In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, Norfolk-based writer Camilla Balshaw shares insights into exploring themes of identity and belonging in her memoir, Named – an engaging and intimate investigation of what makes us who we are. Camilla Balshaw has written for the Guardian and the Observer . She holds an MA in Creative & Life Writing from Goldsmiths (Distinction) and is an Honorary Research Fellow in Name Studies at the University of Nottingham. Her memoir Named won the Biography &am...
May 04, 2026•46 min•Ep. 368
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, illustrator and writer Anna Trench shares the process of writing and illustrating her debut graphic novel, Florrie – a warm-hearted story about football, friendship and falling in love. Anna Trench is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer and teacher based in London. Florrie is her first book. It won the 2025 East Anglian Book of the Year Award and was previously shortlisted for the First Graphic Novel Award and the LDComics Award. She sat down with NCW’...
Apr 20, 2026•43 min•Ep. 367
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, award-winning writer Jenni Fagan shares the process of writing her latest novel, The Delusions – a story of profound human connection, on an unprecedented scale. Jenni Fagan won the Gordon Burn Prize for her memoir, Ootlin , which was also longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. Her debut novel, The Panopticon , saw her selected as a Granta Best Young British Novelist, and her second novel, The Sunlight Pilgrims , gained her Scottish Author ...
Apr 06, 2026•43 min•Ep. 366
In this episode of The Writing Life, literary newcomer Grace Murray shares the process from mentorship to the publication of her debut novel Blank Canvas – a work of literary fiction about grief, reinvention and the ripple effects of telling lies. Grace Murray was born in 2003 and grew up in Norwich. She has recently graduated from Edinburgh University, where she read English Literature and found time to write between her studies and two part-time jobs. Her short fiction has been published in Th...
Mar 23, 2026•35 min•Ep. 365
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, novelist, poet and Associate Professor of Creative Writing Sam Meekings shares the process behind writing his latest book, Wonder and Loss: A Practical Memoir for Writing about Grief , which interweaves memoir and his personal journey through grief with practical guidance and insight on how to write about it. Sam Meekings is a British novelist and poet. He is the author of Under Fishbone Clouds (called 'a poetic evocation of the country and its people...
Mar 09, 2026•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 364
In this episode of The Writing Life, Trinidadian writer Celeste Mohammed reflects on the role of family, mythology, and Caribbean folklore in her writing. Celeste has been a lawyer since 2001 but she has been telling stories all her life. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, in 2016, she graduated from Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction). Her debut novel Pleasantview won the 2022 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Ahead of its publication in ...
Feb 23, 2026•53 min•Ep. 363
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, novelist and essayist Matt Greene shares the process of writing his latest novel, The Definitions – a work of dystopian fiction which interrogates and plays with the relationship between language, memory and the self. Matt is a novelist and essayist. His first novel, Ostrich , published in 2013, won a Betty Trask Award and was a Daily Telegraph book of the year. His memoir, Jew(ish) was published in 2020. His latest novel, The Definitions , was publis...
Feb 09, 2026•53 min•Ep. 362
In this episode of The Writing Life, Singapore-based writer Choo Yi Feng shares his approach to writing speculative fiction. Choo Yi Feng is an intertidal explorer, climate activist, ecologist and fiction writer. The Waiting Room is his debut short story collection. Elsewhere, his short stories have previously been published in Foglifter Journal , Anathema: Spec from the Margins , Queer Southeast Asia and Alluvium , the journal of Literary Shanghai. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 202...
Jan 26, 2026•44 min•Ep. 361
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, writers and performers John Osborne and Lewis Buxton share insights on writing poetry for page and performance, and reflect on their lives as poets living and working in Norwich City of Literature. John Osborne is a poet, scriptwriter, broadcaster and theatre-maker. He began writing whilst studying at the University of East Anglia and has never stopped, producing an eclectic mix of poetry, storytelling theatre shows, non-fictional explorations of ever...
Jan 12, 2026•55 min•Ep. 360
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer and NCW tutor Julia Crouch welcomes the New Year with us and shares her advice and encouragement for the writing year ahead. Julia is the author of ten internationally published crime novels, including Cuckoo , Tarnished , The Long Fall , and Her Husband’s Lover . Unable to find a sub-genre of crime writing that neatly described her work, she came up with the term Domestic Noir, which is now widely accepted as the label for one of the mos...
