Podcasts by The Riff Raff Podcast: Writers community | Debut authors | Getting published
The Riff Raff is a writers' community co-founded by authors Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards. The Riff Raff Podcast features interviews with debut authors who offer tips, inspiration and inside advice on the challenges of getting published.
Further podcasts by Amy Baker & Rosy Edwards: Authors and co-founders of The Riff Raff
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The Riff Raff: Episode 81 - Stephanie Scott from 2020-04-20T16:48:26
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to debut author, Stephanie Scott, about her beautiful novel, What's Left of Me is Yours. They discuss how to effectively write about people falling in love, how to ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 80 - Alex Allison from 2020-03-09T11:10:58
Debut author and Founder of The Riff Raff, Amy Baker chats to Alex Allison, author of The Art of the Body - a novel about the relationship between a young artist and his carer. They discuss how to ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 79 - Kiley Reid from 2020-02-10T10:05:18
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Kiley Reid, author of Such a Fun Age - a novel that tells the story of a young black girl wrongly accused of kidnapping a white child and the events that follow....
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The Riff Raff: Episode 78 - Elle Nash from 2020-01-13T12:50:01
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Elle Nash, author of 'Animals Eat Each Other' - a complex and impressive psychological exploration of obsession and desire. Amy and Elle chat about writing witho...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 77 - Richard Roper from 2019-11-20T15:11:25
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Richard Roper, author of Something to Live For, about how on Earth you write something 'life-affirming', the art of receiving and applying feedback and how writi...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 76 - Daniel James from 2019-11-11T05:00:14
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to debut author Daniel James about his novel, The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas. They discuss his genre-busting novel, which combines multiple disciplines, qu...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 75 - Lara Prescott from 2019-10-14T04:00:24
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Lara Prescott, author of instant New York Times Bestseller, The Secrets We Kept - a book inspired by the CIA plot to infiltrate Soviet Russia, not via propaganda...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 74 - Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan from 2019-09-09T04:00:15
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff writers' community chats to Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, author of Sarong Party Girls, about inhabiting your characters to create a believable first person narrative, revelling in...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 73 - Ashley Hickson Lovence from 2019-08-12T04:38:42
Amy Baker, author and Founder of The Riff Raff, chats to Ashley Hickson-Lovence about his debut novel, The 392. We discuss those special moments that spark book ideas, writing about one event from ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 72 - Catherine Kirwan from 2019-07-08T10:30:07
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Catherine Kirwan, author of Darkest Truth about the art of the cliffhanger, showing your characters through the choices they make and how taking yourself to your...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 71 - Wayétu Moore from 2019-06-10T09:02:25
Amy Baker chats to Wayétu Moore, author of She Would Be King about writing flawed characters, finding the balance between writing as an art and writing as a craft and how vital it is to get away fr...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 70 - Joanne Ramos from 2019-05-27T05:30:07
Amy Baker chats to Joanne Ramos, author of The Farm. They discuss how Joanne's experience of straddling two worlds helped her to write her novel, training yourself in the habit of writing and choos...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 69 - Elizabeth Macneal from 2019-05-13T05:30:09
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Elizabeth Macneal, author of Sunday Times Bestseller, The Doll Factory, about perfecting the slang of a time period, using objects to link your characters and re...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 68 - Nicole Flattery from 2019-04-29T04:00:29
Amy Baker chats to Nicole Flattery, author of Show Them a Good Time, about how themes reveal themselves in the writing, getting to know your characters through redrafting and giving yourself space ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 67 - Sara Collins from 2019-04-15T09:02:01
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton. We discuss Sara's early obsession with books and drive to write the type of narrative she hadn't foun...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 66 - Alex Michaelides from 2019-04-01T06:00:12
The Riff Raff chat to Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient. We discuss how to make every scene of your book iconic, summarising the beats of your story via props and the importance of wri...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 65 - Wendy Mitchell from 2019-03-19T09:54:37
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Wendy Mitchell, author of 'Somebody I Used to Know'. We discuss writing as sudoku, the importance of trust in a collaboration, and how detail makes our stories c...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 64 - Mariam Khan from 2019-03-03T19:07:43
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Mariam Khan, author of It's Not About the Burqa. We discuss finding power in writing, the process of editing an anthology & creating a platform where an importan...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 63 - Ella Risbridger from 2019-02-25T09:56:17
