Genoveva Dimova is a Bulgarian fantasy author and archaeologist based in Scotland. Her debut novel inspired by Slavic folklore, Foul Days, came out in June 2024, with the sequel, Monstrous Nights, just out in October. When she’s not writing, she likes to explore old ruins, climb even older hills, and listen to practically ancient rock music.We had a great chat with Gen, hearing about how she started to write in English, how she found her agent and how fantasy has changed from the old Anglocentric approach in recent years. We also hear about how her day job as an archeologist helps her writing - and why she would never want to write a story about an archeologist.Links:Buy Genoveva's books nowFollow Genoveva on BlueskyVisit Genoveva's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this as a full video episode on our YouTube channel!On this week's episode, we talk about that age-old writing divide - Planners v Pantsers! Some writers need to outline every plot detail before they start to write, while other like to, well, fly by the seat of their pants. Is one method better than the other - and are they as different as they first appear?Drafting Notes is a new series of podcast episodes (which after the first few episodes will be timed exclusives for our Patreon members!) in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Support us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageoneDrafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CHLOE C. PEÑARANDA is the USA Today bestselling author of The Nytefall Trilogy and An Heir Comes to Rise Series. A lifelong avid reader and writer, Chloe discovered her passion for storytelling in her early teens. Her stories have been spun from years of building on fictional characters and exploring Tolkien-like quests in made up worlds. During her time at the University of the West of Scotland, Chloe immersed herself in writing for short film, producing animations, and spending class time dreaming of far off lands.We had great fun chatting with Chloe, learning about how she got into writing, and how she grew her TikTok following from zero to over 74k which led to a surge in her readership. We also talk to her about moving from self-pub to trad, and the pros and cons of both.Links:Buy Chloe's books nowFollow Chloe on InstagramVisit Chloe's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this as a full video episode on our YouTube channelOn this week's episode, we ask the question many writers face: how do we deal with all the waiting? Whether it's from agents, editors or others, much of publishing involves waiting hopefully for news. We discuss some of the ways we try and deal with that, and also suggest ways that others can try to minimise the anxiety!Drafting Notes is a new series of podcast episodes (which after the first few episodes will be timed exclusives for our Patreon members!) in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Support us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageoneDrafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graham Bartlett is a former police officer, having risen to Chief Superintendent of Brighton and Hove before turning to writing when he left after 30 years in the police force. Working first with renowned crime author (and former Page One guest!) Peter James on two non-fiction books gave Graham the writing bug and he has now written three crime novels, with his latest, City on Fire, just out. In addition, he has set up a consultancy for all budding and established crime writers where Graham and his team of experts offer accurate, expert advice to writers such as Peter James, Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Antony Horowitz and many more.We had great fun chatting with Graham and hearing about how he set up his consultancy business and why he was tempted to try his hand at fiction writing. We also talk about him choosing to "write what you know" with his books, and ask about the police stories he couldn't include in his books.Links:Buy Graham's books nowVisit Graham's consultancy websiteFollow Graham on InstagramSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube ChannelThe Andromeda Award was launched in 2024 by UTA and C&W to seek out and support the best new emerging science fiction and fantasy writers. Literary agents Clare Conville from C&W in the UK and Byrd Leavell from UTA join us to tell us why their agencies wanted to launch this new award for unpublished sci fi and fantasy authors, and tell us about the prizes and rules for entry.Links:Enter The Andromeda Award nowVisit Clare's websiteVisit Byrd's websiteFollow Clare on Twitter/XFollow Byrd on Twitter/X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this as a full video episode on our YouTube channelWelcome to the first episode in a new series of podcast episodes (which after this episode will be timed exclusives for our Patreon members!) in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!This week, we are chatting about revisiting old material, and how easy (or difficult) it can be to rework that when doing redrafts or even taking the material into a new project.Support us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageoneDrafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Fisher is a native of Leith (the port for Edinburgh) so that’s where his crime thrillers are set. Prior to his debut, Harry had never written a word of fiction, so he just launched in – cold turkey for authors. Now he has three books published, with his fourth, "48 Hours and Then She Dies" out now.