How do you write about a subject not often represented in fiction? In this episode, Sean Wilson shares his latest novel You Must Remember This and his unique journey bringing a story of dementia to the page.
00:00 Introduction 07:36 Writing tip: Goodreads trolling 09:36 WIN! Perspectives by Laurent Binet 11:40 Word of the week: ‘Leaguer’ 12:18 Writer in residence: Sean Wilson 14:25 Why Sean wanted to tell this story 15:40 Writing child characters 17:00 Self-care while writing 19:06 Crafting authentic secondary characters 21:01 Storytelling the challenges of ageing 23:09 How Sean drew inspiration from real life events 25:35 The prevalence of dementia 27:48 From play to novel: The writing journey 31:19 Crafting a nonlinear narrative 35:37 Publishing journey and future projects 38:45 The art of writing across different forms 42:34 Future projects 46:37 Final thoughts
Sean Wilson is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in the outer suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. His fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies, and in 2016, he was shortlisted for the Patrick White Playwrights Award by Sydney Theatre Company—Australia’s largest prize for an unproduced play.
Wilson's debut novel, Gemini Falls, was released in 2022, and he wrote a piece for The Guardian about the inspiration behind the book. His second novel, You Must Remember This, was released in February 2025 and was praised by The Saturday Paper as a “beautifully wrought sophomore novel.”
