Science Write Now

This week on the SWN Podcast, we chat with author and psychologist Lauren Keegan about her latest novel, The Woman in the Seal Skin and dive into the fascinating world of Selkies, mythology, motherhood, grief, violence and the biological impulses that bind us to the natural world.A timeless tale, The Woman in the Seal Skin is set on the Orkney Islands in the late 1600s and follows the story of Malie, a motherless child who has grown up in a cloistered island community and is about to become a mother herself. Our chat today ventures to the depths of how folktales act as a powerful allegory for women’s lives, societal expectations and the generational and systemic patterns of oppression; a theme that is resoundingly relevant today. We also discuss the environmental aspects of the book as well as Lauren’s research process and how her background in perinatal psychology informs her writing practice.Lauren Keegan is a perinatal psychologist, author and host of the podcast, Trust the Process. Her debut historical fiction novel, All The Bees In The Hollows (Affirm Press) was named Best Debut Fiction in the 2025 Indie Book Awards and longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Her second novel The Woman in the Seal Skin is out now. Lauren lives with her husband and two daughters on Dharawal and Gundungarra Country (New South Wales). Check out her website, laurenkeeganwriter.com where you can find her books, listen to her podcast, Trust the Process – where psychology meets writing – and subscribe to her monthly newsletter on Substack!As always, a full list of works discussed, links and resources are available on the SWN website. Enjoy this week’s episode!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.

Amidst shape-shifting landscapes, we enter a realm of staggering beauty, harsh isolation and danger simmering just beneath the surface…Our conversation today unearths the stories of two female scientists navigating the tectonics of their own inner turmoil; excavating the past as well as facing the erosion of a future forever altered by the climate crisis. Stories that urge us to look deeper and listen closely as lives both human and non-human emerge, erupt and unfold against the ever-expanding timescale of the Earth. This episode traverses climate and earth science, mycology, food and agriculture, exploitative industries such as mining and fish-farming, and more.SWN's Bianca Millroy is joined by Romy Ash and Verity Borthwick talking about their latest works of fiction, both of which combine the fascinating science of geology with deeply human narratives of grief, hope and longing.Romy Ash is a critically acclaimed, award-winning novelist. Her first novel Floundering was shortlisted for The Miles Franklin Award, The Prime Minister's Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, amongst others. Her children's picture book As Bright as a Rainbow was published in 2024. Her essays and journalism have been published in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith Review and others.Verity Borthwick is an award-winning novelist and geologist. She has been published in The Best Australian Stories, Meanjin, Island, The Furphy Anthology, Aurealis, Science Write Now and more. She holds a Master of Arts from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She started writing fiction by night, while working on her PhD in structural geology by day—looking at one crystal of salt for four years. She has worked in various remote locations around Australia as an exploration geologist, which was the inspiration for her novel Hollow Air. When she is not writing, Verity works as a freelance editor and takes care of her two sons.As always, a full list of works discussed, links and resources are available in the Show Notes on the SWN website under ‘Listen’.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.

This week on the podcast, SWN’s Bianca Millroy joined by Dr Sue Wilson and Helen Carrington for our final conversation in this series – and on that note, if you’ve been a regular listener of Cognitive Conversations, thank you for coming along with us on this journey for ten whole episodes!This episode focuses on the role of music as a therapeutic intervention, and perspectives on somatic symptoms and chronic or persistent pain from two experts in the field - and how they came to specialise in a field at the intersection of mind, brain and body.Helen, a senior music therapist, takes us through the fundamentals of Music Therapy and how it’s used in clinical practice – from playing the drums, guitar or piano and singing to curating personalised playlists and even song writing.Sue, a specialist psychiatrist, speaks to the interdisciplinary nature of paediatric and adolescent psychiatry, including aspects of medical practice that need to be approached differently when it comes to Functional Somatic Symptoms (FSS).Helen explains the neuroscience behind music and its effects on the brain and nervous system, and Sue dives deep on the topic of somatisation, and how advancements in neuroscience are progressing our understanding of functional brain networks and predictive processing.Finally, we discuss how music (and other forms of creative and artistic practice) can influence and inspire — and we share a beautiful ekphrastic poem to leave you lingering on the transformative power of art and storytelling.  For further details on this episode, and some fascinating / nerdy research on the neuroscience of music, check out the Show Notes on our website.New to this series? With topics ranging from navigating neurodivergence and brain preservation to chronic pain and speech pathology, narrative medicine, psychiatry and philosophy, why not go back to #1 ‘Synergy’ and explore them all?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.

In this episode, Caitlin speaks with Jonny Hanson about his book Living With Lynx: Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves and Bears. They discuss the challenges of craft, of moving between writing styles and telling impactful stories that delve deep into the complicated human elements of large carnivore conservation.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.

Welcome to the Science Write Now podcast! This week we chat with palaeontologist and award-winning STEM educator Dr Kaylene Cooper about her passion for science communication and the work she does with the team at Wonder of Science. Plus, we dig into the fascinating world of fossils and "Fangaroos", aka prehistoric kangaroos!In this episode, Kaylene shares what sparked her passion and curiosity for science, and in particular, palaeontology: the study of prehistoric life forms (fossils) preserved in rocks and ancient sediments, and the evolution of life on Earth. So, what led Kaylene as a PhD student to study Riversleigh, a region west of Mount Isa in North Queensland, and what exactly is a "Fangaroo"? You'll have to listen to find out!Kaylene also speaks about transitioning from being a scientist in the field to a STEM educator and the leader of The University of Queensland's Wonder of Science program. She gives an insight into how STEM educators collaborate with scientists, schools and science-based organisations, including the innovative "Flying Scientists" program. Kaylene shares her best tips for those navigating a career between science and the arts (why not both?) and what she's most excited about in the wonderous world of science at the moment.Outside of her work, Kaylene has a very niche, very cool creative outlet involving fossils and 3-D modelling. She speaks to the artistic merits of the design process, the scientific method and how art and science can mesh together to create some truly awe-inspiring and practical solutions when it comes to palaeontology.Full show notes: further links and resources are available on the SWN website.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.

On the back of National Science Week 2025, we’re bringing you a special episode this week featuring our exclusive interview with Queensland's Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson, whose role it is to champion the importance of science for our society, our economy and environment, to promote Queensland’s leadership in scientific research partnerships, and to facilitate that translation of research to the general public.SWN's Editor-in-Chief Dr Amanda Niehaus and co-host Bianca Millroy had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Professor Kerrie Wilson, who gave generous insight into what a day in the life of a Chief Scientist involves, what’s happening in Queensland science in the Year of Quantum, the role of science (including the social sciences) and the arts in combating mis- and dis-information, and so much more.In this episode, we cover a diverse range of topics such as:what the role of Chief Scientist entails, and how Professor Kerrie Wilson transitioned into this role from her background in the tertiary education sector and as a dedicated environmental scientistwhat incited Kerrie to embark on a career in science, and her advice for anyone considering a career in STEMwhy Queensland is uniquely positioned in Quantum science and key initiatives that Kerrie and her team are leading in this spacehow the Office of the Chief Scientist actively supports STEM education and accessibility across the state, including the annual Women in STEM Prize and Engaging Science grantshow science communication and research translation, combining science and arts, is vital in terms of combating mis- and dis-informationthe vision for Queensland science; key priorities, challenges and opportunities unique to our state looking ahead into the future, given its diverse environment, natural resources, demographic and First Nations peoples.Throughout this episode, we highlight some of the current priorities, achievements and key initiatives of Professor Wilson and her team. Further links and resources are available in the full show notes on the SWN website.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.

