Robert:
Hello and welcome to I'm a Serious Book Person, the podcast where we gently interrogate people who claim to be just that. I'm your host Robert Watkins and in every episode I sit down with an author, a reader or just a fellow book obsessive. Or maybe they're all three at once. To dive into their favourite stories, the books that changed them and why we all still cling to the glorious dusty power of paper and ink. So grab your favourite drink and your current read because this is the place for those who truly love books. Let's get to it.
Robert:
Yes listeners, it's that time again. It's time to get serious about your love of books and storytelling. Today I'm joined by Alex Sarkis, who is the author of two really great novels, Something Blue, which Glamour magazine described as the chaotic love child of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Bridget Jones Diary, and the forthcoming Something New, which is publishing in early 2026. Welcome to I'm a serious book person, Alex.
Alex Sarkis:
Thank you. I'm really happy to be here.
Robert:
It's so exciting to have you here. Obviously, we're so early on in recording these episodes that we're just testing lots of things out. So don't panic.
Alex:
I'm the guinea pig.
Robert:
We're gonna get used to it. We're gonna understand it by the end of this episode.
Alex:
Love.
Robert:
And there's only a few questions to it. So, you know, there's nothing much to worry about really, I think. So just to start us off and to literally rip that Band-Aid off, Alex, are you a serious book person?
Alex:
I've thought a little bit about this. Yes and no, but mostly no. Is that the most Gemini I answer you've ever heard? Yes and no, but mostly no. I'm gonna elaborate for you.
Robert:
Okay, good. You tell me why no.
Alex:
Why no? Because when I read, I mostly read for entertainment and just…the fun of it, but I'm also a skim reader. I'm not really somebody that fully commits to a book when I pick it up. If I don't like it within the first few chapters, I'm happy to put it down and move on.
And also, I like to read books that are just genuinely just entertaining. But in the times that I am a serious book reader, it's because I'm either writing a book that's a certain genre or I'm doing a bit of market research. I want to see what's hot or what's trending. And so when I'm reading those, when I'm reading for that purpose, I will obviously pay a lot more attention to like the techniques that the author is using or what works to them, what doesn't. But that's a bit of a rarity for me. I don't really do that all the time. So mostly no, I am not a serious book person, but I do love reading. I really love books and I love reading and I respect obviously the art and the effort that goes into writing a book. But yeah, if I don't like it, and also if I'm reading something like a love story, which I mostly do, I will track to the interesting bits.
Robert:
Ok.
Alex:
I mostly just want to know what's going on between the two main characters. Like the subplots don't really care. I'll just do a little bit of a skim and get to the spice…
Robert:
Ok.
Alex:
…or like what's going on need to know.
Robert:
I think maybe that makes you a serious book person. This is what I love the most about that question is it's so subjective. It gives you an opportunity to think about why it is you engage with books and how you engage with them. And so I think we're all maybe like both serious and not serious book people when they're readers. And that's what makes that question so good. But, you know, I think the most interesting thing is like you identify as not a serious book person mostly.
Alex:
Yes.
Robert:
But you are a writer.
Alex:
Yeah.
Robert:
Ok, so I'd like to know what was the book that made you want to be a writer or what's the book that made you like love stories?
Alex:
Ok, I've brought a prop.
Robert:
Ok.
Alex:
So and as you can tell, it's very well loved. This is My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell.
Robert:
OK, tell us all about it.
Alex:
I will tell you about it. So it is actually an autobiography of this writer's time as a boy when he moved to Corfu with his family for five years.
Robert:
OK.
Alex:
And this is like a revered classic on my father's side of the family. I've actually swiped this from my grandmother's house. And I think the earliest memories I kind of have of storytelling is my father and his siblings talking about this book and how funny it was and how much they enjoyed it.
And obviously when I was old enough to read it myself, I loved it. And looking back, I do think that it kind of formed a little bit of a blueprint for my style of writing now. Because I loved the fact that in this book, there was a main character that was more or less neutral and was an observer of all the chaos and the vibrant characters around him. And I've tried to kind of create that with Nicole in my book so far. She sort of has a similar, just a similar vibe to her of just befriending the reader and taking them along on this chaotic journey. And it's more the cast of characters around her that are the show stealers rather than her, even though she's relatable and is telling the story. She is not the funniest person in the room, the most vibrant person in the room, the most chaotic person in the room. So, yes. To answer your question, this book, I've got to say is probably the cornerstone of my writing journey.
Robert:
I just want to pick up on something you said there. You said when you started reading for yourself, out of interest, does that mean that something you used to do as a family is people would read stories to you? Is that something you remember growing up?
Alex:
Yes.
Robert:
Like you were read to? Were you read from this particular book?
Alex:
No, but it's so funny you brought that up because recently I had to clean out a old wardrobe in my house and I found a ton of books from when my oldest sister was a tween. And it brought back so many memories because she was very into reading and obviously when she was a tween, I wasn't up to her level of reading. So she used to read these books to me out loud in our room when we were growing up and definitely that laid a lot of groundwork for my love of books and also heaps of them were signed by the author. Like she used to go to a lot of meet and greets and get - I completely forgot that she influenced me in that way because everybody in my family is loves books and is really into reading and I've been very fortunate to have that kind of culture in my home growing up. But I kind of forgot how much that involved her until I found all of these books and that she used to go to these meet and greets at bookshops and it made obviously I idolised her growing up. So it made me feel like reading and writing and putting a book out was really cool. It was something that she loved and then I really got into it. So yes, yes.
Robert:
So have I stolen a little bit from the next question then because my next question for you is like who has been the biggest influence on your reading, writing, storytelling? Is it your sister or is there someone else?
