Shows
The Writing LifeThe world of Substack: Eleanor Anstruther & Simon K Jones on serial fictionIn 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 produce the podcast when he wo...2025-06-1657 min
The Spark with Madelyn Postman11 We're All Independent ArtistsInterview with Eleanor Anstruther📚 Recommendations for ravenous readersDive into these literary explorations of familial relationships, mental health, community, and friendships. Plus some am-dram (amateur dramatics) and theater.In Judgement of Others byEleanor Anstruther(2025)The Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society are putting on a production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Tessa has agreed to play a part. But when she suffers a psychotic episode, Ros, a C-list celebrity and new to the community, takes her place. In this darkly comic tale of psychosis in the Home Counties, the sta...2025-06-1547 min
The Obsessive DiaryDavid Roberts & Eleanor Anstruther: a conversation about US & UK generational wealthThanks everyone who joined David and I on our LIVE feed earlier this week. We got together to talk about generational wealth in the UK & US; the differences and similarities, our own experiences and what we observe in this around us. David will be exploring the subject further alongside a recording of this video in his next post, so look out for that, and subscribe to Sparks from Culture to be sure to catch it. The Literary Obsessive is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid...2025-06-061h 12
Write More with Simon K JonesA conversation with Eleanor AnstrutherOne of the great pleasures of the fiction community that has emerged on Substack, and in the newsletter space more generally, is its diversity of thought. Eleanor writes literary fiction, I write science fiction and fantasy. A typical literary festival would never think to program us on the same panel event, or in conversation, and yet here we are, having a good old natter about writing serials. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonkjones.substack.com/subscribe2025-05-2656 min
The Spark with Madelyn Postman10 Being Human on this PlanetFeaturing an interview with memoir, fiction, and nonfiction writer Tessa McWatt.This May, add some great reads to your list, submit your debut manuscript for awards, and see if my novel is indeed writing itself. For the full interview with Tessa McWatt, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts.📚 Recommendations for ravenous readersOne young adult book, a literary novel, and an upmarket tale of an ill-fated couple.Turtles All the Way Down by John GreenThe Magician’s Assistant by Ann PatchettCleopatra and F...2025-05-1422 min
London Writers' Salon#144: Eleanor Anstruther – The Book Industry Rejected Me. So I Built My Own Audience on Substack; Serialising Online, Writing Literary Fiction; Being an Independent Artist, Creating Your Artist DNAWhat if the traditional publishing world says “no”? Eleanor Anstruther—acclaimed novelist and creator of The Literary Obsessive—shares her bold leap into indie publishing, serialising fiction and memoir on Substack, and why you need an Artist DNA to draw an audience.We discuss: Her aristocratic background and experience living in a communeNavigating rejection and the pivot to serialising work onlineThe realities (and surprises) of building a paid readership on SubstackAdvice for writers considering serialisation and indie publishingHow to build a creative communityPractical tips: drafting, book sales, pricing subscriptions, and more*ABOUT ELEANOR ANSTRUTHE...2025-05-101h 00
The Obsessive DiaryLive with Eleanor AnstrutherThis is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eleanoranstruther.substack.com/subscribe2025-05-031h 04
The Write and Wrong Podcast#219 - Eleanor AnstrutherCritically acclaimed literary fiction writer, Eleanor Anstruther tells us about how she has integrated Substack into her writing and publishing journey as well as her endeavours to figure out the best ways of being a hybrid author.💖 Join the Patreon 🙏Support the show and get access to the extended episodes and more!📚 The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes 🥳Jamie, Melissa and Noami talk about all things writing, tropes and publishing!2025-04-0736 min
The Obsessive DiaryTom Cox & Eleanor Anstruther LIVEThank you Bill Bishop, Chloe Hope, Isabel Cowles Murphy, Ros Barber, Chris Stanton, and many others for tuning into my live video with Tom Cox! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eleanoranstruther.substack.com/subscribe2025-03-201h 01
