The Writing Life

Tsitsi Dangarembga on representation, feminism and Zimbabwean literature

Tsitsi Dangarembga is a novelist, playwright and filmmaker who joins us on the pod today to discuss her groundbreaking work and its influence on readers. Tsitsi is the author of Nervous Conditions, which in 1988 was the first book to be published in English by a black woman from Zimbabwe and won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, and its sequels The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2018). She was shortlisted in 2020 for the Booker Prize. Tsitsi lives in Harare and is the director of the Institute of Creatve Arts for Progress in Africa Trust.

Asking the questions is Molly-Rose Medhurst, student writer and activist who worked with us as an intern earlier in 2021. Take a look at an article she wrote: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/must-reads-for-lgbt-history-month/

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Music by Bennet Maples.

William Ryan's Guide to How to Write

William Ryan is the author of historical crime fiction novels, including the Captain Korolev series. William joins us on the pod to talk about his latest project, the Writers' & Artists' Guide To How To Write. It's a nuts-and-bolts framework for writing a book, avoiding common mistakes and asking yourself the right questions up front.

Meanwhile we talk about the Early Career Awards winner announcements. Find out about the winners of the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize, UEA New Forms Award and Laura Kinsella Fellowship here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/early-career-awards/

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Music by Bennet Maples.

Jen Campbell on building your writer platform

Award-winning poet and short story writer Jen Campbell is on the pod to discuss her prolific work in children's fiction, non-fiction and poetry as well as how she built an online platform for her writing across YouTube, Patreon, a podcast and more. Jen's tips on being productive (and forgiving yourself when you're not) and how to make the internet work for you and invaluable.

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna, who look back at the week's International Literature Showcase and get giddy with excitement for the reveal of the Early Career Awards winners next week!

Check out the ILS commissions and videos: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ils/

Early Career Awards: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/early-career-awards/

Jen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jenvcampbell 

Music by Bennet Maples.

We pick our top episodes from lockdown

Something of a minisode this week, as Steph and Simon pick their favourite podcast episodes since lockdown began in the UK in March 2020. They also dive into the International Literature Showcase, which next week reveals its new list of unmissable writers courtesy of Kei Miller! Let's do some links:

Discover 50 umissable writers at the International Literature Showcase: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/international-literature-showcase-2021/

Book for Joy Francis' keynote: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/recovery-reimagining-literature/

Book for Innovation & Enterprise in the Literature Sector: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/innovation-enterprise/

Book for Kei Miller presents... https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/kei-miller-presents/

And here are Steph and Simon's podcast picks:

J. Michael Straczynski on becoming a writer: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/j-michael-straczynski-on-becoming-a-writer-staying-a-writer/

Greg Kasavin on HADES: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/writing-hades-with-greg-kasavin/

Richard Lambert and Wolf Road: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/what-happens-when-covid-19-cancels-your-book-launch/

Sonia Faleiro's non-fiction: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/writing-creative-non-fiction-with-sonia-faleiro/

Crowdfunding with Tom Cox: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/crowdfunded-publishing-with-tom-cox/

A Delicate Sight with Max Porter and Sam Winston: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/podcast-reveal-a-delicate-sight/ 

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

Music by Bennet Maples.

J. Michael Straczynski on Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer

Joe Michael Straczynski is the creator of influential science fiction classic Babylon 5; he has worked extensively for Marvel and DC comics, was nominated for a BAFTA for his screenplay Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood; co-created Sense8 with the Wachowskis for Netflix; worked on the screenplay for the first Thor movie, helping to shape what is now the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and in the 80s worked on Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone and animated shows such as He-Man and the Master of the Universe and The Real Ghostbusters. His novel Together We Will Go is out in 2021. He has won the Inkpot Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ray Bradbury Award, the Eisner Award, the Hugo Award (twice), the Saturn Award and many more. His bio also mentions that he is a terrible singer, an abysmal dancer and that he sucks at poetry.

Joe is on the show this week to talk about Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer: The Artistry, Joy and Career of Storytelling, his new book on writing which is out now. Simon is very, very excited.

