My guest for this episode is playwright, screenwriter, director and doctor Sharmini Kumar, and we talk a little about being settlers in Australia, and her fraught relationship with the Western literary canon. Sharmini is the founder of AustenCon, an annual one-day convention for lovers of Jane Austen, which is actually happening tomorrow if you're listening to this as it comes out! This year's AustenCon is happening on the 6 November 2021, in person at the Abbotsford Convent here in Melbourne as well as online. Link in the show notes. And I will be appearing on the 3.30pm panel 'Non-canonical pairings' where we basically get to ship Jane Austen characters with anyone we want. The panel will be streamed online and available for 48 hours after streaming!

Sharmini Kumar is a friend of mine and we bonded over a mutual love of nerdy things. We nerd out a lot, especially over literature, and talk about what sparked her interest in Jane Austen and her passion for helping people of colour see themselves represented in the Western canon. Sharmini's day job is working as a GP, and I find it particularly interesting to hear from a doctor who lives with chronic health conditions.

AustenCon 2021 information, tickets and schedule: https://www.24carrotproductions.com/austen-con

You can find Sharmini here:https://twitter.com/sharminime

Just A Spoonful Live is coming! 3rd December 2021. More info here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/just-a-spoonful-podcast-live-tickets-194918365077?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Thank you to my Patreon supporters who make my work and rent payments possible! You can subscribe to find bonus content and special offers here https://www.patreon.com/BlytheByName

Podcast artwork by Melbourne-based artist Erin Michelle

Just A Spoonful's theme music is 'Sleepless' by Anna O

This podcast is created on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri People and I extend my respect to elders past and present.