​We had a good chat with Harry, hearing how he only ever intended to write one novel, why he chose to self-publish, then go trad, and then back to self-pub again. We get into how tricky it can be to buy back the rights to your books and whether he prefers trad or self-pub.Links:Buy Harry's books nowFollow Harry on Twitter/XVisit Harry's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Connolly is a bestselling author of mystery and supernatural fiction. With over 30 published works, including the popular Charlie Parker series, his books have captivated readers around the world. He has won the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards in the US, a CWA Dagger in the UK, and an Irish Book Award, as well as numerous international accolades, and has published more UK Sunday Times Top 10 Hardback Bestsellers than any other Irish writer. His collection of short stories, Night & Day, is out at the end of October.We loved speaking with John and hearing how he began to write his supernatural crime novels featuring Charlie Parker, and discussing what authors who write cross-genre should (and shouldn't) tell agents and editors when pitching such stories. We also loved getting into a proper craft discussion about writing in general, and how to write in a way that is sustainable for a whole career.Links:Buy Night & Day and John's other books nowFollow John on InstagramVisit John's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channel!Kate Mosse is the award-winning author of novels, short story collections, essays, non-fiction, and a much-loved playwright. Her books include the multimillion-selling Languedoc trilogy which begins with the unmissable Labyrinth, and the bestselling more recent series, The Joubert Family Chronicles. The final book in that series, The Map of Bones, was published on 10 Oct by Mantle (Pan Macmillan) and is available as a hardback, ebook and audio recording. Kate’s live one-woman stage show, Labyrinth, will be on tour in 2025. Dates and info can be found here: www.labyrinthlive2025.comWe loved having the chance to speak with Kate and hearing how she had never originally planned to become a novelist until a suggestion from a friend. She tells us how it felt when Labyrinth became such a smash hit, and how she never plans her novels, but instead spends years researching the history of the stories she wants to tell.Links:Buy The Map of Bones nowFollow Kate on InstagramVisit Kate's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelDavid Goodman is a novelist and short fiction writer of thrillers and science fiction. His debut novel, A Reluctant Spy, is out now from Headline Books in hardback, eBook and audiobook.We've known Dave for a while outside the podcast, and so it was brilliant having a chance to sit down with him and hear him tell us all about his his brilliant debut got published. It's a story that includes tales of rejection, perseverance and why building up a body of work is so important for authors, because you never know when that opportunity will come along.Links:Buy A Reluctant Spy nowFollow Dave on Twitter/XVisit Dave's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channel!Lee Child is the author of more than two dozen New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, with most having reached the #1 position, and the #1 bestselling complete Jack Reacher story collection, No Middle Name. Foreign rights in the Reacher series have sold in one hundred territories. Andrew Child (as Andrew Grant) is the author of the critically-acclaimed novels Even, Die Twice, More Harm Than Good, RUN, False Positive, False Friend, False Witness, Invisible, and Too Close To Home. He began to take over the mantle of writing Jack Reacher from Lee starting with The Sentinel, and his most recent Reacher novel is In Too Deep.We loved having the opportunity to chat with Lee and Andrew, and hearing about how Jack Reacher was born out of necessity after Lee lost his job in TV. Both of them explain their writing processes, and Lee tells us how rather than a list of ideas about Reacher, he began with a list of the things he didn't want from the character. We also talked about them writing the last few Reacher novels together, and how Andrew feels about taking the series forward.Links:Follow Lee Child on Twitter/XFollow Andrew Child on Twitter/XVisit the Jack Reacher websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch the full video on our YouTube channel!As we get ready to launch Episode 200, we wanted to do a short thank you video for sticking with us over the past five years - and to let you know of our exciting plans to come!Please check out our newly launched Patreon (you can join for free to get access to our Discord, plus great benefits for higher tiers!): https://www.patreon.com/ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Harkness is the best-selling author of numerous novels. Her debut, A Discovery of Witches, was an immediate best-seller, hitting #2 on the New York Times list, and was also a bestseller in the UK, France and Germany. The initial trilogy in the All Souls series has been translated into 37 languages. Her latest book in the series, The Black Bird Oracle, is just out.We loved chatting with Deb and hearing how she became an author almost by accident thanks to a rainy holiday and a visit to a bookshop. What started as an academic thought experiment about what would happen if witches and vampires are real soon ballooned into a 1100 page draft, leading to her debut novel. We discussed her process, research, and also why you shouldn't chase trends as an author.Links:Buy Deb's books nowFollow Deb on Twitter/XVisit Deb's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Lawrence