The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Alison Littlewood’s latest novels, published as A. J. Elwood, are The Other Lives of Miss Emily White and The Cottingley Cuckoo. Her first book, A Cold Season, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and described as ‘perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.’ Other titles include Mistletoe, The Hidden People, The Crow Garden, The Unquiet House and Path of Needles. Her short stories have...

Today Dr Rachel Knightley explores a different kind of storytelling that has been part of her exploring and expressing the stories she contains for nearly a decade, and a community she's been part of while also building her own in the Writers' Gym: Jade Robertson is the creative force behind Little Lies, an indie fashion brand rooted in 70s rock ‘n’ roll. Since launching the brand from her bedroom...

Dr Rachel Knightley's guest at the Writers' Gym today is  Ashley Thorpe. Ashley  is a self taught Devon based animator whose early films (SCAYRECROW, THE SCREAMING SKULL & THE HAIRY HANDS) were a celebration of the neglected aspects of British folklore. His first feature 'BORLEY RECTORY' (a Carrion Film / Glass Eye Pix co-venture) with Reece Shearsmith & Julian Sands was completed late 201...

Claire Louise Amias is an actor and playwright. She has worked extensively on screen and stage, including feature films, No. 1 touring, West End and regional theatre. She is also Co-Artistic Director of A Monkey With Cymbals Theatre Company and has written, acted in and produced several projects. The Masks of Aphra Behn is an Offie award-winning one-woman show about the first professional female w...

Dr Rachel Knightley is joined by Kim Morgan MCC, author, speaker, Barefoot Coaching founder and internationally recognised expert in coaching and coach training. Kim’s passion to spread the word about coaching has resulted in two best-selling books, ‘The Coach’s Casebook’ (2015) and ‘The Coach’s Survival Guide (2019). Kim also has a monthly coaching column in Psychologies Magazine, and she is a so...

Tim Lebbon is a New York Times-bestselling writer from South Wales. He’s written over fifty novels, as well as hundreds of novellas and short stories. His latest novel is Secret Lives of the Dead. He has won a World Fantasy Award, four British Fantasy Awards, a Dragon Award and a Scribe Award. His novel The Silence is a movie on Netflix starring Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka. The movie of his n...

Joanne was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche . Since then, she has written over 20 more novels, plus novellas, short stories, game...

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.   This week, we're exploring what makes you write.

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.   This week, we're exploring plots and protagonists.

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.   This week, we're exploring antagonist exercises.

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.   This week, we're exploring symbols and characters

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.    

Build confidence in writing through focus on the inspiration already in your writer's artist palette – with author and coach Dr Rachel Knightley.   This week, we're exploring setting and character.

Steve Toase is a British Fantasy Award 2025 nominated fiction and non-fiction author. He was born in North Yorkshire, England, and now lives in the Frankenwald, Germany. Steve’s debut short story collection ‘To Drown in Dark Water’ is published by Undertow Publications, and his archaeology themed horror collection Dirt Upon My Skin is out now from Black Shuck Books. Dirt Upon My Skin is shortliste...

From creation to publication in 48 hours: Green Ink Sponsored write for Macmillan Cancer Support unites a team of published and developing authors at the Writers' Gym to create entirely new work on a theme inspired by Macmillan's mission of quality of life for all affected by cancer. Founded by Dr Rachel Knightley in 2009, this year's title was selected by Rhianna Pratchett: Somewhere That's Green...

From creation to publication in 48 hours: Green Ink Sponsored write for Macmillan Cancer Support unites a team of published and developing authors at the Writers' Gym to create entirely new work on a theme inspired by Macmillan's mission of quality of life for all affected by cancer. Founded by Dr Rachel Knightley in 2009, this year's title was selected by Rhianna Pratchett: Somewhere That's Green...

Dr Rachel Knightley talks about how one Green Ink Sponsored Write author, actor, comedian and writer Nic Lamont, found her annual Sponsored Write stories started building a new fictional world she might never have discovered without donating time to this new writing project.  Help your writing community help Macmillan Cancer Support at:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/somewhere-thats-green

Instead of waiting for enough time or enough confidence, Dr Rachel Knightley shares how Green Ink Sponsored Write was invented to help writers dive in and shares an example of a favourite piece that came out of the Sponsored Write.  Help your writing community help Macmillan Cancer Support at:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/somewhere-thats-green

 Writing that makes a difference: Green Ink Sponsored Write for Macmillan Cancer Support Dr Rachel Knightley begins the lead-up to this year’s Green Ink Sponsored Write.  Help your writing community help Macmillan Cancer Support at:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/somewhere-thats-green

Anthony McGowan books have won several major awards, and been shortlisted for many more. He has also written highly regarded adult fiction, as well as books for younger readers. He has a PhD on the history of beauty, and has taught philosophy and creative writing. He lives in London with his wife and two children.   Dr Rachel Knightley met Anthony McGowan, one of the most widely acclaimed young-ad...

BAFTA-winning writer, director and producer joins Dr Rachel Knightley on the Writers’ Gym. Dan co-created and co-wrote “The A List” for Kindle Entertainment/Lionsgate/CBBC, for which he also directed six episodes, including both season finales. After series one it was picked up and recommissioned by Netflix worldwide, with Dan as an EP over the series. Award-winning online mystery drama “Dixi” ran...

Priya Sharma's fiction has appeared in  Interzone, Black Static, Nightmare, Weird Tales, and Tor.com (now Reactormag.com). She's been anthologised in many Best of series by editors such as Ellen Datlow and Paula Guran.   Priya is the recipient of several British Fantasy Awards and Shirley Jackson Awards, and a World Fantasy Award. She is a Locus Award and a Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire finalist. Her...

“I have a long and complicated personal history which I am in the process of turning into a huge memoir; crucial facts are that I was reared Catholic but got over it, was born male but got over it, stopped sleeping with boys about the time I stopped being one and am much happier than I was when I was younger.” Poet, novelist and critic Roz Kaveney’s iography on her Glamorous Rags website is a bril...

Six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, author of four novels and 200 short stories, and a world-class Halloween and paranormal expert, screenwriter and author Lisa Morton is described by the American Library Association's Reader's Advisory Guide to Horror as consistently dark, unsettling, and frightening.    Lisa also hosts the popular weekly Ghost Report podcast and a newsletter about the para...

In this episode, Dr Rachel Knightley is joined by instant Sunday Times Bestselling author Sarah Brooks. Sarah won the Lucy Cavendish Prize in 2019. She works in East Asian Studies at the University of Leeds where she also helps run the Leeds Centre for New Chinese Writing. She has a PhD on monsters in classical Chinese ghost stories. She is also co-editor of Samovar, a bilingual online magazine fo...