James and Ashley Stay at Home

James is back! He and Ashley chat about his recent CIDP relapse and ongoing recovery, and how his perspective on living with chronic illness has shifted. Thankfully, the steroids haven't affected his sense of humour.

Disclaimer: None of the information in this episode is medical advice, and if you're concerned about your own health, you should consult a proper medical professional.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris;
• The Stand by Stephen King

The Joy of Creative Writing: an online workshop with Ashley

• Thursday 2 December, 6:15-7:30 pm AEDT
• Online via Zoom
• Tix $9-14

Whether you haven’t written creatively since high school or you’re the author of 12 books, this fun class will help you get your creativity flowing. Through a series of short, timed writing exercises, we’ll explore different ways to access the creative recesses of our minds and surprise ourselves! You might be a writer working on a specific project, a poet searching for new ideas, or someone who just wants to give creative writing a try for the first time in years – wherever you’re at, this is the class for you. Get your ticket here.

TAF2021 - CSI: TASMANIA online - November 27 + 28 2021 Tasmania's International Crime and Mystery Literary Festival features more than 35 crime and mystery authors speaking across panels, books clubs and mini-masterclasses.

The line-up includes: David Heska Wanbli Weiden (featured in episode 40), Ann Cleeves, Val McDermid, Liz Nugent, Garry Disher, Naomi Hirahara, Abir Mukherjee, Vanda Symon, JP Pomare, Candice Fox, Anita Heiss, RWR McDonald (featured in episode 32).

Early bird tickets are $90 and are available until Sunday 14 November. For more information on the festival and ticket follow this link.

Get in touch!

• Ashley's website: ashleykalagianblunt.com
• Ashley's Twitter: @AKalagianBlunt
• Ashley's Instagram: @akalagianblunt
• James' website: jamesmckenziewatson.com
• James' Twitter: @JamesMcWatson
• James' Instagram: @jamesmcwatson

'For me, the only decision was to put myself out there and become more of service to others.'

Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim speaks with James about his diagnosis and life with CIDP, the same autoimmune condition James lives with. Michael discusses his childhood and Olympic career, how his worsening health affected his mental health, and how he ultimately decided to become vocal about his condition and support others.

Michael Klim is a renowned Australian swimmer. He competed in three Olympic Games and won six medals, including two gold. Since 2020, Michael has lived with a rare autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). He has established the Klim Foundation to provide support to sufferers and champion the search for new treatments.

Books & authors discussed in this episode:

• Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
• This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan
• Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan
• Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston
• Open by Andre Agassi
• Kelly Slater: For the Love by Kelly Slater

Get your copy of Klim from your local bookshop or library. Supporting libraries and neighbourhood bookshops supports authors.

Upcoming events:

• Ashley is teaching Crafting Memoir for the New England Writers Centre online, Saturday 12 October, 2-3.30pm
• James is in conversation with Zahid Gamieldien at Manly Library on Tuesday 15 October, 6:30pm
• James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape for Writing NSW, Saturday 26 October, 10am-4pm
• Ashley is doing her first author tour to the Mid North and Central Coast. Catch her speaking in Forster on Monday 21 October, in Port Macquarie on Monday 21 October, in Kempsey on Tuesday 22 October and at Erina Library on Wednesday 23 October.
• Ashley is teaching Writing Crime Fiction in Bowral on Thursday 7 November, 10am-4pm.

Learn more about Ashley's bestselling psychological thriller Dark Mode and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Does anxiety go hand-in-hand with creative ambition Psychologist Sanchana Venkatesh joins Ashley and James to discuss the positives of creativity for mental wellbeing and the common problem of creative anxiety.

An emerging writer herself, she's familiar with the types of anxiety common to creatives. She delves into why we often can't just sit down and have fun with our creativity, provides advice on managing our creativity, and offers reading recommendations for further support.

This episode is full of practical tips for managing creative anxiety (and anxiety in general), for creatives of all types, including those writing about or exploring trauma in their work.

Sanchana Venkatesh is a psychologist and writer of short stories and essays. She has been practising as a psychologist in schools, public mental health, and non-profit settings since 2008, and is currently the sole practitioner and founder of flourish inside out psychology services. Her areas of special interest include anxiety, depression, chronic illnesses, life transitions, tics and Tourette’s. Sanchana enjoys working with creatives, single people, gifted individuals, and migrants and people of colour. She was shortlisted for the 2021 Peter Carey Short Story Award, and her writing appears in the 2017 Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology and the 2020 Better Read than Dead Writing Anthology.

You can find Sanchana's services at Flourish Inside Out, and find the dropping anchor exercise here.

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Mastering Creative Anxiety by Eric Maisel
• Happy Never After by Jill Stark
• A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan
• The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
• Emotional Agility by Susan Davis
• Lost Connections by Johann Hari
• Homesickness by Janine Mikosza
• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

**Nothing in this podcast is intended as medical advice. If you have concerns about your mental health, speak to your GP.**

Ashley's events:

• Secret Book Club online with Secret Book Stuff – Tuesday 28 March, 7.30-8.30pm ($11 or free for members)
• Global Girls Online – Wednesday 29 March, 8pm, join on Facebook Live
• Readers – Books & Conversations – Thursday 30 March, 8pm, Petersham Bowling Club ($10)
• Newcastle Writers Festival – Short & Sweet panel, Sunday 2 April, 1.30 pm (free!)
• The Listening Station – Tuesday 16 May, 6.45-8pm, Art Bau Gallery, Brookvale ($30)

James' events:

• Newcastle Writers Festival – I'd Like You to Meet: Lee Kofman chats to James McKenzie Watson, Saturday 1 April, 2-3pm (free!)
• New Blood: Crime Writers to Watch – Sunday 2 April 1:30pm at Newcastle Writers Festival ($20 – book here)
• Yarrum Storyfest – 1-2 July, Yarrum Regional Theatre, Yarrum, VIC ($25-$40 book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival presents James McKenzie Watson – Wednesday 24 May, 6.30-7.30 pm, Penrith City Library ($5 – book here)
• Sydney Writers Festival Life in the Landscape – Thursday 25 May, 11 am to 12 pm, Carriageworks ($15-$25 – book here)

Ashley's psychological thriller 'Dark Mode' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

James' novel 'Denizen' is out now! Learn more about it and get your copy here.

Get in touch!

• ashleykalagianblunt.com
• jamesmckenziewatson.com
• Twitter: