"But now my will and my desire were turned, as wheels that move in equilibrium, by love that moves the sun and other stars" - Dante Alighieri, Canto XXXIII

"Welcome to Episode #146:

Dante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy Divina Commedia over many years and completed the work late in his life. He died a few years later in Ravenna, Italy.

Many find comfort in his words, “In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost” - Dante Alighieri

I contemplate his exile from Florence and his journey as a writer while musing over my own sense of being “in the woods” in recent times and having to forge a new path. It seems his profound words were written for the generations and the centuries that would follow.

Yes, there are words that transport and there are some things already written in the stars.

Enjoy this episode,

Michelle x

Shownotes

A Writer in Italy Instagram

Substack - At My Table

Michelle’s Books

Musical Scores by Richard Johnston

A White Chalk Production

A Writer in Italy is about travel and life. A place to share the beautiful travel journeys and the discoveries along the way.

Italy has many attractions - art, design, architecture, history and the wonderful food culture. Michelle shares her love of books on Italy and the places and regions that have inspired her along the way.

Michelle started 'A Writer in Italy Podcast’ to share personal stories and the love of books on Italy that would lead to beautiful conversations with people and like minded souls who share a deep love affair with Italian Culture and the country as a place of beauty and spiritual renewal.

Michelle Johnston lives in Australia with her family.

© 2026 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2026

Support the show

"There is only one way, and that is your way" - CG Jung

Welcome to Episode #145:

This share is all about reflecting on a recent milestone of seven years of podcasting and sharing stories and conversations about this Italian Love Affair - it has been a journey of living between two worlds and cultivating a sense of meaning from my journeys to Italy and being at home in Australia.

I share how my books on Italian culture and living my own version of the Italian dream has been a journey of discovery and illumination over the past twenty years. There is so much that I have been attracted to in Italy that I have made my own over the years living in country NSW with my cypress and olive trees, and yes the dream has been realised without my even knowing it.

I talk about the "Values Renaissance" that has been simmering in the background of my own world and how I have come to terms with honouring what really matters at home and in life. It has been a wild journey and a wonderfully spirited process of learning and living....

Enjoy this episode,

Michelle x

Shownotes

A Writer in Italy Instagram

Substack - At My Table

Michelle’s Books

Musical Scores by Richard Johnston

A White Chalk Production

A Writer in Italy is about travel and life. A place to share the beautiful travel journeys and the discoveries along the way.

Italy has many attractions - art, design, architecture, history and the wonderful food culture. Michelle shares her love of books on Italy and the places and regions that have inspired her along the way.

Michelle started 'A Writer in Italy Podcast’ to share personal stories and the love of books on Italy that would lead to beautiful conversations with people and like minded souls who share a deep love affair with Italian Culture and the country as a place of beauty and spiritual renewal.

Michelle Johnston lives in Australia with her family.

© 2026 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2026

Support the show

“France had long been at the center of her philosophy. She had made France a touchstone in her writing, in which she alchemised life, love, and food in a literary genre of her own invention” - Luke Barr on MFK Fisher, Provence 1970

Welcome to Episode #144:

Today I share why going to Europe for art, writing, philosophy and liberation has been a necessary evolution for many artists and writers. I contemplate my own journey and the many that have gone before seeking stimulation and artistic freedom amongst the avant-garde and the lively cafes of Paris and other wonderful European cities.

Artists and writers have gravitated to these places and cultural epicentres for artistic communities, intellectual stimulation, mentors and teachers, and to attract opportunities for their art and writing careers.

Enjoy this share,

Michelle x

Shownotes

A Writer in Italy Instagram

Substack - At My Table

Michelle’s Books

Musical Scores by Richard Johnston

A Writer in Italy is about travel, art and life. A place to share the beautiful travel journeys and the discoveries along the way.

© 2026 A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2026

Support the show