Join naturalist and educator John Muir Laws as he unveils the wonders of nature journaling. He discusses how tapping into curiosity can transform your creativity and observation skills. Muir Laws shares personal stories that highlight nature's impact on self-identity and the joy of immersive observations. He encourages embracing imperfection, especially for those with dyslexia, and introduces an exciting new platform for nature journalers to connect and collaborate. Dive into this enlightening conversation and unlock your inner creativity!

Vicky Reynal, a psychotherapist and author of "Money on Your Mind," discusses the surprising emotional ties that influence creatives' financial decisions. She shares insights on how understanding belief systems around money can lead to better choices. Vicky emphasizes the need for a balanced perspective between creativity and financial stability, especially for writers. The conversation touches upon cultural attitudes toward wealth, the emotional complexities in publishing, and practical strategies for fostering resilience and community in artistic endeavors.

In this engaging conversation, bestselling author Beth Kempton shares insights from her works like 'Wabi Sabi' and 'Kokoro.' She explores how Japanese philosophy can help writers navigate life’s transitions and embrace creativity. Beth emphasizes the connection between grief, self-discovery, and the intelligent heart. Listeners are encouraged to confront mortality and reflect on life’s questions through deep journaling. She also discusses the importance of letting go of fear in writing and finding joy in the creative process.

Anna Bogutskaya has studied thousands of horror films and books.  In this interview we talk to Anna about the role of the monster and how writers can harness primal emotions to tell captivating stories. We also dive into her process for pitching and writing nonfiction books.*ABOUT ANNA BOGUTSKAYA Anna Bogutskaya is a freelance critic, author, film programmer and creative producer. She writes for BBC Culture, Guardian, MUBI, the Face and TimeOut, amongst others, and programmes films for BFI, Edinburgh Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. She produces and hosts The Final Girls podcast. She’s the author of Unlikeable Female Characters: The Women Pop Culture Wants You to Hate and Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold On Us.*RESOURCES & LINKSUnlikeable Female CharactersFeeding the MonsterThe Final Girls: A Horror Film PodcastThe BabadookIn the Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoAdmit OneDanse Macabre by Stephen KingHouse of Psychotic Women by Kier-La Janisse For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

David Perell, a writer, entrepreneur, and podcaster, shares insights on finding your unique voice and making your writing memorable. He discusses the transformative power of public writing, fostering connections through personal anecdotes, and identifying core ideas to stand out in a competitive landscape. Perell also delves into the emotional highs and lows of the creative journey and emphasizes the importance of community support among writers. Additionally, he touches on maintaining authenticity while navigating the public eye.

Literary Legend Kate Mosse on writing 11 + novels, finding her voice with her fifth novel, researching historical fiction, pushing past doubt, dealing with rejection and how she launched the Women's Prize For Fiction.*ABOUT KATE MOSSEKate Mosse is the author of eleven novels & short story collections, including the No 1 bestselling The Joubert Family Chronicles. Her books have been translated into 38 languages and published in more than 40 countries. Kate is the Founder Director of the Women's Prize for Fiction & the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction - the largest annual celebration of women's writing in the world - and is the Founder of the global campaign #WomanInHistory launched in January 2021 to honour, celebrate and promote women’s achievements throughout history. She was awarded a CBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List 2024 for services to literature, women and charity. *RESOURCES & LINKS📄Interview Transcript (unedited) https://www.katemosse.co.uk/Map of BonesThe Ghost ShipWomen's Prize for FictionThe Discoveries Program​​Weekly Writers’ Hour ContestTrailer for Kate’s upcoming one-woman show! For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky has dedicated his life to studying happiness. In this episide we talk to him about  ‘mattering’ and how we can use his research findings to write more, worry less about our status and embrace a lightness in our creative work.*ABOUT DR. ISAACDr. Isaac Prilleltensky holds the inaugural Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Community Well-Being at the University of Miami. He has published 12 books and over 140 articles and chapters on wellness and creativity. His most recent book is How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society, co-authored with his wife, Dr. Ora Prilleltensky.*RESOURCES & LINKS📄Interview Transcript (unedited) https://www.professorisaac.com/How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and SocietyPsychology and the status quo.How People Thrive The Routledge International Handbook of Human Significance and MatteringArie W. KruglanskiHow to Know a Person by David BrooksMatt’s thoughts on Creative Health For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Penny Wincer, an author, writer and non-fiction book coach on how writers can think deeply about their living spaces, what makes a house a home and we dive into her expertise around creating engaging non-fiction and creating a non-fiction book proposal to send to agents.*ABOUT PENNY WINCERPenny Wincer is an author, freelance writer and non-fiction book coach based in London. She is the author of Home Matters: How our homes shape us, and we shape them and Tender:The imperfect Art of Caring. Penny hosts the podcast Not Too Busy To Write.*RESOURCES & LINKS📄Interview Transcript (unedited) Penny’s websiteHome Matters: How our homes shape us, and we shape themTender:The imperfect Art of CaringPenny’s Substack Not Too Busy to WritePenny’s podcast Not Too Busy To WriteThe Little Book of Colour by Karen Haller Book Proposal Group  For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Literary Agent (RCW Agency) and children’s author Sam Copeland on what he’s looking for in his submissions pile, how to write a compelling pitch letter, what he thinks about submitting to agents internationally and how he constructs funny middle-grade fiction.*ABOUT SAM COPELANDSam Copeland was shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the 2020 and 2021 British Book Awards and selected for the Bookseller's Most Influential People in Publishing in 2020. He welcomes e-mail submissions and can be contacted on sam@rcwlitagency.com. His associate is honor@rcwlitagency.com. He is also a children’s author. The Waterstones Children's Book of the Year shortlisted his Charlie Changes series.* RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited) Sam Copeland RCW Literary AgencyPiranesi by Sussana Clarke The Overstory by Richard Powers Jenny Pearson Submit your ms to Sam: sam@rcwlitagency.com. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Award-winning cookbook writer, blogger and novelist Kate Young on creating a viral cooking blog, how she turned her blog into a series of cookbooks, and what goes into a pitch for a cookbook. Plus her approach to plotting rom com, adding depth to rom-com characters, her approach to writing sex scenes and what she thinks every rom com should have. *ABOUT KATE YOUNGKate Young is a writer and cook, whose award-winning Little Library Cookbooks feature food inspired by beloved works of literature. After a sunny Australian childhood (spent indoors reading books) she moved to London, which suited her much better. She now lives in a converted mill in a Gloucestershire town. Experienced is her first novel.*RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited) ExperiencedThe Little Library CookbookKate’s Food Books Kate’s Substack: The Organised Lesbian For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!