Australian author Alex Sarkis joins George John on CREW TABLE for a funny, honest and unexpectedly deep conversation about writing, Western Sydney, Lebanese-Australian identity, faith, fear and what it actually takes to become a published author.

Alex is the author of Something Blue and Something New, two novels deeply connected to Sydney’s West, family, community, belonging and the characters that make Western Sydney unlike anywhere else.

But becoming an author was never part of some perfectly mapped-out career plan.

Alex studied accounting and worked in her family business while writing quietly in the background. What began as a creative outlet during a period where she felt bored and directionless eventually became Something Blue — and remarkably, the only two books she has ever written are also the two books she has had published.

In this episode, Alex takes us inside that journey: from being terrified to let other people read her work, to pitching her first manuscript, getting a publishing deal and then immediately questioning whether she had made a terrible mistake.

We also unpack the side of publishing most readers never see. Alex speaks candidly about author royalties, why selling a book for $30 doesn’t mean the author is making anywhere near $30, the PR and marketing expected of modern authors and why publishing a successful book doesn’t necessarily mean becoming rich.

The conversation goes far beyond books.

Alex opens up about growing up in a Lebanese family in Western Sydney, why Something Blue became a love letter to the community she knows so well, stereotypes and representation in Australian storytelling, why she believes telling a great story should always come before ticking boxes and why Sydney itself became almost another character in her work.

We talk about the meaning of home, feeling trapped inside your own expectations, imposter syndrome, criticism, social media and BookTok, why she doesn’t particularly enjoy promoting herself online and whether the constant noise of social media is making us more connected or increasingly lonely.

And then the conversation turns to faith.

Alex shares why her relationship with God has become central to her life, why she doesn’t believe in manifestation without God, learning to surrender control, the private moments that strengthened her faith and why she now believes taking a risk can itself be an act of faith.

There are also rapper ambitions, a missing CD that Alex desperately hopes never resurfaces, Bible studies, brutal family honesty and perhaps the greatest piece of fatherly advice ever delivered during a publishing-induced meltdown.

This is a conversation about much more than becoming an author.

It’s about creating something before you feel ready, putting your work into the world when you’re terrified of being judged and having enough faith to pursue the thing you can’t stop thinking about.

Follow Alex Sarkis on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alex_sarkis/

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