Meet the Writers

Canadian author Jean McNeil reflects on her journey from Cape Breton Island to Antarctica in a conversation that explores grief, climate change and honouring the earth through her latest novel, ‘Latitudes’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin speaks to Guadalupe Nettel about her award-winning writing, life between Mexico and France, partial blindness and how human and animal behaviour inspires the themes in her latest work, ‘The Accidentals’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand literary giant C K Stead joins Georgina Godwin to discuss aging, mortality and his early fascination with poetry. He also reflects on his influential role in shaping New Zealand’s literature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karim Kattan joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his upbringing in Bethlehem, putting Palestine in his own words and writing ‘The Palace on the Higher Hill’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin speaks with Michael and Matariki Bennett, co-curators of the Auckland Writers Festival, about their Māori heritage, the kōhanga reo movement and addressing sociopolitical issues through art. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Damian Le Bas joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his latest work, ‘The Drowned Places’, which delves into the myth of Atlantis and the sunken worlds beneath the ocean’s surface. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin speaks to Argentine author Agustina Bazterrica about her shift from opera to writing, literary influences and her novels exploring oppression, capitalism and control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Esther Freud reflects on her childhood and literary journey to ‘My Sisters and Other Lovers’, which follows two sisters facing secrets and heartbreak. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin meets Damien Wilkins, the 2025 Ockham New Zealand Book Award winner for fiction with his novel ‘Delirious’. Wilkins reflects on his early literary influences, past work and transitioning to songwriting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eliza Reid speaks to Georgina Godwin about growing up in Ottawa, her time as Iceland’s first lady and her debut whodunit, ‘Death of a Diplomat’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meike Ziervogel joins Georgina Godwin to discuss her literary and humanitarian journey, and her new novel, Shams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin meets Yael Van Der Wouden and Rachel Clarke, the winners of the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction for their works ‘The Safekeep’ and ‘The Story of A Heart’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Miranda Cowley Heller speaks to Georgina Godwin at Adelaide Festival about the personal and literary crucible of her upbringing in a bohemian family of artists and writers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ewan Morrison joins Georgina Godwin to discuss the inspiration behind his ninth book, For Emma. His first science-fiction novel follows a grieving father in search of answers after the death of his daughter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiffany Watt Smith joins Georgina Godwin to discuss her new release, ‘Bad Friend’, which explores the dynamics of female friendships with personal insights from Smith’s own life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadcaster Jeremy Vine sits down with Georgina Godwin to share details about his upbringing in Surrey, his entry into reporting as a political correspondent and writing a cosy mystery novel, Murder on Line One. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gazan journalist Ahmed Alnaouq joins Georgina Godwin to discuss his upbringing, losing family in a 2014 Israeli bombing and co-founding We Are Not Numbers, a network dedicated to sharing Palestinian stories beyond the headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynda La Plante speaks to Georgina Godwin about the latest addition to her Detective Jack Warr series, ‘Crucified’, as well as her research methods, personal challenges and experiences with psychics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Godwin is joined by Jenny Mustard to discuss her upbringing in Sweden, new novel ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ and the challenges of writing literary fiction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AC Grayling has written theses and philosophies about society and the world for decades. His latest work, ‘Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars’, proffers the argument that discrimination is a human rights issue and if fully respected, there would be no discrimination. Speaking to Georgina Godwin, Grayling shares insights into his upbringing, starting his own university and the issues behind the culture wars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.