In this evocative episode of Matt’s Chitchats, Matt reunites with former colleagues Kerstin Pilz and Amanda Burns to delve into the enduring allure of Italy and the transformative power of storytelling.

In this series, Matt's Chitchats, part of The Secret Life of Language, our host Matt Absalom will talk to all sorts of different people about all sorts of different things relating to languages.

From the hallowed halls of the University of Melbourne to the shores of Lake Garda and the tropics of Queensland, our guests discuss how they traded academic rigour for literary bravery.

The conversation centres on the authors' transition from academic careers to writing non-fiction and fiction that challenges the invisible phase of women in midlife.

· Amanda Burns discusses her book, An Italian Affair, a fictional ...