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This week Amy, Abby & Payton get truly academic and discuss a scholarly article that they have not read; deep dive into the history of the undead and the "oops we promise we really thought they were dead"; examine themes of animalism, predation, patriarchy and violence in Twilight, Buffy, and The Vampire Diaries; debate the ethics and practicalities of vegan vampires and human cannibals; and discover what prions are (and that Payton has prions).  🧛 Our BOTM is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice   MENTIONS 🎓 SCHOLARLSHIP: ”Vampires: Reflections in a Dark Mirror” by Wendy Fall in The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature; Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula by Christopher Frayling 🪶 POETRY: “The Bride of Corinth” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 📖 BOOKS: Dracula by Bram Stoker; Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice; The Blood Countess by Tara Moss; Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith; Black River by Ruby Jean Cottle 📺 TV SHOWS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003); The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) 🎞️ MOVIES: The Lost Boys (1987)   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Williams’ novel Neighbourhood Watch is set in a fictional Melbourne suburb, and the plot features a murder bizarre enough to rival British TV favorite Midsomer Murders. Among the scarecrows in the annual Scarecrow Competition is a real dead body, that of a judge. Justice is the theme and psychologist turned homicide detective Priyanka Pal finds herself up against corruption and powerful men. + Young elf Esther learns to wrangle dragons as she also learns about love and loss in Jasmine Graetz’s ‘Dracorian Whispers’. The young adult fantasy novel is set in Crossford Academy where Dragon Wrangling is just one of the skills being taught. + How the enthusiasm of locals can make a library work. We meet Jan Hunt, powerhouse behind the Bruny Island Community Library     Guests   Lauren Williams, author of ‘Neighbourhood Watch’   Jasmine Graetz, author of Dracorian Whispers   Jan Hunt, Bruny Island Community Library   Books that get a mention   Cath is checking out Kate Atkinson’s latest novel  “Our Noble Selves”. Sarah discusses why the current trad-wife sensation ‘Yesteryear’ by Caro Claire Burke isn’t working for her   Author contacts   https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/authors/Lauren-Williams/244423215 https://www.instagram.com/jasmine_h_graetz/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're continuing Vampire month by diving deep into the world of teen vampires. Or vampires who fall in love with teens? Join us as we try to pick apart the "pick me" of it all, question why these old ass vampires are interested in teen girls, and the team once again explain how Edward got Bella pregnant in Twilight. Seriously guys, we can't seem to escape Twilight. This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires! 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSHow to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee ThompsonThe Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine HarrisInterview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer Dracula by Bram Stoker The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. HamiltonThe Vampire Academy series by Richelle MeadA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasFifty Shades of Grey by EL JamesBeautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren MOVIESTwilight 2008The Lost Boys 1987Vampire Academy 2014Miss Congeniality 2001 TV SERIESTrue Blood 2008What We Do in the Shadows 2019Buffy 1997Charmed 1998The Righteous Gemstones 2019 OTHERThe Book of Mormon (musical)Vampire Game by Judal (manga series)Stephenie Meyer's Twilight playlist (https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-books/twilight/twilight-playlist/) LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to vampire month! It’s now October which means Halloween which means we get spooky which means we contemplate marriage and sex with crusty dusty vampires. Well, for a little bit. But mostly, in this first episode of the month, Amy, Justina, Harry and Millie are talking about their favourite vampires (Nosferatu, but specifically in SpongeBob) and the ways in which vampire lore changes with time. What fears and desires do different vampire myths speak to? Why is the vampire so timeless and compelling?  This month, we’re reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice. And because it’s a 5-week month, our After Dark episode will be all about Amy’s first time (!?) watching the movie TWILIGHT. Get to reading and watching, and we’ll see you next week to talk about YA vampires! 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch MENTIONS BOOKSInterview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 1976Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 2005Dracula by Bram Stoker 1897The Vampyre by John William Polidori 1819Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu originally serialised in the magazine The Dark Blue between 1871 and 1872Salem’s Lot by Stephen King 1975I Am Legend Richard MathesonPride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith 2009Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott and Lynn Messina 2010Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland 2010Gulliver’s Wife by Lauren Chater 2021Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith 2010Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters 2009The Iliad by HomerThe Odyssey by HomerAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 1929Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas 2005 MOVIESInterview with the Vampire 