Behind The Spine

“It feels so risky for the public purse to invest in individuals rather than in things. Backing people feels like a really progressive thing to do.” In this era of new tech, where should the money flow? Our guest today argues we need to spend less on technology and invest more in people. Tom Higham is the Creative Director of international media arts agency Mediale. In this episode he discusses th...

Series 6 is right around the corner, and what a series it is! We’ll be diving into the world of the metaverse, looking at the mythology of the British landscape, and we’ll be joined by one of the world’s greatest living novelists. And for our first episode we’ll be in the company of Tom Higham, creative director of international media arts agency Mediale . Tune in from Wednesday 5th October - and...

“There’s a huge feeling that a relationship will fix you…and it doesn’t always matter if it’s the right relationship, as long as you’re kinda in one.” Being single, especially old and single, is not looked upon favourably in society. It’s no wonder then that people rush to make marriage pacts with their childhood best friends - a bizarre yet completely understandable byproduct of societal standard...

"Old women are so much more than this. So much more. They are still complete human beings." Purple hats, knitting needles and gnarled hands - this is how older women are usually portrayed and thought of. The pervading narrative is that they are no longer interesting. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.  In her debut book Cat Brushing, Jane Campbell disrupts the stereotypes about older wom...

Despite the common belief that parents just want to do right by their kids, we don’t always see it pan out like that. There are some terrible parents out there, and the dynamic of a toxic family is not an uncommon sight in literature. So what’s going on? What drives these difficult relationships? In Rebecca Wait’s new novel ‘I’m Sorry You Feel That Way’, she tackles these questions, following the...

If you learnt of darkness within your family tree - if you discovered an ancestor caused unimaginable pain - would you feel shame? Would you feel guilt?  Bearing the guilt of our forebears may seem counterintuitive, after all, we’re not to blame for their actions. And yet it’s more common than you’d imagine. In her debut book ‘In My Grandfather’s Shadow’, Angela Findlay comes face-to-face with her...

When we go on holiday, travel, or relocate, we’re often looking to ‘get away from it all’. What we rarely consider is how difficult that is, especially when it’s our own personal shortcomings that we’re trying to escape. That’s certainly true for the character of Daphne Ferber, who arrives in Berlin for a fresh start, not expecting to run into more drama than she left behind.  Berlin , the debut n...

In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday - to have your mind dominated by short-term goals. But how often do you stop and consider the future? Whether it’s for our own personal development, or for the sake of the planet, short-term thinking can severely hold us back. That’s why Ella Saltmarshe co-founded the Long Time Project, whose goal is to find new ways to help us c...

Yip is a 4ft nothing hairless mute. Born in 1815 and unable to talk, he’s presented with various challenges in his early life. And though he later learns to write, his hardships never cease. In the midst of the Georgia Gold Rush, he gets caught up in a brawl, meeting an unlikely companion while on the run from the law. My Name is Yip is the debut novel from Paddy Crewe, and it’s an astonishingly b...

When Thomas Hardy’s wife died, his world was forever changed. Though his marriage to Emma Gifford was tumultuous, his grief was still paralysing. After Emma’s death Hardy discovered and read her diaries, and later burnt them. But why did he burn them? What words were written inside? Why did they evoke such a reaction? We will never know the answers to these questions, but author Elizabeth Lowry ha...

Would you give up your life and put everything on the line for your country? If you were plucked off the street and asked to serve as a secret agent overseas during wartime, would you say yes? These are the decisions that The Special Operations Executive agents had to come to terms with. SOE was formed in 1940, and the organisation’s F section sent more than four hundred agents into France. But wh...

Most of us are in the writing game because we love the creative journey. The business of writing however? Well, we’re not always great at that. But if you want to make money and turn your passion into a career, the business is just as important as the writing, and needs to be thought about early in the process. And that’s where many of us could use a little help. Kerri Layton is a performing arts...

We’ve brought you all the build to Cazz Lander’s Great British Row, and now the adventure athlete and her partner Andre have finally set sail. Catching Cazz just a few days before launch, Mark gets up close and personal with the mighty boat she’ll be calling home, and finds out how she’s feeling. Enjoy this bonus episode, and stay tuned for regular updates from the boat. Find out more about and do...

