On 11th March, Hatchards hosted a live event bringing together four of the authors who contributed stories to These Our Monsters : Sarah, Moss, Fiona Mozley, Edward Carey and Graeme Mcrae Burnet. I chaired the event, and recorded it for posteri

Graeme Macrae Burnet reads from ’The Dark Thread’ (These Our Monsters)

Mar 28th, 2020 4m 1s

Last year I was asked to write an introduction for a collection of modern folktales to be published by English Heritage. ----more----The result was These Our Monsters, featuring work by Edward Carey, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, Fiona Mozley, Sarah Ha

Fiona Mozley reads from ’The Loathly Lady’ (These Our Monsters)

Mar 18th, 2020 2m 49s

Edward Carey reads from ’These Our Monsters’

Mar 12th, 2020 2m 45s

Last year I was asked to write an introduction for a collection of modern folktales, myths and legends to be published by English Heritage. ----more----The result was These Our Monsters, featuring work by Edward Carey, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, Fio

Simon Barnes Reading: on closely-observed gannets

Dec 21st, 2019 2m 1s

Reading from the blog on his own website, Simon Barnes describes the close attention required and inspired by bird-watching, and the almost poetic empathy that can result. ----more----Part two of our interview with Simon will follow. Read mor

A Conversation with Simon Barnes - Part 2

Dec 21st, 2019 29m 38s

Part two of our conversation with Simon Barnes, the award-winning sportswriter, revered birdlover and Chair of 2020's Keats-Shelley Prizes. ----more----Our annual theme is 'Songbirds', to mark the composition 200 years ago of PB Shelley’s To

A Conversation with Simon Barnes - Part 1

Dec 14th, 2019 24m 43s

In this first of two episodes, I talk to Simon Barnes, the award-winning sportswriter, revered birdlover and Chair of 2020's Keats-Shelley Prizes. Our annual theme is 'Songbirds', to mark the composition 200 years ago of PB Shelley’s To a Skyl

Simon Barnes reads from The Meaning of Birds

Dec 14th, 2019 2m 34s

Simon Barnes is unique in the world of literature. How many revered sports writers are also revered nature writers too? Off the top of my head I can think of one: Simon Barnes himself. ----more----For many years the chief sports of the Times,

Episode 142 - Amanda Coe: Part 1

Jun 8th, 2018 24m 1s

Amanda Coe is an English novelist and screenwriter, whose credits include the BAFTA-winning adaptation of John Braine's Room at the Top, and her highly-praised thrillers What They Do in the Dark and Getting Colder. This Writing Life met her at

Episode 141 - Leila Slimani - Lullaby: Part 4

Mar 18th, 2018 11m 56s

The final part of This Writing Life podcast's chat with Leila Slimani begins with a question about racisial abuse of Muslims in France. From here we discuss her relationship with Morrocco, with sexual politics in that country, between her ficti

Episode 140 - Leila Slimani - Lullaby: Part 3

Mar 13th, 2018 13m 38s

Part three of This Writing Life's podcast with Leila Slimani, author of global smash-hit Lullaby, moves towards more personal territory. We talk about her family, her background and her views on everything from the French language to women wear

Episode 139 - Leila Slimani - Lullaby: Part 2

Feb 23rd, 2018 12m 40s

Part two of Leila Slimani's conversation with This Writing Life podcast about her new novel Lullaby begins with a discussion of objectification: in this case, of the nanny who cares for the children of the Masse family. Slimani talks about her

Episode 138 - Leila Slimani - Lullaby: Part 1

Feb 15th, 2018 12m 48s

Leila Slimani's second novel Lullaby is a phenomenon. Having sold over 600,000 copies and won the Prix Goncourt in her adopted homeland of France, the book is now spreading around the world in various translations. A movie has begun filming in

Episode 137 - Lynn Shepherd: Part 4

Feb 7th, 2018 22m 55s

Lynn Shepherd was the first ever This Writing Life recorded. The final part of our conversation begins with a discussion of social media and publicity, and the part both play in her writing life. From here we zoom through the joys and trials of

Episode 136 - Lynn Shepherd’s Advice to Budding Writers

Feb 3rd, 2018 2m 47s

As a trailer ahead of part four of This Writing Life podcast's conversation with novelist Lynn Shepherd, she offers some advice to budding writers...

Episode 136 - Lynn Shepherd's Advice to Budding Writers

Feb 3rd, 2018 2m 47s

As a trailer ahead of part four of This Writing Life podcast's conversation with novelist Lynn Shepherd, she offers some advice to budding writers...

Episode 135 - Lynn Shepherd: Part 3

Jan 30th, 2018 28m 27s

Part three of Lynn Shepherd's This Writing Life podcast mixes business and pleasure: how did a successful city worker become a successful writer? Doctorates on Samuel Richardson, freelance copywriting, and publishing novels all flash past in qu

Episode 134 - Lynn Shepherd: Part 2

Jan 27th, 2018 32m 39s

Part two of This Writing Life's conversation with Oxford-based novelist Lynn Shepherd begins with some chat about her love of 'clever crime', and how it shapes her novels like Murder in Mansfield Park and Tom All-Alones. We end this edition by

Episode 133 - Lynn Shepherd: Part 1

Nov 28th, 2017 30m 50s

The latest episode of This Writing Life podcast is particularly special in that it was the first ever recorded. The subject is Lynn Shepherd, a crime writer, critic, journalist, and copy writer who lives and works in Oxford. Her speciality is l

Episode 132 - Neel Mukherjee: Part 3

Nov 27th, 2017 18m 36s

In the final part of This Writing Life podcast's conversation with Neel Mukherjee, we begin with Donald Trump before floating in a liberal bubble towards Neel's decision to stop listening to the news. We talk about the novel might cope with a 2

Episode 131 - Neel Mukherjee: Part 2

Nov 11th, 2017 17m 23s

In the second part of Neel Mukherjee's chat with This Writing Life podcast, he talks the influence of ghost stories on his excellent new novel A State of Freedom, about returning to India (as a visitor and writer), about the short story-novel,

Episode 130 - Neel Mukherjee: Part 1

Nov 5th, 2017 18m 55s

In the opening instalment of This Writing Life podcast's interview with Neel Mukherjee, Man Booker shortlisted author of The Lives of Others, we discuss his excellent new novel A State of Freedom. After admitting a little pre-publication anxiet

Episode 129 - Meena Kandasamy: Part 4 (Writing Life Revisited)

Nov 2nd, 2017 23m 6s

In the final part of This Writing Life podcast's conversation with Meena Kandasamy, she discusses India as a modern superpower, the place of violence in the lives of women, the poor and everyday society, shifts smartly to talk about her first (

Episode 128 - Meena Kandasamy: Part 3 (Writing Life Revisited)

Oct 30th, 2017 18m

In the third part of This Writing Life podcast's chat with the Indian poet, novelist and activist Meena Kandasamy, we begin with some chatter about the title of her debut novel, The Gipsy Goddess, before exploring her fraught relationship with

Episode 127 - Meena Kandasamy: Part 2 (This Writing Life Revisited)

Oct 23rd, 2017 25m 24s

In the second part of This Writing Life podcast's interview with Meena Kandasamy, we discuss how fiction mixes with historical truth, women in The Gipsy Goddess, language to shock and illuminate. And more on Nicki Minaj of course. Part three t