Words and Nerds: Authors, books and literature.

Dani Vee and Peter Carnavas chat about nostalgia in books, creating quiet characters and his new book children's book Kid.

They talk about:
* The importance of creating quiet characters
* Identity, belonging and loneliness
* Writing process
* Balancing writing and illustrating
* How you know when a book is finished
* What writing can teach us
* The books that stay with us forever

Kid is a modern day classic about a young goat who discovers the meaning of family published by UQP.

Date with a Debut is a podcast hosted by writer Nick Wasiliev: shining a light on debut authors, their incredible books, and their journeys to publication.

Series 4 gets back up and running with a special collaboration with one of the best Aussie book podcasts going around, Talking Aussie Books!

Talking Aussie Books: https://claudinetinellis.com/episodes/
Claudine Tinellis - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudinetinellis

I have a special deal currently where if you sign up to the newsletter, you can have 50% off a monthly or yearly VIP subscription for the next twelve months. That's $3 a month, or $25 a year!

Sign up to the newsletter here (you can also get a free version too!): https://nickwasiliev.substack.com/

Get 50% off a paid VIP subscription here: https://nickwasiliev.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=651cc6fe

Enjoy the show? Drop us a review, it really helps the show out!

Check out our brand new podcast website: https://dwad.podpixels.com/

Check out the 2026 sponsor of the podcast, Pod Pixels: https://bit.ly/4cbG1Zt

Subscribe on Podbean to never miss an episode: https://www.podbean.com/site/podcatcher/index/blog/3mRME5IMoSJx

Date with a Debut is featured as part of the Australian literary platform Words & Nerds. Check out all shows on the platform here: https://danivee.com.au/podcasts/

BOOKS:
Debut Features:
The Heir Apparent / Rebecca Armitage: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/QYAmro
When The Party's Over / Katie Hoskins: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/DWV5xn
Solo Mum by Choice / Lorena Oates: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/eneVMO
The Beauty of Broken Things / Melissa Sharman: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/GbOzJm

Other Books Mentioned:
Life Drawing / Emily Lighezzolo: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aNWM9Q
Stay Buried / Jane R. Miles: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/MK26qq
Wake in Fright / Kenneth Cook: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/L0ObLM
The Animals In That Country / Laura Jean McKay: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/DWOX62
The Sisters of Serendib / Ayesha Inoon: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/jRQo7P
The Society of Literary Marauders / Sasha Wasley: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/k49BKL
Disgraceful / Rachel Fox McLeod: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/9Vn5Ye
Dove / Georgia Harper: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aNjaXj
The Couples Retreat / Mercedes Mercier: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/X4GDe5
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts / Sarah Clutton: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/B5OZM9
Billie King / Shannon Kelly-White:https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/zzPLVm

PRODUCTION NOTES:
Host: Nick Wasiliev
Guests: Claudine Tinellis
Editing & Production: Nick Wasiliev
Podcast Theme: ‘Chill’ by Sakura Hz
Production Code: 4:8
Episode Number: #66
Additional Credits: Dani Vee (Words & Nerds), Claudine Tinellis

FOLLOW NICK WASILIEV (+ DATE WITH A DEBUT):
A LITTLE IDEA PODCAST: Feed
SUBSTACK: nickwasiliev.substack.com
WEBSITE: www.nicholaswasiliev.com
YOUTUBE: @NickWasiliev_Official
INSTAGRAM: @nickwasiliev
TWITTER/X: @Nick_Wasiliev
FACEBOOK: Nick Wasiliev
TIKTOK: @nickwasiliev

© 2026 Nick Wasiliev and Breathe Art Holdings

‘Date With A Debut’ is a Words and Nerds and Breathe Art Podcasts co-production recorded and edited on Awabakal Country, and we pay our respects to all elders past and present.

Episode 815 - Dani Vee and Anna Poletti chat about Hello World?

This episode contains adult content.

We chat about the topics that society often avoids.

