The KidLit Pod

Shara Curlett
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Stories for Kids

Author Shara Curlett hosts a collective, industry-wide discussion around the importance of books for kids, sharing opinions, thoughts, ideas, research, and the science around the importance of stories and why we need to persist in encouraging our children to turn to a book, rather than a device.

Episodes

  1. 2 hrs ago

    KLP Chat: Tina Strachan on KidLit Community, Parenting Gen Alpha, and Industry News

    After signing a three-book deal as a debut, Tina Strachan has launched onto the Australian kidlit scene in a big way, becoming a wonderful advocate for children's literature, a popular emcee for events, and co-host of the The Book Deal podcast. Shara and Tina share recent updates, including Tina drafting a new project and Shara finishing final edits for Protector of Beyond, before discussing the big topic of parenting Gen Alpha in a screen-saturated world. They talk about reframing screen time, balance, “brain nutrition,” and preserving family rituals. Following this, they talk about podcasts, industry news, and opportunities throughout Australia and NZ, including grants and residencies, YABBA, the Auckland Writers Festival, the Young Authors Challenge, and the Lit Quiz/Readers Cup. They also give some shout-outs, before Shara shares a confidence/posture tip from Jefferson Fisher, and they discuss writing advice for kids: write messily first, and start stories with “what if.” At the end of this episode, Shara announces that Tina Strachan and Kate Foster will be joining her in the future for a regular "KidLit Hang". LINKS: Tina Strachan Website Tina Strachan on Instagram - @td_strachan The Book Deal Podcast How to Draw a Dragon - Kate Talbot Dear You, Love From Your Brain - Karen Young ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT: Nanny Tobbins and the Midnight Plan by Lucy Stevens - published by HarperCollins Publishers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    48 min

  2. 2 days ago

    KLP Chat: Jack Heath on Storytelling, Career Writing, and Craft

    Published at 19, Jack Heath had an early introduction to being an author, and shares the knowledge and insights he's learned over the past twenty years. In this episode of The KidLit Pod, host Shara Curlett delves deep with Jack Heath, an Australian author known for writing action-driven books for reluctant readers, including the Minutes of Danger series and his latest 12+ thriller, I Know What You’re Hiding, published by Scholastic Australia. Jack describes his childhood reading (Doctor Who novelisations, Goosebumps, Animorphs) and how meeting Jackie French made becoming a writer feel possible. He shares how later career setbacks tested his commitment, including the challenges of public life and social media. Jack also discusses his neurodiversity, and how writing helps him to communicate and process emotions. Jack and Shara explore devices and boredom as drivers of creativity, plot-first vs. character-first writing, and how deep emotion can power stronger books. Jack also reflects on AI’s impact on writing, scams targeting authors, and the need for human originality and emotional resonance. They discuss how books build empathy by letting readers see through others’ eyes, and Jack shares how a pivotal Arts ACT grant helped him in the early days, and believes more arts funding is needed for children’s writers, to help more children become more empathetic adults. The episode also includes a synopsis and review of I Know What You’re Hiding, and shares a bit about Jack's upcoming adult novel Choppy Water. Jack Heath's Website: jackheathwriter.com Jack on Instagram: @jackheathwriter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT LINK: I Know What You're Hiding by Jack Heath - published by Scholastic Australia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    1hr 9min

  3. 15 June

    KLP Chat: Jacqueline Harvey on Storytelling, Teaching, and Building a Kidlit Career

    A children's author who has published 67 novels, Jacqueline Harvey has turned her passion into a career, and shares wise insights on being an author. In this episode of The KidLit Pod, host Shara Curlett chats with Jacqueline Harvey about growing up around stories. Jacqueline describes growing up in a family of strong storytellers, valuing intergenerational stories, and her love of talking with strangers to hear about their lives. The pair discuss lost community connection, technology, Australia’s under-16 social media ban, and COVID’s impact on children. Jacqueline recounts her teaching career and how she was inspired by an influential primary teacher, and shares creative classroom projects like an Egyptian archaeology dig to bring fun to the classroom. She shares the experiences that helped shape Alice-Miranda, and how she later balanced senior school leadership with writing, until leaving education to write full time. Jacqueline share why Alice-Miranda resonates with so many children (kindness), how she manages long-running series, her Australia–New Zealand work rhythm, touring strategies, and upcoming projects and workshops. To learn more about Jacqueline, you can visit: www.jacquelineharvey.com.au Instagram: jacquelineharve Facebook: jacquelineharveyauthor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT LINK: The Girl and the Ghost series by Jacqueline Harvey - published by Penguin Australia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    49 min