Hurt to HealingEleanor Anstruther on The Hidden Biases in Mental Health StigmaIn this thought-provoking episode of Hurt to Healing, I sit down with author Eleanor Anstruther to discuss the complexities of mental health stigma, particularly within traditionally closed-off communities. Eleanor examines why some mental health conditions, like bipolar disorder, are more widely accepted and treated, while others, such as narcissistic personality disorder, are misunderstood, overlooked, or even celebrated—despite the harm they can cause.Drawing from personal experiences and stories shared by friends, Eleanor offers a raw and nuanced perspective on the cultural biases that shape how we perceive mental illness. She explores the importance of questioning th...2025-03-0439 min
The Obsessive DiaryMichele Howarth and Eleanor Anstruther in conversationThank you Kim Stallwood, Robyn Young, Lee Penman, Sam Clare, Kerry, and many others for tuning into my live video with Michele Howarth! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eleanoranstruther.substack.com/subscribe2025-02-211h 00
The Obsessive DiarySam Jordison & Eleanor Anstruther in conversationThank you Simon K Jones, Mr. Troy Ford, Johnathan Reid, Amy Oscar, Andy Black, and many others for tuning into my live video with SamJordison! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eleanoranstruther.substack.com/subscribe2025-02-1259 min
Write More with Simon K JonesThree readings and a chat about genreOn Saturday evening I had an impromptu conversation with Ben Wakeman and Eleanor Anstruther. We each read a piece of our writing, and then have a good old chat. Today’s video is a slightly edited and whittled-down version of that conversation.The readings:* An excerpt from ‘The Writer’ by me, from Tales from the Triverse. You can read the whole thing here.* An excerpt from In Judgment Of Others by Eleanor. You can buy it here.* An excerpt from The Memory of my Shadow by Ben. More on that one here.2025-02-0335 min
The Things Not NamedCan You Be Sober If You Never Were An Alcoholic?Friends,This post is a conversation between Dee Rambeau and me about sobriety. It comes on the heels of National Recovery Month, and you’ll see that it begins with a question: can anyone claim to be sober, even if they haven’t struggled with addiction? I’ve done a few of these email exchanges, and they are a little different from a podcast interview in that we each take more time to think about and craft our replies than impromptu conversation allows.Hope you get something out of this and share some of you...2024-10-0113 min
culturalstudiesEleanor Anstruther on publishing, Substack, literary fiction, rejection, memoir, and Greenham CommonEleanor Anstruther on exhaustion, traditional and self-publishing, Substack, literary fiction, A Memoir in 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries, masculinity, feminism, A Perfect Explanation, agents, editing, rejection, Fallout, and Greenham Common
You can read about Eleanor here:
https://www.eleanoranstruther.com/
https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/
https://andrewnurnberg.com/team-member/jenny-savill/
2024-07-011h 12
North Cornwall Book FestivalEleanor Anstruther and Paul MendezThis session presents two very exciting debut novels from writers who have each been fearless in rattling family skeletons or using elements of autobiography to come up with something fresh and startling. Eleanor Anstruther’s A Perfect Explanation was inspired by her discovery that her grandmother, the granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, sold her father to her aunt for £500 to raise him as her own. Paul Mendez worked as an actor before settling into a writing career. His Rainbow Milk draws, in its portrayal of a boy’s search for his true, Jamaican father, on his own troubled early...2021-10-2157 min
The Joy of WritingEpisode 3: Eleanor Anstruther on how to write a bookEleanor and I discuss advice to writers (here’s a hint: turn up to work!) and why writing must be its own reward; we would do it come what may! We also learn about a classic book that made a great impression on her. 2020-04-1323 min
The Joy of WritingEpisode 2: Post-publication and current writing with Eleanor AnstrutherI talk with Eleanor about life after the publication of A Perfect Explanation, with book launches, readings, and scary radio interviews. We also discuss her approach to writing books two and three. 2020-04-1220 min
The Joy of WritingEpisode 1: Discussing A Perfect Explanation with Eleanor AnstrutherMy first guest in this series is Eleanor Anstruther, author of A Perfect Explanation, published by Salt in 2019. Her novel is based on the true-life events of her grandmother, Enid Campbell, who sold her son to her sister for £500.SPOILER ALERT! We discuss the novel in detail!https://www.saltpublishing.com/collections/author-eleanor-anstruther2020-04-1121 min
Ignite An Mind-Blowing Full Audiobook And Elevate Your Mindset.A Perfect Explanation by Eleanor AnstrutherPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/569006to listen full audiobooks.
