Alternative Stories and Fake Realities

Send us a textIn this episode of the Alternative Stories podcast we're chatting with poet, novelist and audio drama writer Madeleine F White about the two books she is publishing in the first part of 2025; the poetry collection 'The Horse and The Girl' and the verse memoir 'Maiden Mother Crone'  We have a full length interview with Madeleine and excerpts from the collections read by Madeleine.  We also hear a clip from Madeleine's audio drama 'The Ark' based on her debut novel 'Mother of Floods' and an excerpt from an episode of the 'Write On! Audio' Podcast.  You can follow Madeleine f White on social media here https://bsky.app/profile/madeleinefwhite.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/madeleinefwhitehttps://www.instagram.com/madeleinefwhite/ The Horse and The Girl and Maiden Mother Crone are both published by Sea Crow Press.  You can find out more and order copies here https://www.seacrowpress.com/ Find out more about the  Write On! suite of publications which Madeleine edits hereWrite on! https://pentoprint.org/write-on-features/ Listen to the Write On! Audio Podcast from Pen to Print here https://open.spotify.com/show/4IG6ODY67eJjTXFmC5nFP5?si=3c9f3ebcfd9d4be3If you have enjoyed this podcast you can listen to more from our production company Alternative Stories including our new science fiction drama 'Burnout' here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStoriesSupport the show

Send us a textThere are hundreds of Blue Plaques on buildings around London commemorating the famous people who lived there at some time in the building's history .  But only one building has three plaques for three different people who lived in the building at the same time.  Chiltern Court on Baker Street was home to novelists HG Wells and Arnold Bennett and composer Eric Coates in the early 1930s.  In this new audio drama by Brian Hipkin we imagine a pivotal meeting between the three in December 1930 and a modern day investigation into events from the 30s.  In A Blue Plaque Mystery by Brian Hipkin you heard  Ewan Bailey as Arnold BennettJon Glover as HG Wells Zephryn Taitte as Eric Coates Charlie Richards as The Concierge Grace Savage as CassieRia Knowles as Sunday Tom McEnery as Voice on the recording Maya Cohen Gregory as Phyllis CoatesAnd Samira Ahmed as herself  A Blue Plaque Mystery was directed by Chris Gregory It was produced by Brian Hipkin and Chris Gregory and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard “Orpheus” Campbell Production sound-design and editing were by Chris Gregory The studio assistants were Holly Hughes and Maya Cohen Gregory The music tracks in this production are Saint James Infirmary Blues by Cab CallowayBy a Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates  You can find out more about Brian Hipkin and his work by following him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/brianhipkin/ To find out more about Alternative Stories, listen to our other dramas and contact us you can find all our links here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStoriesSupport the show

Send us a textIn this short episode Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen introduce two new Alternative Stories audio drama series.   You can hear trailers for our two new shows Wasteland and Burnout which are both available on their own podcast platforms. To listen to Wasteland you can search "Wasteland A Dex Legacy Story" wherever you listen to podcasts or you can click here to find it https://pod.link/1790863463If you would like to listen to Burnout you can find it by searching "Burnout Alternative Stories" in your favourite podcast app or click here to find it https://pod.link/1798982875To follow Alternative Stories on social media you can click the links below to find and follow us on your social platform of choice https://www.instagram.com/stories.althttps://bsky.app/profile/storiesalt.bsky.socialhttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.threads.net/@stories.altFollow us to learn more about upcoming Alternative Stories productions including upcoming podcasts in our ninth series. Support the show

Send us a textIn orbit around our planet, an alien creature is listening in on Earth noise.  One sound in particular seems to have a greater significance than others but what does it mean and how will Skim and Beta find out more about it?  In our final Alternative Stories episode of 2024 we are bringing you the winner of the 2024 Pen to Print Audio Play Competition “The Earth Serenades” by Emma Griffiths.    In “The Earth Serenades” by Emma Griffiths you can hear Tiffany Clare as SkimEmily Inkpen as Beta Sophie Macnair as Pree And Chris Gregory as ShakarnOther voices were played by Sophie Macnair and Emma Griffiths  The Earth Serenades was Directed by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen and recorded at Orpheus Studio in LondonThe sound engineer was Richard CampbellMusic, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory The script for the earth serenades is copyright Emma Griffiths and may not be used in whole or in part except with the permission of the author If you would like to enter the 2025 Pen to Print Audio Play Competition you need to be an unpublished audio drama writer and resident in the United Kingdom.  The competition is open to entries until 5pm on Friday 21st March.   You can find out more and download entry terms and conditions via the link belowhttps://pentoprint.org/get-involved/competitions/The interview in this episode was conducted by Emily Inkpen and the presenter was Chris Gregory To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/and Linktree here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStoriesContact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

Send us a textIn this episode we look at the world of gaming and discuss the many and varied storytelling styles and approaches within games.  Our guests are games industry expert, actual-play podcaster and author Oscar Clark and novelist, audio drama author and game writer Emily Inkpen. If you would like to watch a video version of this conversation you can find it on the Alternative Stories YouTube channel here Find out more about Oscar Clark and his work in the games industry by following him Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscarclark/Twitter / X  https://x.com/AthanateusBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/athanateus.bsky.socialYou can watch Oscar's actual play podcast Anything Can Happen on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/@AnythingCouldHappen-showand listen via Spotify here https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anything-could-happenYou can find out more about Emily Inkpen and her work by visiting her websitehere https://www.emilyinkpen.com/Find out more about The Dex Legacy herehttps://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-homeFollow Emily on social media Twitter / X https://x.com/emilyinkpenBlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/emilyinkpen.bsky.socialInstagram https://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpen/To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/and Linktree here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStoriesContact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

Send us a textIn this bonus episode of the podcast we are looking at the Script Club New York City production of  "The Out-Of-Towners Club", an adapted version of an audio drama that originally ran on this podcast back in 2019. In our interview you can hear Script Club NYC members Jackie Jorgenson, Roger Lipson, Alex Highsmith and Jess Thompson talking about their roles in the upcoming performances at the Fiction Bar / Cafe in BrooklynYou can also hear an excerpt from our original audio drama featuring Miguel Antonio as Dan (written by Chris Gregory, Jackie Jorgenson and Mary McDonald) and an excerpt from the Script Club NYC production performed by Alex Highsmith and Jess Thompson. You can get tickets for Out-Of-Towners Club performances on 7th and 21st December here https://script-club-nyc.ticketleap.com/holiday-radio-show/And find out more about Script Club NYC here linktr.ee/scriptclubnycFollow Script Club NYC on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/scriptclubnyc/You can hear our original audio drama of The Out-Of-Towners Club from 2019 here and the sequel "Out-Of-Towners" here To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

Send us a textIn this episode we are introducing another Alternative Stories podcast you may enjoy.  The Writers' Gym features Chris Gregory, Dr Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen and each week we discuss a different writing topic.  Whether you are a writer yourself or simply interested in books and writing you'll find plenty to enjoy.  Covering novels, short fiction, scripts, screenplays, audio drama and all stops in between you can catch the podcast by searching "The Writers Gym" in your favourite podcast app or clicking the links below.Listen / subscribe via Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/show/0myjCJkk2pt6jPfdIa0AAr?si=f18ec34cef764327and via Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-writers-gym-podcast/id1674424465 You can listen to Rachel Knightley's audio drama "Winter Spring" here https://open.spotify.com/episode/2gBu6Bqmc7CiC8zwXTYIPZ?si=b2c423862aaf4438 Emily's drama serial "The Dex Legacy" can be heard here  https://open.spotify.com/show/1aphgDiefw4FdO8EN5LJxy?si=2908e95681354b81 Join the Writers' Gym and book your next writing workout at https://www.rachelknightley.com/the-writers-gym/  Find out more about The Writers' Gym and Rachel Knightley by going to: https://www.rachelknightley.com/Find out more about Emily Inkpen and her work by going to: https://www.emilyinkpen.com/Learn more about Chris Gregory and Alternative Stories here https://alternativestories.com/ Follow the Writers' Gym and contact us on Social Media:https://x.com/TheWritersGymRKhttps://www.instagram.com/jointhewritersgym/ https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheWritersGym/ Subscribe to The Writers' Gym in your favourite podcast app to be notified of all new episodes as they are released.Contact us by email at thewritersgym@rachelknightley.comSupport the show

Send us a textThe Bone Diver is the latest novel from Chicago born novelist Angie Spoto who now lives in Edinburgh.  Telling the story of Keir, an expert diver who is unable to kill, The Bone Diver is a gothic tale of family, the legend of the selkies and a young woman who is offered an impossible choice.Find out more about Angie Spoto and buy a copy of The Bone Diver by visiting her website here https://www.angiespoto.com/Follow Angie Spoto on social media here https://x.com/angiespotowritehttps://www.threads.net/@angiespotowritehttps://www.instagram.com/angiespotowrite/Visit the Black and White website here https://blackandwhitepublishing.com/Find out about the Cymera Festival which is a speculative fiction literary festival held annually in Edinburgh https://www.cymerafestival.co.uk/To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

