Dear Rach & Soph

Sophie Hamley
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Bestselling Australian authors Rachael Johns (The Lucky Sisters, The Other Bridget, The Patterson Girls) and Sophie Green (Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society, The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle) talk about writing and books and all sorts of things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. On bookshops and buried pasts with guest Sarah Clutton

    3d ago

    On bookshops and buried pasts with guest Sarah Clutton

    From Sophie: At the time of recording this episode I had a cold and Rachael was in the middle of preparing her house to go on the market. When I pressed ‘record’ I forgot to pull my microphone close enough and my usual camera wasn’t connecting so it’s the substandard version, which the internet would likely say is far too low quality to be permissible on a podcast that has video options … but! We persisted. Why? We had a guest booked and we were not going to cancel on her. Indeed, we were determined to show up as best we can, and the act of showing up usually has its own momentum. Our guest in this episode is Sarah Clutton, an author from the Southern Highlands of New South Wales who won many fans with her last novel, The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains - which is not her first novel, so do ignore me saying that in the episode, and if I’d been feeling better at the time I would have done my research properly. But sometimes, liewers, the most a person can expect out of a day is to get out of bed and be presentable, and so it was on this day. Sarah is delightful, and I do hope you will read her new novel, The Bookshop of Buried Pasts, which features a quote by me on the back cover (an incentive, non?). Mainly read it, though, if you love engrossing stories about families and secrets - and books.  For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
  2. We decide to talk about A.I.

    May 16

    We decide to talk about A.I.

    Have you heard the term ‘regurgitated volume’ before? No? Good. That’s because Sophie made it up in this episode of Dear Rach & Soph, to describe large volumes of content being produced by generate A.I. In other words: books being written by A.I. But she's not going to call them that, and we discuss why. A.I. is a topic that is everywhere all at once, and also being raised specifically in relation to books and publishing. Rachael suggested we talk about it, because we haven’t addressed it much before but, given its pervasiveness, we thought it pertinent to do so, and also made the decision to do so about two minutes before we started recording. Which means we did something a large language model can’t: leap into the creative river and see what emerges, and work with what emerges and keep flowing.  Is the sky falling when it comes to books and what effect A.I. may have on them? You’ll have to watch or listen to the episode to find out what we think … It’s available wherever you find your podcasts.  For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  3. Why are we posting on social media?

    May 2

    Why are we posting on social media?

    From Sophie: On this podcast Rachael Johns and I let these conversations go where they will, and in this episode we start talking about how important it is for grown-ups to engage in play. That means in our writing as well, even if - perhaps especially if - we are constrained by expectations and deadlines. So that’s the light stuff. The heavy - or heavier - stuff turns up when we answer a listener question about social media and why male writers don’t seem to be on it as much as female writers. Here’s an abridged version of the question: ‘Just wondering why (to me) male authors don’t seem to feel as compelled to spend a lot of time networking, social media-ing and touring as female authors … Why do women authors seem to feel they have to be ‘out there’ to be recognised for their work? Or is this above and beyond and makes more money for them? If so all good, but to feel it’s the only way to be known and recognised seems unfair.’ The short answer is that it is, indeed, unfair but Rachael and I have a much longer discussion about it. As someone who has worked in book publishing for most of my adult life, I’ve had occasion to make observations and form opinions about certain things that go on, and you’ll hear some of those in this episode. Rachael has over 20 books published and she too has experience and opinions. We hope that bringing you the combination of all of that makes for an interesting episode! For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  4. On not saying 'sorry'

    Apr 18

    On not saying 'sorry'

    In this episode we talk about a subject that has been on our list for a while: the reflexive nature of saying ‘sorry’. Admittedly it’s something Sophie put on the list, as it’s something she's had an interest in - you’ll have to watch/listen to this episode for the back story - and which she talks about regularly in her life, because so many of us say ‘sorry’ so regularly that she believes it’s detrimental to our wellbeing. We also talk about not apologising for being ourselves … and how this influences our writing. In addition there's chitchat about writing and rejection (rejection is a popular topic with our audience, we’ve discovered), and we end the episode discussing what we’re reading now. For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
  5. We're baaaaack - season 4 begins

