Michael Brissenden on 'Smoke' - (writing) crime, corruption, and climate-fuelled wildfires

What secrets lie in the ashes…? This week on the SWN podcast we chatted to author and two-time Walkley Award-winning journalist, Michael Brissenden about his latest crime-fiction novel, Smoke. Michael worked as a political editor and foreign correspondent with the ABC for 35 years. In fact, you might just recognise Michael from ABC’s 7.30 Report or Four Corners program. He has published two previous novels, The List (2017) and Dead Letters (2021), and a non-fiction book, American Stories: Tales of Hope and Anger (2012). In this episode, we traverse both fiction and nonfiction; we discuss environmental and forest management, climate-fuelled wildfires and the universal challenges they present, the precarious state of journalism, as well as the multiple hot-button themes entertwined in the book. Although being a work of fiction set in the Californian sierras, Smoke draws many intersecting parallels with the world we’ve come to know since Black Summer. As a reader, you’re thrust into the smoky landscape; you become privy to small-town whispers, and soon discover this is about so much more than murder…Listen to the latest episode where Michael talks to SWN host Bianca Millroy about (writing) crime, corruption, climate-fuelled wildfires, and much more, (No spoilers!)Find out more about Michael Brissenden on his website, and follow him on X/Twitter. Smoke is available now through Affirm Press or your local independent bookshop! Catch him in September 2024 at upcoming Sydney BAD Crime Writers Festival, or Northern Beaches Readers Festival (Sydney). Enjoyed this episode? Share the SWN love!If you liked this episode, leave us a review and share it far and wide. Science Write Now is dedicated to accessibility, connectivity, inspiration and collaboration across disciplines. Our content is free to access and we want to keep it that way, so if you’re keen to be part of this growing community of creative writing inspired by science, hit subscribe!We’ll be back with another episode soon, and more conversations inspired by science and creativity to come!We acknowledge the Jaegara and Turrbal People, Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is created, and the unceded cultural lands on which our guests live and continue to make and tell stories.