Shows
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 00London Writers' Salon#140: Matt Trinetti – Building The World's Most Engaged Writing Community: Navigating Boundaries, Fostering Belonging, Harnessing the Power of Connection & the Importance of Creative HealthMatt Trinetti, co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, on building the world’s most engaged writing community, the role of creativity in the face of AI and the transformative power of writing for creative and mental health.*ABOUT MATT TRINETTIMatt Trinetti is the co-founder of London Writers' Salon, our community, dedicated to helping writers connect, make progress, and launch successful careers. With a background in career coaching and leadership development, Matt has worked with top organizations like Google and Unilever. His writing has been featured in Quartz, Huffington Post, and Business Insider, and shared by...
2025-04-1230 minLondon Writers' Salon#125: Vicky Reynal — Financial Therapy for Creatives, Balancing Art & Income, Financial Resilience, Writing Non-FictionFinancial therapist and writer Vicky Reynal on how creatives can better understand our belief systems around money and what tools we can turn to when making hard decisions around money. *ABOUT VICKY REYNALVicky Reynal is a psychotherapist, and runs her own clinic in London specialising in financial therapy. She has a weekly column in the Daily Mail answering reader’s money dilemmas. Her book "Money on Your Mind: the Psychology behind your Financial Habits" won the MAIA Best Book Award in 2024. *RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited) Money on Your...
2024-12-2855 minLondon Writers' Salon#123: Anna Bogutskaya — Writing Horror, Role of the Monster, Breaking Creative Boundaries, Writing NonfictionAnna Bogutskaya has studied thousands of horror films and books. In this interview we talk to Anna about the role of the monster and how writers can harness primal emotions to tell captivating stories. We also dive into her process for pitching and writing nonfiction books.*ABOUT ANNA BOGUTSKAYA Anna Bogutskaya is a freelance critic, author, film programmer and creative producer. She writes for BBC Culture, Guardian, MUBI, the Face and TimeOut, amongst others, and programmes films for BFI, Edinburgh Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. She produces and hosts The Final Girls podcast. Sh...
2024-12-161h 03London Writers' Salon#122: David Perell — Find Your Voice, Make Your Writing Memorable & Build a Personal Monopoly plus The Write of Passage StoryWriter, Entrepreneur & Podcaster David Perell on simple frameworks you can use to bring your voice to life and write in a way that makes your writing memorable and has your readers calling you “one-of-a-kind." Links & Resources Write of PassageDavid PerellHow I Write PodcastABOUT DAVID PERELL David Perell has taught 2,000 people to write in his Write of Passage program. After being the King of Typos and boring sentences in his 5th grade English class, he became freakishly obsessed with the craft of writing, and today, he has 435,000 Twitter followers and a group of peopl...
2024-12-0537 minLondon Writers' Salon#121: Kate Mosse — From Aspiring Writer to Literary Game-Changer, Launching The Women's Prize For Fiction, Writing Historical Fiction, Finding Success After RejectionLiterary Legend Kate Mosse on writing 11 + novels, finding her voice with her fifth novel, researching historical fiction, pushing past doubt, dealing with rejection and how she launched the Women's Prize For Fiction.*ABOUT KATE MOSSEKate Mosse is the author of eleven novels & short story collections, including the No 1 bestselling The Joubert Family Chronicles. Her books have been translated into 38 languages and published in more than 40 countries. Kate is the Founder Director of the Women's Prize for Fiction & the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction - the largest annual celebration of women's writing in th...
2024-11-201h 00London Writers' Salon#120: Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky — Wellness For Writers, How to Matter, Writing Non-Fiction, Building Communities, Why You Should Stay Away From NarcissistsDr. Isaac Prilleltensky has dedicated his life to studying happiness. In this episide we talk to him about ‘mattering’ and how we can use his research findings to write more, worry less about our status and embrace a lightness in our creative work.*ABOUT DR. ISAACDr. Isaac Prilleltensky holds the inaugural Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Community Well-Being at the University of Miami. He has published 12 books and over 140 articles and chapters on wellness and creativity. His most recent book is How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and S...
2024-11-0457 minLondon Writers' Salon#119: Penny Wincer — Home Design For Writers, How To Transform Any Space Into A Space to Write, Writing Non-Fiction Proposals, Balancing Creativity with Life’s DemandsPenny Wincer, an author, writer and non-fiction book coach on how writers can think deeply about their living spaces, what makes a house a home and we dive into her expertise around creating engaging non-fiction and creating a non-fiction book proposal to send to agents.*ABOUT PENNY WINCERPenny Wincer is an author, freelance writer and non-fiction book coach based in London. She is the author of Home Matters: How our homes shape us, and we shape them and Tender:The imperfect Art of Caring. Penny hosts the podcast Not Too Busy To...
2024-10-181h 03London Writers' Salon#118: Sam Copeland — How to Catch The Eye Of A Literary Agent, Compelling Pitch Letters & Writing Funny Children’s FictionLiterary Agent (RCW Agency) and children’s author Sam Copeland on what he’s looking for in his submissions pile, how to write a compelling pitch letter, what he thinks about submitting to agents internationally and how he constructs funny middle-grade fiction.*ABOUT SAM COPELANDSam Copeland was shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the 2020 and 2021 British Book Awards and selected for the Bookseller's Most Influential People in Publishing in 2020. He welcomes e-mail submissions and can be contacted on sam@rcwlitagency.com. His associate is honor@rcwlitagency.com. He is also a ch...
2024-09-2952 minLondon Writers' Salon#117: Kate Young — Writing Cookbooks, Viral Blogs, Plotting Romcoms and Writing Sex ScenesAward-winning cookbook writer, blogger and novelist Kate Young on creating a viral cooking blog, how she turned her blog into a series of cookbooks, and what goes into a pitch for a cookbook. Plus her approach to plotting rom com, adding depth to rom-com characters, her approach to writing sex scenes and what she thinks every rom com should have. *ABOUT KATE YOUNGKate Young is a writer and cook, whose award-winning Little Library Cookbooks feature food inspired by beloved works of literature. After a sunny Australian childhood (spent indoors reading bo...
2024-09-2458 minLondon Writers' Salon#116: Pádraig Ó Tuama — Using poetry to notice the world, Knowing when a poem is done, How to strengthen your poetry writingPractical advice from Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama on writing and editing poetry and expanding your world with poetry. Highlights from a previous episode. For the full episode, listen to interview episode #103*ABOUT PÁDRAIG Ó TUAMAPádraig Ó Tuama is a theologian, writer, and conflict transformation practitioner. His books include In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World; Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community; Sorry For Your Troubles; Borders & Belonging and Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World. He hosts the On Being Studios podcast Poetry Unbound with Krista Tippett’s studio.*...
2024-09-1417 minLondon Writers' Salon#115: Rachel Blackmore & Literary Agent Juliet Pickering — Getting Published, Historical Fiction, Making Your Pitch Stand Out & Inside a Literary Agent’s WorldFor decades, Rachel Blackmore dreamed of becoming an author. In 2020, she joined Writers’ Hour and began her first novel. Now, her debut, COSTANZA, is being published by Dialogue Books (Hachette) and is hailed as an addictive tale of desire and betrayal. In this special interview, we're joined by Rachel and her literary agent, Juliet Pickering. We discuss Costanza's path to publication, what makes manuscripts stand out to agents, and techniques for crafting 'outrageously evocative' fiction.*ABOUT RACHEL & JULIETRachel Blackmore spent more than a decade working and raising a family, before tak...
2024-09-041h 06London Writers' Salon#114: David Whyte - Reads poems: A Seeming Stillness, A Song for the Salmon and Start Close In. Plus Writing Rituals, Fallow Periods and FrontiersA curation of our favourite questions and poems from our interview with poet David Whyte. We ask him: What we can do when we can’t access our writing? How do we live through fallow periods of writing and what rituals he uses for writing. He shares the poems: A Seeming Stillness, A Song for the Salmon and Start Close In.*ABOUT DAVID WHYTEDavid Whyte is an internationally renowned poet, author, and speaker. His books include The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, Consolations: The Solace, No...