is a best-selling fantasy author. His first trilogy, THE BROKEN EMPIRE, has been universally acclaimed as a ground-breaking work of fantasy. Following The Broken Empire is the related RED QUEEN’S WAR trilogy. THE BOOK OF THE ANCESTOR trilogy is set on a different world and is followed by the related BOOK OF THE ICE trilogy. There is also THE IMPOSSIBLE TIMES trilogy, a D&D/sci-fi work set in London in the 80s. All of these trilogies can be read in any order. His latest series is THE LIBRARY trilogy, with the second book, THE BOOK THAT BROKE THE WORLD, out now.It was great having the chance to interview Mark live before an audience at this year's Cymera Festival in Edinburgh. We chatted about his journey to becoming published, and he told us how he hates planning and never does for his books. He also talked about how success in publishing is such a lottery, and why he created the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) to try and help authors with that lottery.Links:Buy Mark's books nowFollow Mark on Twitter/XVisit Mark's websiteThe SPFBO websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Malakin is a crime/thriller writer and data security consultant. His short stories have been widely published both in print and online, and he has twice been shortlisted for the Bridport prize. He holds an MA in Creative Writing from Brunel University, and his debut novel, THE REGRET, was published by Bloodhound Books in Summer 2019. His next thriller, THE BOX, was published by Viper Books in 2022, and his latest, THE WRECKAGE OF US, is just out.We loved chatting with Dan and hearing how he honed his craft over the years before publishing his first novel (400 short stories!) We also hear how is is constantly revising his writing process to get the most out of his writing time, and why an early start is essential for his writing habits...Links:Buy Dan's books nowFollow Dan on Twitter/XVisit Dan's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conn Iggulden is one of the most successful authors of historical fiction writing today, with bestselling series on Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and the Wars of the Roses, as well as two stand-alone novels: Dunstan, set in the red-blooded world of tenth-century England, and The Falcon of Sparta, in which Iggulden returns to the Ancient World. Both instalments of his Athenian series, ­The Gates of Athens and Protector, and his recent Golden Age series, Lion and Empire, are Sunday Times bestsellers. With his brother, he also wrote the award-winning The Dangerous Book for Boys. His latest book, Nero, is just out.We had a fun chat with Conn, talking about his journey which began with sending manuscripts direct to publishers across a variety of genres before his first novel was picked up. He tells us how his approach to writing historical fiction has changed over time, and why he loves every one of the characters he writes, no matter how despicable they may be.Links:Buy Nero and Conn's other books nowVisit Conn's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ilaria Bernardini is one of Italy’s leading novelists, now writing novels in the English language, and an exciting emerging screenwriter. She has film and television projects in development and in production with Lorenzo Mieli's The Apartment, Andy Harries’ Left Bank Pictures, The Russo Brothers/Amazon Studios, Francesco Melzi D’Eril's (SUSPIRIA, BECKETT) MeMo Films. Ilaria helped adapt her own novel CORPO LIBERO for producers Indigo/ALL3MEDIA and Rai & Paramount+. She is also continuing to develop Bernardo Bertolucci’s final script (which Ilaria co-wrote with him) THE ECHO CHAMBER. For Amazon Studios, the Russo Brothers (as directors and creators) & Cattleya she is writing the international science fiction TV series, CITADEL. Her book, WE WILL BE FOREST, is just out in the UK.We enjoyed speaking with Ilaria and hearing about her unusual route into publishing via approaching publishers and then authors directly (not a route that she recommends others follow!) Plus, we hear why she chooses to write some books in Italian and some in English, why she translated her own English novel, The Portrait, into Italian, and what it is like working with the Russo brothers on Amazon's CITADEL series.Links:Follow Ilaria on Twitter/XBuy Ilaria's books nowPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelBob McDevitt is festival director for Scotland's premier crime writing festival, Bloody Scotland, and programmer for Glasgow's Aye Write literature festival. He has also worked in both sales and commissioning roles at Headline.We had a fun chat with Bob, hearing about how he found himself organising two of Scotland's biggest literary festivals and just what goes into their organisation. We also hear why literary festivals are so important for authors and culture in general, and discuss the thorny and topical subject of festival funding as well. Plus, we get a preview of this year's Bloody Scotland programme!Links:Follow Bob on Twitter/XHave a look at Bloody Scotland's 2024 lineup and grab your tickets now!Page One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelGillian Redfearn is deputy publisher at Gollancz, publishing authors from Joe Abercrombie to Brandon Sanderson.We had a great chat with Gillian, hearing how she broke into the publishing industry, what. the day-to-day of an editor involves, and what sort of stories catch her eye when they are submitted by agents. Plus, we find out that she was less than impressed with Joe Abercrombie's first chapter... but fortunately she kept on reading!Links:Follow Gillian