Totally Lit!

Mercedes Mercier discusses her new novel Couples Retreat, a locked-room crime novel set on Kangaroo Island about rookie officer Emily Quinn and a weekend of wealthy guests cut off by a storm after a murder. The episode covers Mercier’s criminal-justice background, true-crime inspiration, research and setting, writing while raising twins, character development, mentoring services, and launch events. About the author: Mercedes Mercier writes 'just-one-more-page' crime with twisting plots and relatable characters. As well as writing books, Mercedes has worked in the criminal justice system for over a decade, providing her unique insight into the world of crime and offenders. After a brush with death, Mercedes threw herself into life. She lived overseas, became a black belt in Karate, skydived, and volunteered with animals.Mercedes lives in Adelaide, in a tree-top home surrounded by kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras and the occasional echidna. Her home is busy, fun and slightly chaotic, with her very patient husband, identical twin daughters and beloved German Shepherd who rules the roost. Mercedes Mercier About the book: A twisty, compulsive destination thriller where no one is as perfect as they seem. There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who remembers who you used to be.At a secluded beachfront mansion on Kangaroo Island, three wealthy couples gather for a weekend of partying and luxury indulgence. But beneath the glitter and excess, deep rivalries and explosive secrets fester between the old friends.When they wake to a shocking murder scene, they are gripped first by fear, then by suspicion. With ferry services suspended due to a storm, the survivors and the killer remain trapped on the island together.Thrust into the biggest case of her fledgling career, rookie police officer Emily Quinn quickly discovers that the locals are mistrustful of outsiders. When her dangerous ex-boyfriend tracks her down, Quinn’s past and present collide in spectacular fashion, threatening not only her new life, but the investigation of the most gruesome crime in the island’s history.Set in one of Australia’s most beautiful locations, The Couples Retreat is a twisty, compulsive thriller that proves privilege cannot protect you from everything, and no one is as perfect as they seem. Order here: The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier - Penguin Books Australia Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey talks with Jane Sullivan about the origin and rapid growth of Birds of a Feather Book Club, her partnership with Rebecca Sparrow, and their mission to help women fall back in love with reading. They discuss community-building, supporting remote readers, author events, the challenges of monetising a book club, and new initiatives like a romance-only subgroup. This episode celebrates reading as nourishment for mental health, the joy of connecting readers and authors, and the inclusive, no-judgment spirit that keeps the book club thriving. About Jane: By day, Jane Sullivan co-hosts Birds of a Feather, Australia’s fastest-growing online book club for women, and by night, she’s probably under a doona with a good book (some habits never change). She’s also the creator of Scholarly, an online tutoring platform supporting high school students across Queensland. A lifelong reader, Jane was the kid who stayed up late with a flashlight, determined to finish “just one more chapter.” Her love of literature led her to study English at university, where she fell for voices as diverse as Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë, Vikram Seth, and Arundhati Roy. She spent 15 years sharing that passion as an English teacher before becoming a professional book club host, public speaker, wedding celebrant, and online course creator. She also spent five years running book clubs for kids, teens, and teachers at her favourite Brisbane bookstore. Now, Jane pours her biblio-zest (yes, she made that word up) and literary nous into Birds of a Feather, creating a warm, thoughtful space where women connect over great reads. When she’s not recommending books or running her literary ventures, she’s wrangling her four young sons and gently encouraging their love of reading (with plenty of picture books on repeat). Firm favourites: Still Life by Sarah Winman, My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, Dusk by Robbie Arnott. About Birds of A Feather: Founded in 2022 by best-selling author Bec Sparrow and experienced English teacher Jane Sullivan, Birds of a Feather Book Club has reignited a love of reading in thousands of Australian women. Today, it stands as the country’s most successful subscription-based online book club; cleverly meeting women where they are by offering online meetings and facilitating real life meet-ups. Bec and Jane have turned what is typically a solo activity into a joyful, collective experience - inspiring women to put down their phones, pick up a book and join in. We are a tight-knit yet welcoming community of readers who happily glide from delicious whodunnits to literary award-winners. Birds of a Feather Book Club – Australia's fastest-growing book club for women. Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Join Ky Garvey as she chats with Sophie Stern, whose debut novel 'What Is Left for Us' traces two estranged sisters returning to their grandmother's crumbling Bondi clifftop house. The episode explores family secrets, alternating timelines, a vivid sense of place and the environmental threat of coastal erosion that frames the story. Sophie shares her path to becoming a writer — taking permission to write, being shortlisted for the 2024 Penguin Literary Prize, the editing and publishing process, balancing a day job and family, creative techniques (playlists, Scrivener, residencies) and practical advice for aspiring authors: make time for your work and write what you love. The episode also previews her upcoming launch and events. About Sophie: Sophie Stern is from Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and son. Her short fiction has been published in magazines and literary zines including Yen Magazine and Ellipsis Zine, and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. The manuscript of her first novel, What Is Left For Us, was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize in 2024. Home - Sophie Stern About the book: A devastatingly beautiful debut about sisters, secrets, and the weight of thepast. In What Is Left For Us, debut novelist Sophie Stern delivers a deeplyemotional portrait of two sisters bound by family, betrayal and the hauntingpull of home. Set between London’s corporate glass towers and theweather-beaten cliffs of Bondi, Stern’s novel explores the question that liesbeneath every family story: how much of the past can ever be left behind?When high-powered London lawyer Rebecca Gill receives word that herlate grandmother’s house has been left jointly to her and her estrangedsister Hannah, she reluctantly returns to Australia — and the life shethought she’d escaped. For Hannah, a mother and wife living in Sydney’saffluent east, Rebecca’s return threatens to unravel the fragile orderof her carefully controlled world. As the sisters begin to pack up theirgrandmother’s seaside home, long-buried memories of their mother’s deathand an unforgivable betrayal begin to surface.Through the intertwined perspectives of both women — and the ghosts thatlinger between them — What Is Left For Us intricately captures the cracksin sisterhood, the weight of inheritance, and the slow erosion of truth. What Is Left For Us by Sophie Stern - Penguin Books Australia Buy the book: What Is Left For Us by Sophie Stern - 9781761354441 (this is an affiliate link) Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