In this episode we chat with blogger, poet and freelance writer Alanna Duffield about her writing and the art of blogging.   With advice and thoughts on topics, style, frequency of posts and titles this not only a guide to getting started as a blogger but also an insight into Alanna's own creative practice.  We end with a look at Alanna's poetry.Throughout this episode you can hear excerpts from Alanna's blog posts and poems.  These are written, performed and recorded by Alanna Duffield and may not be reproduced in whole or part except with the written permission of the author.  Alanna Duffield is a writer, blogger and poet whose work explores pop culture, relationships, human connection, grief, nature and - of course - writing itself. Her poetry and short stories have been published by the BBC, Dear Damsels and Aurelia Magazine. Her essays and journalism have been published by Cosmopolitan, Metro and Stylist. She also runs SILT, a weekly lifestyle publication on Substack.  Alanna has performed her poetry at Luxembourg Gallery, Mayfair and she was a headline performer for VERSES, a London-based poetry collective. You can read Alanna's blog art  alannaduffield.substack.com Her poetry blog is here  thelinebreak.substack.com and you can follow her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/alannaduffield/To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

In this episode we chat with fantasy author Alethea Lyons about her series of novels and short stories called The Seer of York.  We look at the influences on Thea's writing including the folklore of the British Isles and the inspiration that the City of York has been on her world.   Along the way we hear excerpts from Alethea's writing read by Emily InkpenFind out more about Alethea Lyons by visiting here website here https://alethealyons.wixsite.com/storiesLinks to Alethea's social media channels and many other locations can be found here https://linktr.ee/alethearlyonsYou can find out about Alethea's publisher, Brigid's Gate Press here https://brigidsgatepress.com/If you'd like to find out more about our reader Emily Inkpen and hire her for your voice or writing project you can do so here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/We mentioned Rhianna Pratchett's BBC series about creatures from British folklore and you can listen here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001tgpbTo find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

In this episode we share two short audio dramas by Nottingham based playwright and short fiction author Robbie Laughton.These were two of four plays we recorded with Robbie and our cast in August.  You can listen to our first podcast featuring Robbie's dramas "Hairy Fairy" and "Tormeted" which has since been featured on BBC Radio, here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/episodes/15864824Please note that "Dog Only Knows", our second drama contains very strong and abusive language throughout.  Listener discretion is advised.  Hair's BreadthWhen Bob goes to the supermarket to buy extra supplies for a barbecque, he brings home more than a selction of wine and some hollandaise sauce... in fact, he forgets the hollandaise altogether. In “Hair's Breadth” by Robbie Laughton Chris Gregory played Bob, John was played by David Monteith and Emma by Holy Gillanders.   Other voices were played by members of the cast. "Hair's Breadth" was directed by Emily Inkpen and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.   Sound design and production was by Chris Gregory.  Music was by Franz Gordon. The script for “Hair's Breadth” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.  Dog Only KnowsDog walking can be frustrating when your dog doesn't want to follow orders and the whole world seems to be against you. In “Dog Only Knows” by Robbie Laughton The Man was played by David Monteith.  Other voices were played by Holly Gillanders and Robbie Laughton. "Dog Only Knows" was directed by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.   Sound design, music  and editing were by Chris Gregory. The script for “Dog Only Knows” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.  Find out more about Robbie Laughton and his work by visiting his short fiction site Incredible Shorts here https://incredibleshorts.com/The Writer's Gym PodcastProduced by Alternative Stories and featuring Rachel Knightley, Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory, the Writers' Gym Podcast tackles a different writing topic each week.  With discussions, writing advice, anecdotes and writing challenges you'll enjoy the podcast if you are a writer, reader or someone who enjoys conversations about writing and books. https://open.spotify.com/show/0myjCJkk2pt6jPfdIa0AAr?si=0fd7d646491f4f01To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social mediahttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

In this episode we chat with novelist, academic and short story writer Philippa Holloway about her new short fiction collection "Untethered" which was published last month by Parthian.   Along the way we hear excerpts from the collection performed by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory.  In this podcast you heard excerpts from the following stories A Cloud of Starlings - read by Emily InkpenHandprints - read by Chris GregoryBeached - read by Emily InkpenSound design, editing, music and interviewing were by Chris Gregory You can follow Philippa Holloway on X, formerly twitter here https://x.com/thejackdawspenAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/thejackdawspen/Find out more about Parthian Books and purchase a copy of "Untethered" here https://www.parthianbooks.com/Follow Parthian on X here https://x.com/ParthianBooksAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/parthian_books/ You can listen to Philippa's first podcast with Alt Stories in which we talked about her novel "The Half Life of Snails' here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/episodes/10479070-the-half-life-of-snailsPlease follow Alternative Stories on social media herehttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And to contact the podcast please drop us an email at office@alternativestories.comor visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/Support the show

In this episodes we share a short series of monologues written by Stella Klein and performed by members of the Alternative Stories acting team. Stella Klein is a London-based writer of very short stories and occasional poems. Her flash and micro fiction has appeared in print and online collections published by Fish, 101 Words, Spread the Word, FlashBack Fiction, Flash Fiction Magazine, Reflex Fiction and The Mechanics Institute Review.Reclining Nude is performed by Tiffany Clare Baristas is performed by Chris GregoryThe Day Susan McPhee Was Away is performed by Emily InkpenSausalito is performed by Reginald WestEuphonium Blues is performed by Lewie WatsonEasy Peasy Lets Make Love is performed by Emily Inkpenand Craft Coffee and Climate Change is performed by Chris GregorySound design, editing and music on all monologues is by Chris GregoryFour of these monologues have previously been published:Baristas in City of Stories, Vol. 2. Spread the Word 2018Sausalito (earlier version titled Licorice King)  Flash Fiction Magazine, April 2020Reclining Nude: Fish Anthology, Fish Publishing 2020Craft Coffee and Climate Change, in Defence of Pseudoscience, Reflex Fiction Volume 5. Reflex Press, 2022Please follow Alternative Stories on social media herehttps://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And to contact the podcast please drop us an email at office@alternativestories.comor visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/Support the show

In this episode we chat with fantasy author Alexandra Beaumont about her new novel Dissonance of Birdsong (Brigids Gate Press 2024) Alexandra Beaumont is a fantasy author and folklorist whose debut novel "Testament of the Stars" was also featured on this podcast.  Her latest book, Dissonance of Birdsong draws on the folklore and landscape of Cornwall.You can listen to our original interview on this podcast here  https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/episodes/8376524To find out more about Alexandra Beaumont and her work please visit her website here https://abeaumont75.wixsite.com/homeYou can follow her on X here https://x.com/ABeaumontWriterand Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/abeaumontwriterTo order copies of Dissonance of Birdsong, please follow the links in Alexandra's Linktree https://linktr.ee/AlexandraBeaumontAuthor To find out more about Alexandra's publisher, Brigids Gate Press you can visit their website here https://brigidsgatepress.com/and follow them on X here https://x.com/BrigidsGateYou can follow Alternative Stories on social media via the links below https://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/If you'd like to back the Dex Legacy Season Three Kickstarter please go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3And to contact the podcast please drop us an email at office@alternativestories.comor visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/Support the show

In this episode of the podcast, recorded on a walk in The Welland Valley in eastern Leicestershire Chris Gregory is in conversation with novelist, poet and journalist Tim Relf.  Tim writes fiction under the name T.R. Richmond and his novel "What She Left" is published by Penguin.In this podcast you can hear three poems Scrambler by Tim relf read by Jackie JorgensonBlackberries by Tim Relf read by Chris GregoryAdlestrop by Edward Thomas read by Tim Relf  To find out more about Tim and his work please follow him on X, formerly twitter here https://x.com/timrelfYou can also visit Tim's page at the Professional Writing Academy here https://www.profwritingacademy.com/team/tim_relfIf you'd like to see some of the view Chris and Tim describe in this discussion we'll post some pictures on the Alternative Stories social media pages here https://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/If you'd like to back the Dex Legacy Season Three Kickstarter please go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3And to contact the podcast please drop us an email at office@alternativestories.com or visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/Support the show

In this episode we share two short audio dramas by Nottingham based playwright and short fiction author Robbie Laughton.These were two of four plays we recorded with Robbie and our cast in August and we'll be sharing the other two and more about Robbie in a forthcoming episodeHairy FairyBig Dean is preparing for his release from prison while on the streets of the city a mysterious figure known only as "Hairy Fairy" endlessly collects money for charity.  But what connects them and how will their fortunes intertwine? In “Hairy Fairy ” by Robbie Laughton Chris Gregory played Hairy Fairy, Big Dean was played by David Monteith and the prison guard  by Emily Inkpen.   Holly Gillanders played Lizzie, The Waitress.  Other voices were played by members of the cast. Hairy Fairy was directed by Emily Inkpen and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.   Sound design, editing and music were by Chris Gregory. The script for “Hairy Fairy” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.   TormentedA married couple spend their lives tormenting each other in every aspect of their lives so why do they stay together? In “Tormented” by Robbie Laughton The Man was played by David Monteith and the Woman by Holly Gillanders. Tormented was directed by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.   Sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory and the music was by Franz Gordon.  The script for “Tormented” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.   Find out more about Robbie Laughton and his work by visiting his short fiction site Incredible Shorts here https://incredibleshorts.com/To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can follow us on social media https://x.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/or visit our website https://alternativestories.com/Contact us by email at office@alternativestories.comSupport the show

