"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains."-Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses
On September 12–13, I'll be at the Geelong Fragrance Fair and to mark it, this special episode gathers voices from everyone I've interviewed on Paperback Perfumes this past year. Sixteen perfumers, founders and scholars, each paired with a book, woven into one conversation about scent, story and identity. Here they are, in the order they first appeared on the show. Come find me at the Fair and say hello!
Ep 3, Return of the Rivers — Laura Bass (Lore Perfumery) pairs fragrance with Rivers of London and The Return of the King.
Ep 21, Artistic Aliens — Corey Newcombe (Criminal Elements) on a decade of artisanal scent, nose training and dream-born fragrances.
Ep 26, Inheritance — John Domjan (Örök Fragrances) on telling queer community stories through scent.
Ep 44, Futurism — Dr Caroline McMillan on smell tech, sci-fi and the future of olfactory art.
Ep 46, Resilience — Aysha Hansen on sensory memory, teaching perfumery and building a fragrance line.
Ep 47, Story Keepers — Juliette Fournier & Richard Adamson (Hart + Hedi) on collaboration, memory and native Australian botanicals.
Ep 49, The Land of Flowers — Justin James (House of James) on niche perfumery as artistic rebellion.
Ep 51, Fairy Tales — Michael Nordstrand (Mythologist Studio) on myth, the hero's journey and Scandinavian fairy tales.
Ep 54, Kings and Heroes — Ashek Zubayer (Byermia) on the Epic of Gilgamesh and his mythological Folklore series.
Ep 55, Aesthetics — Dr Liam Sardea on the philosophy of aesthetics, memory and meaning in scent.
Ep 60, More Than a Dandy — Katrina Cochrane (Archer Farrar) on natural perfumery and The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Ep 65, Sacred Scent — Lee Couch (LA COUCH), a Gamilaroi woman, on Aboriginal bush medicine, songlines and healing.
Ep 71, A Box of Spices — Alina Tadevosyan (ARAKYÁL) on Armenian heritage, memory and cultural resilience.
Ep 78, A Beautiful Grimoire — Troy Vu (Grimoire Perfumes) on Dorian Gray, myth and the macabre.
Ep 82, Finding Language — Saskia Dodds-Painter (KOLIDO, Nose Magazine) on the language we use for smell.
Ep 84, Makeup and Murder — David Clarke (Rivendare) on Agatha Christie and building a perfume house from scratch.
Sixteen episodes, one thread: scent as story. Listen to the full compilation now, then come find me in person at the Geelong Fragrance Fair, September 12–13 — I'd love to swap book and fragrance recommendations with you.
Tickets & info: geelongfragrancefair.com.au
Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records
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