Season 1, episode 1: Comedy writer Paul Powell plus what research from the Royal Society of Literature tells us about the needs of writers.

On the inaugural podcast, we talk to Paul Powell, comedy scriptwriter and former ALCS Board member, about why writing jokes for a living can be, but isn’t always a barrel of laughs. We talk to Lisa Appignanesi, writer and chair of the Royal Society of Literature, about that organisation’s recent research into the working conditions writers need in order to thrive. Alison Baxter, Head of Communications at ALCS, also joins us with news of the next distribution of royalties. And finally Joanne Harris, bestselling author of books like Chocolat and most recently The Strawberry Thief, tells us what copyright means to her.