I'm a Serious Book Person

Ultimo Press
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Is your TBR pile becoming a serious health and safety hazard? Did you stay up too late last night JUST so you could finish the good bit at the end of Chapter 8? Have you ever found yourself sniffing the pages of a new paperback book like its a fine perfume? If you answered yes to any of those questions you just might be a Serious Book Person.   Join our host, Robert Watkins, as he sits down with an author, a reader or a fellow book-obsessive (or maybe they're all three at once) and uncovers their favourite stories, the books that changed them, and why we still cling to the glorious, dusty power of paper and ink.

Episodes

  1. 2D AGO

    Sita Walker

    Is it possible to love books deeply while being a totally 'unserious' book person? According to Sita Walker, the answer is a resounding yes.  In this episode, Robert sits down with the author of the soul-bearing memoir The God of No Good and the stunning new novel In a Common Hour to discuss why stories matter more than the medium they come in. Sita takes us back to her childhood and the role stories played in her house growing up - The Simpsons was off-limits but Enid Blyton was everything. Hilarity ensues as Robert and Sita attempt to 'free the noun', discuss whether Steinbeck was 'hot' and wax lyrical about the many wonders of silent reading time. Sita Walker is a high school literature teacher, freelance writer and award-winning author whose first book, The God of No Good (Ultimo Press, 2023), won The Courier-­Mail People’s Choice Award at the Queensland Literary Awards and the University of Sydney People’s Choice Award at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Follow Sita Instagram Sita's Books The God of No Good (2023) Paperback | Ebook | Audiobook In a Common Hour (2026) Paperback | Ebook | Audiobook Business enquiries: podcast@ultimopress.com Get in touch by sending us a text I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by Robert Watkins and produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance.  If you'd you'd like to support the show you can rate & review I’m a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. Join the conversation: Leave a comment, tag us on social media or send us a message at podcast@ultimopress.com.  Instagram: @seriousbookperson and @ultimopress Facebook LinkedIn  TikTok I'm a Serious Book Person is recorded and produced on the lands of The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.

    20 min

  2. MAR 22

    Alex Sarkis

    Are you a serious reader, or just someone who skips to the spice? In this episode, host Robert Watkins sits down with Alex Sarkis, author of Something Blue and Something New, to interrogate her literary credentials. Alex reveals why she considers herself a 'mostly no' on the serious book person scale, admitting to a ruthless habit of skim reading and abandoning books that don't hook her in the first few chapters. She shares how her family life and her sister’s influence shaped her love for storytelling, and why Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals served as the blueprint for her own vibrant, character-driven writing style. Alex Sarkis was born and raised in Sydney’s West to Lebanese immigrant parents. Her main source of inspiration has always been the wild and wonderful landscape of her hometown, her family’s heritage, and the pride she feels in being an Australian. Something Blue, her debut novel, was published in 2022.  Follow Alex Instagram Alex's books Something New (2026) Paperback | Ebook | Audio Something Blue (2022) Paperback | Ebook | Audio Business enquiries: podcast@ultimopress.com Get in touch by sending us a text I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by Robert Watkins and produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance.  If you'd you'd like to support the show you can rate & review I’m a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. Join the conversation: Leave a comment, tag us on social media or send us a message at podcast@ultimopress.com.  Instagram: @seriousbookperson and @ultimopress Facebook LinkedIn  TikTok I'm a Serious Book Person is recorded and produced on the lands of The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.

