In today’s episode I talk to the brilliant award-winning poet and novelist Helen Mort. It was a brilliant affirming chat, and I got so inspired that I went for a run after a long hiatus!

We chatted all things creative, dream jobs, airlines, how it’s always Wetherspoons o’clock at airports, and the power of nature.And how it’s essential that the narrative around stepmothers changes  The extracts I read from her novel Black Car Burning, were some of the most descriptively powerful bits of writing I’ve read. 

Helen is an award-winning author based in Sheffield. She has published three poetry collections (Division Street, 2013 and No Map Could Show Them, 2016) and The Illustrated Woman (2022, shortlisted for the Forward Prize).She’s also written a novel (Black Car Burning, 2019), a short story collection (Exire, 2019) and also writes drama and creative non fiction.  

Helen’s first full length non-fiction book A Line Above The Sky (Ebury, 2022) was featured in the Guardian and Evening Standard’s ‘books to watch’ lists. She has been shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and Costa Prize and won the Fenton Aldeburgh Prize in 2015. Helen appears regularly on BBC radio and sometimes on TV. She’s taught creative writing for over ten years and is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. She offers freelance mentoring and runs workshops and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Helen collaborates with artists and musicians and is interested in interdisciplinary work of all kinds. 

Helen’s latest and absolutely essential read of a book Stepmother, is out now and available to buy at all good bookshops.  

Helen's books 

Helen's website 

Helen's Instagram 

Contains Strong Language Festival 2026 

Helen's CSL Festival 2026 Event 

Helen reading her poem Prayer on BBC Radio 3 

Don’t miss episode updates: @bethanreadwrites 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by the insanely talented musician John Bailey. In questions 1 & 2 we put the world to rights. Social media and the M6 feature quite heavily, as does ‘everybody’s-not-so-favourite airline’, and the pain of not being able to unsubscribe from something you’re not sure you ever quite subscribed to. 

There’s also an insight into how it feels to play live; to large crowds and in intimate settings and how even the most seasoned of performers make mistakes. The answer to question 3 is absolutely lovely, and we both realise that we are quite possibly the target audience for meditation. 

John Bailey earned his MA in Jazz Performance in 2010 and has since established himself as a versatile guitarist, composer, and educator. He currently collaborates with Alex James (Blur) on the acclaimed Britpop Classical project, performing alongside artists such as Saffron (Republica), Gary Stringer (Reef), Travis, and many others. 

John is a long-standing guitarist for Russell Watson and Aled Jones, and has performed with leading artists across classical, jazz, and popular music. His credits include several weeks with Sting’s The Last Ship, television appearances on Songs of Praise and Jane McDonald, and live performances with English mezzo-soprano Laura Wright, from corporate events to major stages including the upcoming Lytham Festival Classical Proms. 

As a composer, John writes music for video games with HodrEngine, and he has performed music from the Academy Award-winning CODA soundtrack with Emilia Jones at promotional events for the Oscars, BAFTAs, and Academy Awards. 

Alongside his performance and composition work, John is committed to education. He lectures in jazz and composition at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) and teaches guitar at the University of Liverpool. 

And also his band, Horsebastard. 

Don’t miss episode updates @bethanreadwrites 

John’s website 

John’s Instagram 

Britpop Classical 

I am Legend by Richard Matheson 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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In today’s episode I'm joined by the absolutely wonderful and enormously creative, Java Bere. We talk about creativity and its many arms. We talk about phases, work experiences, finding your feet creatively, self-confidence, the importance of environment and home, as well as allowing yourself to be yourself in your home. This was such an inspiring chat and I adored every minute of it. 

Java Bere is an artist and writer who grew up in a family full of creatives, moving between Scotland, London, rural France and Spain. Her work explores identity, personal story, the significance of collected objects and the practice of finding beauty and celebration in everyday ritual. 

Java hosts a podcast, ‘On the Irregular’, holding conversations with creatives about their irregular paths. Java works out of a studio in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, where she also hosts creative styling and art workshops. 

Her debut book 'Your Space, Your Story: A Creative Guide to Personal Interiors' is published by Batsford Books, release date 4 February 2027. 

p.s; I kept Java’s wildly kind compliment about my podcast in, as I thought it would be ironic to edit it out, when so much of the chat was about empowering each other and believing in yourself! (Thank you J!) 

p.p.s; Java absolutely nailed the pronunciation of Hygge, first time, I completely threw her off the scent and made us doubt it..... 

Technical Turbulence: Alive and Kicking!

Java's Website  

Pre-order Java’s book;  Your Space, Your Story  

Java's Workshops 

Java's Substack 

Java's Podcast 

Java's Instagram 

Rozie Kelly's Women's Prize Shortlisted Book 

Don’t miss episode updates @bethanreadwrites 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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In this episode, I’m joined by the fabulously brilliant author, Susan Cahill. We talk about magic (not the Debbie and Paul type), Care Bears, Portals, Emotional Coding, Taskmaster, Crystals, Ghosts, Writing, Ireland, Humour, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Lego-finding Saints. 

It’s a brilliant and dreamy chat and I learnt a lot about Irish history, magical myths and how a story evolves, and there is a special Care Bear countdown! Susan Cahill is a writer and podcaster and one half of Mothers Who Write. Her latest children’s book is The World Between the Rain (Everything With Words, 2024), a thrilling adventure that takes the reader from the west coast of Ireland to deep beneath the sea in a mystical world full of gods and demons, mystery and suspense. It was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and longlisted for the Branford Boase debut novel award. Her podcast, Storyshaped, which she co-hosts with Sinéad O’Hart is about the stories that shape us from the very beginning. 

