Host Ky Garvey chats with author Ben Hobson about his unexpected path to becoming a writer — from punk bands and audiovisual work to university, short-story wins, and his published novels. They discuss research for The Death of John Lacey, collaborations, Ben’s Book Club, and the creative experiments that keep his work alive.
The conversation also dives into practical reality: balancing family, day jobs, and writing time; dealing with imposter syndrome and the search for validation; and Ben’s advice to emerging writers to have fun, take risks, and find small pockets of time to create.
Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award and shortlisted for the Courier-Mail's People's Choice Award. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019. He also runs Ben's Book Club, a monthly online book club for libraries, and often does in-person interviews with authors. The Death of John Lacey, an Australian Western, was released in 2023, and is his third novel.
Libby App: Free ebooks & audiobooks from your library | by OverDrive
*Affiliate link
You can purchase a copy of Ben's book 'The Death of John Lacey':
The Death Of John Lacey by Ben Hobson - 9781761065897
Totally Lit recieves an affiliate payment from sales using this link which contributes to the costs associated with running the podcast.
Host: Ky Garvey
Theme Song: Claire Houghton
Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/
Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/
Totally Lit is an independent podcast. You can help support us to continue to chat with wonderful Australian creatives by leaving a review on Itunes or sharing our socials with your friends. You can also make a contribution at:
www.buymeacoffee.com/Totallylit
For those of you who know me I am kind of a caffeine addict! So you can keep me fueled with caffeine and this will also help with equipment & podcasting platform fees etc.
I love to interact with our listeners so feel free to say hello either by email or social media:
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.