2024-08-2719 minLondon Writers' Salon#113: Lyn Slater — How to Reinvent Yourself At All Ages, Becoming An Accidental Icon, The Reality of Going Viral, Blogging for Pleasure, Writing Memoir & Moving Beyond FameLyn Slater on going viral with her blog, Accidental Icon in her 60s, writing memoir How to Be Old and starting a Substack in her 70s and why getting older can be the most invigorating phase of life—full of rebellion, reinvention, connection, and creativity.*ABOUT LYN SLATERLyn Slater is a cultural influencer, model, writer, content creator and former professor. She started Accidental Icon in September of 2014 and has since garnered a loyal fan base of almost a million followers across platforms. Her memoir is How to Be Old: Lessons in Living Bo...
2024-08-171h 02London Writers' Salon#112: Olivia Petter — The Power of Vulnerability, Finding Your Niche in Journalism, Viral Posts, Writing about Love, Relationships & CultureOlivia Petter, award-winning journalist & author on breaking into journalism, vulnerability, writing about consent and celebrity (Gold Rush), finding her niche in journalism and landing a book deal.*ABOUT OLIVIA PETTEROlivia Petter is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster based in London. As a journalist, she specialises in violence against women, pop culture, relationships, mental health, sexual health, travel, fashion, and beauty. (The Sunday Times, British Vogue, British GQ, Grazia). She is the author of Millennial Love and Gold Rush.*RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited) Gold RushMillennial LoveOlivia’s Love...
2024-08-101h 06London Writers' Salon#110: Beth Morrey — Writing Funny, Upmarket FictionSunday Times Bestseller Beth Morrey (Saving Missey, Lucky Day) on her journey as a writer and TV producer and writing humorous upmarket books while exploring darker themes. We talk about her latest book Lucky Day and what it means to stop saying ‘yes’ and start living for yourself.*ABOUT BETH MORREYPreviously Creative Director at RDF Television, Beth Morrey now writes full time. Her debut novel, Saving Missy, was a Sunday Times bestseller and longlisted for the Authors' Club First Novel Award. Beth lives in London with her husband, two sons and two pood...
2024-07-0858 minLondon Writers' Salon#109: Nora Neus — Turn Your Ideas Into Newsworthy Stories, Pitching Articles, Books and Graphic NovelsNora Neus, Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and freelance journalist (CNN, Vice News, The Washington Post) and creator of the Long Form Lab on finding a story from the seed of an idea, how writers can discover and use their strengths and how to choose which media to use for a potential story. *ABOUT NORA NEUSNora Neus is an Emmy-nominated journalist whose reporting has appeared in CNN, VICE News, the Washington Post, and more. Neus field-produced Anderson Cooper’s coverage of the 2017 white nationalist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia for CNN. She is the co-author of...
2024-06-291h 08London Writers' Salon#108: Oisín McKenna — Literary Novels, Breaking Into Spoken Word, Writing In Fragments, Trusting Your ImpulsesSHOW SUMMARYSpoken word artist and writer Oisín McKenna on Oscar Wilde as inspiration, finding his footing in the spoken word world, turning his hand to writing a book, how he wrote his book in fragments and later added structure, and why you should be kind to yourself and how to trust that your writing will improve and get to where it needs to be.*ABOUT OISÍN MCKENNAOisín McKenna was born in Dublin and lives in London. He was awarded the Next Generation Bursary from the Arts Cou...
2024-06-161h 03London Writers' Salon#107: Niamh Mulvey — Writing Literary Fiction, Short Stories & Navigating The Publishing Industry, Creating Memorable CharactersShort story and literary novelist and former Hachette Editor, Niamh Mulvey on how to create memorable characters, finding her voice as a writer after years of failing, overcoming rejection and what she’s learned from her years in the publishing industry. *ABOUT NIAMH MULVEYNiamh Mulvey is from Kilkenny, Ireland. Her short fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly, Banshee and Southword and was shortlisted for the Seán O’Faoláin Prize for Short Fiction 2020. Her short story collection Hearts & Bones: Love Songs for Late Youth was published by Picador. The Amendme...
2024-06-1159 minLondon Writers' Salon#106: David Heinemeier Hansson — Turning Blogs into Bestselling Books, Writing Non-Fiction, Books as Products, Selling 1 million copies, Rethinking Work, Finding Meaning In Business & WritingDavid Heinemeier Hansson, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author on his 14-year journey to selling millions of copies of his books, why you should view your books as valuable products, and how he has co-written and marketed his books—all while running multiple successful businesses, including Basecamp, Ruby on Rails, and Hey.com. Plus how he used his blog to create a viral book, why his editing process took years and why he’s certain that working more than 40 hours a week isn’t smart.*ABOUT DAVID HEINEMEIER HANSSONDavid Heinemeier Hansson is the creato...
2024-06-011h 10London Writers' Salon#105: Krystal Sutherland — Secrets To Writing a Page-Turner, Writing Young Adult Fantasy & Thrillers, How to Motivate Yourself, Amazon StudiosYoung Adult Bestselling author Krystal Sutherland on the reality of hitting the New York Times Bestseller list, how she constructs compelling hooks and endings for each chapter, moving across genres, and her advice for getting your book done and creating a page-turner. *ABOUT KRYSTAL SUTHERLANDKrystal Sutherland is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of House of Hollow, A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares and Our Chemical Hearts, which was adapted into a film by Amazon Studios. Her books have been published in more than twenty countries and nominated for the C...
2024-05-1858 minLondon Writers' Salon#104: Rupal Patel — Lessons from the CIA, Building A Creative Practice, Prioritising Time & Writing Non-FictionRupal Patel, an ex-CIA agent and author of From CIA to CEO on applying CIA tools to your personal and creative life. Plus she gives us tips for how to create more time and how to pitch a non-fiction book. *RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)From CIA to CEORupal’s TED Talk, My Unexpected Discovery About Working at the CIARupal’s website*ABOUT RUPAL PATELThe daughter of Indian immigrants, Rupal Patel is a born-and-bred New Yorker now living near London. Her unconventional career as a CIA analyst and successf...
2024-05-041h 06London Writers' Salon#103: Pádraig Ó Tuama — Reading, Analysing & Writing Poetry; Making A Living as a PoetThe poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama tells us about his journey into poetry, how he knows a poem is complete and how poets might practice noticing. He also reads from his collection and deconstructs his poetry. We also discuss what it means to make a living as a poet.*ABOUT PÁDRAIG Ó TUAMAPádraig Ó Tuama is a theologian, writer, and conflict transformation practitioner. His books include In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World; Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community; Sorry For Your Troubles; Borders & Belonging and Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open...
2024-04-271h 02London Writers' Salon#102: Michael Jamin — Writing for TV, Personal Essays, Self-Publishing & Building a PlatformTV writer Michael Jamin (‘Just Shoot Me!’ and ‘King of the Hill.’) on his experience as a writer and showrunner, growing his platform and how he created, promoted and self-published his book A Paper Orchestra,*ABOUT MICHAEL JAMINMichael Jamin has been writing for television since 1996. His many credits include Just Shoot Me, King of the Hill, Beavis & Butthead, Wilfred, Out of Practice, Rules of Engagement, Lopez and Tacoma FD. He’s also served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on Glenn Martin DDS, Maron, and Rhett & Link’s Buddy System. Michael currently lives in Los Angeles, w...
2024-04-2259 minLondon Writers' Salon#100: Clara Vulliamy — Crafting Picture Books and Older Children's Stories, Dealing with Rejection, Finding Your VoiceClara Vulliamy, a children’s author of over 30 books talks about how she approaches collaboration, and what she’s learned from decades in the world of children's publishing as an author and illustrator. *ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMYClara Vulliamy is the daughter of author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and architect John Vulliamy. Her first experience of making pictures was being allowed to use up her Mum’s paints at the end of the day, which she says ‘was like scraping the icing out of the bowl after baking’. She studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art, The Ru...
