Millennial malaise, trivial grievances and what really matters in life with Bridie Jabour

Bridie Jabour is the opinion editor of Guardian Australia. She has previously worked as a journalist for NewsCorp and Fairfax, where she has reported on social affairs, politics and regional issues. She has worked in the Canberra press gallery and was a reporter for Brisbane Times after starting her career at the Gold Coast Bulletin in Queensland. She writes commentary on feminism, inequality, and pop culture, and appears regularly on The Drum, Triple J and ABC Radio Sydney. She is the author of the novel The Way Things Should Be, but today we are discussing her new non-fiction collection of essays Trivial Grievances. Our interview starts at 19 minutes. Michelle recommendsTrue Crime Story by Joseph KnoxA transformation of the thriller genre which blends fiction with the style of true crime in a compulsively readable murder mystery. Caitlin recommendsThis One Is Ours by Kate O'Donnell A powerful, passionate and beautiful young adult novel to escape in. In this interview, we chat about: How Bridie’s friends and family helped her celebrate the book launch despite it coinciding with the start of Sydney’s latest lockdownThe summer holiday ‘filler’ opinion piece that went viral and led to Bridie writing Trivial GrievancesHow Bridie’s career as a journalist influenced her writing style and the essay/memoir style of the bookDid the premise of millennial malaise stand up in the writing of the book?The terrifying car crash Bridie and her family were involved in just after she finished writing the book and what it taught her about livingHow Bridie became a journalist and how that influenced her publishing journey, including some of the things that surprised her about the industry compared to life in the newsroomA *brilliant* tip for finding an agent for your workBooks and other things mentionedI’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamaraThe Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie WaltonDirty John (TV series)Red DragonJane the VirginThe Panic Years by Nell FrizzellFollow Bridie on Instagram @bkjabourFollow us on Instagram @betterwordspodTrivial Grievances is available now. Please note that Caitlin's job at HarperCollins Publishers did not affect our decision to invite Bridie to be a guest, we're delighted to have her and hope you enjoy this episode. Michelle also read a PR copy