My Unlived Life

Miriam sits down to chat with Tanya Shadrick about what her life would have been like if, at the age of 13, she’d felt confident enough to attend a pool party being thrown by a very intriguing, very bohemian new boy at her school. Along the way they discuss what opening up to others can teach you about yourself, the importance of methodical movement in a world that values speed and the economics of changing your life.

Tanya Shadrick is a former hospice scribe whose first public work was a mile of writing composed pen on paper beside England’s oldest outdoor pool. She is the founder of The Selkie Press and editor of Wild Woman Swimming, a journal of west country waters. Her memoir The Cure for Sleep - an unforgettable story of a life changed forever by sudden near-death – is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and is available from your local bookshop.

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 2 – in each episode, Miriam Robinson interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Neil Mason

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miriam sits down with comics artist Karrie Fransman to discuss what Karrie’s life may have looked like if her IVF treatment had failed and she’d never managed to conceive a child. Along the way they talked about the mismatch between our perceptions and the reality of motherhood, Karrie’s obsession with communes; and the beauty of animatronic storytelling machines.  

Karrie Fransman is a comic creator. Her comics strips and graphic stories have been published in The Guardian, The Times, Time Out, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, The Young Vic, Psychologies Magazine, The Arts Council Create Magazine, The Goethe Institute and The British Red Cross. Her latest illustrated book, Gender Swapped Fairy Tales (Faber), was co-created with her husband Jonathan Plackett was chosen as Book of the Month by the Bookseller and WHSmith. It is currently on its fifth reprint.

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 1 – in each episode, Miriam Robinson interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Tess Davidson

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renowned psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry explores what her life would have been like if, as a teenager she had been encouraged to go to university as opposed to being dismissed because of her (then undiagnosed) dyslexia. Along the way, she and host Miriam Robinson also discuss the importance of setting boundaries, what it means to find your tribe, and a counterintuitive way to get your kids to do the dishes.

Philippa Perry has been a psychotherapist for twenty years. She is an agony aunt for Red Magazine, a freelance writer, and a TV and radio presenter. Her bestselling books include The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) and Couch Fiction: A Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy (Penguin Life) She lives in London with her husband the artist Grayson Perry, and they have a grown-up daughter, Flo.

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 1 – in each episode, Miriam interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Tess Davison

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Internationally bestselling author John Boyne speaks to host Miriam Robinson about what his life would have been like if, at the age of 16, he would have had the confidence to audition for his school production of Hamlet. Along the way we discussed his creative and sexual awakening, what it means to be a success; and his long standing crush on singer-songwriter Will Young. 

John has published 13 novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a short story collection, including New York Times No.1 Bestselling The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide. His novels are published in 54 languages, and his latest adult novel The Echo Chamber (Transworld) was published in August 2021. 

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 1 – in each episode, Miriam Robinson interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Tess Davidson

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigerian-British writer Irenosen Okojie and host Miriam Robinson discuss what would have happened if, in her early 20s, Irenosen had accepted a job as an editorial assistant at a magazine in New York. Along the way they discuss why mentors matter, the importance of embracing mess and why everything good starts with a fabulous lunch.

Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian-British author. In 2021 she was awarded an MBE For Services To Literature, and she is an RSL Fellow. Her debut novel Butterfly Fish won a 2016 Betty Trask Award. Her short story collection Speak Gigantular, was published was shortlisted for the inaugural Jhalak Prize and the 2017 Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Nudibranch, her collection of short stories, was longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2020, and its story ‘Grace Jones’ won the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.  

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 1 – in each episode, Miriam interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Tess Davidson.

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Molly Flatt sits down with host Miriam Robinson to discuss her tangled love affair with London, the limits of rational thought, how to combat perfectionism and the unexpected upside of a Hackney bar fight. Together, they explore what Molly’s life would have been like if, in 2014, the sale on the house she intended to buy in the countryside hadn’t fallen through and she’d left London for the countryside of her youth.

Molly Flatt is a journalist who specialises in the impact of technology on publishing, culture and identity, and is Comment Editor at The Bookseller. Her novel is The Charmed Life Of Alex Moore (Pan Macmillan). She is also co-founder Big Book Weekend, a free virtual book festival accessible to all, supported by BBC Arts and Arts Council England.

Make sure to subscribe to hear the rest of Season 1 – in each episode, Miriam Robinson interviews a guest about a path their life might have taken and together, step by step, they write the stories of their unlived lives.

Produced by Tess Davidson

#MyUnlivedLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.