2024-03-301h 01London Writers' Salon#99: Kim Krizan — Writing 'Before Sunrise' series, Crafting Memorable Characters For Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy & Other Screenwriting TipsBefore Sunrise co-writer, Kim Krizan on plotting for the screen, creating memorable characters for Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and advice on how to start writing a screenplay.*ABOUT KIM KRIZANKim Krizan is the Academy Award-nominated writer of the films “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” Her book Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale is a tongue-in-cheek examination of history’s dangerous women. She is also the author of Spy in the House of Anais Nin, an analysis of the life of the 20th-century rule-bending diarist. Krizan’s work has been hailed as in...
2024-03-231h 01London Writers' Salon#98: Chip Conley — Why Life Gets Better With Age, Creativity in Midlife, Role of Newsletters and Blogs, Creating Ideal Conditions for WritingNew York Times bestselling author Learning to Love Midlife on why life gets better with age, midlife as a chrysalis & awakening and how we can create the ideal condition for a Creative Life.*ABOUT CHIP CONLEYChip Conley is on a mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the world, and then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded Modern Elder Academy, the first-ever ‘midlife wisdom school,’ in Jan...
2024-03-1056 minLondon Writers' Salon#97: Leo Vardiashvili — Disciplined Writing, From Aspiring to Debut Author, Plotting Literary Fiction, Maintaining Pace, Organising the Query ProcessLeo Vardiashvili on disciplined writing, completing his literary novel and writing about home. *ABOUT LEO VARDIASHVILILeo Vardiashvili moved to London with his family as a refugee from Georgia when he was twelve years old. He studied English literature at Queen Mary University of London.*RESOURCES & LINKSHard by a Great Forest by Leo VardiashviliOne Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken KeseyStephen King’s On WritingLeo’s Spotify playlist for Hard By a Great Forest
For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcast...
2024-03-0353 minLondon Writers' Salon#96: Lucinda Halpern — How to Get Signed With a Literary Agent, Unlock Your Book’s Big Idea, Query Letter Essentials, Unconventional Ways to Engage With Beta-ReadersNew York Literary Agent Lucinda Halpern on positioning your book, finding the big idea for your pitch and finding and getting signed with a literary agent. Also, query letter essentials and how to get feedback from beta readers.*ABOUT LUCINDA HALPERNLucinda Halpern is a New York literary agent with over 15 years' experience securing book deals with Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and the author of Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author. She represents a range of New York Times and internationally...
2024-02-251h 02London Writers' Salon#095: Hester Musson — Writing Gothic Historical Thrillers, Querying Agents, Moving Past Rejection, Creating Tense DialogueHester Musson (The Beholders) on her writing and querying process for her gothic historical thriller. She also talks to us about how she overcame rejection and got published.*ABOUT HESTER MUSSONHester Musson studied at Bristol University and the RCS in Glasgow. She worked as an actress and autocue operator in London before writing full time, and now lives in Scotland.The Beholders is her debut novel.*RESOURCES & LINKSThe Beholders by Hester MussonWorking Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckNational Trust Propoerties
2024-02-1758 minLondon Writers' Salon#094: Farrah Storr — Lessons from a former Editor-In-Chief at ELLE & Cosmopolitan on Writing Engaging Articles, Substack, and Leaning into DiscomfortFarrah Storr, former Editor-In-Chief (ELLE/ Cosmopolitan) and Head of Writer Partnerships for Substack on what it takes to grab the attention of a reader, overcoming the fear of publishing work and leaning into discomfort. We also discuss how we might think like an editor with our own writing, and how we might use feedback constructively. We also chat about why it's important to experiment and talk to your readers.*ABOUT FARRAH STORRFarrah Storr was the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE and Cosmopolitan where she grew the brand to become the No.1 UK women’s gl...
2024-02-1154 minLondon Writers' Salon#93: Jami Attenberg — Writing 1000 Words A Day, Learning How to Write Again, Finding Creative Inspiration, Committing to Creativity DailyThe New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg talks about her latest non-fiction book 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, her journey from being a broke writer to creating a successful creative career, creating the #1000wordsofsummer movement and how she fights for a life of writing. We also discuss the financial struggles and risks of a writing career, finding inspiration even when you’re feeling disconnected, how she stays focused, and how we can commit to creativity every day. *ABOUT JAMI ATTENBERGJami Attenberg is a New...
2024-02-031h 02London Writers' Salon#92: Alex Bescoby - Documentary Storytelling, Brand Partnerships, Funding for Filmmaking, Editing for TV and Pulling Together The Right TeamFilmmaker, author, presenter Alex Bescoby (The Last Overland) takes us behind the scenes of his Channel 4 documentary. We discuss brand partnerships, finding the right team, dealing with setbacks and the editorial process.*ABOUT ALEX BESCOBYAlex Bescoby is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author, and an experienced broadcaster. His films have been broadcast in more than 80 countries on Channel 4, History, BBC, Discovery and Canal+ International. His films include ‘The Last Overland’ (accompanied by his book), The Story of Burma’s Lost Royal Family and Searching for Burma’s Forgotten World War Two Heroes.*
2024-01-281h 06London Writers' Salon#091: Suzie Sheehy — Writing Popular Science, Making Complex Subjects Accessible, Narrative Nonfiction, The Reality Of Getting Published, Twelve Experiments That Changed Our WorldAccelerator Physicist and author Dr. Suzie Sheehy (The Matter OF Everything: Twelve Experiments That Changed Our World) on simple storytelling techniques to make science and other complex subjects engaging. Plus, Suzie's early impressions as a first-time author, her process for writing and researching The Matter of Everything, and overcoming her 'valley of death' moment with the book to complete it. *ABOUT SUZIE SHEEHYSuzie Sheehy is an accelerator physicist and academic who divides her time between her research groups at the University of Oxford and the University of Melbourne. She is currently focused o...
2024-01-201h 04London Writers' Salon#090: David Arnold — Writing Love Stories, Building Strong Characters, Mastering Young Adult Novels, From Musician to WriterNew York Times bestselling author David Arnold on his journey from professional musician to writer, choosing POV, using vignettes and writing characters that YA readers can’t resist in his latest book, 'I Loved You In Another Life.'*ABOUT DAVID ARNOLD David Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for...
2024-01-1359 minLondon Writers' Salon#089: Emma Gannon — The Success Myth, Substack, Self-Publishing, Productivity Dysmorphia, The Arrival Fallacy, Being A Happy CreativeEmma Ganon on The Success Myth, our obsession with achievement and how to let go of the idea of having it all. We dive into her creative journey as an entrepreneur and writer of both nonfiction and fiction and the world of Substack. We also talk about Emma’s different income streams, reflections on her Self-Publishing Era, and we look at how she distributes her time and energy. This was a heartfelt discussion about the pressure of wanting success and wanting happiness, navigating those both and how we might ultimately craft a creative life on our own terms....
2023-12-301h 04London Writers' Salon#088: Seth Godin — The Practice of Making & Shipping Work That Matters, Marketing, Creative Courage, The Resistance, Finding Purpose, Building CommunitySeth Godin is one of the most influential writers and thinkers of our time. He is the author of twenty-one international bestsellers, and his work has been translated into over thirty-nine languages. In this conversation with Seth, we discuss his latest books, The Song of Significance and The Practice, and how we might find the courage to make and share creative work. We also talk about the importance of prioritizing process over outcome, dealing with resistance, how creatives can measure success and why Seth believes that authenticity is a trap. *ABOUT SETH GODINS...
2023-12-2359 minLondon Writers' Salon#087: Victoria Hislop — Writing Bestselling Historical Fiction, Researching History, Character Development, Evoking Sense of Place, Planning A NovelBestselling historical fiction novelist Victoria Hislop (The Island, The Figurines) on how she started writing, how she weaves her love of travel and history into her books, the realities of research, and her process for writing books that engineer conversation. We talk about how she evokes a sense of place, how she absorbs a new environment to write about and why she begins with a synopsis before writing a book.*ABOUT VICTORIA HISLOPVictoria Hislop is the international bestselling author of The Island and The Return. In the United Kingdom, she writes travel...
2023-12-1757 minLondon Writers' Salon#086: Gwyn Bennett — Navigating & Succeeding in Self-Publishing, Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing, Writing Sales Copy, Amazon Categories, Building an Audience, Handling Rights, Hiring HelpCrime mystery author Gwyn Bennett about how she built a successful indie publishing business sold thousands of her own books, and why she accepted a publishing book deal with Indie Publisher Storm. We touch on why it's important to produce a professional indie published book, Gwyn's approach to writing sales copy for her books, hitting the Amazon bestselling list and how she’s approached building an audience for her books. *ABOUT GWYN BENNETT Gwyn Bennett is the best-selling author of the Dr Harrison Lane Mysteries. Her new series is out with Storm.*
2023-12-0959 minLondon Writers' Salon#085: Maggie Smith — Crafting Viral Poems, Writing Memoir, Becoming a Better Poet, Narrative Device, Substack, Commercial vs Creative WorkAward-winning poet and writer on her process of crafting a poem, how she brought lyric sensibility to her memoir, and how we can observe and distill our experience of the world. We also talk about how she constructed her memoir, chose what to include, and navigated the intensity of publication as a memoirist.*ABOUT MAGGIE SMITHMaggie Smith is an award-winning author and poet. her poem Good Bones was called the “Official Poem of 2016” by Public Radio International. Her latest book, a memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, explores the disintegration of her...
2023-12-0255 minLondon Writers' Salon#084: Jean Kwok — Writing Family Drama & Constructing Thrillers, Successful Daily Writing Routines, Handling Failure & Pressure, How to Stay Focused On Your CraftJean Kwok (New York Times bestselling author) on the process of creating compelling characters and structuring a psychological family drama thriller. Plus we talk about narrative tension, handling criticism and dealing with pressure and failure as a writer.*ABOUT JEAN KWOK Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown. Searching for Sylvie Lee was selected for the Today Show Book Club and featured in The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, CNN, The New York Post, The Washington P...
2023-11-251h 02London Writers' Salon#081: Publisher Natalie Doherty — The Magic of Writing for Children, Market Trends, Behind the Scenes of Publishing, Children’s Book Categories, Social MediaNatalie Doherty, Children’s Publishing Director at HarperCollins, on what she looks for when acquiring books, the case against writing toward market trends, different categories of children’s books, and what makes a magical children’s book. *ABOUT NATALIE DOHERTYNatalie Doherty is Fiction Publishing Director at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she joined the team in May 2023 and is now working to build a brilliant new list of talent. She was previously an editor at Penguin Random House Children’s, working with a list of award-winning and bestselling authors including Tom Fletcher, Robin Steve...
2023-11-1155 minLondon Writers' Salon#081: Ellie Middleton — Writing While Neurodivergent & Building An Audience, Writing Nonfiction, Content Creation & Going ViralYoutuber and author Ellie Middleton on how she started sharing her work publicly, her viral posts, how she’s built an audience of 300k and rules she follows for content creation. Plus her experience of writing and publishing her nonfiction book Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence.*ABOUT ELLIE MIDDLETONEllie Middleton is an autistic and ADHD creator, speaker, writer, consultant and founder of the (un)masked community for neurodivergents. After a lifetime of feeling misunderstood, she was diagnosed with both Autism Spectrum Condition and ADHD at the age of 24. Si...
2023-11-041h 11London Writers' Salon#080: Benjamin Hutchinson — Writing & Reading as Tools for a Meaningful Life, Writing Big Idea Nonfiction, Learning from Literary GreatsPrize-winning essayist, literary critic, and professor of European literature Ben Hutchinson, author of On Purpose: Ten Lessons on the Meaning of Life, on how reading and meaningfully engaging with literature can help us live more fully—and more purposefully. Plus, lessons on living well from the literary greats, tips for becoming better readers and ways for writers to know they’re on the right path. We also talk about the German poet Rilke. *ABOUT BENJAMIN HUTCHINSONBen Hutchinson is an award-winning essayist, critic and professor of European literature. He is the author of seven...
2023-10-281h 01London Writers' Salon#079: Herminia Ibarra — Navigating Career Transitions & Owning the Writing Identity. Also, Writing Big-Idea NonFiction, Being a Confident Writer, Learning Goals Vs Performance GoalsProfessor Herminia Ibarra on her hugely influential books Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, and Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career. In this conversation with Herminia, we discuss reinventing your career, how to gain confidence as a writer, why thinking first and then acting doesn’t always work, navigating periods of flux, advice for leaders and the art of writing big-idea nonfiction.*ABOUT HERMINIA IBARRAHerminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. She is also the author of two best-selling boo...
2023-10-2158 minLondon Writers' Salon#078: Chris Guillebeau — Embracing Experimentation in Money-Making and Creativity, Plus Writing Non-Fiction and Tools for CreatorsNew York Times-bestselling author Chris Guillebeau (Side Hustle School podcast) on the new rules of money, how people are making money in the new economy and his philosophy for how we as creators can experiment with new technology and platforms and turn creativity into income.*ABOUT CHRIS GUILLEBEAUChris is an entrepreneur, explorer, and New York Times-bestselling author. He visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. He’s the author of eight books: The Art of Non-Conformity, The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, Born for This, and Side Hu...
2023-10-1459 minLondon Writers' Salon#077: Guinevere Turner — Writing 'Go Fish', 'American Psycho', Crafting Memoir & Excavating Memories of Growing Up in a CultActress and writer Guinevere Turner on her unconventional journey from screenwriting to memoir. We explore her process of writing the cult queer film "Go Fish," produced on a modest $15,000 budget, co-writing the screenplay for Bret Ellis's book American Psycho. We also discuss her recently released memoir, When the World Didn’t End, about her childhood in the infamous Lyman Family cult, and how she approaches writing challenging material, how she decided to capture her childhood in the memoir and advice she’d give memoirists trying to find the arc in their memoir.*ABOUT GUINEVERE TURNER ...
2023-10-0751 minLondon Writers' Salon#076: Harriet Johnson — Writing Non-Fiction, Storytelling Like a Barrister & Writing to Inspire ChangeWriter and barrister Harriet Johnson on her process for writing, researching, planning and pitching her nonfiction book: "Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It”. We talk about using storytelling to advocate for change, combining statistics with personal narratives to provide a holistic understanding of the issues and how she deals with online comments.*ABOUT HARRIET JOHNSONHarriet Johnson is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers specializing in human rights and criminal law and a fierce advocate of women's rights. She is a founding member of Women in Criminal Law, and Jo...
2023-10-0152 minLondon Writers' Salon#075: Natasha Lance Rogoff — Bringing Sesame Street to Russia & Writing Memoir, Behind the Scenes Of A Global Television Series, Art in Times of WarDocumentary filmmaking Natasha Lance Rogoff on bringing Sesame Street to Russia, the mechanics of a television global series, what makes Sesame Street so successful, the driving force behind creating art in dangerous circumstances and how she learned to write a memoir. *ABOUT NATASHA LANCE ROGOFFNatasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning American television producer, filmmaker, and the author of the bestselling book, Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia. Lance Rogoff executive produced Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street from 1993-1997. *
2023-09-231h 00London Writers' Salon#074: Joy Sullivan — Growing a Community Around Your Poetry & Writing, Dealing With Creative Blocks, Avoiding Cliches, Tips for Reading & Writing PoetryPoet and community builder Joy Sullivan @joysullivanpoet on the craft of poetry, tips for reading and writing poetry, how writers can avoid cliches and why she thinks writing from the heart is terrible advice. We talk about the business of writing, how she's grown an online following and how she balances her creative work with her business. *ABOUT JOY SULLIVANJoy Sullivan is a poet, educator, and community leader. A former brand copywriter, Joy decided to leave her day job and devote herself to poetry. She is now the founder of Sustenance, a w...
