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Ilona Bannister, long time friend of Not Too Busy To Write is on the podcast talking about her new novel and her move from literary fiction to thriller. FIVE is set on a train platform, 5 minutes before a train will arrive and one of the five characters will die. The reader is asked who they think deserves to die. Ilona talks with me about breaking the forth wall, unlikeabe characters and how readers are reacting to confronting their own prejudices, why law school is great training for a writer and the pleasures and humanity of the thriller genre. FIVE is out May 5th Links FIVE - Ilona Bannister Little Prisons - Ilona Bannister When I Ran Away - Ilona Bannister THE FOLD membership for writers - join the 21 Day Writing Challenge! Penny on Instagram @pennywincer

Jane Harper is the Gold Dagger award winning, bestselling author who defined a new sub genre - Australian Noir - with her breakout debut The Dry in 2016. Today we're talking about her 6th novel Last One Out, a brilliantly dark and twisty novel about a missing son and a dying rural town. Jane talks with me about her extensive outlining process (which begins at the end), what motivated her through the writing of her first novel when she was a full time journalist and why isolated communities make such fantastic settings. Links Last One Out - Jane Harper Aaron Falk Series The Dry - Jane Harper Forces of Nature - Jane Harper Exiles - Jane Harper Jane Harper's Ted Talk Darling Girls - Sally Hepworth Mad Mabel - Sally Hepworth The Mother Fault - Kate Mildenhall THE FOLD membership for writers - 21 Day Writing Challenge begins May 1st!

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman is back on the podcast talking about her hilarious new novel about midlife anxiety Wreck. Catherine talks with me about writing superstitions, hilariously terrible reviews, what success as a novelist has really meant to her and the joy she has found in owning her own publication on Substack after a lifetime writing for other people. Links Wreck by Catherine Newman Sandwich by Catherine Newman We All Want Impossibly Things by Catherine Newman Crone Sandwich - Catherine's Substack THE FOLD membership for writers

6 years ago comedian Helen Thorn's life was turned upside down when she discovered her then husband was having a years long affair. Within two years she had written a Sunday Times Best Seller about the experience and it's immediate aftermath - fags, dating and all - but especially about the women who hold us up when life gets us down. Now, she's written a new book reflecting on the strength gained from facing unexpected loss. Helen and I talk about just what there is to be gained from total honesty on the page, some of the women that inspired her to write this book and the calm that has descended after the chaos. Links How To Face Change and Come Back Stronger by Helen Thorn Get Divorced, Be Happy by Helen Thorn Helen Thorn on Instagram Scummy Mummies THE FOLD membership for writers

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is an author and journalist, and today we talking about her new novel Female, Nude, a sexy sultry book about seeing and being seen, which weaves visual art into a story of womanhood, motherhood and disability. We also talk about The Republic of Parenthood, a book made up of the collected columns Rhiannon wrote for the Guardian, weaving in the personal, the political and cultural as she became a mother herself. Links Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Republic of Parenthood by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett Year of the Cat by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

James Hunt's debut memoir Love Needs No Words is the story of a unique fatherhood, caring for his two sons, both of whom are non-speaking and autistic. James talks with me about the decision to write the things he didn't feel he could say out loud to friends and family, and how those words began to reach families all over the world with a shared reality. He talks about needing that connection so much early in his journey, how he came to be able to speak about his own mental health so much more openly and how he hopes this book will reach the many Dads who struggle to be open about their experiences. Links Love Needs No Words by James Hunt SAA Clothing Stories about Autism on Instagram

Lauren Currie OBE is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and founder of Upfront, an organisation on a mission to change the confidence of 1 million women. In her new book Be Upfront: 24 Rules of life changing confidence, Lauren picks apart the old rules of confidence that don't serve women and introduces the reader to new rules to live by. We talk about how Lauren's confidence as a writer has grown, why she thinks self doubt is no bad thing (and some men could use a little more of it) and her different experiences of self publishing and traditional publishing. We are giving away copies of Be Upfront on Instagram! To be grab one - follow @_laurencurrie_ and @pennywincer and comment on the competition post to enter. Links Be Upfront by Lauren Currie Taylor Meets The Trick by Lauren Currie Upfront Lauren Currie's newsletter

Jodi Wilson is a health journalist and author of A Brain That Breathes: Essential habits for an overwhelming world. Jodi talks with me today about how after her third book was published and she was feeling depleted, she became curious about what our brains need to be creative and productive. This book is the result. In the conversation we talk about the uncertainty, magic and hard work of writing books and how tiny pockets of breathing space can transform our creativity and lives. It's lovely to be back for series 12! Links A Brain That Breathes by Jodi Wilson Jodi Wilson on Substack - Practicing Simplicity Jodi Wilson on Instagram The Fold Membership for writers Penny Wincer on Instagram