  4. 11 June

    KidLit Hang with Bethany Loveridge, Adrian Beck, and Shara Curlett

    Host Shara Curlett introduces a monthly “KidLit Hang” format with Bethany Loveridge (Betty Love) and Adrian Beck, where a few authors hang out and chat. In their first hangout, they banter about deadlines, school visits, teaching, and do a rapid “Would You Rather” game, before discussing recent reads / listens / watches. They talk about author-work balance, procrastination, and scheduling around family and publishing tasks. Shara spotlights Brenton Cullen’s The Prime Minister Problem, and they give shout-outs to to a few people within the industry, before sharing upcoming releases and events, including Bethany's Josie Mack and the Mega Division, Adrian's Nowhere House and Fox Kid titles, and Shara's Protector of Beyond series. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT LINK: The Prime Minister Problem by Brenton Cullen - published by Riveted Press ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    54 min

  5. 8 June

    KLP Chat: Helen Farch @fhclibrary on Hustling for School Libraries, Going Viral, and the Importance of School Librarians

    Helen Farch is a high school librarian and Instagram influencer who shares how her hustle has turned a passion for books into success for both her school, and herself. In this episode of The KidLit Pod, host Shara Curlett chats with Helen Farch about her role as librarian at Forest Hill College, a secondary school in Melbourne. Helen is an advocate for school libraries, reading for pleasure, and Australian authors. Helen explains how she started the @fhclibrary Instagram account to make her library visible, and how the platform led to global librarian connections, publisher relationships, donated review books, and speaking opportunities, as well as building a thriving school library community. She discusses removing barriers to borrowing, successful engagement ideas like loyalty cards and weekly “Would You Rather” votes, and the need for dedicated library staff amid underfunding and space pressures. Helen describes revamping and genrefying nonfiction to boost borrowing and support research, notes popularity trends like manga, fantasy, romantasy, and horror, and highlights grants and community networks to support library programs and author visits. LINKS: Instagram: @fhclibrary Forest Hill College Library 123Read2Me - empowering disadvantaged kids to succeed with free books. Article in The Sapling - The Reckoning: Every Student Deserves a School Librarian in their Lives Kirsty Everett on Instagram: @kirstyeverettauthor Kirsty Everett on Mamamia Kirsty Everett - Channel Nine Interview Students Need School Libraries ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT LINK: Seasons of Clementine by Jess Galatola - published by Perentie Press ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    59 min

  6. 1 June

    KLP Chat: H P Fryer on OGG, Illustration, and Feeding Kids' Imaginations

    In this episode of The KidLit Pod, host Shara Curlett chats with author-illustrator and almost-neighbour, H P Fryer on becoming a published author, and motherhood H P Fryer (Hannah Powell Fryer) is the New Zealand author-illustrator of OGG, her debut picture book published by Scholastic Australia in 2025. Hannah shares how she entered the publishing scene via an illustrator portfolio call, how she developed OGG from a university character exercise, and describes how she created the book’s detailed gouache-and-pencil illustrations. The conversation covers her history and illustration studies, artistic influences, how parenting increases exposure to children’s books, and Shara and Hannah discuss shared views on limiting devices, valuing boredom, and “feeding” children’s minds with stories. Hannah's illustration influences, mentioned throughout the podcast include: Quentin BlakeSarah OgilvieJúlia SardàAlex SchefflerBeatrice AlemagnaLynley DoddBob GrahamAlison LesterBriony StewartBriony May SmithAlex T. SmithYou can find out more about our guest, H.P. Fryer (Hannah Powell Fryer), here: HP Fryer on Instagram (@hpfryer) HP Fryer Website (www.hpfryer.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOOK SHOUTOUT LINK: Josie Mack and the MEGA Division - published by Wombat Books ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    41 min

  7. 29 May

    Introducing The KidLit Pod

    Introducing The KidLit Pod: A New Industry-Wide Conversation on Children’s Books The Kid Lit Pod is a new podcast launching in June 2026, hosted by Shara Curlett, author of the middle grade fantasy novel Welcome to Miracle (Scholastic Australia, 2025) and the upcoming series Protector of Beyond (Penguin Australia, releasing September 2026). The KidLit Pod will be focused on inspiring creativity in kids and exploring connection, play, children’s neurological development, and the impact of devices. KLP will facilitate collective, industry-wide discussions about the importance of children’s books. Featuring Australian and New Zealand creators and industry professionals, the show will share opinions, ideas, research, and science through conversations with marketing teams, booksellers, librarians, teachers, specialists, publishers, as well as authors and illustrators, to uncover the stories behind the stories. We'll also be having a monthly hang with some kidlit friends (KLP Hang).  The KidLit Pod will premiere on 2 June, with an episode featuring H.P. Fryer. Follow The KidLit Pod  on Instagram (@thekidlitpod) Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here: Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett) Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)

    2 min
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Author Shara Curlett hosts a collective, industry-wide discussion around the importance of books for kids, sharing opinions, thoughts, ideas, research, and the science around the importance of stories and why we need to persist in encouraging our children to turn to a book, rather than a device.

Information

  • Creator
    Shara Curlett
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The KidLit Pod
  • Show Website
    The KidLit Pod

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