Amy Baker of The Riff Raff chats to Ella Risbridger about her debut cookbook, Midnight Chicken. We discuss the redemptive power of cooking (& writing), the compulsion to write and the importance of...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 62 - Lillian Li from 2019-02-11T09:01:03
The Riff Raff chat to Lillian Li, author of Number 1 Chinese Restaurant, about how finding the perfect setting can kick start your novel, showing character in ways other than dialogue & writing wit...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 61 - Anthony Good from 2019-01-27T09:14:38
The Riff Raff chat to Anthony Good, author of Kill (Redacted) about the books you need to write, the art of fragmented writing and how to connect your readers with your characters. Music: www.benso...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 60 - Lizzy Barber from 2019-01-13T11:12:35
We talk to Lizzy Barber, author of My Name Is Anna, about the art of writing a 'why' done it rather than a 'who' done it, the tricks to show don't tell and how entering a writing competition change...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 59 - Tyler Wetherall from 2018-12-09T13:28:19
The Riff Raff chat to Tyler Wetherall, author of No Way Home about the role of truth in memoir, finding the story behind the story and working out your thoughts and feelings on the page. Music: www...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 58 - Charlene Allcott from 2018-12-03T08:24:44
We talk to Charlene Allcott, author of The Reinvention of Martha Ross, about using your own experience to create a story, portraying a realistic view of motherhood and how to get your book bloody w...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 57 - Emily Critchley from 2018-11-26T07:07:33
The Riff Raff chat to Emily Critchley, author of Notes on My Family, about getting into the mindset of a younger protagonist, giving your characters space to communicate who they are & the responsi...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 56 - Kat Poole from 2018-11-18T16:35:45
We talk to Kat Poole, co-author of Being An Adult, about the process of writing a book with somebody else, how to choose which topics to cover when your book could go absolutely anywhere and what i...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 55 - Leo Carew from 2018-11-12T17:51:32
The Riff Raff chat to Leo Carew author of 'The Wolf' about getting your planning down on the page, how to pace a fantasy epic and mastering the lyricism of your writing. Music: bensound.com
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The Riff Raff: Episode 54 - Gabrielle Fernie from 2018-11-05T08:22:43
We talk to Gabrielle Fernie, author of Lush, about writing honestly – especially when it comes to your own life; how to hit a deadline and why it can really pay off to share your work with authors ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 53 - Emilie Pine from 2018-10-22T04:00:23
The Riff Raff chat to Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self, about why it's important to write for yourself rather than a perceived audience, creativity as a therapeutic tool, & why, if you want to ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 52 - Helen Cullen from 2018-10-14T16:28:03
We talk to Helen Cullen, author of The Lost Letters of William Woolfe, about depicting long-term love in a real way; why a chaotic plan won't stop you from writing a coherent plot and what happens ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 51 - Fatima Farheen Mirza from 2018-10-08T06:00:09
The Riff Raff chats to Fatima Farheen Mirza about her sensational debut novel, A Place For Us. We discuss how exploratory writing can help you discover your plot, the importance of honouring the co...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 50 - Caroline O'Donoghue from 2018-10-01T07:00:19
The Riff Raff talk to Caroline O'Donoghue, author of Promising Young Women, about the beauty(and importance)of the writer/editor relationship, sticking to your guns when it comes to being weird and...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 49 - Jenny Zhang from 2018-09-24T05:00:16
The Riff Raff chat to Jenny Zhang, author of Sour Heart, about coming-of-age stories, writing complicated relationships and whether it's ever possible to hide autobiographical aspects from your wor...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 48 - Holly Ringland from 2018-09-16T17:40:59
This week we're talking to Holly Ringland, author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, about celebrating female relationships in books, how to nail descriptive writing so that it's not 'all pate and ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 47 - Michael Donkor from 2018-09-10T06:00:06
The Riff Raff chat to Michael Donkor, author of Hold, about the importance of dialogue in building character relationships, the licence writing gives you to think about ordinary things in new ways ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 46 - Rutendo Tavengerwei from 2018-09-02T14:24:58
The Riff Raff talk to Rutendo Tavengerwei, author of Hope Is Our Only Wing, about tackling complex issues with a YA audience in mind, writing about loss to reach those who need it most and how auth...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 45 - Tara Isabella Burton from 2018-08-27T07:00:08
The Riff Riff chat to Tara Isabella Burton, author of Social Creature, about using trial & error to find your narrative voice, writing about anxiety, and finding a place for social media in literar...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 44 - Juman Malouf from 2018-08-19T15:38:51
The Riff Raff talk to Juman Malouf, author of The Trilogy of Two, about finding your identity in your writing, using images to create a world on the page and the joy – and grief – of pursuing child...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 43 - Özgür Mumcu from 2018-08-12T15:23
