Behind The Spine

Behind The Spine is a podcast which deconstructs genre and narrative, and finds learning opportunities for writers in the most unlikely of places. The first episode is coming soon, available on your favourite podcast platform from Wednesday 15th April - stay tuned.

Readers the world over are obsessed with stories of post-apocalyptic worlds, dystopian futures and pandemics - and now those stories have become our reality. Christian Hunt, expert in behavioural science and founder of ‘Human Risk’, explores our reactions amid the coronavirus crisis. This conversation serves to inspire your writing by drawing on the juxtaposition between our real-world behaviours and those of fictional characters.

Sport, and in particular football, has the ability to envoke such intense and strong emotions, both positive and negative. So what can we learn, as writers, from the obsession and passion of football fans, when developing our characters? Graham Sibley, host of the long-running podcast 'Sound of Football', explores how sport can so profoundly affect a person’s behaviour, and why that passion is such a difficult thing to explain.

Research, evidence and building up a case - the work of a detective and an investigative journalist are closely interlinked, and both have much in common with the art of storytelling. In this episode we're joined by investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas. He explores the genre of true crime, and what we, as writers, can learn from the narratives of truth and memory, our fascination with the darker side of life, and our hunger for a conclusion.

To tell an entire story, an entire history and personality, in just a few words, a single sentence, or a symbol - that is the power of brand marketing. From Coca Cola, to Disney or McDonald's, the name of a successful brand alone has the power to conjure images, memories and emotions in our minds. So what can writers learn from the way a brand tells its story? Pete Gomori is the founder of brand agency Studio Gomori, and in this episode he unpacks the structural, creative and emotional similarities between the worlds of marketing and fiction writing.

"If you think things are going back to normal, think again". It's a phrase we've heard time and again since this pandemic locked us all in our homes, but just how permanent will our behaviour changes be? Rory Sutherland works for marketing agency Ogilvy, and set up its behavioral science practice. In this compelling and funny conversation, he explores the emotions that drive us as human beings, and how our assumptions about outcomes are often wrong, no matter how logical they seem. Discover how "vectors", social copying and status can inspire your writing and character creation.
 

The beauty of country music lies in its simplicity - its ability to speak to the everyman. And yet it is powerfully evocative, with lovers of the genre finding an incredible depth of meaning in the words, as they relate to their own lives. Liv Austen is a Norwegian-born country musician, and in this episode shares her thoughts on song-writing, nostalgia and stubbornness. Snippets of her music feature in this episode, but if you want to hear more, you can find her on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2WPn21o

Sex can be an uncomfortable subject for many, but for actors being filmed under the sheets, that discomfort takes on a whole new meaning. That's where the role of an intimacy coordinator comes in. Ita O'Brien has worked on many high-profile TV shows, including Sex Education, Watchmen and Normal People. She explores the narrative of sex, from the way its written about, to its portrayal on-screen, and how we respect the actors who perform often difficult scenes for our entertainment. Ita's intimacy guidelines can be found here: www.itaobrien.com/intimacy-on-set-guidelines.html

Movie-like stories, life-like graphics and sprawling environments. Video games are now creating some of the most immersive narrative experiences imaginable, so there’s plenty that writers can learn in this episode of the podcast. Sam Loveridge, global editor-in-chief at Games Radar, discusses the power of choice and autonomy in storytelling, the changing perceptions of the video game industry, and excitedly looks to the future.

There is so much more to music than sound. There's the emotion you feel when you hear your favourite song, the intensity of watching a live performance, and the vibrations of the beat that thump through your chest. As our guest Dame Evelyn Glennie puts it, our bodies are resonating chambers. Dame Evelyn is an award-winning, deaf, multi percussionist. Though she might not hear sound in the typical sense, she can hear the rhythm, the beat and the emotion through other parts of her body. For a fascinating new perspective on the power of music, and plenty of tips for your writing, this episode has you covered.

