Australia

Welcome to Stories and Stanza! I am happy to have you here. Please join me in welcoming Penny Bingham for today's episode. 
Penny Bingham is an emerging writer, currently working on a hybrid memoir chronicling her seven years as a carer for her husband, who lived with Lewy body dementia. It is a warts-and-all account of the devastation a dementia diagnosis presents for the person with the disease, the carer and the family. Arising from her comprehensive journal of her husband's illness, the book leads the reader through the pain of watching the decline of a once proud, dignified, vibrant person as toxic proteins attack the brain, unravelling neural connections and giving rise to confusion, agitation, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia that are the hallmarks of this disease.
The book's title, A Gift of Grace, hints at how love flourished in an exquisitely painful experience and how dementia's profound lessons in patience, tolerance, and humility transcended resentment and despair to embrace grace and peace. It encapsulates the confluence of her experience as a carer, knowledge acquired through formal academic study, and stories shared by others she has been privileged to meet through her role as a dementia advocate.
Based on the belief the message is more significant than the narrative and grounded by her academic qualification, the work encompasses theoretical perspectives to inform others navigating the dementia labyrinth of the challenges and frustrations they are destined to encounter. It aims to reduce the stigma surrounding dementia. It challenges readers to re-think their perceptions of what Sally Magnusson, in her memoir, Where Memories Go, describes as 'one of the greatest social, medical, economic, scientific, philosophical and moral challenges of our times'.
Penny's entry, The Other Jenny, was short-listed in the Ada Awards 2021

Welcome to Stories and Stanza! I am excited to have you here. My podcast explores prose, poetry, and history. I'll take you on a journey through the human experience, sharing stories and conversations to uplift your spirit. Whether you're a lover of literature, a writer, or simply someone who enjoys a good story, "Stories and Stanza" is the place for you. Today is another episode of the 'In Author's Chair' segment, where we talk to writers about their work, publication, motivation and challenges. 
Please join me in welcoming Ky Garvey for today's episode. She is a published writer and literary podcaster from Australia who is here to talk about her work in children's literature and share her experience in the podcasting space. I was lucky to find her time during her holidays, and I truly enjoyed talking to her and listening to her stories, especially "Easy Peasy," which is about a young girl, Ruby - who gets a new pair of roller skates but soon realises it is not as easy she thought. I loved how she used the sounds in her story and embedded a subtle message for the young readers. 
I am sure you will find her work inspiring, as she works on many projects to give back to the community. I will leave the links to her podcast, book, and the 'Books in Homes' program. 
Totally Lit! on Apple Podcasts
Easy Peasy - EK Books
Booksinhomes.com.au| Booksinhomes.com.au
Let me know what you think. See you in the next episode. 

Hey everyone, welcome back to 'Stories and Stanza', a podcast that explores poetry and the stories behind them. On today's episode, we will share a powerful poem that reflects on the cultural footprint of time and the lasting impact of our actions on the environment.
History has always fascinated me, and today's story is about the often-overlooked role of Australia's first cameleers. These skilled camel handlers, many from regions like Baloch and Sindh, were crucial in building infrastructure across the harsh outback in the 1860s. But what happened to them? We'll explore the challenges they faced and the surprising bond they formed with Indigenous Australians. We'll also discuss the legacy of these cameleers - the feral camel population that now thrives in Australia, and the environmental issues it presents.
Much like the one about rabbits in Australia, this story highlights the unintended consequences of introduced species. To wrap it up, I'll share a touching poem titled "Our Footprints Remain" by Elyas Alavi.

