The Writing Life
We're a weekly podcast for anyone who writes. 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.
Latest Episode
Poets in conversation: John Osborne & Lewis Buxton on performance, humour, and place (12.01.2026)
Previous Episodes
- New year, new writing goals: Julia Crouch on getting started, finding inspiration, and writing what excites
- Writing festive thrillers: Nicola Upson on The Christmas Clue
- What is ‘experimental fiction’?: Clara Chow on travelling, writing about taboo subjects, and having fun
- Writing grief and the body: Lisabelle Tay & Heather Parry in conversation with Yan Ge
- Writing flawed characters: Sarah Moss on Ripeness
- The poetry of motherhood: Erica Hesketh and Jenny Pagdin on language, recovery, and balance
- A writer’s journey: Vanessa Bell on book tours, friendship, and revisiting old projects
- Representation in children’s literature: Hayley Wells on The Spectacular Suit
- Reimagining classics: Pat Barker on the Regeneration Trilogy
- Writing contemporary crime fiction: Val McDermid on Past Lying
- Becoming a published author: Wen-Yi Lee on representation, writing residencies, and building a readership
- Writing between genres: Michael Pedersen on Muckle Flugga
- World building in horror fiction: Julia Armfield on Private Rites
- The world of Substack: Eleanor Anstruther & Simon K Jones on serial fiction
- Writing love stories: André Aciman on Room on the Sea
- The power of language: Eimear McBride on The City Changes Its Face
- Writing strong female characters: Joanna Miller on The Eights
- The rise of romantasy with Sangu Mandanna
- Writing about sports and masculinity with George Harrison, Alex Allison, and Ashley Hickson-Lovence
- Developing your creative practice with Julia Bird
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