Today we're sharing an interview with novelist, short story writer and award winning audio drama script writer, Emily Inkpen.   You can back our kickstarter to make season 3 of The  Dex Legacy Season here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3If you'd like to see a video version of this interview you can find it on the Alternative Stories YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@alternativestoriesandfaker6885You can find out more about Emily Inkpen and her work by visiting her website here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/Find out more about The Dex Legacy here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-homeFind out more about the Fantasy and Sci Fi Spotlight event which will be held on 29th September at the Nerdy Cafe in Shrewsbury here https://www.fantasyandscifispotlight.co.uk/And find out about and book onto Alternative Stories workshops with Emily and Chris here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/alternative-stories-32973233175Find out more about Alternative Stories and book us to record your audio drama, book promotional materials or interviews here https://alternativestories.com/for which we'll share a link in our show notes.  If you'd like to back our season 3 kickstarter you'll also find a link in our show notes or you can go to kickstarter .com and search “The Dex Legacy  To find out more about Emily and her world of writing , directing and teaching you can visit her website here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/about To follow Emily on social media please kick the links below https://twitter.com/emilyinkpenhttps://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpen/https://www.threads.net/@emilyinkpenSupport the show

In this edition we chat with author Lyndsey Croal about her new and acclaimed short fiction collection “Limelight”,  We are also joined by Limelight's publisher Alan Lastufka from Shortwave Publishing for a conversation about the topics covered in the collection, Lyndsey's writing and inspiration and the world of indie publishing.  The podcast includes excerpts from Limelight.  If you would like to learn more about Lyndsey Croal you can visit her website https://lyndseycroal.co.uk/   Here you can order copies of Lyndsey's books and subscribe to her newsletter  You can also follow Lyndsey on social media https://twitter.com/writerlyndshttps://www.instagram.com/lyndseycroal/ To find out more about Shortwave Publishing and their work visit their website here https://shortwavepublishing.com/ You can follow Shortwave on social media https://x.com/ShortwaveBookshttps://www.instagram.com/shortwavebooks/ The stories featured in today's podcast are copyright Lyndsey Croal and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the author's permission. The dramatised version of “A Ring Around” starred Tiffany Clare as Elara + Dina and Emily Inkpen as Sage.  It was co-directed and recorded by Tiffany and Emily with sound design and music by Chris Gregory.The readings were by Chris Gregory and Lyndsey Croal If you would like to find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/ Or contact us via office@alternativestories.com  And if you would like to find out more about and support The Dex Legacy Season 3 Kickstarter please go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3 Join us next time for an interview with the writer of the Dex Legacy Emily Inkpen. Support the show

In this bonus episode we have an interview with the writer of our audio drama Winter Spring, Dr Rachel Knightley.  Rachel talks with co-director Emily Inkpen about the inspiration for her story and the joy of bringing it to life in the studio.   This interview was recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.   If you would like to find out more about Rachel Knightley and her writing coaching organisation The Writers' Gym please go to  https://www.writersgym.com/ You can follow Rachel on X at https://twitter.com/DrRKnightleyAnd on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/drrachelknightley/  You may also enjoy The Writers' Gym Podcast in which Rachel, Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory have weekly conversations about writing topics.  You can listen here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-writers-gym-podcast/id1674424465Or by searching “the writers gym” wherever you listen to podcasts.   If you would like to find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/ Or contact us via office@alternativestories.com   And if you would like to find out more about and support The Dex Legacy Season 3 Kickstarter please go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3  This podcast has been an Alternative Stories 2024 production Support the show

Welcome to Season 8 of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realites Podcast. Our new season begins with Winter Spring, an audio drama by Dr Rachel Knightley.   In Winter Spring by Dr Rachel Knightley you can hearHolly Gillanders as PoppyNic Lamont as AliceSam Kennard as AshDavid Ellis as Harris Adam Rhys-Davies as Kit Nicholas Vince as “Daddy”  Winter Spring was written by Rachel Knightley It was recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell.  Direction was by Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen.Sound design, editing and music were by Chris Gregory  The script for Winter Spring is copyright Rachel Knightley and may not be reproduced in whole or part except with the written permission of the author   If you would like to find out more about Rachel Knightley and her writing coaching organisation The Writers' Gym please go to  https://www.writersgym.com/ You can follow Rachel on X at https://twitter.com/DrRKnightleyAnd on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/drrachelknightley/ You may also enjoy The Writers' Gym Podcast in which Rachel, Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory have weekly conversations about writing topics.  You can listen here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-writers-gym-podcast/id1674424465Or by searching “the writers gym” wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you would like to find out more about Alternative Stories and our work you can visit our website here https://alternativestories.com/Or contact us via office@alternativestories.com  And if you would like to find out more about and support The Dex Legacy Season 3 Kickstarter please go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-3  This podcast has been an Alternative Stories 2024 production presented by Holly Gillanders and Chris Gregory . Support the show

In this edition of the podcast we're chatting with writer, folklorist and historian Amy Boucher about plans for more from the world of her folk horror audio drama The Best of Men which was originally broadcast on this podcast.  If you would like to find out more about the project to make season 2 of The Best of Men and to pledge your support to the project via our kickstarter campaign you can do so here.  Remember the campaign runs until 23rd May so please back it by then to enjoy our rewards and support our project. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cgregory/the-best-of-men-a-folk-horror-audio-drama To listen to the first two episodes of the drama via this podcast's archive please go to Part one   https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/12499890-the-best-of-men-an-audio-drama-part-onePart two https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/12600423-the-best-of-men-an-audio-drama-part-two And to find out more about writer Amy Boucher and the folklore of Shropshire  please follow her on X formerly twitter here https://twitter.com/g0blineggSupport the Show.

Following the loss of her father,  Margo is trying to come to terms with bereavement and the unkindness of her classmates at school when she begins to experience some strange encounters.  In this moving drama by Gemma Johnson, performed by members of the Creative Youth Company we explore Margo's journey towards recovery and the individuals and communities that help her. In Margo's story by Gemma Johnson you can hear  Margo:  Sophia HortonAggie:  Aubrey JohnsonMum:  Gemma JohnsonBev the Librarian/TV Narrator:  Jade TaylorKelly:  Millie MillingtonKelly's Friend:  Millie DysonDaz:  Charlie WoodhouseDaz's Mate 1:  John Paul HarrisonDaz's Mate 2: Shaye WilliamsMr Bradley:  Chris GregorySimon:  Michael JohnsonAuntie Pat:  Sehra Hussain-ChoudhryThe sound effects for Toby were provided by Poppy Sue the labrador Margo's story was Recorded on location at St Martin's Church, Castleton. Greater Manchester.   The cast of young actors are members of the non profit group The Creative Youth Company: creativeyouthcompany@gmail.com Margo's story is based on an original script by Gemma Johnson The audio drama was directed by Chris Gregory and Gemma Johnson Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories Gemma Johnson is co-founder of a non profit organisation that supports children and young people with paranormal education.  To find out more please visit the website: www.juniorparanormalevents.co.uk or email juniorparanormalevents@gmail.com  We would like to thank everyone who generously backed and supported this project via our fundraising campaign or through offering their time and expertise.   The script for Margo's Story  is copyright Gemma Johnson and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or part except with the permission of the author.  Support the Show.

Camlann is the new audio drama from Tin Can Audio written by Ella Watts.  In this special edition we chat with Ella and sound designer / composer Amber Devereux of Tin Can Audio about the creation of the show.  Chris Gregory and Dex Legacy writer Emily Inkpen chatted with Ella and Amber via zoom so the sound quality isn't always perfect.  We hope this doesn't spoil your enjoyment of the conversation. Camlann is a post-apocalyptic drama based on folklore and Arthurian legend You can listen and subscribe by searching "Camlann" in your favourite podcast app or....To listen via Apple please click here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/camlann-an-audio-drama/id1714630550And Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/show/1sXRFAqZoVduDQ0NgcD8Fl?si=f585aedabd2f40ba Follow the Camlann team on X here https://twitter.com/camlannpodAs always for new audio drama productions, if you enjoy episode one (which is out on Monday 15th January) please subscribe, leave a rating or review.  These small acts of kindness go a long way to raising the profile of the show Find out more about Amber Devereux and their Tin Can Audio production company here https://www.tincanaudio.co.uk/Follow Tin Can Audio on Twitter here https://twitter.com/TinCanAudio And visit Ella's website here https://www.ella-watts.com/And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/GejWatts Emily Inkpen is the writer of The Dex Legacy audio drama (which you can find out more about here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ ) books and short fiction.  You can follow Emily on twitter here https://twitter.com/emilyinkpen and instagram here https://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpen/Support the show

Flood survival operations are underway aboard the Ark and Captain Noah has delegated command to his sons and their partners.  But as the voyage begins a spate of mysterious deaths prompt Parphia to turn detective and embark upon the world's first ever murder mystery.  She is determined to record every last clue and discovery as she tries to solve the crimes, but has she bitten off more than she can chew and can she survive the mysterious Ark killer?   In Ark by Stephanie Weston you heard  Tiffany Clare as ParphiaCharlie Richards as JaphetEmily Inkpen as OllaStephanie Weston as LeahAnd Chris Gregory as HamArk was directed by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen  Sound design, music and editing were by Chris Gregory Ark was recorded at Orpheus Studio in London and by Richard Campbell  Ark by Stephanie Weston was the winner of the 2023 Pen to Print Audio Play competition.  If you would like to enter the 2024 competition which is aimed at new and first time writers you'll need to be a resident of the UK and submit a script of approximately half an hour.  You'll find a full set of regulations and more details about the competition on the pen to print website  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/competitions-2023/ You can find out more about Stephanie Weston by visiting her website https://tabb.cc/stephanie-westonAnd you can follow Stephanie on instagram here https://www.instagram.com/stephanie__weston/ This will be our final podcast of 2023 but we'll resume our seventh season early in 2024  Ark is an alternative stories 2023 production for the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.Support the show