In our previous conversation, we explored FND through the lens of neurology and linguistics, and our three experts spoke about re-writing the narrative of FND. One of the key issues highlighted during our conversation is the critical gap when it comes to general practitioners (GPs) and functional symptoms. This really struck a chord with me and so I went away and did some research and came across Dr Gillian Deakin, a GP based in Sydney who is particularly passionate about functional conditions, and has written a book titled What the hell is wrong with me? that addresses this very fraught and frustrating problem.  This is a special bonus episode that ties into Cognitive Conversations #9 from the perspective of a GP who is pushing for more awareness and advocacy around functional conditions in general practice. Enjoy listening, then read more in the Show Notes!Meet today's guest: Dr Gillian Deakin has been studying and working in medicine for over 40 years, having graduated from Sydney University. She's worked as a doctor in Sydney and the Outback, where she cared for the cast and crew on a film set, and later, with the Royal Flying Doctors Service and the Aboriginal health services. After wintering in Antarctica as the medical officer at Davis research station, she completed her doctoral thesis, ‘Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Antarctic’. She then undertook a master’s in public health at Sydney University, following which she directed an aid program on the remote islands of Kiribati. Returning to Sydney, she trained as a specialist GP. While keeping an up-to-date clinical knowledge of orthodox medicine, Dr Deakin has broadened her expertise through studies in nutrition and lifestyle medicine. Her first book, 101 things a GP would tell you if only there was time, was published in 2006. Her latest book is What the hell is wrong with me? How to recover from pain, fatigue, weakness and other undiagnosed symptoms. Dr Deakin has been featured on ABC Conversations and ABC Sydney Mornings. Connect with Dr Deakin on Instagram and visit her website. 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.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neurologists Dr Alex Lehn and Dr David Palmer with sociolinguistic expert, Dr Shelley Dawson on re-writing the narrative of functional neurological disorders (FND) and why labels — and language — matter. Functional neurological disorders are one of the most common disorders you’ve never heard of. But an estimated 4 to 12 out of 100,000 people develop FND, and it’s the second most common presentation in neurology clinics worldwide. Tests and scans such as MRIs and EEG can’t pick up functional issues, however; leaving patients misdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely. This is where the arts — the power of our stories and language — come in. In this conversation, we get to the heart of our grey matter, exploring a topic that is deeply personal and yet widely felt in our communities, among patients, allied health professionals and medical experts. An issue that is largely invisible and yet deceptively common. We uncover the historical basis, harmful discourse, and pervasive mythologies underpinning functional disorders, and what the future holds in terms of emerging research at the intersection of mind, brain and body.It’s time to re-write the narrative. Access the FULL SHOW NOTES on the SWN website. Cognitive Conversations is hosted by Bianca Millroy. This episode was recorded and produced in Meanjin, Brisbane. 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.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to Drs Sue Woolfe and Nicola Redhouse about the neuroscience of creativity, and what makes us ‘wired’ to write. This is part two of a rich and rare conversation between two exceptionally driven and curious writers who are both intrigued by the science of the brain and unravelling its many layers, networks, functions and dysfunctions when it comes to creativity. So much more than a conversation, this is a masterclass in the art and science of storytelling. Visit sciencewritenow.com/listen for the full show notes. Dr. Sue Woolfe is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including five critically acclaimed works of literary fiction and two works of nonfiction. Her first novel Leaning Towards Infinity won the Christina Stead Award and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and has been named "one of the most important books of the century". Sue taught Creative Writing at Sydney University, ANU and at NIDA, where she edified playwrights and musicians about neuroscience through the lens of creativity. Sue is based on Gadigal Land in Sydney. Dr. Nicola Redhouse is a writer and researcher, whose debut book Unlike the Heart: a memoir of brain and mind explores philosophy of mind through her lived experience of early motherhood, and the schisms between biological and psychological approaches to mental health. Nicola has recently completed her PhD (Creative Writing) by Practice Research Symposium, drawing on her personal and intellectual engagement with neuro-psychoanalysis through a creative practice lens. Nicola is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Throughout this episode, we discuss two books in particular, Sue’s The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady, and Nicola’s memoir, Unlike The Heart. Links to the authors’ websites, publications and interviews are detailed the show notes, along with a recommended reading list by our guests on creativity and neuroscience. 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.

This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to Drs Sue Woolfe and Nicola Redhouse about the neuroscience of creativity, and what makes us ‘wired’ to write. This is part one of a rich and rare conversation between two exceptionally driven and curious writers who are both intrigued by the science of the brain and unravelling its many layers, networks, functions and dysfunctions when it comes to creativity. So much more than a conversation, this is a masterclass in the art and science of storytelling. Visit sciencewritenow.com/listen for the full show notes. Dr. Sue Woolfe is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including five critically acclaimed works of literary fiction and two works of nonfiction. Her first novel Leaning Towards Infinity won the Christina Stead Award and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and has been named "one of the most important books of the century". Sue taught Creative Writing at Sydney University, ANU and at NIDA, where she edified playwrights and musicians about neuroscience through the lens of creativity. Sue is based on Gadigal Land in Sydney. Dr. Nicola Redhouse is a writer and researcher, whose debut book Unlike the Heart: a memoir of brain and mind explores philosophy of mind through her lived experience of early motherhood, and the schisms between biological and psychological approaches to mental health. Nicola has recently completed her PhD (Creative Writing) by Practice Research Symposium, drawing on her personal and intellectual engagement with neuro-psychoanalysis through a creative practice lens. Nicola is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Throughout this episode, we discuss two books in particular, Sue’s The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady, and Nicola’s memoir, Unlike The Heart. Links to the authors’ websites, publications and interviews are detailed the show notes, along with a recommended reading list by our guests on creativity and neuroscience. 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.

Brain preservation. It sounds like science fiction, right? Neuroscientist and author Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is determined to prove otherwise in his recent, game-changing book, The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death.This week on the SWN podcast, we chat to neuroscientist, author and passionate advocate for brain preservation, Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Over at Monash University’s Neuroscience of Consciousness Lab (MoNoC), Ariel is investigating the ways in which we characterise the nature of consciousness, or what it is like “to be”— from the decline, preservation and rescue of cognitive function at different stages of the lifespan, through to comparing our conscious embodied experience. This line of enquiry, of course, passes through the chasm of life and death. But should we accept the natural, inevitable way of things? Or is there another path our future could take?The Future Loves You makes the medical, scientific, philosophical and ethical case for how we can preserve the dying to enable their future revival. Contributing to cutting edge research in the field, Ariel clarifies the neurobiological, cognitive, and emotional basis of what it is to be alive, and he hopes to accelerate the development of the medical infrastructure that will help prevent him and everyone else from dying.Join Ariel and SWN host, Bianca Millroy for a fascinating tour of the brain: our source of self, memory and consciousness, and how our understanding of it is radically redefining death.Show notes: visit scienceritenow.com/listen/cognitive-conversations-7-on-brain-preservation-and-existential-optimism-with-dr-ariel-zeleznikow-johnston for the full show notes, including further resources and recommended reading. Ariel's book, The Future Loves You is available now in hardback, ebook and audiobook.Connect with Ariel and find out more about his research on his website (including supplementary material), and follow him on Bluesky @arielzj. Ariel's Substack blog is Preserving Hope. Listen to Ariel speak on ABC's Conversations with Richard Fidler, and on All In The Mind with Sana Qadar live at World Science Festival Brisbane!Content note: This episode discusses topics such as death and terminal illness, as well as descriptions of biological function and medical procedures.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.