Alex:
I think just my family as a whole. My both my parents are big readers. They've instilled that in me and my sisters, my sister… made it more cool than they could have for me growing up. So I got into it. But even my father and his siblings, like I said, were always really into reading. My aunt worked at Dymocks for ages, I think back in the 90s or whatever, or in the early 2000s. So definitely my family, I've got to say. I had great English teachers at school and stuff growing up that really encouraged me. But definitely in those formative years, obviously it was my family that put that love of reading and books.
Robert:
Do you think you were surrounded by people like at school that were readers as well? Or is that something that just was at home?
Alex:
Not really. I can't recall. I mean, everyone was a reader. You kind of have to be in school, but I can't really, in my close circle of friends, everybody had their talents and their strong suits. But I think I was probably the most into reading or the most into writing or English or did advanced English or can't even remember what the subjects are called anymore. But I was really into that storytelling and creative writing heaps into it. So yeah.
Robert:
But did you ever imagine then growing up with such a love of stories that you were going to go and write your own? Is that something that when you were in that kind of situation where your family loved stories, you're becoming a big reader, you've got an aunt that works in a bookstore. Did you actually dream that you were going to be a storyteller?
Alex:
I feel I did, but I was a big dreamer. Like I actually thought I was going to be a rapper at one point too. Yeah, I was writing raps. I thought I was going to be Nicki Minaj. Like it was all happening. So for me, yes, I was a big dreamer growing up. I don't know whether that, I think it was one of my dreams because I thought I was going to be some sort of triple threat. I was, I had very lofty ambitions for myself, but it wasn't until I got into my 20s that I started to really home in on this as being a little bit more of my calling in life because I just love writing so much. And yeah, all the other stuff kind of just faded away and I was able to focus on writing. But it's always something to do with the written word too, which I find interesting because even like I want to be a rapper. I was sitting around writing these raps. So it was all kind of related at the end of the day and I found the right path.
Robert:
I should have got you to do your answers in rap actually. That would have been really good.
Alex:
God, I don't know if you're ready.
Robert:
I also like I want to pick up on another little thread in there. You said you wanted to be a triple threat. So what would it have been? Writer, rapper and…
Alex:
Ah, just anything, anything, a radio host. Oh my God, that’s like…
Robert:
Oh, we're doing it now. Oh my God, you are a triple threat.
Alex:
I am, I'm full on triple threat.
Robert:
Our third question for you today is, is pretty simple as well. We've kind of, we've covered off, you know, what was the book that got you in writing? It was your family that got you in writing. I always feel like there's a place that you associate with it as well. Like whether that's the place you go to read or it's the place you go to write. Is there somewhere that you go to kind of like immerse yourself in storytelling?
Alex:
I don't really have an interesting answer for this one because like I said, when I am reading for fun, I am not, I'm skim reading a lot, I'm getting to the good bits. So mostly just my bed to be honest with you. Do you know what I mean? I'm not really having an immersive experience when I do it.
Robert:
I love bed.
Alex:
Bed is the best, is it not?
Robert:
Yeah, who doesn't love bed.
Alex:
That's the best place to read a book. I don't, no distractions. I don't know, where do you read a book? Am I allowed to ask you questions too?
Robert:
You are allowed to ask me questions too. I mean, I think that, you know, bed is ideal, right? Like, I'm just dreaming of bed. I think that also I read a lot on the couch and I also read on my short commute to work. So it's a little bit of everywhere, but I think my ideal place actually is by a pool.
Alex:
Okay, holiday, vacay read.
Robert:
Yeah, like I think vacation read it, well, vacation, am I American? Holiday reading is definitely my favourite thing to do. I think probably because I do it for work, that the break that you have when you go away and you have the opportunity to kind of like, really like absorb yourself in a story, like that's what I like the most. Do you read when you're on holidays?
Alex:
No, my holidays are very chaotic. I feel like I'm running for my life on my holidays most of the time. So I don't really know if I, like, I will on my phone, I've got my Kindle on my phone. So if I get a boring moment, I will, but I don't really read on a holiday. As well, similar to you, because I'm writing and in the past year and a half I've been writing a lot, you kind of just want to unplug from that. Because I was going to ask if anyone's allowed to ask you the question back, if you're a serious book person or not, but also I feel is it not obvious?
Robert:
[Laughs] Am I a serious book person?
Alex:
[Laughs] Yeah!
Robert:
I think I'm like the stereotypical serious book person mostly because I do it for a job. But also because I really do love to read. So, you know, like it's maybe in the same way that you were saying, like the majority of the time, I'm maybe a serious book person. So I'm kind of like the switch. But then I also, like I think my holiday reading makes me the not a serious book person.
Alex:
Yes. I'd be very surprised if someone comes on and says yes or no. Do you feel that's gonna happen?
Robert:
We'll have to wait and see.
Alex:
Yeah, oh God.
Robert:
Thank you, Alex, for spending time with me today. It's been a real delight getting to know more about your love of books and stories. For our listeners, do run out to your local bookstore for a copy of Alex's books, Something Blue, which is in stores now, and her new novel, which is out in March, 2026, Something New. Something New is perfect for fans of Looking for Alibrandi, Bridget Jones Diary, or anyone who just loves a novel that reflects contemporary life in Australia. You can find links to her books in print, eBook and audio in our show notes today. Thank you again, Alex.
Alex:
Thank you.
Music Interlude
Robert:
If you enjoyed this conversation, please remember to follow I'm a Serious Book Person wherever you get your podcasts. A quick follow really helps us reach many more book lovers. Also, you can keep up with all the incredible titles and authors that we discussed by following Ultimo Press on all our social media channels. Finally, I would like to acknowledge that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and I pay our deepest respects to their Elders past and present. I'm a Serious Book Person is hosted by me, Robert Watkins, and is produced by Andrea Johnson and Murray Nance. Until next time, keep reading.
