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All Episodes

The Writing Life — 201 episodes

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Title
1

Writing the self in memoir: Camilla Balshaw on Named

2

Storytelling in graphic novels: Anna Trench on Florrie

3

Stories of humanity & connection: Jenni Fagan on The Delusions

4

The path to publication: Grace Murray on Blank Canvas

5

Wonder and Loss: Writing Grief and Memoir with Sam Meekings

6

Family and Caribbean folklore: Celeste Mohammed on Ever Since We Small

7

Writing dystopian fiction: Matt Greene on The Definitions

8

Writing speculative fiction: Choo Yi Feng on ecology, world building, and creating mysterious characters

9

Poets in conversation: John Osborne & Lewis Buxton on performance, humour, and place

10

New year, new writing goals: Julia Crouch on getting started, finding inspiration, and writing what excites

11

Writing festive thrillers: Nicola Upson on The Christmas Clue

12

What is ‘experimental fiction’?: Clara Chow on travelling, writing about taboo subjects, and having fun

13

Writing grief and the body: Lisabelle Tay & Heather Parry in conversation with Yan Ge

14

Writing flawed characters: Sarah Moss on Ripeness

15

The poetry of motherhood: Erica Hesketh and Jenny Pagdin on language, recovery, and balance

16

A writer’s journey: Vanessa Bell on book tours, friendship, and revisiting old projects

17

Representation in children’s literature: Hayley Wells on The Spectacular Suit

18

Reimagining classics: Pat Barker on the Regeneration Trilogy

19

Writing contemporary crime fiction: Val McDermid on Past Lying

20

Becoming a published author: Wen-Yi Lee on representation, writing residencies, and building a readership

21

Writing between genres: Michael Pedersen on Muckle Flugga

22

World building in horror fiction: Julia Armfield on Private Rites

23

The world of Substack: Eleanor Anstruther & Simon K Jones on serial fiction

24

Writing love stories: André Aciman on Room on the Sea

25

The power of language: Eimear McBride on The City Changes Its Face

26

Writing strong female characters: Joanna Miller on The Eights

27

The rise of romantasy with Sangu Mandanna

28

Writing about sports and masculinity with George Harrison, Alex Allison, and Ashley Hickson-Lovence

29

Developing your creative practice with Julia Bird

30

Writing about nature with Chloe Dalton

31

Writing a festive bestseller with Abiola Bello

32

Writing about music with Aniefiok Ekpoudom

33

Researching for crime novels with Peter James

34

Routes into writing with S G Bell

35

Writing dialect in fiction with Ferdia Lennon

36

Writing through place: Heidi Williamson & Rebecca Goss on poetry, memory and healing

37

Structuring non-fiction with Nick Acheson

38

Writing collaboratively with Maarja Pärtna & Penny Boxall

39

Advice for emerging writers with Benjamin Johncock & Megan Bradbury

40

Writing the 'difficult second novel' with Melissa Fu

41

Writing romantic comedies with PJ Ellis

42

Researching for fiction with Jon McGregor

43

Writing soaps with James McDermott & Stephen Keyworth

44

Writing narrative non-fiction with Dan Richards & Edward Parnell

45

How to be a craftivist with Sarah P Corbett

46

Writing for performance with HighTide

47

Writing poetry with Martin Figura

48

Reintroducing Harriet Martineau with Stuart Hobday & Gaby Weiner

49

Crafting identity in fiction with Michael Donkor

50

Writing subversive women with Naomi Wood

51

Virtual residencies with Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar, Sim Wai-chew and Tse Hao Guang