Space: the final frontier. Beautiful. Intriguing. Mysterious… but if you go there, YOU WILL DIE!Join astrophysicist Dr Eileen O'Hely and graphic artist Nico O'Sullivan in-conversation with Jacinta den Besten LIVE at Books@Stones! The human body is perfectly adapted to the conditions on Earth. But blast that fragile body into the extreme and varying environments of space and it won't fare so well – and that’s only if you survive the take-off! From scorching million degree temperatures, to pressures that would instantly SQUISH you to the size of a ping pong ball, O'Hely and O'Sullivan present, 50 Ways to Die in Space – in excruciating and scientifically accurate detail – the physics and physiology of existing (and ceasing to exist) in deep space.Meet our guestsDr Eileen O’Hely is an award-winning children's writer and literary competition judge. Eileen holds a double degree in Arts/Science (Hons) from Melbourne University and a PhD in Astrophysics from UNSW. Her day jobs have included university tutor, English teacher, website producer, and sports journalist. When Eileen is not making lists of all the ways space tries to kill humans, she tells planetarium audiences about how fascinating it is.Nico O’Sullivan is an emerging illustrator with a love for fun characters and wonderful worlds. With his childhood and teenage years filled with a passion for art and illustration, Nico is excited to bring his first graphic novel to life, sparking curiosity and adventure in young readers.Jacinta den Besten is a physics educator with a degree in Science (Hons) and graduate diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne. Her research career spans condensed matter physics, teaching in secondary and tertiary education settings, and public outreach in astronomy and mathematics, sometimes all at the same time. Jacinta is a staunch supporter and advocate for women and girls in science and loves combining maths with art and craft.This episode was recorded on-site at Books@Stones in Meanjin/Brisbane, and produced and edited by Bianca Millroy (SWN). 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.

This week on the podcast, Bianca is joined live by two psychiatrist-creatives, Dr Warren Ward and Dr Rory Hutchinson, discussing philosophies of the brain and mind. Journey into the labyrinth to learn what incited these two creative/medical practitioners to pursue a career devoted to the science of the mind and brain. Hear their generous insights on using narrative techniques in their day-to-day practice, and where the creative process, autonomy, ethics and philosophy all fit into this picture. Finally, we explore how scientific and medical practice could be approached differently through the lens of art, philosophy, and the humanities - what it is about the combination of art and science that ignites endless curiosity?Content note: This episode touches on mental illness, PTSD, eating disorders, suicidality and other aspects of psychiatric medicine. Please take care when listening and reach out to support services available 24/7 when needed. Meet our guestsDr Warren Ward is a psychiatrist who writes about philosophy, culture, travel and the history of ideas. His first novel-length work, Lovers of Philosophy, explores the love lives of seven continental philosophers. Warren is an experienced psychiatrist who specialises in eating disorders, and is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland.Dr. Rory Hutchinson is a highly qualified psychiatrist who uses his extensive knowledge and experience in the Medical Humanities to deliver evidence-based, compassionate care that can make a real difference in people's lives. Rory is also working on a nonfiction project exploring the final works by great artists to understand what art can teach us about life and death. Bianca Millroy (SWN host) is an emerging science writer, editor, podcaster and PhD student based in Meanjin (Brisbane). Find out more about Bianca on SWN. This episode was recorded live at the State Library of Queensland on Kurilpa Point, Place of the Water Rat, overlooking the beautiful Maiwar River. 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.

In this episode of Cognitive Conversations, Bianca Millroy (SWN) is joined by Dr Jules Mead and Diane Clarke for a deep dive into how speech pathology informs dialogue in creative writing and the rather touchy subject of pain: why our human vocabulary seems to fall short of describing it, and why we find it so hard to answer “on a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in?” In this fascinating interview, Jules and Diane share their expertise as creative and clinical practitioners, and how they came to specialise in paediatric pain and speech pathology.Dr Jules Mead (nee Richards) is a Nurse Practitioner who has worked with young people dealing with persistent pain for over twenty years. She has a PhD in creative writing, in which she explored the lived experience of young people with persistent pain through a fictional narrative. She is interested in transdisciplinary research and establishing links between the creative arts, education and health. Jules is passionate about advocating for young people with persistent pain and increasing awareness of their lived experience.Diane Clarke is a retired Brisbane-based Speech Pathologist, who migrated to Australia in 1996 from the UK. Diane specialised in working with children and adults with complex communication needs, alternative and augmentative communication and completed her career as State-Wide Advisor for the Queensland Health Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme. She is the author of two books, The Photograph and The Bracelet where she draws on her knowledge of communication to write authentic dialogue and character interaction.Diane’s latest novel, The Bracelet is being launched on Saturday 29 March 2025 at Chermside Library (Brisbane) and is available now. The Bracelet has been described as “a masterful family drama and murder mystery which explores themes of identity, inheritance and the impact of buried secrets.” (ooh, ah!) Connect with Diane via her author website and follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Register to attend the book launch via TryBooking. Jules’ debut novel Translating Emma is out in early April 2025. Check out Jules’ author website and connect on LinkedIn. This episode was recorded in-person at the State Library of Queensland on the Maiwar or Brisbane River on Kurilpa Point, Place of the Water Rat. Hosted, produced and edited by Bianca Millroy, PhD intern at Science Write Now.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.

In this episode of the Science Write Now podcast, Amanda interviews Brisbane artist Joachim Froese to discuss one of the earliest photography techniques, the art of salt printing, and how he uses it in his artistic practice. We go behind-the-scenes to explore ‘slow art’, the history of salt printing, and the photographic inspiration behind the artwork. Joachim discusses how he blends traditional and contemporary printing techniques to manipulate images taken by the Mars Rover to transport the viewer into the alien landscapes of Mars, and the fascinating work he is doing with seedlings. Amanda and Joachim also speculate on the future of AI in art and photography, and how art can provide a frame of reference for accessing and understanding science in everyday contexts.  Joachim Froese lives and works in Australia and Germany as a photographer and an educator. His artwork has been exhibited across the world, and many of his images are held in public collections, including in the National Gallery of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. He has a PhD (Arts) from RMIT University in Melbourne and is an honorary lecturer at the University of Queensland. Currently, some of his work is being displayed at the Museum of Brisbane as part of the New Light: Photography Now + Then exhibition. Find out more about Joachim by visiting his official website and connecting with him on Instagram. 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.

Buckle up as we embark on a wild, cross-country road trip from the red Trump-thumping heart of America’s badlands to the remote reaches of Aotearoa: Land of the Long White Cloud to interrogate the growing phenomenon of “prepping”.In this exclusive interview, Dr Tom Doig regales us with tales of crossing paths with preppers, interviewing them to learn about their practices and motivations, and discovering why this subculture differs so vastly from place to place. As a researcher, Tom’s focus is on interdisciplinary approaches to the accelerating climate crisis, and its associated social, cultural, and psychological effects — including prepping. Tom is currently documenting survivalists, doomsday preppers, climate activists and other subcultures of imminent collapse around the world for his forthcoming book, We Are All Preppers Now. His research for the book has taken him across the globe from Aotearoa to Australia and more recently to the (not-so) United States of America. We chat about the importance of free, independent press: what writers, journalists and science communicators should keep in mind when communicating urgent stories and translating complex and wicked problems (such as the climate crisis) for a wider audience.Episode highlights:Prepping 101 - what is a prepper? What is the difference between survivalism and prepping? What does this look like in practice?Tom shares with us his (exhaustive) list of essential items in a DIY bug-out kit and how (not) to bury a food cache in the forestWhat’s the deal with all the billionaires buying up bunkers? Would you really want to live in a cavity 70-metres below sea level that once housed a nuclear missile? ...and so much more!Dr Tom Doig is an investigative journalist, academic and author researching and writing about climate disaster, survivalism and prepping. Tom has written two nonfiction books about the unprecedented 2014 Hazelwood mine fire disaster: Hazelwood (2020) and The Coal Face (2015). He also authored a humorous travel memoir, Mörön to Mörön: Two men, two bikes, one Mongolian misadventure and was the contributing editor of Living with the Climate Crisis: Voices from Aotearoa (2020). Tom is the recipient of the 2024 Hilary McPhee Essay Award and in 2023 he won the $25,000 New Zealand Copyright Licensing and NZ Society of Authors Award.Connect with Tom on Instagram or LinkedIn, visit his academic profile and check out his collaborative project ‘Preppers and Survivalism on the AustLit Database’.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.

