Not Too Busy To Write

Evie Wyld is an award winning author of three novels, the latest of which, The Bass Rock, won the Stella Prize 2021. We discuss writing a novel about male violence against a backdrop of #MeToo, and speaking about the subjects in the book in a year of highly publicised violence against women. We also talk about how motherhood, and the nature of writing with young children, led to some of the structural elements of The Bass Rock and how an award like the Stella Prize can create change in a writing career.LinksThe Bass Rock - Evie WyldReview Book Shop PeckhamDevotion - Hannah KentThe Interestings - Meg WolitzerYou can find all the books recommended on Not Too Busy To Write at our bookshop.org shop - making it a great way to support both the podcast and independent bookshops

Ali and Penny discuss the pros and cons (yes there are sometimes cons!) of being in a writers group. What are they best for? How do you find one? Or better yet, how do you put one together. A packed episode and we suspect, a topic we will come back to again. LinksSweet Home - Wendy Erskine Intimacies - Lucy Caldwell

Penny Batchelor is a thriller writer whose first novel My Perfect Sister was nominated for the Guardian "Not The Booker Prize" 2020. We discuss her latest novel Her New Best Friend, about an isolated mother of two young children whose new friend may not be all she seems. We talk about including disabled people in fiction, taking the plunge to write that first novel after turning 40, exploring female friendships on the page and jumping around genres. Penny is also the co-founder of Thriller Women with EC Scullion, where they share interviews with female thriller writers. LinksThriller Women Her New Best Fried - Penny Batchelor My Perfect Sister - Penny BatchelorHer Perfect Twin - Sarah Bonner The Thing Around Your Neck - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi You can find Penny Batchelor via her website https://www.pennybatchelor.co.uk/And on Twitter @penny_author

Ali and Penny are back together for a final episode before their summer break. This week they discuss why there are many positives of professional writing being a second or third career for most people. This week is all about mining your previous work for skills that really come in handy for both writing and publishing. From being able to treat your book as a product, to being able to work ahead in "seasons" - whatever your background, there are skills that you will be bringing to the table. LinksWe Need To Talk About Money - Otegha UwagbaHow Much Of These Hills Is Gold? - C. Pam ZhangThings Are Against Us - Lucy Ellmann Don't forget you can check out Not Too Busy To Write on Bookshop.Org to see a full list (and purchase!) all books mentioned in the current series.We'll be back in the Autumn but in the mean time you can find Ali on Instagram @ali_millar_writes and Penny @pennywincer

Claire Fuller is the author of four novels, the latest of which Unsettled Ground is shortlisted for the Women's Prize. Claire started her career as a sculptor with a day job in marketing and we talk about her decision to start writing fiction, which began with short stories, how she uses music to short cut her way into writing mode, leaving the day job behind and novels as an object of creation. Unsettled Ground is the story of 51 yr old twins Jeanie and Julius living in poverty in rural Wiltshire. When their mother suddenly dies, the outside world starts to force it's way in to their isolated existence. It's a stunning portrait of love, resilience and survival.LinksPolly Vaughn performed by Tia BlakeUnsettled Ground - Claire FullerBitter Orange - Claire FullerFugitive Pieces - Anne MichaelsMalibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins ReidYou can find Claire Fuller on Instagram - @writerclairefullerFor a list of Claire's events and workshops visit www.clairefuller.co.uk

Clemmie Telford is a former creative director, a content creator and podcast host of "But Why?" and her first book also called But Why? is about the big tricky questions and having honest conversations with yourself. We dive into structuring a book with a lot of big topics, writing honestly and vulnerably and embracing dyslexia. Clemmie started a blog many years ago called the "Mother of All Lists" which has grown into a platform for others to share their stories in list form - a way of writing which is accessible to so many, even those who never thought of themselves as 'able to write'. *Apologies we had some technical issues while recording and there are a few dodgy sound moments - but please stick with it - it's such a great episode!*LinksBut Why? - Clemmie TelfordMother of All ListsConversations on Love - Natasha LunnThe Joy Luck Club - Amy TanYou can find Clemmie on Instagram @clemmie_telfordAll the book spoken about on Not Too Busy To Write can be found at our bookshop.org shop - https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/not-too-busy-to-write-recommends

