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Body positivity & the power of pop culture with Jenna Guillaume (Recast from March 2019)

This interview with Jenna Guillaume was originally broadcast in March 2019.

When we spoke to Jenna, she was celebrating the release of her debut novel. We want to re-visit this chat because her second standalone YA novel You Were Made For Me is on shelves now.

In this chat, we discuss:

  • Writing about body image, body positivity, and plus-sized romance
  • Jenna's journey with body image
  • Netflix series Insatiable *insert eye-roll here*
  • Writing an Aussie Christmas take on the classic 'summer transformation' trope
  • Dirty Dancing and why 10 Things I Hate About You is the BEST teen movie of all time
  • Why entertainment/pop culture journalism is looked down upon or dismissed as frivolous
  • Why we need to get rid of the term 'guilty pleasure' 

Books & other things mentioned

  • Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
  • Insatiable
  • Dirty Dancing
  • 10 Things I Hate About You
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Follow Jenna: @jennaguillaume

Follow us: @betterwordspod

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About the Podcast

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About your hosts

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Caitlin Toohey

Hi, I'm Caitlin! I've been on bookstagram since 2016, a podcaster since 2017, and worked in publishing since 2019. So books and reading are my entire life. When I'm not reading, I like listening to Taylor Swift, watching sitcoms, and generally being a theatre kid.
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Michelle Gately

Hi, I'm Michelle! I'm an Aussie living in the UK, working as a bookseller. I'm obsessed with storytelling in all its forms – I spend as much time watching TV or listening to podcasts as I do reading. Other hobbies include bouldering, hiking and generally obsessing about my pug Percy.