Podcast
Kelly's Writerly Q&A
Hosted by Kelly Sgroi · EN
A monthly podcast featuring authors and their books. Established in 2025, Season 1 of Kelly's Writerly Q&A is complete at 23 episodes and season 2 is set to be even better!
With the introduction of Pictures and Pages, a spin-off series brought to you by Amy Freund, that focuses on industry professionals, Kelly's Writerly Q&A has double the content to share in 2026!
Thanks for tuning in!
From Kelly and Amy xx
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S1E5 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Laura Harris on Publishing
2w ago00:20:10Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy Freund's 5th episode where she chats to publisher, editor and publishing strategist Laura Harris. This episode is all about: The Australian publishing landscape and how it’s changed over the past 20 years.Formerly Publishing Director at Penguin Random House Australia, Laura has worked with some of Australia’s most celebrated authors and illustrators including Mem Fox, Aaron Blabey, Morris Gleitzman and Sonya Hartnett. Laura has also served on the boards of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and WestWords, and in 2023 received the George Robertson Award for distinguished service to Australian publishing before launching Laura Harris Publishing in 2024.A great background into the Australian publishing industry, and for those wanting to know more about how its changed and evolved over the past 20 years.Thank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, or follow. Your support, big or small, will help keep us creating!
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S2E6 May 2026 Q&A with Casey Nott on Five Stages of Grace
3w ago00:35:32Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 29th episode where I chat to Casey Nott, contemporary fiction author who writes about women and the challenges they face in modern society. Her second novel, Five Stages of Grace, just came out with Hawkeye Publishing, and it's an every-emotion read. We discuss:Our last chat S1E14The true cancer story behind Five Stages of GraceBook launchesHumour on the pageBeing creatively worthyAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S2E5 April 2026 Q&A with Camille Booker on Code Name Funnel Web
Apr 2900:36:18Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 28th episode where I chat to Camille Booker, multi-award-winning historical fiction author, editor, teacher, PhD candidate, literary judge, and my dear writing friend whose third novel just came out with Hawkeye, and it's an engrossing read! Purchase a copy of Code Name Funnel Web using my Booktopia affiliate link.We discuss:Our previous two chatsCode Name Funnel Web, how and why it was rewritten Book launchesMotifsCoversBeing stuckAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S1E4 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Kate Chisholm on Publishing Children's Books
Apr 1600:19:41Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy's 4th episode where she chats to Publishing Director for Children’s books, Kate Chisholm. This episode is all about: The role of the publisher.What does a publisher look for in a manuscript? How involved is a publisher in the book creation process? And how do trends affect a publishing program? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by publisher, Kate Chisholm. Kate’s career has spanned the full publishing spectrum – from print to audio, commercial titles to educational textbooks. A lifelong lover of art, Kate has always had a soft spot for children’s books, and is now the Publishing Director at Five Mile, with a focus on picture books and book plus product.Whether you're pitching your first book or wanting to understand more about what a publisher does, this episode is packed with important information you won’t want to miss.Thank you for listening!
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S2E4 April 2026 Q&A with Ashley Kalagian Blunt on Like, Follow, Die
Apr 900:41:50Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 27th episode where I chat to Ashley Kalagian Blunt, ‘Australia’s queen of tech noir’. Her third novel came out with Ultimo Press in Feb, and it's a thriller! Purchase a copy of Like, Follow, Die from Booktopia via my affiliate link. We discuss: Like, Follow, DieAudibleWhat inspired Ashley to write this storyBeing a podcasterAshley's unpublished manuscriptsAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S2E3 March 2026 Q&A with Leearna Shaw on A Farm in Golden Clouds
Mar 3000:20:36Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 26th episode where I chat to Leearna Shaw, debut contemporary rural romance author. Her debut novel is out on the 31st of March with Allen & Unwin, and it's the comfort read we all need. Purchase a copy of A Farm in Golden Clouds via my Booktopia affiliate link. We discuss:A Farm in Golden CloudsHow Leearna got her most important yesEndometriosisWhat happens when you don't winThe multiple manuscripts Leearna wrote before her debut novelRejectionAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S1E3 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Mary Anastasiou on Marketing
Mar 2600:15:13Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy Freund's 3rd episode where she chats to Mary Anastasiou, marketing extraordinaire, children’s author, and publishing mentor.This episode is all about: MarketingWhat actually helps sell your book?What should authors stop spending time on?How can creators build a sustainable publishing career beyond one book?With over 20 years’ experience in branding and creative marketing, Mary shares practical, honest insights into what really works for authors, from marketing strategies that move the needle to how much support publishers actually provide. As the author of 13 picture books and the creator of the Marketing Matters framework, she brings a commercially grounded approach to helping authors grow their audience and career. Whether you're launching your first book or looking to refine your strategy, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won’t want to miss.Thank you for listening!
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S1E2 - Pictures & Pages Q&A with Amy Lee on Illustration
Feb 2700:18:10Tap to summarizeWelcome to Pictures & Pages with Amy Freund, a Kelly's Writerly Q&A Podcast spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the Australian publishing industry!Listen to Amy Freund's 2nd episode where she chats to Amy Lee, Taiwanese-Australian illustrator and SCBWI member who illustrated Amy Freund's debut picture book, Amigo the Capybara!This episode is all about:Illustration How do you get noticed as an illustrator? What's the process from sketches to final art? Answering these questions and more, meet Amy Lee, better known as Kooky Chooky. Amy Lee's first picture book was Amigo The Capybara, published in 2024 by Five Mile Books and she continues to delight the publishing industry with cracky characters and her hand drawn aesthetic.Thank you for listening!
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S2E2 Jan 2026 Q&A with Cassie Stroud on Iluka
Feb 1900:30:59Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 25th episode where I chat to Cassie Stroud, writer, editor and book lover. Her debut novel, just came out with HQ Books at Harper Collins Australia, and she’s an absolute beauty inside and out. Purchase a copy of Iluka via my Booktopia affiliate link. We discuss:What Iluka is about and what makes it a beautyThe way Cassie writes with brevitySetting and POVWhat's impacted Cassie the most during her journey to beocming an authorCassie's first yesHer next novelAnd more!Thank you for listening!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!
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S2E1 Jan 2026 Q&A with Jo Dixon on A Disappearing Act
Jan 2900:30:05Tap to summarizeWelcome to Kelly's Writerly Q&A, a podcast that celebrates authors and their books! I'm your host, Kelly Sgroi, writer, reader, and soccer mum.Listen to my 24th episode where I chat to Jo Dixon, best-selling Tasmanian-based author of twisty, suspenseful stories, such as her multi-award-winning debut, The House of Now and Then. Purchase a copy of her latest, which came out in October 2025, A Disappearing Act via my Booktopia affiliate link.We discuss:How Jo refers to this book as the one that nearly broke herImposter syndromePitchingHow to write multi POV and dual timeline storiesAnd more!Thank you for listening!*If you enjoy this podcast, please like, share, follow, and consider buying a copy of the book using my Booktopia affiliate link or buy me a Ko-fi. Your support, big or small, will help cover hosting and production costs, and keep me creating and supporting authors and books!Music credit to Levgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay.
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