Novel Experience

Debut author and actor Bryan Moriaty. Bryan’s novel SOUNDS LIKE FUN, a charming gay rom-com, is due to be published by Hodder Books this coming Thursday. Bryan and I have a great chat about writing acting monologues being the gateway drug that bought him to writing fiction, how NaNoWriMo helped him draft his debut, being selected by the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair, using Grindr as a means of advancing plot and his love of writing in public libraries.…I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it. All the books that we mention are listed in the show notes and you can check them out in the episode specific Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop which is listed in the shownotes.  HERE. Guest:  Bryan Moriaty  Books: Sounds Like Fun by Bryan MoriatyHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Bryan’s recommendations: A book for fan’s of Bryan's work: Look Here by Ana KinselaA book Bryan has always loved: Piranesi by Susannah Clarke, The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susannah ClarkeA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Diary of a Film by Niven GovindaOther books discussed in this episode: Species of Spaces and Other Pieces by Georges Perec, Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary, Heartburn by Nora Ephron, The Unconsoled by Kazuo IshiguroAll books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award winning journalist and author, Sophie Haydock. Sophie's debut Novel THE FLAMES is the story of Egon Schieie’s four muses in early 20th century Vienna, which was published in the UK in hardback last year, about to come out in the US and soon to be published in paperback in the UK too. Sophie and Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING & THIS FAMILY, talk about how she was inspired to write by an exhibition at the Courthald Gallery, giving women from the past their voices and the difficulties in depicting the problematic behaviour of men in a different era. She also tells me how applying for prizes (and winning the impress prize first novel award) helped her to push forward her writing of The Flames. I hope you enjoy listening to our chat as much as I did recording it and find Sophie’s honesty about her road to publication inspiring and interesting. All the books that are mentioned are listed in the below and you can check them out or purchase them in the episode specific Bookshop.org shop HERE.Guest:  Sophie Haydock   Twitter:   @SophieHaydock   IG: @_sophiehaydock_ & @egonscheileswomenBooks: The Flames by Sophie HaydockHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Shopie’s recommendations:A book for fan’s of Sophie's work: I was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn, The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry, Hamnet by Maggie O'FarrellA book Sophie has always loved: The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracey ChevalierA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Mrs Van Gough by Caroline CauchiOther books discussed in this episode: Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, The Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, Mrs Hemmingway by Naomi WoodAll books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debut author Cecile Pin, whose novel WANDERING SOULS is out this week. WANDERING SOULS is a luminous, boldly imagined debut novel about three Vietnamese siblings who seek refuge in the UK in the late seventies and the way that experience echoes through generations. Cecile and Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING & THIS FAMILY have a lovely chat about how her philosophy degrees feed into her writing, interviewing Ocean Vong as her first journalism gig, how the background of her book was pieced together using her own family history, transcripts from downing street meetings and videos on youtube and the benefits of being in a writing group. I hope you enjoy listening in on this chat as much as I did recording it and find all the chat about writing process interesting and helpful. All the books that are mentioned are listed below and you can check them out or purchase them in the episode specific Bookshop.org shop.Guest:  Cecile Pin   Twitter:  @CecilekvPin. IG: @cecilekvpinBooks: Wandering Souls by Cecile PinHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer Books: The Stranding by Kate Sawyer , This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Cecile’s book recommendations:Books for fan’s of Cecile’s work: Human Acts by Han Kang, The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson, Atonement by Ian McEwanA book Cecile has always loved: Silence of the Girls by Pat BarkerA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Ghost Girl, Banana by Wiz WhartonOther books discussed in this episode: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vong, Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong, Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo, Greek Lessons by Han KangAll books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kirsty Capes, author of the Women’s Prize longlisted Careless a novel about Bess, a 15 year old living in foster care who discovers that she is pregnant and Love Me, Love Me Not which is about Lucy Banbury, a young woman who is thriving, until she discovers that she is adopted at a family wedding, which is published in paperback next week. Kirsty and I have a lovely conversation about the three writing degrees that let her believe that writing was something she could do professionally, balancing publicising your book with wanting to protect your privacy, writing characters with experience of care, what her experience in working in publishing taught her about her own book being published and the epic sci-fi dystopia that is yet to see the light of day. Guest: Kirsty Capes Twitter: @kirstycapes  IG: @kirstycapes.authorBooks by Kirsty: Careless by Kirsty Capes, Love Me, Love Me Not by Kirsty CapesHosted by Kate Sawyer, author of Costa shortlisted The Stranding and This Family which is due to be published in May 2023 (and now available for pre-order from all good bookshops).Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer Books by Kate: The Stranding by Kate Sawyer , This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Kirsty’s recommendations:A book for fan’s of Kirsty's work: My Name is Why by Lemn SissayA book Kirsty has always loved: All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam TowesA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Yellowface by Rebecca F KwangOther books discussed in this episode: The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Towes, Women Talking by Mirian Towes, The Brother of The More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido, The Power by Naomi Alderman, The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn, Junk by Melvin Burgess, Babel by RF Kwang.All books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award winning journalist and broadcaster Aingeala Flannery, author of The Amusements, a polyphonic portrait of the seaside town of Tramore in County Waterford Ireland - which is due to be released in paperback this coming Thursday.Aingeala and I have a great chat about the journalism career and how she transitioned to writing fiction. We discuss her wonderful novel, how she wrote it and her reasons for setting it in Tramore. We talk about structure and composite novels and what makes a narrative satisfying and how painting a wall in her kitchen with blackboard paint was involved in the edits of The Amusements.I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did recording it. All the books that we mention are listed in the show notes and you can check them out or purchase them in my episode specific Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop HERE.Guest: Aingeala Flannery  Twitter: @missflannery  IG: @aingealaflanneryBooks:  The Amusements by Aingeala FlanneryAingeala’s recommendations:A book for fan’s of Aingeala’s work: Olive Kitterage by Elizabeth Strout, A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, The Green Road by Anne EnrightA book Aingeala has always loved: The Gathering by Anne EnrightA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: The Red Bird Sings by Aoife Fitzpatrick, Service by Sarah GilmartinOther books discussed in this episode: The Maples by John Cheever, Where I End by Sophie White, Karla by Colin Walsh, Juno Loves Legs by Carl Geary, All books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org ShopHosted by Kate Sawyer, author of Costa shortlisted The Stranding and This Family which is due to be published in May 2023 (and now available for pre-order from all good bookshops).Host: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Ania Bas, author of the darkly comic Odd Hours. Ania and I have a really interesting chat about her education in Poland and how her early television viewing was formative, how her career in visual arts led to writing and how it still informs her work. She tells me about how she schedules non-negotiable writing time and how she dons and alter-ego while she is at her keyboard in order to overcome imposter syndrome. And we delve into her influences and how they have led to her enforcing rules on herself to push her work forward. I hope you enjoy this episode and find all Ania’s reading recommendations interesting. All the books that we mention are listed in the show notes and you can check the out or purchase them in my episode specific Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop HERE.Guest: Ania Bas Twitter: @ania_bas IG:@aniabas_ukOdd Hours by Ania BasHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Ania's recommendations:A book for fan’s of Ania’s work: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg MasonA book Ania has always loved: Species of Spaces and Other Pieces by Georges PerecA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: The Exhibitionist by Charlotte MendelsonOther books discussed in this episode: The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith, The Secret Diary of Adiran Mole, aged 13 and 3/4 by Sue TownsendAll books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Matson Taylor, author of Richard and Judy Bookclub pick THE MISEDUCATION OF EVIE EPWORTH and the follow-up novel, set ten years later, ALL ABOUTEVIE- which is currently out in Hardback and is due to be released in paperback this July 2023. Matson and I have a lovely chat about his work as a design historian at the V&A and how that fed into the Evie books, writing through decades and writing funny stories about serious things. We touch on the fact that his first book is set home county of Yorkshire