on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelBecky Brown and Norah Perkins are both literary agents with a twist - they founded and head up Curtis Brown's Heritage section, meaning that they represent the estates of authors such as AA Milne, Iris Murdoch and many more. They also recently won Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards 2024 for their pioneering work in this field.We had a fascinating chat with Becky and Norah about how they got started in this field, and learned about the differences (and similarities) with the "normal" world of agenting. We also chatted about why all authors with published works should think about their posthumous rights.Links:Visit Norah's Curtis Brown webpageVisit Becky's Curtis Brown webpageFollow Curtis Brown Heritage on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelJulie Crisp is a literary agent and editor with over fifteen years’ experience working for three major houses across a broad spectrum of commercial titles within fiction, non-fiction and children’s. This also included three years spent working in the Australian publishing industry. For nine years, she headed up the UK arm of one of the largest global brands of science fiction and fantasy, Tor. She has worked on bestselling and award-winning authors such as Ann Cleeves, Peter F. Hamilton, China Miéville, Neal Asher, Amanda Hocking, Naomi Novik and TV/Game partnerships including Halo, The Returned, The Walking Dead and Twin Peaks. As an agent she is actively looking to build my list and is looking for historical fiction, crime/thrillers, bookclub fiction and science fiction and fantasy. Her clients include John Gwynne, Devin Madson, C.T. Rwizi and Sam Hawke.We had a great time chatting with Julie and hearing how she got her start in the publishing world as an editorial assistant, and learn how she uses her editorial experience in her role as a literary agent. We also talk about the growing popularity of genre fiction, as well as talking in detail about queries: the importance of the query letter and comp titles, and what highlights certain things as red flags in some queries that she sees.Links:Visit Julie's website to query her nowFollow Julie on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelJohn Baker is a literary agent for Bell Lomax Moreton, focused on sci fi, fantasy and horror. He is the Secretary of the Association of Author's Agents and is co-chair of the AAA Bridge Committee. He also serves on the Kingston University MA Publishing Advisory Board. He is building a small but unique list of authors, who all share a passion for subverting expectations and creating rich new worlds of adventure, including authors like AM Shine, whose book The Watchers is soon to be a film produced by M Night Shyamalan.We had great fun chatting with John about how he got started in the world of agenting, and hearing why he enjoys writing that takes a big swing and is different from what people might expect. Plus, he tells us about the importance of query letters and what can help make a query stand out in the thousands that he receives each year.Links:Follow John on Twitter/XVisit Bell Lomax Moreton's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelJonny Geller joined Curtis Brown in 1993 as an assistant after a short career as an actor. He became a literary agent in 1995 after discovering a novel on the unsolicited pile which went on to sell rights around the world. After taking part in a Management Buyout in 2001, he became CEO of the Agency in 2012 and is now CEO of The Curtis Brown Group, the parent company of Curtis Brown agency, C&W, Ed Victor Ltd, Curtis Brown Creative (CBC), Tavistock Wood, Markham Froggatt and Irwin, Cuba Productions and Chair of CBC.Jonny represents a wide range of globally significant writers including novelists, memoirists, Journalists, former Prime Ministers, thought leaders, business people, actors, musicians and screenwriters. Jonny has previously been awarded Literary Agent of the Year and has been listed on The Bookseller’s 150 every year since its inception. He has also been named one of the Evening Standard's 1000 Most Influential People in London and was profiled in The Telegraph.We had a great time chatting with Jonny and hearing how he got into agenting. We also hear why he thinks query letters are so important, and dive into what an agent's role really involves for their authors.Links:Visit the Curtis Brown websiteFollow Jonny on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch this episode as a full video interview on our YouTube channelFrancesca Riccardi is a literary agent with Kate Nash Literary Agency who has over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry, starting at RNIB where she transcribed books into accessible formats for blind and partially sighted readers. She has since worked in sales and marketing roles at publishers Canelo, Atlantic Books, Constable & Robinson and HarperCollins.Francesca reads widely, especially across popular commercial genres, but is a particular fan of crime and thrillers, and loves a dogged detective or unusual sleuth. She also enjoys books about unusual family dynamics, toxic friendships and people keeping secrets.We had a great time speaking with Francesca, hearing about what she looks for in queries and what aspiring authors should - and shouldn't - do to hook that agent! Plus, we hear how her time in publishing helps her in her role as an agent, and discuss how important the different parts of a query package are.Links:Visit the Kate Nash Literary AgencyFollow Francesca on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kim Sherwood is an award-winning