52

Writing the grotesque body with Heather Parry

53

Writing and chronic illness with Polly Atkin

54

Writing for younger audiences with Chip Colquhoun

55

Writing modern noir with Margot Douaihy

56

Writing unreliable narrators with Hannah Vincent

57

Into the contemporary poetry archive

58

How to Write a Script with Molly Naylor

59

In conversation with bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin

60

The craft of life writing with Fiona Mason

61

Writing Short Stories with Yan Ge

62

Music and translation with Kalaf Epalanga & Daniel Hahn

63

Priscilla Morris on writing resistance and community in Black Butterflies

64

Working Class Noir with Tom Benn

65

Writing Real People in Memoir with Katy Massey

66

How to Write Suspense Fiction with Claire McGowan

67

Writing a Biography with Patrick Barkham

68

Life as a Poet - with Raymond Antrobus

69

Writing About Historical Figures with Victoria Mackenzie

70

Working with a Translator - with Caroline Lamarche and Katherine Gregor

71

In conversation with Max Porter at the Book Hive

72

Interviewing difficult subjects with Richard Balls

73

In Conversation with British-Nepali Writer and Translator Rabi Thapa

74

The Martineau Lecture with Kit De Waal

75

How to Develop Compelling Characters in Your Fiction - with Okechukwu Nzelu

76

Writer Insights with James Kinsley

77

Common ground: writing, culture and community in Singapore

78

How to write humour - with Caimh McDonnell

79

From writing craft to witchcraft with Kirsty Logan

80

Literary Translation and Neurodivergence - with Clare Richards

81

How To Build Your Writing Routine - with Megan Bradbury

82

New voices: 10 emerging writers read their work

83

How To Grip Your Readers - with Julia Crouch

84

Writing Using The Senses

85

What makes a great short story? With Jenn Ashworth

86

Writing About Love - A Conversation With Maddie Mortimer

87

Partners in crime: Yelena Moskovich in conversation with Julia Crouch

88

Revision: rewriting and redrafting with Lynne Bryan

89

Mohsin Hamid discusses The Last White Man

90

How To Balance Story And Plot

91

How To Structure A Novel

92

SPECIAL: Wandering Words poems and soundscapes

93

We Are Always Translating

94

Research for writing with Megan Bradbury and Sam Ruddock

95

The poetry process with Khairani Barokka

96

From Taekwondo to literary translation with Mattho Mandersloot

97

Translation as activism with Anam Zafar & Meena Kandasamy

98

Lucy van Smit’s Writer’s Journal Workbook

99

Sawad Hussain & Archana Madhavan on translating webtoons & Korean literature

100

Andy Hamilton on writing in Longhand

101

How to be self-published AND traditionally published with Nicola May

102

Jarred McGinnis on blending fact and fiction in The Coward

103

Derek Barretto‘s path to literary translation

104

Jennifer Anne Champion on poetry and embroidery

105

Adam Z Robinson on theatre, Patreon and adapting to Covid-19

106

Editing & translating for young readers with Ella Micheler

107

Writing fantasy with Nuraliah Norasid

108

Going from self-publishing to traditional publishing with AE Warren

109

Jenn Ashworth on writing fiction & non-fiction

110

Nazry Bahrawi & Vineet Lal in conversation

111

Carole Angier on writing the first biography of W.G. Sebald

112

Megan Abbott on crime writing‘s power to change society

113

Structuring a novel: Rebecca Watson talks to Chitra Ramaswamy about Little Scratch

114

Kate Mosse on the Women‘s Prize, Discoveries and research

115

Finding hope in an age of crisis - with Tom Whyman

116

Lewis Buxton on boyhood, sexuality, sport and publishing his first poetry collection

117

Shash Trevett & Geetha Sukumaran on translating Tamil poetry

118

Olivia Hellwell on translating from Slovene (+ the cultural importance of crisps)

119

Substack, the creator economy & serialised storytelling with Elle Griffin

120

Tommy Sissons on writing a prose polemic

121

How to become a literary translator: deep dive

122

Tsitsi Dangarembga on representation, feminism and Zimbabwean literature

123

William Ryan's Guide to How to Write

124

Jen Campbell on building your writer platform

125

We pick our top episodes from lockdown

126

J. Michael Straczynski on Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer

127

Jessie Greengrass on The High House

128

Lynn Buckle on positive climate writing with Flo Reynolds

129

Abir Mukherjee: Weather With You #3

130

Derek Owusu: Weather With You #2

131

Kerri ní Dochartaigh: Weather With You #1

132

Valur Gunnarsson & Sarah Bower on writing alternate histories

133

Liz Breslin & Tiffany Atkinson on discovering yourself through writing

134

Polish writer Marcin Wilk talks to Joe Hedinger from The Book Hive

135

Julian of Norwich & biscuits with Vahni Capildeo and Jeremy Noel-Tod

136

Writing a short story collection with Jo Lloyd + Norfolk & Norwich Festival!

