The First Time Podcast began in 2018 when writer friends Kate Mildenhall and Katherine Collette ventured into the world of podcasting. At the conclusion of 2023, and having released 255 episodes across six fabulous seasons, featuring interviews with debut authors, industry professionals and literary giants, Kate and Katherine are taking a break to focus on their own projects.

Following a short summer season in 2024, the First Time Podcast will be in pause  – although there may be the occasional writers festival record! Keep an eye on Kate and Katherine’s socials for this news! In March, Katherine will be back in your ears via the feed with a brand-new series asking all the big questions of a bunch of interesting guests she has on her wish list.

Back episodes across all six seasons are still currently available for your listening pleasure – wherever you get your podcasts!

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Kate and Katherine are writer friends. They met in the Professional Writing and Editing course at RMIT. Katherine asked Kate to join her writers group. Kate said yes.

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Katherine Collette’s first novel The Helpline (Text Publishing), was published in North America (S&S), the UK (S&S), Italy (Garzanti) and Germany (Insel Verlag). It was longlisted for the 2019 Australian Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction. The Competition (Text Publishing) was selected for the Queensland Writers Centre’s Adaptable program, which looks for books to adapt for TV and film. Katherine had been awarded a retreat fellowship at Varuna, the Writers House and was part of the ACT Writers Centre’s 2016 Hardcopy program.

Katherine works as an engineer and lives in the northern suburbs of Melbourne with her partner and their two kids. Find out more at www.katherinecollette.com and subscribe to her newsletter here.

7R2A6306Kate Mildenhall is a writer and teacher. Her debut novel, Skylarking(Black Inc, 2016, Legend Press UK, 2017) named in Readings Top Ten Fiction Books of 2016 and her bestselling The Mother Fault  (Simon & Schuster, 2020, Harper Collins UK, 2021) was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2020 Aurealis Awards. Kate teaches creative writing and is currently undertaking a PhD in creative practice at RMIT University. Kate lives in Hurstbridge on Wurundjeri lands, with her partner and two children. Kate’s third novel is The Hummingbird Effect.

Find out more about Kate at katemildenhall.com or connect via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and subscribe to her newsletter here.

We record and produce this podcast on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.

Images by Gemma Carr.

Logo design by Katja Matters.

Audio Production by Phoebe Ady.