1994Twilight 2008Nosferatu 1922, 2024What We Do in the Shadows 2014The Last Voyage of the Demeter 2023I Am Legend 2007Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 2012Sinners 2025Daybreakers 2009Underworld 2003Van Helsing 2004Ultraviolet 2006The Lost Boys 1987Heathers 1988 TV SERIESInterview with the Vampire 2022What We Do in the Shadows 2019SpongeBob Square Pants 1999Skins UK 2007Haven 2010Salem’s Lot 2024Midnight Mass 2021Hemlock Grove 2013The Vampire Diaries 2009 MUSICALSLestat 2006Dracula, Baby 1970The Lost Boys 2026Heathers 2014Twihard! The Musical by Tiffany Keane Schaefer 2024 OTHERDracula Daily (newsletter) by Matt Kirkland and Bram Stoker 2021–Richard Bachman a.k.a. Stephen KingSuzanne CollinsDracula (ballet) 2025 LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you in need of a cathartic cry from a novel that leaves you feeling warm, optimistic, and craving lobster rolls? This week, the '&' of Amy & kick our host, Amy, off the pod so that we can talk candidly about her latest novel, THE TREASURE HOUSE (spoiler: we're obsessed). Join us as we discuss which moments left us in tears, the pros and cons of owning a treasure home, how sentimental we feel about objects, and whether mac & cheese should include broccoli. We can't wait to meet you at some of our upcoming events: 💛 Celebrate the launch of THE TREASURE HOUSE: https://burnside-events.bookable.net.au/#!/event-detail/ev_06c4a4035a5e4cda912ce751cfbb6d2e?utm_campaign=linkinbio&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio 📚 Book Club just got spooky! Join Flinders writer and academic Amy Matthews and the AMY & BOOK CLUB podcast team on the 29th of October for a Halloween discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-club-series-halloween-spooky-stories-tickets-1985878438869?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true 🎤🎸 BOOKS & BANGERS Live Show: Amy & Book Club are excited to host our very first live show, featuring music from special guests and local indie rock band, Mass Wisteria! Join us on the 25th of November for hot takes, games, live music and more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-bangers-amy-book-club-tickets-1999979053186?aff=ebdssbdestsearch   MENTIONS 📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews 🎙️PODCAST NARRATOR: Eva Kaminsky   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Justina, Abby & Millie are joined by the illustrious Amy Matthews for a conversation all about writing, publishing and The Treasure House. Join us as we delve into Amy’s writing process, hear about her journey into publishing, cry over her latest book and speculate on when all her various pen names will finally merge into one super author.   🏡 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews MENTIONS   📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; The McBrides of Montana series by Amy Barry;  Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews; End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews; Stephen King’s books; Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid; Elsie Silver’s books; Laurie Gilmore’s books; Rebecca Thorne’s books; Hate You to Love You by Joshua Hortinela; Northshine by Amy Barry   📺 TV SHOWS: Gilmore Girls (2000–2007); Game of Thrones (2011–2019)   🎞️ MOVIES: Stephen Spielberg’s films; Nora Ephron’s films; Dirty Dancing (1987)   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookClub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Book Club: Amy & Book Club  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Munch on this publishing month with us as we take a peek behind the scenes of The Treasure House and trace its journey from ideation to publication. This week Payton & Amy are joined by three publishing experts: Sarah Younger, agent at Nancy Yost Literary Agency and Amy’s own agent; Anthea Bariamis, publisher at Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) and Amy’s Australian editor; and Alicia Clancy, editorial director at Dell (Penguin Random House) and Amy’s USA editor.    🏡 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews   MENTIONS   📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy Matthews; Best, First and Last by Amy Matthews; Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does publishing a novel look like behind the scenes? This month we're following the trajectory of THE TREASURE HOUSE by Amy Matthews, from idea to publication, and asking the agent, editors and publishers our burning questions about the publishing industry.  This week, we interview the lovely Melanie Hayes, Commissioning Editor at Simon & Schuster UK, to ask what does a commissioning editor do? What does Melanie's journey into the publishing industry look like? What do publishers look for when acquiring new titles? Which genre is the best, and why is it romance? 📚 Our BOTM is The Treasure House by Amy Matthews. Get your copy here: The Treasure House | Book by Amy Matthews | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU   MENTIONS 📖 BOOKS: The Treasure House by Amy Matthews; Return to Sender by Stephanie Parente; Rumours & Whiskey by Victoria Wilder 📺 TV: Schitt's Creek (2015); The Pitt (2025 - present); House of the Dragon (2022 - present) 🎬 ACTORS: Connor Storrie & Hudson Williams 📰 AUTHORS: Amy Matthews; Elsie Silver   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s 1917, shop assistant Dora Black has been found dead on a city beach,  and  Adelaide’s legendary early 20th century policewoman Kate Cocks is on the case. Mixing real history, a strong sense of place, and with World War 1 as a backdrop, The Death of Dora Black is the first in Lainie Anderson’s “Petticoat Police Mystery”  series. + Caro and Danny were children and later young lovers at their secret hangout, the  local waterhole. Caro thought they would be together forever, but grief and Danny’s self-destructive spiral after his mother’s death  complicates that dream. A poetic exploration of first love and loss, grief and addiction, Frogsong takes the reader inside Caro’s world,  back to the joy and pain of growing up.      