Celebrating books and readers, this is a monthly series of in-depth and relaxed conversations with authors about their latest work, and their body of work, their writing process and the ideas that inspire them.

Michaela Kalowski is an interviewer, moderator and curator for writers and ideas festivals. Highlight interviews include Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, Michelle de Kretser, Amos Oz, Stan Grant, Holly Ringland & Etgar Keret. She's the curator of ABC RN’s on-air writers festival, Big Weekend of Books, now in its 4th year. In 2022 she was curator of International Author events for Brisbane Writers Festival. Michaela has conducted radio interviews for ABC RN’s The Music Show, Big Ideas & The Bookshelf, ABC Classic and has presented programs across ABC radio.

Our featured author: Marina Kamenev

Born in Belgorod, Russia, Marina moved to Australia when she was six years old and now lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children. She is a highly skilled investigative researcher, interviewer and content writer for Antelope Media, a Sydney based copywriting agency.

Marina is passionate about family, ethics, and assisted reproduction. Her topics don’t shy away from difficult conversations, such as, Sterilisation, Sex after Dementia, and Waging War on Alternative Medicine, to name just a few. Her articles have been published in Time, The Guardian, The Financial Times, Business Weeks, Marie Clare, The Monthly, Sunday Life, Slate and The Atlantic. Marina is a former deputy arts editor at The Moscow Times and has over 14 years’ experience as a journalist in the field.

Marina’s first work ‘Kin: Family in the 21st century’ will be out in Australia & Aotearoa / NZ through NewSouth on March 1st, 2024.

Here’s an exercise: take a piece of paper. Grab a pen, pencil, crayon — any drawing utensil within reach. Now, draw a typical family.

The shape of family has changed in the 21st century. While the nuclear family still exists, many more types of kinship surround us.

Kin is an investigation into what influences us to have children and the new ways that have made parenthood possible. It delves into the experiences of couples without children, single parents by choice and rainbow families, and investigates the impacts of adoption, sperm donation, IVF and surrogacy, and the potential for a future of designer babies. Assisted reproductive technology has developed quickly, and the ways in which we think and speak about its implications — both legally and ethically — need to catch up.

‘A careful and compassionate exploration of the creativity, pain and power involved in the eternally imperfect art of family making.’ — Gina Rushton, author of The Most Important Job in the World

‘Told with deep insight and heart, this groundbreaking book will broaden and transform your understanding of what defines and constitutes a family. A thoroughly quotable triumph.’ — Nadine J. Cohen, author of Everyone and Everything

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