Francesca Segal is the author of Welcome to Glorious Tuga and Island Calling, the first two novels in a trilogy about the delightful fictional island of Tuga De Oro in the South Atlantic. Francesca talks with me about fictional world building, the deliberate choice to create a refuge and a community, not without challenges but incredibly hopeful as well as the influence of 19th century literature on the novels, and the joys and challenges of writing interconnected books. We also talk about Francesca's 2019 memoir Mothership, still one of the most incredible accounts of early motherhood I have ever read. links Welcome to Glorious Tuga - Francesca Segal Island Calling - Francesca Segal Mothership - Francesca Segal The Fold membership for writers This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Today I am in conversation with not one but three guests! We're talking about the incredible impact of the Women's Prize Discoveries from three perspectives - 2026 Judge and Curtis Brown literary agent Ciara Finan, 2022 shortlistee and author of the extraordinary debut novel Ordinary Saints, Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin and Alice Trew, 2024 shortlistee who has just secured a 2 book deal, the first of which The Hungry Dark, will be out in 2027. Ciara talks us through her work as a literary agent and what she'll be looking for amongst entries in the 2026 prize, and Niamh and Alice talk about their experiences as shortlistees and the incredible impact it has had on their careers and their community as writers. The Women's Prize Discoveries is open to all women aged over 18 who are unagented and unpublished, resident in the UK and Ireland, and writing in English, in any adult fiction genre. The deadline for the 2026 prize is January 12th. Submission is free and requires 10k words and a synopsis. See the link below for more details. Links Women's Prize Discoveries Ordinary Saints - Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin Curtis Brown Creative Ciara Finan at Curtis Brown Alice on Instagram Niamh on Instagram This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Chartered psychologist, coach and author Suzy Reading believes women need to learn to be a bit selfish. After many books on the subject of self care and self nourishment, Suzy focuses her new book How To Be Selfish, instead, on the importance of receiving care. Suzy and I talk about why women struggle with self advocacy so much and why it's a vital skill to live a full life, especially one in which we contribute so much to our families and communities. We also talk about why writers specifically need to be a little bit selfish and why it's worth learning how to be. Links How To Be Selfish by Suzy Reading Suzy Reading on Instagram The Fold membership for writers Penny Wincer on Instagram This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Lily Dunn is the author of the acclaimed Sins of My Father and her latest book Into Being brings together her experience as a writer and teacher of literary memoir. It's an essential read for anyone embarking on personal narrative form. Lily talks with me about assumptions people get wrong about memoir, the unique relationship between memoirist and reader and the ethics and challenges of writing about other people. Links Into Being by Lily Dunn Sins of My Father by Lily Dunn London Lit Lab Memoir Bootcamp with Lily Dunn The Fold Writers Membership This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Claire Lynch is on the podcast this week talking about her incredible debut novel A Family Matter, the story of a family torn apart and the decades of silence that follows. This is Claire's second time on the podcast - we spoke way back in 2021 about her memoir Small: On Motherhoods. Claire talks with me about when she first discovered how lesbian mothers had access to their children forcibly removed by court order well into the 1990s in the UK and her decision to explore this heartbreaking recent history in fiction. Claire talks about the varied reception the book has had across different regions facing differing political climates, as well as her recent decision to leave her job as a professor of literature and creative writing and write full time. Links A Family Matter by Claire Lynch Small: On Motherhoods by Claire Lynch The Fold Membership for Writers This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Sunday Times best selling author Alice Slater is with me today talking about her second novel Let The Bad Times Roll, a dark and delicious follow up to her debut Death of a Bookseller. Alice talks with me about the pleasures of writing immoral characters, finding her way into her 'difficult' second novel, the challenges of shift work (and why bookselling is a bad profession to have alongside writing) and why she is no where near ready to give up the day job just yet. Links Let The Bad Times Roll by Alice Slater Death of A Bookseller by Alice Slater Alice Slater on Substack The Fold Membership for Writers This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!

Caro Giles is an award winning writer and author of two memoirs. Unschooled is about Caro's experience raising children who don't fit in to the school system. Forced to homeschool out of necessity rather than choice, Caro weaves in her own experiences as a teacher at both mainstream and specialist provisions to uncover what is an inadequate and chronically underfunded system that is failing so many children in this country. It's a truly beautiful book about making the most of a system virtually impossible to navigate if you don't fit into a neat little box. Caro talks about how the book has been received in mainstream media, using your voice to stand up for those whose lives are at the edges and just how on earth she managed to finish the book to such a tight deadline whilst caring and homeschooling full time. Links Unschooled by Caro Giles Twelve Moons by Caro Giles Caro on Substack and Instagram The Fold Membership for Writers This series of the podcast is sponsored by award winning audio book app xigxag Listeners of Not Too Busy To Write can receive their second book FREE To redeem, download the xigxag app from the App Store or Google Play.  Go to My xigxag/Settings, then click on Account.  Under Vouchers, click on the ‘Enter code’ button and add your voucher code TOOBUSY to your account.  After your first purchase, your second title will be free!