Out of the Box: Navigating Neurodivergence is a one-stop guide covering pre-school to early adulthood, from classroom to workplace; it is both compact and compelling for its concise, accessible language and inclusive storytelling. In this exclusive interview with SWN, co-author and renowned journalist Madonna King introduces us to Out of the Box, and how it came together through harnessing the power of community and own voices. This is a timely call-to-action and much-needed insight into navigating neurodivergence from a range of perspectives: parents, carers, teachers and expert researchers and educators, and most importantly, voices from the neurodivergent community. Topics covered in this interview include:viewing neurodivergence as a “colour wheel” rather than a linear spectrumadjacent explanations, such as anxiety and depression, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and PDA (pathological demand avoidance). various traits and behaviours associated with autism and ADHD, such as masking or camouflaging, meltdowns, and stimming. why there is no “one size fits all” strategy when it comes to our neurodiverse population, and why neurodiversity should be recognised, supported and embraced as a difference, not as a disorder to “fix”or change. Co-authored by teen educator and host of ABC’s Parental As Anything, Rebecca Sparrow, Out of the Box is “the only Australian book that brings together expert advice, lived experience, interviews and up-to-date resources to help neurodivergent children thrive.”Join us, as we embark on this fascinating, mind-opening and neuro affirming conversation. Meet our guest: Madonna KingMadonna’s work as a journalist, author and speaker spans politics, business and social policy. She has chaired panels around Australia, written twelve books and advises corporations and governments on understanding teenage girls, the subject of her most recent books, Being 14 (2017), Fathers and Daughters (2018) and Ten-Ager (2021). Connect with Madonna: Instagram | Website.  Purchase your copy of Out of The Box online, or from your local independent bookshop, and explore more online resources via rebeccasparrow.comEnjoyed 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.

What lurks in a house of slime hidden in the middle of a forest? Is there a place for psychedelics in our medicine cabinets? Why are scientists talking about the formula p(doom) – and what does it mean for humanity? SWN In-Conversation: The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 with Carl Smith, Amanda Niehaus and Bianca Millroy – LIVE from Books@Stones, 12 DecemberThis week, we’re excited to share a special bonus episode on the podcast, coming to you live from Books@Stones, a local indie bookshop in Brisbane where we recently hosted an in-conversation event with two incredible humans of the science and storytelling world to celebrate the launch of this much-loved anthology – now in its fourteenth year! In this conversation, Bianca Millroy is joined by co-editor and ABC science journalist Carl Smith along with contributor and SWN's Editor-in-Chief, Dr Amanda Niehaus. The Best Australian Science Writing selects the most riveting, urgent science stories from Australian writers, poets, and scientists. Over one science-packed hour, you’ll hear a reading from ‘Dog People’ , Amanda’s superb braided essay that placed runner-up in this year’s Bragg Prize for Science Writing. We also put Carl and Amanda in the hot seat to discuss the current state of science journalism and the challenges facing writers more broadly; as well as how we can ensure better representation for First Nations' stories, scientific contributions and knowledge-sharing, (and stick around to find out who wins our “p(doom)” bingo!) Get your copy of The Best Australian Science Writing 2024 online, or from your local independent bookshop (limited signed copies available at Books@Stones!), and for more summer reading (and listening), visit sciencewritenow.com to explore all ten editions of creative writing inspired by science.  The Science Write Now podcast is proudly produced on Jaegara and Turrbal Country, with funding from Creative Australia. 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.

Writing through the body, about life and death, illness and everything in-between is what connects people and allows us to see humanity anew. Come along for this deep dive on Narrative Medicine and writing mind and body with three fascinating storytellers… In this episode, Dr Fiona Reilly takes us through the fundamentals of what Narrative Medicine is, and what it looks like in practice, describing the tremendous work she and colleague Dr Mariam Tokhi are doing at the forefront of delivering the country’s first dedicated narrative medicine program.  Award-winning author Carly-Jay Metcalfe speaks candidly about her first-hand experience navigating the medical system before, and since, her life-giving double lung transplant at 21. Carly shares her experiences of care in a medical setting, and where she sees narrative medicine fitting into this picture. Dr Melissa Dickson enriches the discussion with her expertise on the history of medicine, and enduring love for Victorian-era science, art and literature. A self-confessed ‘Victorianist’ at heart, Melissa illuminates how medicine has evolved since the reign of the Victorians and their ‘lack of disciplinary boundaries’. ‘Narrative Medicine: On Writing the Mind and Body’ is the third episode in Cognitive Conversations, a series where we tackle the big questions in art and science. This series is hosted and produced by Bianca Millroy, an emerging science writer, editor and podcaster based in Meanjin (Brisbane). 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.

‘Under the Microscope’ is the next episode in Cognitive Conversations, a series where we tackle the big questions in creativity and neuroscience. This conversation delves into the creative process, visual art and storytelling, the science of colour, environmental science, and so much more. This series is hosted and produced by Bianca Millroy, for Science Write Now. Meet our guestsDr Katerina Bryant is a writer based in Adelaide on Kaurna Land. Her first book, Hysteria: A Memoir of Illness, Strength and Women’s Stories Throughout History was published in 2020. Katerina completed her PhD, a hybrid memoir/biography of the first woman clown in America, in 2022. She is currently a South Australian Literary Fellow at the State Library of South Australia, working on a manuscript about women and chess. Visit Katerina’s website | @katerina_bryAshley Kalagian Blunt is a writer, speaker and podcaster based in Sydney on Gadigal Land of the Eora Nation. Her bestselling psychological thriller, Dark Mode, was shortlisted for the 2024 Ned Kelly Award and the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year. She is the author of two previous books, How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, a thriller novella and collected essays. Ashley is a frequent speaker and panel moderator, and co-hosts a podcast on writing, creativity and health. Visit Ashley’s website | Instagram | X | FacebookChelsea Hopkins-Allan is a visual artist based in Western Australia (Minang Noongar land). Chelsea started painting at 24 when she became unwell with a rare neurological and metabolic condition that went undiagnosed for the next 12 years. Her paintings began as something purely personal and functional in a difficult time when she could no longer work as an environmental scientist. Chelsea lives in Albany with her small rescue-parrot Opal and dog Django who keep her company while she paints. Visit Chelsea’s website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 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.

'Synergies' is the first episode in a brand-new series titled Cognitive Conversations, where we tackle the big questions in art, creativity and neuroscience. We're excited to be bringing this synergy of minds together discussing the dual occupations writers often hold, and all the fascinating connections in-between. In this episode, we explore the common threads that bring creative and medical practice together. We unpack "day-to-day" creative strategies for switching between cognitive modes, as well as the synergy of the roles we play in life. We compare the work of a GP to that of a writer, turning stories heard in the clinic into ideas that percolate and transmute into words on the page, drawing on lived experience alongside challenges of writing about trauma and mental health. Lastly we deep-dive on creative writing and the intrinsic role it can play in opening up new dialogues on the page - and the ripple effect it has on our lives. Dr Fiona Robertson is a writer and doctor based here in Meanjin/Brisbane. Fiona is the author of the short story collection If You’re Happy which won the Glendower Award in the 2020 Queensland Literary Awards, and was shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award in 2022. Currently, she is working on a novel.Visit Fiona's website and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X.Dr Laurie Steed is a novelist and short story writer from Boorloo/Perth, living on Whadjuk Noongar Country. His debut novel, You Belong Here, was published in 2018, followed by Love, Dad: Confessions of An Anxious Father, in 2023. His third book, the short story collection Greater City Shadows, is out now.Visit Laurie's website and subscribe to his e-newsletter | Connect with Laurie on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Dr Jo Skinner is a writer and GP based in Meanjin/Brisbane who writes contemporary women’s fiction and has a distance running habit. Jo's debut novel, The Truth About My Daughter is out now.Visit Jo's website and subscribe to her e-newsletter | Connect with Jo on Instagram and Facebook.About the host: Bianca Millroy is an emerging science writer, editor, and PhD student based in Meanjin (Brisbane), researching the intersection of creativity and neuroscience. 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.

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.