Kate Mosse is the international bestselling historical fiction author and the co-founder and chair of the Women's Prize for Fiction. Kate's latest book, An Extra Pair of Hands, is about her experience as an unpaid carer to both of her parents and now her mother in law. We talk about Kate's decision to write about such a personal topic, respecting other peoples stories and contributing to a conversation to shed light on a hidden group. Kate talks about her writing routine and how caring has influence it in recent years. We also take a dive into the Women's Prize, why it was set up and the incredible work it has done to put wonderful books into the hands of readers. From it's inception the prize was designed to look outwards, to include the reader and to support, invest in and value the work of women writers. We also talk about the snobbery around women's fiction and certain genres of fiction. Kate tells us about her standout winners from the past 25 years.Women's Prize Shortlist 2021LinksAn Extra Pair of Hands - Kate Mosse The City of Tears - Kate MosseFugitive Pieces - Anne MichaelsSmall Island - Andrea LevyWe Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel ShriverThe Book About Getting Older - Dr Lucy PollockTo The Ends of The Earth - William GoldingA Line To Kill - Anthony Horowitz Outline - Rachel CuskYou can find Kate Mosse on Twitter and Instagramhttps://www.katemosse.co.uk/

Ali talks to Tanya Shadrick about her forthcoming book, The Cure for Sleep: A Late Waking Life. Described as an electrifying voice, The Cure for Sleep details Tanya's transformative near death encounter after the birth of her first child, and how this became the catalyst to transforming her life. In this intriguing conversation Ali and Tanya talk about the need to be selfish as mothers, how class has impacted on their writing and the importance of not always reading to see their own reflections but instead to broaden the world, while simultaneously understanding that as writers with unusual backgrounds, they have stories that deserve to be told. Read more about Tanya's work and the book here:www.thecureforsleep.com You can follow Tanya here:Twitter: @tanyashadrickInstagram: @tanyashadrickwriter

Rebecca Schiller is the author of four non-fiction books, a freelance journalist and the co-founder of the human rights charity Birth Rights. We take a dive into Rebecca's latest book Earthed - a memoir about returning to the land and how it refuses to follow the usual "good life" tropes and instead documents an unravelling of a woman whose problems follow her. Rebecca is also the founder of Mothers Who Write, which began life as in-person retreats for mothers who need to escape the everyday pressures of the domestic and get some clear headspace for writing. Rebecca talks a little about the future of Mothers Who Write which is now expanding into an online community that she hopes will not only support writers but help them earn an income too. We also go on quite important tangent on the difficulties writers face earning an income and how that can really impact on diversity in publishing.linksEarthed - Rebecca SchillerMothers Who Write You can sign up for Mothers Who Write Mailing List hereBorn Between Crosses - Natasha CarthewWe Should All Be Millionaires - Rachel RodgersYou can find Rebecca Schiller on Instagram @rebecca.schillerPenny @pennywincerAli @ali_millar_writes

Jessica Hatcher-Moore is an award winning foreign correspondent specialising in women's health in conflict zones. After moving back from East Africa to North Wales with her husband to have their first child, she was shocked to find a deep problem within her home country around silence after birth and a lack of care and support for women in the post natal period. After Birth is a pregnancy book all about the period after giving birth and how to recover your body and mind. As an investigative journalist Jessica challenges the given wisdom and found many apposing views and presents a wider view that women are rarely given.Jessica talks about the specific challenges of writing about pregnancy while being pregnant (she handed in her manuscript just before giving birth to her second child) and what she learned from her own research about seeking out help.LinksAfter Birth - Jessica Hatcher-MooreYoung Adam - Alexander TrocchiEarthed - Rebecca Schiller Everyone is Still Alive - Cathy Rentzenbrink You can find Jessica on Instagram @jessicajanehatcher