Author Spotlight: Sydney Writers’ Festival

To celebrate the upcoming 2019 Sydney Writers’ Festival, we have compiled a list of some of our favourite podcast interviews with authors from previous festival years. These authors not only discuss their books, but also their writing journeys, the struggles they have faced in publishing their works, and the successes they have enjoyed along the way. Give them a listen!

George Saunders:

Cheryl Akle and George Saunders discuss the Trump phenomenon, reassessing their understanding of the world, and George’s latest book, Lincoln In The Bardo.

Tara Westover:

This week Cheryl is joined by Tara Westover to discuss her memoir, Educated – a powerful retelling of a woman’s discovery of education, its transformative power, and the price she had to pay for it. Together they discuss what Tara’s life was like growing up in a strict survivalist family, and her remarkable journey of self-transformation.

Tayari Jones:

Tayari Jones, American author, joins Cheryl Akle to talk about her book, An American Marriage. Together they discuss how Tayari came to be a writer, and the intricacies of human relationships.

Toby Walsh:

Toby Walsh, one of the world’s leading researchers in Artificial Intelligence, joins Cheryl Akle to talk about his book, It’s Alive! Artificial Intelligence from the Logic Piano to Killer Robots. Together they discuss the scientific problems we need to solve in order to advance artificial intelligence technologies, and how scientists are developing these technologies.

Zack McDermott:

Zack McDermott, Brooklyn public defender turned author, joins Cheryl Akle to discuss his memoir Gorilla and the Bird, a book that details his recovery after a devastating psychotic break. Together they discuss the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the steps he now takes to maintain his mental health.

Amy Goldstein:

American writer Amy Goldstein joins Cheryl Akle to discuss her 2018 book, Janesville, a compelling and insightful portrait of one town in America’s heartland, struggling to regain its footing after the closure of its General Motors plant in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Together, Amy and Cheryl discuss the hollowing of the American middle class, the decline of the American Dream, and what Amy learnt from her time in Janesville.

Sydney Writers’ Festival will run from Monday 29th April to Sunday 5th May 2019. To view the full program and book tickets, please visit the Sydney Writers’ Festival website.