2023-09-161h 01London Writers' Salon#073: Nicola May — Self-Publishing Bestselling Rom-Coms, Using Price To Drive Sales, Writing From The Heart, Marketing Tips and The Importance of PersistenceNicola May, a bestselling rom-com author, on publishing 16 books, making money through self-publishing what authors need to know about marketing, and how persistence has been a key part of her writing journey. Note from Parul & Matt: We had some mic issues when recording this episode, and our sound is a little scratchy; thank you for bearing with us on this episode*ABOUT NICOLA MAYNicola May is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Two of them won awards at the Festival o...
2023-09-0958 minLondon Writers' Salon#072: Cyndie Spiegel — Writing NonFiction, Microjoys, Finding Joy in Difficult Times & Navigating TransitionsAuthor Cyndie Spiegel (Microjoys: Finding Hope) on how she approaches moments of major transition and building a habit of recognizing joy even in the darkest times. We also talk about the craft of writing nonfiction and how her concept of microjoys grew from an idea to a book.*SHOW SUMMARYCyndie Spiegel, author of Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay on how she approaches moments of major transition building a habit of recognizing joy even in the darkest times. We also talk about the craft of writing nonfiction, and how...
2023-08-261h 02London Writers' Salon#071: Ed Wilson — Submitting to Agents & Navigating Publishing, Junior vs Experienced Agents, How to Follow up with Agents, Smaller vs Larger Literary AgenciesLondon-based Literary Agent Ed Wilson (Johnson & Alcock) @literarywhore on the relationship between agents and authors, finding the right agent for you, what agents are looking for and how long to wait before following up on a submission. Plus, an insight into Ed’s career, examples of submissions he’s taken on and shifts in the publishing industry.*ABOUT ED WILSONEd Wilson is a literary agent and director at Johnson & Alcock, a London-based literary agency established in the 1950s. Ed has a diverse and developing list of authors of fiction and nonfiction. He repr...
2023-08-1943 minLondon Writers' Salon#070: Hannah Bos — Writing TV From The Heart, HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Artistic Partnerships, Writing Friendships For The ScreenHannah Bos, co-creator and showrunner of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere on landing a series with HBO, her journey as a storyteller, how she navigates collaboration, and her approach to change and character development when writing for the stage and screen. *ABOUT HANNAH BOSHannah Bos is a Brooklyn-based writer who, along with her writing partner Paul Thureen, is the creator/showrunner of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere. The first season of the show received an AFI Award and Peabody nomination and Hannah and Paul were nominated for a 2022 Humanitas Prize for Comedy Teleplay for the p...
2023-08-121h 02London Writers' Salon#068: Samantha Shannon — Writing Fantasy Fiction, Plotting, Worldbuilding & Keeping Anxiety At BayBestselling fantasy writer Samantha Shannon on dealing with early success, plotting a seven-book series and keeping anxiety at bay.*ABOUT SAMANTHA SHANNONSamantha Shannon is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree. *LINKS FROM THE SHOWAsk Shannon questions on her TumblrShannon on Instagram @say_shannonThe Bone Season seriesThe Priory of the Orange TreeFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, j...
2023-07-291h 05London Writers' Salon#067: Megan Davis — Writing Literary Thrillers & Crime Fiction, Dual Timelines, Bringing Conflict To The PageAward-winning and debut thriller writer Megan Davis on her book The Messenger, which was influenced by her experience as a whistleblower. We explore her use of dual timelines, conflict and essential elements of a psychological thriller.ABOUT MEGAN DAVISMegan Davis has worked in the film industry, and her credits include Atonement, In Bruges, Pride and Prejudice, and the Bourne films. Megan is also a lawyer at Spotlight on Corruption. Her debut, The Messenger, won the Bridport and Lucy Cavendish prizes. *FOLLOW MEGAN DAVIS:Megan’s TwitterMegan’s WebsiteOTHER...
2023-07-2259 minLondon Writers' Salon#066: Ricardo Fayet — How to Promote Your Book In a Crowded Marketplace, Finding Readers, Finding Freelance Help with ReedsyMarketer and Reedsy Co-founder Ricardo Fayet on the essential elements of marketing your book, the importance of knowing your target audience and how to utilise different platforms to find your readers. This interview was recorded in 2021.*ABOUT RICARDO FAYETRicardo Fayet is one of the co-founders of Reedsy, a marketplace connecting authors to the world's top publishing talent--from editors to cover designers, book marketers, or literary translators. He oversees the marketing for all Reedsy products--Marketplace, Book Editor, Learning, Discovery--and is a big SEO and Facebook advertising enthusiast. He is the author of How t...
2023-07-1753 minLondon Writers' Salon#065: Maggie O’Farrell — The Art Of Writing & The Marriage PortraitAward-winning writer Maggie O’Farrell on the role that Arvon played in her early writing career how she crafts her novels today and the mindset that has led her to persist as a writer over the years and why she doesn’t worry about how she is perceived. She also reads from her latest book The Marriage Portrait. This interview was hosted virtually at Arvon.*ABOUT MAGGIE O’FARRELLMaggie O'Farrell is the author of Hamnet (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award) and the memoir I Am, I Am, I Am: S...
2023-07-0956 minLondon Writers' Salon#064: Madeleine Milburn — Catching an Agent's Eye & Building an Author-First AgencyIn this episode, we speak to award-winning literary agent Madeleine Milburn (founder of the Madeleine Milburn Film, TV, & Literary Agency. In this conversation with Madeleine, we take a peek behind the scenes into the queries Madeline receives at the agency; she reveals the common mistakes she sees in submissions and what she think sets a writer apart in the query process. *ABOUT MADELEINE MILBURNMadeleine Milburn is on the committee of the Association of Authors' Agents (AAA). She has appeared on The Bookseller's list of the 150 most influential people in the book trade e...
2023-07-0155 minLondon Writers' Salon#063: Krystal Sutherland — Writing Young Adult Novels & Bringing Characters to LifeNYT bestselling author Krystal Sutherland on writing young adult novels and bringing characters to life. We also talk about her experience of having her debut novel Chemical Hearts adapted into a film by Amazon Studios. We also talk about she's honed her craft. how she’s learned to plot visualise her stories. *ABOUT KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND Krystal Sutherland’s debut novel, Chemical Hearts, was published in over 20 countries and was named by the American Booksellers Association as one of the best debuts of 2016. The film adaptation, produced by Amazon Studios, stars Lili Reinhart and Austin...
2023-06-2448 minLondon Writers' Salon#061: Joanna Nadin — Lessons From Writing 90+ Books for Kids, Teens & Adults, Writing Tools & Plotting Your BookAward-winning author of 90 books, Joanna Nadin, talks about writing engaging stories for and about kids, and the writing practices and tools that have helped her write so many books and how she plots her stories. *ABOUT JOANNA NADINJoanna has written more than 90 books for children and adults. She has a doctorate in adolescent identity and YA literature and is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Bristol. Her books have garnered a number of prizes including the Fantastic Book Award and the Surrey Book Award. She's also been shortlisted f...
2023-06-031h 00London Writers' Salon#060: Natalie Lue & Hattie Crisell — Forging A Portfolio Career: From Journalism To Starting A Substack Newsletter, Launching A Podcast, Self Publishing and Landing A Publishing DealNatalie Lue (@natlue) and Hattie Crisell (@hattiehattie) are writers who have forged successful portfolio careers. We explore their adventures in journalism, blogging, podcasting and publishing. We dive into the reality of forging a portfolio career and they give us advice for how they might start today.*ABOUT NATALIE LUE Natalie Lue is behind the incredibly popular Baggage Reclaim Blog. Nat’s self-published books, including Mr Unavailable and the Fallback Girl, The No Contact Rule and Love, Care, Trust & Respect, have sold 150K+ copies, and her podcast, The Baggage Reclaim Sessions, has over 3 million dow...
2023-05-281h 02London Writers' Salon#059: Madeleine Dore — Rethinking Writing Ruts & Routines, Imperfect Creative Processes, Substack, Blogging, Creative CyclesMadeleine Dore, author of ‘I Didn’t Do The Thing Today’ on rethinking writing routines and ruts, how to rid ourselves of the pressure to do more, embracing imperfection in the creative process, and her unique approach to her Substack newsletter.*ABOUT MADELEINE DORE Madeleine Dore is a writer, interviewer and author of I Didn’t Do The Thing Today'. As a labour of love, Madeleine spent over five years exploring how we can broaden the definition of a day well spent in her popular blog Extraordinary Routines and podcast Routines & Ruts. She continues...
