Write Club Podcast

In this month’s Write Club Book Club episode, Beth and Mary discuss Buckeye by Patrick Ryan - a sweeping post-war novel set in small-town America that explores love, secrets, forgiveness, and the long shadows of the past. They unpack Ryan’s richly drawn characters, the powerful sense of place in Bonhomie, Ohio, and how war, disability, and spirituality shape the intertwined lives of two families a...

Join Beth and Mary on this week’s episode of the Write Club Podcast , where we go behind the pages and into the fascinating world of writing. Our guest is the multi-talented Bibi Berki - a fiction and non-fiction writer, podcaster, and creator of the acclaimed audio series The Kiss . Bibi talks about her journey from news reporting to storytelling in novels and audio, and how her debut novel The W...

Danny coaches teams and pitches multi-million-dollar deals to some of the world’s biggest brands, blending creativity, psychology, storytelling, and immersive experiences. He also hosts the Pitch Masters podcast and is the author of Pitch , a guide to mastering the art of selling ideas. Danny shares his journey to becoming The Pitch Guy, explores why so many people fear pitching, and reveals pract...

Struggling with how to edit your novel? In this episode of The Write Club Podcast , bestselling author, editor, and mentor Sara Grant shares expert editing tips every writer needs. Sara is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Editing Your Novel: A revolutionary approach to transform your writing and co-founder of Undiscovered Voices , which has launched the careers of over 100 authors. We talk abou...

Georgie’s writing life has taken her from shadowing drug dealers in Florida City to teaching English in a Himalayan nunnery, editing publications for the Tibetan Government in Exile, and even working behind the scenes at a funeral parlour. A graduate of UEA’s Prose-writing MA, her debut memoir We Swim to the Shark (2020) chronicled her journey to overcome deep fears by travelling the world, learni...

In this month’s Bookclub episode, Mary and Beth talk all about The Stolen Child by Carmel Harrington – a gripping, emotional novel that weaves together three timelines across decades of love, loss, and mystery. From the shocking disappearance of two-year-old Robert on a Mediterranean cruise in 1983, to the lives of two orphan girls in 1970s London, and finally to 2023, where new revelations shake...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast , Mary and Beth are joined by the award-winning and million-copy bestselling author Faith Hogan . Faith is a USA Today bestseller, Irish Times Top Ten author, and Amazon UK #1 bestselling writer of eleven uplifting and inspiring contemporary fiction novels. She talks about her brand-new summer read, The Women At Ocean’s End – a moving story of friendship,...

This week on the Write Club Podcast , hosts Mary and Beth sit down with international bestselling author Laurie Gilmore , the queen of small-town romance and creator of the beloved Dream Harbor series. Laurie’s debut, The Pumpkin Spice Café , won TikTok Shop’s Book of the Year in 2024, and with Book 5: The Gingerbread Bakery publishing this September, her heartwarming world continues to capture re...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast , Beth and Mary are joined by novelist Hazel Barkworth , author of Heatstroke and the newly released The Drownings . Hazel takes us inside her creative process and talks about the themes at the heart of her latest novel: women’s voices, competitive swimming, and the rivalries that play out both in sport and online. We explore her character Serena’s journey...

In this week’s episode of The Write Club Podcast , we’re thrilled to welcome the brilliant debut novelist Daria Lavelle . Born in Kyiv, raised in New York, and now an acclaimed voice in speculative fiction, Daria brings magic, wit, and emotional depth to everything she writes. Daria’s debut novel, Aftertaste - a dark comedy about food, ghosts, and the New York culinary scene - landed in May 2025 a...

In this month’s Write Club book club episode, Mary and Beth dive into The Mercy Step , the debut novel from Marcia Hutchinson. Featured in the September issue of Writing Magazine , this beautifully written work of autofiction draws on Hutchinson’s own experiences, following the life of Mercy, a young girl growing up in 1960s Bradford in a household marked by violence, neglect, and silence. Through...

