Writing Podcast Episode 702: Souvankham Thammavongsa and her award-winning 'Pick a Colour'

There are three short words you're often told when you first walk into a nail salon – and they form the title of award-winning Laotian Canadian poet and author Souvankham Thammavongsa's new novel Pick a Colour . In this episode, Souvankham explains how the novel came about, its unusual inspiration and timeframe as well as the cultural and power dynamics it explores. 00:00 Welcome 06:03 Writing tip: Dealing with rejection| 08:58 WIN!: Staged by John M. Green 10:44 Word of the week: 'Lactometer' 13:19 Writer in residence: Souvankham Thammavongsa 14:33 Explaining the story of Pick a Colour 15:25 The Seinfeld episode inspiration! 18:10 How her characters see the world 19:40 The boxing inspiration 21:41 Setting limitations on the story 23:26 Language and cultural identity 25:07 From short stories to the novel 27:31 Writing techniques and influences 29:41 Character dynamics and power themes 33:14 The writing process and Souvankham's backstory 37:00 Awards and recognition 40:55 Discussing the work done in the margins 43:47 Advice for aspiring writers 45:11 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

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Writing Podcast Episode 702: Souvankham Thammavongsa and her award-winning 'Pick a Colour' is an episode from So you want to be a writer by Australian Writers' Centre.

This episode is 47:08 long.

This episode was published on Feb 2, 2026.

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