London Writers' Salon

The First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid on her writing habits, her creative life and why the Iceland Writers’ Retreat is a perfect place for writers.  We also discuss her fiction and nonfiction, navigating self-doubt, being tenacious with time and how she balances her responsibilities as a writer with her role in public service.  *ABOUT ELIZA REIDEliza Reid is a journalist, editor, and cofounder of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat. Eliza grew up in the countryside near Ottawa, Canada, and moved to Iceland in 2003, five years after winning a student raffle for a date with the man who became her husband, Gudni Jóhannesson. When he took office as president of Iceland on August 1, 2016, Eliza became the country’s First Lady. In that capacity, she has been active in promoting gender equality, entrepreneurship and innovation, tourism and sustainability, and the country’s writers and rich literary heritage. Being the spouse of the head of state is an immense privilege, full of surreal and wonderful experiences. Eliza has been candid about the role, which is an unofficial position with no job description, penning a lauded op-ed in the New York Times and delivering a TEDx Talk on the topic. Her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar, was an instant bestseller in Iceland and Canada, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick, and was recommended by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Margaret Atwood and many others. *RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)Iceland Writers RetreatSecrets of the Sprakkar LWS Members Discount Code for 10% off the Iceland Writers RetreatIcelandic Saga DatabaseEliza’s 2019 opinion piece in the New York Times, I’m a First Lady, and It’s An Incredibly Weird Job Eliza on InstagramEliza’s forthcoming novel, Death of a Diplomat*Join our 24-hour Writing Sprint!Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual, online, FREE 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project. 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!

Clara Vulliamy, a children’s author of over 30 books talks about how she approaches collaboration, and what she’s learned from decades in the world of children's publishing as an author and illustrator. *ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMYClara Vulliamy is the daughter of author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and architect John Vulliamy. Her first experience of making pictures was being allowed to use up her Mum’s paints at the end of the day, which she says ‘was like scraping the icing out of the bowl after baking’. She studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin and The Royal Academy. After graduating she began illustrating in newspapers and magazines, and doing a weekly cartoon in The Guardian. She started writing and illustrating children’s books when she had a family of her own, and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s made 30 + books, including the Dixie O Day series, Marshmallow Pie, Dotty Detective and many others. Her latest series The Dog Squad is out with HarperCollins.*RESOURCES & LINKSClara’s websiteClara on Twitter and InstagramThe Dotty Detective SeriesThe Dog Squad SeriesThe Marshmallow Pie SeriesOrange Beak StudioClara’s mother Shirley HughesLondon Writers’ Salon course, Write a Children’s Picture Book Between April 12-13, we’re hosting our epic, annual 🌏 24-hour Writing Sprint! Join us for 1,2 or 24 hours of writing, bring a friend or two, and make serious progress on a creative project. 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!

Before Sunrise co-writer, Kim Krizan on plotting for the screen, creating memorable characters for Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and advice on how to start writing a screenplay.*ABOUT KIM KRIZANKim Krizan is the Academy Award-nominated writer of the films “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” Her book Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale is a tongue-in-cheek examination of history’s dangerous women. She is also the author of Spy in the House of Anais Nin, an analysis of the life of the 20th-century rule-bending diarist. Krizan’s work has been hailed as insightful, penetrating, and profound. She lives and writes in Los Angeles, California. You can find her on Instagram. She hosts The Magic Hour on Patreon, offering affordable creative writing support.*RESOURCES & LINKSThe ‘Before’ TrilogySpy in the House of Anaïs NinOriginal Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme FatalKim’s Patreon: The Magic Hour - creative writing communityKim’s Instagram 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!

Chip Conley, a New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur, discusses why life becomes richer with age. He reframes midlife as a time for growth and creativity, encouraging listeners to embrace this transformative phase. Conley shares insights on the role of consistent blogging in nurturing personal and professional development. He emphasizes how community and a positive mindset can combat the stigma of aging. With anecdotes and reflections, he illustrates how pursuing passions can lead to fulfillment during midlife.