Title: A Perfect Explanation
Author: Eleanor Anstruther
Narrator: Emma Gregory
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hours 29 minutes
Release date: February 4, 2020
Genres: Drama
Publisher's Summary:
Finalist for the Desmond Elliott Prize A “superb debut”* novel—based on the story of the author’s grandmother—following an aristocratic woman who abandons her family and her money in search of a life she can claim as her own. (*The Guardian) Enid Campbell, granddaughter of a duke, grew up surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing except love. But when her brother died in the First World War...2020-02-048h 29
Enhance Your Knowledge Through the Magic of Full AudiobookPerfect Explanation Audiobook by Eleanor AnstrutherListen to this audiobook in full for free onhttps://hotaudiobook.com/freeID: 569006
Title: Perfect Explanation
Author: Eleanor Anstruther
Narrator: Emma Gregory
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8:29:47
Language: English
Release date: 02-04-20
Publisher: HarperAudio
Genres: Fiction & Literature, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Family Life
Summary:
Finalist for the Desmond Elliott Prize
A “superb debut”* novel—based on the story of the author’s grandmother—following an aristocratic woman who abandons her family and her money in search of a life she can claim as her own. (*The Guardian)
Enid Campbell, granddaughter of a duke, grew up surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing except love. But w...2020-02-048h 29
Get New Full Audiobooks in Fiction, DramaA Perfect Explanation by Eleanor AnstrutherPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/569006 to listen full audiobooks. Title: A Perfect Explanation Author: Eleanor Anstruther Narrator: Emma Gregory Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 8 hours 29 minutes Release date: February 4, 2020 Genres: Drama Publisher's Summary: Finalist for the Desmond Elliott Prize A “superb debut”* novel—based on the story of the author’s grandmother—following an aristocratic woman who abandons her family and her money in search of a life she can claim as her own. (*The Guardian) Enid Campbell, granddaughter of a duke, grew up surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing except love. But when her brother died in the First World...2020-02-0403 min
Download High-Quality Full Audiobooks in Fiction, Contemporary WomenA Perfect Explanation by Eleanor AnstrutherPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/569006 to listen full audiobooks. Title: A Perfect Explanation Author: Eleanor Anstruther Narrator: Emma Gregory Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 8 hours 29 minutes Release date: February 4, 2020 Genres: Contemporary Women Publisher's Summary: Finalist for the Desmond Elliott Prize A “superb debut”* novel—based on the story of the author’s grandmother—following an aristocratic woman who abandons her family and her money in search of a life she can claim as her own. (*The Guardian) Enid Campbell, granddaughter of a duke, grew up surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing except love. But when her brother died in the First W...2020-02-0403 min
Book Lounge by LibbyEp. #414 - February's Biggest BooksFebruary is almost here, which means it's time for Jill and Adam to share the books they are most looking forward to this month. (BONUS it's a Leap Year which means you have an entire extra day to read!) Books mentioned in this episode: Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah The Resisters by Gish Jen Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Mallory Ortberg Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin Real Life by Brandon Taylor Weather by Jenny Offill The Splendid and...2020-01-3037 min
Radio Gorgeous"Mother sold her son for £500 to her sister," A PERFECT EXPLANATION by Eleanor Anstruther, Author of the Week with Josephine PembrokeEleanor Anstruther is a woman who always knew that her aristocratic father carried a dark secret. He was shockingly sold to his aunt by his mother for the sum of £500.
Eleanor Anstruther, an author like her father, interviewed him near the end of his life about his secret. He gave permission for Eleanor to have access to the family archive of letters and court orders surrounding the case. This story reimagined beautifully and is now a book: A PERFECT EXPLANATION.
Eleanor has been shortlisted for the The Desmond Elliot Prize 2019.
https://www.eleanoranstruther.com...2019-04-3027 min