On Monday, 4th November, I had the extraordinary honour of being interviewed by Phillip Adams for Late Night Live, to discuss the heroine of my new novel, The Bee and the Orange Tree, Marie Catherine d’Aulnoy. You can listen to the podcast here Marie Catherine D’Aulnoy was the first author to use the term ‘Fairy… Continue reading The woman behind the first fairy tale: Phillip Adams interviews Melissa Ashley for Late Night Live

https://writersvictoria.org.au/writing-life/featured-writers/qa-melissa-ashley-on-her-novel-the-bee-and-the-orange-tree By: Melissa Ashley interviewed by Tara Mitchell TM: Your second novel, ‘The Bee and the Orange Tree’, tells the tale of Marie Catherine and her battle for French women’s’ equality in 1699. How did you come across Marie Catherine and what inspired you to tell her story? MA: I discovered Marie Catherine while researching another project,… Continue reading Q&A with Melissa Ashley on her novel ‘The Bee and the Orange Tree’

Monday, March 13, 2017 Interview with Melissa Ashley It’s a great pleasure to welcome to the blog Dr Melissa Ashley, a fiction writer, poet and academic who teaches creative writing workshops at the University of Queensland. Melissa is the author of the historical fiction, The Birdman’s Wife (Affirm Press, 2016), about the incredible life of… Continue reading HNSA: Historical Novel Society Australia Interview

ABC Radio National: Melissa Ashley’s Story of Elizabeth Gould, The Birdman’s Wife by Kate Evans http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksplus/melissa-ashley-story-of-elizabeth-gould-the-birdman’s-wife/8017164 Australian Writers Marketplace: Taking Five with Melissa Ashley by Taylor Jayne Wilkshire https://www.awmonline.com.au/taking-five-with-melissa-ashley/ Good Reading Magazine: Meet the Woman Responsible for John Gould’s Fame https://goodreadingmagazine.wordpress.com/2016/10/05/meet-the-woman-responsible-for-john-goulds-fame/ Booktopia: The Booktopian: Ten Terrifying Questions: The Birdman’s Wife is a Little Window into the Discovery… Continue reading Interviews: The Birdman’s Wife

I was very fortunate to have an interview with Kate Evans broadcast on Michael Cathcart and Sarah Kanowski’s Books and Arts program. Click on the link below to listen to the interview:

While most people were placing bets for the Melbourne Cup, I had great fun this afternoon talking about The Birdman’s Wife and the incredible life and artistry of Elizabeth Gould. Click on the link below to listen to the podcast. Thanks ABC 666 and Louise Maher and her great team.

Melissa Ashley’s meticulous attention to detail is on show in her first novel, The Birdman’s Wife, which explores the life and relationships of artist Elizabeth Gould. AWM intern TJ Wilkshire spent some time with Melissa to discuss birds, art, poetry, and secret women’s history. Photo credit: Vicki Lambert Your debut novel tells the story of… Continue reading Taking Five with Melissa Ashley