Shows
New2theSceneElla Torres: Summer 2025 Novel Competition winnerMeet Ella Torres, a Brazilian writer, poet, translator, and the winner of our Summer 2025 Novel Competition. In this episode, Ella speaks candidly about her dreams of authorship and the tight-knit community of aspiring writers who inspire and sustain her. Together, we dive into her winning novel extract, The Midnight Saints, uncovering the questions it raises about belonging, transformation, and the ghosts we carry.Learn about Ella’s daily writing routine, her practical advice on succeeding in story competitions, and her thoughtful approach to contacting agents. Be inspired by her determination to break through the seemingly impenetrable walls of...
2025-12-0647 minNew2theSceneEvie Wild: Summer Short Story winner 2025Meet Evie Wild, winner of our 2025 Summer Short Story Competition with her entry Fifteen Forever, which can now be read at New2theScene. As part of the prize, we want to promote new writers, and as such we chat to Evie about her writing journey, inspirations, next steps, and her view on the literary world today.Learn about Evie’s early love of literature that quickly became a need to write, how school critiques honed her voice and resilience, and how she is now working at an academic publisher while quietly building the experience and skills to la...
2025-11-0253 minNew2theSceneTim Collyer: Flash Fiction winner 2025Meet Tim Collyer, winner of our 2025 Flash Fiction competition with his piece, What Mirrors Cannot Change, now available to read on our winner’s blog page. As part of the prize, we aim to shine a light on emerging writers, and in this episode, we speak with Tim about his remarkable journey into writing, his love for flash fiction, and what’s next for him creatively.Tim’s story is one of transformation—after surviving a heart attack that nearly took his life, he woke with a fierce determination to write. He threw himself into the world of ficti...
2025-07-2053 minNew2theSceneL.S. Scott: Winter Novel winner 2025Meet L.S. Scott, winner of our 2025 Winter Novel competition with her entry What Pulls Us Under, which can now be read on our winner's blog page. As part of the prize, we want to promote new writers, and as such we chat to Larissa about her writing journey, aspirations, next steps, and view on the literary landscape.Learn about Larissa’s strategic path to becoming a full-time author—how she reshaped her life to prioritise writing, even leaving a job that no longer aligned with her creative ambitions. Hear how Larissa draws daily inspiration from the natural beauty of a hidden Florida, writing with intention and persistence, whether she’s publishe...
2025-06-011h 02New2theSceneJoe Pearson: Winter Short Story winner, 2025Meet Joe Pearson, winner of our 2025 Winter Short Story competition with his entry All Equal in Utopia, which can now be read on our winner's blog page. As part of the prize, we want to promote new writers, and as such we chat to Joe about his writing journey, aspirations, next steps, and view on the literary landscape.Learn about Joe's bold decision to become an author by pausing his career, focusing on finding representation for his sci-fi work, whilst entering competitions to hone his skills and 'reconnect with the reasons for storytelling'.Get to...
2025-04-0654 min
Raising Baby AuthorsEp 16: Supporting New Authors | R. A. Howitt (new2thescene.co.uk)In this episode, author R. A. Howitt shares his journey from aspiring writer to successful author and podcast host. We discuss the challenges of writing, the importance of community in the literary world, and his innovative projects aimed at supporting new authors. Richard emphasizes the significance of character development in storytelling and his unique approach to self-publishing, focusing on creating a niche market for his work. He introduces his book, Daniel King: ASD (Alien Specialist With Dad), which explores themes of neurodiversity and adventure, showcasing the strengths of its main character.Keywords...
2025-03-241h 09New2theSceneM. Jonathan Lee: M is for MeaninglessM. Jonathan Lee, author of six novels, shortlisted for The Novel Prize in 2012, and mental health campaigner, returns for his second podcast with N2tS as he's been working on a special project for the site. His new six-part series, 'M is for Meaningless', details his life in writing, including hints and advice he's acquired over twenty years, exclusive to New2theScene, and can be read by clicking here.Learn what it takes to be an author, how getting published is a challenge no matter how many times you've done it, what can improve your writing, and...