Our guest on this edition of Alternative Stories  is writer, writing coach and teacher Dr Rachel Knightley.  We chatted on zoom about Rachel's short story cycle “Twisted Branches”  To buy a copy of Twisted Branches from the publisher Black Shuck Book please click the link below https://blackshuckbooks.co.uk/twisted-branches And find out more about Rachel and her wider work you can visit her website here https://www.rachelknightley.com/ You can follow Rachel Knightley on X, formerly twitter, here https://twitter.com/DrRKnightleyAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/drrachelknightley/ Read Rachel's work on Substack here https://substack.com/@drrachelknightley  To find out more about Alternative Stories and our work please visit our website https://alternativestories.com/You can follow us on X (formerly twitter)  https://twitter.com/StoriesAltOn Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And on Threads https://www.threads.net/@stories.alt Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.  The interviewer was Chris Gregory who also did the sound design, music and editing. Support the show

In this edition we look behind the scenes at the making of our science fiction drama The Dex Legacy This podcast originally went out as an episode of The Dex Legacy Podcast and was released before the current season started. You can find out more about The Dex Legacy, subscribe and listen by searching The Dex Legacy in your favourite podcast app or by clicking the link below.https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ You can follow The Dex Legacy on X (formerly Twitter) at https://twitter.com/thedexlegacyOn Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thedexlegacy And on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thedexlegacy1/ Unfortunately the London Lit Lab workshop led by Chris Gregory and Emily Inkpen has now passed but you can join further Alternative Stories writing for audio workshops with London Lit Lab here https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/courses/ And a free writing workshop looking behind the scenes at the Dex Legacy with Chris and Emily will be run by Pen to Print on 7th December and you can book here https://pentoprint.org/about/events/Watch out for details of more writing workshops from Alternative Stories in the new year.Support the show

The second season of the Seren Poetry Podcast begins this week and in this preview edition we chat with Sarah Johnson from Seren who will be the interviewer in this series and hear poems from the featured poets.  Thank you to Sarah Johnson from Seren for being our guest in this editionSound design and production are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories  Subscribe to the Seren Poetry Podcast in your favourite podcast app by searching “the seren poetry podcast” or click the link below https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359To find out more about the Alternative Stories audio workshop series with London Lit Lab which features Chris Gregory and guests including actor and presenter Tiffany Clare go to the London Lit Lab website here  https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/courses/Workshops will be running weekly between now and mid-December Find out more about Alternative Stories by visiting our website https://alternativestories.com/And follow us on social media On X (twitter) https://twitter.com/StoriesAltOn Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.altAnd on Threads https://www.threads.net/@stories.altSupport the show

Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast in which we chat with poet Matthew Stewart about his new Happenstance collection “Whatever you do, just don't”  You can order a copy of the collection via Happenstance here https://www.happenstancepress.com/index.php/shop/product/47818-whatever-you-do-just-don-t/category_pathway-64 And visit Happenstance to find out more about their work and publications here http://www.happenstancepress.com/Find Happenstance on x here https://twitter.com/Nell_NelsonTo find out more about Matthew Stewart you can follow him on X, formerly twitter, here https://twitter.com/roguestrands And read Matthew's blog Rogue Strands here http://roguestrands.blogspot.com/This podcast is presented and edited by Chris Gregory  You heard a trailer for the Seren Poetry Podcast series two as part of this podcast.  You can listen to season one and subscribe to be alerted when new episodes are available by searching for “The Seren Poetry Podcast” in your favourite podcast app or clicking the link below https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359 To find out more about the Alternative Stories audio workshop series with London Lit Lab which features Chris Gregory and guests including actor and presenter Tiffany Clare go to the London Lit Lab website here  https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/courses/ Workshops will be running weekly between now and mid-December  Find out more about Alternative Stories by visiting our website https://alternativestories.com/ And follow us on social media On X (twitter) https://twitter.com/StoriesAltOn Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.altAnd on Threads https://www.threads.net/@stories.altSupport the show

In this edition we chat with author Lyndsey Croal about her novelette "Have You Decided on your Question?" her audio drama "Daughter of Fire and Water" and the kickstarter campaign for the forthcoming climate change edition of the "Shoreline of Infinity" magazine which she will be editing.  Find out more about Lyndsey Croal by visiting her website here https://lyndseycroal.co.uk/Follow Lyndsey on twitter here https://twitter.com/writerlyndsAnd instagram here https://www.instagram.com/lyndscroal/Order a copy of Lyndsey's novelette "Have You Decided on your Question?" from Shortwave Publishing here https://shortwavepublishing.com/catalog/have-you-decided-on-your-question-novelette/Find out more about Shoreline of Infinity and back the kickstarter campaign we talked about in the interview here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soig/shoreline-of-infinity-the-climate-change-issue Listen to both parts of Lyndsey's Alternative Stories audio drama "Daughter of Fire and Water" here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/7925203-daughter-of-fire-and-water-an-audio-drama-part-onehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/8017320-daughter-of-fire-and-water-an-audio-drama-part-two We'd like to thank everyone who backed the Dex Legacy kickstarter campaign.  With your help we reached our first stretch goal target meaning that all our recording costs have been covered.  Your generosity means that season 2 will definitely be happening.  Recording will start soon and we are aiming for a release in the autumn. Find out more about The Dex Legacy by visiting our website at  https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ Editions of alternative stories will be a little more sporadic over the summer period as our focus shifts to recording and editing new drama productions that we'll be sharing as part of our autumn season.  Listen out though for a couple of guest edited editions and more from our spell sounds soundscape series Subscribe by searching alternative stories in your favourite podcast app to have new editions delivered to you the moment they are released.If you have enjoyed the podcast and are new to Alt Stories please check out more of our work by visiting our website https://alternativestories.com/You can follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/StoriesAltAnd on instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And you can contact us via email at office@alternativestories.com Support the show

Performed by Carole Pluckrose  and Ria Knowles https://www.spotlight.com/1418-7861-2841Produced in association with The Boathouse Barking CIC.   https://www.boathousebarkingstudios.com/ Instagram Facebook ©Carole Pluckrose 2023Dedicated to Edgar, Anne and Sheelagh Script editors :Claire Steele,  Jill Glenn, Constellations ConsultancyWith thanks for their enduring support and critical friendship to: Tony Humphreys, Nick Crean, Carl Blackburn. Mark and Dan Horn, Martin Heaney, Julie Wedge, Dorinda Hulton, Pen to Print  and Grace and Phoebe Pluckrose-Oliver I started writing Notes From Dad's Room in 2017, a few months following my dad, Edgar's death in November 2016. As a writer and theatre maker it was the natural place to go.    In 2015 Edgar had been given 3/4 weeks to live following a heart condition which he had managed for over 30 years. With an imminent terminal diagnosis when no more could be done to improve his health he came back from hospital to die at home.  Despite all the predictions however he lived for a further 15 months. In large part this was to do with an attitude of mind and a full engagement still in the world, family and thought despite being bedridden and confined to his bedroom. Somehow he managed to live this period largely with grace and positivity by looking outside himself into the world, and stubbornly refusing to reduce his rich imagination and sheer love of life. He travelled through this time and space in much the way he had told me stories when I was a child.  During this time I began a Facebook group,  firstly for updates about Edgar's progress, but soon it turned into an open, tender and insightful conversation about death and dying. It was full of rich reflections and the resounding message was that it was a much welcome space to open up the often taboo discussion about mortality, our own and those we love. It was also a space to share stories of parent/child relationships, about the things we lay down in our children's lives that have a lifetime of significance. The play is a result of these conversations and it has been through many iterations in the intervening years, with a rehearsed reading at UEL with Ria Butler, a Zoom reading during the pandemic. It's been scrutinised by critical friends, supported by writers and writing mentors Claire Steele, Tony Humphreys, Nick Crean, Carl Blackburn. Through making this piece we want to share the story of a journey of love and caring and the liminal space inhabited in the time of impending loss. We know that so many of us live lives of caring behind closed doors and the toll emotionally and economically can be enormous. We want to share this story as an act of commonality and solidarity with those travelling this path right now.  I am also a celebrant and have learnt so much from my work with families in grief when supporting them in writing and officiating funeral ceremonies.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolepluckrose/ Carole Pluckrose instagram Tickets and further details of our writing workshop day on 1st July https://tinyurl.com/354ut7s3Support The Dex Legacy Season 2 fundraiser https://tinyurl.com/9ryhppyzSupport the show

Spell sounds is an audiofiction soundscape series in which we combine poetry and prose with sound effects to evoke places, spaces and landscapes  In this edition you heard the voices of Tiffany Clare, Sally Walker Taylor, Cee Cee and Chris GregoryYou heard writing by Lyndsey CroalAnge WilsonAnna ChorltonJosh HoltonJoana VarandaCee CeeAnd Chris Gregory Soundscapes, music, mix and editing were by Alternative StoriesSound effects were by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.org Please listen out for more from our Spell Sound series soon.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed pieces for the series. Next week on Alternative Stories we'll bring you Audio drama : Notes from Dad's Room by Carole Pluckrose Subscribe by searching alternative stories in your favourite podcast app to have all editions delivered to you the moment they are released.  Support the show