and ponder on the issues with writing dialect and how, though there is another Evie book planned, his next novel will be breaking away from the trilogy and heading to Rome…I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it, all the books that we mention are listed in the show notes and you can check the out or purchase them in my episode specific Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop HERE.Guest: Matson Taylor  Twitter: @matson_taylor_  IG: @matson_taylor_The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson TaylorAll About Evie by Matson TaylorHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Matson’s recommendations:A book for fan’s of Matson’s work: Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe, Behind The Scenes at the Museum by Matson TaylorA book Matson has always loved: Collected Stories by Katherine Mansfield, The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. DelafieldA book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: House Arrest by Alan Bennett, Small Joys by Elvin James MensahOther books discussed in this episode: Okay Then That's Great by Susannah Wise, Henry and June by Anais NinAll books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Sarah Bonner, author of psychological thrillers Her Perfect Twin and the soon to be published Her Sweet Revenge - which is due to be published in April. Sarah and I have a great chat about how writing thrillers has surprising similarities to her career as an accountant, the novel that started her writing journey but has yet to see the light of day, how being made redundant during the first covid lockdown effectively led to her putting together her own writing training, and how changing tense can help you find your voice. I really enjoyed talking to Sarah and enjoyed some of the tips she brings from her analytical, project management background that have helped her write three novels in just three years. I hope you enjoy the show, if you do please rate and review wherever you listen. And remember all of the books we talk about today are listed, with links to buy in our Bookshop.org shop.Guest: Sarah Bonner Twitter: @sarabonner101 IG: @sarahbonner101Her Sweet RevengeHer Perfect TwinHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)All books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest on Novel Experience is journalist and Sunday Times Bestselling author Clover Stroud. Clover is my first guest writer whose published books are non-fiction, or 'life-writing'. We have such a great chat: covering ground from why life-writing is storytelling, curiosity about how people live their lives, the novels that she wrote before turning to memoir and finding right space and time to write. We also talk about what she is working on now, and we discuss her three books, The Wild Other - which is about her travels and the catastrophic accident of her mothers that changed her family life, My Wild and Sleepless Nights - which is about motherhood in all its guises and her most recent book, The Red of My Blood - which is about death and life following the death of her beloved sister Nell. The Red of My Blood is currently out in hardback and due to be published in paperback this week! All of Clover's books and the books we talk about are listed below and available for purchase in the Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop HEREGuest: Clover Stroud Twitter: @cloverstroud IG: @clover.stroudThe Red of My BloodMy Wild and Sleepless NightsThe Wild OtherHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)All books recommended and discussed in this episode are available to be purchased from the Novel Experience Bookshop.Org Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest on Novel Experience is Jessica Moor author of Keeper and Young Women, which is currently out in Hardback and is due to be published in paper back in July this year. I have a brilliant and wide ranging chat with Jess about how habits and habit stacking can help with writing, giving ourselves and others a break on social media and why booksellers are such an important part of the ecology of publishing. I hope you enjoy this episode, all the books that we mention are listed below and you can check them out or purchase them in my episode specific Novel Experience Bookshop.org shop HEREGuest: Jessica Moor Twitter: @jessicamoor IG: @ms_jessica_moorKeeper by Jessica MoorYoung Women by Jessica MoorHost: Kate Sawyer Twitter: @katesawyer IG: @mskatesawyer The Stranding by Kate Sawyer This Family (coming May 2023. Available to pre-order now!)Books for fans of Jessica's work:The Neapolitan Quartet books by Elena FerranteCatch and Kill by Ronan FarrowBooks that Jess has loved for years:The Golden Notebook by Doris LessingThe Grass is Singing by Doris LessingA book that's recent of coming soon that Jess would like to boost:River Sing Me Home by Eleanor ShearerOther books discussed in this episode:Atomic Habits by James Clear4000 Weeks by Oliver BurkemanThe Art of The Novel by Milan KunderaShrines of Gaiety by Kate AtkinsonThe Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'FarrellA God In Ruins by Kate AtkinsonLinks to read more and buy all the books mentioned in this episode: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/novel-experience-podcast-s4-ep3-jessica-moor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.