Writers Aloud: The RLF Podcast

RLF Fellows Adriana Hunter, Simon Robson, and Anna Wilson explore some technical challenges in their work, such as hearing distinct voices in translation, the liberating power of repetition, and dealing with writer's block.

Elizabeth Cook speaks with Ann Morgan about the experience of seeing your words set in music, the physical craft of writing and the difference between creating poetry and prose.

RLF Fellows Sarah Hilary, Peter Fiennes and Claire Williamson explore the influence of past experiences on their work, taking in everything from valuable advice to troubling family history.

In the second part of our investigation into ‘Writing versus life', RLF writers examine the pitfalls that face writers who use material from real life in their work, paying particular attention to the ethics of story ownership, the challenge of protecting people's feelings and dealing with readers who mistakenly see themselves in your work.

RLF writers explore the link between creativity and the world beyond the desk, touching on the role of exercise, the plight of the environment and the challenges of family life.

John Greening speaks with Caroline Sanderson about discovering that poetry was his calling, and discusses his wide-ranging career in verse, editing and literary criticism.

Royal Literary Fund writers explore how their writing relates to the people around them, taking in everything from working with community groups to dealing with isolation.

In the first of a two-part exploration of the knotty problem of ‘Writing versus life', Royal Literary Fund fellows discuss the ways writers try and sometimes fail to fit writing into their lives, including issues such as juggling family commitments, the importance of finding the right quality of silence and the value of a room of one's own.

Karin Altenberg and our host Julia Copus discuss ‘Face to Face' and ‘Solitude (I)' by the late Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer, both translated by Robin Robertson.

In this installment of 'How I Write', Royal Literary Fund writers discuss how they cope with the urge to procrastinate, touching on issues such as background noise, the usefulness of deadlines and the perils of having room with a view.

Martyn Waites speaks with Doug Johnstone about learning crime writing on the job, adopting a female pseudonym and the joys of writing daleks.

CD Rose speaks with Ann Morgan about blurring the lines between fact and fiction, being persuaded to write a book and finding ways to commemorate geniuses whose work is never discovered.

Lesley Glaister speaks with Caroline Sanderson about the mystery of why some of her characters roar into life while others don't; pays tribute to Hilary Mantel as a friend and mentor of her work; and argues that the heart of her fiction doesn't only lie in darkness, but also in the triumph of the human spirit.

In this installment of 'How I Write', we hear from Royal Literary Fund fellows about their favourite places to write, taking in everything from garden sheds to trains and foreign hotel rooms.

Jamie Lee Searle speaks with Ann Morgan about unpicking books layer by layer, overcoming the fear of writing and the practicalities of the creative life.

Alan Jenkins speaks with John Greening about winning the Forward Prize, the moment he knew he would spend his life writing poetry, and the role of loss and death in his work.

Michaela Morgan speaks with Ann Morgan about becoming a reader by accident, writing for reluctant readers, using stories to unlock people and the importance of not writing down to children.

In this installment of 'How I Write', Royal Literary Fund writers discuss the mysterious mechanism by which stories, plays and poems are born, taking in everything from the arrival of the idea and the slog of the drafting process to the joys of editing.

Jeremy Treglown speaks with Ann Morgan about choosing biographical subjects, the fallibility of memory, trying to tell real-life stories fairly and the experience of being a critic as well as an author.

Emily Berry and our host Julia Copus discuss the often overlooked poetry of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë, focusing on ‘I'll Come When Thou Art Saddest', in 'Poetry Break'.

Lottie Moggach speaks with Catherine O'Flynn about following in the footsteps of a novelist parent, the joys of plot and research, the experience of diving into writing historical fiction, and how to answer when someone asks you what you do.

In this installment of 'How I Write', Royal Literary Fund fellows discuss the relative merits of pen versus computer, the role stationery can play in planning, and some of the pros and cons of writing software.

Brian Clegg speaks with Caroline Sanderson about how he brought together his parallel passions for writing and for science; explains why we can all claim to be descended from royalty; and describes the sense of wonder that he believes is integral to science writing.

Rosalind Harvey speaks with Ann Morgan about learning another language so well you dream in it, the process of finding the voice for other writers' characters, and the link between writing and translating.

Syd Moore speaks with Doug Johnstone about Essex witches and their influence on her books, her new project exploring the Occult in World War Two, and the dilemma of whether to address or ignore the Covid-19 pandemic in an ongoing book series.

Syd Moore speaks with Doug Johnstone about her early writing life and the inclusive inspiration of seminal 80s and 90s culture, unexpectedly becoming a tv presenter on Channel 4, the self-doubt she experienced on not getting published, and the problematic Essex Girl stereotype.

In this installment of 'How I Write', Royal Literary Fund fellows discuss the tips, tricks and rituals they use to structure their writing days, with approaches including everything from going for a good walk to the Pomodoro technique.