Welcome to the latest episode of Stories and Stanzas! In this episode, we delve into a topic that many outside of Australia may not be familiar with - the rabbit troubles. We explore the history and impact of rabbits in Australia, a species that, despite their cute appearance, are considered pests in the country due to their detrimental effect on native wildlife and vegetation.
In our fascinating narrative, we take you through the journey of how the first domesticated rabbits arrived in Australia, how their population exploded, and the attempts made in controlling the burgeoning rabbit population. We also shed light on the negative effects that these creatures have on agriculture and native plant and animal species, thus illustrating the devastatingly broad impact that one invasive species can have in its adopted environment.
What makes this story more gripping is the various attempts made to curb rabbit population growth that ranged from constructing a rabbit-proof fence, spreading a disease targeting rabbits, to releasing another virus. With each new measure introduced, rabbits developed resistance, thereby making it extremely challenging to control their population growth.
Beyond Australia's bunny issue, the ripple effects caused by invasive species in other parts of the world are briefly highlighted, setting a potential stage for our future episodes. This episode's conclusion features a poignant poem reflecting on our relationship with the environment, stirring some deep, introspective thoughts on our interactions with the natural world.
This episode offers a unique perspective on Australia's wildlife story and serves as a hard-hitting reminder on the importance of maintaining ecological balance, and the consequences we face when it's disrupted. To know more about the environment and various intriguing aspects of life, join us on our next episode of Stories and Stanzas!

What is your favourite time of the day? For some of us creatives, being nocturnal is part of our existence. Here is an episode with some stories of the night, along with two short poems I have written this week from a poetry prompt. Hope you will like it - let me know if you have any thoughts. See you in the next one. 

Join me on a linguistic journey across continents as we celebrate International Mother Language Day! Today, we'll explore the rich tapestry of languages spoken in India and Australia, their fascinating histories, unique characteristics, and the challenges they face.

Hello! I am doing this to introduce myself and share the ideas behind my podcast. My podcast is Stories and Stanza. To find my podcast on any platform, like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon, search with the title 'Stories and Stanza'. My website also has links to respective platforms. 
My name is Abhra - the 'A's in my name sounds like an 'O' in traditional Indian pronunciation. I live in Melbourne with my family and work as a technology architect in the financial services industry. I was born in India and emigrated to Australia sometime back. I am a published poet, and I have published two poetry collections so far - Words from Isolation and Language of Water. I created this podcast to bring you real stories that make life as beautiful as poetry. Some stories are my own, and some are from wonderful people who have chosen to be my guests. I have three different segments where I invite guests to join me:
In author's chair
Fail With Me
Oh, Past! Speak out.
"In Author's Chair" segment, I talk to writers about their published or upcoming work, motivation, and challenges. I request the author to share something from their book to create interest for the readers. I have interviewed many writers from Australia and overseas. My idea in this space is to create a platform to amplify the voices of the writers. I have also interviewed artists and filmmakers in this space.
The second segment, "Fail with Me", is my version of creating a motivational series. We live in a world where we celebrate success and assign the stigma of failure to anything that does not fit that cutout. In this series, I explore what failure truly is and link it with emotional intelligence in a supportive space. Many self-help articles are preachy and assume the reader is doing something wrong. So, the rebel inside me flips the script. I have discussed this idea with therapists, psychologists, behaviourists, educators, speakers, writers, and social workers, and now, "Fail With Me" has become much more significant than just my own story. It involves mental health awareness, healing, self-awareness, relationships, disability, and depression, and the possibilities are endless. I had a few bad years of struggling, and this is my attempt to give something back to society and extend a helping hand to anyone struggling. You can find this series in the category on my website and by the "Fail with Me" prefix in the episode title and artwork.
In the "Oh, Past! Speak out" segment, I explore unfamiliar chapters of history that have left us with some unique perspectives. History in books is very directional, while if we look back with a lens of awareness, there is so much to explore. History has always been my area of interest, and I intend to share it to the best of my ability.
If you would like to be a guest to share your story on my podcast and are okay working with the Australian timezone, feel free to reach out on social media or email me, and I will connect with you about the next steps. Thank you so much for all the love and support. This is my Amazon author page if you want my poetry books. 
Thank you.