S6 Finale!

It’s a big ep. We debrief, reflect, recommend and share some rather big news about the pod in 2024.

We discuss:

• Things that have happened in writing and pod life for us since episode one of this season
• Fishing as a key theme of Katherine’s year (and yes, the free fishing rods for Grade 4s is an actual thing)
• A delightful school visit for Katherine and why she’s excited for 2024 and the publication of her first MG novel – Shellsville
• Kate reflects on a big year and the tour (and wrote about it here for The Bowerbird)
• Podcast highlight when Karen Comer organised a copy of Susie Anderson’s the body country to Darcy Moore from Collingwood FC
• Kate’s excited to share the news she’s has her first PICTURE BOOK coming out in 2024! Stay tuned to her socials for details in the new year.

Reading

• Foster by Claire Keegan
• Duck a L’orange for Breakfast by Karina May (who also has a brand new romcom Never Ever Forever)
• Cool Water by Myfanwy Jones – out in 2024

Watching 

• Nyad – Kate and her 10yo LOVED this.

Listening

• To be Magnetic – recommended to Katherine by Bronwyn Birdsall.
• Ghost story – which Anna Downes also recommended on the pod recently
• Sweet Bobby
• Book Riot pod
• Bedtime Stories with RA Spratt

Books Katherine is packing for summer:

• The Last Devil to Die – Richard Osman

Books Kate is packing for summer:

• Held by Anne Michaels (Kate isn’t sure when this released here but LOVED Fugitive Pieces)
• North Woods – Daniel Mason
• Women and Children – Tony Birch
• Prophet Song – Paul Lynch
• Gunflower – Laura Jean Mckay
• The Spider and Her Demons – sydney khoo
• Iron Flame – Rebecca Yarros

Some stats from Season 6

• Total episodes: 47
• Featured Book: 23 eps
• Follow a First Timer: 8 eps with Megan Rogers
• Masters: 11 eps – Cate Kennedy, Kevin Wilson, Amie Kaufman, RA spratt, Ling Ma, Brian Moylan, Alison Bell, Jessie Stephens, Tim Winton, Lucy Treloar, Richard Flanagan
• Hummingbird deep dives: 2
• Awkward convos: 2 – on money and endorsements – we ran out of steam on these – too many other things to talk about but they are both in the most listened top 10!
• Festival convos: 2 – Write around the Murray and Willy Lit Fest
• The Debut Crew 2023 reels on instagram
• Since 28th November 2022, there have been 105k listens, an increase of 27% from the preceding twelve months and 322k all time listens

And finally – our big news. It’s a two parter:

Firstly, we’re taking a break from The First Time pod in this format in 2024. We love you and thank you SO MUCH for listening.

But! Don’t delete The First Time feed just yet. Stay tuned for the summer series, and Katherine will be kicking off something a little bit different in March (2024).

• Kate mentions the No Filter episode where Mia Freedman talked to UK writer and podcast Emma Gannon who hosted Ctrl Alt Delete

Keep your ears filled with oz lit podcasts, some of our faves include:

• Secrets from the Green Room with Irma Gold and Karen Viggers
• James and Ashley Stay at Home with Ashley Kalagian Blunt and James Mckenxie Watson
• That Rom Com Pod with Clare Fletcher and Karina May
• The Word Count Pod with Fiona Taylor, Jo Dixon and Jacq Ellem
• The Garret with Astrid Edwards
• Read This with Michael Williams
• Writer’s Book Club Podcast with Michelle Barraclough
• The Margaret River Writes and Readers Festival podcast with Jen Bowden
• Words and Nerds Podcast with Dani Vee and friends

And that’s it from us, for awhile at least!

Thank you so much for your listening, sharing and support over the last six seasons x

Continue to keep in touch with Katherine on instagram or via her newsletter and Kate on instagram and her newsletter.