Happy New Year! We begin 2021 with a conversation with Desmond Elliott Prize shortlisted Abi Daré, whose debut The Girl With The Louding Voice caught everyone's attention last year. Abi talks about her approach to world building and how she used the narrative voice in the book to explore its setting. Asking the questions is novelist Sarah Bower. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna, who start the episode by celebrating that it's not 2020 anymore. If you like this episode don't forget to subsc...
Jan 06, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 128
We're joined on the pod by Dutch writer Thomas Heerma van Voss, who is talking about his new chapbook, Thank You For Being With Us. We're also very pleased to have editor, writer and lecturer Andrew McDonnell asking the questions. They discuss the translation of Thomas' work, how lockdown has affected his writing in 2020 and how he crafted his short stories. Thomas' residency was made possible by support from the Dutch Foundation for Literature and New Dutch Writing. Hosted by Simon Jones and St...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 127
We talk to producer Tamsin Flower about Black Writers on Democracy, a project conceived following the Black Lives Matters protests in 2020. Funded rapidly via crowdfunding, a commissioning call was sent out to find writers from around the world to address the theme. The five written pieces have now been published and on the podcast today we talk to Olu Alakija, Nike Igbaroola, Chinua Ezenwa-Ohaeto and Tamsin about how it was put together. Read and watch the pieces on the StreamLyric website: htt...
Dec 11, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Award-winning poet Will Harris, creator of RENDANG (Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection and a Guardian best poetry book of 2020), is our guest this week. Will discusses how he perceives his writing career and explores form and feeling with Flo Reynolds. Meanwhile Simon and Steph talk about our fundraising campaign for the Escalator talent development scheme, our lovely 'All Shall Be Well' prints to cheer everyone up in this tail end of 2020 and whether it's OK to have your Christmas tre...
Dec 02, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Think you know everything there is to know about Charles Dickens? Professor John Mullan is back with his new book The Artful Dickens to show us Dickens and his work in a completely new light, exploring the famous author's often overlooked experimental and ground-breaking techniques. John came on the show to talk everything Dickens, from the original serialisation of his novels (which gets Simon very excited) to his surviving manuscripts and why he was often dismissed in his time. Whether you're ...
Nov 26, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Stuart Turton discusses the research, editing and planning process behind The Devil and the Dark Water , as well as his route into publishing his first novel, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle . Stuart's talking to Vicki Maitland and their conversation is packed full of practical tips, fascinating insights and historical stories you will feel compelled to immediately Google. Meanwhile, Simon talks to Peggy Hughes about Open Doors, the new fund of exciting commissions from the National Centre...
Nov 20, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Debut author Sally-Anne Lomas shares her route to being published, which resulted in Gatehouse Press picking up her book Live like Your Head’s on Fire . Sally-Anne talks about her experiences on our Escalator talent development scheme and the process of reaching publication. We're also joined by Sam Ruddock of Gatehouse who talks about assessing manuscripts and why small presses are essential to the literary ecology and early career writers. Asking the questions is Sarah Bower. For more informat...
Nov 12, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Lockdown didn't stop us from putting on the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival this year in partnership with our friends at the University of East Anglia. One of the many highlights was this conversation between Oyinkan Braithwaite and Femi Kayode, discussing Oyinkan's My Sister, The Serial Killer. If you missed it during the festival, now's your chance to listen on the pod! Meanwhile, Steph and Simon are joined by Flo to introduce the latest NCW Book Club book: Our Place by Mark Cocker. Find out m...
Nov 06, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 269
We spoke to Richard Lambert on the podcast in October 2019 about his debut novel The Wolf Road, which was to be published in early 2020. It never came out: instead, Covid-19 triggered global lockdowns, which forced bookshops and libraries to close, distributors shut down and Richard's dream of publication became another casualty of 2020. Fast forward to October 2020 and not only is Richard back on the pod to talk about the challenges and difficulties of the year, but The Wolf Road has, at last, ...
Oct 28, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Kate Summerscale, the award-winning author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher , joins the pod to talk to Chris about her new book, The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story . They discuss the origins of the book, Kate's approach to research and how she had to track down the facts, and how the book sets poltergeists and the increased interest in the supernatural in the 1930s with the rise of Hitler and looming war. Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones. Find out more about what we do: http...
Oct 21, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Emma Shercliff of Laxfield Literary Associates talks to us about being an agent outside of London and her efforts to better represent both regional writers and authors from Africa and the Middle East. Following a globe-trotting career with Macmillan, Hodder and Cassava Republic Press, encountering the Common People report prompted Emma to set up Laxfield Literary Associates with the aim of making agenting more transparent and representative of the population. We discuss the challenges of represe...
Oct 14, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Want to be a more organised writer? On the pod this week we have Antony Johnston, prolific and bestselling creator of comics, novels, podcasts and more. He created the graphic novel that was turned into the movie Atomic Blonde, has worked extensively on his own comics as well as Marvel books, video games including Dead Space and Shadow of Mordor and numerous crime thrillers. His latest book is The Organised Writer, a manual for professional writers based on Antony's own experiences and technique...
Oct 07, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Multi-award-winning comics writer Kieron Gillen joins us on the pod today to discuss his methods for world building. Kieron is perhaps best known for The Wicked + The Divine, the hugely ambitious collaboration with artist Jamie McKelvie which presents a pantheon of gods who happen to also be pop stars, as well as UBER, Phonogram, DIE, Once & Future and Ludocrats. Beyond his own books he's also worked extensively with Marvel on X-Men, Thor, Iron Man and with LucasFilm on Darth Vader and Star ...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 116
It's a very special episode this week award-winning US author and screenwriter Attica Locke joins us to deliver the annual Noirwich Lecture, in which she explores the ways that crime writing can challenge the distribution of power and authority at a structural and individual level, addressing how power, property and privilege intersect. Attica’s most recent novel, Heaven, My Home , is an expertly-crafted thriller mystery, but also a sharp examination of ‘Trump-era’ America and issues of race, po...
Sep 24, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 115
RENDANG by Will Harris has been revealed as our new Book Club book! Flo Reynolds returns to the pod to introduce the book and why it's been selected for the book club. They also give some great tips for beginners on how to read poetry, so if you're more used to fiction and non-fiction don't feel like you need to sit this one out. We'll be doing live Zoom sessions to discuss the book in October and you can jump into the book club area on our Discord community right away by clicking here: https://...
Sep 17, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Is Hercule Poirot the world's greatest detective? Dr Mark Aldridge certainly think so, as he explores in his latest book Poirot: The Greatest Detective In The World . Mark is joined on the podcast for the Noirwich 2020 finale by crime writer Sophie Hannah, author of the Poirot continuation novels including the new The Killings at Kingfisher Hill . Their conversation takes in everything a Poirot fan could want, from discussing his best - and most unusual - cases, and why Agatha Christie's detecti...
Sep 13, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 113
The Noirwich Crime Writing Festival continues with Anita Terpstra joining us on the pod from Leeuwarden in the Netherlands to discuss her crime writing. Talking with Flo Reynolds, Anita reveals her path to becoming published and how keeping the faith and continuing to write are essential. It's an inspiring and positive conversation. Check out yesterday's pod with Paddy Richardson if you missed it and keep an eye on your podcast feed for our Hercule Poirot special this Sunday, featuring Sophie Ha...
Sep 11, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Noirwich 2020 has begun! Our crime writing festival is online this year, which means all the author events can be accessed for free here on the podcast and over on our YouTube channel. We kick off with an interview with Paddy Richardson, one of our 'virtual' writers in residence. Paddy is talking from Dunedin in New Zealand to our programme director Peggy Hughes. Paddy Richardson is the author of two collections of short stories and seven novels . Traces of Red and Cross Fingers were long-listed...
Sep 10, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Poet Flo Reynolds joins us on the pod to share their tips on getting published as a poet. This episode is packed full of practical advice, including what NOT to do, guiding you along the process of building your writer CV through zines and competitions towards being ready for larger pamphlets, chapbooks and collections. Flo has been writing for over ten years and is also an essayist and editor. Their debut pamphlet, the other body, is forthcoming from Guillemot Press in 2021. Recent poems have a...
Sep 02, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Okechukwu Nzelu joins us on the pod to talk about his debut The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, writing in lockdown and balancing life as a full-time teacher and author. Okey was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and Polari First Book Prize and won a 2020 Betty Trask Award. Turns out that award-winning debut author + experienced English teacher = a brilliant podcast full of tips and insight. Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Al...