Don’t miss episode updates @bethanreadwrites 

Follow Susan- @susancahillwrites 

Susan's website 

Susan’s book - The World Between The Rain 

Storyshaped podcast 

Mothers Who Write 

The Blindboy podcast 

Amy Poehler's A Good Hang Podcast 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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In this episode I'm joined by the marvellous, bestselling humorous fiction author Kathleen Whyman. We talk about the writing process, why it’s important to keep on writing, enter competitions and put yourself out there. We discuss writing with humour, writing communities, (we’re both members of the brilliant Mothers Who Write community), deadlines, Jackie Magazine and washing.

It’s a gorgeous chat and if you are considering writing a book, have written a book and are trying to work out the next steps, or simply curious about what goes on behind the scenes of writing a book, this episode is for you.

Kathleen Whyman is a bestselling humorous women’s fiction author and has been shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize.

She writes for all the multi-tasking, mentally-overloaded women who have put themselves on the subs bench for the sake of their family, and are beginning to realise that they don’t have it all – they do it all!

Kathleen also mentors authors and is an events host. She regularly interviews authors, chairs panels and teaches writing with humour workshops. Her fourth book, The Mother of All Comebacks is out now.

Technological Turbulence: The usual sound meddling rogues pop up from time to time...(we'll miss them, when they're gone... or maybe not!)

Don’t miss episode updates: @bethanreadwrites

Kathleen’s books - Bookshop.org link

Author and Book Link

Follow Kathleen on Instagram

Kathleen's Website

Kathleen runs Write Club, a monthly writing community in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, for women at every stage of their writing. For more details, visit https://www.tickettailor.com/events/writeclubKathleen

Kathleen will be teaching an online workshop on writing with humour for New Writing South on 2nd December. Details will be released soon at https://newwritingsouth.com/

Nicola Washington (Too Much Social)

Mothers Who Write

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie.

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations

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In this episode I'm joined by the fantastically talented Adam Batty. We talk about his recent podcast MF Doom, Long Island to Leeds, which is fascinating and you all must listen to it immediately after our chat and you have till the 23rd July to vote for the MF Doom podcast in the British Podcasting Awards.  

As well as the incredible MF Doom podcast we talk about the power of music and how it unifies people. We wax lyrical about Belle and Sebastian, the apocalypse, Costco, David Hockney, Proust, Leeds, and a behind the scenes look at making a podcast for the radio. We also talk about how the stereotype of rap music couldn’t be further from the truth. A gem of a chat! 

Adam Batty is a writer and creative based in the north of England, who is fascinated by the stories that sit on the fringes of popular culture. His most recent project is MF DOOM: Long Island To Leeds, a 5-part audio documentary series for BBC Sounds. An expanded version of the show is going to be airing on BBC 6Music on July 20th 2026 on consecutive nights. 

 *Technological Turbulence – the rogue echo is back! It pops up for both of us from time to time, changes are in place to try and banish the echo for good! 

Don’t miss episode updates: @bethanreadwrites 

Follow Adam; @adam_makes_noise 

Adam’s bio 

Adam’s substack 

Podcast on BBC Sounds; MF Doom; Long Island to Leeds 

Guardian Article 

Vote for MF Doom in the British Podcasting Awards (first round closes 23.07.2026) 

Belle & Sebastian: @belleandsebastian 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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In this episode I'm joined by the brilliant Elaine Gregersen. We discuss the need for humour in extremely hard times, writing, ambition, werewolves, awards, creepy hotels and a lot more.  

Trigger warning: In this episode we discuss baby loss, grief, miscarriage, funerals and hospital experiences. 

Elaine Gregersen is an award-winning writer, public speaker, and podcast coach based in the North East of England. She writes and speaks about baby loss, caring, grief, and creativity. In 2025, she won the Allyson Kent Prize for Fearless Writing. She has also been shortlisted for the Bath Flash Fiction Prize and the Curae Literary Prize, and longlisted for the Motherhood Uncensored competition. Her pop culture podcast, The Honeymoon Period, reaches listeners in over 60 countries and has been featured in The Guardian, My Weekly Magazine and Film Stories.   

Don’t miss episode updates: @bethanreadwrites 

Follow Elaine - @elainegwrites, substack, website 

Elaine & Mark’s fantastic podcast - The Honeymoon Period 

Books mentioned: 

Stuart Murdoch - Nobody's Empire 

Elle Wright - Ask Me His Name 

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

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*The beginning and end sound a bit muffly and sleepy as I was recording them in the spare room of a friend's house while they slept!

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In this episode I’m joined by the award-winning and ridiculously hilarious writer Adam Farrer. We discuss the need for humour in hard times, the apocalypse, writing, moths, penis shaped biscuits, Prince, Britain’s Got Talent and a lot more.  

Trigger Warning: In this episode we discuss suicidal ideation, grief, sibling loss and pet loss. 

Adam Farrer is a writer, mentor and editor and currently works at the University of Salford, where he is the Writer in Residence for Peel Park. He has taught creative nonfiction and life writing at the University of Lancaster as well as extensively at retreats, literary festivals and prisons. 

He is the author of two personal essay collections, Cold Fish Soup (Saraband, 2022), winner of the Northbound Book Award, and Broken Biscuits and Other Male Failures (HarperNorth, 2025) and edits the creative nonfiction journal The Real Story.' 

Don’t miss episode updates @bethanreadwrites 

Follow Adam - @adamjfarrer 

Adam’s website - https://www.adamfarrer.co.uk/ 

Adam’s books - Cold Fish Soup 

Broken Biscuits 

Jenn Ashworth - books 

Adam’s mum and sister on Ruby Red performers on BGT  

Jingle by @goodebags and Frankie. 

Artwork by @georgiamaiaillustrations 

Hosted on Acast 

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