Creating content for a sophisticated audience of ultra-rich, entrepreneurial minds, requires a unique set of skills. When your readers are all game-changers in their fields, how do you give them something new to muse over? Well, Worth magazine puts the pen in the hands of the experts themselves. In this episode, editor-at-large of Worth Media, Richard Bradley, explores the marriage of expertise and journalism, discusses the magazine industry’s struggles amid the coronavirus, and offers advice that might help you land your next pitch!

Religion is a force that guides many through what’s right and wrong, it’s that sense of meaning, that feeling of community… it’s the story of mankind, resonating through the ages. In this episode, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, explores his role in the story of the liturgy, and where that fits within many people’s unique and deeply personal understandings of faith. In a conversation garnished with thought-provoking reflections, the Archbishop discusses the prevalence of divisive storytelling and fake news, dispels the myth of individualism, and shares the lessons he’s learnt over the years.

Whether it’s the Vietnamese Buddhist monk set ablaze on a busy street in Saigon, or a pair of squabbling mice in a tube station, photographs are able to evoke the most intense, emotional responses. Dr Michael Pritchard is director of education and public affairs at the Royal Photographic Society, and in this episode he explores the depth of thought that goes into capturing the perfect image. As the entire world now holds the power to take a photo, what does it take to be a cut above the rest?

Would you have the skills to survive in the immediate aftermath of an apocalypse? Popular culture often focuses on the lead up to the devastating event, or life as it unfolds sometime after. Professor Lewis Dartnell, however, focuses on the days, weeks and months after the fallout, and in his book “The Knowledge”, details the tools humanity would need to survive. This episode will help you re-think the apocalypse genre and think about how we need to feed our souls, not just our stomachs.

From Central Perk cafe in Friends, to Corrie’s Rovers Return, building up a memorable environment is essential in storytelling. Our own lives and emotions are heavily influenced by the places we visit, so it stands to reason that location affects our characters’ lives too. This episode delves into the often unseen art of Wayfinding. Alison Richings from Endpoint explains the impact a poorly laid out building or space can have on our mood, the benefits and risks of familiar locations, and proves that wayfinding is about a lot more than just signs!

The long life of shows like Casualty, which has been running since 1986, highlight our obsession with the drama of the hospital. But how many times have you felt the scripting drift too far from reality? Aoife Abbey is the writer of ‘Seven Signs of Life: Stories from an Intensive Care Doctor’ and brings a captivating insight into the actual experiences of those on the front line of medicine. This episode reminds us of a writer’s responsibility to tell the story accurately, it explores how art can, and should be used to highlight issues that have been left in the dark, and it examines the need for a holistic approach in life and fiction alike.

Whether it’s the racial divides highlighted by #OscarsSoWhite or the unhelpful stereotypes portrayed in films like ‘The Help’, the stories of people of colour remain under-represented and are often ill informed. And with the #BlackLivesMatter movement gaining worldwide recognition, it’s clear we need to step up. Many of the issues stem from the fact that publishers are simply failing to put out enough work written by people of colour. That’s where our guest Professor Sunny Singh comes in. She and Nikesh Shukla set up the Jhalak Prize to celebrate books by British BAME writers. In this episode she discusses the importance of including diversity in your writing, how reading the work of people from unique backgrounds enhances your craft, and explains why the balance of power needs to shift.