And now for something completely different...In this episode I chat to Sally Leydon the host of The Missing Matter Podcast. Sally recounts her mother Marion Barter’s disappearance in 1997 and how podcasting transformed her search - from Channel 7’s investigation to her own series, The Missing Matter. She shares the international leads, community detectives who uncovered new evidence, the challenges with police priorities, and her advocacy work including the Green Seat Project to support other families of missing people. Usually Totally Lit focuses on the written word but in this chat Sally and I explore audio storytelling, podcasting and what it is like to work with the media to get your message out. About Sally: Marion’s daughter and mother of three, Sally works full-time and she is the driving force behind the effort to find out what happened to her mother. For more than 25 years, Sally and police have been investigating what happened, uncovering some astonishing information, including Marion’s name change, the use of her passport to travel back to Australia, how her bank account was emptied at a seaside town, not to mention the rumours at the school where she taught and the stranger she met before she left. Sally is committed to ensuring the missing are not forgotten or dismissed by authorities or communities. She is now launching The Green Seat Project, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness about missing persons. The project aims to collaborate with local governments across Australia and beyond to install green benches equipped with QR codes linking to www.themissingmatter.com, where stories of those lost are visible to all. These seats will provide a peaceful space for families, friends, and communities to sit, reflect, and honour all those who are missing because #themissingmatter. www.sallyleydon.com The Missing Matter The Green Seat Project | The Missing Matter Podcast links: The Missing Matter: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-missing-matter/id1812362613 The Lady Vanishes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-lady-vanishes/id1457296528 Crime Analyst: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/marion-barter-investigating-my-mums-murder-with-sally/id1545830333?i=1000726858938 Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