In this week’s episode of The Write Club Podcast , hosts Mary and Beth sit down with bestselling author Emma Cowell - a former actress, BBC presenter, and charity fundraiser turned novelist. Emma shares the story behind her latest book Under the Lemon Tree , a moving tale rooted in love, grief, and the evocative beauty of Greece. We talk about the power of setting, her sensory writing rituals (yes...

In this gripping episode of the Write Club Podcast, we’re joined by bestselling crime author and screenwriter MJ Arlidge . Matt has spent over two decades working in television, producing major crime dramas like Silent Witness and Innocent . But he’s also a household name in the world of fiction, with his DI Helen Grace thriller series selling over 1.5 million copies in the UK alone and translated...

In this week’s episode of The Write Club Podcast , we’re joined by the brilliant and award-winning author Linda Newbery . With a career spanning decades, Linda has written widely for all ages - from picture books like Posy and Lob to middle-grade adventures such as Treasure House , and even adult fiction including Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon , which was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Cl...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast, Beth and Mary are joined by British historical fiction author Debbie Wastling . Originally from Yorkshire and now based in Los Angeles, Debbie brings a rich background in theatre, music, and grant writing to her fiction - creating stories that are as heartfelt as they are historically rooted. Recorded while Debbie was back in England on her East Riding Li...

In this episode Beth and Mary discuss The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth. The Drownings is an atmospheric new novel about competition, obsession and influence. We discuss the parallels between competitive swimmers and social media influencers, women’s power, anger and safety and Barkworth’s intriguing use of language. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

In this heartwarming and insightful episode of the Write Club Podcast , we sit down with bestselling children’s author Amy Sparkes. From picture books to middle grade fiction, Amy’s magical storytelling has captivated young readers across the UK and beyond - with her books even featured on CBeebies Storytime and shortlisted for major awards like the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Amy chats with Beth and...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Sarah Forbes Stewart, a literary powerhouse and the brilliant mind behind The Lighthouse Children’s Literary Consultancy . Sarah has shaped the literary world as a former Fiction Editor at Scholastic Children’s Books and Senior Editor at Floris Books, where she worked on global phenomena like The Hunger Games and Captain Underpants . In this episode, Sara...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast, we’re joined by the talented Stephanie Burgis, author of the bestselling Queens of Villainy trilogy. Stephanie shares her journey into the magical world of 'romantasy,' offering insights into crafting captivating characters, immersive fantasy settings, and unforgettable love stories. Discover the inspiration behind her work, her advice for aspiring romant...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast, we sit down with award-winning producer, author, and advocate Renay Richardson. Renay discusses the journey behind her acclaimed podcast and book, Human Resources: Slavery and the Making of Modern Britain , delving into the surprising stories of everyday objects and places that reveal the lasting impact of slavery on modern Britain. She also shares insigh...

In this episode of The Write Club Podcast , Beth and Mary dive into the gripping world of psychological thrillers as they discuss The New Neighbours by bestselling author Claire Douglas. The conversation unpacks the novel’s twists and turns, the power of unreliable narrators, and how weather can act as a character to heighten tension. They also reflect on the challenges of creating relatable chara...

In this episode of the Write Club Podcast , Mary and Beth chat with Carl Gorham, acclaimed TV and radio writer, journalist, and author of the award-winning memoir The Owl at the Window . Carl discusses his upcoming sequel, My Life in a Garden , a heartfelt and humorous exploration of life’s challenges and triumphs through the lens of refurbishing a house and garden. He shares insights on the paral...

Join Beth and Mary from Writers Online as they chat with Sunday Times bestselling author and president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sue Moorcroft. Sue shares her journey from childhood library visits to becoming a globally celebrated novelist. Explore how her past careers shaped her storytelling, the themes of love, family, and community that inspire her work, and her tips for aspiring...

In this episode of The Write Club , we’re exploring the world of climate fiction with the brilliant John Ironmonger , author of The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder , the international bestseller Not Forgetting the Whale ( The Whale at the End of the World ), and his latest companion novel, The Wager and the Bear . Join Beth and Mary as they chat with John about what climate fiction (or "cli-fi"...

In this episode of The Write Club , we sit down with the brilliant Ian Ayris, author of three novels, two novellas, dozens of magazine articles, and over forty short stories. 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 ,...