The relationship between slave and master. If we go by what we see on screen and in literature, it would appear that’s the only narrative that exists around slavery. But the slave trade was a global phenomenon, connecting countries and continents around the world. The history books are rarely written on a global scale, so inconvenient truths from our past are often unintentionally, and intentionally left out. Professor Vincent Brown is Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. In his latest book ‘Tacky’s Revolt’, an account of the largest slave revolt in the eighteenth-century, he unleashes the true scale of the slave war. In this episode he explores our need to dramatise slavery better, the importance of educating students on the global implications of major historical events, and how broadening our knowledge of the past can help us better understand the issues of today.
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The 21st century has brought about a new meaning to “a war of words”. War is no longer confined to the battlefield - it’s up to each side of a conflict to win the narrative battle too. With individuals like the Palestinian social media activist Farah Baker able to tweet in real-time about an ongoing conflict, the likes of Twitter and Facebook have brought us closer than ever before to the front-lines of wars around the world. David Patrikarakos is a journalist, and author of ‘War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century’. In this episode he gives us an insight into the power of social media to incite movements, its strengths and weaknesses in bringing together diffuse groups of people, and how using it to craft your narrative is as critical as putting boots on the ground, if you want to emerge victorious.
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You probably take it as a given, the ability to masturbate, but for some people, that simple act is impossible. For various reasons, many disabled people struggle to pleasure themselves, and some simply can't do it. Andrew Gurza is the co-founder and chief disability officer of ‘Handi’, which develops sex toys for people with hand limitations. Andrew says sexual pleasure is a human right, and that fact is backed up by the World Health Organization no less! In this episode he explains how he’s smashing taboos, how Handi isn’t just about sex toys, that it’s a movement that aims to open up new narratives and start new conversations. He also explores the depiction of disability in TV and film, and showcases the power of positivity in spreading his message.
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Sexuality is one of the biggest ways in which we identify and understand ourselves. And yet there’s an educational void when it comes to same sex relationships. That’s why Kate Davies wrote ‘In at the Deep End’. Drawing on her own experiences, the book explores the story of a woman who comes out as a lesbian later in life, with no knowledge of what to expect. It tackles issues of a controlling relationship, lust vs love, and the difficulties of being thrust headlong into the unknown. In this episode she discusses the need to write more honest accounts of the lives of minority groups, why the trait that makes a character a minority shouldn’t be your story’s only hook, and how our perception of right and wrong is more nuanced than we realise.
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Objects are storytellers. They hold precious memories, they are entangled in our everyday lives - but some have uncomfortable stories, and are cast into the river, never to be seen again. That is, until the mudlarks! Lara Maiklem is the author of ‘Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames’. Whether intentionally discarded, or swept up long ago by the waters, Lara pieces together London’s history through the items that uncover themselves at low tide, often decades after they first went missing. In this episode, Lara describes how she has become part of hundreds of strangers’ stories over the years, through the objects that she’s found, she explores how history is told differently by the Thames, and explains why trips to the river can sometimes be unsettling.
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Magicians and their magic are only one half of the story - the job of a magician’s assistant may seem simple on the face of it, but without them, the whole show falls apart. You only have to watch the lovely Debbie McGee in action to know this is true! In this episode, Debbie explains how her training as a ballet dancer allowed her to excel on stage - able to hold an applause for longer than anyone else. She also discusses her many years performing in panto, playing to the crowd, and being “the biggest giggler in the world”. This episode gives us renewed appreciation for the minor character, explores the importance of subtlety in storytelling, and reminds us of the satisfaction found in tradition. Once you’re done with this episode, why not check out Debbie’s new podcast Spill The Tea With Debbie McGee.

This podcast started as the UK's lockdown had just begun, and behavioural science expert Christian Hunt gave us his predictions on how the next six months would play out. Well, six months later, it turns out he was almost entirely correct. In this episode find out why omitting one side of a narrative can skew our perception of reality, how this pandemic has helped us push the boundaries of creativity, and hear how it's bringing comedy and politics closer than ever before.
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Throughout the first series of the podcast, there have been three prominent topics, raised time and again - expertise, narrative bias, and the truth. Each guest has offered their own interpretation of the influence of each of these on our writing, and on our understanding of the world. In the final episode of series one, we’re highlighting some of the most poignant thoughts from guests on these subjects. This episode features Sunny Singh, Richard Bradley, Ita O’Brien, Rory Sutherland, Christian Hunt, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Vincent Brown, Liv Austen and Mark Williams-Thomas.
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Series 2 is here! Here’s a taste of what’s to come, and if you're new, a look back at some highlights from series 1.