This week we chat with open-disciplinary artist Bianca Tainsh about all things Art, AI and fungi, and go behind-the-scenes to explore Bianca’s current work-in-progress, Imprinting Empathy, which asks: How might art and technology manifest an intimate process of interspecies connection with humans, and can an artificial intelligence learn to care and generate empathy by facilitating this nuanced entanglement? Can empathy be imprinted onto an AI through relational experience and guidance, as it is onto humans? …and just what exactly is ‘Bush Turkey Tea’?Engaging audiences in Australia and beyond, Bianca Tainsh is an award-winning artist renowned for her ground-breaking work that transcends traditional artistic borders. In her latest project, Bianca has ventured into dynamic collaborations with scientists, yielding innovative projects like Myc-a — a symbiotic body of flora and fauna connected by a network of mycorrhizal fungi: a paragon for diversity and mutuality. In her latest work, Imprinting Empathy, Bianca contemplates our very timely, very human fears about how AI will ‘behave’ as it continues its startling emergence into all aspects of human life. Find out more about Imprinting Empathy on Bianca’s website. You can support Bianca’s work through her crowdfunding campaign via the Australian Cultural Fund. Her project is called Imprinting Empathy, and, as of July 2024, the campaign is 86% funded! Also, check out Bianca’s TEDx talk - Art: Creating unique spaces for social transformation and follow @bianca.tainsh on Instagram and Facebook.This episode is themed around our current edition, The Underground and is hosted by Bianca Millroy, an emerging science writer, freelance editor, and PhD student based in Brisbane/Meanjin.  The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.Listen on-the-go on Google Podcasts (soon to be YouTube Music), Apple and Spotify now!You can also find and follow us online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Jessica talks to writer and former CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Paul Hardisty, about his new nonfiction book, In Hot Water, which charts historical and contemporary efforts to save the Great Barrier Reef, and about the importance of fiction for educating and creating empathy in readers.Hailing originally from Canada, Dr Paul E Hardisty has spent thirty years working all over the world as an engineer, hydrologist and environmental scientist. He co-founded international environmental consultancy Komex Environmental Ltd, which he helped develop from a startup to a $50 million-a-year company with 1,000 employees, and sold to ASX-listed Worley in 2007.Paul is a university professor and was CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) from 2017 to 2023. He is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, two textbooks on environmental sustainability, and seven novels. The Abrupt Physics of Dying was named Telegraph Thriller of the Year in the UK and was shortlisted for the CWA Creasy Prize. His latest novel, The Forcing, and its prequel, The Descent, imagine a near future affected by climate change. The Forcing was shortlisted for the 2023 Crime Lovers' Awards in the UK. Paul lives in Western Australia.Buy In Hot Water hereThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.Listen on-the-go on Google Podcasts (soon to be YouTube Music), Apple and Spotify now!You can also find and follow us online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Krystle chats with G. S. Dickson about his debut novel A Minor Fifth, a satire about the death of fictional Australian rock icon, Billy Ordain, recounted, albeit unreliably, by five people who knew him. Krystle and Gareth wax lyrical (and theoretical) about character voice, the influence of Ulysses on the novel’s structure, and the cultural tendency for posthumous mythicism. Inevitably, Proust and The Beatles are mentioned.About G. S. Dickson:G. S. Dickson is an Australian author whose work has been published and anthologised in both Australia and the UK. A Minor Fifth, an early draft of which was shortlisted for the prestigious Vogel Literary Award in 2022, is his first novel, and has been described as an ‘incredibly innovative’ work that ‘takes a lot of risks’ (Rohan Wilson, author of 2011 Vogel award-winning The Roving Party). Find A Minor Fifth:Hunters PublishersBooks@StonesAvid Reader RiverbendQBDDymocksFind G. S. Dickson: Hunters PublishersInstagram About Krystle Marie:Krystle Marie is a mixed, neurodivergent sort-of writer based in Meanjin. She’s thrilled to have interned with SWN as a soon-to-be graduate of UQ’s Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing program. She's currently into Japanese-language immersion. She's always into noise-cancelling headphones.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts. Listen on-the-go on Google Podcasts (soon to be YouTube Music), Apple and Spotify now! You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook. Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlRead the transcript here.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.

In this episode, Krystle chats with Grace Chan about her novel Every Version of You, the story of which Grace tongue-in-cheekly describes as being about ‘staying in love after mind-uploading into virtual reality’. Spoiler: it’s loaded with meaning and big feelings and has us question what it is to be human. Krystle and Grace also geek out, discussing Neuralink (Elon Musk’s brain implant company), FKA Twigs’ AI doppelgänger, and Chinese scientists’ recent success in freezing brain tissue without damage.About Grace Chan:Grace Chan is an award-winning speculative fiction writer. She writes about brains, minds, and space. Her debut novel, Every Version of You, won The University of Sydney’s People’s Choice Award and was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and The Age’s ‘Book of the Year’. It was longlisted for the Stella Prize and Indie Book Awards. Her writing can be found in Clarkesworld, Escape Pod, Going Down Swinging, and many other places. Grace’s short stories have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards, Australia’s premier speculative fiction awards,  her story As Though I Were A Little Sun winning 'Best Science Fiction Short Story' in 2022.Grace was born in Malaysia and works and lives on the unceded lands of the Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri people. Every Version of You is available here, by request from your local bookstore, and other online retailers.Find Grace:Grace Chan WritesRDDIWTOF PodcastInstagramTwitterAbout Krystle Marie:Krystle Marie is a mixed, neurodivergent sort-of writer based in Meanjin. She’s thrilled to have interned with SWN as a soon-to-be graduate of UQ’s Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing program. She's currently into Japanese-language immersion. She's always into noise-cancelling headphones.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.Listen on-the-go on Google, Apple and Spotify now! You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook.Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.html Read the transcript here.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.

In this episode, Krystle speaks with Alicia Sometimes about her new poetry book Stellar Atmospheres, a collection that interweaves the scientific, the literary, and the personal. Sometimes’s lyrical yet accessible poems give musicality to cosmic ideas and remind us, in the best way, of our smallness. About Alicia Sometimes: Alicia Sometimes is a writer, award-winning poet and broadcaster. She's given a TEDx talk, edited a national literary journal, and done breakfast radio with the ABC. She's performed her spoken word all over Australia and internationally. You can find her poems in many respected publications, including Best Australian Poems, Best Australian Science Writing, Overland, The Age, and Griffith Review. About Stellar Atmospheres:Most influential in the writing of Stellar Atmospheres were Sometimes’s dialogues with scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale (CoEPP), the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (DMPP). In collaboration with these organisations, Sometimes explored gravitational waves, particle physics and dark matter. The poet’s research with OzGrav culminated in the co-creation of Particle/Wave, a planetarium show with other artists and scientists, with a selection of these poems featuring in the Stellar collection.In Stellar, Sometimes expresses her appreciation for the old science books (mainly from the 1800s) she pored over as a Virtual Writer in Residency for Manchester City of Literature and Manchester Literature Festival, accessed through the Portico Library.In 2023, Sometimes completed the Australian Network for Art & Technology (ANAT) ‘Synapse’ Residency in collaboration with prominent astrophysicist Professor Tamara Davis (AM) at the University of Queensland. The project explored distance, mapping, composition and the measurement of the universe through the practices of language, contextualisation and symbolism. Sometimes explains that one of the poems in Stellar was written during this time, and that several more conjured at that time will emerge this year.Experience a reading of Alicia's poem Constellation Rifts, written in response to having breast cancer in late 2022 here.Stellar Atmospheres is available from Cordite Books and by request from your local bookstore.Find Alicia:Alicia SometimesInstagramFacebookListen to Alicia on the ABC's Science Friction podcast on ABC Listen, Spotify, Apple and wherever you find good podcasts.About Krystle Marie:Krystle Marie is a mixed, neurodivergent sort-of writer based in Meanjin. She’s thrilled to be interning with SWN as a soon-to-be graduate of UQ’s Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing program. She's currently into Japanese-language immersion. She's always into noise-cancelling headphones.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.

