Secrets from the Green Room
In each episode of the Secrets from the Green Room podcast hosts Irma Gold and Karen Viggers chat with a writer about their experience of the writing and publishing process in honest green room-style, uncovering some of the plain and simple truths, as well as some of the secrets – whether they be mundane or salubrious – and having a lot of fun in the process.
Episodes
73 episodes
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 73: Lech Blaine
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Karen chats to Lech Blaine about how to shape a memoir and find a meaningful throughline within the truth, what it was like being edited by Helen Garner, how to decide wha...
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Episode 73
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35:20
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025 special series: Episode 72: Nina Karnikowski
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Irma chats to travel writer Nina Karnikowski about why she no longer wants to do a five-day trip to Paris and would rather opt for longer more immersive travel, tips for h...
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Episode 72
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50:46
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025 special series: Episode 71: Green room stories
In this episode Irma and Karen chat about the 2025 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, painting a picture of the festival atmosphere and sharing some of the highlights. Then they ask six authors at the festival – Clare Wright, Jenn...
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Episode 71
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24:58
Season 6: Episode 70: Sophie Cunningham (ASA Chair)
Karen and Irma chat about early drafts and tips for gaining momentum again after a break.Then Irma talks to Sophie Cunningham in her role as Chair of the Australian Society of Authors about the impact of AI, the closure of Meanjin
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Season 6
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Episode 70
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49:33
Season 6: Episode 69: Craig Cormick
Irma and Karen chat about the upcoming Ubud Readers & Writers Festival at which they will be recording interviews with several international writers, as well as some of the books they've been reading recently.Then both Karen and Irma...
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Season 6
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Episode 69
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55:27
Season 6: Episode 68: Emily Maguire
Irma and Karen chat about small regional writers’ festivals.Then Karen talks to Emily Maguire about how a high school teacher initially crashed her dreams of becoming a writer, how she became a feminist without realising it, how she avoi...
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Season 6
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Episode 68
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45:48
Season 6: Episode 67: Pip Williams
Irma and Karen talk about copyright, and the productivity commission’s recent recommendations regarding AI. Then Karen talks to Pip Williams about how she shifted from academic research to writing novels, how COVID lockdown inadvert...
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Season 6
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Episode 67
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49:14
Season 6: Episode 66: Terri-ann White (publisher)
Karen and Irma chat about book to film adaptations, and recommend recent reads in their new Book Chat segment.Then Irma talks to Upswell Founder and Publisher Terri-ann White about the current state of the publishing industry and what ne...
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Season 6
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Episode 66
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52:30
Season 6: Episode 65: Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist
Karen and Irma chat about foreign rights deals, and Irma shares some shocking stats.Then Irma chats to Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist about how a conversation between them on their first wedding anniversary was pivotal in Anne’s career, t...
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Season 6
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Episode 65
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50:09
Season 6: Episode 64: Markus Zusak
Irma and Karen chat about how a two-book deal was secured via an explosive Booktok profile. Then in a new occasional segment, Book Chat, they share recent reads they’ve enjoyed.Next Karen talks to Markus Zusak about his family of storyte...
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Season 6
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Episode 64
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57:32
Season 6: Episode 63: Helen Farch (librarian)
Karen and Irma chat about BookTok and book publicity.Then Irma talks to school librarian Helen Farch about how she became an Instagram superstar, why so many schools no longer have a teacher librarian or even a library, the issues faced ...
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Season 6
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Episode 63
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46:00
Season 6: Episode 62: Favel Parrett
Irma and Karen chat about finishing a draft of a novel. Then Karen talks to Favel Parrett about why she decided to give up being a postie and become an author, why she signed up for a writing course but didn’t finish, how her novel ...
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Season 6
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Episode 62
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45:59
Season 6: Episode 61: Tania McCartney
Karen and Irma talk about the intel Irma has gleaned from booksellers on her Shift book tour. Then Irma chats to Tania McCartney about how she made the transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing, creative bur...
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Season 6
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Episode 61
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51:53
Season 5: Episode 60: Nardi Simpson
Irma and Karen chat about juggling jobs to survive while writing. Then Karen talks to Nardi Simpson about the creative crossover between making songs and writing books, why she decided to start writing novels, how writing helps her ...
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Season 5
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Episode 60
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49:06
Season 5: Episode 59: Katherine Collette
Karen and Irma chat about the challenges of being able to accept praise. Then Irma talks with Katherine Collette about how co-hosting The First Time podcast was life-changing, her most excruciating experience with the podca...
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Season 5
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Episode 59
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44:11
Season 5: Episode 58: Cate Kennedy
Irma and Karen chat about the changing shape of the Australian publishing industry as small publishers are bought up by larger publishing houses. Then Karen talks to short-story maestro Cate Kennedy about how she came to be a writer...
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Season 5
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Episode 58
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1:06:06
Season 5: Episode 57: Bob Brown
Irma and Karen chat about their top books from the last 12 months. Then Karen chats with lifelong activist and former politician Bob Brown about why writing is so important to activism, why storytelling with intent is important, how...
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Season 5
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Episode 57
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55:38
Ubud Readers and Writers Festival Special Series: Episode 56: Omar Musa
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) Omar Musa chats with Irma about how growing up in an artistic family set his course, why he stopped reading and writing during a dark period and how a new form of expr...
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Episode 56
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58:04
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2024: Episode 55: Bora Chung
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Bora Chung chats with Irma about how she wrote her first short story solely for prize money but it eventually led to a short fiction collection that was shortlisted for the B...
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Episode 55
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32:59
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 54: Laura Jean McKay
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Laura Jean McKay chats with Irma about the experience of touring her books to the UK, why she threw up in a caravan sink after finishing her novel, how the publishing landsca...
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Episode 54
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50:00
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 53: Aube Rey Lescure
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Aube Rey Lescure chats with Irma about how she initially followed a friend’s advice not to become a writer but then ditched law to pursue it anyway, how being multilingual im...
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Episode 53
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42:28
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Special Series: Episode 52: Nam Le
In a special series direct from the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Nam Le chats with Irma about why his first unpublished novel was a spectacular failure but still worthwhile, why for a long time he was a secret writer and the renowned Iowa ...
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Episode 52
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46:06
Season 5: Episode 51: JP Pomare
Irma and Karen chat about writers festivals they’ve recently attended, as well as the joys and challenges of being a panel moderator and interviewing other authors. Then Karen talks to JP Pomare about how he didn’t know he was writi...
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Season 5
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Episode 51
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50:11
Season 5: Episode 50: Kylie Needham
Irma and Karen chat about the upcoming Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. Then Karen talks to Kylie Needham about how a short story turned into her debut novel, the joys and challenges of writing for television and the screen, the c...
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Season 5
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Episode 50
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49:03
Season 5: Episode 49: Finegan Kruckemeyer
Irma and Karen chat about audio books.Then Karen speaks with Finegan Kruckemeyer about how he got his first break as a playwright, the difference between writing for young people and adult audiences, how much freedom there is in the para...
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Season 5
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Episode 49
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50:25
