Behind The Spine

“It felt so powerful a moment of realisation to me, that the sum of who I am may be, in some significant way, measured in dollars.” ~Rumaan Alam

Money controls us all, whether we have a lot of it, or not enough. And exposure to money can force people to do questionable things - and even stray from their morals and beliefs.

Rumaan Alam is the New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, which was adapted for the screen by Netflix. His new book ‘Entitlement’ follows protagonist Brooke, a middle-class woman who finds herself transformed by her new job and proximity to extreme wealth.

Tasked with dishing out the fortune of one billionaire philanthropist, Brooke’s story takes us on a journey through many themes - of race, privilege, legacy, entitlement, morality and class. In this episode Rumaan explains why money became the central point of this novel, how he used dramatic irony and sensory writing to enhance the reader’s experience, and what it was like to achieve such success with his previous book.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the parallels you want to draw through your narrative aren’t always obvious.

Find out more about Rumaan here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“It looked like the club was going to just disappear completely. And then luckily, it was rescued by a tech millionaire, basically. It sounds like something that would happen far, far higher up the food chain.” ~Graham Sibley

Worldwide cancellations and small clubs on the brink of extinction—COVID-19 turned the football world upside down. Though life is back to normal, there’s plenty about football that has been changed forever.

Graham Sibley, host of the Sound of Football podcast, explores how the game has evolved post-COVID. From the fate of small non-league clubs to the European Super League, TV revenue drying up and the ongoing trials and tribulations of VAR.

Returning to Behind The Spine after appearing in the first-ever series of the podcast, Graham fills us in on the many trials faced by his favourite non-league team, Whyteleafe FC. He shares his thoughts on the rise of the Lionesses and the mainstreaming of women’s football. He discusses much more, including England’s brand new interim manager and the ongoing success of his podcast.

In this episode you will learn:

• How there are compelling stories to tell about even the smallest players in football, or any industry.

Find out more about Graham here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“I love finding out people’s back stories. It’s the grittier, it’s the weirder, it’s the bits where people’s lives go wrong that shines a light on their glories later on.” ~Alice Loxton

History’s most famous figures are remembered only for their great deeds and achievements, but rarely for their lives before. What were the likes of Empress Matilda, Richard Burton or Chaucer like when they were teenagers - when they were just 18?

Alice Loxton, one of Britain’s most exciting young historians, explores this in her new book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives. You may have spotted Alice on social media where she has more than 2 million followers. She’s also the author of Uproar: Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London.

Alice explores how, despite narrow curriculums and stuffy history shows on TV, social media is changing how we perceive history, making it more compelling for a wider and younger audience. She explains why she felt it would be so powerful to tell the stories of the 18 year old versions of history’s greatest names. And she shares fascinating insights into their lives, highlighting the strange paths many walked before finding fame.

In this episode you will learn:

• How some figures from history are still waiting for their stories to be told.

Find out more about Alice here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“I had a friend who read an early version of the book, and she just said, well, I mean, it's a bit far fetched though, isn't it? And I was like, no, no, no, this did happen.” ~Josie Ferguson

Being separated from a loved one, never sure when you might be reunited again - a familiar feeling for many of us, having lived through the COVID lockdowns. But for Berlin residents alive in 1961, when the Berlin Wall was put up almost overnight, this happened on a devastating scale.

Josie Ferguson is the debut novelist of The Silence in Between, a dual-timeline historical story that follows Lisette, a mother separated from her newborn baby when the wall slices the city in two. The book follows her journey to escape East Berlin to be reunited with her child - but it also takes us back to Lisette’s childhood, during World War 2.

Josie explores the genesis of the book - her experience of being separated from her own family during covid, shortly after the birth of her child. She explores the connection between the atrocities of World War 2 and Russia’s war on Ukraine that still rages on. And she explores the long road as an unpublished author that led her to this moment.

In this episode you will learn:

• How familiar events of the past still have new stories to tell 

Find out more about Josie here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

💬 “When I’ve been really unwell, I lose the ability to understand spoken language. But what happens is I hear music with crystal clarity in my mind.”

Did you know that bipolar disorder can fuel intense creativity?

We often fear complex mental health issues - words like psychotic and mental are regularly used to describe villains across TV and film. But this stigma and prejudice is not just inaccurate, it also fails to account for the wide range of lived experiences of people with these conditions.

Capturing what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, Matt Ottley has done the seemingly impossible. His multimodal work The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness explores his own experiences with the condition through a book, poem, orchestral arrangement and film. And it’s stunning.

In this episode, you will learn:

➡︎ The link between mental health disorders and creativity - and why we shouldn’t romanticise this connection.

➡︎ Why exactly Hollywood and media portrayals of mental health can be so damaging.

➡︎ How Matt came to create his stunning masterpiece following a series of severe psychotic episodes.

➡︎ How Matt hopes his journey will inspire and help others like him.

Find out more about Matt and his project here. 

Copies of Matt’s book, The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, are available at all good bookstores in the UK.  

