What do acclaimed and best-selling authors Trent Dalton and Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu) have in common, other than writing deeply moving socio-political novels for the contemporary age? They both began their writing lives as journalists.

Dalton spent two decades investigating real-life stories as a social affairs journalist before becoming the bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe. Manawatu wrote the acclaimed Auē while working as reporter for the smallest independent daily newspaper in Aotearoa New Zealand. Whether writing for newspapers or in their novels, Dalton and Manawatu are both determined to make audiences care about overlooked and underrepresented stories.

They join Madeleine Chapman for an invigorating conversation about their varied writing careers, the importance of compassion and craft, and how they know when to use fiction or non-fiction to tell the right story.