Award-winning and bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait author takes us behind the scenes of her creative process—from the early struggles of starting out to the discipline and instinct that shape her acclaimed novels.

We explore the irresistible drive to write, the role of characters in steering a story, and how she blends history with imagination. Maggie also shares her thoughts on revision, redrafting without ego, and what it really takes to endure in the writing life.

We discuss:

• The insatiable urge to write and the challenges of beginning a novel
• Letting characters lead and reshaping a story mid-draft
• Weaving fact and fiction in historical narratives
• Why revision is where the real writing happens
• Honest feedback, creative resilience, and writing for the long haul

ABOUT MAGGIE O'FARRELL

Maggie O’Farrell is the author of Hamnet (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award) and I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death, both Sunday Times number 1 bestsellers. Her other works include The Marriage Portrait, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, After You’d Gone, The Hand That First Held Mine (winner of the Costa Novel Award), and Instructions for a Heatwave. Maggie’s work is praised for its lyrical prose, emotional depth, and its ability to bring overlooked historical figures to life.
*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📄 Transcript (unedited)
• Arvon
• Upcoming Arvon Courses
• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
• Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
• I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell
• “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning
• Alessandro Allori's portrait of Lucrezia D’ Medici
• Read Zoe's notes from the interview

*

This podcast was done in collaboration with Arvon, the UK’s leading creative writing charity. 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.  Find out more at arvon.org.

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

What if the traditional publishing world says “no”? Eleanor Anstruther—acclaimed novelist and creator of The Literary Obsessive—shares her bold leap into indie publishing, serialising fiction and memoir on Substack, and why you need an Artist DNA to draw an audience.

We discuss: 

• Her aristocratic background and experience living in a commune
• Navigating rejection and the pivot to serialising work online
• The realities (and surprises) of building a paid readership on Substack
• Advice for writers considering serialisation and indie publishing
• How to build a creative community
• Practical tips: drafting, book sales, pricing subscriptions, and more

*

ABOUT ELEANOR ANSTRUTHER
Eleanor Anstruther grew up in London, studied History of Art at Manchester, and spent twelve years travelling the world and starting a commune before turning to writing. Her debut novel, A Perfect Explanation, was longlisted for major prizes. Today, she serialises her fiction and memoir on Substack, where she’s built a passionate readership and runs the celebrated interview series 8 Questions. Connect with her via The Literary Obsessive on Substack.

*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📑Interview Transcript
• The Literary Obsessive on Substack
• A Perfect Explanation by Eleanor Anstruther
• In Judgement of Others by Eleanor Anstruther
• Contact form 
• Glitter Balls by Michelle Howarth
• A Memoir in 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries by Eleanor Anstruther
• Sarah Fay Substack
• Ben Wakeman's Substack
• Simon K Jones
• Troubador Publishing

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way and one of the most influential voices on creativity of the last three decades, shares timeless wisdom on nurturing the artist within.

We discuss: 

• Morning Pages and Artist Dates as tools for creative recovery.
• Why being of service is at the heart of writing.
• Writing in dialogue with intuition (and the divine).
• How to handle criticism, praise, and creative resistance.
• Stories from a life in service of art, including poetry, musicals, and spiritual practice.
   

*

ABOUT JULIA CAMERON
Julia Cameron is the author of forty books, including her bestselling works on the creative process: The Artist’s Way, Seeking Wisdom, The Listening Path, Walking In This World and Finding Water. Her work has been translated into more than forty languages. Also a novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has multiple credits in theatre, film, and television. Her memoir Floor Sample takes behind the scenes of her extraordinary life and career as a writer and teacher.

Connect with Julia:

Twitter:@j_cameronlive

Website: juliacameronlive.com

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Morning Pages
• Artist's Date
• Julia's musical: Avalon
• Julia's poems
• Julia's memoir, published in the UK: Floor Sample
• All of Julia's books

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

(Interview from 2024) The founder of ProWritingAid, Chris Banks, shares his thoughts on how AI is reshaping writing, editing, and the creative process. Recorded in front of a live audience after Writers' Hour.

We discuss:

- AI as a creative partner: Can it replace writers?

- Using AI responsibly to save time, enhance editing, and elevate your craft.

- How to adapt AI tools to fit unique writing style and needs.

- Privacy & data concerns for writers and creatives.

- The importance of weirdness and the human touch in the AI era.

*

LINKS & RESOURCES

ProWritingAid

Chris Banks

OFFER:

Since our interview, ProWritingAid have released their Manuscript Analysis tool. Get feedback on your whole manuscript, discover what’s working well and where you can improve your plot, characters, settings and more. Sign up (+1 free credit).  Use code London20 for a discount on your subscription.

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

*

ABOUT CHRIS BANKS

Chris Banks is the founder and CEO of ProWritingAid, a comprehensive writing and editing toolkit that uses artificial intelligence to helps authors, editors, and professionals improve their work. Chris built ProWritingAid to bridge the gap between technology and creativity. Chris is deeply involved in discussions about AI’s impact on the writing world and how authors can harness it to enhance—not replace—their unique voice.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Jono Hey, author of Big Ideas Little Pictures and creator of Sketchplanations, shares insights from over a decade of explaining the world through sketches. 

