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Whispers at the Garden Gate
Somewhere between a turning page and the rustle of leaves, a story waits to be heard. The garden gate is now open, and you’re invited on a journey through place and time to discover the whispered stories left behind in historic homes, old letters, secret gardens, and well-loved books by the people who wrote, dreamed, and dared to leave their mark.
In each episode, I sit down with authors, curators, and caretakers of classic literature to explore the places and people that still inspire us. From Jane Austen’s country cottages to Anne of Green Gables’ island skies, we enjoy lively conversations over afternoon tea as we journey together across the pages and places where stories are born.
I’m your host, Ivanka Dimitrova — step through the gate and come stroll with me along this garden path of voices and memories.
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In celebration of Canadian voices, history, and literature, we are launching season two of Whispers at the Garden Gate with a very special guest. I am delighted to share my talk with bestselling historical fiction author Genevieve Graham about her journey into writing, the importance of Canadian literature, and her latest book, The Chambermaid’s Key. We discuss the challenges and joys of researching historical fiction, the creative process behind dual-timeline storytelling, and the significance of uncovering lost Canadian stories. Genevieve shares her passion for bringing history to life through her characters and emphasizes the need for readers to connect with their past to understand their future.
Genevieve Graham is the USA TODAY and #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child, and has been nicknamed “The Queen of Canadian historical fiction’. She is passionate about breathing life back into Canadian history through tales of love and adventure, including stories from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. All of her books have been on Toronto Star’s Top 10 list multiple times, thanks to her loyal readers. The Chambermaid’s Key is her tenth novel.
Visit her at GenevieveGraham.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @GenGrahamAuthor.
Season One: Episode One
To Write the Sea: Voyages of Heart & Hope with Natalie Jenner
To kick off this season at the garden gate, we welcome international bestselling author Natalie Jenner, whose beloved novels—The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls, Every Time We Say Goodbye, and now Austen at Sea—have captured hearts around the world.
In this reflective conversation, Natalie takes us behind the scenes of her newest novel, Austen at Sea, and discusses her journey to publication, the impact of literature during challenging times, and the enduring legacy of Jane Austen. We talk about the writing process, balancing humor and emotion in her narratives, finding your voice, the importance of hope and personal experiences in storytelling, and the courage it takes to begin again.
Whether you’re a lifelong Austen reader or simply in search of a gentle, bookish escape—you’re invited to come listen, reflect, and wander with us.
Season One: Episode Two
A Most Agreeable Mystery: Wit, Whimsy, and Murder with Julia Seales
For our second episode, we sit with Julia Seales, author of the delightfully witty Beatrice Steele Mysteries. From charming Swampshire in A Most Agreeable Murder, to the intrigue of Regency London in A Terribly Nasty Business, Julia’s work blends Austen–inspired social comedy with Christie’s twisty suspense.
Julia shares her background in screenwriting and storytelling, and the ways she balances humor, social satire, and mystery in her work. We explore her creative process, her appreciation for Austen and Christie, and the joy she finds in weaving homage with originality.
If you’re drawn to Regency ballrooms, cozy mysteries, or playful literary pastiche, this episode invites you into Julia’s world of wit, mischief, and murder in a timeless conversation between classic inspiration and modern imagination.
Season One: Episode Three
Secrets & Stories from the Real Downton Abbey with the Countess of Carnarvon
In this very special episode, we welcome Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon, who invites listeners into the storied world of Highclere Castle, also known as the real Downton Abbey. A writer, historian, and custodian of one of England’s most iconic estates, Lady Carnarvon shares reflections on country life, heritage, and the enduring beauty of the natural world. Drawing inspiration from the rhythm of the seasons, Lady Carnarvon’s latest book, A Year at Highclere: Exploring the Seasons at the Real Downton Abbey, captures a year in the life of the castle and estate — from spring lambing and summer garden blooms to autumn harvests and winter gatherings by the fire. In our conversation, she speaks about the importance of nurturing nature, the quiet wisdom found in the changing seasons, and the sense of purpose that comes from caring for a living piece of history.
Lady Carnarvon is also the author of several bestsellers, including Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, which tells the remarkable story of the 5th Countess of Carnarvon during the First World War, and Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey, exploring the life of her spirited American predecessor. Through her books and blog, Lady Carnarvon continues to bring Highclere’s past and present to life with warmth, wit, and deep appreciation for the people, animals, and traditions that sustain it.
