Q&A: Meg Bignell, Author of The Good Losers

Q&A: Meg Bignell, Author of The Good Losers

Briefly tell us about your book.

The Good Losers is a larger than life romp through the trials of parenthood, the rampant absurdities of being human, the murky corridors of elite sport and the unexpected delight that can come with being a loser. It is set in a rowing club in Tasmania and contains profanity, profundity, unexpected twists, several dickheads and some unexpected heroes.

What inspired the idea behind this book?

My daughter is a school-age rower and I was struck by the absurdities of life within a rowing community, but also awed by the dedication of the supporters and athletes. It seemed like fertile ground for storytelling.

Do you write about people you know? Or yourself?

I am very careful not to take whole people from life and plonk them into a novel, but I take inspiration from the people and world around me. I insert my own views into characters, but also challenge them.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Plot! My characters kept running away with it and tying it up in knots. It took several very long and complicated rewrites to get it all to come together.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Read books, as many as you can.

Buy a copy of The Good Losers here.

Reviews

Heartfelt and Hilarious: Read an Extract from The Good Losers by Meg Bignell

Review | Preview

15 July 2025

Heartfelt and Hilarious: Read an Extract from The Good Losers by Meg Bignell

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              Publisher details

              The Good Losers
              Author
              Meg Bignell
              Publisher
              Penguin
              Genre
              Fiction
              Released
              01 July, 2025
              ISBN
              9781761351198

              Synopsis

              Callie March is fascinated by human absurdity, including the habits of the upper class. So when she pushes her screen-addicted teenage son to join a local rowing club, she is thrilled to discover a whole new world of odd behaviours, irrational obsessions and riverside rooting.

              Thrust into a support crew and a very silly uniform, Callie has inadvertently volunteered for a season of pre-dawn parenting, endless fundraising, and pandering to insufferable dickheads. But she also finds friendship, intrigue and lust, while her son might just find love.

              Callie is torn between enchantment and repulsion, until a trail of corruption and scandal leads to deep suspicion. There’s something fishy in the rowing shed, and Callie is determined to find out what lurks behind the closed doors of this sports club. In doing so, she will rock the boat – or better still, capsize it altogether.

              This novel is set in northern Tasmania. It contains profundity, profanity, heart-ache, bum chafe, terrible winners and very good losers.

              Meg Bignell
              About the author

              Meg Bignell

              Meg Bignell was a nurse and a weather presenter on the telly before she surrendered to a persistent desire to write. Since then she has been writing almost every day – bits and pieces here and there, either to earn a crust, to get something off her chest or to entertain herself. She has written three short films, mostly because she wanted to do some acting and no one else would cast her. She sings a bit too, occasionally writes and performs cabaret, but is mostly very busy being a mother to three and a wife (to one). She lives with her family on a dairy farm on Tasmania’s East Coast. She is the author of The Sparkle Pages.

              Books by Meg Bignell

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              4. Official Site says:

                Based on the provided text, the author’s inspiration for The Good Losers came from the absurdities and dedication they observed in their daughter’s Official Site school rowing community. The most challenging part of writing the book was managing the plot, as the characters often complicated the story, requiring extensive rewrites. The author advises aspiring writers to read as much as they can.

              5. Alicia Hartley says:

                I can totally relate to the rowing club dynamics! As a parent watching competitive sports, you witness such intense dedication mixed with hilarious human moments. The blend of profanity and profundity sounds perfect – reminds me of unwinding after those long competition days playing casual games like Suika Game to decompress from all the sporting drama and unexpected plot twists!

              6. Crosby says:

                Meg Bignell’s insights on storytelling resonate beautifully with the enchanting adventures in 99 nights in the forest. Both celebrate creativity and wonder!

              7. sofia carsol says:

                The story revolves around Callie March tap tap shots, a mother who takes her screen-obsessed son to the local rowing club. From there, she enters a world full of bizarre habits, irrational obsessions, and hidden secrets behind the scenes of sports.

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