In this episode, Krystle speaks with Jodi Rodgers about her new book Unique: What autism can teach us about difference, connection and belonging – which Jodi describes as ‘a love letter to autism’. In her book, Jodi reflects on her experiences with autistic and neurodivergent people, and what these experiences have illuminated regarding human connection, empathy and understanding. Additionally, Jodi demystifies common misunderstandings concerning autism, explaining the relevant cognitive science, all the while doing so by way of engaging storytelling in accessible language.About Jodi Rodgers: Jodi Rodgers is a qualified sexologist, counsellor, and special education teacher. She featured as the relationship counsellor on Love on the Spectrum, a docuseries following young adults on the autism spectrum produced by Northern Pictures for ABC TV. The show was picked up by Netflix and gained an international following. Jodi is credited with contributing to the show’s warmth and authenticity, one New York Times journalist expressing that ‘We could all do with a Jodi in our lives.’ Jodi's private practice Birds and Bees provides relationship and sexuality counselling that is accessible for everyone. Unique is also available as an audiobook read by Jodi and is published outside of AU / NZ under How to Find a Four-Leaf Clover: What Autism Can Teach Us About Difference, Connection, and Belonging.About Krystle Marie:Krystle Marie is a mixed, neurodivergent sort-of writer based in Meanjin. She’s thrilled to be interning with SWN as a soon-to-be graduate of UQ’s Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing program. She's currently into Japanese language immersion. She's always into noise-cancelling headphones.Unique is available in good book stores and online.Find Jodi:InstagramFacebookThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.Listen on-the-go on Google, Apple and Spotify now!You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook.Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlRead the transcript here.Notes: When Krystle mentions ‘this’ during the conversation, she's referring to her hardcopy of Unique. Krystle also jokes about nodding while Jodi spoke at the Unique book tour event held in Brisbane’s Avid Reader book store. She is alluding to a passage in the book where ‘nodding’ is explained as acquired body language.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.

In this episode, Jessica White chats with Amanda Tink, Lauren Poole and Heather Taylor Johnson about the ways that impairments, and historical responses to impairments, shape our bodies and writing.About Amanda Tink:Amanda Tink is a blind and neurodivergent creative, personal and academic essayist. She researches the influence of impairment on writing, most recently in a PhD on the poet Les Murray, who was autistic. Her essays have been published in a range of venues including Sydney Review of Books, Overland, ArtsHub, Seizure, Wordgathering, Australian Literary Studies, and Southerly. She lives in front of her laptop and braille display with good coffee nearby and tweets at @amandatink.About Lauren Poole:Lauren Poole is a disabled writer and postgraduate student at the University of Sydney. Her writing has appeared in Growing Up Disabled in Australia (Black Inc. Books, 2021), Earth Cries (Sydney University Press, 2021), GLAM@Sydney, FashionRevolution, and Honi Soit. She lives with an acquired brain injury.About Heather Taylor Johnson:Heather Taylor-Johnson is a multi-form writer living and working on Kaurna land near Port Adelaide. Her most recent poetry books are the verse novel Rhymes with Hyenas and the collection Alternative Hollywood Ending. An anthology she edited, Shaping the Fractured Self: Poetry of Chronic Illness and Pain, was the winner of the MascaraAvant Garde Award and is read in disability circles around the world. Her second novel, Jean Harley was Here, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize for New Fiction and optioned for a 7-part TV series. She recently won Island’s Nonfiction Prize and was shortlisted for ABR’s Calibre Prize.About Jessica White:Jessica White is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Science Write Now. She is the award-winning author of two novels, A Curious Intimacy and Entitlement, and a hybrid memoir about deafness, Hearing Maud. Her short stories and essays have appeared widely in Australian and international literary journals and have been shortlisted and longlisted for major prizes. Jessica is the recipient of funding from Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts and has undertaken residencies in Hobart, Rome and Munich. She is currently writing an ecobiography of Western Australia’s first non-Indigenous female scientist, 19th century botanist Georgiana Molloy. Jessica can be found at www.jessicawhite.com.au or on socials at @ladyredjess.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook.Download the transcript here. 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.

In this episode, Jess talks to Claire Bowen and Kevin Vinsen about Storyburst, a writing project that they established in 2020. They invited Australian writers of all ages to collaborate with researchers to write science-inspired monologues. The monologues can be performed in any of 15 languages including Auslan, andcan include diverse performance styles such as puppetry, dance, and song.Claire BowenClaire has been a storyteller since she was able to read and write. She has a Bachelor of Arts from UWA, specialising in Holocaust History and the Myths of Britain, and she completed an Honours Thesis concerned with the distortion of history in Science Fiction and Fantasy genre literature.Claire was a founding member of the Stages WA Writing Group and was instrumental in implementing the workshops and monologue performance nights that developed the group to the point of producing their work in a festival. When Stages WA was defunded during George Brandis’ raid on the Australian Council for the Arts, the group became Western Edge Performance Writers, and they initiated and managed a monologue competition at their own expense for five years. Claire was the co-creator, co-producer and writer of two comedy stage plays that enjoyed sold-out runs at The Blue Room in the Perth Fringeworld Festival, then worked to develop the script A Scandal in the Weimar for wit incorporated which was professionally staged in Melbourne in 2017.Claire relocated to Melbourne to become a company member of wit incorporated for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. She has completed production roles for the National Indigenous Dance Forum and Yirramboi First Nation Arts Festival in 2017 and was the recipient of Maribyrnong City Council art development grants in 2017 and 2018. Claire has had a monologue performed in Baggage Productions’ Madwomen Monologues in both 2018 and 2022. After returning to Perth, Claire and Kevin co created StoryBursts in 2020, a writing program that invites Australian writers of all ages to collaborate with researchers and write science-inspired monologues. The monologues can be performed in any of 15 languages including Auslan, and can include diverse performance styles such as puppetry, dance, and song. The first collection of monologues were showstoppers in Italian, Thiinma and English, with one by 10-year old who illustrations were animated to create a very charming video on Supernovas.Kevin VinsenA/Prof Kevin Vinsen: Kevin’s main research interests are ExaScale computing for data intensive astronomy, developing methods for the automated classification of galaxies and gravitational waves using multi-wavelength data, machine learning algorithms and modelling complex systems. Kevin considers himself one of the luckiest geeks on the planet. He is paid to do what he loves - astronomy and computing with some of the biggest, baddest, computers on the planet. He has spoken at events such as Raise the Bar, TedX and MALA. He is passionate about conducting STEM outreach in West Australian schools and volunteers at the Perth Children’s Hospital with Starlight Children’s Foundation.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook&<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.

In this episode, Amanda chats with Professor Anne Libera—Director of Comedy Studies at the prestigious comedy club The Second City in Chicago—about how comedy works and why we need it. Anne Libera is an Associate Professor and Director of Comedy Studies at Columbia College Chicago and The Second City and served as Director of Pedagogy for The Second Science Project. She has presented on topics in improvisation and comedy at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, Chicago Humanities Festival, and guest lectured at the Stanford Business School. Directing credits include Stephen Colbert's one man show Describing a Circle, The Madness of Curious George, Computer Chips and Salsa, and The Second City Goes to War as well as Second City touring productions all over the world. Her book The Second City Almanac of Improvisation is published by Northwestern University Press who will also publish her upcoming book Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications.   The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

In this episode, Amanda speaks with Australian playwrights Oliver Gough and Stephen Carleton about performing climate change on the stage—and the role of absurdity in communicating dire issues.Oliver Gough is an emerging playwright and MPhil Candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland. He was a participant in Playlab’s 2021 ‘Incubator’ program, and his plays have been produced by UQ’s Underground Theatre Company and at Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival. His creative practice seeks to interrogate climate-change ravaged futures and use absurdism to conceive of the Anthropocene.   Stephen Carleton is Associate Professor of Drama at the University of Queensland. His plays have won the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award and the Griffin Award for Best New Australian Play, and have been produced in theatre companies across Australia. His gothic plays sit on high school drama curricula; and his climate change absurdist  texts like ‘The Turquoise Elephant’ and ‘New Babylon’ have been the subject of academic and scholarly  review, including this year’s Nick Herb Boojs title, ‘100 Plays to Save the World’. He teaches and researches Australian drama, Gothic drama, playwriting, and theatre historiography.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