novelist and a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh. Her debut novel Testament (2018) won the Harper’s Bazaar Big Book of the Year Award and the Bath Novel Award, was shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Award, and longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. In 2019, Kim was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Kim is currently writing a series of Double O novels for the Ian Fleming Estate and HarperCollins, expanding the James Bond universe with a new cast of Double O agents for the 21st century. The first title, Double or Nothing, was released in 2022, and the follow-up, A Spy Like Me, is just out.We loved chatting with Kim and hearing how a very last-minute decision to enter the Bath Novel Award changed her writing life, as well as talking about just how she managed to land the dream job of writing the new Bond novels. We talk about what it's like to write for a franchise that is so big and beloved, and discuss the pros and cons that can bring.Links:Buy Kim's books nowFollow Kim on Twitter/XVisit Kim's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jasper Fforde is the critically acclaimed author of The Last Dragonslayer series: THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER, THE SONG OF THE QUARKBEAST and THE EYE OF ZOLTAR, SHADES OF GREY, the Nursery Crime books: THE BIG OVER EASY and THE FOURTH BEAR and the Thursday Next novels: THE EYRE AFFAIR, LOST IN A GOOD BOOK, THE WELL OF LOST PLOTS, SOMETHING ROTTEN, FIRST AMONG SEQUELS, ONE OF OUR THURSDAYS IS MISSING and THE WOMAN WHO DIED A LOT. His latest book is RED SIDE STORY, a sequel to Shades of Grey.We really enjoyed this chat with Jasper, hearing about how he dealt with initial rejections, and why you must persist with your writing in order to make it better. We also chat about not writing to market and hear how he develops initial ideas to full story, including the concept of the "narrative dare" that he as an author makes with himself. Plus, we talk about his rather unique author website!Links:Buy Jasper's books nowVisit Jasper's websiteFollow Jasper on Twitter/XPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born speculative fiction author. Her short fiction has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy. Her debut novel FATHOMFOLK — inspired by mythology, ESEAN cities and diaspora feels — was published by Orbit in Feb 2024 and hit number 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list.We had a great chat with Eliza, talking about the differences in writing short- and long-form fiction, as well as the growing acceptance of wider representation in publishing. Plus, we talk about why Twitter isn't all bad (!) and hear about hopping vampires...Links:Buy Fathomfolk nowFollow Eliza on Twitter/XVisit Eliza's websiteThe Submission GrinderPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth Brown has been writing novels since he was a teenager. His first published novel - The Book of Doors - will be released in the UK (Bantam) and USA (William Morrow) in February 2024. Foreign language rights for The Book of Doors have also been sold to nearly twenty other territories including Germany. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Hungary. It was great fun speaking with Gareth and hearing about his long writing journey, including hearing about why its so important to be patient as a writer. We talk about the difficulty of not selling a book on sub, and how to move past such disappointments, and why he thinks The Book of Doors has been such a success.Links:Buy The Book of Doors nowFollow Gareth on Twitter/XVisit Gareth's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era, with a body of work spanning books, film, graphic novels, videogames, and non-fiction. An award-winning author and New York Times bestseller, his creations include Atomic Blonde, The Dog Sitter Detective, the Brigitte Sharp thrillers, and many more.We loved chatting with Antony and hearing how he got his start as a professional writer through comics and graphic novels, including writing The Coldest City, which was the graphic novel on which the film Atomic Blonde was based. We also chat about his work in video games such as Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor and more (and hear about what it was like writing 4,000 orcish insults) and why he has recently moved into writing cosy crime novels with the Dogsitter Detective series. Plus, we talk about his process, which he has brought together in his book, The Organised Writer.Links:Buy Antony's books nowFollow Antony on Twitter/XVisit Antony's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Logan (also known as James Long) has worked for years in the publishing industry, currently as Senior Commissioning Editor for Orbit. But for years, he harboured a secret - he really wanted to write his own fantasy epics instead of just editing them - and he has achieved that dream with his debut novel, THE SILVERBLOOD PROMISE, which is out in April 2024, and has already received rave reviews, including from the likes of Scott Lynch.We really enjoyed chatting with James and hearing about his work on the publishing side of the fence, editing authors such as Richard Swan, as well as his desires to become an author. We hear how it too years for that writing to pay off, including what seemed like a doomed submission process with other editors only for it to be picked up just as he was considering self-publishing. Plus, we reminisce about our favourite Fighting Fantasy books.Links:Buy The Silverblood PromiseFollow James on Twitter/XVisit James's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is