They chat about:
⭐️ Self-editing when writing about the erotic imagination
⭐️ Sexuality and identity
⭐️ Writing for yourself and not worrying that anyone is going to read it
⭐️ Why as a society we are repressed when it comes to exploring sexuality
⭐️ Feminism and exploring women’s shame
⭐️ Fiction vs academia
⭐️ Honesty in intimate relationships
⭐️ Writing process when coming from an academic background

‘Anna Poletti’s hello, world? is a subversive sex-positive and powerful deconstruction of patriarchy that looks at the erotic imagination and the role of technology and is explicitly feminist and anti-patriarchy.’ Australian Arts Review

Listen to this episode now!

Date with a Debut is a podcast hosted by writer Nick Wasiliev: shining a light on debut authors, their incredible books, and their journeys to publication.

Series 4 gets back up and running with a special collaboration with one of the best Aussie book podcasts going around, Talking Aussie Books!

Talking Aussie Books: https://claudinetinellis.com/episodes/
Claudine Tinellis - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudinetinellis

I have a special deal currently where if you sign up to the newsletter, you can have 50% off a monthly or yearly VIP subscription for the next twelve months. That's $3 a month, or $25 a year!

Sign up to the newsletter here (you can also get a free version too!): https://nickwasiliev.substack.com/

Get 50% off a paid VIP subscription here: https://nickwasiliev.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=651cc6fe

Enjoy the show? Drop us a review, it really helps the show out!

Check out our brand new podcast website: https://dwad.podpixels.com/

Check out the 2026 sponsor of the podcast, Pod Pixels: https://bit.ly/4cbG1Zt

Subscribe on Podbean to never miss an episode: https://www.podbean.com/site/podcatcher/index/blog/3mRME5IMoSJx

Date with a Debut is featured as part of the Australian literary platform Words & Nerds. Check out all shows on the platform here: https://danivee.com.au/podcasts/

BOOKS:
Debut Features:
The Heir Apparent / Rebecca Armitage: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/QYAmro
When The Party's Over / Katie Hoskins: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/DWV5xn
Solo Mum by Choice / Lorena Oates: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/eneVMO
The Beauty of Broken Things / Melissa Sharman: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/GbOzJm

Other Books Mentioned:
Life Drawing / Emily Lighezzolo: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aNWM9Q
Stay Buried / Jane R. Miles: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/MK26qq
Wake in Fright / Kenneth Cook: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/L0ObLM
The Animals In That Country / Laura Jean McKay: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/DWOX62
The Sisters of Serendib / Ayesha Inoon: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/jRQo7P
The Society of Literary Marauders / Sasha Wasley: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/k49BKL
Disgraceful / Rachel Fox McLeod: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/9Vn5Ye
Dove / Georgia Harper: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aNjaXj
The Couples Retreat / Mercedes Mercier: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/X4GDe5
The Bookshop of Buried Pasts / Sarah Clutton: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/B5OZM9
Billie King / Shannon Kelly-White:https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/zzPLVm

PRODUCTION NOTES:
Host: Nick Wasiliev
Guests: Claudine Tinellis
Editing & Production: Nick Wasiliev
Podcast Theme: ‘Chill’ by Sakura Hz
Production Code: 4:8
Episode Number: #66
Additional Credits: Dani Vee (Words & Nerds), Claudine Tinellis

FOLLOW NICK WASILIEV (+ DATE WITH A DEBUT):
A LITTLE IDEA PODCAST: Feed
SUBSTACK: nickwasiliev.substack.com
WEBSITE: www.nicholaswasiliev.com
YOUTUBE: @NickWasiliev_Official
INSTAGRAM: @nickwasiliev
TWITTER/X: @Nick_Wasiliev
FACEBOOK: Nick Wasiliev
TIKTOK: @nickwasiliev

© 2026 Nick Wasiliev and Breathe Art Holdings

‘Date With A Debut’ is a Words and Nerds and Breathe Art Podcasts co-production recorded and edited on Awabakal Country, and we pay our respects to all elders past and present.

Dear Bookish Community,

In this episode I chat to Shivaun and I chat about her unique and wonderful middle grade novel Running in Circles. This book is a moving coming-of-age story about family, picking your battles and the transformative power of science.

We chat about:
* How she combines family heartache, extraterrestrials and science
* Frog saunas
* Climate change and what she wanted readers to take from the book
* An obsession with the supernatural
* Writing and publishing process
* The process of creation
* The impact of AI on creativity

Thanks for supporting Aussie books and podcasts
Dani