Guests   Lainie Anderson, author of “The Death of Dora Black” and “Murder on North Terrace”   Melissa Manning, author of “Frogsong”   Author contacts   @lainie.anderson @lissmanning   Books that get a mention   Cath recommends “Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark” by James Bailey and “Domination” by Professor Alice Roberts Annie loved “Euphoria” by Lily King and our reviewer Maddie enjoyed “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're so sad to say goodbye to Smut month, but we're sending it off with a truly fantastic book and a thinker of a book club. In C.M. Nascosta's MORNING GLORY MILKING FARM, our heroine Violet finds herself working an unconventional job 'milking' minotaurs in Cambric Creek. Violet is making the best out of her new career when a stern, deep-voiced client beings to request her specifically for his milking sessions, throwing a spanner in the works. Can love really bloom at the milking farm? Join us as we answer that question and more: how do you kiss a minotaur? Just how much is 24 ounces of minotaur fluid? Why is romance so obsessed with large members? And who would win in a bracket competition of common monster smut creatures? Be warned: it's smut month, so the episode may be especially NSFW. LINKS 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://linktr.ee/masswisteria#465207993 🌸 Our Socials: IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub YT: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyandBookClub 💛 Where to find Amy: Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/ Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/ Thank you so much for listening!💞 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Amy& tackle a complicated discussion about sex in romance with the one and only Amy Andrews! Brace yourselves for an incredible chat about how sex can be written, what makes a good sex scene, and how maybe calling a penis a member might REALLY be a reference to parliament. As far as NSFW goes, this week we might have made Amy& history, with a romping number of descriptions that might make you feel like you are back in a Sex Ed class...with the joy of having Amy Andrews with us, we tackle the question: ‘How do you write a sex scene?’   • LINKS • 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria.  Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://linktr.ee/masswisteria#465207993 🌸 Our Socials: • IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub • TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub  • YT: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyandBookClub 🌸 Where to find Amy Andrews:  • Website: https://www.amyandrews.com.au/ • Amy Andrews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandrewsbooks/?hl=en  • Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AmyAndrewsAuthor/ Upcoming Releases: • Tough and Tamed (Redemption Valley Ranch #2) 💛 Where to find Amy: • Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthews • Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthews • Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/ Thank you so much for listening!💞 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Amy, Payton, Abby & Justina discuss Katherine Angel’s book, Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again, and deep dive into the nuances of sex, consent and desire. What kinds of social scripts have we been taught about sex and consent and why are they so dang gendered? Why is the patriarchy always at the scene of the crime? And how does this all shake out when romance and smut books enter the chat?  Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and child sexual abuse. 📚 Our BOTM is Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta   MENTIONS 📖 BOOKS: Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta; Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again by Katherine Angel; Unmastered by Katherine Angel; Daddy Issues by Katherine Angel; The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: The Will to Knowledge by Michel Foucault; The Will to Change by bell hooks; DSM-5 by the American Psychiatric Association; In the Cut by Susanna Moore; Down Girl by Kate Manne; Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James; Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon 📺 TV: Bridgerton (2020 – present) 🎬 FILMS: High School Musical (2006); Bottoms (2023); Twilight (2008); May December (2023) 📰 MAGAZINES: Dolly 🎙️ PODCASTS: Winey Writers   LINKS: Watch the full episode on YouTube: @AmyAndBookclub Follow the Amy & Podcast on IG: @amyandbookclub  Follow the Amy & Podcast on TikTok: @amyandbookclub Join the Amy & Bookclub: Amy & Bookclub  Follow Amy Matthews on IG: @amymatthewsauthor  Follow Amy Barry on IG: @amybarryauthor Our theme music is “Same Old” by Mass Wisteria. Listen to their music on Bandcamp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Caleb Tasker’s grim and gripping Just Like the Night + Elisabeth Storr’s Fables and Lies   Lena has only really known a life of petty crime after spending her childhood on the road with her charismatic card sharp father Ray. Now in adulthood and just out of prison she finds herself in much deeper water, tangling with the dark Sydney underworld in an attempt to save her daughter. Michael Caleb Tasker’s first novel Just Like the Night delivers a gripping and gritty story with great literary style. + Historical fiction writer Elisabeth Storrs sets her new book Fables and Lies in World War 2 Germany.  