Dec 29, 2025•43 min•Ep. 359
In this festive episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer Nicola Upson delves into the themes and appeal of crime novels set at Christmas. Nicola Upson’s debut, An Expert in Murder , was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey — one of Britain’s finest Golden Age crime writers – and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4. Several of Nicola’s novels have been listed for the CWA Gold and Historical Daggers, and Sorry for the Dead was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Prai...
Dec 15, 2025•42 min•Ep. 358
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast , Singapore-based writer Clara Chow delves into the world of 'experimental fiction' and why she takes on projects that push against the grain. Clara Chow works across genres of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her strange experiments under Hermit Press include obscure prose chapbooks such as The Melancholy of Broken Bollards . She has been a resident at the University of Iowa, Toji Cultural Center, Asean Literary Festival and Shanghai Writers’ Programm...
Nov 17, 2025•56 min•Ep. 357
In this Halloween-flavoured episode of The Writing Life Podcast , we’re resharing an illuminating discussion between writers Lisabelle Tay and Heather Parry on writing grief and the monstrous body. Heather Parry is a Glasgow-based writer and editor, originally from South Yorkshire. Her debut novel, Orpheus Builds a Girl , was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award and longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. She is also the author of a short story collection, This ...
Nov 03, 2025•54 min•Ep. 356
In this episode of The Writing Life , acclaimed British author and academic Sarah Moss (known for Ghost Wall and Summerwater ) joins us to discuss her latest novel, Ripeness , ‘a breathtaking story of love and the search for belonging, from 1960s Italy to present-day Ireland.’ Sarah reflects on the novel’s dual structure, which follows Edith both as a young girl and as an older woman, and explores how dance, movement, and the body shape the story’s emotional core. She also talks about her fascin...
Oct 20, 2025•42 min•Ep. 355
In this episode of The Writing Life, poets Erica Hesketh and Jenny Pagdin share insights into the poetry of motherhood, and how they each share their ‘emotional truth’ in their writing. Erica Hesketh is a poet and editor, originally from Japan and Denmark, now based in London. Her poetry has been commissioned by the Royal Festival Hall, Spread the Word and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. From 2016 to 2024 she was Director of the Poetry Translation Centre. Her debut collection, In the Lily Roo...
Oct 06, 2025•38 min•Ep. 354
In this episode of The Writing Life, poet, editor, and literary activist Vanessa Bell discusses the journeys she has taken as a writer, both literally and figuratively, and her recent book tour around the UK. Based in Quebec City of Literature, Vanessa Bell is co-director of CONTOURS and director of the poetry collection at Éditions du Quartz. Her debut collection of poetry, De rivières , was published by La Peuplade in 2019. She co-edited Anthology of contemporary poetry by women in Quebec 2000...
Sep 22, 2025•55 min•Ep. 353
In this episode of The Writing Life, illustrator Hayley Wells delves into the importance of representation in children’s books. Hayley Wells is an Essex-based illustrator with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art. Their work has been shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards, featured on television, and published worldwide. They sit down with NCW’s Ellie Reeves to discuss The Spectacular Suit , a picture book which celebrates individuality, identity and self-exp...
Sep 08, 2025•29 min•Ep. 352
Content warning: Mentions of rape, sexual assault, and war. In this episode of The Writing Life, bestselling author Pat Barker shares insights about the art of retellings, and the craftsmanship and research needed to write reimaginings of classic literature. Pat Barker was born in Yorkshire and began her literary career in her late thirties, when she took a short writing course taught by Angela Carter. She has published sixteen novels, including her masterful Regeneration Trilogy which includes ...
Aug 25, 2025•39 min•Ep. 351
In this episode of The Writing Life, award-winning writer Val McDermid shares insights on writing contemporary crime fiction, and the importance of learning patience as a writer. One of the UK’s most accomplished and respected novelists, Val McDermid has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and is translated into more than 40 languages. She is perhaps best-known for her Wire in the Blood series, featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, which was adapted f...
Aug 11, 2025•42 min•Ep. 350
In this episode of The Writing Life, writer and Dragon Hall Cottage resident Wen-yi Lee shares insights into building a writing career, and the process of taking a project from conception to completion. Wen-yi Lee likes writing about girls with bite, feral nature, and ghosts. She is the author of historical fantasy When They Burned the Butterfly and YA horror The Dark We Know , and has also published speculative fiction and essays in venues like Lightspeed, Uncanny, Strange Horizons, Reactor, an...