In this edition we speak to science fiction writer Frasier Armitage about his novel New Yesterday which was published earlier this year.  Frasier is the author of our award winning audio drama Postcards from Another World and several pieces of short fiction.  Chris Gregory met Frasier over zoom to discuss the writing process and his influences.  The excerpts from New Yesterday were read by Chris Gregory and the excerpts from Postcards from Another World featured the voices of Sarah Golding, Marie-Claire Wood and Emily Inkpen Music and sound design were by Alternative Stories and the interviewer was Chris Gregory  You can buy a copy of New Yesterday and Frasier's other publications by visiting his author page on Amazon here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frasier-ArmitageYou can find out more about Frasier by visiting https://frasierarmitage.com/And follow him on twitter here https://twitter.com/FrasierArmitageAnd you can hear Postcards from Another World here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11897671 If you enjoy science fiction you may like our sci fi serial drama The Dex Legacy which is written by Emily Inkpen.  You can listen and subscribe by searching The Dex Legacy in your favourite podcast app or click the link below https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546 If you would like to support us to make season 2 of The Dex Legacy and gain some unique rewards along the way you can make a pledge to our kickstarter campaign here  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-2 and to listen to more science fiction and climate fiction from Alternative Stories check out this podchaser playlist  https://www.podchaser.com/lists/sci-fi-and-climate-fiction-on-alternative-stories-107aDoFzmM If you haven't already subscribed to Alternative Stories and Fake Realities you can do so by searching Alternative Stories in your favourite podcast app.If you would like to work with us or enquire about our courses and workshops please contact us via email at office@alternativestories.comYou can also follow us on twitter where we posts as https://twitter.com/StoriesAltAnd Instagram where we are https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ Our next workshop will be on 1st July and it will cover writing for audio drama, taking audio from page to production, monologues in audio drama and writing for audio fiction.  You can find out more and book via Alex Davis Events here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-for-audio-with-chris-gregory-and-emily-inkpen-tickets-634717375757Support the show

Storying our Futures is a new podcast series looking at the climate crisis in east Africa and the ways in which storytelling can help to spread information to the local population. Through the eyes of two Kenyan storytellers, Mara and John, we travel with them through South Sudan and northern Kenya to see how the crisis is affecting local communities. "Storying our Futures: climate resilience through indigenous knowledge" is a UK/East Africa collaborative project bringing traditional oral storytellers together with East African pastoralist communities, scientific meteorologists, journalists, and indigenous traditional climate forecasters known as Rainmakers, to amplify and explore the many ways that storytelling can support system change.  Chris Gregory from Alternative  Stories undertook the sound design and editing work for this podcast series. The podcast series is a joint venture between Adverse Camber, a UK based arts production company, ICPAC, a specialised organisation fostering climate services and knowledge to enhance community resilience in Africa, The British Council, Cath Heinemeyer of York St John University and storyteller / activist Hannah McDowall.  To learn more and listen you can go to to the Adverse Camber website www.adversecamber.orgor listen via Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/show/4Jof3zj7OY68TLjIfdndXw?si=2aa371d9d24f433aor YouTube here https://youtu.be/ZIOdlh80Rx4You can follow Adverse Camber and find out more about their work by following them on social media Twitter.  https://twitter.com/adversecamber20Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adversecamberontour/ If you would like to find out more about the Dex Legacy season two kickstarter campaign you can do so here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-2 Here you'll find information about why we need funding, what your pledges will pay for and the rewards you can get by backing the project.  You'll also be able to find out about our cast and listen to a new and exclusive piece of music by our soundtrack composer Allen Stroud. You can follow The Dex Legacy on twitter here https://twitter.com/thedexlegacyAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/thedexlegacy1/ Thank you as always for listening to this edition of Alternative Stories and Fake RealitiesYou can follow Alternative Stories on twitter here https://twitter.com/StoriesAltAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ You can contact us by email via office@alternativestories.com Support the show

Marc Hughes, the larger-than-life presenter of the supernatural investigation TV show Paranormal Takedown, is in Shropshire visiting his friend Jack who claims that the Devil is active in the county.  Alongside co-host Emilie Daniels, Marc has decided to make a special edition about the weird goings-on but upon arrival in the county he starts to realise that the stories he is hearing are stranger and darker than he imagined.  Catch up with part one of the drama here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/12499890Content warning : this podcast contains swearing, suggestions of peril and references to violence , death and injury. In the Best of Men by Amy Boucher you can hear, in order of appearanceTiffany Clare as Emilie Alex White as MarcCarl Wharton as JackAmy Boucher as the woman in the pubChris Gregory as 'Owd ScratchEmily Inkpen as Laura Other parts are played by members of the cast Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative StoriesCasting and actor direction is by Chris Gregory and Amy BoucherSound effects are by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.orgThe script for The Best of Men is by Amy Boucher and may not be reproduced in whole or in part other than with the permission of the author. You can find out more about our writer Amy Boucher by visiting her blog here https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/g0blinegg You can follow Alternative Stories on social media here Twitter https://twitter.com/StoriesAltInstagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And contact us by email here office@alternativestories.com  Find out more about our lead actors, and hire them to voice your podcast or drama Tiffany Clare  https://twitter.com/TiffanyEclairAlex White  https://twitter.com/alexwhiteactorCarl Wharton https://twitter.com/carlwharton Emily Inkpen is the writer of our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy.  Find out more and listen here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/If you've enjoyed The Best of Men please check out our other folklore and folk horror productions via this Podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/folklore-folk-horror-and-fairytale-on-alternative-stories-107a9Gdi9hWe'd also  like to recommend another podcast we think you'll enjoy - The Spectre of the Sea is by  Owen Staton and Bethan Briggs Miller and features folklore, legend and history from the Welsh coastline.  Listen and find out more here.podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/spe…https://twitter.com/spectre_sea We always appreciate ratings and reviews so if you have enjoyed this edition please rate or review the podcast on apple podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or any podcast app that accepts ratings. Support the showSupport the show

Thank you for listening to this edition of The Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast featuring the new novel "Spring Fever" by Thomas Legendre Readings from Spring Fever were by Tiffany Clare with Thomas Legendre playing Craig Merleau in the interview excerptThe interviewer was Chris GregoryEditing sound design and original music were by Alternative Stories  Spring Fever is available now from publisher Valley Press and more widely from 1st June Order a copy directly from Valley Press here https://www.valleypressuk.com/shop/p/spring-fever Find out more about Thomas Legendre by visiting his website here https://www.thomaslegendre.com/ And follow him on twitter here https://twitter.com/legendreality Readings in this podcast were by Tiffany Clare.  You can find out more about Tiffany and hire her for your voice stage or film project by visiting her website here https://www.voicebytiffany.com/  Get updates on forthcoming Alternative Stories podcasts and find out about our writers and actors by following us on social media where we post as https://twitter.com/StoriesAltAnd https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ Hire us to produce your drama or podcast.  Get in touch via office@alternativestories.com  Listen out for part 2 of The Best of Men by Amy Boucher coming soon. Support the show

When Marc Hughes, the larger-than-life presenter of the TV show Paranormal Takedown, receives a series of increasingly desperate voice mail messages from his childhood friend Jack claiming that a great evil is loose in Shropshire, he is sceptical.  Realising that investigating the story might make for great television he sets off to debunk Jack's claims and finds himself at the heart of some dark and dangerous folk beliefs that seem to have spilled over from stories to reality.  Content warning : this podcast contains swearing, suggestions of peril and references to violence , death and injury. In the Best of Men by Amy Boucher you can hear, in order of appearance Tiffany Clare as Emilie Alex White as MarcCarl Wharton as Jack Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative StoriesCasting and actor direction is by Chris Gregory and Amy BoucherSound effects are by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.orgThe script for The Best of Men is by Amy Boucher and may not be reproduced in whole or in part other than with the permission of the author. You can find out more about our writer Amy Boucher by visiting her blog here https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/g0blinegg You can follow Alternative Stories on social media here Twitter https://twitter.com/StoriesAltInstagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/And contact us by email here office@alternativestories.com  Find out more about our actors, and hire them to voice your podcast or drama Tiffany Clare  https://twitter.com/TiffanyEclairAlex White  https://twitter.com/alexwhiteactorCarl Wharton https://twitter.com/carlwharton The second part of The Best of Men will be out in April on this podcast.  Please subscribe to have it delivered to you the moment it is released. If you've enjoyed The Best of Men please check out our other folklore and folk horror productions via this Podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/folklore-folk-horror-and-fairytale-on-alternative-stories-107a9Gdi9h We always appreciate ratings and reviews so if you have enjoyed this edition please rate or review the podcast on apple podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or any podcast app that accepts ratings. Support the show

