To mark the 30th anniversary of the Scarlet Stiletto Awards for best short stories in 2023, Sisters in Crime, Susanna Lobez, actor-turned-barrister-turned-broadcaster-turned-true-crime-author, has been progressively narrating the winning stories in a podcastScarlet Stiletto Bites: Scintillating stories by Australian women.
“Our podcast is designed for busy lives. Each murder/mystery is short . . . but not always sweet. Expect twisted tales, quirky humour, imagination, and a frisson of feminism,” she says.
The podcasts run for 20 to 30 minutes or so – perfect to put on whilst you’re cooking or pottering around – or in the car. Susanna’s mellifluous voice will have you spellbound.
You’ll also find out what winning a prize in the Scarlet Stiletto Awards has meant for the authors. Since 1994, 34 Scarlet Stiletto Award winners – including category winners – going on to have novels published. It was the springboard to a literary career for authors such as Cate Kennedy, Tara Moss, Annie Hauxwell, Angela Savage, Josephine Pennicott, Ellie Marney, Aoife Clifford, Natalie Conyer, Fin J Ross, Anna Snoekstra, and A D Penhall (aka Ann Penhallurick).
When Aoife Clifford won the Scarlet Stiletto in 2007, she was at home with two small children, suffering terrible morning sickness with what was to be her third. Now her eldest has left home, her third crime novel has come out in hardback in the UK and her fourth has been published.
“The Scarlet Stiletto opened publishing doors but just as importantly introduced me to a community of crime-writing friends to enjoy the crazy ride with,” she says.
TJ Hamilton is a retired police officer, a criminologist, a published author, a one-time crime reporter, and now TV screenwriter. With a deep understanding of the crime genre, TJ is one of Australia’s most sought-after technical consultants and story producers for scripted dramas, having worked across various productions in both Australia and the U.S.
Winning the shoe in 2015 was a huge turning point in her career. Shortly after, she moved back to Sydney from Hervey Bay with her family and worked as a print journalist for 3 years while she studied screenwriting at AFTRS. Meeting Danielle Cormack on the awards night proved to be a fruitful pathway into writers’ rooms when she introduced TJ to other screenwriters.
Since then, she has worked in various script departments across a wide variety of Australian dramas, including a couple of years stint at Home and Away during the Covid pandemic. Last year, Hollywood came knocking, and she is beyond thrilled to be on the development team in Los Angeles for a new TV show with one of Australia’s most successful industry exports.
“None of this would’ve been possible if I had not taken the plunge and sent in my short story for the Scarlet Stiletto, for which I am eternally grateful,” she says.
Stiletto Bites is available weekly on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, and other services. Catch the trailer and subscribe to one of these services.
Susanna would love your feedback.