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We’re a podcast for anyone who writes. Every week we talk to writers about their writing journeys and techniques, from early career debuts to self-publishers and narrative designers. We’ve featured Margaret Atwood, Jackie Kay, Sara Collins, Antti Tuomainen, Val McDermid, Sarah Perry, Elif Shafak and many more! The Writing Life is produced by the National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall in Norwich.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Okechukwu Nzelu's 10 year writing journey
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Okechukwu Nzelu joins us on the pod to talk about his debut The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney, writing in lockdown and balancing life as a full-time teacher and author. Okey was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and Polari First Book Prize and won a 2020 Betty Trask Award. Turns out that award-winning debut author + experienced English teacher = a brilliant podcast full of tips and insight.
Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones.
Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW
All about our work: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/
Get Noirwich workshop tickets: http://noirwich.co.uk/
Photo of Okechukwu Nzelu (c) Martin Glacken
Music by Bennet Maples.
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
Thursday Aug 20, 2020
We're joined on the pod by Eliza Clark, the debut author of Boy Parts. Eliza talks to Steph about being published in her mid-20s, the inevitable comparisons with other authors and the series of unlikely events that led to publication. She also discusses how writing fan fiction in her teens helped hone her craft before embarking on her first book, as well as how Covid-19 has affected the book's launch.
Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.
Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW
Early Career Writers' Resource Packs: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/free-resources/
Noirwich Crime Writing Festival: https://noirwich.co.uk/
Produced by the National Centre for Writing https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/
Image by Richard-Kenworthy
Music by Bennet Maples
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
How Arts Council National Lottery Grants Work
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Our CEO Chris Gribble joins us on the pod to discuss Arts Council England's new National Lottery Funding Grants. Available now to artists they offer much-needed support and relief during Covid-19. Applications are open, and Chris is on the show to provide starter tips and an introduction to the grants system: plus why arts funding is critical, especially at times like this.
It was very hot when recording this episode, so we're going to blame the heat for the slightly glitchy audio quality on Chris' end. Heat rises, so we can only assume that it stole away some of the soundwaves before they reached the mic. Apologies!
Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.
Find out more about the ACE grants: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/projectgrants
Here's what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/
Music by Bennet Maples.
Friday Aug 07, 2020
Elvira Dones on identity and translation in Sworn Virgin
Friday Aug 07, 2020
Friday Aug 07, 2020
Long overdue, we finally have this wonderful recording from the BCLT Summer School 2019, featuring Swiss-Albanian writer Elvira Dones, her translator Clarissa Botsford and publisher Stefan Tobler. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith, it's a wide-ranging discussion taking in themes of identity, linguistics, translation processes and the creation of Elvira's book Sworn Virgin.
This event took place in partnership with the British Centre for Literary Translation, with support from Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
Meanwhile, Simon and Steph talk about lots of exciting NCW things, from the Book Club and drop-in Writing Sessions to the new Creative Writing Online courses and the exciting announcement of NOIRWICH 2020.
Some useful links:
Join the National Centre for Writing's Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW
Check out the full Noirwich 2020 programme: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW
More info on all of our work to support writers: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/
Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.
Music by Bennet Maples.
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
The Writing Life Trailer
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Get a taste of what we do and meet hosts Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. We're a weekly podcast for anyone who writes - find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and all good podcast apps.
Produced by the National Centre for Writing in the UK.
Find out more at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk