This episode features a conversation with Torres Strait Islander and African American author and editor Jasmin McGaughey about her debut YA novel Moonlight and Dust. Jasmin discusses writing First Nations speculative fiction, the importance of representation in Australian classrooms, and how genre can create space for stories of culture, family, identity and belonging. The discussion references reading and text recommendations such as:

• Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
• Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
• Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker
• Works by Ambelin Kwaymullina
• Works by Claire G. Coleman
• Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
• The Pearl of Tagai Town by Lenora Thaker
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Also discussed are the role of setting and place in shaping novels and character identity, the use of Creole and code-switching in Moonlight and Dust, and the creative challenges of balancing mystery, magic and emotional realism in speculative fiction. The conversation explores the influence of genre novels on young readers and writers, the collaborative nature of the publishing process, and the importance of students seeing themselves, their communities and contemporary Australian settings reflected authentically in stories.