I have written about writing and my books, and spoken to others about the process and the results thereof. Here is a selection of recent interviews and articles. Click on the links to read or listen to the full interviews.
FOLLOW ME TO AFRICA
The Hidden Lives of Writers: I joined Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel on their podcast, The Hidden Lives of Writers to talk about my early forays into children’s fiction, thrillers, and now historical fiction. Listen here.
Article in Historical Novel Society magazine: Nicky Moxey read Follow Me to Africa and wrote about it for the Historical Novel Society magazine. You can read her article here.
Nancy Richards for Woman Zone: I attended the Woman Zone Book Club, where the wonderful Nancy Richards interviewed me about Follow Me to Africa. You can listen to the podcast here.
Q&A with The TEN. Author, journalist and screenwriter, Lisa Marks asked, “Why do you think in this digitally driven world writers, and audiences, are so keen to explore the past?” She also provoked me to take a critical look at the state of my desk and posed several other questions about my writing and Follow Me to Africa. Here’s the interview.
Interview on Thoughts from a Page Podcast. Cindy Burnett is the host of the Thoughts from a Page Podcast where she chats with guests about the books she loves and recommends. She had recently returned from East Africa when I spoke to her about Follow Me to Africa.
Article for Women Writers, Women’s Books: Editor Barbara Bos asked me what inspired me to write Follow Me to Africa. Here’s what I had to say.
BookTrib article, ‘Aged Like Fine Wine’. The Women’s Fiction Writers Association put the spotlight on stories with older main characters and narrators for a piece for BookTrib. With Mary Leakey at the age of seventy when she’s packing up at Olduvai Gorge when the novel opens, Follow Me to Africa features.
Author Interview. Christina Consolino asked me what inspired me to write about Mary Leakey, why I chose to write Follow Me to Africa using a dual-timeline and more for her Author Interview feature.
Reading Matters on Radio Today: Sue Grant-Marshall read and enjoyed Follow Me to Africa. I was a guest on her show, Reading Matters on Radio Today Johannesburg and loved our lively conversation.
What’s New in Historical Fiction. This regular panel series features historical novelists with new and upcoming titles and is moderated by Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction. I joined J. E. Weiner (The Wretched and Undone), Fiona Davis (The Stolen Queen), and Susan Meissner (A Map to Paradises) in this episode.
THE WOMAN AT THE WHEEL
Book Club with Pippa Hudson on CapeTalk: I loved talking to Pippa Hudson of CapeTalk about Bertha Benz and how much I enjoyed writing The Woman at the Wheel. There is a recording of the discussion here.
Interview on The Book Delight: Jean M. Roberts asked me how I came to write historical fiction, the affect journalism had on my writing style, what I’m working on next, The Woman at the Wheel and a great deal more in this interview.
Five minutes with Penguin Post: The editors of Penguin Post magazine posed several questions about The Woman at the Wheel and my writing. Here is what I had to say.
Se7en blog post: Se7en reviewed both The Woman at the Wheel and The Invincible Miss Cust in this lively and extensive post. She also asked me several questions about my writing process and what inspires me.
Hot Fall Releases on The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast: The Woman at the Wheel was included on this list of fabulous novels. Listen to the podcast here. (The section featuring The Woman at the Wheel begins eleven minutes into the episode.)
Guest post for The Nerd Daily: I wrote about several works of historical fiction based on real female entrepreneurs, highlighting how much we can learn from these inspiring women. Read it here.
Article for Women Writers, Women’s Books: Editor Barbara Bos asked me to write about how I came across Bertha Benz and why I chose to write her story in The Woman at the Wheel. Here’s how I responded.
Recommendations for books about inspiring women: Shepherd asked me to list a few favourite works of historical fiction about unconventional women who disregarded expectations to follow their dreams. I happily obliged here.
Article for Writers Digest: In this article entitled, Frenemies at the Gates of History and Literature, I discuss the phenomenon of frenemies, identify some historical and literary friend-foes, and examine the important roles they play.
Recording of Swamp Fox Bookstore interview: Author Terah Shelton Harris (One Summer in Savannah) interviewed me at the international launch of The Woman at the Wheel, which was hosted by Swamp Fox Bookstore. The interview lives on here.
Guest on The Page Turnerz podcast: I chatted to host, Paul Brooks about my books and my journey to traditional publishing. You’ll find the recording filed as Episode 16 here.
THE INVINCIBLE MISS CUST
Talking books and dogs on Yappy Hour: I so enjoyed this conversation about The Invincible Miss Cust. There’s a little technical back and forth initially and the proper conversation starts about two minutes into the recording here.
Favourite reads of the year on Shepherd.com. Book discovery site, Shepherd.com asked almost 900 authors, including me, to list their three favourite reads of the year. Here is what I had to say.
YouTube interview on The Great Equalizer: Samantha Herbst and I talked about The Invincible Miss Cust and why Henry Cavill should play Willie Byrne if a movie is ever based on the book. The interview is live on The Great Equalizer channel.
Book Club with Pippa Hudson on CapeTalk: I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Pippa Hudson of CapeTalk about Aleen Cust and how much I enjoyed writing The Invincible Miss Cust. There is a recording of the discussion here.
Book Choice on Fine Music Radio (FMR): I spoke to Beryl Eichenberger about The Invincible Miss Cust and Aleen Cust’s passion and tenacity for the Book Choice show on FMR on 24 January 2023. The entire show is recorded here with my slot 25 minutes and 10 seconds in.