This week we talk to Özgür Mumcu, author of The Peace Machine, about how to avoid getting lost in research, the enduring popularity of the circus as a literary tool and re-creating a real location ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 42 - Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott from 2018-08-05T12:22:37
The Riff Raff chat to Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, author of Swan Song about the responsibility writers have to their subjects, the importance of letting your book guide you and those magical momen...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 41 - July 2018 Live Event from 2018-07-29T16:29:46
Live from the Effra Social in Brixton, we bring you The Riff Raff LIVE - July 2018. This episode features readings and writing advice from Jenny Zhang (Sour Heart), Rachel Heng (Suicide Club), Holl...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 40 - Luke Tredget from 2018-07-22T17:27:15
The Riff Raff talk to Luke Tredget, author of Kismet, about how to create realistic characters that self-sabotage, creating a narrative voice in a different gender to your own and how to represent ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 39 - Adam Kay from 2018-07-15T21:19:11
The Riff Raff talk to Adam Kay, author of the frankly hilarious This Is Going To Hurt, about how to create comedy out of tragedy, the importance of having a beginning, middle and an end and why the...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 38 - Luke Allnutt from 2018-07-09T09:42:46
The Riff Raff chat to Luke Allnutt, author of We Own the Sky about the delicate balance between theme and plot, fictionalising personal experience and how a life threatening situation impacted his ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 37 - June 2018 Live Event from 2018-07-01T18:00:50
Coming to you live, from the Effra Social in Brixton, it's The Riff Raff June Meet Up! Featuring book readings and writing advice from debut authors Sophie Mackintosh (The Water Cure), Rachel Edwar...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 36 - Paula Cocozza from 2018-06-25T08:05:51
The Riff Raff talk to Desmond Elliott prize nominee Paula Cocozza, author of How To Be Human, about how to build tension, the importance of committing to your writing and following your instincts, ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 35 - Preti Taneja from 2018-06-18T11:08:09
The Riff Raff chat to Desmond Elliott prize nominee Preti Taneja about her state of the nation novel, We That Are Young. We discuss basing your book on a pre-exiting narrative, how to cover big the...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 34 - Paul Howarth from 2018-06-11T07:08:15
The Riff Raff chat to Paul Howarth, author of Only Killers and Thieves about writing violence, using one character to convey big themes and putting a modern take on a tried and tested genre. Music:...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 33 - May 2018 Live Event from 2018-06-04T08:38:11
Recorded live at The Riff Raff in Brixton on May 10th 2018, this month we welcome Guy Gunaratne (In Our Mad & Furious City), Samuel Fisher (The Chameleon), Anne Patterson (Yes), Kate Leaver (The Fr...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 32 - Justin Myers from 2018-05-27T17:55:06
The Riff Raff talk to Justin Myers, author of The Last Romeo, about the thin line between fact and fiction; how where you write affects what how you're writing and why aspiring authors should ignor...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 31 - Elaine Castillo from 2018-05-13T14:22:54
The Riff Raff chat to Elaine Castillo, author of America is not the Heart about how to identify your narrative voice, creating an authentic depiction of trauma and writing as a bi woman of colour. ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 30 - Samuel Fisher from 2018-04-30T05:53:36
The Riff Raff talk to Samuel Fisher, author of The Chameleon and co-owner of east London bookshop Burley Fisher. We chat traditional versus innovative narratives, working with independent publisher...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 29 - Sharlene Teo from 2018-04-16T05:07:17
The Riff Raff talk to Sharlene Teo, author of 'Ponti', about the challenges and pay-off of writing from three different perspectives, following the flow of the narrative and ignoring the writings r...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 28 - Stuart Turton from 2018-04-02T11:54:20
The Riff Raff talk to Stuart Turton, author of time-hopping, murder mystery, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. We discuss intricate plotting, character development and Stuart's fun technique o...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 27 - Natasha Bell from 2018-03-18T12:36:57
The Riff Raff talk to to Natasha Bell, author of psychological thriller 'Exhibit Alexandra' about how to write plots your readers won't guess – and if it matters when they do; whether genre still m...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 26 - Emily Phillips from 2018-03-05T05:35:53
The Riff Raff chat to Emily Phillips, author of 'Trying' about penning her debut while holding down a high-powered day job, writing comedy when you're just not in the mood, and the art of the awkwa...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 25 - Tara Westover from 2018-02-19T06:27:37
The Riff Raff chat to Tara Westover, author of 'Educated' about how her upbringing helped her overcome the mythology of writing, the power of constructive criticism and whether writing can be taugh...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 24 - Danya Kukafka from 2018-02-05T01:54:40
The Riff Raff talk to Danya Kukafka about how her debut 'Girl in Snow', creating richly drawn characters; the importance of research in establishing backstory, and why the crucial thing for aspirin...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 23 - Emma Glass from 2018-01-22T04:23:13