    15 min

  3. MAR 8

    Jaclyn Moriarty

    This time on I’m a Serious Book Person, Robert is joined by Jaclyn Moriarty. Jaclyn reveals the delightful (and slightly eccentric) roots of her career, sharing how her father commissioned her and her famous sisters to write stories for pocket money—only to win the cash back in a game of roulette. Whether she is discussing her 'panicky' need to always have a book on hand, identifying as the 'mysterious' Emily Brontë of her family, or enthusing about the books that shaped her own imaginative worlds, this conversation is delightfully warm and witty - just like Jaclyn. Jaclyn Moriarty is the internationally bestselling author of novels for children, young adults and adults. Jaclyn’s books have been translated into several languages, won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Aurealis Award and named as CBCA Honour Book and Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book. They have also been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the Nebula Prize and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People. A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again.  Follow Jaclyn  Website  Instagram  Facebook  Jaclyn's Books Time Travel for Beginners - released this August! Gravity is the Thing I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes The Spell Book of Listen Taylor The Colours of Madeline Trilogy Kingdoms and Empires Series Feeling sorry for Celia Finding Cassie Crazy The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie Dreaming of Amelia Jaclyn mentioned Coco Chocolate in this episode, a chocolate shop in North Sydney where she loves to write.  Business enquiries: podcast@ultimopress.com Get in touch by sending us a text I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by Robert Watkins and produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance.  If you'd you'd like to support the show you can rate & review I’m a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. Join the conversation: Leave a comment, tag us on social media or send us a message at podcast@ultimopress.com.  Instagram: @seriousbookperson and @ultimopress Facebook LinkedIn  TikTok I'm a Serious Book Person is recorded and produced on the lands of The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.

    26 min

  4. FEB 22

    Ashley Kalagian Blunt

    In the first episode of I’m a Serious Book Person, Robert sits down with best-selling crime novelist Ashley Kalagian Blunt to dissect her reading and writing life. Tune in to find out why Ashley is one of the most compelling voices in crime writing today, what kept her turning the pages as a child and how a youthful brush with a 'poetry scheme' set the stage for her success. Don't miss this deep dive into the mind of a master storyteller.  Ashley Kalagian Blunt writes to expose the myriad ways our technology makes us vulnerable. She is the number-one bestselling author of Dark Mode, a psychological thriller published in multiple territories and languages. Dark Mode was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, and was voted number 20 in the Better Reading Top 100. Her most recent crime novels exploring the dangers of contemporary technology are Cold Truth, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel, and Like, Follow, Die.  Follow Ashley  Website  Instagram  Facebook  Sign up to Ashley’s Newsletter Listen to Ashley's podcast Ashley's Books Like Follow Die  Paperback / Ebook / Audio Cold Truth  Paperback / Ebook / Audio Dark Mode  Paperback / Ebook / Audio  Business enquiries: podcast@ultimopress.com Get in touch by sending us a text I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by Robert Watkins and produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance.  If you'd you'd like to support the show you can rate & review I’m a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. Join the conversation: Leave a comment, tag us on social media or send us a message at podcast@ultimopress.com.  Instagram: @seriousbookperson and @ultimopress Facebook LinkedIn  TikTok I'm a Serious Book Person is recorded and produced on the lands of The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.

    19 min

  5. TRAILER

    Trailer

    Is your TBR pile becoming a serious health and safety hazard? Did you stay up too late last night JUST so you could finish the good bit at the end of Chapter 8? Have you ever found yourself sniffing the pages of a new paperback book like it's a fine perfume? If you answered yes to any of those questions you just might be a Serious Book Person.   Join our host, Robert Watkins, as he sits down with an author, a reader or a fellow book-obsessive (or maybe they're all three at once) and uncovers their favourite stories, the books that changed them, and why we still cling to the glorious, dusty power of paper and ink. Get in touch by sending us a text I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by Robert Watkins and produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance.  If you'd you'd like to support the show you can rate & review I’m a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. Join the conversation: Leave a comment, tag us on social media or send us a message at podcast@ultimopress.com.  Instagram: @seriousbookperson and @ultimopress Facebook LinkedIn  TikTok I'm a Serious Book Person is recorded and produced on the lands of The Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Is your TBR pile becoming a serious health and safety hazard? Did you stay up too late last night JUST so you could finish the good bit at the end of Chapter 8? Have you ever found yourself sniffing the pages of a new paperback book like its a fine perfume? If you answered yes to any of those questions you just might be a Serious Book Person.   Join our host, Robert Watkins, as he sits down with an author, a reader or a fellow book-obsessive (or maybe they're all three at once) and uncovers their favourite stories, the books that changed them, and why we still cling to the glorious, dusty power of paper and ink.

Information

  • Creator
    Ultimo Press
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 I'm a Serious Book Person
  • Show Website
    I'm a Serious Book Person

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