2023-05-201h 01London Writers' Salon#057: Abigail Bergstrom — On Becoming A Literary Agent, Tips For Building An Author Brand, Inside the Publishing Industry, Recovering From BurnoutLiterary Agent and writer Abigail Bergstrom on her publishing career (Simon & Schuster, Gleam Titles, Bergstrom Studios) choosing to leave editing for agenting, facing and recovering from burnout and her advice for authors developing their brand. Also, her advice for finding an agent, and tips for how to ask the right questions to your marketing and publicity team. We also dive into her journey of writing and pitching her debut novel: What a Shame.*ABOUT ABIGAIL BERGSTROMAbigail Bergstrom is a Welsh writer who has worked in publishing for over a decade. She's edited s...
2023-05-0659 minLondon Writers' Salon#056: Jonathan Escoffery — Writing Award-Winning Short Stories, World Building, Managing Reader Anticipation, Dynamic StorytellingShort story writer Jonathan Escoffery on his process for writing his linked short story collection, If I Survive You, how he thinks about world building, managing reader anticipation, how questions of identity influence his work, and tips for writing dynamic, moving short stories.*ABOUT JONATHAN ESCOFFERYJonathan Escoffery is the author of the linked story collection, If I Survive You, a New York Times and Booklist Editor's Choice, an IndieNext Pick, and a National Bestseller. His stories have appeared in The Paris Review, Oprah Daily, Electric Literature, Zyzzyva, AGNI, Pleiades, American Short Fiction...
2023-04-291h 01London Writers' Salon#054: Anna Jordan — Developing as a Playwright, TV Writing (Killing Eve/ Succession), Shitty First Drafts, Overcoming Self Doubt.Anna Jordan, playwright (Yen/ Bruntwood Prize) and screenwriter (Killing Eve, Succession) on her early years of writing, how she got commissioned and developed as a playwright. Plus, a behind the scenes look at her writing process and how she deals with self-doubt and the reality of making money as a writer. *ABOUT ANNA JORDANAnna is a playwright, theatre director, and writer for television. Anna is best known for her play Yen, which won the 2013 Bruntwood Prize, going from a successful run in the UK to be performed off-Broadway. Anna's TV credits include Suc...
2023-04-0959 minLondon Writers' Salon#053: Stephen Markley — Writing Epic Novels, Creating Sprawling Narratives, Inside TV Writers Rooms, Persisting as a Writer, Having Stephen King As A Fan, Making Money As A Writer, Staying Away from FeedbackNovelist and screenwriter Stephen Markley on writing his 900-page epic novel The Deluge, writing sprawling narratives and what it’s like to count Stephen King as a fan. We talk about writing for the TV show Only Murders in the Building, making money as a writer, and what it takes to succeed and persist. *QUOTES“You can't guarantee your book will be a success...it comes down to loving the work, loving what you're doing, loving the story you're telling, and being ready..."*ABOUT STEPHEN MARKLEYStephen Markl...
2023-04-0156 minLondon Writers' Salon#052: Orna Ross — How to Succeed as Indie Author, Marketing Essentials, Paying Yourself FirstPoet, novelist and founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross, on her career from traditional to indie publishing and what it takes to succeed as an indie author. We talk about the benefits of self-publishing, marketing tips, reaching income goals, the '20 Books to 50k' goal, and why pushing past the 1st book is critical. She also tells us why paying yourself first is so important, even in the early days.*ABOUT ORNA ROSSOrna Ross is a bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction and inspirational poetry. She is also...
2023-03-251h 07London Writers' Salon#051: Cecile Pin — Writing Literary Fiction, Telling Your Family’s Story, Starting Your Career as an Author, Reality of Working In Publishing, Advice For First-Time AuthorsDebut novelist Cecile Pin author of Wandering Souls (nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction, 2023), on her choice of using a fragmented structure, having multiple narrators and why she chose to fictionalise a story that was inspired by her mother’s past. Plus, lessons from working in publishing and what all first-time authors should know.*ABOUT CECILE PIN:Cecile Pin grew up in Paris and New York City. She moved to London at eighteen to study philosophy at University College London and received an MA at King's College London. She writes for Bad Fo...
2023-03-1853 minLondon Writers' Salon#050: Jasmine Richards — Creating Bestselling Children’s Book Series, Ideating, Secrets Of A Great Pitch & The Business Of Children’s PublishingJasmine Richards, editor, writer, and award-winning founder of StoryMix Studio talks to us about the business of children’s publishing and how she generates and sells her ideas to publishers and works with writers to create commercial fiction for children. *ABOUT JASMINE RICHARDS Jasmine Richards is the author of over a dozen children's books ranging from picture books to teen fiction. Her most recent novel, Keeper of Myths, was published by Harper Collins. She has over 15 years of experience as an editor, including roles at Hamish Hamilton, Puffin, and Dutton Books in New York...
2023-03-111h 02London Writers' Salon#049: Huma Qureshi — Writing the Memoir You're Not Sure You Can Write, Writing About Grief, Importance Of Role ModelsWriter Huma Qureshi on how you know you’re ready to write a memoir. Plus, the importance of role models, writing about grief, loss and love and how she wrote and edited her memoir: How We Met: A Memoir of Love and Other Misadventures. This episode was recorded during the global lockdown in 2021.*ABOUT HUMA QURESHI Huma started her career at The Observer and The Guardian, working as a reporter and features writer before going freelance to write her first book, In Spite of Oceans, Migrant Voices, in 2015. Her short story The Jam Make...
2023-03-0451 minLondon Writers' Salon#048: Oliver Burkeman — Writing Impactful Articles, Making the Most of Our Finite Lives, Reevaluate Your Relationship With Time, Being HappierBestselling author Oliver Burkeman @oliverburkeman on his process for writing impactful articles plus how he wrote his popular book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. We chat about reevaluating our relationship with time, the truth about perfectionism, why it’s liberating to know that we are insignificant in the cosmos, and how we might use this reality to lead happier and more creative lives. *ABOUT OLIVER BURKEMANOliver Burkeman is a feature writer for The Guardian. He won the Foreign Press Association's Young Journalist of the Year Award and has been short-listed for...
2023-02-2859 minLondon Writers' Salon#047: Rebecca Stott — Balancing Writing & Researching Historical Fiction, Chasing Your Curiosity, Accuracy In Historical Fiction, The 'History Of Emotions'Award-winning writer and historian Rebecca Stott @rebeccastott64 on how she immersed herself in 6th-century history for five years for her latest book Dark Earth, a historical story set in Londinium. We talk about how she balances researching and writing, accuracy in historical fiction and the importance of the 'history of emotions'. *ABOUT REBECCA STOTTRebecca Stott is the author of fifteen books, including works of literary criticism, fiction, and nonfiction. Her nonfiction books include Darwin and the Barnacle (Faber, 2003), Darwin’s Ghosts: In Search of the First Evolutionists (Bloomsbury, 2012), and Oyster in Reaktion’s Ani...
2023-02-2058 minLondon Writers' Salon#046: Bec Evans & Chris Smith — How To Overcome Creative Blocks & Get It Written. Plus Banish Procrastination, Dealing With Imperfect Environments, The Power Of NoticingAuthors and writing coaches Bec Evans (@eva_bec) and Chris Smith (@beprolifiko) on techniques that have helped thousands of writers get unblocked and write. We talk about banishing procrastination, dealing with imperfect environments and why it’s so important to be present in your writing and not compare yourself to a past version of yourself. We also talk about their process of writing, editing and pitching their new book Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts. *ABOUT BEC EVANS & CHRIS SMITHBec Evans and Chris Smith are writers and the...
