London Writers' Salon

Actress and writer Guinevere Turner on her unconventional journey from screenwriting to memoir. We explore her process of writing the cult queer film "Go Fish," produced on a modest $15,000 budget, co-writing the screenplay for Bret Ellis's book American Psycho . We also discuss her recently released memoir, When the World Didn’t End , about her childhood in the infamous Lyman Family cult, and how...

Writer and barrister Harriet Johnson on her process for writing, researching, planning and pitching her nonfiction book: "Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It”. We talk about using storytelling to advocate for change, combining statistics with personal narratives to provide a holistic understanding of the issues and how she deals with online comments. * ABOUT HARRIET JOHNSON Harrie...

Documentary filmmaking Natasha Lance Rogoff on bringing Sesame Street to Russia, the mechanics of a television global series, what makes Sesame Street so successful, the driving force behind creating art in dangerous circumstances and how she learned to write a memoir.  * ABOUT NATASHA LANCE ROGOFF Natasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning American television producer, filmmaker, and the author of...

Poet and community builder Joy Sullivan @joysullivanpoet on the craft of poetry, tips for reading and writing poetry, how writers can avoid cliches and why she thinks writing from the heart is terrible advice. We talk about the business of writing, how she's grown an online following and how she balances her creative work with her business.  * ABOUT JOY SULLIVAN Joy Sullivan is a poet, educator, a...

Nicola May, a bestselling rom-com author, on publishing 16 books, making money through self-publishing what authors need to know about marketing, and how persistence has been a key part of her writing journey.  Note from Parul & Matt: We had some mic issues when recording this episode, and our sound is a little scratchy; thank you for bearing with us on this episode * ABOUT NICOLA MAY Nicola May i...

Author Cyndie Spiegel (Microjoys: Finding Hope) on how she approaches moments of major transition and building a habit of recognizing joy even in the darkest times. We also talk about the craft of writing nonfiction and how her concept of microjoys grew from an idea to a book. * SHOW SUMMARY Cyndie Spiegel, author of Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay on how she approaches...

London-based Literary Agent Ed Wilson (Johnson & Alcock) @literarywhore on the relationship between agents and authors, finding the right agent for you, what agents are looking for and how long to wait before following up on a submission. Plus, an insight into Ed’s career, examples of submissions he’s taken on and shifts in the publishing industry. * ABOUT ED WILSON Ed Wilson is a literary agent a...

Hannah Bos, co-creator and showrunner of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere on landing a series with HBO, her journey as a storyteller, how she navigates collaboration, and her approach to change and character development when writing for the stage and screen.  * ABOUT HANNAH BOS Hannah Bos is a Brooklyn-based writer who, along with her writing partner Paul Thureen, is the creator/showrunner of HBO’s Somebo...

Former Fortune writer Polina Marinova and founder of the popular newsletter 'The Profile' talks about growing her Substack to make a full-time income, landing a non-fiction book deal, writing non-fiction, making difficult decisions, taking risks, and how to study and learn from 'geniuses'. * ABOUT POLINA MARINOVA Polina Marinova Pompliano is the author of Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking...

Bestselling fantasy writer Samantha Shannon on dealing with early success, plotting a seven-book series and keeping anxiety at bay. * ABOUT SAMANTHA SHANNON Samantha Shannon is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Priory of the Orange Tree.  * LINKS FROM THE SHOW Ask Shannon questions on her Tumblr Shannon on Instagram @say_shannon The Bone Season series...

Award-winning and debut thriller writer Megan Davis on her book The Messenger , which was influenced by her experience as a whistleblower. We explore her use of dual timelines, conflict and essential elements of a psychological thriller. ABOUT MEGAN DAVIS Megan Davis has worked in the film industry, and her credits include Atonement , In Bruges , Pride and Prejudice , and the Bourne films. Megan i...

Marketer and Reedsy Co-founder Ricardo Fayet on the essential elements of marketing your book, the importance of knowing your target audience and how to utilise different platforms to find your readers.  This interview was recorded in 2021. * ABOUT RICARDO FAYET Ricardo Fayet is one of the co-founders of Reedsy , a marketplace connecting authors to the world's top publishing talent--from editors t...

Award-winning writer Maggie O’Farrell on the role that Arvon played in her early writing career how she crafts her novels today and the mindset that has led her to persist as a writer over the years and why she doesn’t worry about how she is perceived. She also reads from her latest book The Marriage Portrait.  This interview was hosted virtually at Arvon. * ABOUT MAGGIE O’FARRELL Maggie O'Farrell...

