Page Turners with The Nile
Page Turners with The Nile takes you behind the curtain of the literary world. Join bestselling novelist and publishing insider, John Purcell, as he digs past the promotional hype to uncover the real stories behind the books and the writers who create them.
Episode 8: Sarah A. Parker.
In this episode, our Head of Books New Zealand, Stacey Collins steps into the host spot to interview a fellow Kiwi, romantasy blockbuster author Sarah A. Parker. A big fan of the Moonfall series, Stacey looks for insider details at the construction of complex magic landscapes, what inspired her to begin writing, and how long her creative process takes.
Sarah shares personal details about her journey to writing the Moonfall series, as well as the Crystal Bloom series - both still in the works. Will she give us a sneak peek into Moonfall Book 3? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Click here to listen to Sarah's episode of Page Turners.
More from Sarah A. Parker
Episode 7: Shannon Kelly-White
Join John Purcell on Page Turners as he chats with Shannon Kelly-White about her debut novel, Billie King: a bold, fast-moving Australian adventure about mothers, daughters, female bushrangers, and women fighting to survive on the margins.
Shannon shares the inspiration behind the book, her love of the Australian bush, and her leap from nonfiction into fearless fiction.
Click here to listen to Shannon's episode of Page Turners.
A blisteringly fast, fresh, funny and hugely entertaining novel of mothers, daughters and one gutsy wild colonial girl who gets caught up in Australia’s last female bushranger’s quest for revenge. Think Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife meets Trent Dalton.
1918: Australia’s last bushranger, Dulcie James, holds up Anna King’s falling-down farmhouse. There’s a scrawny unloved infant on the floor, Anna seems more furious than frightened, and it’s the bushranger who’s left shaken. And the next day, Anna disappears.
Episode 6: Petronella McGovern
In this episode, host John Purcell sits down with bestselling Australian thriller author Petronella McGovern to unpack her mind-bending new novel, Every Time She Wakes.
When university careers counsellor Suze and her family are evacuated during a raging bushfire, their rescue van is hijacked. Following a terrifying crash, Suze doesn’t die—instead, she wakes up two weeks earlier. No one else remembers the horror. And then, it happens again. And again. With each shifting loop, the reality she knows slips further away.
John and Petronella dive deep into the mechanics of writing a high-stakes, time-bending mystery and the planning that goes into it. They also chat about Petronella’s backlist, and how she got her start in writing.
Click here to listen to Petronella's episode of Page Turners.
Episode 5: Kathryn Heyman
John Purcell sits down for an intimate, deeply moving conversation with acclaimed Australian author Kathryn Heyman to celebrate the release of her luminously beautiful seventh novel, Circle of Wonders. Kathryn Heyman is the author of seven novels and the critically acclaimed memoir Fury. Her work has been nominated for the Orange Prize, the Scottish Writer of the Year, and the West Australian Premier’s Book Awards.
Kathryn opens up about the painful real-life genesis of the book. The seed of the novel was planted during an incredibly intense month where she found herself moving between caring for both her own mother and her sister, who were dying at the same time. She shares how she consciously led with this raw life experience, but ultimately chose the canvas of fiction to shape the narrative. For Kathryn, fiction was the only vehicle capable of holding the universal chorus of voices she wanted to capture.
Click here to listen to Kathryn's episode of Page Turners.
Episode 4: Dervla McTiernan
Internationally bestselling crime novelist Dervla McTiernan sits down with host John Purcell to discuss her latest thriller, Three Reasons for Revenge. In this episode, Dervla delves into the dark and intricate plot of her new book, which centres on three mysterious parcels leading to the "tailored destruction" of three unrelated individuals.
Discover how McTiernan navigated shifting between multiple perspectives while anchoring the story with her detective, Judith Lee, and why she chose Melbourne, Australia, as the setting for the first time. The author shares her unique writing habits (including removing her phone from the room and listening to music) and offers a peek into her "folder of stuff" hinting at a potential sequel to What Happened to Nina? and other future projects.
Tune in for an insightful conversation about creativity, balancing legal and literary careers, and finding home in a new country.
Episode 3: Fleur McDonald
Join host John Purcell for a wide-ranging conversation with No.1 bestselling author Fleur McDonald about her latest novel, The Witness.
With twenty-seven novels and more than a million book sales to her name, bestselling crime author Fleur McDonald has always had a strong affinity with the land and the vast Australian outback. She talks openly about her life before writing - growing up on the Flinders Ranges, riding around Australia in her father’s semi-trailer, then moving to Western Australia to follow her dream of being a farmer. Fleur talks about her new crime series set in Kalgoorlie - The Prospect, The Missing and The Witness - and describes how she gets the very secretive people of Kalgoorlie to spill the beans.
Plus, find out what Fleur thinks about her much-loved, but occasionally uncontrollable, character Detective Dave Burrows.
Episode 2: Natasha Lester
Join host John Purcell for a fascinating conversation with New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester about her latest novel, The Chateau on Sunset.
Natasha, a formidable force herself - recently gracing the cover of Good Weekend - shares how she unearths the stories of incredible women who have been overlooked by history and brings them vividly to life on the page.
She discusses the inspiration she drew from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre for her new book, a story set against the backdrop of the infamous and real-life Chateau Marmont.
Episode 1: Candice Fox
Join host John Purcell for a riveting conversation with three-time Ned Kelly Award winner and New York Times bestselling author, Candice Fox. Candice, known for her meticulous research—including interviewing a serial killer and visiting prison for work, sits down to discuss her latest novel, Redbelly Crossing.
The book plunges two estranged, cop brothers, Russell and Evan Powder, into the murder investigation of a young journalist in a remote, snake-infested town of 205 people. In this episode, Candice shares insights into the inspiration behind her latest novel and how it might solve a cold case, the development of her tough, gay cop character, Russell, how her unusual family background, overflowing with siblings, informs her writing and her passion for animal rescue (she's a WIRES volunteer!)
Plus, Candice faces John's rapid-fire "Quick Questions," covering everything from James Patterson's work ethic to the monarchy, and whether she's truly the animal-loving writer she pretends to be. Don't miss this addictive chat with one of Australia's finest crime writers!