Writing a book about grief that isn't sad with Lauren Draper

Lauren Draper is a Melbourne-based writer and marketing professional. She is a graduate of RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing program and now works in children’s publishing—she loves nothing more than a story infused with magic, hijinks and a touch of nostalgia. The Museum of Broken Things, her debut novel, was acquired after it was shortlisted for the 2020 Text Prize. Her work has also been longlisted in the 2019 Richell Prize and has appeared in various non-fiction publications. She grew up in Western Australia, mostly on land but often in water. She now lives in Melbourne with a struggling coffee machine and moderately behaved golden retriever. Our interview begins at  00:15:40Caitlin recommends: Friends: a musical parodyCaitlin enjoyed this satirical musical romp through all 10 seasons of Friends. Michelle recommends: a trio of podcastsUnreal: A Critical History of Reality TVBi People Pride Month special from Bad PeopleRedhanded: Episode 248 – R Kelly: The Pied Piper of R&BIn this interview, we chat about:The medical artefact that inspired part of the storylineBringing Nana Blackwell to life even though she dies before the book beginsExploring Reece's grief through the novel and dealing with grief in real lifeThe sibling relationships at the heart of the novelWhy Lauren wanted to "write a book about grief that wasn't sad"Lauren's journey into working in publishing and getting her book dealBooks and other things mentioned:Shameless podcastBi by Dr Julia ShawYou're Wrong About (episodes on Toya Harding)The Wellcome Collection in LondonRecreating the book cover with a rescued chair for InstagramYounger (TV series)Follow Lauren on Instagram @laurendraperwritesThe Museum of Broken Things is out now! Thanks to Text Publishing for providing us with copies of the book to prepare for the interview. Connect with us on Instagram: @betterwordspod