Interview with Howard McKenzie-Murray – Debut Novelist

Howard McKenzie Murray is an author and playwright based in Fremantle. His debut novel, This is Where We Say Goodbye was published in May 2026, by Fremantle Press, the manuscript having earlier been shortlisted for the 2024 Hungerford Award.The novel follows 21-year-old Maud Tarkington the day she must attend her favourite brother’s funeral. Set in Fremantle over the course of one day, this situational tragedy is a funny, quirky, bittersweet story about family ties, memory and the unexpected ways we hold it together when everything has fallen apart.Praise for the book has come from near and far and includes Marty Donald’s, who said of the book: ‘Remarkable — a funny, heartrending fever dream of a book’.Our Editor, Michael Barker, was pleased to catch up with Howard McKenzie-Murray to make this podcast in which we talk about This is Where We Say Goodbye, its genesis, the writing process, and his career as a writer so far. A wonderful, illuminating conversation.You can read the full story on FSN here. Support the show