Thank you for listening to the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.  Our guest in this edition is Alex Davis of the UK Ghost Story Festival  You can find out more about the festival, book tickets and read more about the participants by visiting the festival website here  https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/Follow the festival on twitter here https://twitter.com/GhostStoryFestAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/ghoststoryfestival/And follow Alex Davis on twitter here https://twitter.com/AlexDavis1981 Our podcast was recorded at the Museum of Making in Derby.  https://www.derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making/Follow the museum on twitter here https://twitter.com/MuseumofMakingAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/derbymuseums/ We share excerpts from the following audio books in this podcast The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke (Harper Collins) Read by Paula Mastertonhttps://carolynjesscooke.com/Follow C J on twitter here https://twitter.com/CJessCooke The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell. (Raven)  Read by Sheila Atimhttps://www.laurapurcell.com/Follow Laura on twitter here https://twitter.com/spookypurcell The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce (Penguin) The audiobook of The Witch in the Well is narrated by Christina Cole, Emily Barber and Charlotte Daveyhttps://camillabruce.com/Follow Camilla Bruce on twitter here https://twitter.com/millacream The House of Footsteps by Mathew West (Harper North)  read by Joshua Manninghttps://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-house-of-footsteps-mathew-westFollow Mathew West on twitter here https://twitter.com/mathewoneT Thank you to Alex Davis for being our guest in this edition and The Museum of Making in Derby for hosting our interview.  We'd also like to thank the authors and publishers whose work is featured in this podcast. If you've enjoyed this podcast and would like to hear more ghostly fiction please check out our 2 part Ghostlore anthology Part one https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/10264614-ghostlore-an-audio-fiction-anthology-part-one-wildernessPart two https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/10353265-ghostlore-an-audio-fiction-anthology-part-two-hauntingsPlease also check out our ghostly audio drama The Gathering by Lewis Carter here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11594709-the-gathering-an-audio-drama If this is your first time listening to our podcast please subscribe to have all future editions delivered to your podcast feed the moment they are released.  You can find us by searching “alternative stories” in your favourite podcast appSupport the show

In this podcast we look at working class writers, their work and experience with guest editor Amber Hall.  We look at the difficulties that working class writers overcome and the limitations and expectation placed upon them by the wider world of literature. We speak to guests 1990s Chris and Lisa McKenzie both of whom ae part of the Working Class Collective, A community of working class creatives formed during the pandemic. This podcast was guest edited by Amber Hall.  Amber also interviewed 1990s Chris and Lisa McKenzie for this podcast.  You can find out more about Amber by following her on social media  You can follow her on twitter here   https://twitter.com/amber_marie_123And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/amber.marie.123/ Amber is a member of the editorial team for Write On! and you can read an interview with her here  https://pentoprint.org/write-on-interviews-writer-amber-hall/ Lisa McKenzie is a writer and academic from Nottingham.   You can find out more about her and her work by visiting her website  https://lisamckenzie1968.wixsite.com/website You can follow Lisa on Twitter here https://twitter.com/redrumlisa  1990s Chris is a queer writer, poet, performer and film maker originally from Hereford and now living in Bristol   You can find lots of Chris's work via his Linktree here https://linktr.ee/1990schris And follow Chris on Twitter here https://twitter.com/1990sChris Lisa and Chris are both members of the Working Class Collective.  Find out more about the collective and buy the book “Lockdown Diaries of the Working Class” via their website here  https://www.workingclasscollective.co.uk/ Follow the collective on Twitter here https://twitter.com/WorkingClassCol You can hear 1990s Chris performing his piece “Sink” as part of this podcast Join us next week for a podcast about the UK Ghost Story Festival https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/Support the show

Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.  In this edition we speak to Cailean Steed, the author of a new novel “Home” which is published by Raven Bloomsbury on 19th January.  The novel deals with Zoe, a young woman who has grown up as part of a repressive religious cult who returns to rescue her sister. Excerpts from the audiobook of “Home” in this episode were read by Paula Masterton.  The audiobook is published on the same day as the hardback and e-book versions of the novel.The interviewer was Chris GregorySound design, editing and music were also by Chris Gregory To find out more about Cailean Steed you can visit their website here https://www.caileansteed.com/ And follow them on social media here https://twitter.com/CaileanSteedhttps://www.instagram.com/caileansteedauthor/ To order a copy of Home via the Raven Bloomsbury website follow this link https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/fiction/crime-thriller-mystery/And follow Raven Bloomsbury on twitter here : https://twitter.com/bloomsburyraven If you have enjoyed this podcast please subscribe in your favourite podcast app if you haven't already.  Just search for alternative stories wherever you listen to podcasts.  Coming up soon we have a podcast about working class writers with Amber Hall, a new audio drama “The Best of Men” by Amy Boucher and a feature on the UK Ghost Story Festival.  You may also enjoy the other podcasts made by Alternative Stories The Seren Poetry Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359Write On! Audio, a podcast aimed at writers which we make for Pen to Print : https://anchor.fm/pentoprintAnd our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ If you would like to contact us you can do so via office@alternativestories.com And follow us on twitter https://www.thedexlegacy.com/And Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/Support the show

Making a life on a new world following a family tragedy, Lyra and Neeva reflect on their past lines as farmers on Epsilon while coming to terms with the realities of existence on their new home, Lunasetti.  Postcards From Another World by Frasier Armitage is the winner of the 2022 Pen to Print audio play competition. In Postcards from Another World by Frasier Armitage you heard  Sarah Golding as LyraMarie-Claire Wood as NeevaWarren Graham as ZaboEmily Inkpen as the computerRhiannon Armitage as the Lunasetti spaceport announcer Chris Gregory as Privik.  Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories The original score was composed and performed by Chris GregorySound effects were from Freesound.orgCasting advice, actor coaching and beta listening were by Frasier Armitage.  You can find out more about Frasier Armitage and his work by visiting his website here https://frasierarmitage.com/You can follow Frasier on twitter here https://twitter.com/FrasierArmitageAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/frasierarmitage/You can contact and hire our lead actors by visiting them onlineSarah Golding https://sarahgoldingvoiceactorandmore.weebly.com/Marie-Claire Wood https://linktr.ee/MarieClaireWoodWarren Graham https://twitter.com/wg973Emily Inkpen  https://www.emilyinkpen.com/ The script for Postcards from Another World by Frasier Armitage was the winner of the 2022 Pen to Print audio play competition.  We would like to thank Pen to print for their support in the making of this drama and for sponsoring this annual competition.  The 2023 competition is open for entries now.  We are looking for scripts of around half an hour (4- 5000 words) and the competition is open to UK residents only.  You have until 31st March to submit your entires and you can find out more and enter the competition here  https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/competitions-2023/We hope you've enjoyed listening to Postcards From Another World.   Please join us in 2023 for more audio drama, poetry and fiction podcasts   You can subscribe by searching for alternative stories in your favourite podcast app. If you've enjoyed this audio drama please check out our other science fiction , fantasy and cli fi productions.  Here's a link to a podchaser playlist  https://www.podchaser.com/lists/sci-fi-and-climate-fiction-on-alternative-stories-107aDoFzmM You'll also enjoy our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy by Emily Inkpen – search The Dex Legacy in your favourite podcast app to listen and subscribe. https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ We'd like to end this podcast with a recommendation for an audio drama we think you'll enjoy..  Set in the wilds of British Columbia, Darkstead is a fantasy crime drama by writer / director Lucy Gib Smith.   You can listen and subscribe to Darkstead here   https://www.darkstead.com/Support the show

When Sasha and Gemma's mother dies they are contacted by the mysterious solicitor Clark, with news that the rambling and isolated family home, Harrington Hall has been left to the sisters as part of the will.  There's a catch however: in order to gain their inheritance Sasha and Gemma must spend a night together in the abandoned house… Content warning : This drama contains strong language and depictions of peril and horror. In The Gathering by Lewis Carter you can hearMiztli Rose as Sasha Phoebe Batteson Brown as Gemma Alex White as Tom Chris Gregory as ClarkSarah Golding as Mrs HarringtonMarie-Claire Wood as Rosie And Emily Inkpen as the nurse Other voices were played by members of the cast. Production, sound design, music and editing were by Chris GregoryRecordings of Sasha and Gemma were by Phoebe Batteson BrownCasting was by Chris Gregory and Lewis CarterSound effects were from Freesound.org and created by the teamThe presenter in this podcast is Tiffany Clare The script for The Gathering is copyright Lewis Carter and may not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the author.  Lewis Carter is an award winning writer and filmmaker living and working in South Wales. You can follow Lewis on twitter here https://twitter.com/fictionist4hireAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/fictionist4hire/ Miztli Rose and Phoebe Batteson-Brown are actors and comedians based in London. You can find out more about Phoebe here https://www.spotlight.com/6773-7863-8669And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/phoebebbrownAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/phoebe_batteson/Read more about Miztli here http://www.miztliroseneville.com/Follow Miztli on twitter here https://twitter.com/RoseNeville1And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/miztli_rose/Phoebe and Miztli work together as the comedy duo “Ladylikes” and you can find out more about them here https://ladylikescomedy.wixsite.com/ladylikes and listen to an Alternative Stories Podcast featuring Ladylikes here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/3479755-ladylikes-in-lockdown Emily Inkpen, Alex White, Chris Gregory and Tiffany Clare have all appeared in the science fiction drama The Dex Legacy which is also produced by Alternative Stories.  Find out more about The Dex Legacy, listen and subscribe via our website here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ If you've enjoyed The Gathering please check out more Alternative Stories drama via this Podchaser link  https://www.podchaser.com/profile/lists/16596/editListen out for more drama from Alternative Stories in the coming weeks. Support the show

