Storymix: Craft and Conversation

Adeola Sokunbi spent years asking her mum if she could draw on the walls. The answer was always no. Then lockdown arrived, her mum gave in and said yes to the shed, liked what she saw, and handed over the rest of the house. The doodle that went up on the kitchen wall ended up on Instagram, Jasmine Richards slid into her DMs, and that is how Destiny Ink started. This week on Storymix: Craft and Con...

At one point Nicola Williamson was sharing a house with 22 guinea pigs, seven chickens, four rabbits, two dogs, two cats, a rooster called Jack Sparrow and two seagulls named Flappy and Crappy. She was also a vet for decades, and a veterinary ophthalmologist, and in 2022 she walked away from all of it to write full time. This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Jasmine Richards talks to Nico...

When Pardina Samson-Fessale was a child in Saint Lucia, her mum, the only South African on the island at the time, marched into Nelson Mandela's hotel and refused to leave until they had met him. He gave Pardina a glass of orange juice and told her to be a good girl and listen to her mother. This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Jasmine Richards talks to Pardina Samson-Fessale, writing as...

In the 1990s, Savita Kalhan smuggled books through customs in the lining of her suitcase. Three decades on, she's writing teen horror under a name built from names that are very important to her This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Jasmine Richards talks to Savita Kalhan — writing as S. R. Krish — about THE LOST NAME SOCIETY, published by Fox & Ink Books on 3rd September 2026.   At M...

In this episode, we're talking to Lui Sit, who writes under the pen name Scarlett Li, author of The Lucky House Detective Agency, published by Storymix Books on 11th June 2026. We talk about why Lui thinks that collaboration with Storymix made The Lucky House Detective Agency all the more richer. We get into the pressure she's felt at points in her career to — in her words — "Chinese-ify" a story,...

This week on our episode of Storymix: Craft and Conversation Season 2, Jasmine Richards chats with YA author Angelica Ellis, who writes under the pen name A. M. Ellis, about blending two genres, who gets to write which stories, and the expectation around stories centering pain and trauma. A.M Ellis's book, I Feel Your Pain, published by Penguin Random House, came out on 25th June 2026. Listen, sha...

In the first episode of Season 2 of Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Storymix founder Jasmine Richards talks to debut children’s author Siren Knight about mixed race identity, Caribbean history, teenage life and the creative journey behind her new novel, Princess (Apparently).Siren and Jasmine explore what it means to write characters who live “in-between”, including Della, the mixed race teenage...

This week on the final episode of the season of Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue and Azi Farni chat extensively with children’s literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch about what it really means to be a literary agent, industry expectations, and answering the constant question: how do you get a seat at the publishing table? Listen, share and get into the conversation! Useful Links: Davini...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , in our final Craft episode of the season, Maame Blue takes you through the crucial steps needed to get your stories out of your head and into the hands of agents and publishers. Plus, our 5 Minute Mentor Jasmine Richards shares some great tricks for writing the elevator pitch for your story idea! Listen, share and get into the craft! Useful Links: Wr...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue and Azi Farni sit down with author and teacher J. T. Williams - who wrote The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries - to discuss how research can play a part in story development, what it takes to create characters from real figures in history, and how to navigate the question: How do I tackle big topics like slavery and racism when writing for child...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue explains the differences in creating stories for children depending on their age, with the help of three Storymix Studio books! Plus, our 5 Minute Mentor Jasmine Richards breaks down publisher expectations and rules around the age ranges of books for children! Listen, share and get into the craft! Useful Links: Age levels for children’s bo...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue and Azi Farni take a closer look into dialogue, language and heritage, in conversation with Tania Tay - the author writing as Crystal Sung on the upcoming middle grade series Spellcasters . From research to personal history and more, the question is: How do I use slang or foreign words authentically when writing for children? Listen, share...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue is discussing dialogue! How to make it sing, how to make it ring true, and what to avoid, especially when writing for kids. Screenwriter and author E. L Norry will be doing a reading of her brand new middle grade book Fablehouse , and our 5 Minute Mentor Jasmine Richards - writer, editor and screenwriter - will be back with some invaluable...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue and Azi Farni dig deep into the world of children’s illustration with the help of illustrator Selom Sunu, who discusses diversity in children's book characters, how to decide what to draw, and tackles the question: How do I avoid creating white characters that are just shaded in? Listen, share and get into the conversation! Useful Links: L...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue takes the helm of another Craft episode, this time to help you find inspiration for creating authentic characters that reflect your reader's worlds - that is, the world of children. With a reading from The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger from author J.T. Williams, and an immersive journey back to your childhood bedroom from ou...

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation , Maame Blue and Azi Farni get into the Conversation with Storymix Founder, author and editor Jasmine Richards to explore the question: How do you reflect your heritage without resorting to stereotypes when creating children's books? Listen, share and get into the conversation! Useful Links: Create for Storymix Jasmine’s books Follow Jasmine on Instagr...

Welcome to the first ever episode of Storymix: Craft & Conversation ! In our first Storymix Craft episode , host Maame Blue shares some tips on differentiating between Stereotypes and Archetypes when creating stories for children. Plus, we'll hear a reading by Storymix author Isaac Mckenzie, one of the writers behind Future Hero: Mission To The Shadow Sea . And on top of all of that, our fearl...