The Spark with Madelyn Postman

News flash: I’m not taking a break from The Spark after all. I am, however, streamlining the format slightly. There will be one reading recommendation every month and I’m dropping the writing tips and resources. Updates on my moseying will continue, as will the mainstay of the podcast: the author interviews. On my US book tour for Staring into the Sun , a friend from primary school suggested that...

Staring into the Sun is out in the wild! The paperback and ebook are published by Ten16 Press . The audiobook, available soon, is read by Kate Hammer, Anthony Postman, and myself and it’s produced by Mercury Calling . 🇺🇸 US Buy paperback | ebook 🇬🇧 UK Buy paperback | ebook ☕️ A break from The Spark As I had announced in January before giving into the temptation of releasing some audiobook teasers...

Ahead of the publication of my debut, Staring into the Sun , in May, I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the third chapter, “An Upright Man.” It’s about my great-grandfather, Henri Wu. Staring into the Sun can be pre-ordered in the US with Ten16 Press and it’s already available for purchase in the UK. The audio book is read by Kate Hammer, Anthony Postman, and myself and it’s produced by Mercury Ca...

Last month, I announced that I would stop The Spark newsletter and podcast indefinitely. But then, chatting with a friend, I asked myself: why don’t I use this platform to share an audio excerpt of my debut, Staring into the Sun ? So please enjoy the beginning of the first story, “Things My Dad Told Me.” This story was shortlisted in The Hope Prize and published by Simon & Schuster Australia in th...

Last month, I announced that I would stop The Spark newsletter and podcast indefinitely. But then, chatting with a friend, I asked myself: why don’t I use this platform to share an audio excerpt of my debut, Staring into the Sun ? So please enjoy the beginning of the first story, “Things My Dad Told Me.” This story was shortlisted in The Hope Prize and published by Simon & Schuster Australia in th...

This will be the last edition of The Spark podcast and newsletter, maybe for a while, maybe ever. I will be using the time freed up to focus on my short story collection, Staring into the Sun . I do love The Spark as a means to connect to other writers, so we’ll see what happens to it. For the full interview with Teresa Wong, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations...

For the full interview with Maggie Smith, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendation for ravenous readers Here is the recommended read for December. All Our Ordinary Stories by Teresa Wong Beginning with her mother’s stroke in 2014, Teresa Wong takes us on a moving journey through time and place to locate the beginnings of the disconnection she feels from her parents....

For the full interview with publisher Michael T. Braun of Orange Hat Publishing and Ten16 Press , tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Here is the recommended read for November. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2016) At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi...

For the full interview with author S.E. Reid , tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Here are the recommended reads for October. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (2014) A.J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized po...

For the full interview with bookseller Amber Harrison of FOLDE Dorset , tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Here are the recommended reads for September. Sky Daddy by Kate Folk (2025) Linda is doing her best to lead a life that would appear normal to the casual observer. Weekdays, she earns $20 an hour moderating comments for a video-sharin...

I recorded the podcast this month in Den Bosch, in the Netherlands, while my daughter did some work experience at Antigif branding and design studio. For the full interview with Dr. Anjana Khatwa, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Here are the recommended reads for August. Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979) Dana's 26th birthday celebration...

For the full interview with Virginia Evans, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Here are my pick ‘n’ mix recommendations for July. Stoner by John Williams (1965) William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with...

Interview with Eleanor Anstruther 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Dive into these literary explorations of familial relationships, mental health, community, and friendships. Plus some am-dram (amateur dramatics) and theater. In Judgement of Others by Eleanor Anstruther (2025) The Midhurst Amateur Dramatic Society are putting on a production of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Tessa has agr...

Featuring an interview with memoir, fiction, and nonfiction writer Tessa McWatt. This May, add some great reads to your list, submit your debut manuscript for awards, and see if my novel is indeed writing itself. For the full interview with Tessa McWatt, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers One young adult book, a literary novel, and an upma...

Featuring an interview with memoir and short story author An Ngo Lang. This April, add some short story collections to your list, sign up to a free writing sprint, and discover what I’ve dived into. For the full interview with An Ngo Lang, tune in to The Spark wherever you listen to podcasts. 📚 Recommendations for ravenous readers Three short story collections to add to your “To Be Read” list. Yo...

Featured author: Holly Gramazio This month I recorded under a duvet (best for sound quality) in Birmingham. I was up there to speak about ESG Expectations at FAB, the Festival of Accounting and Bookkeeping, on as part of my work at Grain Sustainability . Carbon accounting goes hand-in-hand with financial accounting. I’ve also been refining a keynote speech on sustainability which incorporates stor...

Featured author: Jason Buchholz I’m excited about The Spark this month. Like last month, the spoken, podcast version is mostly improvised rather than simply reading out my written newsletter as I was doing previously. This time, I happen to be recording in the Austrian Alps—well, under a duvet in the Alps so I can keep the high sound quality ; ) It’s also the first month that our author interview...

Trying something new this month: a bit of improvising! Most of the content is in the audio version only, with the full author interview and some links below. My submission stats are exclusive for newsletter readers this month (only because I forgot to read them out 🙃). Please let me know your thoughts on this new, improvised format. 📖 Author interview with Wiz Wharton Wiz Wharton was born in Lon...

This month brings an interview with a thriller author, a tip on moving to bluer skies, and a recommended novel about a daredevil pilot flying in blue skies. 📖 Author interview with Alex Pavesi Alex Pavesi lives just outside of London, in Surrey, England, where he writes full time. He previously worked as a software engineer and before that obtained a Ph. D. in Mathematics. He enjoys puzzles, long...

After eight years of research and writing, everything has snowballed in the most wonderful way. Find out more after the author interview, reading recs, and writing resources! 📖 Author interview with Alex Pickett Alex Pickett grew up in Wisconsin. He received his MFA from the University of Florida. His debut novel, The Restaurant Inspector , was published in 2021. His short story collection, Camer...

Hope you enjoyed The Spark’s new theme music, with a huge thanks to my brother Anthony Postman for the original composition and all the mixing. This month’s interview is with psychological thriller author Jessica Payne. I have a whole new batch of amazing reading recommendations for you, some top writing tips—and some very exciting updates on my moseying! 📖 Author interview with Jessica Payne Jes...

Last week was the first full week of the younger kid being back at school (the older one is off to uni/college next week), with my husband and me back at work at our sustainability consultancy . I got in a little bit of writing on Wednesday morning and then a fantastic 4-hour session on Saturday, so I’m all fired up now. Author interview with Sophie Thomas Sophie Thomas is a Londoner, writer, and...

Welcome to the relaunch of The Spark. I published a dozen weekly editions last autumn which you can find online . This new incarnation will be monthly, with four sections: an author interview, book recommendations for ravenous readers, resources for wonderful writers, and updates on my meanderings. Author interview with Iqbal Hussain Iqbal’s debut novel, Northern Boy , about being a “butterfly amo...