In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Mel Pennant about her crime novel A Murder for Miss Hortense. We discuss how Miss Hortense was inspired by Mel’s grandmother and golden age mysteries, the importance of balancing lightness and humour within the tragedy and resilience of the Black British community and what it’s like to write a novel when you’re used to writing plays. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy A Murder for Miss Hortense: https://uk.bookshop.or...
Jul 03, 2025•47 min•Season 4Ep. 21
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Barnaby Martin about his dystopian novel The Quiet. We discuss how his writing career began with video essays on YouTube, his tips for taking history and making it more extreme when writing dystopia and why he believes you need to know the theme of the novel before you start writing. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The Quiet: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035051489 Follow Barnaby: @BarnabyMartin Listening In:...
Jun 26, 2025•53 min•Season 4Ep. 20
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lisa Smith about her historical novel Jamaica Road. We discuss how the idea for this novel came from a creative writing exercise and voices that wouldn't leave her alone, using real newspaper extracts to make the political backdrop come alive and how a cancer diagnosis and a competition inspired her to take her writing seriously. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Jamaica Road: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/97803497...
Jun 19, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 19
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Seán Hewitt about his literary novel Open, Heaven. We discuss having to transport himself back to the intensity and naivety of teenage years, using 1st person perspective to explore what love feels like when you don't know whether the other person feels the same and why you should frame a query letter as you giving agents an amazing opportunity. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Open, Heaven: https://uk.bookshop.org/...
Jun 12, 2025•43 min•Season 4Ep. 18
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin about her contemporary novel Ordinary Saints. We discuss how her inspiration came from a true story about a modern-day teenager being made into a saint, why she deleted her first 20k words and how entering a competition to give herself a deadline changed her life. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Ordinary Saints: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781786584236 Follow Niamh: @niamhsquared https://ww...
Jun 05, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 17
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Claire Gleeson about her contemporary novel Show Me Where It Hurts. We discuss how she was inspired to write a story of survival after a shocking act of familicide, writing intense grief and high emotion in a restrained way, and how she does all her writing in snatched moments between work and parenting. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Show Me Where It Hurts: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399734721 Follow Cla...
May 29, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 16
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Chris Bridges about his psychological suspense novel Sick to Death. We discuss how Chris subverted tropes of having a sick protagonist, why almost 60 rejections from agents inspired him to write a more personal story and how having MS impacts his writing. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Sick to Death: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008698140 Follow Chris: @chrisbridgeswriter Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms ...
May 22, 2025•47 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niloufar Lamakan about her romance novel Aged To Perfection. We discuss changing the narrative by putting women in their 60s in the spotlight and writing them truthfully, why as a complete novice how a diary form helped her find structure and her experience working with One More Chapter, a digital first publisher who accepts unagented submissions. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Aged to Perfection: https://uk.books...
May 15, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 14
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Kemp about her crime novel The Grapevine. We discuss why she used a murder to explore a range of women in a 1970s suburban community, the challenge of writing from a 12-year-old narrator and how using social media to learn about the publishing industry helped her take the plunge to take her writing seriously. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The Grapevine: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399618977 Follow Ka...
May 08, 2025•46 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Hi everyone! Just to let you know Confessions of a Debut Novelist will be going on a short break while I recover from pneumonia. Thank you so much for the wonderful Jennie Godfrey for recording this announcement for me. I look forward to sharing the best new books and authors with you soon. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The List of Suspicious Things: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529153293 Follow Jennie: @jennieg_author Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms Buy Chloe's debut ...
Apr 24, 2025•42 sec
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Celia Silvani about her psychological suspense novel Baby Teeth. We discuss how her research helped her delve into the world of internet forums and cults, the challenge of writing an unbiased and empathetic approach to the radical beliefs of her characters and why you should never send out the first draft of your manuscript to agents. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Baby Teeth: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/97813...
Apr 10, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 12
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Louise Hegarty about her contemporary novel Fair Play. We discuss how absorbing so many Poirot novels helped her get the voice right for her detective, why she wanted to explore grief using a murder mystery and a puzzle box structure, and how her published stories attracted an agent. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Fair Play: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035036134 Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms Buy Chloe...
Apr 03, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 11
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Katie Buckley about her literary novel Hero. We discuss how she defines autofiction and why she loves it, what to do when you don’t have an instinct for plot and why she believes you need to be emotionally ready before you start querying agents. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Hero: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035413072 Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr....
Mar 27, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Bianca Gillam about her romance novel Bad Publicity. We discuss how her experience working within the publishing industry inspired her enemies to lovers romance, why she had to spend a few months away from the novel to get the ending right and why she thinks every aspiring author should think about having a clear vision for their book in terms of the cover and marketing package. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Bad ...
Mar 20, 2025•48 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sanam Mahloudji about her contemporary novel The Persians. We discuss how this novel started life as a short story until Sanam realised there was so much more to say, why she began writing to free herself when she was working as a lawyer and how she impressed an agent at a book event by asking an insightful question. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The Persians: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008589042 Follow ...