2025 Top Listens #15 In this episode Ky Garvey talks with Aaron Tate about his memoir Far Horizons, tracing his transformation from a young naval officer deployed after 9/11 to a humanitarian leader in Africa. Aaron discusses the trauma of war, the moral awakening that led him to pursue international development, the challenges of writing a raw memoir, and his hopes to inspire readers to live deliberately. They also touch on reading habits, the importance of men's engagement with books, and Aaron’s tips for memoir writing, along with anecdotes about Cambridge, family, and giving back. About Aaron: From war zones to slums, Aaron Tait has travelled to and worked in more than 70 countries across the globe as a military officer, humanitarian and social entrepreneur, and now writes to help people live deliberate lives filled with purpose. Aaron was thrust into the frontline of international crisis at a young age, deploying to Iraq immediately after 9/11 as a 17 year old military officer. A move to East Africa at 25, saw him leading aid projects in crisis zones and urban slums. As a co-founder of the impact organisations ygap and Education Changemakers, Aaron has helped to improve the lives of more than a million people living in poverty. He is a geography graduate of the University of Cambridge and holds three master's degrees in international affairs. As an entrepreneur, sold his business EC to the technology unicorn Go1 in 2023. Aaron lives with his wife, Kaitlin, and his two sons, Atlas and Finn, and moves between his home in Byron Bay and global travels. Author of 'Far Horizons - A Journey from War to Peace' Far Horizons: A Journey from War to Peace by Aaron Tait | Hardie Grant Publishing https://www.righteouspr.com.au/ QBD Affiliate link: Far Horizons: A Journey from War to Peace by Aaron Tait - 9781761452796 Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Celebrating 2025's Top Listens! Coming in at #17 is the incredible Ben Hobson! Host Ky Garvey talks with author Ben Hobson about his path from musician to writer, balancing family, day job and creative life, and the routines that keep him productive. They discuss research and collaboration (including work with Wadawurrung people), writing projects like Snake Island and contributions to Into Your Arms, and Ben’s community project, Ben’s Book Club. Ben shares practical advice for emerging writers, reflects on doubt and validation, and tells memorable stories—from courtroom-style feedback to his trek to Everest Base Camp. About the Author: Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award and shortlisted for the Courier-Mail's People's Choice Award. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019. He also runs Ben's Book Club, a monthly online book club for libraries, and often does in-person interviews with authors. The Death of John Lacey, an Australian Western, was released in 2023, and is his third novel. ben hobson www.allenandunwin.com Buy the book: QBD Books Affiliate link: You can get your copy here - The Death Of John Lacey by Ben Hobson - 9781761065897 Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Celebrating 2025's Top Listens! Coming in at #19 is the amazing Angie Cui! Host Ky Garvey talks with Angie Cui about her 2025 picture-book year, focusing on Our Map and My Mum Is a Bird. They discuss the inspiration behind Our Map, Angie’s long drafting process, working with publishers and illustrators, and the challenges of pitching and making a story marketable. The episode also covers themes of belonging, heritage and identity, the role of illustration in picture books, balancing writing with family life, and upcoming launches and festival appearances. Angie shares candid publishing insights and practical advice for writers navigating conferences and submission decisions About the author: Angie Cui, also known as Yanting Cui, is a Melbourne-based author passionate about children’s literature. Her work has been featured in ABC Everyday, SBS Voices, The Guardian, and Sydney Morning Herald. Born in Harbin, China, Angie moved to Australia at 18 and pursued a career in banking before transitioning to office manager for the Children’s Book Council of Australia VIC Branch. As an active member of CBCA VIC, SCBWI, Writers Victoria, and ASA, Angie is dedicated to promoting literacy and storytelling. She resides in Melbourne with her husband and two children, embracing their multicultural heritage of Australian, Bangladeshi, and Chinese roots. Angie crafts tales that celebrate diversity and cultural identity, empowering children to find themselves in the stories they read. www.angiecui.com Rhiza Press www.uqp.com.au Buy the books: Our Map QBD Books Affiliate link: You can get your copy here - My Mum is a Bird by Angie Cui & Evie Barrow - 9780702268632 Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