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“That experience of going under the ground and feeling how alienating it feels down there. That feeds very nicely into the sort of gothic ideas that we're talking about here, that sense of the past is oppressive.” – Rosie Andrews

Somewhere on the border between Wales and England, Miss Catherine Symonds arrives at the shadowy Locksley Abbey to take on the role of governess. She’s traveling in disguise, because what she’s really after is uncovering the circumstances surrounding her sister Emily’s death. Emily was the previous governess. 

In The Puzzle Wood, author Rosie Andrews delves into tales of Welsh mythology, forgotten childhood memories, and an unreliable narrator. With this second book, the bestselling author of The Leviathan offers us a classic piece of gothic literature. 

This episode explores how Rosie Andrews managed to write a pure gothic novel, inspired by gothic legends like Robert Louis Stevenson and M. R. James, while simultaneously retaining her own style. Hear about her choice of including a crime in the plot, as well as the challenges of writing a second book after a successful one.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why you should leave your house to become a better writer.

Find out more about Rosie here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“Yes, there is oppression and hardship, but there’s also culture and joy and beauty and love and friendship. I think sometimes even we forget that there is life, and life always finds a way, even under occupation.” – Sarah Agha

What gives you a sense of identity and makes you feel connected to your community, your people? The narratives we build through art are at the heart of these identities. As we explore in this episode, getting them right is crucial, especially if you are Palestinian today. 

The Arab Film Club showcases exceptional cinema from the Arab World. The first series of their new podcast, which launches today, focuses on five pioneering Palestinian directors and their multi-award-winning films. Over the years, Sarah Agha, the club's founder, has shared a great deal of her culture and expertise in the subject. 

This episode explores some of the narratives built around Arab, and specifically Palestinian, lives, and who gets to tell those stories. It reminds us of the long history of Palestine, as Sarah recounts what it was like returning to the land where her father is from. And gives you recommendations on how to start your journey into the exciting world of Arab cinema. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why you shouldn’t be afraid of your own ignorance. 

Find out more about Sarah Agha and the Arab Film Club here.

You can listen to their brand new podcast here.

You can listen to the episode of The End of the Line featuring Sarah here. 

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“I've certainly met men like Cole and you are fooled by them because they're fooling themselves. They're so dangerous and insidious for that reason, because you are actually sucked in a bit” - Araminta Hall

Are you “one of the good guys”, supportive of women’s rights and equality and opposed to gender injustice? This episode will make you think twice. Cole has escaped to the coast after his marriage imploded, and finds himself caught up in a media firestorm after two feminist activists go missing in the area.

One of the Good Guys is the sixth book from established author Araminta Hall and is an exploration of how women are treated in the modern world. Written in three distinct parts, we first see life through the eyes of “good guy” Cole. The story is then told through the eyes of his ex-wife, and that’s when we begin to see his perception of himself unravel. And in part three we’re caught up in the social and mainstream media reaction to what happens to Cole.

This episode explores the abuse women still have to put up with in a post #MeToo era, and the fear they still feel simply walking the streets alone. It looks into the insidious nature of patriarchal power. And it ventures into the territory of social media, and how damaging our obsession with “the truth” can be.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why stories about minorities facing injustice don’t need to be victim stories.

Find out more about Araminta Hall here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“This senior copper said to me, Well, you have to remember we're dealing with criminals who know no restraints at all, who are just absolutely hard bastards with no emotion and no compassion. We have to have a few of them in our ranks to balance it out.” - Alan Johnson

Alan Johnson is a well-known name in British politics, having held a range of cabinet positions in both Blair and Brown governments, including Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Health. Utilising his insider knowledge, he’s created a compelling, authentic and truly immersive series of crime books.

The Mangan Series stars detective constable Louise Mangan. In the latest, Death On The Thames, we’re taken back to 1999 as she follows a lead that takes her to Tagg Island, a community of houseboats near Hampton Court in London. We’re then brought to the present, where trouble rises from that same island.

This episode explores Alan’s intimate knowledge of politics and the police and how that has influenced much of his fiction writing career. We discuss the misogyny faced by our protagonist throughout the novel and hear why Alan decided to pay homage to murdered TV personality Jill Dando.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why it can be useful to write fictional stories in real places.

Find out more about Alan Johnson here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“I didn't get to see my family or Georgia for 17 years. So when I did go back, I found it really strange, really surreal. That was very emotional for me. So I started writing it really trying to make sense of it in my own head.” -Leo Vardiashvili

Inspired by his own estrangement from his homeland, Leo Vardiashvili tells the story of a family torn apart as they wrestle with the events of the past.

Hard By A Great Forest is told through the eyes of Saba, who is forced to leave London and return to Georgia, in search of his missing father and brother, 18 years after they fled the war-torn country. Saba follows breadcrumb clues left behind by his brother, whilst guided on his journey by strangers and old ghosts.

This episode explores Leo’s own experiences leaving Georgia, only to return to the country as a stranger. We hear about the history of the Georgian Civil War which is weaved throughout this novel, and about the culture and the people of Georgia. And we learn what Leo had to give up in order to write the book.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to use the inspiration of your own life experiences in your writing.

Find out more about Leo Vardiashvili here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

Connect with the show:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine

Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk