Mark Haddon, bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Spot of Bother, and The Red House on his process writing 18 books, including his latest book Dogs & Monsters, plus how he approaches success and failure.

We discuss:

• Why writing begins before you start writing
• Creating strong beginnings
• How poetry can expand your creative range
• Writing without a map
• On self-doubt, impostor syndrome & trusting your instincts
• The value of conflict, myth, and compression in storytelling
• Publishing realities, artistic risk, and protecting your creative spark

About Mark Haddon

Mark Haddon is the author of the internationally bestselling novels The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, A Spot of Bother, and The Red House. His debut novel won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and inspired a Tony Award–winning play. A multidisciplinary artist, Mark has also written award-winning poetry, radio dramas, children’s books, and TV screenplays. He teaches creative writing for the Arvon Foundation and lives in Oxford, England.

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Resources and Links:

• 📑Interview Transcript
• Mark’s Instagram
• Mark’s books
• Dogs and Monsters by Mark Haddon
• Origins of the Universe by Albert Hinkelbein
• The Evolution of Man - Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Evolution of Man by J. Jelinek
• Conflict and Compassion Poems About War
• The Horses by Edwin Muir 
• Poems by RS Thomas
• Jackanory
• Helm by Sarah Hall
• Tithonus| Greek Mythology
• Sappho Fragments
• Paul Farley Poet
• Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower
• Garnons-Williams & James Spackman
• Arvon’s courses

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About Arvon:

Arvon is the UK’s leading creative writing charity. For over 55 years, Arvon’s creative writing courses have been linking aspiring writers with successful authors, and they are a significant and celebrated part of the British literary landscape. Arvon passionately believes that everyone can benefit from the transformative power of creative writing. It hosts residential, online and community-based writing courses and events, embracing over 6,000 people each year, tutored by some of the most respected writers in the UK today. 

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For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.

For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.

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