We discuss: 

• The power of visual thinking
• Building a new identity when changing careers
• Knowing when a piece is done and ready for publishing
• Tips to get started with sketching
• & lessons from long-term creative projects, including illustrating for Bill Gates.

*

ABOUT JONO HEY
Jono Hey is the author and illustrator of Big Ideas Little Pictures, a collection of the best of Sketchplanations—his decade-long project dedicated to explaining complex ideas through simple sketches. With a background spanning academia, business, design, product development, and engineering, Jono has helped build two successful companies and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His work has been featured in Bill Gates’s book How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, and he co-hosts Sketchplanations – the Podcast, where he and two friends dive deeper into the ideas behind his sketches. Find his latest work at sketchplanations.com.

*

RESOURCES

• 📑Interview Transcript
• Sketchplanations.com
• A Sketch a Day journal
• Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule by Paul Graham
• Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
• Big Ideas Little Pictures by Jono Hey 
• Blurb (Book Printing)
• Jono’s Patreon

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Matt Trinetti, co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, on building the world’s most engaged writing community, the role of creativity in the face of AI and the transformative power of writing for creative and mental health.
*

ABOUT MATT TRINETTI
Matt Trinetti is the co-founder of London Writers' Salon, our community, dedicated to helping writers connect, make progress, and launch successful careers. With a background in career coaching and leadership development, Matt has worked with top organizations like Google and Unilever. His writing has been featured in Quartz, Huffington Post, and Business Insider, and shared by influential figures such as Tim Ferriss and Arianna Huffington.

*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Join the London Writers' Salon Community
• Writers’ Hour
• Matt's Linked-In
• Matt's Substack: Seeking With Matt
• Book: The Thank You Economy, by Gary V.
• Book: The Art of Community by Charles Vogl 
• Book: The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker 
• Escape the City

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Steve Almond, bestselling author on ‘failing’ for decades, finding flow, finding success in Hollywood, overcoming writer’s block and telling the stories only you can tell with truth and mercy.
*

ABOUT STEVE ALMOND 

Steve Almond is the award-winning author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football and Which Brings Me To You (turned into a Netflix show).

For four years, Steve hosted the New York Times Dear Sugars podcast with his pal Cheryl Strayed. He also publishes crazy, DIY books. His latest book is Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow.

*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📑Interview Transcript (Unedited)
• My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond
• Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond
• Writing Classes by Steve
• Story of a Poem by Matthew Zapruder
• Steve’s Website

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Nicola Slawson, creator of the award-winning newsletter The Single Supplement, shares her journey of building a creative career on her own terms. From launching her newsletter with zero subscribers to securing a book deal, Nicola offers insights into embracing your unique story, building an authentic community, and navigating the realities of freelance journalism and book writing.

*

ABOUT NICOLA SLAWSON 

Nicola Slawson is a freelance journalist, writer, and public speaker. She is the creator of The Single Supplement newsletter and author of Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms. Nicola is passionate about telling human stories and empowering others to embrace their own.

*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📑Interview Transcript (Unedited)
• Scott Trust Bursary
• The Single Supplement - Nicola’s Substack
• A Single Serving Podcast
• Lightbulb Facebook Group - For Writers
• Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms
• Vagina: A Re-Education by Lynn Enright
• How To Fail by Elizabeth Day
• Scrivener Writing Software
• Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Author and Editorial Director Sareeta Domingo on writing love stories that feel real, breaking into publishing, and crafting authentic intimacy in fiction. She shares insights on balancing her dual careers in writing and editing, the biggest mistakes authors make when submitting, and how the romance industry is evolving.

*

ABOUT SAREETA DOMINGO 

Sareeta Domingo is the Editorial Director at Trapeze Books (Hachette) and the author of The Three of Us and If I Don’t Have You, shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards 2021. She edited the romance anthology Who’s Loving You and writes YA fiction under S.A. Domingo.

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📑Interview Transcript (Unedited)
• Fattily Ever After by Stephanie Yeboah
• Agent Provocateur
• Mills & Boon
• Before Trilogy (films)
• Tia Williams (Author)
• The Roommate by Rosie Dinan
• Emily Henry (Author) 
• Dan Harmon’s 8 steps for Screenwriting
• Scrivener
• Jacaranda Books
• Sareeta’s Instagram
• Sareeta’s Website

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Best-selling Author Tessa Hadley on getting published in her 40s and beyond, the craft of literary fiction, developing character and conflict, and the importance of conflict.

*

ABOUT TESSA HADLEY:
Tessa Hadley is the author of eight highly acclaimed novels, including Clever Girl and Free Love, as well as four short story collections, most recently Bad Dreams and Other Stories, which won the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Her latest book is the novella The Party. Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker and Granta, and she has won the Windham Campbell Prize and the Hawthornden Prize. After two decades of struggling to publish, she landed her first book deal at 46 and has since become one of the most respected literary fiction writers of our time.

*

RESOURCES & LINKS

• 📑 Interview Transcript (Unedited)
• The Party by Tessa Hadley
• Free Love by Tessa Hadley
• Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
• Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2025 

*

This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.

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

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

*

FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!