London Writers' Salon

Ellie Middleton, Autistic and ADHD creator, talks about writing while neurodivergent, building an audience, and going viral. They discuss content creation, writing nonfiction, managing time and projects with ADHD, and raising awareness and accommodations in the workplace. They also touch on the concept of masking and the journey to unmasking neurodivergent traits.

Prize-winning essayist Benjamin Hutchinson talks about how reading and engaging with literature can help us live more fully. He shares lessons on living well from literary greats and tips for becoming better readers. They also discuss the German poet Rilke and the importance of rhythm and momentum in writing.

Professor Herminia Ibarra on her hugely influential books Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader, and Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career.  In this conversation with Herminia, we discuss reinventing your career, how to gain confidence as a writer, why thinking first and then acting doesn’t always work, navigating periods of flux, advice for leaders and the art of writing big-idea nonfiction.*ABOUT HERMINIA IBARRAHerminia Ibarra is the Charles Handy Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School. She is also the author of two best-selling books, Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader and Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career.*RESOURCES & LINKSAct Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career by Herminia Ibarra “The Authenticity Paradox” by Herminia Ibarra “What’s Your Story” by Herminia Ibarra Herminia’s TED Talk on authenticity How to Become a Recognized Expert with Dorie Clark *For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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 Times-bestselling author Chris Guillebeau (Side Hustle School podcast) on the new rules of money, how people are making money in the new economy and his philosophy for how we as creators can experiment with new technology and platforms and turn creativity into income.*ABOUT CHRIS GUILLEBEAUChris is an entrepreneur, explorer, and New York Times-bestselling author. He visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. He’s the author of eight books: The Art of Non-Conformity, The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, Born for This, and Side Hustle. Chris is also the founder and host of the podcast Side Hustle School, which is downloaded more than 2 million times per month. His latest book is Gonzo Capitalism: How to Make Money in an Economy That Hates You*RESOURCES & LINKSChris’s last interview on the London Writers’ Salon Podcast: How to Spark a Movement and Build a Readership (and Make Money Doing It)Gonzo Capitalism by Chris GuillebeauSide Hustle by Chris Guillebeau The 100 Dollar StartUp by Chris Guillebeau Side Hustle School “ChatGPT for you” by Seth Godin“The Big Picture and the Small Details” by Chris Guillebeauhttps://maven.com/https://gumroad.com/For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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!

Actress and writer Guinevere Turner on her unconventional journey from screenwriting to memoir. We explore her process of writing the cult queer film "Go Fish," produced on a modest $15,000 budget, co-writing the screenplay for Bret Ellis's book American Psycho. We also discuss her recently released memoir, When the World Didn’t End, about her childhood in the infamous Lyman Family cult, and how she approaches writing challenging material, how she decided to capture her childhood in the memoir and advice she’d give memoirists trying to find the arc in their memoir.*ABOUT GUINEVERE TURNER Guinevere Turner is a writer, director and actor who has worked in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish, which she wrote, produced and starred in. She teamed up with director Mary Harron to write the films American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page and the 2019 film Charlie Says. She was a writer and story editor on Showtime’s The L Word, and she played the recurring character Gabby Deveaux on that show. She has written and directed seven short films, two of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She can be seen in film roles that include The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, American Psycho and The L Word. Her latest screenplay, Charlie Says, was directed by Mary Harron and opened in theaters and on digital platforms in May of 2019. Guinevere has taught screenwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, University of Georgia, UCLA and NYU. Her memoir When the World Didn’t End charts her time in the Lyman Cult.*RESOURCES & LINKS📄 Interview Transcript (unedited)Go FishAmerican PsychoThe L Word Guinevere’s memoir, When the World Didn’t EndGuinevere’s New Yorker essay, My Childhood in a Cult, that led to her memoir *For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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!

Harriet Johnson, a barrister specializing in human rights and women's rights, shares her insights on writing nonfiction, particularly her impactful book 'Enough: The Violence Against Women and How to End It.' She discusses blending storytelling with statistics to advocate for social change and the importance of narrative in legal practice. Harriet also addresses the emotional toll of writing about systemic injustice, her strategies for dealing with online criticism, and creative approaches to combat misogyny.

Documentary filmmaking Natasha Lance Rogoff on bringing Sesame Street to Russia, the mechanics of a television global series, what makes Sesame Street so successful, the driving force behind creating art in dangerous circumstances and how she learned to write a memoir. *ABOUT NATASHA LANCE ROGOFFNatasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning American television producer, filmmaker, and the author of the bestselling book, Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia. Lance Rogoff executive produced Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street from 1993-1997. * RESOURCES & LINKSMuppets in Moscow by Natasha Lance Rogoff Russian Millenials Speak Openly About America The Art of Memoir by Mary KarrBird by Bird by Anne Lamott Save the CatFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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!

Poet and community builder Joy Sullivan @joysullivanpoet on the craft of poetry, tips for reading and writing poetry, how writers can avoid cliches and why she thinks writing from the heart is terrible advice. We talk about the business of writing, how she's grown an online following and how she balances her creative work with her business. *ABOUT JOY SULLIVANJoy Sullivan is a poet, educator, and community leader. A former brand copywriter, Joy decided to leave her day job and devote herself to poetry. She is now the founder of Sustenance, a writing community that helps poets hone their craft. Her debut collection of poems, Instructions for Traveling West, will debut next year from Dial Press. You can find her on Instagram @joysullivanpoet.*RESOURCES & LINKSSustenance - Joy's online writing community Erica Miriam FabriEllen BassMaggie SmithFeedback structure in the Sustenance community: Where is the power in this poem? What questions do I have about this poem? Joy's Instagram AccountJoy's poem, "My mother says kissing a man without a mustache is like eating eggs without salt" Joy's poem, "Instructions for traveling west"Joy's Substack, Necessary SaltThe Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing PoetryIn the Palm of Your Hand: A Poet's Portable Workshop*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts, visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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!

Nicola May, a bestselling rom-com author, on publishing 16 books, making money through self-publishing what authors need to know about marketing, and how persistence has been a key part of her writing journey. Note from Parul & Matt: We had some mic issues when recording this episode, and our sound is a little scratchy; thank you for bearing with us on this episode*ABOUT NICOLA MAYNicola May is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK, across all genres, in January 2019, and was Amazon’s third-bestselling novel in that year. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press. She lives near Ascot racecourse with her black-and-white rescue cat, Stan.*RESOURCES & LINKSNicola’s BooksNicola’s Twitter and InstagramThe Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay Blog ToursThe Friendly Book CommunityKindle Books for 99p (UK) on Facebook *For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor 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! 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!

Cyndie Spiegel, author of "Microjoys: Finding Hope", dives into navigating life’s transitions and cultivating joy in difficult times. She shares her journey from the fast-paced fashion industry to seeking deeper fulfillment through personal interests like yoga. Cyndie discusses the craft of nonfiction writing and how her concept of microjoys transformed into a book. With reflections on community-building and letting go, she emphasizes the importance of connection and cherishing moments of joy amidst challenges.