#214: 'The Competition,' a Toastmasters-Inspired Satirical Novel – Katherine Collette

The Toastmasters Podcast with Greg Gazin with Ryan Levesque & Bo Bennett

The Toastmasters Podcast is a talkshow designed to amplify the Toastmaster magazine content, featuring interviews with Toastmasters, contributors and those connected with the articles of this monthly publication. ALL 250+ Episodes can be found at ToastmastersPodcast.com.

[27:24] The first time Katherine Collette visited a Toastmasters meeting, she thought a public speaking club offered the perfect backdrop for a novel. Several years later, the former Toastmaster's inspiration has come to fruition. Collette's second novel, The Competition, is a satirical work featuring a fictional and hyperbolic "Toastmasters-like" organization called SpeechMakers. Set at the organization's annual national convention, the story presents a case of quirky but loveable characters. Collette describes the novel as "a love letter to Toastmasters."

In today's episode, Greg & Ryan discuss Collette's inspiration, her experience as a Toastmaster (and speech contest competitor), and the similarities and differences between Toastmasters and Speechmakers. Collette also shares what she learned from attending the 2019 Toastmasters International Convention in Denver, CO, and how that experience informed the novel.

In addition to writing fiction, Katherine Collette is a podcaster and engineer. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, The Helpline, was published in the US, UK, Germany, and Italy. She co-hosts a podcast about books called The First Time.

Toastmaster magazine featured Katherine Collette and The Competition in August 2022.

Follow Katherine Collette on Instagram.

Order The Competition: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-competition-katherine-collette/book/9781922268068.html

Listen to Katherine's podcast, The First Time: https://thefirsttimepodcast.com/