In this episode Ky Garvey talks with Aaron Tate about his memoir Far Horizons, tracing his transformation from a young naval officer deployed after 9/11 to a humanitarian leader in Africa. Aaron discusses the trauma of war, the moral awakening that led him to pursue international development, the challenges of writing a raw memoir, and his hopes to inspire readers to live deliberately. They also touch on reading habits, the importance of men's engagement with books, and Aaron’s tips for memoir writing, along with anecdotes about Cambridge, family, and giving back. About Aaron: From war zones to slums, Aaron Tait has travelled to and worked in more than 70 countries across the globe as a military officer, humanitarian and social entrepreneur, and now writes to help people live deliberate lives filled with purpose. Aaron was thrust into the frontline of international crisis at a young age, deploying to Iraq immediately after 9/11 as a 17 year old military officer. A move to East Africa at 25, saw him leading aid projects in crisis zones and urban slums. As a co-founder of the impact organisations ygap and Education Changemakers, Aaron has helped to improve the lives of more than a million people living in poverty. He is a geography graduate of the University of Cambridge and holds three master's degrees in international affairs. As an entrepreneur, sold his business EC to the technology unicorn Go1 in 2023. Aaron lives with his wife, Kaitlin, and his two sons, Atlas and Finn, and moves between his home in Byron Bay and global travels. Author of 'Far Horizons - A Journey from War to Peace' Far Horizons: A Journey from War to Peace by Aaron Tait | Hardie Grant Publishing https://www.righteouspr.com.au/ Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey talks with novelist and screenwriter Christian White about his new book, The Long Night, his work adapting stories for screen, and his writing process. They cover character-driven storytelling, the writer’s room, and practical advice for aspiring writers. White also shares personal anecdotes—from the early days of submitting work and entering competitions to a quirky werewolf experiment—and discusses how he balances dark subject matter with everyday life and promotion. Christian White is an Australian author and screenwriter whose credits include feature film Relic, Netflix series Clickbait and Paramount’s Apartment 7A. His debut novel, The Nowhere Child (2018), was one of Australia’s bestselling debut novels ever, with rights sold in 17 international territories and a major screen deal. Christian’s second book, The Wife and the Widow (2019), and third, Wild Place (2021), were instant bestsellers. The Ledge (2024) was named QBD Book of the Year and shortlisted for the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year Award. His next book, The Long Night, will be released in November 2025. Christian wrote the Audible Original Second Skin (2020) and co-authored three more with Summer DeRoche: Still House (2021), The Call (2023), and Unfollowed (2025). Christian also wrote for the Amazon series Deadloch (2023) and the Netflix/TAP series The Survivors (2025). Christian White https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Long-Night/Christian-White/9781923046795 Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey interviews Carolyn Bourke about her experience as a Chaplain and writer. They discuss Carolyn’s entry in the Totally Lit Micro Fiction Prize, her 10-year journey writing a novel about dementia, and the hopeful ‘garden’ strand that represents spiritual connection and reconciliation. The conversation covers lived experience with dementia and caregiving, practical publishing tips, mentorship, and the challenges and rewards of writing about difficult topics. Carolyn shares advice for emerging authors and updates on her book’s upcoming release. Carolyn Bourke – Author | Speaker | Chaplain Totally Lit Microfiction Competition – Ky Garvey Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

In this episode Ky Garvey chats with author Sophie Masson and illustrator Lorena Carrington about the creation of their picture book The Giant — from the moment the idea struck on a walk, to collaborative illustration techniques, publisher relationships, and book launches. They discuss creative practice, handling rejection, school visits, practical advice for aspiring creatives, and how podcasting and community-building support their work. Sophie Masson, Author – Official site for author Sophie Masson Lorena Carrington – Illustrator & Author https://midnightsunpublishing.com/ Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

Host Ky Garvey chats with author Ben Hobson about his unexpected path to becoming a writer — from punk bands and audiovisual work to university, short-story wins, and his published novels. They discuss research for The Death of John Lacey, collaborations, Ben’s Book Club, and the creative experiments that keep his work alive. The conversation also dives into practical reality: balancing family, day jobs, and writing time; dealing with imposter syndrome and the search for validation; and Ben’s advice to emerging writers to have fun, take risks, and find small pockets of time to create. Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award and shortlisted for the Courier-Mail's People's Choice Award. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019. He also runs Ben's Book Club, a monthly online book club for libraries, and often does in-person interviews with authors. The Death of John Lacey, an Australian Western, was released in 2023, and is his third novel. ben hobson Ben's Book Club | Facebook Libby App: Free ebooks & audiobooks from your library | by OverDrive *Affiliate link You can purchase a copy of Ben's book 'The Death of John Lacey': The Death Of John Lacey by Ben Hobson - 9781761065897 Totally Lit recieves an affiliate payment from sales using this link which contributes to the costs associated with running the podcast. Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/ Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast

SALLY RIPPIN As the current Australian Children's Laureate (2024-2025), Sally is travelling around the country and internationally to chat about the ways we can share stories and support children who might struggle to read.Sally writes stories with heart and characters that resonate with children, parents, and teachers alike. Her widely popular books are beloved across the globe and have sold more than ten million copies in eighteen countries.A mum of three boys, Sally is particularly passionate about advocacy for kids who may have ADHD, Dyslexia or learning challenges. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is currently working on several books for children as well as adapting her work for the screen. https://www.sallyrippin.com/ LIFE WITHOUT BARRIERS - HOOK INTO BOOKS Hook into Books™ We have teamed up with Australian authors, children, young people, carers and our Life Without Barriers workforce to provide an annual literacy campaign, Hook into Books™! Our goal is to create conditions that nurture a love of reading and engage children and young people in care to share and listen to stories. Hook into Books creates easy access to a range of fantastic books and multimodal literacy opportunities for our community. Learn more about Hook into Books™ here>. https://www.lwb.org.au/ Host: Ky Garvey Theme Song: Claire Houghton Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/ Production: Mike Garvey Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at: www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc. I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media: Totallylitpodcast@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/totallylitpodcast