Hosted by Simon Jones and Vicki Maitland.

Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

Join our Discord writing community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Listen to our episode with Thomas McMullan talking about The Last Good Man: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/ambiguity-and-metaphor-with-thomas-mcmullan/ 

Music by Bennet Maples.

Jessie Greengrass on The High House

Jessie Greengrass is on the pod to discuss her latest novel The High House. Jessie is an award-winning writer and was selected by Elif Shafak for the 2019 International Literature Showcase. Asking the questions is Vicki Maitland.

Meanwhile, Simon and Steph look back at the City of Literature festival (which you can catch up on here: http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/ ) and look forward to the upcoming Early Career Awards and 2021 International Literature Showcase featuring a new list of incredible writers selected by Kei Miller.

Book for the (free!) big reveal of Kei's new list: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/kei-miller-presents/

Find out more about the International Literature Showcase: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ils/ 

Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Music by Bennet Maples.

Lynn Buckle on positive climate writing with Flo Reynolds

In the final episode of our Imagining the City series, author and artist Lynn Buckle joins us from Dublin to talk to Flo Reynolds about writing her first book, feeling like a fraud and how to write positively about the climate crisis. Lynn's first novel, The Groundsmen, was published in 2018 by époque press. Nominated for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, it was listed as Easons Best of Irish Literature and featured in a year-long book tour of Ireland and the UK. What Willow Says was published in May 2021 - find out more here: https://www.epoquepress.com/what-willow-says 

Meanwhile, Simon and Steph talk about the Norfolk & Norwich Festival and having writers back in the building at Dragon Hall. Find out more here: http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/ 

Join our Discord writing community! https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Music by Bennet Maples.

Abir Mukherjee: Weather With You #3

Three writers reflect on the atmospheric pressure of the year they’ve just had in Weather With You – a series of three written commissions and podcasts that address what it means to be a writer today, and why we write.

Abir Mukherjee is the Times bestselling author of the Sam Wyndham series of crime novels set in Raj era India. His debut, A Rising Man, won the CWA Endeavour Dagger for best historical crime novel of 2017 and was shortlisted for the MWA Edgar for best novel. His second novel, A Necessary Evil, won the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing and was a Zoe Ball Book Club pick. His third novel, Smoke and Ashes, was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 Best Crime & Thriller Novels since 1945. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in London with his wife and two sons.

Part of the City of Literature festival. Find out more: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/

More about Weather With You: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/open-doors/weather-with-you/ 

Derek Owusu: Weather With You #2

Three writers reflect on the atmospheric pressure of the year they’ve just had in Weather With You – a series of three written commissions and podcasts that address what it means to be a writer today, and why we write.

Derek Owusu is a writer, poet and podcaster from north London. He discovered his passion for literature at the age of twenty-three while studying exercise science at university. Unable to afford a change of degree, Derek began reading voraciously and sneaking into English Literature lectures at the University of Manchester. Derek edited and contributed to Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space. That Reminds Me, his first solo work, won the Desmond Elliott Prize 2020.

Part of the City of Literature festival. Find out more: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/

More about Weather With You: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/open-doors/weather-with-you/ 

Image (c) Josima Senior.

Kerri ní Dochartaigh: Weather With You #1

Three writers reflect on the atmospheric pressure of the year they’ve just had in Weather With You – a series of three written commissions and podcasts that address what it means to be a writer today, and why we write.

Kerri ní Dochartaigh was born in 1983, in Derry-Londonderry at the border between the North and South of Ireland. She read English Literature and Classical Civilisation at Trinity College Dublin and trained as a Waldorf teacher in Edinburgh. She taught in Edinburgh and Bristol, before returning to Ireland in her early thirties. She writes about nature, literature and place for the Irish Times, Dublin Review of Books, Caught by the River and others. She now lives in a railway cottage in the very heart of Ireland. Thin Places is her first book.

Part of the City of Literature festival. Find out more: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/

More about Weather With You: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/open-doors/weather-with-you/ 

Image (c) Manus Kenny.