The Sylvia Plath literary festival celebrates the life and work of one of the twentieth century's most influential poets.  Taking place over the weekend of the 21st to 23rd of October in Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall in West Yorkshire, the festival will feature events led by and featuring contemporary poets.  In this podcast we hear from some of the poets appearing at the festival with their thoughts on Plath and readings of their poems.  Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast You can find out about each of the poets featured in this podcast via the following links Polly Atkin. https://pollyatkin.com/Jessica Mookherjee https://thejessicapoet.com/Daniel Fraser https://danieljamesfraser.wordpress.com/Michael Crowley http://michaelcrowley.co.uk/Maureen Boyle https://twitter.com/BoyleMo Find out more about the Sylvia Plath Literary Festival, order the After Sylvia anthology and book tickets for in-person and online events visit the festival's website here  https://plathfest.co.uk/Follow the festival on social media https://twitter.com/PlathFesthttps://www.instagram.com/plathfest/ You can hear more from Polly Atkin by listening to her interview on the new Alternative Stories produced Seren Poetry Podcast.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359 And hear from Plathfest director Sarah Corbett in an extended interview in this podcast  https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11406109 This podcast has been presented by Chris Gregory and Tiffany Clare.  Each of the contributors recorded their own poems for this programme. Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory  Follow Alternative Stories on social media https://twitter.com/StoriesAlthttps://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/ and contact us by email at office@alternativestories.com  Support the show

For National Poetry Day 2022 we are sharing an anthology of poems recorded for the Seren Poetry Podcast which is launched on 6th October.  All of the poems in this selection broadly related to this year's  National Poetry Day theme of the environment.The following poems are included - all are read by their authors. Polly Atkin - Queen of the Woods.  Carolyn Jess Cooke - ConfrontationChristopher Meredith - Steampunk JungleRhian Edwards – BlodeuweddBen Wilkinson  - Mam TorIlse Pedler – The Young Man and the FoxRosalind Hudis – The Plant HunterEric Ngalle Charles  - HomelandsKim Moore – All the Men I Never Married Number 35  All of these poems are published by Seren and you can find out more about the poets and their collections and purchase them by visiting the Seren website https://www.serenbooks.com/ You can listen to the Seren Poetry Podcast by searching for us in your favourite podcast app or following this link and selecting your favourite podcast player https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359 Support the show

In this edition we speak to poets and poetry editors for Seren Books Rhian Edwards and Zoe Brigley and to poet and director of The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival, Sarah CorbettYou can listen to preview editions and subscribe to the Seren Poetry Podcast by searching “The Seren Poetry Podcast” in your favourite podcast app or by clicking the link below and selecting the platform on which you'd like to listen https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359 The podcast formally launches on Thursday 6th October, the UK's National Poetry Day, with an edition featuring poet Polly Atkin and her collection “Much With Body” You can find out more about Seren Books and buy books and poetry collections here https://www.serenbooks.com/ You can follow Seren Books on twitter here https://mobile.twitter.com/SerenBooksAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/serenbooks The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival takes place over the weekend of 21st, 22nd and 23rd October and is based in Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall in West Yorkshire.   Our interview is with poet and festival director Sarah Corbett.  The interview commences at  42.30 You can find out more about the festival and book tickets for events here  https://plathfest.co.uk/Follow the festival on twitter here https://twitter.com/PlathFestAnd on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/plathfest Contact Alternative Stories by email at office@alternativestories.comThe presenters in this edition are Chris Gregory and Tiffany ClareThe interviewer is Chris GregoryProduction, sound design and editing are by Chris GregorySupport the show

In this edition we talk to audio drama creators about their shows, their production processes and tips for other creators.  We speak to Christina Castaneda, creator of Venice Magic Shop, David Johnson and Jodie Jasmine Hicks of Death in Podville, Emily Inkpen of The Dex Legacy, Jackie Jorgenson of Tales from the Aether and Lucy Gibb-Smith of Darkstead. Thank you to the creators who joined us for this special edition.  We are hugely grateful to all of them for taking the time to chat with us in this special edition.  We have links to their shows, websites and social media below so please follow, subscribe, link and download to support their workPlease note, this episode contains some swearing in the episode clips and trailers.  Christina Castaneda's podcast is called "The Savvy Creative" and you can listen to Venice Magic Shop and her other dramas here https://thesavvycreative.libsyn.com/Follow Christina and her work on twitter https://twitter.com/savvycreativeccAnd instagram https://www.instagram.com/savvycreativepodcastDavid Johnson and Jodie Jasmine Hicks of the Fenland Films Initiative's website is here https://www.fenlandfilmsinitiative.com/You can follow them on twitter https://twitter.com/fenlandfilmsAnd instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefenlandfilmsinitiativeYou can listen to Emily Inkpen's drama The Dex Legacy (which is produced by Alternative Stories) here https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546And follow Emily in twitter here https://twitter.com/emilyinkpenAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/emilyinkpenIn addition you can read Emily's scripts and find out more about The Dex Legacy at the show's website here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ You can listen to Jackie Jorgenson's podcast Tales from the Aether here https://anchor.fm/talesfromtheaetherAnd follow Jackie on Twitter here https://twitter.com/jackiejorgensonAnd instagram here https://www.instagram.com/jackie.jorgenson Lucy Gibb-Smith's drama Darkstead can be found here https://www.darkstead.com/And you can follow the show on twitter here https://twitter.com/DarksteadPodAnd instagram here https://www.instagram.com/darksteadpodcastSupport the show

In this midsummer edition we continue the theme of nature writing .  We feature  Walking on Skylark Ridge by artist and writer David Suff.  The book charts David's daily walk along the same route for a year beginning at the start of the UK's first national lockdown in which we were restricted to an hour of outdoor exercise per day.  It discovers the changes in the nature along the route as the seasons change and explores the meaning of community as David shared his weekly updates in paintings and emails to his friends and followers locked down around the world Thank you for listening to Walking on Skylark Ridge from The Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.  The presenter  is Chris Gregory and the readers are Chris Gregory, Marie-Claire Wood and Tiffany Clare.Sound design and editing is by Chris Gregory  You can buy a copy of Walking on Skylark Ridge, the book directly from David's website and www.davidsuff.com where you'll be able to see more pictures and read a bit more about it.   Visit David's Instagram page to see more of his art here https://www.instagram.com/suffdavid/  The music in this podcast is “The January Man” written by Dave Goulder and performed by Lau and Karine Polwart.   Vocals and guitar by Karine Polwart and Kris Drever Martin Green played Accordion and Wurlitzer  Aidan O'Rourke played Fiddle We are grateful to Mark Whyles and Tom Rose for their permission to use the track which you can find on the Evergreen EP by Kau Vs Karine Polwart  You also heard “Searching For Lambs” by Andrew Cronshaw which featured  Andrew Cronshaw playing maronvantele and zitherRecorded at home, May 2022Courtesy of Cloud Valley Music / David SuffYou can find out more about the musicians you heard in this podcast by visiting their websites Lau   https://www.lau-music.co.ukKarine Polwart https://www.karinepolwart.com/Andrew Cronshaw http://cloudvalley.com/andrewcronshawhome.htm And to find out more about the work of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds visit their homepage here https://www.rspb.org.uk/ If this is your first time listening to the Alternative Stories podcast please consider subscribing in your favourite podcast app to have all our future editions delivered directly to your feed the moment they are released.  You'll also have access to our archive of over 120 past editions.  Walking on Skylark Ridge is an Alternative Stories  2022 production for the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities podcast. Support the show

In today's podcast we speak to two writers for whom nature, landscape and horses are important in their work.  Catherine Munro is the author of “The Ponies At The Edge of The World” about her life in Shetland and Madeleine F White whose poetry collection “The Horse And The Girl” explores riding, the environment and the landscape of Kent.  Thank you to Catherine Munro and Madeleine F White for taking the time to speak to us for today's podcast.  We'd like to thank Rider, an imprint of Penguin Random House and Lapwing Publications for allowing us to reproduce extracts from their books in this podcast.  Readings are by the authors, Catherine Munro and Madeleine F WhiteInterviews, editing and music were by Chris Gregory You can find out more about The Ponies At The Edge Of The World and buy a copy via Penguin Random House through this linkhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/144/1446790/the-ponies-at-the-edge-of-the-world/9781846047268.htmlFind out more about Catherine Munro and read her blog entries here  https://catherinemmunro.wordpress.com/ You can follow Catherine on twitter here https://twitter.com/CatherineMMunroFollow Rider Books on twitter here https://twitter.com/Rider_BooksAnd Penguin here https://twitter.com/penguinukbooks  Follow Madeleine F White on twitter for news of the release of The Horse and The Girl and how you can buy a copy when it is released later in June 2022 https://twitter.com/madeleinefwhiteThe collection will be published by Lapwing Publications and you can visit their website here https://sites.google.com/a/lapwingpublications.com/lapwing-store/homeOrder/ pre-order by emailing them on lapwing.poetry@ntlworld.com Find out about and purchase Madeleine's novel Mother of Floods via Good Reads here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50646333-mother-of-floods During her interview Madeleine mentioned poetry and other writing that had influenced her work.  These were as follows ·       Seamus Heaney – Digging and the Wishing Tree,·       Exiled writers Jennifer Langer and Elena Croitoru,·       Iraqi poetry, so closely bound up to land and suffering - Rain Song Poem by Badr Shakir al-Sayyab.·       Equestrian writing : Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling -natural horsemanship, which is so much about the bond and connection between horse and rider and the language/ non verb If you would like to listen to Alternative Stories' other podcasts you can find them here Our science fiction drama serial The Dex Legacy https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546Our podcast for writers, Write On! Audio https://anchor.fm/pentoprintSupport the show