Social media influencers live the lives we wish we lived - perfect and flawless… Or so we think. IDOL is the story of online health and wellness guru Samantha Miller, whose spiral downwards shows that life behind the camera lens is not always so rosy - that we don’t always know who we’re idolising. Louise O’Neill is a prolific Irish author with multiple titles to her name. Through IDOL she draws o...

The abstract narratives offered through dance performances allow each audience member to experience a story unique to them - to draw their own conclusions of the events that are unfolding. It’s no surprise then that dance has become the perfect playground for experiments with immersive technologies, like virtual reality. Alexander Whitley is a London-based choreographer working at the cutting edge...

We’re back with series 5 of the podcast, with an exciting cast of new guests and the return of the Behind The Spine Writing Competition. Mark shares a taste of what’s to come, including a conversation with choreographer Alexander Whitley - going live on the 18th March. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood . Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writ...

Nature is as beautiful as it is destructive. For those who live each day surrounded by it, nature isn’t always something to be romanticised.   In her English language debut, esteemed Welsh writer Caryl Lewis tackles nature’s duality beautifully through the character of the sea, drawing on her own connection and closeness to the landscape. ‘ Drift ’ moves between the Welsh coast and war-torn Syria...

Female representation in the sciences is getting better. It’s still not good enough, but we have come a long way. Set in the 1960s, Lessons In Chemistry is a novel which serves to remind us of just how far we’ve come, by recognising the struggles of the not too distant past. Bonnie Garmus ’ debut novel tells the tale of chemist Elizabeth Zott, an unconventional heroine on a mission to upend the st...

The daily grind has a habit of stifling creativity. You may be struggling to innovate in a way you know you’re capable of - you may be burnt out without even knowing it. Sometimes it pays to take a step back. That’s why spaces like Watershed are so important, offering creators a chance to play with their ideas and to experiment in a safe environment.   Watershed is the South West of England’s lead...

Whether you’re a stand-up facing an audience, or a writer thinking up jokes for the big screen, comedy is hard. As society becomes more culturally diverse, and as much of what we watch comes from the US, landing a joke is getting more tricky. Not only that, comedians these days also have to deal with social media’s ‘cancel culture’. So how are things shaping up for the future of the genre? Liam Pa...

Although the internet grants us access to boundless knowledge, algorithms and social media platforms create a very tribal online experience where our own beliefs are confirmed, instead of challenged. And it’s within these echo chambers that terrorists and violent extremists are able to radicalise others to their cause. Anne Craanen is a senior research analyst Tech Against Terrorism, and host of t...

When an artist chooses to portray someone’s image in a painting, they get to call the shots - to tell that person’s story however they see fit. A painting says more about the artist than it does of their muse. So what would happen if the painted could tell their own story? Sophie Haydock’s debut novel The Flames - out later this month - answers that question, in a breathtakingly unique way. Part f...

Throughout the course of this series we’re following the journey of adventurer and extreme sports enthusiast Cazz Lander as she prepares to row 2000 miles along the coast of Great Britain. A lot has moved on since we caught up in episode 1, and after a raft of setbacks, training is in full swing.  Now in South Africa, the team of Cazz and her partner Andre are making great strides towards their go...

During series 3 of the podcast we launched the Behind The Spine writing competition. You were tasked with writing a short story of no more than 1000 words, based on one of the writing lessons we’ve learnt from our many amazing guests. And you well and truly delivered! With entries from all over the world, it was hard to narrow down our choices, but two winners emerged.   ‘A Homecoming’, by Michell...

Borussia Dortmund is one of Europe’s most celebrated football clubs. Its story is one of tenacity, rule-breaking and of fighting the power. As a German club you might find it unusual to discover that one of the club’s biggest supporters is a bloke from Croydon.  Terry Duffelen fell in love with Borussia Dortmund some years ago, and co-founded the long-running Yellow Wall, Borussia Dortmund podcast...