It’s a well-known phenomenon: the anxious, agonising process of releasing a second book after a successful debut. Is the new book too similar to the first, or maybe too dissimilar? Was the debut effort a fluke? Courtney Collins, Hayley Scrivenor, and Jessie Tu open up to Amy Lovat about imposter syndrome, creative blocks, and debunk second-book blues.

This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.