Museums are the greatest storytellers. Through artefacts and objects we learn the truth about the past, about the lives of our ancestors, seen and unseen. The collections allow us to draw our own conclusions, to craft our own stories, and to explore narratives in ways that are deeply personal. In this episode, Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A Museum in London, sheds light on what he calls the “people’s collection”. We learn to be adventurous when writing about objects, to view them as more than just props, and to appreciate the storytelling potential of the journeys they go on. After all, the things that adorn our lives are the windows to our souls - their meanings ebb and flow throughout the ages, and those intricate narratives are ours for the taking, to be explored and exploited.
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The scale of the slave trade can be overwhelming. The numbers of people who lived and worked as slaves are so high that it’s easy to miss individual stories. That’s what prompted Professor Richard Bell from the University of Maryland to write his book, STOLEN. In it, he explores the stories of five young boys illegally trafficked into slavery and peers into the dark underbelly of organised crime. What he found is astonishing and highlights the crucial need to challenge conventional narratives. By following the lives, not of millions of slaves, but five young boys, he captures the horror of something we thought we understood, but now realise was much darker than we imagined.
 
 
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We no longer have to sit passively as we journey through our screens into other worlds. Artificial intelligence is creating truly immersive stories, capable of generating completely personalised entertainment experiences. Guy Gadney, CEO of Charisma.ai, explores his company’s revolutionary technology, and explains why it’s so much more than Bandersnatch 2.0. From interactive graphic novels to virtual theme parks, hear about the tech that’s bridging the gap between human creativity and AI, discover the challenge of creating believable characters who can respond to your every question, and find out how you can use your skills as a writer to create a world that’s different for every person who explores it.
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Whether or not you have a passion for the high-octane drama of a professional road race, for most of us cycling is part of the narrative of our lives - a childhood rite of passage. Whilst lockdown presented unique challenges for the sport of cycling, it has also created a surge in interest among hobbyists. But it’s amid the drama of the peloton where we find our guest today. Author and journalist Daniel Friebe has been covering the sport’s blue riband event The Tour de France for nearly 20 years. In this episode he sheds light on the “theatre and pantomime” of cycling, its unique ability to turn locations into characters, and how the peloton at times feels like the House of Commons. Daniel also flips many of our past lessons upside down, by changing our perspective on the role of the minor character, and explaining why expertise and knowledge isn’t always a good thing.
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Our global interconnectedness has given new strength to conspiracy theories. And that’s never been more clear than during the pandemic, as swathes of people have been able to come together digitally in their joint doubt of the true origin of covid-19, the motives of the world's governments, and even the virus’s very existence. But why do people become obsessed with believing surreal fantasies when the truth is right there in front of them? Where do these stories come from, and how are conspiracy theorists created? Today’s guest is Professor Sir Richard J. Evans, author of The Hitler Conspiracies. In this episode he explores the many myths surrounding the death of Hitler, which have even outlived the man himself. He also explains what’s going on in the minds of conspiracy theorists, why we should take care when writing stories based on real events, and how content creators might be inadvertently helping to perpetuate these myths.
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Paramount Pictures is a goliath, a company that is instantly recognisable to movie watchers around the world, and its archives are chock full of some of humanity’s best-loved moments. American Zoetrope is an equally mammoth operation, founded by Frances Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Our guests today are Andrea Kalas, vice president of archives at Paramount, and James Mockoski, archivist at Zoetrope. They discuss the process that goes into reinterpreting and remastering epics from the past, primarily focussing on Coppola’s ‘final cut’ version of Apocalypse Now and the newly reversioned ‘The Godfather III’, now ‘The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone’. They explain how archivists help to reimagine a story whilst paying respects to the original works, and how new technology is able to make us fall back in love with a film all over again. In this episode, discover the value of revisiting stories from the past, explore the notion that a story has never finished being told, and find out why it’s important to plan for the future by never throwing any of your work away.
