CELEBRATING AIDAN FENNESSY

Aidan Fennessy was an Australian playwright, stage director and actor, known for his work with the Melbourne Theatre Company, where he was at one time associate director. A brilliant and revered playwright, his writing career began in the 1990’s, and took off with National Interest in 2012, a critically acclaimed dramatisation of the story of the Balibo Five murdered journalists – the youngest of whom was his cousin Tony.

Aidan died of cancer in September 2020, during the Melbourne lockdowns.

Celebrating Aidan is his partner and mother of his two children, the writer Nova Weetman. Nova has written for TV and is the author of many middle grade and young adult novels. The Secrets We Keep was shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize, the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards and the ABIA Awards. The sequel, The Secrets We Share, was a 2018 CBCA Notable Book and won the KROC Kids Reading Oz Choice Awards, NT – Best Fiction for Years 7 to 9. It was also shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards. Nova’s middle grade novel Sick Bay was a CBCA Notable Book and shortlisted for the ABIA Awards. In 2022, The Edge of Thirteen won the ABIAs Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year and was a CBCA Notable Book: Younger Readers. In 2023, The Jammer was shortlisted for the ABIAs Book of the Year for Older Children.

Nova Weetman (Nova Weetman website)

Marieke Hardy Is Going To Die is a podcast made by Marieke Hardy (IG @marieke_hardy).
You can follow at IG @GoingToDiePod

Music by Lord Fascinator (IG @lordfascinator)
Produced by Darren Scarce (IG @Dazz26)
Video edits by Andy Nedelkovski (IG @AndyNeds)
Artwork by Lauren Egan (IG @heylaurenegan)
Photography by Eamon Leggett (IG @anxietyoptions)

With thanks to Amelia Chappelow (IG @ameliachappelow)
Camilla McKewen (IG @CamillaLucyLucy)
and Rhys Graham (IG @RhysJGraham)

Support the show via www.patreon.com/mariekehardy and drop an email to mariekehardyisgoingtodie@gmail.com

Whilst acknowledging the privilege that comes with having the space to discuss death and mortality, we want to also recognise that discussing these topics can raise some wounds. Should you wish to seek extra support, please consider the following resources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/online-grief-support-groups

https://www.grief.org.au/ga/ga/Support/Support_Groups.aspx

https://www.headspace.com/meditation/grief

https://www.mindful.org/a-10-minute-guided-meditation-for-working-with-grief/

https://griefline.org.au/get-help/