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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 a fan of Dickens or not, this episode (and John's book!) will make you think again about one of Britain's best-loved authors. And, yes, we do discuss Muppet's Christmas Carol.Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.Find out more about our Creative Writing Courses: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/creative-writing-online/ More info on why we're asking for donations to Escalator: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/escalator-donations-2020/Music by Bennet Maples.

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 for Writing.Hosted by Simon Jones.Join our free Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRWFull details about the Open Doors commissions: http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/open-doors/ And to save you the need to manually search, a link to the astonishing true story of the Batavia shipwreck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia_(1628_ship)Check out what we do: http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

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 information on the Escalator talent development scheme: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/escalator/Can you donate to Escalator? http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/escalator-donations-2020/Listen to Michael Donkor on the pod: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/creating-characters-with-michael-donkor/Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Sign up to our newsletter: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Hosted by Simon Jones and Vicki 'Rock DJ' Maitland.Music by Bennet Maples.

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 more here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/the-ncw-book-club/You can watch the video version of Oyinkan's event here: https://youtu.be/aQx3AcmpW6QCatch up on Noirwich 2020 here: https://noirwich.co.uk/  Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.Music by Bennet Maples.Oyinkan photo by Amaal Said.

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, been released into the wild. We talk about why the book had to be delayed, what Richard's publisher did about it and how he coped with the turbulent year.You can listen to the 2019 podcast with Richard here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/preparing-for-publication/ Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones.Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Information on the Escalator Talent Development programme: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/escalator/ Music by Bennet Map

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://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRWJoin the Book Club: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/the-ncw-book-club/Music by  Bennet Maples.

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 representation, the lack of childcare support for writers, how and when to contact an agent and lots more - including the two prizes being run by Laxfield Literary Associates which you can find out about on their website: https://laxfieldliterary.com/Hosted by Simon Jones & Steph McKenna.Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Check out our workshops and Agent Insights sessions: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/courses/Join our (free!) Discord community and say hi: https://discord.gg/

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 techniques. If you've struggled to stick to deadlines and carve out time for your writing, Antony is someone you need to pay attention to.The Organised Writer is published by Bloomsbury and is available from all good bookshops!Meanwhile Vicki jumps on the pod to discuss the challenges of our school work in Covid-19 times and our continuing efforts to keep delivering workshops to young people.Hosted by Simon Jones and Vicki Maitland.Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRWFREE course: Supercharge your productivity

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 Wars books. In the interview we explore the different challenges and opportunities of writing for established franchises compared to your own work, and how he approaches research and making things feel 'real' in fantasy stories. We spoke to Kieron just as he had been revealed as the writer on The Eternals, the return of a long-running series from Marvel.This episode is part of our Early Career Writers' Resource Pack on World Building, which also features insight and tips from Abi Daré, Farhana Shaikh and Ian Nettleton.

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, power, prejudice and white supremacy which still exist today. Her recent work as a television writer and producer includes When They See Us (Netflix); a portrayal of the 1990 wrongful conviction of five teenage boys from Harlem for a brutal attack in Central Park; and Little Fires Everywhere (Amazon Prime).You can watch the live Q&A that followed Attica's lecture over on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/bA2R3FRTBR8 Meanwhile, Steph and Simon talk about free resources to help you keep writing through the latest Cov

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://discord.gg/3G39dRWIf you missed our previous Book Club book, Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, you can still catch up on the website where you'll find links to Flo's additional resources: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/book-club-bluebird-bluebird-by-attica-locke/You can also rewind and catch up on all the Noirwich 2020 events over on the website: http://noirwich.co.uk/Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones.Music by Bennet Maples.

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 detective continues to be popular a century after his introduction.If you missed any of the Noirwich Crime Writing Festival 2020, or want to rewatch or relisten, do head over to http://noirwich.co.uk/ where you can find links to all of this year's amazing free events.Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones. Event chaired by NCW Chief Exec Chris Gribble.Music by Bennet Maples.

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 Hannah and Dr Mark Aldridge. Noirwich 2020 is packed full of amazing live videos, including appearances from Attica Locke, Oyinkan Braithwaite and Olivier Norek. Full details at over at https://noirwich.co.uk.You can find the short stories by Anita over on the Noirwich blog: https://noirwich.co.uk/news/ Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones.Join our Discord community and ask us questions: https://discord.gg/3G39dRWPhoto by Harry Cock.Music by Bennet Maples.

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 for the Ngaio Marsh Crime Fiction Award and Hunting Blind and Swimming in the Dark were shortlisted. Through the Lonesome Dark was shortlisted for the New Zealand Historical Novel Award and longlisted for The Dublin International Literature Award.Paddy has been awarded Creative New Zealand Awards, the University of Otago Burns Fellowship, the Beatson Fellowship and the James Wallace Arts Trust Residency Award. She has been a guest at many writing festivals and was one of the New Zealand writer representatives at both th

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 appeared in The White Review, Stand, The Interpreter’s House, amberflora, Magma, Datableed and more.When they're not writing, Flo is a literature programmer who works here at the National Centre for Writing. You can usually find them on our Discord community, where Flo runs the NCW Book Club and the Drop-in Writing Sessions. If you've been to any of our workshops or festivals over the years, there's a good chance you'll have benefited from their programming skills!Check out Flo's what-to-do checklist on the blog here: h

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/3G39dRWAll about our work: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Get Noirwich workshop tickets: http://noirwich.co.uk/Photo of Okechukwu Nzelu (c) Martin GlackenMusic by Bennet Maples.

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/3G39dRWEarly Career Writers' Resource Packs: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/free-resources/Noirwich Crime Writing Festival: https://noirwich.co.uk/Produced by the National Centre for Writing https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/Image by Richard-KenworthyMusic by Bennet Maples

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 Chris' end. Heat rises, so we can only assume that it stole away some of the soundwaves before they reached the mic. Apologies!Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.Find out more about the ACE grants: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/projectgrantsHere's what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

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 Helvetia.Meanwhile, Simon and Steph talk about lots of exciting NCW things, from the Book Club and drop-in Writing Sessions to the new Creative Writing Online courses and the exciting announcement of NOIRWICH 2020.Some useful links:Join the National Centre for Writing's Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRWCheck out the full Noirwich 2020 programme: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW More info on all of our work to support writers: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.Music by Be

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