Together, we explore not only the castle’s grand history and beloved gardens but also the more intimate side of Highclere — the daily rituals, acts of kindness, and quiet discoveries found among its shelves, fields, and winding paths. It’s a conversation about legacy, stewardship, and the joy of finding beauty in every season.
Season One: Episode Four
Echoes Through Time: Unearthing the Past with Irina Shapiro
Join us as we travel to Victorian London alongside author Irina Shapiro, who shares her remarkable journey as a writer whose stories bridge centuries, genres, and hearts. Known for her sweeping time-travel romances and intricately crafted Victorian murder mysteries, Irina has published more than sixty novels in just fourteen years—an extraordinary achievement that reflects both discipline and deep creative passion. Together, we explore the rhythms of her writing process, from her daily routine and prolific output to the way she keeps each new project fresh and emotionally alive. Irina speaks candidly about the evolution of her career, tracing her path from independent publishing to traditional publishing, and offering valuable insights into the freedoms, challenges, and lessons learned along the way.
Irina also shares practical advice for aspiring writers, from managing consistency and creativity to embracing both success and uncertainty as part of the artistic journey. Looking ahead to her upcoming projects, she reflects on why the past continues to call to her—and offers a poignant reminder:
“It’s when people forget the past that they mess up the future.”
A thoughtful and inspiring episode, this conversation invites listeners to reflect on how stories help us understand who we are, where we’ve been, and how we move forward.
Season One: Episode Five
Literary Gardens: Where Stories Take Root with Sandra Lawrence
In this thoughtful and deeply evocative conversation, Sandra Lawrence, author of Literary Gardens, invites us to see gardens not merely as physical spaces, but as gateways to imagination, memory, and stories. She traces her love of gardens back to childhood reading, where fictional landscapes first awakened her imagination. Drawing on her deep knowledge of writers and the landscapes that inspired them, Sandra explores how gardens—real and imagined—have shaped some of literature’s most beloved works. Sandra explores how gardens in literature are never merely decorative, but often mirror a character’s inner life, emotional state, or moral journey, becoming powerful narrative devices that quietly guide the reader through the story.
Drawing on her extensive research, Sandra discusses how authors make deliberate choices — from plant selection to seasonal settings — and how these choices carry symbolic meaning tied to growth, hope, loss, and renewal. Throughout the conversation, Sandra emphasizes that gardens function almost as characters in their own right, shaping action and atmosphere while reflecting the rhythms of human life.
Perhaps most resonant is Sandra’s belief that we can all have a “garden gate, even if we don’t have a garden” — a threshold to imagination, memory, and personal reflection.
Whether encountered through books, a window box, or an imagined landscape, gardens invite us to pause, observe, and reconnect with ourselves. This conversation beautifully captures the transformative power of literary gardens and reminds us that the spaces we tend, real or imagined, shape the stories we tell and the lives we lead. Through literary history, personal insight, and gentle encouragement, this conversation celebrates gardens as places of solace, inspiration, and storytelling, where readers and writers alike can pause, dream, and step into the stories that linger just beyond the gate.
Season One: Episode Six
Chawton House Tour & Early Women’s Writing Legacy with Molly Maslen
In this special episode of Whispers at the Garden Gate, we step inside Chawton House with Molly Maslen, Assistant Curator, for an intimate interview and virtual tour of one of England’s most significant literary landmarks. Molly shares the fascinating history of Chawton House and the Knight family, whose stewardship of the estate shaped not only its architectural and cultural legacy but also its enduring connection to Jane Austen. As the literary world prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, the conversation reflects on how her proximity to Chawton House influenced her life, her imagination, and the wider literary landscape in which she wrote.
Molly offers insight into the remarkable Chawton House Library, home to approximately 1,500 rare titles, with a particular emphasis on early women writers whose works informed, inspired, and surrounded Austen. She discusses how current exhibitions at Chawton House are designed to illuminate the legacy of women’s writing, bringing long-overlooked voices into conversation with Austen’s novels and letters. She touches on the Knight family cookbook, one of my favorite volumes in the library, which provides a vivid glimpse into domestic life, foodways, and everyday rhythms of the household, revealing how literary history and lived experience are deeply intertwined.