137

Neill Cameron on writing for young comics readers, representation, The Phoenix & MEGA ROBO BROS

138

Ambiguity & metaphor in The Last Good Man with Thomas McMullan

139

Writing HADES with Greg Kasavin of Supergiant Games

140

Crowdfunded publishing with Tom Cox

141

Writing about the slave who became Queen Victoria's goddaughter - with Anni Domingo

142

Writing creative non-fiction with Sonia Faleiro

143

Horatio Clare's journey through madness, mania & healing

144

Theatre in translation with William Gregory & Sue Healy

145

To Olivia - film adaptation with Stephen Michael Shearer & John Hay

146

Styles of dialogue with Chris Beckett

147

Writing a novel on a phone - with Jon Ransom

148

Kate Worsley on the value of mentoring & the challenges of Covid-19

149

Nicola Upson on why books are more vital than ever

150

Owen Nicholls on his first novel & the Escalator scheme

151

World building using narrative voice - with Abi Daré

152

Characters in translation - with Thomas Heerma van Voss

153

The Black Writers on Democracy Project

154

Form & feeling with poet Will Harris

155

The Artful Dickens, literary conjuror - with John Mullan

156

Research, editing & planning novels with Stuart Turton

157

Publishing with a small press - with Sally-Anne Lomas & Sam Ruddock

158

Oyinkan Braithwaite on My Sister, The Serial Killer - Noirwich 2020

159

What happens when Covid-19 cancels your book launch? - Richard Lambert returns!

160

Writing narrative non-fiction with Kate Summerscale

161

Agents, representation, childcare & moving out of London - with Emma Shercliff

162

How to be an organised writer with Antony Johnston

163

Kieron Gillen on world building in Eternals, Wicked+Divine, Star Wars

164

Attica Locke on Power, Property And Prejudice

165

Book Club:: RENDANG by Will Harris

166

Noirwich 2020: Poirot Special with Sophie Hannah & Mark Aldridge

167

Noirwich 2020: Anita Terpstra, virtual writer in residence

168

Noirwich 2020: Paddy Richardson, virtual writer in residence

169

How to get your poetry published - with Flo Reynolds

170

Okechukwu Nzelu's 10 year writing journey

171

Debut author Eliza Clark on Boy Parts, being published during Covid-19 & lazy comparisons

172

How Arts Council National Lottery Grants Work

173

Elvira Dones on identity and translation in Sworn Virgin

174

The Writing Life Trailer

175

Sarah Perry on crafting characters

176

Designing Your Plot - Nicola Upson returns!

177

Earning a writer's trust - with translator Sarah Ardizzone

178

Eva Meijer and Animal Languages

179

Book Club: Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

180

Simon & Steph Celebrate 100 Episodes

181

Eimear McBride's Method

182

Poetry In Lockdown - with Lewis Buxton of TOAST

183

Announcing the Desmond Elliott Prize Shortlist

184

Searching For Answers with Bregje Hofstede

185

Owen Sheers' International Literature Showcase Reveal

186

A Portrait Of An Artist And A Writer

187

A Delicate Sight: Max Porter & Sam Winston

188

Creating Characters With Michael Donkor

189

Join our Book Club!

190

Becoming A Translator with Motoyuki Shibata

191

The responsibilities of writers - with Kendel Hippolyte

192

Researching True Crime with Stephanie Scott

193

Writing In Interesting Times - with Vahur Afanasjev

194

Finding Your New Normal - Mark Stay returns!

195

Method And Digital Tools - Bregje Hofstede & Moto Shibata

196

Jenny Offill: Catastrophising, coronavirus & Weather

197

Exploring Themes Through Characters: Ayobami Adebayo

198

BookTube & Your Online Platform - with Leena Norms

199

The Writing Life podcast trailer

200

From Teacher To Writer: Ashley Hickson-Lovence

201

Taking Yourself Seriously - with Cat Woodward