2023-02-111h 08London Writers' Salon#045: Jay Clouse — Find Your Niche, Become a Professional Creator & Build Your Creative Platform. Learn To Experiment, Charge Without GuiltJay Clouse (@Jay Clouse), entrepreneur, writer and host of The Creative Elements Podcast, on how to find your niche, become a professional creator and build your creative platform. We discuss the role of a creative platform and how to charge for your services without guilt. Plus, the importance of experimentation, finding and succeeding in your creative niche and leveraging platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, and Newsletters platforms.*ABOUT JAY CLOUSEJay Clouse hosts the Creative Elements podcast and the Creator Science newsletter. He is behind several courses including Podcast Like The Pros, Freelancing School...
2023-02-041h 07London Writers' Salon#044: Eimear Ryan — Learning to Write a Novel, Creative Resilience & Behind The Scenes of a Literary PressAuthor and co-founder of Banshee Press, Eimear Ryan (@eimear_ryan) on her 13-year journey to writing her award-nominated debut book, the importance of creative resilience and a behind-the-scenes look at Banshee Press & Banshee Literary Journal.*ABOUT EIMEAR RYANEimear Ryan is a co-founder of the literary journal Banshee and its publishing imprint, Banshee Press. She was shortlisted for the Newcomer of the Year Award at the Irish Book Awards for her first novel, Holding Her Breath and she was nominated for the Bookseller's Rising Star Award 2021 for her work with Banshee Press.
2023-01-2959 minLondon Writers' Salon#043: Tom Rob Smith - Writing Thrillers, Screenplays & High-Stakes StoriesAward winning novelist and screenwriter Tom Rob Smith (Child 44 Trilogy & American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace) on his writing journey from Cambodian soap operas to screenplays and novels, why creating a treatment is integral to his planning process and how he thinks about writing quick-paced high-stakes stories,. We dive into his latest novel Cold People, a sci-fi thriller set in Antarctica and why he eagerly experiments with genres like sci-fi and romance.*ABOUT TOM ROB SMITHTom Rob Smith is the author of the acclaimed Child 44 trilogy, a global publishing sensation...
2023-01-211h 06London Writers' Salon#041: Christy Lefteri - Using Real Stories to Inspire Powerful FictionChristy Lefteri, the international-best selling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds on finding inspiration from real life, how she brings her characters to life, and what it means to her to tell other people’s stories with compassion. We also chat about Christy’s writing, research, and plotting process.*ABOUT CHRISTY LEFTERIBrought up in London, Christy Lefteri is the child of Cypriot refugees. She is a lecturer in creative writing at Brunel University. Her debut novel A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible is set during the Turkish invasion of Cypr...
2023-01-0757 minLondon Writers' Salon#040: Jean Kwok — Overcoming Fear & Rejection & Writing Novels That Move ReadersThe award-winning novelist Jean Kwok talks about her writing journey from poverty to becoming a bestselling author, how she drafts and plans her novels, why she uses Writers’ Hour to write her novels, and the importance of conflict in her writing. Also how she has overcome continual rejection throughout her life. *ABOUT JEAN KWOKJean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown. An instant New York Times bestseller, Searching for Sylvie Lee was selected for the Today Sho...
2022-12-311h 06London Writers' Salon#039: Nikesh Shukla: Breaking Into Publishing, Lessons From Running A Literary Agency & Writing A MemoirAward-winning writer and the founder of The Good Agency, Nikesh Shukla (@nikeshshukla), on the journey to becoming a writer, running a Literary Agency, crowdfunding The Good Immigrant and the process for writing his memoir. ABOUT NIKESH SHUKLANikesh Shukla is a novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of Coconut Unlimited (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award), Meatspace, and the critically acclaimed The One Who Wrote Destiny. Nikesh is the editor of the bestselling essay collection, The Good Immigrant, which won the reader's choice at the Books Are My Bag Awards. He co-edited The Goo...
2022-12-1751 minLondon Writers' Salon#038: Derek Sivers - Focus, Ambition, Writing Clearly & How to LiveEntrepreneur, publisher and writer Derek Sivers (@sivers) on giving away $22 million, breaking rules, why “If it’s not a hell yeah, it’s a no.” Plus how to stay focused, why he sells directly to his readers and what it means to live a good life. *ABOUT DEREK SIVERSOriginally a professional musician, Derek created CD Baby in 1998. It became the largest seller of independent music online with $100 million in sales for 150,000-plus musicians. Derek Sivers is the author of four non-fiction books, as well as a musician, entrepreneur, and publisher. His latest book is Ho...
2022-12-101h 18London Writers' Salon#037: Daniel Paisner - Secrets from the 'World's Most Prolific Ghostwriter', Working With Serena Williams, How To Unearth The True StoryNew York Times Bestselling author and ghostwriter Daniel Paisner on how he landed his first ghostwriting job, how the ghostwriting process works, working with celebrities like Serena Williams and Whoopi Goldberg and what it takes to unearth the real story of a person’s life. Also, how his ghostwriting work helps him with his own creative work including his latest book Balloon Dog. *ABOUT DANIEL PAISNERDaniel Paisner is a journalist, author, and podcaster. He is the winner of two NAACP Image Awards for his work with Shark Tank panellist and serial entrepreneur Day...
2022-12-041h 04London Writers' Salon#036: Pragya Agarwal — From Academic Writing to Big Idea Nonfiction & Tackling Complex IdeasIn this episode we talk with Professor Prayga Agarwal about her writing journey from academia to commercial non-fiction, how to tackle difficult and complex subjects, and what it takes to research, write and publish 'big idea' non-fiction books. We also discuss overcoming procrastination, writing within small pockets of time, her writing and research process and how she brings together the hard research alongside the personal narrative.*ABOUT PRAGYA AGARWALPragya Agarwal is a behaviour and data scientist and Visiting Professor of Social Inequities and Injustice at Loughborough University in the UK. She is t...
2022-11-2650 minLondon Writers' Salon#035: Soman Chainani — Writing Dark Tales For Children, Navigating Hollywood & Balancing Creative Work With DisciplineIn this episode we speak to bestselling children’s author Soman Chainani about working in the film industry, overcoming failure and rejection, working as a tutor to make ends meet and how he wrote and pitched his first book series 'The School For Good And Evil' that sold 3 million copies and is now a Netflix film. Plus how he balances deep creative work with life and the power of myth and fairytale. Plus why you should never believe anything anyone tells you in Hollywood.*ABOUT SOMAN CHAINANISoman Chainani’s debut series, The Scho...
2022-11-1955 minLondon Writers' Salon#034: Bonnie MacBird — Sherlock Holmes, Crime Fiction, Lessons from Hollywood & NaNoWriMoIn this interview we speak with Bonnie MacBird, a screenwriter and author (@macbird), about writing Sherlock Holmes mystery novels, lessons from Hollywood and screenwriting, how Bonnie’s Sherlock Holmes novels came from a personal NaNoWriMo, and why Sherlock Holmes has stood test of time.*ABOUT BONNIE MACBIRDBonnie MacBird is an American writer, actress, and producer. She is the writer of the original screenplay for the film Tron. Her Sherlock Holmes series (HarperCollins) written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle and featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, has been released in 17 la...
2022-11-121h 06London Writers' Salon#032: David Whyte — Poetic Imagination & The Way of the PoetInternationally renowned poet David Whyte (@whytedw) on his life and craft as a poet, writer, and speaker. We explore poetic imagination, how we might use poetry as a tool to engage more deeply with the world and balancing soul vs survival work. David reads his poems: Blessing of the Morning Light, Song for the Salmon, Your Prayer and Start Close in.*ABOUT DAVID WHYTEDavid Whyte is an internationally renowned poet, author, and speaker. His books include The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America, Consolations: The Solace...
2022-10-291h 05London Writers' Salon#031: Beth Kempton — Becoming a Fearless Writer & Writing Bestselling Non-FictionIn this episode we speak to Bestselling author Beth Kempton (@bethkempton) about her journey into writing, from her first published book Freedom Seeker to her latest The Way of the Fearless Writer, her process for writing and pitching her bestselling non-fiction books, and her philosophy for leading a fearless and authentic writing life. Beth shares with us why we can't think our way into writing a good book, how she learned to let go and let her writing flow and why she balances her work seasonally.*ABOUT BETH KEMPTONBeth Kempton is a...
