The Writing Life

What it means to write about disability: Anaïs Van Ertvelde on representation & liberation

Writing across locations: Dieter Rogiers on research, writing formulas, and international settings

The magic of storytelling: Isabel Allende on crafting stories

Unearthing stories: Archaeology, liminality & the body with Ruthy Mason

From mentorship to literary translation: Polly Barton & Charlotte Goff on translating Nao-Cola Yamazaki’s works

The spirit of place: Laurence Mitchell on Flint Country

Back to basics: Sarah L. Kaufman on Verb Your Enthusiasm

The world of self-publishing: Pip Landers-Letts on Pyg

Writing relationships: Jem Calder on I Want You to Be Happy

Finding balance in writing: Sithuraj Ponraj on working across languages, jobs, and genres

From draft to debut: Anna Goldreich on The Leveret

Madness and Magic: Hannah Murray on her memoir The Make Believe

Experimenting with narrative form: Ashley Hickson-Lovence on About to Fall Apart

Writing the self in memoir: Camilla Balshaw on Named

Storytelling in graphic novels: Anna Trench on Florrie

Stories of humanity & connection: Jenni Fagan on The Delusions

The path to publication: Grace Murray on Blank Canvas

Wonder and Loss: Writing Grief and Memoir with Sam Meekings

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

Writing dystopian fiction: Matt Greene on The Definitions

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

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

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

Writing festive thrillers: Nicola Upson on The Christmas Clue

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

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

Writing flawed characters: Sarah Moss on Ripeness

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

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

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

Reimagining classics: Pat Barker on the Regeneration Trilogy

Writing contemporary crime fiction: Val McDermid on Past Lying

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

Writing between genres: Michael Pedersen on Muckle Flugga

World building in horror fiction: Julia Armfield on Private Rites

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

Writing love stories: André Aciman on Room on the Sea

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

Writing strong female characters: Joanna Miller on The Eights

The rise of romantasy with Sangu Mandanna

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

Developing your creative practice with Julia Bird

Writing about nature with Chloe Dalton

Writing a festive bestseller with Abiola Bello

Writing about music with Aniefiok Ekpoudom

Researching for crime novels with Peter James

Routes into writing with S G Bell

Writing dialect in fiction with Ferdia Lennon

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

Structuring non-fiction with Nick Acheson