also available as a full video interview on our YouTube channelFelicity Blunt has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown since 2005, and represents authors that span the literary to commercial spectrum, including Booker Prize shortlisted Claire Keegan, Women's Prize shortlisted Meg Mason, Rosamund Lupton, Renée Knight and Gillian McAllister in addition to NYT bestselling debut authors Abi Daré and Bonnie Garmus.Gráinne Fox is a literary agent with UTA and represents award-winning novelists, New York Times bestselling journalists and academics. Her clients have been shortlisted for, or won, various awards including The William Hill Sports Book of The Year, The Booker Prize, The Women’s Prize, The Irish Book Awards, The British Book Awards, The Orwell Prize, The Plutarch Award, the RTÉ Short Story Competition, and the NBCC.We were delighted to have the chance to catch up with both of them just ahead of the start of this year's London Book Fair to hear why that and other literary book fairs are so important, and to talk about what really happens at these events!Page One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know - we've been away far longer than we said. This is a very short explanation/apology for that and a teaser of our imminent return! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is also available as a full video episode on our YouTube channel!A slightly different - but bumper-length - episode this time as we are joined by authors Nick Binge and Dave Goodman for our review of 2023!Nick is a previous podcast guest and is an internationally bestselling author of speculative fiction, sci-fi, and horror. His novels include Ascension and Professor Everywhere.Dave is a thriller and SFF novelist and short story author with stories in Clarkesworld and Analog. His debut novel is coming from a major publisher in 2024.We loved finishing off the year chatting with Dave and Nick about their writing highlights and hearing about what they have planned for 2024. Plus, we discuss each others' highlights on the reading and viewing front, as well as finding out about everyone's favourite Christmas movie...Links:Buy Nick's books nowRead Dave's latest novelette in AnalogFollow Nick on Twitter/XFollow Dave on Twitter/XVisit Nick's websiteVisit Dave's website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer, and USA Today bestseller. Khaw's work can be found in places like Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor.com. Khaw's first original novella, Hammers on Bone, was a British Fantasy award and Locus award finalist.Richard Kadrey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim supernatural noir series. Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime,” and is in development as a feature film. Some of Kadrey’s other books include King Bullet, The Grand Dark, Butcher Bird, and The Dead Take the A Train (with Cassandra Khaw). He’s written for film and comics, including Heavy Metal, Lucifer, and Hellblazer. Kadrey also makes music with his band, A Demon in Fun City.It was great having the chance to speak to both of them and hear about their very different routes into the writing world, and how they came to collaborate on The Dead Take The A Train. We also discuss why authors shouldn't be shy about asking for proper payment for their work and why it's always good to have more than one project on the go.Links:Buy The Dead Take The A Train nowFollow Cassandra on Twitter/XFollow Richard on Twitter/XVisit Cassandra's websiteVisit Richard's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth Rubin writes about social affairs, travel and the arts for British newspapers. In 2013 he directed a documentary about therapeutic art at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London ('Bedlam'). His books include Liberation Square, set in Soviet-occupied London; The Winter Agent, about British agents in Paris on the eve of D-Day and The Turnglass, two entwined mysteries that take place in Essex in 1881 and Los Angeles in 1939.We loved chatting with Gareth and hearing how he moved into writing fiction from journalism, why he thinks you should never give your book to friends to read, and what made him want to write a tête-bêche novel. Plus, we discuss why research can be both helpful and a waste of time, and why he loathes the writing process!Links:Buy The Turnglass and Gareth's other booksFollow Gareth on Twitter/XVisit Gareth's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter/XFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of fifty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband, James, and her dog, Mimi. Her latest book is I Know It's You.We enjoyed chatting with Susan about how she got her start in TV and why it was advice from a producer that led her to become a novelist. We ask how she keeps coming up with ideas, talk about what makes a compelling protagonist, and hear some stories of her times in Hollywood...Links:Buy Susan's booksFollow Susan on FacebookVisit Susan's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Moore is a leading stand-up comedian, known for his sharp, entertaining punditry, who regularly headlines at London’s world-famous Comedy Store. A TV/radio regular, he stars in Dave’s satirical TV show Unspun and Channel 5’s topical comedy Big Mouths. Ian lives in rural France and commutes back to the UK every week. However, he has recently moved into the world of novel writing, with Death and Croissants being released to great reviews as the first in a new cosy crime series. His latest book, The Man Who Didn't Burn, sees Ian turn to a more serious