Woman Zone interview with Nancy Richards: The inspiration behind The Invincible Miss Cust, how I came across Aleen Cust and details of her remarkable story are the subjects of an interview I did with one of South Africa’s best known broadcast journalists, Nancy Richards. Tune in here.
Reading Matters on Radio Today: Sue Grant-Marshall read and loved The Invincible Miss Cust. I was a guest on her show, Reading Matters on Radio Today Johannesburg and didn’t withhold my enthusiasm about Aleen Cust. Take a listen.
The Nerd Daily article: I wrote a guest article for The Nerd Daily about the challenges women faced during the Victorian era, many of which are written about in The Invincible Miss Cust. The article is online here.
The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast: The Invincible Miss Cust formed the basis of my conversation with co-host Ashley Hasty of The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast. We talked about the book, the extraordinary Aleen Cust, how I came to write her story, my advice to other writers and books I’ve enjoyed. Listen and watch the podcast here.
Book Club Bites: I spoke to Mallory of Book Club Bites, which is the culinary partner of The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast about the food in The Invincible Miss Cust. We chatted about the book and questions that might interest book clubs. I also shared a recipe, which I thought Aleen Cust might’ve enjoyed. Read it here.
Reading and Writing Podcast: Jeff Rutherford of the Reading and Writing Podcast asked me how I came across Aleen Cust, what my research for The Invincible Miss Cust involved, what my writing process looks like and more. The episode is now live.
Author Q&A with Deborah Kalb: In my interview with Deborah, I talk about The Invincible Miss Cust and the woman who features in my next book. She, like Aleen Cust, was “smart, determined, and resourceful (and) triumphed at a time when most men did everything in their power to subvert females.” You will find the interview here.
Article for Women Writers, Women’s Books website: I wrote about the joy I experienced writing The Invincible Miss Cust and how the process showed me how important it is to write about people, events and subjects that inspire and make you happy. You can read the piece here.
Author interview with Lisa Haselton: I spoke to book reviewer, blogger and author, Lisa Haselton about The Invincible Miss Cust. An excerpt from the book is included with the interview, which you can read here.
THE WILDERNESS BETWEEN US
Hear Us Roar podcast: I spoke to Maggie Smith for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s (WFWA’s) Hear Us Roar podcast about how the inspiration from The Wilderness Between Us came from a “what if” moment while I was hiking with friends in the mountainous Tsitsikamma region of South Africa, how after years in fact-based journalism I have rediscovered my childhood joy of creating and telling stories, about how much I loved writing The Invincible Miss Cust and more. Click here to listen to the podcast.
A book launch at Exclusive Books Cavendish: Bookseller and store manager extraordinaire, Linda McCullough of Exclusive Books Cavendish hosted a book launch for The Wilderness Between Us. I was interviewed by author (Under the African Sun), teacher, reader and reviewer, Gail Gilbride. The event was sold out and I am still smiling about the wonderful evening and the great support I received. Thank you! There is an edited recording of the launch here.
Author interview on Laura’s Books and Blogs: Laura Smith’s interview with me is comprehensive. It not only includes a summary of The Wilderness Between Us and an excerpt—this one of the river crossing—but, among many thought-provoking questions, she also asked me to describe how I handle criticism. If you want to read what I said, click here.
Book Club on Lunch with Pippa Hudson on CapeTalk: I spoke to Pippa Hudson of Cape Town radio station, CapeTalk about The Wilderness Between Us. You can listen to the podcast here.
Book review by Midwest Book Review: Read what Midwest Book Review had to say about The Wilderness Between Us here.
Hasty Book List author interview: Ashley Hasty is a Chicago-based book blogger and interviewer of authors. She posed some fascinating questions, including the one about which book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with. Read the interview.
Interview with Lisa Haselton: North American editor and writer, Lisa Haselton spoke to me about the launch of The Wilderness Between Us for her award-winning writing and book blog. She included an excerpt from the book; the one about Faye’s encounter with a troop of baboons. Enjoy the read.
Meet the Author Monday with Kelly Schuknecht: Based in Colorado, US, Kelly Schuknecht is a marketing maestro and book blogger. She interviewed me for her Meet the Author Monday feature. Read the interview here.
Q&A with Deborah Kalb about The Wilderness Between Us: “How important is setting to you in your writing?” asked Deborah in our interview. Click here to find out how I responded to that and other questions on her blog.
Review by Readers’ Favourite: “The Wilderness Between Us by Penny Haw is a book that has everything a fan of women’s fiction would want,” wrote Tammy Ruggles. Read the full review here.
Rotary Club of Hout Bay talk. I was recently invited by the Rotary Club of Hout Bay to talk about my work. When I began thinking about the path my storytelling and writing has taken, I realised that I have come full circle. I reproduced the speech on the blog page here.
Women Writers, Women’s Books article: Editor of Women Writers, Women’s Books, Barbara Bos asked me to write about writing The Wilderness Between Us. The article is entitled, How Do You Create A Book and you can read it here. I wrote another article for Barbara some years ago, looking at When To Take Advice And When To Trust Your Intuition as a writer. It is online here.
Word Domination on The Jet Set Breakfast show: South African radio presenter, Michelle Constant interviewed me about The Wilderness Between Us on the World Domination segment of her Jet Set Breakfast show on SAFM. Listen to the podcast here.
Penny Haw 