Kae Tempest and Michael Winkler talk poetry and pooches

British poet, performer and novelist Kae Tempest explains why writing his second novel, Having Spent Life Seeking, was so necessary and Michael Winkler tells Claire Nichols why life might be better as a dog.
Michael Winkler's (michaelwinkler.com.au) second novel, Griefdogg (textpublishing.com.au/books/griefdogg)follows his lauded genre-bending debut Grimmish (puncherandwattmann.com/product/grimmish)about a boxer and a talking goat. It also made Australian literary history in 2022 as the first self-published novel to ever be shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Griefdogg is about a man who makes the unexpected decision to live as the family pet when the pressures of modern life get too much for him; in the conversation, Michael reflects on the appeal of "a dog's life".
Kae Tempest (kaetempest.com)is a British musician, poet, playwright and novelist who - since he was a teenager - has built an international reputation in rap and spoken word poetry. Kae's second novel, Having Spent Life Seeking (penguin.com.au/books/having-spent-life-seeking…)follows Rothko who's newly released from prison and has returned to the hometown where everything fell apart. Claire also speaks to Kae about the challenges of writing a novel while maintaining a demanding schedule of live performances and musical projects.