side of his thriller writing.We had a great time talking with Ian and hearing why he wrote his standup while actually standing up, why a desire never to leave the house again turned him into a novelist, and how doing so has allowed him to fulfil his dreams he had as an 18-year-old.Links:Buy Ian's books nowFollow Ian on Twitter/XVisit Ian's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caimh McDonnell is the internationally bestselling author of the Dublin Trilogy which is set in his hometown. His debut novel A Man with One of Those Faces – a darkly comedic crime thriller – was published in 2016. It went on to spawn the increasingly uncountable Dublin Trilogy (seven and a half books and counting) and the McGarry Stateside series. The books have been ranked #1 in their Amazon categories in the UK, Ireland and the USA, have been translated into several languages and optioned for television. He also writes the critically acclaimed The Stranger Times series under the name of C.K. McDonnell. These books combine his distinctive dark wit with his love of the weird and wonderful to deliver a celebration of how truth really can be stranger than fiction.We had great fun chatting with Caimh and hearing about why he left stand-up comedy for novel writing. He gave some great tips on how to be successful in self-publishing and also explains why he enjoys being both self-published and trad published, and why he went down that route.Links:Buy Caimh's books now!Follow Caimh on Twitter/XVisit Caimh's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RJ Barker is a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of fantasy fiction. He won the 2020 British Fantasy Society (BFS) Robert Holdstock award for Best Novel for his fourth novel, The Bone Ships. His debut trilogy The Wounded Kingdom (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) was nominated for the David Gemmel Award, the Kitschie Golden Tentacle, The Compton Crook and the BFS Best Debut and Best Novel awards. He followed this with the award-winning Tide Child Trilogy: The Bone Ships, Call of the Bone Ships and The Bone Ships Wake. His latest book is Gods of the Wyrdwood.This episode was recorded live at Cymera Festival in Edinburgh in July 2023, and we had a great time chatting with RJ about all things writing, Skyrim and dinosaurs... We also got an insight into his brilliant imagination as he gave us some hints about his next books, and heard about how he is such a prolific writer.Links:Buy RJ's books now!Follow RJ on Twitter/XVisit RJ's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunyi Dean is a biracial autistic author who was born in Texas, grew up in Hong Kong, and now resides in North England. She writes speculative fiction with a weird slant, and has both too many books and too many children. In her spare time, she can be found hiking, weight lifting, wild-swimming, and dying in jiu-jitsu. She also founded and co-hosts the Publishing Rodeo Podcast with fellow Tor author, Scott Drakeford. Sunyi’s debut novel, THE BOOK EATERS, launched Aug 2022 and was an instant #2 Sunday Times Bestseller.We had a great time chatting with Sunyi and hearing about her difficult journey to being published and talking about some of the difficulties that even published authors can face. We also chat about her own podcast, which is another must-listen (alongside this one of course!) for any writer.Links:Buy The Book Eaters nowFollow Sunyi on Twitter/XVisit Sunyi's websiteListen to The Publishing Rodeo PodcastBuy tickets for talks hosted by Tariq and Marco at this year's Bloody Scotland on 16 September 2023:Tariq's event - High Seas, High Stakes: Will Dean, Amy McCulloch and Catherine CooperMarco's event - Deadly Deceptions: Gilly MacMillan, Stig Abell, Katherine FaulknerPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexander Darwin is an author living near Boston with his wife and three daughters. Outside of writing, he teaches and trains martial arts (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). He’s inspired by old-school Hong Kong action flicks, jRPGs, underdog stories and bibimbap bowls. Outside of writing fiction, Alexander has written for publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style and SF Signal. His latest piece, The Lost Diary of Anthony Bourdain, was a featured piece in Rolling Stone’s January 2022 Issue. His debut novel, Combat Codes, is out now.We had a great chat with Alex, hearing about how he got started thanks to the SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off), and how he made a success of self-publishing. We also talk about the transition to trad publishing and discuss what aspects of self-publishing he misses now he has made the change. Plus, we discuss whether Star Wars is a fantasy movie...Links:Buy Combat Codes nowFollow Alex on TwitterVisit Alex's websiteBuy tickets for talks hosted by Tariq and Marco at this year's Bloody Scotland:Tariq's event - High Seas, High Stakes: Will Dean, Amy McCulloch and Catherine CooperMarco's event - Deadly Deceptions: Gilly MacMillan, Stig Abell, Katherine FaulknerPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers about scary things happening to ordinary people. He has sold more than four million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel was published in 2013. His latest book, Keep Her Secret, is out now.We had a great time chatting with Mark and hearing about his long journey to amazing success, including his moves back and forth between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and the pros and cons of both. We also talked about the importance of persistence with your writing even