Telling authentic teenage stories with Gary Lonesborough

Better Words

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man, who grew up on the Far South Coast of New South Wales as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. Gary was always writing as a child, and continued his creative journey when he moved to Sydney to study at film school. Gary has experience working in youth work, Aboriginal health, child protection, the disability sector (including experience working in the youth justice system) and the film industry, including working on the feature film adaptation of Jasper Jones. His debut YA novel, The Boy from the Mish, won multiple awards. It was published in the US in 2022 as Ready When You Are. His second novel, We Didn’t Think It Through, was published in 2023. Today we're discussing his new novel, I'm Not Really Here.

Our interview begins at 19.00

We've got a Substack publication now! On the last day of the month, we share recommendations for two things we reckon you should read/watch/listen to. The beauty of Substack is you can revisit all our old editions and comment on our episode updates to share your thoughts. Come say hi!

Caitlin recommends: Gilmore Girls and The Pumpkin Spice Cafe*

This autumnal sensation was inspired by Gilmore Girls and although the seasons are different, this is a delightful romantic read.

Michelle talks about the books she bought in Edinburgh.

• Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
• A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
• The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
• Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley
• Mary: The Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout
• Affinity by Sarah Waters
• His Bloody Project by Graeme MacRae Burnett

In this interview, we chat about:

• The very personal experience that inspired Jonah's story
• How the story developed from a dark horror into a contemporary story
• Writing authentic teen boys
• Why it was so important for Gary to explore the youth justice system through his second book, We Didn't Think It Through
• Gary's journey to publication and what it's like to hear from teenage readers

Books and other things mentioned:

• Nobody Wants This (TV show)
• Veronica Mars (TV show)
• Only Murders In the Building (TV show)
• Gilmore Girls (TV show)
• Sophie Green (listen to our interview here)
• Happy Head by Josh Silver (listen to our interview)
• The Rest is Entertainment podcast episode: Showmance or Romance? Inside Celebrity Relationship Contracts
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
• Panther by David Owen
• Art Hour at the Duchess Hotel by Sophie Green (listen to our interview)
• Banged Up: Stars Behind Bars (TV show)

Follow @garylonesborough on Instagram

I'm Not Really Here is available now. Thank you to the publishers for providing us with copies of the book in preparation for the interview.

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