In this edition we look at The Half Life of Snails, the debut novel by writer and academic Philippa Holloway.   The novel deals with issues surrounding nuclear energy and the communities it affects and we talk about Philippa's trip to the Chernobyl exclusion zone as part of our interview.  We have excerpts from the book read by Phoebe HolmesIn the Half-Life of Snails you heard the voices of Philippa Holloway and interviewer Chris Gregory.  The interview took place at Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker in Cheshire.  Our excerpts were read by Phoebe Holmes and reproduced with the kind permission of Parthian Books.Sound design, production, editing and music were by Chris Gregory You can pre-order a copy of The Half Life of Snails by visiting the Parthian website at  www.parthianbooks.comFind out more about Philippa Holloway by following her on social media where she posts as https://twitter.com/thejackdawspenand https://www.instagram.com/thejackdawspen/ You can follow Parhtian Books on twitter here https://twitter.com/parthianbooksAnd Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/parthian_books/ You can find out more about Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker by visiting their website at https://www.hackgreen.co.uk/And follow then on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/secret_bunker/ You can read Philippa Holloway's response to the Ukraine crisis here  https://www.walesartsreview.org/philippa-holloway-borders/And find out about her academic work at the University of Staffordshire here https://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/english-literature-creative-writing-baPhilippa has also written about psychogeography including this article  https://www.nawe.co.uk/DB/current-wip-edition-2/articles/7-walking-in-imaginary-shoes-by-philippa-holloway.html Finally – please check out the other podcasts mentioned in this edition Write On! Audio https://anchor.fm/pentoprintThe Dex Legacy https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546And Chaika https://y2kpod.com/  Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories)

Ghostlore is an anthology of writing inspired by the folklore of ghosts and the supernatural. Edited by writer and audio dramatists Lyndsey Croal our second episode Hauntings, features the work of 11 writers and explores folklore from around the world. The readers are Sally Walker Taylor, Marie-Claire Wood, Lindz McLeod, Lyndsey Croal, Hadiya Morris, Chris Gregory, Amy Boucher and Christina CastanedaOur pieces and writes areThe Witch by Amy Boucher Amy Boucher is a passionate advocate of her native Shropshire's folklore, ghostlore and local History. You can find her blog her https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/ and on twitter @g0blineggWe Cower in a Ruined Castle and Hope Not to Hear a Ghost by Elou CarrollElou Carroll likes to tell ghost stories. You can find her work on www.eloucarroll.comGhost Feet by Ellen ForkinEllen Forkin is a writer and artist living in the magical Orkney Islands. Find her on Instagram @ellen_forkin and Twitter https://twitter.com/ellen_forkin Unrest by Vanessa JaeVanessa Jae writes horrifically beautiful anarchies, reads stories for Apex Magazine and translates for Progressive International https://twitter.com/thevanessajaeHuntress, Enchantress, Murderess by Lyndsey CroalLyndsey is a writer, audio dramatist and editor from Edinburgh. Find out more about her and her work here https://lyndseycroal.co.uk/Welcome Home by Ai JiangAi Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, an immigrant from Fujian, and an active member of HWA. Find her on Twitter @AiJiang_  and online http://aijiang.caNaart Stuyck by Signe Maene Signe Maene is a writer, folklorist and audio dramatist from Belgian.  Her work has been featured frequently in this podcast and a new audio play is in preparation.   signemaene.com/links/ Ye Tak The Ghost Road by Callum McSorleyCallum McSorley is an author based in Glasgow. His short stories have been published by New Writing Scotland, Gutter Magazine, Shoreline of Infinity, and Monstrous Regiment among others. https://twitter.com/CallumMcSorleyThe Accordionist by Anna OrridgeAnna Orridge is a writer from Croydon, whose short story 'Backdrop' was adapted for a an acclaimed Alternative Stories audio drama. You can find out more about her activism and writing on Twitter https://twitter.com/orridge_annaA Fate Worse by Marisca Pichette Marisca Pichette writes speculative fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She is on Twitter as https://twitter.com/MariscaPichette  and Instagram as @marisca_write. Her website is: www.mariscapichette.comThe Island of Dolls by Sam W PisciottaSam W Pisciotta is a writer and visual artist who believes, with his whole heart, that the glass is half-full.  Follow him on Instagram @silo34 and Twitter  https://twitter.com/silo34 Music and production are by Chris Gregory More bio notes on our participants https://tinyurl.com/ncxpzm95 Sound effects are from freesound.orgSupport the show (https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories)

Ghostlore is an anthology of writing inspired by the folklore of ghosts, spirits and the supernatural. Edited by writer and audio dramatists Lyndsey Croal this first edition, Wilderness, features the work of 11 writers and explores folklore from around the world.  Ghostlore Part One, Wilderness is presented and edited by Lyndsey Croal.  The readers are Sally Walker Taylor, Marie-Claire Wood, Maria S Picone, Lyndsey Croal and Chris Gregory. The featured pieces and writers are The Goatherd by Cormack Baldwin Cormack Baldwin is a speculative fiction writer and editor who emerged from the Alaskan bush one day and mosied down to Oregon. https://cmbaldwin.carrd.co/A Ghost of Bones and Bark by Alexandra BeaumontAlexandra's debut fantasy novel based on Tudor astrology and star-magic, Testament of the Stars, was published in April 2021. abeaumont@live.co.ukSing Sorrow To The Sea And the Waves Will Answer by Lyndsey CroalLyndsey is a science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction writer from Edinburghwww.lyndseycroal.co.ukThe Smiling Folk by E L Crocker E L Crocker is a writer from Manchester. He cut his teeth in horror stories, but in recent years has turned to writing fantasy novelshttps://twitter.com/ELCrocker3Excerpt from “Mischief Acts” by Zoe GilbertZoe is a prize winning short story writer, novelist and teacher based in Folkestone.  Her latest novel, Mischief Acts is published by Bloomsburyhttps://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mischief-acts-9781526628817/God is Neither Man Nor Ghost by Gessica Sakamoto MartiniGessica Sakamoto Martini is a writer from Italy. Her writing has been published in Corvid Queen and featured in Alternative Stories podcast. She holds a PhD in Anthropology and tweets about folklore at https://twitter.com/GJMartiniBirth Story by Maria S PiconeMaria S. Picone/수영 (www.mariaspicone.com @mspicone on Twitter) is a Korean American adoptee and multigenre writerYour Name Repeated by Tamara RogersTamara writes mainly dark, surreal tales with a touch of science fiction. You can find her at www.thedustlounge.com and https://twitter.com/tamrogersThere is an Instinct by Melinda SalisburyMelinda Salisbury is the three-time Carnegie nominated and bestselling author of multiple young adult novels, including the Sin Eater's Daughter series, the State of Sorrow duology, Hold Back the Tide, and Her Dark Wings.www.melindasalisbury.comThe Hobby Lanterns by Cat VoleurCat Voleur is a writer, gamer, and podcaster. You can find her and more of her work through Twitter @Cat_Voleur and on her website http://www.catvoleur.com/Spring Hollow Secret God Sleeping by Lorraine WilsonLorraine's debut novel, the wilderness dystopian This Is Our Undoing, was released last year, and her second, The Way The Light Bends, a dark folkloric novel, is coming out in August this year. She tweets https://twitter.com/raine_clouds Music and production are by Chris GregoryMore bio notes on our participants https://tinyurl.com/ncxpzm95Sound effects are from freesound.orgSupport the show (https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories)

In this first edition of season 6 we look at the other podcasts Alternative Stories have been working on.  We chat with novelist Madeleine White about the pdcast for writers, Write On! Audio and novelist and audio dramatist Emily Inkpen about our new science fiction audio drama The Dex Legacy.  We also preview some of the content you'll be able to hear in season 6.  In this edition you can hear an interview with the editor of the Write On! suite of publications, Madeleine White. You can listen to Write On! Audio by searching for “pen to print” in your favourite podcast app or by clicking the link below. https://anchor.fm/pentoprint You can hear Madeleine White's audio drama The Ark by clicking here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/6127414And order her novel “Mother of Floods” here and at the usual book retail outlets https://www.crowsnestbooks.com/product/mother-of-floods/And follow her on twitter here https://mobile.twitter.com/madeleinefwhite Find out more about author and dramatist Emily Inkpen and her new audio drama podcast The Dex Legacy by visiting the podcast's website here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/ You can listen to the Dex Legacy by searching “the dex legacy” in your favourite podcast app or click the link below  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546 You can follow The Dex Legacy on twitter here https://mobile.twitter.com/thedexlegacyAnd follow Emily on twitter here https://mobile.twitter.com/emilyinkpen You heard an excerpt from Zoe Gilbert's forthcoming novel “Mischief Acts” read by Sally Walker Taylor.  Mischief Acts will be published on 17th March and you can order a copy and find out more about Zoe via the Bloomsbury website here  https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mischief-acts-9781526645401/Follow Zoe on twitter here  https://mobile.twitter.com/mindandlanguage Also out on 17th March will be the memoir “Sins of My Father” by Lily Dunn and you heard a short excerpt in the podcast read by Lily herself.  You can order a copy at all the usual book outlets and via the W&N website here https://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co.uk/titles/lily-dunn/sins-of-my-father/9781474623308/Follow Lily on twitter here  https://mobile.twitter.com/Lilydunnwriter Also in this podcast you can hear ·      the poem “Scent of Oleander” by Amantine Broduer read by Tiffany Clare·      An excerpt from a forthcoming interview with artist David Suff about his book “Walking on Skylark Ridge” ·      And an excerpt from an upcoming interview with writer, actor and dramatist Jackie Jorgenson which we'll be sharing as part of our storytelling season soon.  We look forward to welcoming you to season six starting with our Ghostlore audio drama anthology which will be out on 18th March.   Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/alternativestories)