Episodes

  • S07 E10 Busisekile Khumalo

    S07 E10 Busisekile Khumalo
    May 25 2026
    Busisekile Khumalo is the bestselling author of the Harvard Wife series of novels, as well as the standalone book, Nomaswazi, and a new series published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, including Rubies & Rain and Sunshine & Shadows.

    Busisekile joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how she walked away from a career in law to pursue her passion for storytelling. She shares her insights into self-publishing vs traditional publishing and tells us how she juggles the demands of her fan base. Listeners can explore Busisekile's website for information about her mentoring programme.

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    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • S07 E09 Zakes Mda

    S07 E09 Zakes Mda
    May 18 2026
    Zakes Mda is one of South Africa's best known and most awarded writers. He is a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and painter. A Professor Emeritus of English at Ohio University, Zakes now lives and works in Johannesburg.
    He joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how his earliest inspirations were Casper the Friendly Ghost and Xhosa mythology.
    He explains why he often uses the first person plural as a narrative voice and why he is currently digging into the archives of Durban's iconic rickshaws.

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    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • S07 E08 Nadia Davids

    S07 E08 Nadia Davids
    May 11 2026
    Nadia Davids is an award-winning playwright, novelist, and short story writer. She won the Caine Prize in 2024 for her short story 'Bridling'. Her latest novel CAPE FEVER has been released to great acclaim, published by Simon & Schuster.

    Nadia joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how postcolonial fiction does not have to be bleak or hopeless and why she chose the Gothic form for her most recent novel.
    She talks about the special relationship she has always had with Cape Town and why CAPE FEVER could not have been set anywhere else.

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    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
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    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
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    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • S07 E07 Damon Galgut

    S07 E07 Damon Galgut
    May 4 2026
    Damon Galgut is one of South Africa's most distinguished writers. He won the Booker Prize in 2021 for The Promise, which was his third novel to be shortlisted for the award.

    Damon joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how writing seems to become more difficult as the years go by, and how strenuously he wrestles with a first draft.

    He tells us that plot has become increasingly less important to him and that he chooses not to repeat the same themes and techniques in his writing.

    For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
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    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
    YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
    Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • S07 E06 Marguerite Poland

    S07 E06 Marguerite Poland
    Apr 27 2026
    Marguerite Poland is one of South Africa's most decorated authors, having won the Percy Fitzpatrick Award numerous times, as well as the Order of Ikamang for lifetime achievement. Her career spans many decades and includes books for children, works of non-fiction, and several critically acclaimed novels for adults.

    Marguerite joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about her earliest love for storytelling and what she would say now to a young mother who wants to write while struggling with the challenges of domestic life.

    For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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    Ask your writing-related questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8i1_vFmUwsd7E_nvPgQOtqEscvZIircT0imdHm_qYJK5eXA/viewform

    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
    Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
    YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
    Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • S07 E05 David Cornwell

    S07 E05 David Cornwell
    Apr 20 2026
    David Cornwell is the author of the critically acclaimed novel HELL OF A COUNTRY, which has been making waves since its release date.
    David joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about the challenges of writing a fictional reimagining of real-life events and how he made his creative choices.
    We also discuss his first novel LIKE IT MATTERS and the literary antecedents behind it.

    For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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    Ask your writing-related questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8i1_vFmUwsd7E_nvPgQOtqEscvZIircT0imdHm_qYJK5eXA/viewform

    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
    Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
    YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
    Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • S07 E04 Karen Jennings

    S07 E04 Karen Jennings
    Apr 13 2026
    Karen Jennings is an internationally acclaimed author whose work has been rewarded with a Booker Prize longlisting.

    Karen joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how new ideas sometimes come to her in the form of a colour, and how she writes multiple drafts of the same manuscript in search of incremental improvement. She describes where she was and what she was doing when she found out about the Booker longlisting.

    For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:

    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
    Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
    YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
    Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • S07 E03 Jassy Mackenzie

    S07 E03 Jassy Mackenzie
    Apr 6 2026
    Jassy Mackenzie is a multi-award-nominated author who combines talent with hard work and an excellent head for business.

    Jassy joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how she got her start writing gritty, Joburg-based crime, before being approached to write with James Patterson. She talks about the obligations of being a contracted ghostwriter and how she is already planning to ensure the longevity of her writing career.

    For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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    Ask your writing-related questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8i1_vFmUwsd7E_nvPgQOtqEscvZIircT0imdHm_qYJK5eXA/viewform

    Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
    Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
    Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
    Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
    YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
    Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
    Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers Follow us on Instagram · Chat with us on Twitter · Join our Facebook group · Subscribe to us on YouTube · Join our newsletter · Ask your writing-related questions here
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    1 hr and 11 mins