when nothing is happening, and chat about how publishing attitudes differ in the US and the UK.Links:Buy Keep Her Secret and Mark's other books nowFollow Mark on Twitter/XVisit Mark's websiteBuy tickets for talks hosted by Tariq and Marco at this year's Bloody Scotland:Tariq's event - High Seas, High Stakes: Will Dean, Amy McCulloch and Catherine CooperMarco's event - Deadly Deceptions: Gilly MacMillan, Stig Abell, Katherine FaulknerPage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a rare returning guest this week as the brilliant Lauren Beukes joins us to tell us what she has been up to since her first appearance on the podcast (check out Episode 44 if you haven't heard that one before!).She tells us all about her latest book, Bridge, which leads us to a discussion about why multiversal stories have become so big in recent years. Plus, we hear what she thought of The Shining Girls TV show, chat about the impact of AI on writers, and talk about the South African literary scene, including a very interesting figure known as Mikey the Killer...Links:Buy Bridge and Lauren's other novels nowFollow Lauren on Twitter/XVisit Lauren's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages and he has sold over 500 million copies to date. His latest book, After Death, is out now.We had an amazing chat with Dean about his writing career, hearing how he got started back in 1968 writing sci fi, why he pivoted to suspense thrillers and horror, and how he continues to come up with amazing new ideas for his novels. He also tells us how he comes up with his famous twists, and tells us why he chose to go with publisher Thomas & Mercer for his latest novels.Links:Buy After Death and Dean's other books nowFollow Dean on TwitterVisit Dean's websitePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alasdair Beckett-King is a man of many talents - an award-winning comedian, video game writer and now also author of children's books, he has a very funny YouTube channel, has appeared on numerous TV shows and his debut novel, Montgomery BonBon: Murder at the Museum was published in February 2023.We had a great time speaking with Alasdair about his career, hearing how he got into stand-up and why the pandemic helped him break out as a comedy star. We also chat about his love of point and click video games and hear about how he began to write for those, as well as hearing about what led to his debut novel, Murder at the Museum. He tells us all about the different challenges for writing in these different formats, and also displays his wide knowledge of the whodunnit genre!Links:Buy Murder at the Museum now!Visit Alasdair's websiteFollow Alasdair on TwitterOut now - a new video podcast from Page One featuring all the latest writing news - Page One Extra! For all episodes be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, search for Page One Extra on your favourite podcast app, or follow this link: https://linktr.ee/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fflur Dafydd is an award winning novelist, screenwriter and musician, who writes in Welsh and English. She has published five novels, one short story collection and has created around 40 hours of prime time drama for S4C and the BBC iPlayer. She also wrote and co-produced the feature film Y Llyfrgell/The Library Suicides, (BBC Films) based on her own novel, which won numerous awards at the BAFTA Cymru awards and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She has twice been nominated for a BAFTA Cymru for best screenwriter.We had a really interesting chat with Fflur, hearing about how she won her first writing prize at the age of 21, and the opportunities that brought her as a writer in Wales. We also hear about how despite her awards and experience in Welsh-language screenwriting, British producers can often overlook that, as well as hearing about the challenges of adapting her own novel for the screen.Links:Buy Fflur's booksVisit Fflur's websiteOut now - a new video podcast from Page One featuring all the latest writing news - Page One Extra! For all episodes be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, search for Page One Extra on your favourite podcast app, or follow this link: https://linktr.ee/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Graeme Macrae Burnet is the author of the Booker shortlisted His Bloody Project, Booker longlisted Case Study, The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau and The Accident on the A35.He is currently working on his next novel, which will complete the Gorski trilogy, featuring his French detective, Georges Gorski.We had a really fascinating and fun chat with Graeme, hearing about how it took until he was 46 to publish his first novel and the huge impact being shortlisted for the Booker prize for His Bloody Project changed the course of his writing career. We also talk about his love of playing with form and why his novels all have a "meta" element in some way, as well as hearing how the words don't always flow easily, and how he deals with that.Links:Buy Graeme's booksVisit Graeme's websiteFollow Graeme on TwitterOut now - a new video podcast from Page One featuring all the latest writing news - Page One Extra! For all episodes be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, search for Page One Extra on your favourite podcast app, or follow this link: https://linktr.ee/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on TwitterFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on MastodonFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on Threads: @ukpageone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.