About this podcast
Welcome to Date with a Debut, a podcast about debut authors, their incredible books, and their journey to publication. If you are looking for a new author to discover, or writing inspiration, this is the place to be.
Hosted by Australian author and creator Nick Wasiliev, this podcast sits down with debut authors, discussing their books, their unique journeys to release, and their own life stories. Grab a coffee, sit back, and let us introduce you to your new favourite authors!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 94 episodes
- Debut Revisited - Michael Mohammed Ahmad breaks down his career from The Tribe to Bugger · 1 h 35 min · Season 4 Episode 23Founding Director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement, Michael Mohammed Ahmad has become one of Australia’s biggest champions of literature - and that’s even before we get to his…
- Debut Revisited - Anne Freeman breaks down her career from Returning to Adelaide to The Time After Now · 1 h 9 min · Season 4 Episode 22Since diving into the world of writing, Anne Freeman has focused on stories about women who are stuck in life and the extraordinary ways they shake themselves loose. In our…
- Debut Revisited - Ashley Kalagian Blunt breaks down her career from Dark Mode to Like, Follow, Die · 1 h 23 min · Season 4 Episode 21Ashley Kalagian Blunt has been described as the Australian Queen of the Tech Thriller ever since she burst onto the scene. In our first episode of Debut Revisited for 2026, Nick…
- Series 4, Episode 20 - Dream Girls by Hannah Goldstein · 1 h 3 min · Season 4 Episode 20A love-drunk Shakespeare enthusiast and a disillusioned Instagram baker try to kill each other at a wedding. They’re supposed to be best friends, so how did they end up here? For…
- Series 4, Episode 19 - Beneath the Edelweiss by Elizabeth Noel · 1 h 11 min · Season 4 Episode 19A story of resistance, community, and survival set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Austrian Alps and the heartbreaking onset of World War II. For episode 19, Nick chats…
- Series 4, Episode 18 - The Warrumbar by William J. Byrne · 56 min · Season 4 Episode 18A compelling coming-of-age story about love, injustice, and the courage it takes to do what’s right. For episode 18, Nick chats with William J. Byrne, discussing his historical…
- BONUS: Second Date sneak peek with Lenny Robinson and Bryony McGuinness · 59 min · Season 4Date with a Debut will return next week for the final two episodes of the year, but to bridge the gap, please enjoy a sneak historical novel peek of my new newsletter show…
- Series 4, Episode 17 - Violet Town by Bryony McGuinness · 55 min · Season 4 Episode 17A captivating story of forbidden love and loss in the time of war. For episode 17, Nick chats with Bryony McGuinness, discussing her historical YA debut, Violet Town.
- Series 4, Episode 16 - Collaboration with Tina Strachan from The Book Deal · 1 h 11 min · Season 4 Episode 16A meeting of literary minds. For episode 16, Nick welcomes Date with a Debut’s second collaboration for the year, sitting down with one of the co-hosts of The Book Deal podcast…
- Series 4, Episode 15 - Once Upon a Breakfast Show by Stephanie MacFie · 54 min · Season 4 Episode 15Can her radio audience help find the one that got away? For episode 15, Nick chats with Stephanie MacFie, discussing her delightful romcom, Once Upon a Breakfast Show.
- Series 4, Episode 14 - The Rising by Whitney Fitzsimmons · 1 h 8 min · Season 4 Episode 14A devastating cold case. A town on edge. Trust no one. For episode 14, Nick chats with Whitney Fitzsimmons, discussing her thrilling debut rural noir, The Rising.
- Series 4, Episode 13 - And In The Morning by Lenny Robinson · 58 min · Season 4 Episode 13Three women. Three wars. The damage done to the men they love. For episode 13, Nick chats with Lenny Robinson about the war fiction novel, And In The Morning.
- Series 4, Episode 12 - Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles · 59 min · Season 4 Episode 12As Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin, four girls disappear into the heart of the outback. No tracks. No bodies. No answers. Decades later, one returns. For episode 12, Nick…
- Series 4, Episode 11 - Imogen in Waiting by Lindsay Bartels · 52 min · Season 4 Episode 11The story of a mother grappling with an impossible decision. For episode 11, Nick chats with Lindsay Bartels about her prescient biography, Imogen in Waiting.
- Series 4, Episode 10 - What's Been Broken Is All the More Sharp by Dominique Lee · 1 h 7 min · Season 4 Episode 10A Doctor’s story of sexual assault, survival, and reclamation of power. For episode ten, Nick chats with Dr Dominique Lee about her powerful memoir, What’s Been Broken Is All the…
- Series 4, Episode 9 - Shaping Tomorrow's Man by Albert Jamae · 1 h 6 min · Season 4 Episode 9Men were raised for one world - then found themselves in another. For episode nine, Nick chats with Albert Jamae about his self help books dedicated to helping men how to…
- Series 4, Episode 8, Part 2 - Talking the future for debut authors with Claudine Tinellis from Talking Aussie Books · 50 min · Season 4 Episode 8Series 4 returns with a special two-part collaboration with one of the best Aussie book podcasts going around, Talking Aussie Books! In part two, Nick and Claudine Tinellis…
- Series 4, Episode 8, Part 1 - Collaboration with Claudine Tinellis from Talking Aussie Books · 45 min · Season 4 Episode 8Series 4 returns with a special two-part collaboration with one of the best Aussie book podcasts going around, Talking Aussie Books! In part one, Nick chats with host Claudine…
- BONUS: Second Date sneak peek with Bridie Blake and Amanda Hewitt · 43 min · Season 4While Date with a Debut is off for the next few weeks and will return in late June for the continuation of series four, to bridge the gap, please enjoy a sneak peek of my new…
- Series 4, Episode 7 - The Beauty of Broken Things by Melissa Sharman · 1 h 3 min · Season 5 Episode 7An unflinching yet hopeful and humorous memoir about turning pain into purpose. Join us for the seventh episode of Series 4 of Date with a Debut, as Nick sits down with Melissa…
