The Writing Life

Simon & Steph Celebrate 100 Episodes

We're 100 episodes old! To celebrate, Simon and Steph indulgently look back on The Writing Life show and pick out their favourite episodes, which turns out to be an almost impossible task. You're not going to find a podcast anywhere else that combines Val McDermid, Jenny Offill, Joe Dunthorne, Jon Ingold, Kelsey Beachum, Ed Parnell, Ian Nettleton, Sian Cain and Joe Hedinger. Thanks for listening! Find out more about what we do at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Photo by Floris Andréa on Unsplash Music by Bennet Maples.

Eimear McBride's Method

This week Eimear McBride shares her writing method with advice on characters, how to finish a book and what makes someone a writer. Interview originally broadcast on YouTube in March as part of the Early Career Writers' Resources. More info here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/2-method/ Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Find out more at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Poetry In Lockdown - with Lewis Buxton of TOAST

Time for a burst of optimism and inspiration, courtesy of poet, producer and tutor Lewis Buxton. If lockdown is getting to you, have a listen to this week's pod and hopefully you'll feel a little brighter about the future. Lewis talks about TOAST, his regular live literature events, his own route into poetry and how coronavirus has affected his work. Then he treats us to readings of a couple of his own poems plus material from selected TOAST headliners. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Get in touch with TOAST: https://toastpoetry.com/ Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Announcing the Desmond Elliott Prize Shortlist

The time to reveal the Desmond Elliott Prize shortlist has finally arrived! NCW Programme Assistant and almost absurdly well-organised person Lillie Coles joins us on the pod to introduce the shortlisted titles and provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the running of the prize. The Desmond Elliott Prize is part of the National Centre for Writing's Early Career Awards. Find out more about them here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/early-career-awards/ Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW More about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Searching For Answers with Bregje Hofstede

Bregje Hofstede returns to the podcast with this full length version of her conversation with our Programme Director Peggy Hughes. Bregje stayed with us back in October as a writer in residence at Dragon Hall, back when such a thing was still possible. Bregje came to work on her new novel – working title De oplossing van Hadewych (The Hadewych Solution). Dragon Hall was the ideal location, as the Middle Ages feature large in the novel while Norwich is the most complete medieval English town to have survived and has more medieval churches than any other European city north of the Alps. The wide-ranging discussion takes in how your writing changes when you're away from your normal situation (something we're all at least vaguely familiar with by now...), as well as what happens to spirituality in a secular society. There are no clear answers anymore: is that a good thing? Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Find out about everything we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Owen Sheers' International Literature Showcase Reveal

Owen Sheers, author, poet and playwright and Professor in Creativity at Swansea University, reveals his selection of ten inspiring writers asking the questions that will shape our future, as part of the International Literature Showcase. In this conversation with award-winning jouranlist Chitra Ramaswamy you'll discover the details of Owen’s list, including his introduction to each writer and the reasons why he finds their work to be so important – spanning topics including the environment, structural inequality and the role of a writer at times of transition and change. What role can writers play in shaping a more just world, and how do we ensure that we don’t go back to ‘business as usual’ after such a catastrophic event? The ILS is a partnership project between the National Centre for Writing and British Council, supported by Arts Council England and Creative Scotland. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Find out more about the International Literature Showcase: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ils Check out everything we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk Music by Bennet Maples.

A Portrait Of An Artist And A Writer

Our City of Literature festival continues with today's podcast: A fascinating glimpse into the daily process of making and writing from Sara Baume (Spill Simmer Falter Wither) and Elizabeth Macneal (The Doll Factory), chaired by Jen McDerra. Through writing, sculpture and ceramics, they will offer reflections on isolation, motivation, nature and beauty. This episode is presented by the National Centre for Writing and the Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Hosted by Steph McKenna and Simon Jones. Join our Discord community: https://discord.gg/ERQhsGj More City of Literature free events: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/city-of-literature/ Music by Bennet Maples.

A Delicate Sight: Max Porter & Sam Winston

City of Literature 2020 begins! Today's special episode features Max Porter and Sam Winston, talking about the collaborative exhibition A Delicate Sight. Originally intended to be part of this year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival, we're now taking the event online so that you can experience it at home. Place darkness at the centre of your perception and explore how your senses, thoughts and emotions are heightened with this free creative resource. A number of the UK’s leading writers – including Bernardine Evaristo, Max Porter, Raymond Antrobus and Don Paterson – were commissioned to spend time in a dark room installation as part of artist and producer Sam Winston’s interactive exhibition A Delicate Sight. Now it’s your turn! Find out more and get involved: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/city-of-literature/ Thanks to Arts Council England. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Join the Discord community: https://discord.gg/ERQhsGj Music by Bennet Maples.

Creating Characters With Michael Donkor

Michael Donkor, author of HOLD, graduate of our Escalator talent programme and a Desmond Elliot Prize nominee, guests on the pod to talk about creating and developing characters. It's a chat full of amazing tips for any writer - and you can find even more with our Early Career Writers' Resources Pack this month, as it's all about CHARACTER and is packed full of insight from Sarah Perry, Joe Dunthorne and more. Check out the full pack: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/pack-3-character/ Join the Discord community with this limited-time invite: https://discord.gg/ERQhsGj Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Music by Bennet Maples.

Join our Book Club!

We have something of a mini-episode this week as NCW Programme Officer Flo Reynolds joins Simon and Steph to introduce our new Book Club. Starting today, the Book Club is reading A Line Made By Walking by Sara Baume - we hope you'll join us on the read! There are many ways to get involved - all of them free, of course. Read along, chat with us on Twitter and join our scheduled Zoom chats to share your opinions. We're also launching a new online community on Discord, which is open now and you can find an invite for podcast listeners below. We can't wait to discuss the book with you all! Follow this link to join the new NCW community on Discord (limited places available): https://discord.gg/ERQhsGj Book your place on the free Zoom chats: Thursday 21 May: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/ncw-book-club-a-line-made-by-walking/ or Tuesday 26 May: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/virtual-book-club-2-a-line-made-by-walking/ Full details on the Book Club can be found here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/join-the-ncw-virtual-book-club/ Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk Music by Bennet Maples.