Mar 13, 2025•45 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lucy Rose about her horror novel The Lamb. We discuss how her ADHD meant she had to find her own way to write without a routine, why film-making and working with a production designer has made her a better writer and because Lucy has created a whole brand around her novel using TikTok and Instagram I wanted to ask her advice about how to use social media to build a brand if you want to. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * ...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Salma Ibrahim about her speculative novel Salutation Road. We discuss how she explored coming of age and migration with a parallel world twist, the challenge of writing the same character from two alternate worlds and why despite several agent rejections she decided to keep the speculative element. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Salutation Road: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035044344 Follow Salma: @salma.s....
Feb 27, 2025•40 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Handyside about her contemporary novel Instructions for Heartbreak. We discuss how her own heartbreak was the catalyst to write this book, why the device of including a handbook gave her a helpful way to structure the novel and how a longlisting in the Curtis Brown First Novel Award attracted her agent. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Instructions for Heartbreak: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035032754 ...
Feb 20, 2025•30 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Holly Stars about her crime novel Murder in the Dressing Room. We discuss how she wanted to showcase a different side to the drag scene and the variety of talent on show; the importance of having a non-binary main character and Holly’s experience of recording her own audiobook. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Murder in the Dressing Room: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241683729 Follow Holly: @hollywstars Follo...
Feb 13, 2025•41 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jenny Morris about her crime novel An Ethical Guide to Murder. We discuss setting the rules of her high concept crime novel with a fantasy twist, exploring the moral and ethical dilemmas of life and death and why her background in psychology helps her develop characters. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy An Ethical Guide to Murder: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398534407 Follow Jenny: dr_jennymorris Follow Chlo...
Feb 06, 2025•44 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rachel Bower about her contemporary novel It Comes From The River. We discuss why asking your characters simple questions can take them in interesting directions, how she represented folklore from the North of England and the psychological challenge of keeping the faith in your novel during the writing process. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy It Comes From The River: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526672667 Fo...
Jan 30, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Catherine Airey about her contemporary novel Confessions. We discuss how she found the soul of her family saga by experimenting with different perspectives depending on her narrator, the challenge of writing about controversial topics such as 9/11 and when it came to finding an agent, how she chose between them. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Confessions: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241675182 Follow Cather...
Jan 23, 2025•38 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Holly Gramazio about her contemporary novel The Husbands. We discuss how online dating inspired her infinite husbands idea, why her background in video game design helped her figure out the rules of her magic attic and why turning 40 was the push she needed to start writing a novel. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The Husbands: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781784745356 Follow Holly: holly_gramazio Follow Chloe ...
Dec 19, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 51
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma van Straaten about her literary novel This Immaculate Body. We discuss how her curiosity in a real life cleaning job inspired her, the challenge of getting into the mindset of an unpalatable character and how winning the Discoveries prize in 2021 changed her life. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy This Immaculate Body: @evswrites Follow Emma: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349127309 Follow Chloe on Twitter:...
Dec 12, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 50
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Ram Murali about his crime novel Death in the Air. We discuss how Ram never had dreams of being a writer but couldn’t let go of his novel idea, how he took inspiration from Agatha Christie and The Secret History and how he made ruthless decisions when editing his scenes Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Death in the Air: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781805460008 Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer's Guide to...
Dec 05, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 49
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Tom Newlands about his contemporary novel Only Here, Only Now. We discuss how homesickness in lockdown inspired this novel, why he wanted to explore the intersection between neurodivergence and poverty during adolescence and why Tom thinks avoiding all advice was the reason he finished his book. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Only Here, Only Now: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399607896 Follow Tom: tomnewland...
Nov 28, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 48
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Genevieve Wheeler about her contemporary novel Adelaide. We discuss turning a therapeutic journaling exercise into fiction, putting a mental health diagnosis authentically on the page and writing about a toxic relationship from both sides. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Adelaide: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035912742 Follow Genevieve: @geewheeler https://genevieveewheeler.com Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clot...
Nov 21, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 47
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Chamberlain about her romance novel The Slowest Burn. We discuss writing an opposites attract love story, why she used dual perspectives to help give both characters growth in the romance and why, if you like writing dialogue you should try writing first drafts like screenplays. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy The Slowest Burn: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781408730195 Follow Sarah: @sarahchamberlainautho...
Nov 14, 2024•48 min•Season 3Ep. 46
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Nikkitha Bakshani about her contemporary novel Ghost Chilli. We discuss using life writing and repressed memories to inspire fiction, the difficult editing choice she made to delete an entire timeline and how she used astrology to deepen her characterisation. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Ghost Chilli: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349727509 Follow Nikkitha: @nikkitaha Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms Buy...
Nov 07, 2024•47 min•Season 3Ep. 45
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Tawseef Khan about his contemporary novel Determination. We discuss how his personal experience working as an immigration solicitor inspired this novel, why he chose to embrace similarities between him and his protagonist to make her come alive and his advice to see characters as a Rubik’s Cube. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop * Buy Determination: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781804440902 Follow Tawseef: @itsmetawsee...
Oct 31, 2024•59 min•Season 3Ep. 44
