Welcome to episode 176 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. 

Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library. 

I first met Carl Shuker close to 20 years ago. He was new to Wellington and was in a writing class with one of my friends. Carl, Anna and Katy. We would meet, have a few drinks. They were all writing fiction. I was trying to get somewhere with freelance journalism (still feeling that struggle now!) Flash forward a year or so from that first meeting and Katy and I are together. Carl and Anna Smaill then get together. Flash forward a few years, Katy, Carl and Anna all release books – Katy and I get married (Carl and Anna are among the guests). Carl and Anna get married (me and Katy are there). We now have a long friendship – we have kids the same age, kids that are friends.

None of that could possibly stop me reviewing Carl’s brilliant new book, A Mistake.

And though I haven’t read all of his books I’ve read a few. And wanted to talk to him for the podcast. We’ve had versions of this chat over the years, or at least around some of the topics. We’ve never gone this deep.

A warning: this was at the end of a long day and many drinks. We get a bit meander-y, a bit slurry – and when I say ‘we’, I especially mean me! 

But we talked through Carl’s story – from Timaru to Wellington, to Japan, England, back to New Zealand. Hundreds of emails sent out in hope, to get published, to get an agent, to get somewhere…

And then the success. The doubt. The success. The life that happens in and around all of that. 

We had a few drinks, and then a few more. We talked a lot. We shared some stories, some of our experiences very similar.

So a different vibe in this one maybe, but a podcast I loved capturing and hope you like hearing.

Here now is episode 176 of Sweetman Podcast – my chat with my friend, writer Carl Shuker.

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