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Whether it’s through film, television or books, stories guide and influence us. But the most important tale is often the most overlooked - the story of our own life. For people living with dementia, their past life may be the only story they remember, or can even engage with. And that’s where Jorg Roth and his team at ‘My Life Films’ comes in. Jorg founded the charity to use the art of storytelling to improve the lives of people with dementia. Through a combination of archive footage and interviews with family and friends, patients are able to relive and find comfort in their fondest memories. In this episode we flip the narrative on dementia and its stereotypes, we discover how to piece together the story of a person’s life, and through the charity’s “Netflix style” TV venture, ‘My Life TV’, we learn of the beauty that can be found in stillness. If you’d like to get in touch with the ‘My Life Films’ team, email jorg@mylifefilms.org or charlotte@mylifefilms.org.
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As the world awaits the ground-shaking battle between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, we peer beyond the hype and bright lights of boxing. With top class boxers sometimes stepping in the ring only twice a year, this episode explores the hard-work that’s done behind the scenes to achieve greatness. World class commentator Mike Costello has been broadcasting live boxing commentary for BBC radio since 2005. He brings us a glimpse of what it’s been like to have had a front row seat to some of the most epic fights of all time. Describing his work as “painting the pictures”, Mike explores how the pandemic has impacted the sport - how without the roar of the crowd, all that remains is raw emotion. Learn to appreciate the drama of a journey and discover how to get to the heart of an audience.
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Our enjoyment of an event is heightened simply by sharing it with others. It’s the reason we love gigs, cinemas, theatres - you name it! Indeed, our love of shared experiences is what brings five million visitors a year to London’s Southbank Centre. The centre comprises three main performance venues, the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. Sadly recent global events have put a pause on its programme of music, dance and literature. Elaine Bedell, CEO of the Southbank Centre, tells us how it’s coping in the midst of lockdown and the pandemic. She brings us an insight into how the centre’s offering has changed to cater for an online audience, and how the move to digital has actually increased its audience. In this episode, learn how the emotional attachments we hold for places change with time and circumstance, find out why it’s important to establish a community around your work, and discover why we should never say “but we’ve always done it this way”. Also in the episode we shout out Paul Kerensa’s podcast ‘The British Broadcasting Century’ - listen here.
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Death is not the end. Our dead continue to tell stories to those who will listen. For some, their stories are shrouded in mystery, particularly those who met gruesome and unexpected ends. And that’s where forensics picks up to fill in the gaps. Professor Dame Sue Black is a forensic anthropologist, and is able to uncover the missing pieces of a life from even the most disfigured human remains. In this episode she examines her unique approach to death and dying, moulded by her grandmother whose “best friend was death”. She delves into her time examining the bodies of those who died during the 1998 war in Kosovo, explains how there’s no room for bias when telling the stories of the dead, and stresses the importance of writing expertly and informatively about forensics. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
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Comic books have spawned some of the most beloved and memorable characters in history. They’ve graduated from a niche offering to the catalyst for movie franchises that have dominated the globe, and through events like Comic-Con, they’ve ignited a childlike passion for stories in all of us. Today’s guest is Kev F Sutherland who has written for the likes of The Dandy, Beano, Marvel and Viz. In this episode he explains how just about anyone can draw a comic, explores the “page-turn” and other interesting mechanisms at a comic book writer’s disposal, and highlights why you should never underestimate the power of simplicity. Find out more about Kev on his website. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
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Statistics have always been an area of intrigue for us all, but most people have no more than a passing interest - we enjoy the newspaper top lines, but that’s about it. The pandemic has changed that. We now sit on tenterhooks awaiting the next wave of stats to be released by the government, to help us get a better sense of this tumultuous situation. Today’s guest is Tim Harford, aka the Undercover Economist, and he’s recently released a book under the title ‘How To Make The World Add Up’ in the UK, and ‘The Data Detective’ in the US. He explores the important role statistics plays in informing our view of the world, and why people need to think wisely about the type of data they trust and give their time to. In this episode we discover the importance of cultivating curiosity in your writing, we learn why it’s ok for your characters to do something out of character, and we find out why you should avoid leaving distracting plot points in your stories. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