2025-02-161h 22New2theSceneKate Bramhall: Poetry competition winner 2024Meet Kate Bramhall, winner of our 2024 poetry competition with her poem Papa, which can now be read at New2theScene.co.uk. As part of the prize, we want to promote new writers, and as such we chat to Kate about her writing journey, aspirations, next steps, love for literacy, and the difference it can make in people's lives.Learn about Kate's work in prisons, transforming outlooks through poetry, and how educating herself in Creative Writing in her twenties changed Kate's life, and how that is still evolving to this day.Get to know Kate...
2024-12-281h 07
Hanaz Writers PodcastPoetry Competitions – Hanaz Writers Podcast Episode 33Charlotte, a Year 2 teacher and seasoned nursery educator, explores the world of poetry contests that will be accepting entries in late 2024 in this edition of the Hanaz Writers Podcast. This podcast is full of fantastic chances to show off your skills and win some incredible prizes, regardless of your level of experience as a poet or wordsmith.
Episode Highlights:
Charlotte covers four unique competitions, including:
New2TheScene Annual Poetry Competition – Win prizes and features for your 400-word masterpiece!
Edward Thomas Fellowship Poetry Competition – Compete for £250 and the chance to perform at the AGM in Hamps...
2024-11-3016 minNew2theSceneKatharine and Elizabeth Corr: Two become oneMeet co-authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr, creators of The Witches Kiss trilogy, A Throne of Swans duology, and The House of Shadows duology, Daughter of Darkness and Queen of Gods. We chat about their work, writing with a sibling, inspiration, the road to getting published, and upcoming projects.Learn what it takes to get published, the benefits of researching and studying your subject matter in writing, and the obstacles, doubts and worries facing all authors, even when they've published seven books!Get to know Katharine and Elizabeth better with our New2...
2024-11-0257 minNew2theSceneEugene O'Toole: Short story competition winner, summer 2024Meet Eugene O'Toole, winner of our summer short story competition (2024) who wrote Church of Rage, which can now be read on our winner's blog page. As part of the prize, we want to promote new authors, and as such we chat to Eugene about his writing journey, aspirations, next steps, love for literacy, and what a good short story needs.Learn the importance of honing your craft in competitions, and the joy it gives you, how you are never too old to begin a journey towards an ambition, and how to overcome bad habits developed over a...
2024-09-2952 minNew2theSceneNatalie Franks: Editing lifeMeet Natalie Franks, editor and creator of Clever Crow copyediting, who works with indie authors on developmental, copyediting and proofreading. We chat about the different aspects of the publishing industry, namely editing, how to become an editor, and what you should be looking for when thinking of hiring an editor's services for your manuscript.Learn what it takes to become a professional editor, the challenges of being visible as a fresh face in an industry, the support of the indie community, and the ins and outs of life when following your passion.Get to know...
2024-08-2559 minNew2theSceneLuke Richards: All things comedyMeet Luke Richards, author of Dave's New World, a dystopian comedy, and winner of the Bath New Comedy award for 2024 for his stand-up routine. We chat about getting published, performing comedy, future projects and more.Learn about entering the comedy scene, accepting that not everyone will like your work, and the difficulty of getting noticed in any creative industry.Get to know Luke better with our New2theScene presenter and hear about the publishing industry from the perspective of a debutant author, working with editors, and a writing routine of blocking out weekends and 'splurging...
2024-07-2856 minNew2theSceneSylvia Bishop: The importance of finding your peopleMeet Sylvia Bishop, author of ten novels for a variety of ages, short-listed and winning awards since 2017. We chat about writing for different age groups, performing comedy, writing workshops, Writers with Faces, and more.Learn what it takes to establish a career in writing, how lonely writing can feel if you shut yourself away from the world, and ideas on how to combat that isolation.Get to know Sylvia better with our New2theScene presenter and hear about discovering your passions and finding your people, not being afraid to leave university with a different plan...