Why do some seeds live for thousands of years, while others only a few? What made Nikolai Vavilov the Indiana Jones of the ‘seed world’? And how do you write a book about something in which you’re not already an expert?  In this episode, Amanda talks to science writer Fiona McMillan-Webster about her first book The Age of Seeds:  How Plants Hacked Time and Why Our Future Depends on It. Fiona McMillan-Webster is a science writer with degrees in physics and biophysics. She's written for National Geographic, Forbes, Cosmos magazine, Australian Geographic and more, and has been included in several of the best Australian Science Writing anthologies. In 2016, she was runner up for the UNSW Bragg Press Prize for Science Writing, and she was shortlisted for the prize in 2021. Her first book, The Age of Seeds came out into the world this week.Also mentioned in the podcast: Rebecca Giggs’ book Fathoms, which you can hear her talk about here in episode 4.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a fortnightly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

In this episode, Jess talks to Danielle Clode about how, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, women have employed great ingenuity to discover new knowledge.Danielle Clode is an award-winning author of Australian non-fiction books. Her writing includes natural history, essays, science writing, historical fiction and best-selling children’s books as well as documentaries. In this episode, we focus on two of Danielle’s books – In Search of the Woman Who Sailed the World, and The Wasp and The Orchid: The Remarkable Life of Australian Naturalist Edith Coleman .The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a fortnightly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

In this episode, Amanda speaks with Chris Flynn about writing beyond the human, stories led by imagination, and thinking through place beyond setting.   Chris Flynn is the author of Mammoth, The Glass Kingdom and A Tiger in Eden. He is Editor-in-Residence at Museums Victoria, and is the creator of Horridus: Journey of a Triceratops, and Horridus and the Hidden Valley. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Age, The Australian, Griffith Review, Meanjin, Australian Book Review, The Saturday Paper, Smith Journal, The Big Issue, Monster Children, McSweeney's, The Paris Review and many other publications. Flynn is a regular presenter at literary festivals across Australia. He lives on Millowl (Phillip Island).The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

In this episode, Amanda talks with novelist Melissa Ashley and our own Jessica White about writing the lives of 19th-century female natural historians in fiction and ecobiography—and the importance of bringing untold stories to the light.Jessica White is the award-winning author of two novels, A Curious Intimacy and Entitlement, and a hybrid memoir about deafness, Hearing Maud. Her short stories and essays have appeared widely in Australian and international literary journals and have been shortlisted and longlisted for major prizes. Jessica is the recipient of funding from Arts Queensland and the Australia Council for the Arts and has undertaken residencies in Hobart, Rome and Munich. She is currently writing an ecobiography of Western Australia’s first non-Indigenous female scientist, 19th century botanist Georgiana Molloy. Jessica can be found at www.jessicawhite.com.au or on socials at @ladyredjess. Melissa Ashley’s historical fiction novels, 'The Bee and the Orange Tree' and 'The Birdman's Wife', have won major awards, including the Queensland Literary Awards Fiction Prize, and the ABA booksellers Choice Award. Melissa is passionate about historical women’s forgotten lives, particularly in science, and her forthcoming novel, 'The Paper Museum', and the novel she's researching for after that, both shed light on women scientists.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! 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.