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The battle against inequality in education is being fought on multiple fronts at the moment. Tuition fees have for years been widening the gap between the rich and the poor, and that gap has only been exacerbated by the global pandemic. Students are not only campaigning against this problem from home, they’re also dealing with the mental health issues associated with lockdown, learning remotely, and bringing issues of colonialism and racial discrimination to the fore. It’s a lot. Larissa Kennedy took up office as president of the UK’s National Union of Students in the throes of the pandemic, and has been leading the charge in unprecedented circumstances. She tells us about the action she took amid the A-levels fiasco, explains the recent explosion of student activism in the UK, and discusses the Decolonise campaign. In this episode we learn how adversity forges togetherness, why tokenism in storytelling is dangerous, and how some of the most painful issues lie just beneath the surface. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
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There are two types of people in this world: people you want to drink with and people who make you want to drink. Helen McGinn is actually both of those people! She began sharing her knowledge about wine through the now award-winning blog ‘The Knackered Mother's Wine Club, which has since been turned into a book. Helen appears regularly on the BBC, ITV and the Daily Mail, and has recently released the fiction novel ‘This Changes Everything’. In this episode we learn to appreciate the storytelling power of food and drink, we delve into the sometimes uncomfortable editing process, and we explain why you need to focus on the career aspect of writing if you want to find success. Even if you’ve never been interested in the smoky or oakey flavours of wine before, you’ll be hosting your own tasting session after this!
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Over the millennia people have loved and feared many different Gods. And though beliefs have changed, religion has always played a significant role in every single civilisation throughout human history. But why is that? Is religion hardwired into us at a biological level? In his book ‘God Is Watching You’, Dominic Johnson explores the way religion has shaped the course of human evolution and cooperation, and explains the importance of the threat of supernatural punishment in keeping societies in check. In this episode learn just how closely religion is related to superstition, find out how belief systems are a fundamental part of being human, and discover why it’s unlikely religion will ever disappear completely. If you enjoy this episode, check out our conversation with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.
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Our voice says so much about our character, from where we grew up, to our personality and even our job. Which is why through imitation and mimicry, impressionists are able to so fully embody a person, capturing the very essence of who they are. Jon Culshaw is a voice acting legend, known for his comedy excellence in shows like Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Newzoids. He’s also shown his mastery of drama taking on the role of David Bowie in a BBC production. Bringing his A-game, Jon treats us to amazing impressions of multiple famous names, including Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, Joe Biden and Mrs Jump from down the road. In this episode we learn how a voice can give a fully rounded sense of character, even if you remove all other senses, we explain why impressions go beyond comedy and satire, and we’re reminded of the importance of surrounding ourselves with brilliant people.
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Vogue is a pervading force in the fashion world, an absolute giant of a brand built more than 100 years ago. During that time the magazine’s scope has gone far beyond fashion. It brought politics into the lives of women when the world was shutting them out, it worked with the government to help keep women safe during the war, and its pioneering editors have even risked their jobs to promote diversity. Nina-Sophia Miralles is the editor of lifestyle magazine Londnr, and has just released her brand new book ‘Glossy: The inside story of Vogue’, which charts the magazine’s history in incredible detail. In this episode find out how you can turn your ‘useless’ knowledge about a subject into something useful, discover the value of a physical product in an online world, and learn from first-time author Nina-Sophia about the highs and lows of getting a book published.
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Gin has been on one hell of a journey, from earning the name ‘Mother’s Ruin’ during the Gin Craze of the 18th century, to becoming a symbol of sophistication and decadence in recent years. Hilary Whitney and her husband Ian Hart are two people we have to thank for the resurgence of gin in Britain. Together they launched Sacred Spirits in 2008, with the aim of reframing its connection with the city of London in a better light. Hilary is today’s guest and she explains how a simple hobby led to the creation of a formidable and much-loved brand. In this episode discover how the world of online gin tasting is flourishing, find out why you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to find success, and learn to take the plunge and stop overthinking the process.