2024-06-021h 05New2theSceneVictoria Williamson: Giving backMeet Victoria Williamson, author of eight novels, and more, which have been short-listed, long-listed, and won numerous awards since 2018. We chat about her work, the importance of children seeing themselves in literature, school librarians, writing for a variety of genres and purposes, and 90's children's TV programmes!Learn what it takes to get published, the lesser-known struggle to continue being visible, and the obstacles facing new authors through diminishing opportunities and funding.Get to know Victoria better with our New2theScene presenter and hear about the full time job of visiting schools, promoting her work...
2024-04-281h 13New2theSceneM. Jonathan Lee: Writing and mental healthMeet M Jonathan Lee, author of six novels, shortlisted for The Novel Prize in 2012, and mental health campaigner, in a podcast that’s been over a year in the making. His article, 'Writing and its mental health benefits', inspried New2theScene to exist. We chat about this, the personal experiences leading to that article, and writing through adversity.Learn what it takes to be an author, the importance of following your passion, and where a positive outlook and persistance can lead in literature.Get to know Jonathan better with our New2theScene presenter, and hear ab...
2024-04-011h 09New2theSceneSamantha Howard-Els: Taking controlMeet Samantha Howard-Els, creator of the beautifully illustrated Mungo series for 4-7 year olds. We chat about life as an author in South Africa, the good, bad and ugly of self-publishing, and finding a genre that suits your style.Learn what it takes to be a children's author, the process of working with an illustrator (and friend), and what it means to have total control of a publication.Get to know Sam better with our New2theScene presenter, and hear about the many hats an author wears, and how it often takes them outside their...
2024-03-0348 minNew2theSceneLiam Randles: No routine is the new routineMeet Liam Randles, author of ‘The Heat of the Summer’, a thriller where a group of boys discover the cost of keeping the party going to forget traumas at home.We learn how Liam came to be an author, his hopes in the literary world, and what’s on the horizon for this fresh voice.Get to know Liam better as he chats with our New2theScene presenter, and receive an insight into the life of a debut author.New2thescene is a platform dedicated to the discovery of new or not yet famili...
2024-02-111h 07New2theScenePatricia Marques: The tricky 3rd bookMeet Patricia Marques, creator of Inspector Reis, with The Colours of Death and House of Silence already on our shelves, and Broken Oaths, the third novel in the series, due September '24. We chat about getting a university assignment published, the advantages and disadvantages of crossing genres, and how life can impact the writing process as she struggled to complete her latest instalment.Learn what it takes to be an author, the lack of sleep that comes with writing around work commitments, and the pressure from positive reviews rather than negative.Get to know Patricia...
2024-01-201h 08New2theSceneChris Nickson: Taking every opportunityMeet Chris Nickson, author of over 30 books, including historical crime series featuring Simon Westow and Tom Harper, set in his hometown of Leeds over the last three centuries. We chat about the importance of factual accuracy in fiction, writing several series in unison, following in family footsteps, and penning 50,000 word celebrity books in a month!Learn the reality of paying the bills with your writing, the passion a person can have for telling the story of a city, and how real fictional characters can be to an author.Get to know Chris better with our...
2023-12-3050 minNew2theSceneKristen Bailey: Flicking the switch between mum and authorMeet Kristen Bailey, author of 10 books, including stand-alone novels Sex Ed, the RNA Romantic Comedy Award nominated Great Sexpectations, and her latest release, Five Gold Rings. We chat about becoming an author, the perception versus the reality of writing for a living, and the imposter syndrome that success doesn't banish.Learn the true ups and downs of being an author, the sometimes brutal nature of book publishing, and the joy of hearing fans engage with your work.Get to know Kristen better with our New2theScene presenter, and receive an insight into jungling the raising...
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