiran
29 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Singapore edition of Licensed Poetics book club, BFL and Marlene discuss Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, the perfect book for misfit...
20. Maybe the Real ‘Haberfield’ is the Creative Friends We Made Along the Way ft. Izzie Conti and Max Pinnegar
15 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The makers of the indie short film Looking For Haberfield sit down with Licensed Poetics and talk about their process. Also, they answer one of Derek’...
19. Honest Review of Ocean Vuong ft. All The Best Podcast!
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You know you’ve found a literary nerd podcast when the hosts prefer reading the script over watching the play/film. Licensed Poetics is collaboratin...
18. How to Get into Poetry: Don’t Be Scared! ft. Tina Huang
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is perfect for literary nerds. Writer Tina Huang chats to BFL about lowering the perceived entry requirement to poetry, her publish writi...
17. She does WHAT to self-destruct? Bookclub on My Year of Rest and Relaxation
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
LP bookclub returns! Interim host Derek chats to BFL about My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, the biggest title in the very popular u...
16. Booking this Job Cured My Depression ft. Eva Chen from Marvel's Shang-Chi :)
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A real Hollywood star joins LP in the studio!! Eva Chen talks to BFL and Derek about acting, auditioning, improv, standup, and her experience working ...
15. I Love Meaning! A Special Episode ft. LP friends
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
LP is going out-of-studio! In this very special episode recorded between Shanghai and the Blue Mountains, a few recurring guests and new voices share ...
14. LP Bookclub! Of Boobs and Trees: The Vegetarian ft. Derek Dao and Anya Vallentin
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first ever Licensed Poetics book club is a roaring success. Recurring guests Anya and Derek join BFL in the studio to discuss The Vegetarian by So...
13. I’m Reading This Classic Novel so I Can Say I Have Read it ft. Joseph Hathaway-Wilson
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In BFL's first episode since going solo, she delivers a personal message. Then, she and the guest Joe, a wonderful writer and journalist, delve in...
12. Naming Kitchen Tools After Your Fave Writers ft. Ying Chin
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Angelic harp music opens a very special episode - Achim’s last as the host of Licensed Poetics. Ying, a dear friend of LP’s, is a spoken word poet...
11. Dealing with Butthurt Artists as an Editor or Critic ft. Claire Cao
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BFL giddily chats with Claire, a writer whose work she has admired for some time, about reading widely, editing fiction, and note-taking for TV. This ...
10. Take Your Inner Artist on a Date ft. Malena Fiorito
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Licensed Poetics is joined by Malena, a wonderful Argentinian reader, writer, and songwriter. They talk about a famous Australian book abou...
9. Heal Before You Write: No More Trauma Porn ft. Vonne Patiag
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Incredibly Accomplished Filmmaker Vonne Patiag sits down with Licensed Poetics to talk about the film industry, writing on commission, and having a st...
8. ROI: Return On Imagination ft. Yurui Zi
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Achim triumphantly returns from holiday and brings with him a 17yo LinkedIn celebrity and entrepreneur prodigy who loves reading, Yurui Zi. He then dr...
7. BetterHelp Should Have Sponsored This Episode ft. Derek Dao
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
BFL chats with Licensed Poetics Dear Friend Derek Dao about reading, writing, screenwriting, and if BFL needs therapy. How are TV scenes created? Why ...
6. Listening to Explicit Audiobooks While Driving ft. Anya Vallentin and Emily James
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this book-ish and film-ish episode, BFL chats with Emily and Anya, both wonderful writers and filmmakers, about Poor Things starring Emma Stone and...
5. This Guest Made Achim Cry? ft. Rachael Williams
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Achim and BFL set off on the perilous journey of comparing themselves to prodigy writers, the wonderful guest Rachael fangirls over her favourite s...
4. The First Ever Alliteration: Goo-Goo-Ga-Ga ft. Marlene Baquiran
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
'Any type of conversation is a great vehicle for change.' In this episode, we are joined by writer Marlene Baquiran. Following some devastatin...
3. 2023 Reading Wrapped! Life-changing Books & Insufferable Books! ft. Cady
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Revealing our most adored, hated, and traumatising books of the year! We went through a thorough list of fantastical, socialist and ArCadyan books wit...
2. In Empathy We are Luu-minescent ft. Annabella Luu and Antoinette Luu
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
'I want to write a poem for her because I feel like she deserves it.' In this episode, we are joined by our guest features Annabella & Ant...
1. Chasing the Niu-est Waves ft. Stephanie Niu
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
'I wonder how my body knows what it feels like to fly - I think it’s because of swimming.' In the very first episode of Licensed Poetics, h...