Emily Perkins and Sue McCauley - Turning Points

About this episode

Emily Perkins and Sue McCauley discuss their characters' struggles for freedom and belonging in contemporary New Zealand.

Emily Perkins and Sue McCauley in conversation with Jane Forrest Waghorn What would Briar Howland and Therese Thorne talk about if they shared a table in a Wellington cafe? The protagonists of Sue McCauley and Emily Perkins’ latest books have little in common on the surface, but both are tired of being manipulated and shoehorned into roles. Both are seeking freedom and belonging around genuine people. They are making decisions about how to go forward in their lives and relationships, choosing what to keep and what to let go. Sue and Emily talk with Jane about challenges, choices and consequences facing the two characters and, by extension, many other women of a certain age in contemporary New Zealand. This session was recorded during the 2024 Marlborough Book Festival.

People in this episode

Host: Jane Forrest Waghorn

Guests: Emily Perkins, Sue McCauley

Topics covered

• character development
• women's issues
• relationships
• freedom
• belonging

Keywords

• Emily Perkins
• Sue McCauley
• Briar Howland
• Therese Thorne
• New Zealand
• women's issues
• relationships
• freedom
• belonging

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Briar Howland, Therese Thorne

Places: New Zealand

More episodes of The Marlborough Book Festival

• Nici Wickes - Cook, Eat, Travel · May 25, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Emily Perkins - Lioness · February 6, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Fletcher McKenzie - From the Pilot’s Seat · December 19, 2025 · 1h 1m
• Rachael King - The Grimmelings · November 21, 2025 · 1h 7m
• Lauren Keenan - Time Travellers Guide to History · November 6, 2025 · 1h 2m
• Chris Tse - An Hour with the Poet Laureate · August 20, 2025 · 59 min