In this episode, Jessica White speaks Ashley Hay and Simon Cleary about thinking—and writing—through rivers and trees, and how they connect people, places, histories, ecologies, landscapes and myths.Ashley Hay is the author of three novels and four books of narrative non-fiction. Her most recent novel, A Hundred Small Lessons, was published in 2017. Her second novel, The Railwayman’s Wife, was published in 2013. It won the 2013 Colin Roderick Prize and the People’s Choice Award at the 2014 NSW Premier’s Prize, and was also longlisted for the Miles Franklin and Nita B. Kibble awards. And her first novel, The Body in the Clouds, was published in 2010. Since mid-2018, she has been the editor of Griffith Review, though she is soon to hand that baton on.Simon Cleary is the author of three novels: The War Artist (2019), Closer to Stone (2012) and The Comfort of Figs (2008). Simon grew up in Toowoomba before studying literature and law at the University of Queensland. His first novel, The Comfort of Figs, set in his adopted home of Brisbane, explores the changes to landscape that come with the creation of cities. After graduating from university he spent six months hitch-hiking across the Sahara into West Africa. His experiences in Algeria when civil war broke out there informed his second novel, Closer to Stone, which deals with the effects of extreme beliefs. His third novel, The War Artist – a love story – interrogates the human cost of war and violence.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place!The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with biologist Michael Angilletta about his collaborative work building virtual reality science labs with Hollywood-born Dreamscape Immersive, student engagement through story, and the power of immersion— as well as Amanda’s aphantasia and Mike’s hard-learned rules of surviving the Zoom era.Michael Angilletta is President's Professor and Director of the Center for Science Learning Innovation at Arizona State University. Mike established an international reputation first as an evolutionary biologist studying adaptation to climate change, which resulted in an award winning book called Thermal Adaptation. Now, Mike works at expanding the use of digital learning technologies, such as adaptive courseware and virtual reality. And his team has launched the first online program to confer a Bachelor of Science in Biology, which now serves more than 2300 students. Mike is working with corporate partners such as Cogbooks, Labster, Google, and Dreamscape Immersive to promote evidence-based practices in cutting edge technology.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with writer & AGNI co-editor Sven Birkerts about time, memory, and the patterns that shape our writing. Sven Birkerts is the author of eleven books of essays and memoirs, most recently 'Speak, Memory', a personal reading of Nabokov's memoir. He is the former director of the Bennington Writing Seminars, and he co-edits the journal AGNI at Boston University.Purchase Sven’s smart and personal analysis of Vladimir Nabokov’s Speak Memory here.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with speculative fiction writer and Associate Professor of Fiction (Arizona State University) Matt Bell about his new craft book Refuse to be Done, the iterative craft of writing and rewriting, and conceptualising the vast timescales of climate change into his recent novel Appleseed.Matt Bell is the author most recently of the novels Appleseed (a New York Times Notable Book of 2021), Scrapper (a Michigan Notable Book), and In the House upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods (a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award). His stories have appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, Esquire, Tin House, Conjunctions, Fairy Tale Review, Gulf Coast, and many other publications. A native of Michigan, he now teaches creative writing at Arizona State University.Purchase Refuse to be Done here and Appleseed here.Sign up here for Matt’s newsletter to get GREAT monthly writing exercises direct.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with David Morton, Creative Director of Dead Puppet Society, about taking young Darwin from the page — and the Galapagos — to the stage, in The Wider Earth.David Morton is a writer, director and designer, and the Creative Director of Dead Puppet Society. Over the last decade he has led DPS in the creation of large-scale visual theatre works developed with international teams. The Wider Earth (DPS, Queensland Theatre, Trish Wadley Productions, Glass Half Full Productions) was conceived in residence at St Ann’s Warehouse, and recently closed a six-month run in a custom built theatre in London’s Natural History Museum. Laser Beak Man (DPS, La Boite Theatre, Brisbane Festival, PowerArts) was a collaboration with Tim Sharp developed at the New Victory Theater in NYC. Additional works include Ishmael (QPAC, Brisbane Festival), Storm Boy (Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company), The Riddle of Washpool Gully (Terrapin, DPS), Argus (DPS, Lincoln Centre, Queensland Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse), Trollop (Queensland Theatre), The Harbinger (DPS, La Boite Theatre, Critical Stages). David has been nominated for five Helpmann Awards and an Olivier Award. He holds a PhD from Queensland University of Technology.Get Tickets to The Wider Earth here.Follow Dead Puppet Society on Facebook here.Follow Dead Puppet Society on Instagram here. The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with award-winning writer and illustrator Kathleen Jennings about stitching together her observations into stories and worlds, writing with texture and creating narratives using mood.Kathleen Jennings is an illustrator and writer based in Brisbane, Australia. As an illustrator, she has won one World Fantasy Award (and been a finalist three other times), and has been shortlisted once for the Hugos, and once for the Locus Awards, as well as winning a number of Ditmars. As a writer, she has won a British Fantasy Award (the Sydney J Bounds Award) and two Ditmars and been shortlisted for World Fantasy Awards, the Courier-Mail People’s Choice Book of the Year Award, the Crawford Award, the Australian Shadows Award, the Eugie Foster Memorial Award, and several Aurealis Awards.Her British Fantasy Award-winning Australian Gothic debut Flyaway was published by Tor.com (USA) and Picador (Australia) in 2020, and her debut poetry collection Travelogues: Vignettes from Trains in Motion (part written travel-sketchbook, part poetry) was published by Brain Jar Press in 2020.Purchase FlyawayPurchase Travelogues: Vignettes from Trains in Motion Read  The Wonderful Stag, or The Courtship of Red ElsieRead  Observation Journal: IntroductionRead Observation Journal: SurfacesRead Observation Journal: Variations on Descriptions The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science; then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with Inda Ahmad Zahri about writing stories embedded in nature and creating across forms. Inda Ahmad Zahri believes in a world of wonder. She lives in Brisbane where she illustrates and writes for children and adults. Her stories are inspired by natural and cultural gems curated from her travels and lovingly added to her Malaysian heritage. She is also a surgical doctor, swapping her writer's hat and paintbrush for scrubs and scalpel when duty calls.Purchase Night LightsPurchase Salih The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with writer and psychologist Andrea Baldwin about writing eco-fiction and crafting stories about the environment for different audiences and age groups. Andrea Baldwin is a psychologist and author who works at the intersection between arts, health and the environment. She holds PhDs in psychology and creative writing and a Masters in drama. Currently, Andrea is the clinical consultant supporting Queensland Health's response to children and young people affected by recent floods and bushfires. She is also the immediate past chair of the Queensland Writers Centre and a writer of eco-fiction for all ages.Explore Birdie's Tree: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/natural-disaster-recovery/The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with Renée Treml about graphic novels and picture books, science for kids, designing museums (and specimens!) for books, and changing careers from science to art.  Renée Treml was inspired by Australia’s wildlife and native birds after moving from the USA to Australia in 2007. She loves to create artworks that highlight the subtle details of nature with delicacy and humour. Renée’s books have won or been listed for awards including the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrator, Speech Pathology Book of the Year and the Environment Award for Children’s Literature. Renée’s illustrations are featured on a variety of products, including stationery, ceramics and fine art prints.Purchase Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery here.Find Renee’s website (with heaps of books and art for sale!) here.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Amanda Niehaus chats with University of New South Wales evolutionary biologist and author Rob Brooks about the future of sex, his new book Artificial Intimacy, and the science and politics of human relationships.Rob Brooks is an evolutionary biologist who studies the conflicting interests that make sex sizzle and render reproduction complicated. As Scientia Professor of Evolution at UNSW in Sydney, Australia, he studies the behaviour and evolution of humans and non-human animals. His first book, Sex, Genes & Rock 'n' Roll won the Queensland Literary Award for Science Writing and the Eureka Prize for Science Communication. His latest, Artificial Intimacy: Virtual friends, digital lovers and algorithmic matchmakers, was published in May 2021.Purchase Artificial Intimacy: Virtual friends, digital lovers and algorithmic matchmakers: https://bit.ly/3EA3dhkThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Jessica White chats with Rebecca Giggs about her beautiful nonfiction book Fathoms: The World in the Whale and how she translates abstracted aspects of the ecological emergency—like its unfathomable scale—into a visceral narrative that is relatable for readers.Rebecca Giggs is an award-winning author from Perth, Australia. Rebecca writes about how people feel toward animals in a time of ecological crisis and technological change. Her debut nonfiction book, Fathoms: The World in the Whale, came out in 2020 with Simon & Schuster (US), and Scribe (Aus/UK). In the US Fathoms was awarded the prestigious 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. The book also listed as a finalist in the Kirkus Prize and the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. In Australia, Fathoms won the 2020 Mark and Evette Moran Nib Prize for Literature, the Royal Zoological Society's Whitley Award for Popular Zoology, and the WA Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize — Australia's most renown award for writing by women and non-binary authors in any genre. Recently the book was distinguished by being 'Highly Commended' in the shortlist for the 2021 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation.Rebecca's essays and articles have appeared in Best Australian Science Writing and Best Australian Essays, as well as in The Atlantic, Granta, The New York Times Magazine, and Griffith Review. Her topics span jellyfish swarms, how sea-turtles fare in heatwaves, the history of leeches as weather prediction devices, and whether cows have friends. Purchase Fathoms: The World in the Whale:  https://bit.ly/2ZEy2CkThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Jessica White chats with Tricia Dearborn and Benjamin Dodd about the inspiration for and writing of their recent poetry collections Autobiochemistry and Airplane Baby Banana Blanket.Tricia Dearborn is a Sydney poet, writer and editor. Her work has been widely published in literary journals, and has also been featured in significant anthologies such as Contemporary Australian Poetry (Puncher & Wattmann, 2016) and The Best Australian Poems 2012 and 2010 (Black Inc.). She has been awarded four grants by the Australia Council for the Arts and a Residential Fellowship at Varuna, the Writers' House. Benjamin Dodds is a Sydney-based poet who grew up in the Riverina of New South Wales. His work has appeared in Best Australian Poems, Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry, Meanjin, Southerly, Cordite, Rabbit, The Sun Herald and The Australian, and has also been broadcast on ABC Radio National.Purchase Autobiochemistry : https://bit.ly/3jVwqvjPurchase Airplane Baby Banana Blanket: https://bit.ly/3w4qR2DThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Jessica White chats with James Bradley, Donna Mazza, and Chris Flynn about the inspiration for and writing of their recent novels Ghost Species, Fauna and Mammoth—all of which consider the implications of de/extinction and, in one case, talking megafauna.James Bradley OAM is widely recognised as one of Australia’s greatest critics and climate fiction writers—including the multi-award-winning, science-inspired novels Ghost Species(2020, Penguin), Clade (2015, Penguin) and Deep Field (2000, Henry Holt). Donna Mazza writes fiction and poetry, and is author of Fauna (2020, Allen & Unwin) and The Albanian(2007, Fremantle Press), which was a TAG Hungerford Award winner. Donna teaches at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Chris Flynn is the author of three acclaimed novels—Mammoth (2020, Text), The Glass Kingdom (2014, Text), and A Tiger in Eden (2012, Text). Mammoth was shortlisted for the 2021 Indie Book Awards Fiction prize.The Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.

In this episode, Jess chats with Laura Elvery about her new collection of short stories, 'Ordinary Matter,' which is inspired by the twenty women who have won the Nobel Prize for science. You can purchase 'Ordinary Matter' here: https://bit.ly/3FP983BLaura Elvery is one of Australia’s most beloved short story writers. She has won the Josephine Ulrick Prize for Literature, the Margaret River Short Story Competition, the Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize and the Fair Australia Prize for Fiction, and has been published in Meanjin, Overland, The Saturday Paper, Island, Australian Financial Review, The Big Issue Fiction Edition and Griffith Review.Cheat Sheet (texts mentioned) Madame Curie: A Biography by  Ève CurieElizabeth Blackburn and the Story of Telomeres by Catherine BradyThe Science Write Now (SWN) Podcast is a 3x/monthly podcast for people who love science and the arts. If you’re interested in learning more about great books, plays, and films; writing, research or editing; the lives of scientists; and creative insights into contemporary science … then you’ve come to the right place! The SWN Podcast is hosted by Amanda Niehaus and Jessica White and produced by Taylor Mitchell with funding from the Australia Council for the Arts.You can also find and follow us online - on Twitter - on Instagram - and on Facebook! Our opening song is 'Balmain' by Pure Milk: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pure-milk.htmlEnjoyed 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.