The racy romantic thriller, about the Aryan myth, Nazi archaeology and the race to save the Trojan gold as Berlin falls, is based on a true story, and brings a little known aspect of the Nazi Regime to life.     Guests   Michael Caleb Tasker, author of “Just Like the Night”   Elisabeth Storrs, author of “Fables and Lies”   Author contacts   https://michaelcalebtasker.com/   @elisabethstorrsauthor   Books that get a mention   Michael Caleb Tasker recommends works by Raymond Chandler, particularly “The Long Goodbye” , and “Song of the Lark” by Willa Cather. He is also a fan of Kierkegaard, Michael Farris Smith, Ron Rash, Walter Mosely, Jim Harrison and John Steinbeck. Annie loved “Heart the Lover” by Lily King and Sarah recommends “On the Calculation of Volume” by Solvej Balle   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another Amy & Smut Month, the month where we talk about books with smut! This time we're getting to know the monstrous, the beastly, and the surprisingly sweet. We tackle what kind of monsters belong in 'monster smut', our Wills and Won'ts of monsterkind, Romantasy vs Monster Romances, and just why these beastly men appeal to readers. Fun moments include a monster dating show (Married at First Bite anyone?), an inappropriate discussion of manatees, and Amy Learns About The Omegaverse. Amy & episodes are usually NSFW: this episode is particularly NSFW. This month we're reading Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta. If you haven't read this delightful book yet, grab your copp so there's no spoilers when you listen to our book club on 27th August! MENTIONS BOOKS Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. NascostaTomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again by Katherine AngelIce Planet Barbarians by Ruby DixonA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyTusk Love by Thea GuanzonLegends and Lattes by Travis BaldreeTwilight by Stephenie MeyerPinned by Love by Elaine J. Daniels FILMS/TV/VIDEO GAMES Beauty and the BeastShrekFuturamaShape of WaterSupernaturalBaldur's Gate 3 LINKS 🎵 Our theme music is by Mass Wisteria. Stream their single SAME OLD here: https://linktr.ee/masswisteria#465207993 🌸 Our Socials: IG: https://www.instagram.com/amyandbookclub TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@amyandbookclub YT: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyandBookClub 💛 Where to find Amy: Amy Matthews on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amymatthewsauthor/ Amy Barry on IG: https://www.instagram.com/amybarryauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAmyTMatthewsauthor Website: https://amymatthewsauthor.com/ Thank you so much for listening!💞 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Around the School Table (xuno.com.au/podcasts), host Steve Davis is joined by Dr Selena Fisk, a Data Storyteller and Founder of SelenaFisk.com, to explore how schools can move beyond simply collecting data and instead build a culture where evidence supports better teaching, stronger leadership, and improved student outcomes. Drawing on her experience as a former teacher, researcher, and education consultant, Selena explains why schools should strive to become data-informed rather than data-driven. Throughout the conversation, Selena reflects on her early teaching career in the United Kingdom, where school performance was judged heavily against a single achievement metric. Consequently, she shares how that experience shaped her belief that data should never become a tool for compliance or fear. Instead, it should encourage curiosity, professional conversations, and thoughtful decision-making. She also explains why every dataset contains limitations and why triangulation, using multiple sources of evidence, helps educators develop a more accurate understanding of student learning. The discussion also explores Selena's doctoral research into student perceptions of feedback. She reveals that many students genuinely want to understand where they sit within their learning journey. However, they also value meaningful conversations that help them interpret feedback rather than simply receiving grades. Furthermore, she explains how schools can foster confidence by encouraging dialogue between teachers and students while ensuring data remains connected to the people behind the numbers. The conversation examines how school leaders can improve data conversations by creating practical frameworks that guide staff from analysing evidence through to prioritising actions. Rather than allowing meetings to become compliance exercises, Selena demonstrates how curiosity, structured questioning, and clear priorities can transform school improvement conversations into purposeful action. The episode also discusses simplifying school data systems, reducing technology barriers, and making information more accessible for teachers. In addition, Selena highlights why educators should use data to celebrate progress, identify strengths, and recognise growth instead of focusing solely on gaps or deficiencies. Practical examples illustrate how recognising improvement can positively influence student identity, motivation, and engagement. Finally, the conversation examines responsible interpretations of NAPLAN results and the importance of understanding school performance within its broader community context. Selena also shares inspiring examples from her work with remote Australian schools, demonstrating how careful analysis of attendance, engagement, and community feedback can lead to meaningful educational change. This episode provides valuable insights for teachers, school leaders, and education professionals seeking to create ethical, evidence-informed school cultures where data prompts better questions, stronger collaboration, and more confident decisions. Powered by: xuno.com.au. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.