Jul 28, 2025•51 min•Ep. 349
In this episode of The Writing Life, prize-winning poet and writer Michael Pedersen shares his experience writing between genres, and how pushing the boundaries of literary categories can enhance your writing. Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning poet and author of the memoir Boy Friends , which was a Sunday Times Critics Choice and shortlisted for the Saltire Scottish National Book Awards. He was awarded a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship and is the current Writer in Residence at the University...
Jul 14, 2025•53 min•Ep. 348
In this episode of The Writing Life, prize-winning writer Julia Armfield shares insights on world building in horror fiction, and writing catastrophic and intense circumstances. Julia Armfield's work has been published in Granta, The White Review and Best British Short Stories 2019 and 2021. In 2019, she was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award. She is the author of salt slow, a collection of short stories, which was longlisted for the Polari Prize 2020 and the Edge Hi...
Jun 30, 2025•40 min•Ep. 347
In this episode of The Writing Life, writers Eleanor Anstruther and Simon K Jones discuss the world of Substack, and how they use the platform to publish and share their work. Eleanor Anstruther is the author of A Perfect Explanation , and A Memoir In 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries . Her new novel, In Judgement of Others , is out now. You can find her on Substack at The Literary Obsessive . Long time listeners of The Writing Life will remember Simon K Jones, as he used to host and produ...
Jun 16, 2025•58 min•Ep. 346
In this episode of The Writing Life, bestselling author André Aciman shares the intricacies of writing romance, from the magic of first meetings to the nuances of portraying older characters falling in love. André is the New York Times bestselling author of Call Me By Your Name , Find Me , The Gentleman From Peru , Out of Egypt , Eight White Knights , False Papers , Alibis , Harvard Square , Enigma Variations , and the essay collection Homo Irrealis . He’s the editor of the Proust Project and te...
Jun 02, 2025•34 min•Ep. 345
In this episode of The Writing Life, novelist and screenwriter Eimear McBride on the power of language, and the ways literary fiction can evoke emotion and connection. Eimear McBride is the award-winning author of four novels: A Girl is a Half-formed Thing , The Lesser Bohemians , Strange Hotel and The City Changes Its Face . Her debut novel A Girl is a Half-formed Thing won the inaugural Goldsmiths Prize, Irish Novel of the Year, the Bailey's Prize for Women's Fiction, The Desmond Elliott Prize...
May 19, 2025•35 min•Ep. 344
In this episode of The Writing Life, writer Joanna Miller shares her insights into writing strong female characters in historical fiction. Joanna Miller studied English at Exeter College, Oxford and later returned to the University to train as a teacher. After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. She is an alum of our Escalator New Writing Fellowships, which helped her to transform her debut novel, The Eights , from a first draft to its final form. The Eights...
May 05, 2025•54 min•Ep. 343
This week on The Writing Life, we’re diving into the world of romantasy — a genre that blends the best of romance and fantasy. Romantasy novels have taken the publishing world by storm in recent years, with sales expected to hit a staggering $610 million in 2024. And on TikTok, the #Romantasy tag has amassed over 800 million views. What is it about these stories that captivate readers? And what makes romantasy such a rewarding genre to write? To help answer these questions, we’re thrilled to wel...
Apr 14, 2025•39 min•Ep. 342
In this episode of The Writing Life, writers Alex Allison, George Harrison, and Ashley Hickson-Lovence share their insights into writing about sport and modern masculinity. Alex Allison is a writer from London. He is the author of two novels, published by Dialogue. His second novel, Greatest of All Time , was released on 30th January 2025. With humour, heart and a touch of rebellion, Greatest of All Time explores queer love and the trials of growing up in the hyper-masculine world of sport. Geor...
Mar 17, 2025•42 min•Ep. 341
In this episode of The Writing Life, writer, poetry programmer, and NCW Academy mentor Julia Bird shares her insights into developing your creative practice. Julia Bird is a highly experienced poetry programmer who has worked for organisations including the Poetry School and The Poetry Society. As a freelancer, she’s worked for literary development agencies, festivals, publishers and magazines, and in arts, university and healthcare settings. Through her company Jaybird Live Literature she has p...
Feb 10, 2025•31 min•Ep. 340
In this episode of The Writing Life, writer Chloe Dalton shares her insights into writing about nature and landscape. Chloe Dalton is a foreign policy specialist and writer. She spent over a decade working in the UK Parliament and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as a special adviser and speechwriter. She now works as a consultant on international political and humanitarian issues. Raising Hare is her debut book. She sits down with NCW Head of Programmes & Creative Engagement Holly to di...
Jan 13, 2025•44 min•Ep. 339
