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Episode Description

You’ve always wanted to publish a book. Now it’s written. Where do you turn for an expert publisher? Jen Hutchison has been an author. She knows the journey and can show you the way. By way of background: Jen is a very dynamic and capable 60 something year old, who has succeeded at a number of careers. But in 2012, her world imploded when her 31 year old son Raif died of an accidental drug overdose. ‘Motherling’ is her story of how she walked the 800km Camino de Santiago through France and Spain with his ashes as she attempted to come to terms with his death. It’s a beautiful read, you’ll find yourself laughing and crying, and she has received staggering feedback from other ‘ motherlings’ (the word she has adopted for women who have lost a child) who have identified so keenly with her book and taken enormous strength from it. Many women are happily going quietly into retirement in their late 60s, not Jen, instead she launched publishing services house, Journeys to Words Publishing, working with mature age writers to hone their craft. When she’s not publisher and editor at Journeys to Words Publishing, Jen is completing a Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT. She’s passionate about writing, writers and good reads and this little company is the fulfilment of a dream. ? She has found her tribe. Along her journey to words, Jen has engaged with and learned her craft from some of the best writers and teachers on offer – Patti Miller, Anne Manne, Toni Jordan, Tracy O’Shaughnessy, Stuart Horwitz and Kate Ryan. They have become her mentors and friends. Drop In with Jen to discover what makes the promise of a good read come true and potentially, how to make your own publishing dreams come true!

Jen Hutchison

Jen Hutchison as an author resonates deeply with anyone who has had to walk through grief. Her book Motherling documents her journey along the Camino de Santiago, and also her inner quest to find peace. She writes: This is every parent of an adult child’s nightmare. You’ve made it. Your child is grown up. He’s got a great job, living a full and happy life overseas. You don’t have to worry about him like you did when he was young. And then a call from halfway across the world. Something terrible has happened… ? ‘Motherling arrived Wednesday morning and I started reading it after lunch. I was completely absorbed by your beautiful, heartfelt and honest words. They resonated so deeply, and I could not put the book down.’ Marie S. On Publishing, With her husband Graeme Clifford, Jen Hutchison founded Journey to Words Publishing. After a long and successful career in bean counting and project management for advertising companies and an ink factory, Graeme is directing financial traffic at Journeys to Words Publishing. He’s good at it too. ? On occasion, he packs books and catches the mailman. He aspires to grey-nomading around Australia, but, so far, his wife has him too busy to leave town. Drop in with us to hear the thoughts, insights and wisdom of a woman with several successful career paths, a landmark book, and a publishing house. Jen is always refreshingly candid. You too can be the beneficiary of her observations on life and books.