Leo Vardiashvili on disciplined writing, completing his literary novel and writing about home. *ABOUT LEO VARDIASHVILILeo Vardiashvili moved to London with his family as a refugee from Georgia when he was twelve years old. He studied English literature at Queen Mary University of London.*RESOURCES & LINKSHard by a Great Forest by Leo VardiashviliOne Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken KeseyStephen King’s On WritingLeo’s Spotify playlist for Hard By a Great Forest 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!

New York Literary Agent Lucinda Halpern on positioning your book, finding the big idea for your pitch and finding and getting signed with a literary agent. Also, query letter essentials and how to get feedback from beta readers.*ABOUT LUCINDA HALPERNLucinda Halpern is a New York literary agent with over 15 years' experience securing book deals with Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and the author of Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author. She represents a range of New York Times and internationally bestselling authors in the categories of business, health, lifestyle, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. Her classes and coaching programs have been taught to hundreds of writers worldwide. Learn more at lucindaliterary.com or download Lucinda’s free author training. Follow Lucinda Halpern on Instagram and Twitter.*RESOURCES & LINKSGet Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author by Lucinda HalpernLucinda LiteraryGet Signed BonusesPublishers MarketplaceFollow up question? Get in touch with Lucinda here. 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!

Hester Musson (The Beholders) on her writing and querying process for her gothic historical thriller. She also talks to us about how she overcame rejection and got published.*ABOUT HESTER MUSSONHester Musson studied at Bristol University and the RCS in Glasgow. She worked as an actress and autocue operator in London before writing full time, and now lives in Scotland.The Beholders is her debut novel.*RESOURCES & LINKSThe Beholders by Hester MussonWorking Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckNational Trust Propoerties 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!

Farrah Storr, former Editor-In-Chief (ELLE/ Cosmopolitan) and Head of Writer Partnerships for Substack on what it takes to grab the attention of a reader, overcoming the fear of publishing work and leaning into discomfort. We also discuss how we might think like an editor with our own writing, and how we might use feedback constructively. We also chat about why it's important to experiment and talk to your readers.*ABOUT FARRAH STORRFarrah Storr was the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE and Cosmopolitan where she grew the brand to become the No.1 UK women’s glossy. She was also the launch Editor of Women’s Health magazine. Farrah was included in the GG2 Power List, profiling Britain’s 101 most influential Asians. Farrah was also awarded Editor of the Year at the PPA Awards, for the second year running and was included in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list of London’s most influential people of 2019.She is the author of The Discomfort Zone (Piatkus) and is the Head of Writer Partnerships for Substack.*RESOURCES & LINKSThe Discomfort ZoneThings Worth Knowing. 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!

Bestselling author Jami Attenberg discusses writing 1000 words a day, staying creative, and finding inspiration. She shares insights on financial struggles, staying focused, and committing to daily creativity. The podcast also explores her journey as a writer and the importance of writer friendships in the creative process.

Filmmaker, author, presenter Alex Bescoby (The Last Overland) takes us behind the scenes of his Channel 4 documentary. We discuss brand partnerships, finding the right team, dealing with setbacks and the editorial process.*ABOUT ALEX BESCOBYAlex Bescoby is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author, and an experienced broadcaster. His films have been broadcast in more than 80 countries on Channel 4, History, BBC, Discovery and Canal+ International. His films include ‘The Last Overland’ (accompanied by his book), The Story of Burma’s Lost Royal Family and Searching for Burma’s Forgotten World War Two Heroes.*RESOURCES & LINKSGramma ProductionsThe Whicker Awards  The Whicker Awards Podcast PitchWe Were Kings: The Story of Burma’s Lost RoyalsThe Last Overland (Series)The Last Overland (Book) Forgotten AlliesThe Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel by Dan Kieran The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr  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!