Andrew Greig speaks with Doug Johnstone about historical fiction and Scottish culture, confronting his own mortality and the joys of post-ambition.

Andrew Greig speaks with Doug Johnstone about historical fiction, his fascination with Scottish culture in its many guises, nearly dying of a brain cyst, the death of ambition and relief of being an ‘onlooker not a player’ and coming full-circle back to making music.

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Andrew Greig speaks with Doug Johnstone about 60s music as his gateway to poetry, his accidental success as a poet while failing to becoming a musician, how a poem got him a place on Himalayan climbing expeditions and the value he places on triggering emotion in his readers.

RLF writers share the tips they’ve found most useful in helping them to hone their craft, from advice on subject matter choice and picking writing companions to the tricky business of how to end lines well in poems.

Penny Boxall speaks with John Greening about poetry as ‘igniting little moments of history’, poetic inspiration as a gap that you feel yourself into, goers and duds, her move into other genres such as children’s historical fiction and her advice for young writers.

Lucy Flannery confesses to an out-of-control obsession with stationery, explaining that every notebook and index card has a role in her creative process and reminding us that nothing is ever really thrown away when you’re a writer.

Alexandra Benedict considers the many different modes of sensory perception (including her own intriguing experience of synaesthesia), and explores how the senses can make their way into writing.

Lawrence Sail speaks with Ann Morgan about the importance of fallow periods, the difficult art of writing about and for people you know, the difference between a poem and a description and being drunk on the power and enjoyment of words.

Peter Oswald speaks with John Greening about his passion for verse drama, his work translating writers such as Schiller, his introduction to Steiner and theosophical theatre and the struggle to find institutional support for verse drama and long-form poetry.

Anna Wilson speaks with Caroline Sanderson about wild swimming and taking the plunge with her writing, keeping a child’s eye view of the world and how a blog about grief led to the writing of her first book for adults - a memoir of her mother.

Michael Bond and our host Julia Copus speak about three objects that have a special significance in Michael's writing life, and Michael passes on three of his top writing tips, in 'Three Little Things'.