Write Club Podcast

Welcome back to the Write Club Podcast , where we take you behind the pages and into the fascinating world of writing! In this episode, hosts Beth and Mary from the Writing Magazine and Writers Online team sit down with Julia Bell , Professor of New Writing at Birkbeck, University of London, and the author of Radical Attention and the acclaimed new book, Between the Lines – Life Lessons from the C...

Welcome back to the Write Club Podcast with Mary and Beth from the Writing Magazine and Writers Online team! This week, we are taking you behind the pages with the brilliant Matthew Sullivan , the award-winning, New York Times -featured author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore . We dive deep into his gripping new release, Midnight in Soap Lake - a book so addictive we’ve been sneaking chap...

This week on The Write Club , Mary and Beth chat with Simon Mason , a writer whose career has spanned every corner of the book world - from Managing Director at David Fickling Books to Fellow of Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes University. We explore his latest Ryan and Ray Wilkins thriller, The Dangerous Stranger , and discover how a ‘trailer park boy’ and a privately educated detective became...

“Blunt wasn’t the least of the Cambridge spies - he was the most dangerous of them all.” This week on The Write Club , Mary and Beth go behind the curtain of the ‘Great Game’ with literary agent and author Piers Blofeld . Piers is a staple of the publishing industry and a beloved columnist for Writing Magazine , but his latest venture has taken him into the dark, dusty archives of MI5. His debut b...

Can writing a poem make you a better novelist? According to Cathi Rae, the answer is a resounding yes . In this episode, Cathi joins Beth and Mary to discuss her Writing Magazine series, ‘An Introduction to Writing Poetry.’ We chat about the ‘old question’ of whether to rhyme, the benefits of spoken word events, and how to find your specific starting point when the page is blank. In this episode,...

In this episode of The Write Club , Beth and Mary sit down with award-winning author Alice Jolly to discuss her latest novel, The Matchbox Girl . Set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Vienna, the story explores the complex legacy of Dr. Asperger through the eyes of a neurodivergent ghost narrator. Alice takes us behind the scenes of her extensive research process, explains why she chose such a...

How do you transition from writing someone else’s life story to becoming a bestselling thriller author? In this episode of The Write Club , Beth and Mary are joined by the brilliant Ruth Kelly , author of the gripping new psychological thriller, The Afterparty . A Richard & Judy Book Club favourite, Ruth shares the secrets behind her ‘just one more chapter’ pacing and how her background as an awar...

How do you maintain a 30-year career that includes over 2,000 published short stories and 35 novels? In this episode of The Write Club, Mary and Beth sit down with our newest columnist, bestselling author and tutor Della Galton. Della pulls back the curtain on her incredibly prolific process, sharing the “secret sauce” behind relatable humour in rom-coms and her top tips for writers struggling to...

Bestselling author Kandi Steiner joins us to talk about her iconic novel, A Love Letter to Whiskey . Kandi tells us about her recent Writing Magazine article, "Turning your life into fiction," exploring where her diverse story ideas come from and how she keeps her characters so beautifully flawed. We discuss the catharsis of writing, Kandi’s typical writing day in Tennessee, and her unique path to...

How do you move from the ‘low-stakes’ comfort of a magical tea shop to a claustrophobic, dark submersible filled with a deadly virus? In this episode, USA Today and Sunday Times bestseller Rebecca Thorne joins Mary and Beth to discuss her latest release, This Gilded Abyss . We dive into the mechanics of world-building, how to maintain romantic tension in high-stakes settings, and Rebecca’s top adv...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast, we’re joined by Edgar Award–winning author Deepa Anappara, whose debut Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named one of the best books of the year by major publications worldwide. We talk about her journey from journalism to fiction, the inspiration and research behind her new novel The Last of Earth , writing dual storylines, developing vivid characters,...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast , we’re joined by award-winning author Anna Mazzola , who also writes thrillers under the pen name Anna Sharpe . Anna’s work is known for its atmosphere, urgency and moral depth. We talk about her CWA Gold Dagger–winning novel The Book of Secrets , her latest thriller Notes on a Drowning , named Thriller of the Month by The Times , Daily Mail , i-Paper and...

This week on the Write Club Podcast , Mary and Beth chat with debut novelist Linda Rosewood , author of A Circle Outside - a comic, feminist novel set among a 1980s coven in the Californian forest. Born in California and now living in Ireland, Linda writes with wit, warmth, and political bite about lesbian culture, history, and resistance. In this conversation, she talks about the origins of A Cir...

Samantha talks us through the inspiration behind The Foreshore , exploring how she researched its rich historical setting and crafted such a vivid sense of place. We dive into the art of building foreboding and tension, and discuss an important moment in her publishing journey - receiving feedback that her novel was “too dark”, and how writers can navigate criticism while staying true to their cre...

In this episode of The Write Club Podcast , Beth and Mary are joined by author, editor, and speaker Ann Morgan , whose work invites readers to look beyond comfort zones and question how - and why - we read the way we do. Ann rose to international attention after setting herself the challenge of reading a book from every country in the world, an experience that led to a TED Talk and her acclaimed n...

Amanda shares her journey as a neurodiverse writer, the challenges and triumphs she’s faced, and how her unique perspective fuels her creativity. We speak about the mission behind Reconcile Creative, discussing the importance of inclusive support systems in the writing world. She tells us the story behind her impactful book, The Healing Workbook: Tips and Guided Exercises to Help Overcome Trauma ,...

In this week’s episode of The Write Club Podcast , we’re thrilled to welcome the brilliant debut novelist Daria Lavelle . Daria’s debut novel, Aftertaste - a dark comedy about food, ghosts, and the New York culinary scene - landed in May 2025 and has already made waves for its unique blend of sharp humour, sensory storytelling, and moving reflections on grief and memory. She talks us through her 2...

With a career spanning fiction, mentoring, and education, Ian brings a wealth of experience to the table. As a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at the University of East London and a regular columnist for Writing Magazine , he’s dedicated to helping writers at all levels improve their craft. Join us as Ian shares his journey to becoming a writer, from discovering his voice to navigating the path...

This week on the Write Club Podcast, we’re joined by Melanie Blake , bestselling author and former talent agent. Melanie talks to us about her fascinating journey from working in the entertainment industry to creating the hit Ruthless trilogy , including the latest instalment, Vengeful Women . Discover how she draws inspiration from real-life experiences while crafting gripping commercial fiction,...

This week on the Write Club Podcast, Mary and Beth chat with novelist and journalist Zoe Apostolides , author of The Homecoming - beautifully eerie and emotionally rich debut that has captivated us this Halloween season. Zoe talks us through:🏚️ The inspiration behind Elver House , and how physical spaces can mirror emotional and cognitive decline🧠 Memory, legacy, and dementia as central themes in...

Join Mary and Beth on the latest episode of the Write Club Podcast as they chat with Harriett De Mesquita , author of The Magickal Summer of Evie Edelman . Harriett chats to us about how writing became a form of self-expression long before her adult autism diagnosis and how newfound self-knowledge has transformed her creative process. From exploring the role of voice in diary-style storytelling to...

In this gripping episode of the Write Club Podcast , Beth and Mary sit down with international bestselling author Lucie Whitehouse to explore the dark and fascinating world of crime fiction. Lucie talks to us about her brand-new novel, The Last Witness - the third in her acclaimed Robin Lyons series - and discusses how she weaves psychological tension, moral complexity, and real-world power dynami...

Gytha takes us behind the scenes of her latest novel - a dark, twist-filled story of love, betrayal, and survival set in Cambridge’s shadowy academic world. She opens up about stepping away from her beloved series, the challenges of writing when real life mirrors fiction a little too closely, and how she rediscovered her creative flow. We also explore her remarkable career as a playwright, video g...

Originally a sell-out talk at the Bournemouth Writing Festival, Organising Chaos has become a must-attend session for writers struggling to bring structure, clarity, and confidence to their early drafts. Gary, an experienced editor and writer, and Sophie, author and director of Cadence Publishing, share how the idea was born, their top tips for re-inspiring your writing brain, and why every writer...

Simon discusses his latest novel, The Room of Lost Steps - the sequel to The Palace at the End of the Sea - which follows Theodore Sterling’s extraordinary journey from 1930s New York to Civil War Spain. Together, they explore the immense research behind Simon’s sweeping historical duology, how he structures complex projects without losing confidence or momentum, and what it’s like growing up in t...