Writing Podcast Episode 699: William J. Byrne and his historical novel, 'The Warrumbar'

It was a single photo of AWC graduate William J. Byrne’s grandmother standing outside a ramshackle home that formed the spark that inspired this self-confessed history buff to explore stories of his past and the experiences of Aboriginal people leading up to the 1960s. The result is his debut novel, The Warrumbar – spanning half a century and casting light on a lesser-told chapter of Australia. In this episode, William shares his inspirations and publishing journey, and the AWC course that made all the difference. 00:00 Welcome04:03 Writing tip: Enter writing competitions07:18 WIN!: What Happened That Night by Nicci French09:55 Word of the week: ‘Puissance’10:45 Writer in residence: William J. Byrne11:05 What The Warrumbar is about12:58 Why he wrote for this time frame15:00 What inspired William to write the book16:45 Stories from family members18:00 Writing a teenage character19:00 Balancing research with family stories21:12 The note-taking process22:23 Moses as a lens for the Aboriginal experience23:38 Australia's historical awareness25:44 The path to publication29:11 Completing a writing course with AWC30:50 The importance of writing communities33:42 Major themes of the book35:55 Advice for writers36:34 Future writing projects37:59 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.