2022-10-221h 16London Writers' Salon#030: Harriet Minter — Manage Your Time & Regain Control Of Your Creative CareerHow can we escape the trap of overworking and spend more time on our creative work? In this interview with Harriet Minter – journalist, coach, and author of WFH (Working From Home): How to build a career you love when you’re not in the office – we chat about the practicalities of setting daily and monthly goals, structuring your day while working from home, navigating our writing careers and our creative ambitions, pricing our work and balancing soul work with survival work.*ABOUT HARRIET MINTERHarriet Minter is a journalist, author and flexible work specia...
2022-10-1557 minLondon Writers' Salon#029: Stacey Halls — Writing Historical Fiction & Building A Life Around Your WritingIn this episode we talk with Sunday Time bestselling author Stacey Halls (@stacey_halls) - author of Mrs England, The Foundling and The Familiars on how she approaches her first draft, how she tricks herself to write 2000 words a day, her planning, plotting, and researching process, and what it takes to build a life around your writing.*ABOUT STACEY HALLSStacey has worked as a journalist at The Bookseller and Fabulous magazine, and has written for publications including Stylist, Psychologies and The Independent. Her debut novel The Familiars, immediately charted on The Sunday T...
2022-10-0852 minLondon Writers' Salon#028: Nir Eyal — How to Build An 'Indistractible' Writing LifeIn this episode we talk with bestselling author and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal @nirandfar on what it means to be ‘Indistractible’, and how we as writers can master our internal and external triggers, make time for our writing, and build more productive, successful, and creative writing lives. Nir also shares how he built his audience and his email list, why he crowd-edited his book with over 500 readers, and how he stays engaged with his readership.*ABOUT NIR EYALNir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir...
2022-10-011h 05London Writers' Salon#027: Hamish McKenzie — The Future of Newsletters, Writing About Elon Musk & How to Make It on SubstackIn this episode we go behind the scenes with writer and Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie (@hamishmckenzie) to explore his journey from journalism to working at Tesla, writing a book about Elon Musk, and his motivation for creating Substack, a newsletter platform that allows independent writers to publish directly to their audience and if they choose to, monetize their writing. We discuss what commonalities he sees with the more successful writers on the platform, why he's excited about new writers that will emerge in the coming years and his take on the future of publishing and newsletters.*
2022-09-2740 minLondon Writers' Salon#025: Will Storr — The Science of Storytelling, Moving Past Rejection & Writing Impactful Non-FictionIn this episode we speak to the award-winning author, Will Storr (@wstorr) about The Science of Storytelling, from his research process to planning and writing his first draft, why he thinks “writing is mostly about rejection” and why ultimately critics' feedback doesn’t matter to him. We also delve into his signature “Sacred Flaw” technique, which will help you truly understand your character (if fiction), or yourself if you’re writing a memoir.*ABOUT WILL STORRWill Storr is an award-winning writer. He’s the author of five critically acclaimed books: The Status Game (Sept 202...
2022-09-1354 minLondon Writers' Salon#24: Steph Smith - Beyond Blogging: Self-Publishing, Creating Content & Selling with HeartSteph has used her blog (stephsmith.io) to explore everything she's interested in – from learning to write with confidence to Antifragility at work to her favourite destinations as a digital nomad. She also publicly tracks the books she's reading, her personal goals and monthly income. It's also where she launches side projects like Make Yourself Great Again and Eunoia (words that don't translate). We talk to Steph about launching side projects quickly, how she evolved her blog (400k readers) into a book, self-publishing her book on Gumroad and making $40k in the first week and why she’s experimenting with...
2022-09-031h 05London Writers' Salon#023: Rebecca Schiller — The Art Of Writing A Memoir, Writing Truthfully and Dealing With NeurodivergenceIn this episode we speak to journalist, author and writing coach Rebecca Schiller. In 2017, Rebecca moved her family to a countryside smallholding for a life of sowing and growing. But the reality of managing a smallholding led to a mental health crisis and it was her work on the land that helped to save her. She writes about this in her memoir, Earthed. We talk to Rebecca about the craft of writing, the art of writing a memoir, writing truthfully about family and mental health, her ADHD diagnosis and writing practices that have helped her deal with her neurodivergence.
2022-08-2757 minLondon Writers' Salon#022: Kat Falls: How to Brainstorm Like a Screenwriter, Writing YA and Creating Complex Fantasy WorldsAward-winning Young Adult writer and screenwriting tutor Kat Falls on how to brainstorm your story using techniques from screenwriters, why it’s important to make your character feel uncomfortable, how to easily generate an outline for your story and what it takes to create complex complex fantasy and sci-fi worlds.*ABOUT KAT FALLSAward-winning novelist Kat Falls writes fast-paced science fiction for middle schoolers and young adults. Her Dark Life series has been translated into 18 languages and is in development for a film at Disney. In addition to her work as an author, Fa...
2022-08-2056 minLondon Writers' Salon#019: Emma Reed Turrell — Turn Your Expertise Into A Book, Learn To Set Boundaries & Stop "People Pleasing" In Your WritingIn this episode we talk with Psychotherapist and podcaster Emma Reed Turrell on developing her writing practice alongside her day job, launching a book around her expertise, and how she wrote without expectation - in fact it was more important that she meant what she said than it was to get published. Emma also talks about how we can stop "people pleasing" in our writing.*ABOUT EMMA REED TURRELL Emma Reed Turrell is a Clinical Supervisor, therapist and podcaster (Best Friend Therapist which she hosts with Elizabeth Day). In her practice she works w...
2022-07-3052 minLondon Writers' Salon#018: Ruta Septys — How to Write Gripping Historical Fiction, The Importance of Melody And Rhythm & Giving Voice to Underrepresented History.In this episode we talk with the Carnegie winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction, Ruta Sepetys, about the joy of writing historical fiction, building believable characters, the research process, how she finds objects from history to have by her side as she’s writing and why she writes her first draft like the world’s on fire. Plus, the importance of melody and rhythm in writing, the power of collaboration and dealing with critics.*ABOUT RUTA SEPETYSRuta Sepetys (Rūta Šepetys) is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of his...
2022-07-2355 minLondon Writers' Salon#013: Selina Lim — Writing Authentic Dialogue for TV, Writing about Sex, Love & Drama, and A Peek Into a Writers’ RoomIn this episode, Selina Lim, BAFTA-nominated screenwriter (Sex Education, Hanna) shares her screenwriting journey from her first BBC script to earning a BAFTA nomination, and how she broke into the industry as an outsider. Selina also gives us a peek at the inner workings of a writers’ room on hit TV shows - including the roles, exercises they use, and how writers collaborate inside it. We deconstruct what it takes to write a great scene, including sex scenes, what it means to write authentic dialogue and the importance of knowing our characters. *ABOUT SELINA LIMSe...
2022-06-1839 minLondon Writers' Salon#011: The One With Matt & Parul — Why We Created This PodcastWe have published 10 episodes and we realised that we had never really introduced ourselves…So, we’re going to talk a little about where we’ve come from and why the London Writers’ Salon exists and what this podcast means to us. We’re going to do this by interviewing each other!*ABOUT MATT AND PARULMatt Trinetti and Parul Bavishi are the co-founders of the London Writers' Salon (@WritersSalon) and the creators of the Webby-nominated Writers' Hour where they write with hundreds of writers every week day. The Salon began as an in-per...
2022-06-1120 minLondon Writers' Salon#004: Anna Wilson — Writing About Grief and Bringing Your Whole Self to Your WritingAs writers, there may be times when we must delve deep into the harder ‘themes’ of life - that of grief and loss. How might we start to write about loss and in what medium - a blog? Or a book? And where do we begin? How can we be vulnerable on the page? Join our conversation with Anna Wilson, as we talk about the craft of writing memoirs, having the confidence to tell the truth, and the mindset that has enabled her to write 50+ books. *Anna Wilson is the author of over 50 books for child...
2022-04-1650 min