    Apr 4

    We're baaaaack - season 4 begins

    Hello longtime Dear Rach & Soph liewers (that's listeners + viewers to the uninitiated)! Thank you for your patience while Rachael Johns and I took a break to focus on writing our next books (two of them, in Rach's case) and other things.  Over the hiatus we've both had feedback that you mostly like us talking to each other, so there will be more of that this season, interspersed with some guests. We're really open to suggestions for topics to cover, as well, so please feel free to leave a comment to that effect or contact us on social media. There are various ways to find us. We hope you enjoy this episode. We had fun talking to each other, and we hope that translates. And in this age of AI, where I'm probably meant to run this through a programme that will tell me what to change so it's more SEO friendly, you can probably tell from the absence of buzzwords that I'm not doing that. This is me writing to you, one human to another, just as the podcast is me and Rachael talking to each other, one human to another. At least, I was human the last time I checked. Maybe I'm a holograph? Time will tell. Thanks for watching/listening! We appreciate your time and hope you enjoy spending some of it with us. - Sophie For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  6. Summer reading sorted! With these new releases from Q4 2025

    12/03/2025

    Summer reading sorted! With these new releases from Q4 2025

    Due to manuscript deadlines and other commitments, it’s taken until now to bring you up to date with October and November new releases. But it’s just in time for summer reading! See how I managed to spin that! As a reminder: these are the books we know about. If you’re an author with a 2026 release, you can let us know here. This is a Soph-only episode as Rach has two books to write at once. She needs a restful summer break too! Indeed, this is our last episode for the year. Thank you very much for listening/watching to us this year. We don’t have a pod without you! We plan to be back next year and may well be asking which subjects you’d like us to cover …  The full list of books mentioned in this episode is available on our Substack. For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    10 min
  7. All about The Lucky Sisters

    11/22/2025

    All about The Lucky Sisters

    **SPOILER ALERT** If you haven’t read Rachael Johns’s latest novel, The Lucky Sisters, please be advised that in this bonus episode of our podcast, Dear Rach & Soph, we discuss the ending of the book. The episode was recorded before the book was published and held until now to give people time to read it. If you haven’t read it and decide to listen anyway, well … you’ve ruined your own surprise! While we still intend to record a new releases episode for October, November and December releases - it’s been a packed few weeks, so we simply haven’t had a chance - this is the last full-length episode of the podcast for this year. THANK YOU to everyone who has listened to or watched the pod. We have plans to return next year! If there are any subjects you’d like us to cover, please leave a comment or send a DM or drop us a line.  ***  About The Lucky Sisters The Australian blockbuster of the year - read it before someone spoils the ending! A moving and heartfelt story about life, death and the miracles in between by the award-winning author of The Patterson Girls. What would you do if you thought each day on earth might just be your last? Lucky by name. Not so lucky by nature. Adopted twins Nora and Stevie Lucky have always been close, despite being total opposites. When their mother dies, Nora convinces Stevie to search for their biological parents, only to come face-to-face with a life-changing revelation that sends them spiralling in opposite directions. With their careers, love lives and even their sisterly bond at risk, they’re going to need more than luck to survive. 'Rachael Johns delivers one of her most heartfelt and emotionally layered novels yet ... a good choice for anyone who enjoyed Liane Moriarty's Here One Moment' Bookseller+Publisher For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  8. All about audiobooks from an audio insider, with guest Chiara Priorelli from Wavesound

    11/02/2025

    All about audiobooks from an audio insider, with guest Chiara Priorelli from Wavesound

    We recorded this episode in September, and Rachael was under the weather at the time, but she’s not any more! And she also talks about her latest novel, The Lucky Sisters, maybe being out by the time this episode is - and that novel is indeed out now. Our guest for this episode is the wonderful Chiara Priorelli from audiobook publisher Wavesound. (Wavesound published the audiobook of Sophie's latest novel, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon.) We both know we have readers who have switched to audio for some books (and we have too), and from the publishing side Sophie knows that audio is growing in popularity. So we wanted to find out more about this sector of publishing and reading. Chiara said yes to our invitation and she was so generous with her insight and information - we found the chat fascinating, and not because of us! This is our last ‘proper’ episode for the year (in the intro Sophie says it might be second-last if our planned last episode eventuated - we actually swapped the order, and the original planned last episode, with Lyla Sage, came out last week). We have recorded a bonus episode on The Lucky Sisters and that will be out towards the end of this month. It contains spoilers, so we’ve giving you a chance to read it beforehand.  For more information about Rachael Johns: https://www.rachaeljohns.com For more informationabout Sophie Green: https://sophiegreenauthor.com Subscribe on Spotify  Subscribe on Apple Subscribe on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
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About

Bestselling Australian authors Rachael Johns (The Lucky Sisters, The Other Bridget, The Patterson Girls) and Sophie Green (Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society, The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle) talk about writing and books and all sorts of things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophie Hamley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sophie Hamley
  • Show Website
    Dear Rach & Soph

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