Juliet Gilkes Romero speaks with Ann Morgan about telling history's forgotten stories, writing about intersectionality, chasing down inconvenient truths, and the experience of taking up a writing residency at one of the UK's most revered theatres.

Juliet Gilkes Romero speaks with Ann Morgan about childhood influences, developing a love of storytelling and how a career in journalism led to shaping narratives for the stage.

Jamie Lee Searle reflects on the experience of building a fiction-writing practice fifteen years into a translating career. Chris Simms explains why research is his favourite part of writing, considers the advantages of talking with real people when seeking realism in fiction, and his own scary undercover experience at the sharp end of an Alsatian.

In this installment of 'My Favourite Book', Royal Literary Fund fellows share what books they love have taught them about craft, the role of the writer in a text and the tricky art of blurring poetry and prose.

Sara Wheeler speaks with Caroline Sanderson about the sources of her inspirations as a travel writer and biographer, why the future of travel writing is bright and why the writer's job is to find hope and celebrate the individual human spirit's survival.

Rebecca Watts and our host Julia Copus discuss ‘My Grandmother's Love Letters' by twentieth century American poet Hart Crane, in Poetry Break.

Gwyneth Lewis speaks with John Greening about being the first national poet of Wales, attempting to sail from Cardiff to Brazil, her experience of severe depression, the joy and challenge of finding out what you mean in both poetry and prose and her desire always to be trying new techniques in her writing.

Gwyneth Lewis speaks with John Greening about the unpredictable inspiration of a self-described ‘odd mind', the attraction of sequences and the importance of fun as a motivator, writing about her astronaut cousin and the influence of Joseph Brodsky.

In this installment of 'My Favourite Book', we hear from Royal Literary Fund fellows about what makes particular books special to them, from subject matter and style to larger-than-life characters and those all-important opening lines.

Malachy Tallack speaks with Caroline Sanderson about how moving to Shetland as a child influenced his writing preoccupations, particularly his sense of place and the role of belonging , and how these things have come to imbue his varied fiction and non-fiction writing.

Adriana Hunter speaks with Ann Morgan about writing other people's books, how sex scenes change between languages, the art of word games and the novels that never get to speak English.

Ian Ayris reveals how stories have been his constant companions, accompanying him through the darkest periods of his life and ultimately shaping his identity. Elizabeth Cook explores how losses of all kinds shape us and may sometimes lead us to richer discoveries.

Alexandra Benedict speaks with Doug Johnstone about writing fiction and audio drama in the Doctor Who universe, co-writing works such as the Lovecraft-themed audio drama Arkham County with her partner Guy, and her sometimes stress-inducing habit of having many writing projects on the go simultaneously.

Alexandra Benedict speaks with Doug Johnstone about taking up writing at the age of three, her enduring fascination with dark and disturbing themes, the role of place in her creative output and how synaesthesia has influenced her use of unusual sensory details in her writing.

In this installment of 'My Favourite Author', we examine the influence that favourite authors have had on RLF writers' work, considering the technical, personal and cultural effect that prominent literary figures have had on their admirers.

Polly Morland speaks with Caroline Sanderson about how the skills acquired during a 15-year documentary film-making career fed into her vocational non-fiction writing, allowing her to blend ideas from self-help, psychology and philosophy with reportage of ordinary, yet extraordinary human stories.

Ian Ayris speaks with Ann Morgan about the therapeutic power of storytelling, football's role in male expression, learning to write in your own voice and discovering the joys of Shakespeare.

Adriana Hunter contemplates the limitations of automated language translation by computers, and the liberties that human translators simply must take with source material. Brian Clegg considers our human tendency to interpret the world via patterns and categories, and explains the trouble this causes when it comes to getting books into the hands of readers that might enjoy them.

Rebecca Goss speaks with John Greening about collaboration with artists and photographers, the various uses of pamphlets at different stages of a writing career, her return to Suffolk and curiosity about rural life and the continuing importance of loving the process of writing.

Rebecca Goss speaks with John Greening about the poetry collection Her Birth and the process of writing it, starting out as a writer and the influence of English teachers, pushing herself in new directions with language in Girl and fighting to break away from couplets.

RLF writers lay out their reasons for calling someone their favourite author, exploring the role that biography, style, message and childhood influences play in fostering powerful affinities.

Clare Chambers speaks with Ann Morgan about the experience of having a breakout success, the secret to creating convincing historical settings, the disruptive influence of mobile phones on storytelling and the importance of balancing pessimism and optimism in a writing career.

Dilys Rose speaks with Doug Johnstone about her literary work including poetry, short stories, novels and historical fiction, the different technical challenges of each form, her collaborations with composers and artists and her own visual arts practice.

Ann Morgan and our host Julia Copus speak about three objects that have a special significance in Ann's writing life, and Ann passes on three of her top writing tips.