In this episode, we speak to award-winning literary agent Madeleine Milburn (founder of the Madeleine Milburn Film, TV, & Literary Agency . In this conversation with Madeleine, we take a peek behind the scenes into the queries Madeline receives at the agency; she reveals the common mistakes she sees in submissions and what she think sets a writer apart in the query process.  * ABOUT MADELEINE MILB...

NYT bestselling author Krystal Sutherland on writing young adult novels and bringing characters to life. We also talk about her experience of having her debut novel Chemical Hearts adapted into a film by Amazon Studios. We also talk about she's honed her craft. how she’s learned to plot visualise her stories.  * ABOUT KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND  Krystal Sutherland’s debut novel, Chemical Hearts , was publ...

Emilie Marneur shares her experience of being at the forefront of innovations in the publishing industry. We talk to her about her early days as a Literary Scout to being one of the first two employees at Amazon Publishing’s UK arm, working at Audible in its startup days and her experience of launching Bonnier’s digital-first imprint, Embla Books. Plus, we talk about how Embla (digital-first publi...

Award-winning author of 90 books, Joanna Nadin, talks about writing engaging stories for and about kids, and the writing practices and tools that have helped her write so many books and how she plots her stories.   * ABOUT JOANNA NADIN Joanna has written more than 90 books for children and adults. She has a doctorate in adolescent identity and YA literature and is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Wri...

Natalie Lue ( @natlue ) and Hattie Crisell ( @hattiehattie ) are writers who have forged successful portfolio careers. We explore their adventures in journalism, blogging, podcasting and publishing. We dive into the reality of forging a portfolio career and they give us advice for how they might start today. * ABOUT NATALIE LUE  Natalie Lue is behind the incredibly popular Baggage Reclaim Blog . N...

Madeleine Dore, author of ‘I Didn’t Do The Thing Today’ on rethinking writing routines and ruts, how to rid ourselves of the pressure to do more, embracing imperfection in the creative process, and her unique approach to her Substack newsletter. * ABOUT MADELEINE DORE  Madeleine Dore is a writer, interviewer and author of I Didn’t Do The Thing Today '. As a labour of love, Madeleine spent over fiv...

Steven Pressfield on what it means to have a creative calling, overcoming rejection and resistance, how faith in something bigger than ourselves can play a role in our creative lives, his experience writing across multiple genres, and his latest memoir, Govt Cheese. * ABOUT STEVEN PRESSFIELD Steven Pressfield (@SPressfield) is the author of The War of Art which has sold over a millions copies glob...

Literary Agent and writer Abigail Bergstrom on her publishing career (Simon & Schuster, Gleam Titles, Bergstrom Studios) choosing to leave editing for agenting, facing and recovering from burnout and her advice for authors developing their brand. Also, her advice for finding an agent, and tips for how to ask the right questions to your marketing and publicity team. We also dive into  her journey o...

Short story writer Jonathan Escoffery on his process for writing his linked short story collection, If I Survive You , how he thinks about world building, managing reader anticipation, how questions of identity influence his work, and tips for writing dynamic, moving short stories. * ABOUT JONATHAN ESCOFFERY Jonathan Escoffery is the author of the linked story collection, If I Survive You , a New...

Dr. Gloria Mark on her 30+ year writing and academic career, the different attention states, how we can get into an artistic flow and why empty space is our days is important. Plus, we dive into her process of writing Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. * QUOTE: When you think about a Japanese garden you think of the beautiful rocks that are placed...

Anna Jordan, playwright (Yen/ Bruntwood Prize) and screenwriter (Killing Eve, Succession) on her early years of writing, how she got commissioned and developed as a playwright. Plus, a behind the scenes look at her writing process and how she deals with self-doubt and the reality of making money as a writer.   * ABOUT ANNA JORDAN Anna is a playwright, theatre director, and writer for television. A...

Novelist and screenwriter Stephen Markley on writing his 900-page epic novel The Deluge , writing sprawling narratives and what it’s like to count Stephen King as a fan. We talk about writing for the TV show Only Murders in the Building , making money as a writer, and what it takes to succeed and persist.  * QUOTES “You can't guarantee your book will be a success...it comes down to loving the work...