The Riff Raff chat to Emma Glass, author of 'Peach', about her experimental debut, the magic of letting go of all writing rules, and how music helped spark her creativity. Music by www.bensound.com.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 22 - Will Dean from 2018-01-08T09:13:55
The Riff Raff talk to Will Dean, author of 'Dark Pines' about how a bad, first attempt at a novel improved his book, writing a first draft in record time and the challenges and rewards of creating ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 21 - Clifford Thompson from 2017-12-11T04:51:05
The Riff Raff talk to former firefighter turned author Clifford Thompson about how an MA helped him write his debut memoir 'Falling Through Fire', how writers should approach sensitive material and...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 20 - Rosie Wilby from 2017-11-27T10:02:25
The Riff Raff chat to comedian Rosie Wilby about her debut memoir, Is Monogamy Dead? We discuss the concept of monogamy, how to use intimate details of your life in narrative non-fiction and how he...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 19 - Pajtim Statovci from 2017-11-12T13:13:09
The Riff Raff chat to Pajtim Statovci about his fabulous debut book, My Cat Yugoslavia. We discuss truly novel novel ideas, symbolism in fiction and not writing to a routine. Music: www.bensound.com.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 18 - Chloe Seager from 2017-10-29T12:55:30
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards talk to Chloe Seager, author of 'Editing Emma' about writing believable dialogue, how social media impacts writers and Chloe shares her top tips for crafting the perfect ...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 17 - Winnie M Li from 2017-10-16T08:55:15
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards talk to Winnie M Li about how writing helped her make sense of a horrific attack, using structure to drive tension and why creativity can be a force for good.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 16 - Gabriel Tallent from 2017-10-02T10:27:42
We chat to Gabriel Tallent, author of the sensational 'My Absolute Darling' about getting to know your characters, allowing time to work its magic on your preconceptions, and why you just need to w...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 15 - Emma Flint from 2017-09-25T07:07:33
The Riff Raff chat to Emma Flint, author of the incredible 'Little Deaths' about historical themes that still resonate, the responsibility of writing about a real crime and how to let your story un...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 14 - Zinzi Clemmons from 2017-09-18T08:08:38
The Riff Raff chat to Zinzi Clemmons about her incredible debut 'What We Lose'. We discuss writing a book with an unusual structure, knowing when to start over with a manuscript and the value of se...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 13 - Indu Balachandran from 2017-09-10T12:43:22
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards talk to Indu Balachandran, author of 'The Writers' Retreat' about creating characters in your own image, writing scenes your mother shouldn't read and dolphins wearing hats.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 12 - Felicia Yap from 2017-09-04T08:26:58
We chat to Felicia Yap, author of 'Yesterday' about the power of memory, fact versus fiction and how where we are affects what we write.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 11 - Emma Viskic from 2017-08-28T06:25:36
We chat to Emma Viskic, author of Resurrection Bay, about writing that difficult second book, developing plots with twists and turns and how short stories can further your writing. Music by www.ben...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 10 - Rhyannon Styles from 2017-08-21T11:15:14
The Riff Raff chat to Rhyannon Styles, author of 'The New Girl' about being a figurehead of the trans community and the importance of complete honesty when writing a memoir. Music www.bensound.com.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 9 – James Peak and Duncan Crowe from 2017-08-13T13:59:37
The Riff Raff talk to James Peak and Duncan Crowe about co-writing a book and whether humour can ever go too far.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 8 - Ali Land from 2017-08-07T16:17:59
The Riff Raff chat to Ali Land, author of Sunday Times bestseller, 'Good Me, Bad Me' about how her experiences as a mental health nurse helped shape her book and her strict approach to writing. Mus...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 7 - K.J Howe from 2017-07-31T09:10:31
The Riff Raff chat to KJ Howe, author of, 'The Freedom Broker', about how to keep a thriller fast paced, how important it is to research your topic, and what to do should you ever be kidnapped! Mus...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 6 - Olivia Sudjic from 2017-07-23T12:26:30
The Riff Raff chat to Olivia Sudjic, author of 'Sympathy', about where her inspiration comes from, the age of the Internet and how that affects writers and how to create authentic characters. Music...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 5 - Helen McClory from 2017-07-16T15:10:10
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards chat to Helen McClory, author of 'Flesh of the Peach' about her career, writing tips, about 'finding your genre', and about the inspirational and exciting things that can...
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The Riff Raff: Episode 4 - Rowan Hisayo Buchanan from 2017-06-18T08:30:32
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards chat to Desmond Prize nominee, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan about her debut novel, 'Harmless Like You', the joy of recognition and how to find an agent that's right for you.
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The Riff Raff: Episode 3 - Kit de Waal from 2017-06-18T08:26:51
Amy Baker and Rosy Edwards chat to Desmond Elliott Prize nominee and author of highly acclaimed, 'My Name is Leon', Kit de Waal. We chat tips for getting published, whether education is essential a...
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