Aug 26, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 109
We're joined on the pod by Eliza Clark, the debut author of Boy Parts. Eliza talks to Steph about being published in her mid-20s, the inevitable comparisons with other authors and the series of unlikely events that led to publication. She also discusses how writing fan fiction in her teens helped hone her craft before embarking on her first book, as well as how Covid-19 has affected the book's launch. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW...
Aug 20, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Our CEO Chris Gribble joins us on the pod to discuss Arts Council England's new National Lottery Funding Grants. Available now to artists they offer much-needed support and relief during Covid-19. Applications are open, and Chris is on the show to provide starter tips and an introduction to the grants system: plus why arts funding is critical, especially at times like this. It was very hot when recording this episode, so we're going to blame the heat for the slightly glitchy audio quality on Chr...
Aug 12, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Long overdue, we finally have this wonderful recording from the BCLT Summer School 2019, featuring Swiss-Albanian writer Elvira Dones, her translator Clarissa Botsford and publisher Stefan Tobler. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith, it's a wide-ranging discussion taking in themes of identity, linguistics, translation processes and the creation of Elvira's book Sworn Virgin. This event took place in partnership with the British Centre for Literary Translation, with support from Swiss Arts Council Pro Hel...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Get a taste of what we do and meet hosts Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. We're a weekly podcast for anyone who writes - find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and all good podcast apps. Produced by the National Centre for Writing in the UK. Find out more at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk
Aug 04, 2020•1 min
We are very excited to have Sarah Perry back on the podcast! Sarah talks to Chris Gribble about crafting characters and what it means when an author talks about their creations 'coming to life'. This conversation was part of our Early Career Writers' Resource pack back in May, so do check out the other contributions from Michael Donkor and Joe Dunthorne - https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/pack-3-character/ The pack was made possible by support from Arts Council England. Hosted by Simon Jon...
Jul 29, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Crime writer Nicola Upson returns to the pod to talk about designing a good plot. Nicola tells us how her process has adjusted over time and discusses the unique requirements of the crime genre. Nicola's latest book is Sorry for the Dead, continuing her hugely successful Josephine Tey series. This episode is part of our latest Early Career Writers' Resource pack, which is all about PLOT. Check out the website for more amazing free stuff from Okechukwu Nzelu and Inua Ellams. https://nationalcentr...
Jul 24, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Sarah Ardizzone is a translator from the French with forty-something titles to her name. This week she joins us on the pod to discuss her career as a translator, the importance of forging a bond with writers and how translation techniques differ between mediums. Asking the questions is Sarah Bower. Meanwhile, Steph and Simon talk about the upcoming drop-in writing sessions and Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, this month's Book Club selection. Join our Discord community of writers and readers ...
Jul 17, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Eva Meijer, writer and philosopher, joins Kate Griffin on the pod to discuss her work. Topics range from understanding animal languages to writing routines and redrafting. Meanwhile, Steph has been back to Dragon Hall as lockdown restrictions are eased in the UK, and everyone is getting excited about The Book Club. If you'd like to read Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke with the rest of us, you can find out more here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/book-club-bluebird-bluebird-b...
Jul 10, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Join us for our summer Book Club! We're reading Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, a crime thriller set in Texas. Flo Reynolds joins us on the pod today to excitedly introduce the book! Meanwhile, Steph and Simon are similarly excited about the Desmond Elliott Prize's winner announcement which happens this evening at 6.30pm UK time - tune in live here: https://youtu.be/UOUtj5xAecc Get involved with the book club: Join the Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Find us on Twitter and Inst...
Jul 02, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 101
We're 100 episodes old! To celebrate, Simon and Steph indulgently look back on The Writing Life show and pick out their favourite episodes, which turns out to be an almost impossible task. You're not going to find a podcast anywhere else that combines Val McDermid, Jenny Offill, Joe Dunthorne, Jon Ingold, Kelsey Beachum, Ed Parnell, Ian Nettleton, Sian Cain and Joe Hedinger. Thanks for listening! Find out more about what we do at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Photo by Floris Andréa on...
Jun 24, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 100