Throughout the interview, Molly speaks passionately about the importance of exploring women’s writing beyond the familiar canon, encouraging readers and visitors alike to approach literature as a living dialogue across generations. She shares personal literary favorites, reflects on the joy of curatorial work, and offers a glimpse into future projects at Chawton House, including the Deirdre Le Faye project, which continues to shape and deepen Austen scholarship. Together, this conversation and virtual tour present Chawton House not simply as a historic estate, but as a vibrant, evolving home for women’s literary history, scholarship, and imagination.
Season One: Episode Seven
Whispers from the Drawing Room: The Austen Mysteries with Stephanie Barron
In this warm and insightful conversation, Francine Mathews, also known as Stephanie Barron, reflects on a literary career spanning more than three decades and over thirty novels, shaped by a lifelong love of classic literature and storytelling. She shares how her early encounters with beloved authors like Austen, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky instilled in her a reverence for language and narrative — a belief that words, when carefully chosen, can transcend time and create lasting emotional connections between writer and reader.
We talk about the creative process behind her acclaimed Jane Austen mystery series, describing fiction writing as both an act of exploration and surrender, where characters often reveal their own intentions and guide the story in unexpected directions. Editing and revising, she notes, is an equally vital stage, not unlike renovating a house, where careful refinement reveals the true shape and beauty of the work.
Francine reflects on storytelling as a source of comfort and continuity, a way to make sense of change while still offering readers hope and meaning. She discusses the evolving landscape of publishing, acknowledging its challenges and offering encouragement to aspiring writers navigating a rapidly changing industry. She encourages writers to remain grounded in the joy of storytelling itself and emphasizes the need for stories, in all their forms, that uplift, endure, and illuminate rather than diminish. Throughout our conversation, Francine’s reverence for beauty, from carefully chosen words to the scent of lilacs and hyacinths, underscores her belief that literature, like a well-tended garden, is an act of care, patience, and love.
Season One: Episode Eight
The Austens & A World of Wonderful Beauty with Dr. Sarah Emsley
As we near the end of this season and the year, we welcome Dr. Sarah Emsley to Whispers at the Garden Gate for a discussion you won’t want to miss, whether you’re an Austen fan, a reader, or a writer. Sarah reflects on a childhood shaped by books and literary conversations, and the gradual discovery of Jane Austen’s work that would later influence her own writing. She shares how a pivotal moment in graduate school deepened her connection to Austen and set her on a path toward exploring the author’s lasting legacy through both scholarship and fiction.
Sarah offers insight into the creation of her novel The Austens, a project inspired by the unexpected connections between Jane Austen and Nova Scotia. She discusses her writing and revision process, the influence of landscape and history on her writing, and talks about the shared strength and quiet resilience found in the heroines of both Austen’s and L.M. Montgomery’s worlds.
We discuss literature’s enduring ability to help us make sense of the complexities of living one thoughtful story at a time and explore strong heroines and the enduring comfort literature offers. Set against the backdrop of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary, this conversation invites readers and viewers to linger beyond the familiar happy endings as we reflect on literature’s power to help us navigate the complexities of life–quietly, thoughtfully, and in good company.
Season One: Episode Nine
Whispers from the Drawing Room: The Austen Mysteries with Stephanie Barron
In this season’s finale, Rebecca Wood, of Jane Austen’s House Museum, invites us into the rooms where Austen wrote and edited all her novels (some were written earlier but she extensively revised them in Chawton prior to publication). Rebecca shares insights into Austen’s daily life at Chawton, the significance of the house as both a creative sanctuary and a literary landmark, and how the museum continues to preserve Austen’s legacy for readers around the world. From the intimate domestic details to the enduring cultural impact of Austen’s novels, this interview offers a glimpse into the place where some of literature’s most beloved stories came to life.
Visiting Jane Austen’s house is more than just a trip. It’s a journey into the heart of literature and the life of a remarkable woman. From the enchanting gardens to the thought-provoking exhibitions, every corner of the house tells a story. There’s so much to see, do, and feel that once you’ve been there, even when you leave, you are bound to carry a piece with you (and I am not talking about the goodies in the gift shop). Visitors to Jane Austen’s house can expect a rich experience that goes beyond a simple tour. Rebecca tells us all about the festivals, events, upcoming programs, special collections, and first editions. She invites us to visit, whether in person or virtually and experience the serenity, the rooms, the air that inspired some of the best works of literature.
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