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As we all begin to look more closely at our own habits and how they impact the health of the planet, we’ve started reaching into the history books for answers. Markets, once a relic of the past, are growing rapidly in popularity because of the way they allow us to live more consciously. Will Cutteridge is taking that ethos one step further by making sustainability an active part of his brand new market. The Wapping Docklands Market is taking up residence on a site of significant historic importance to both Wapping and the surrounding East End. In this episode we wind back the clock and hear some of the most fascinating stories of East London’s past, we learn how stripping the guilt from sustainable living can make it exciting, and we find out how markets are far more than just an event; they’re an experience!
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To celebrate a year to the day since Behind The Spine made its debut, Mark Heywood finds himself on the other side of the podcast desk, being interviewed by producer Ollie Guillou. Reflecting on two series worth of incredible conversations, Mark shares the lessons he’s learnt and explains why he believes there really is a narrative in everything. Woven throughout the conversation are specially selected clips from some of the guests who’ve graciously given their time to the show, including Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sunny Singh, Andrew Gurza, Tristram Hunt and Richard Bell. In this episode learn about the importance of surrounding yourself with creative minds, discover why the ‘perfect guest’ doesn’t really exist, and find out what’s in store for series 3 of the podcast!
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Each of life’s narratives are interconnected, and it’s at these intersections where we can find true inspiration. For the author Tony Kent, his amateur career as a boxer has given him the combative edge in his professional career as a criminal barrister, and his law career has given him the storytelling chops and unrivalled insider knowledge needed to propel his writing career forwards. Tony’s first novel, Killer Intent, was released in 2018 and was selected for the Zoe Ball Book Club. 3 books in and his series is now being adapted for television. In this episode Tony explores the need for drama and excitement in the courtroom, shares his experiences of ‘minor fame’, and discusses the very root of crime. Discover the benefits of creating visual representations of your characters, find out why you should never deal in absolutes when creating a character’s personality, and learn about the importance of self belief.
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A trillion dollars is an immense amount of money, and yet it can so easily be made to feel small. When you’re tasked with saving the environment, ending world poverty, or settling on the Moon, you can spend it pretty quickly. This is the premise of Rowan Hooper’s latest book ‘How To Spend a Trillion Dollars’. In the book the New Scientist journalist explores many issues that could be advanced or solved with this vast amount of money. With so many options on the cards, Rowan explains the process of deciding which issues made the final cut. In this episode find out how a thought-experiment can very quickly turn into something much more powerful, learn to extract creativity from rejection, and use this call-to-action to change your own habits.
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Writers are becoming increasingly aware that in order to create a true reflection of society in their work, diversity and representation need to be placed firmly at the top of the agenda. For a long time the voice of the minority has been silenced, and though the landscape is improving, plenty more work still needs to be done. Colin Grant is director of the Writers Mosaic, a new initiative funded by the Royal Literary Fund, which is giving a platform to underrepresented voices across the UK. In this episode Colin explains how the Writers Mosaic is here to stay, a long term project mandated to tear down the many barriers facing writers of colour. Find out why we must remember our history when writing stories of modern day adversity, learn how everyone in society benefits from improved diversity, and discover the importance of reading stories from authors of all backgrounds.
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Jazz is a quintessential part of American history, a genre that transcends music alone. It’s humble beginnings are kept alive by aficionados, who not only celebrate its history, but champion its future too. Brian Newman is one such man, a musician, singer, trumpet player and pioneer, who regularly performs with Lady Gaga no less! Delving into the past, Brian tells us how he started out, and the journey that led to his illustrious career playing in venues like the Nomad in Las Vegas, and the Rose Bar in New York. In this episode learn the value of surrounding yourself with people more experienced than you, discover the importance of authenticity and find out why it sometimes pays to break the rules.
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In the past self-publishing wasn’t synonymous with quality, but that’s changing at an exciting pace. Access to an online world of professionals is sweeping away the stigma, as self-published authors are now competing at the highest level. Ricardo Fayet is co-founder of self-publishing marketplace Reedsy, and author of ‘How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market’. In this episode he shares invaluable and actionable insights for aspiring authors. Find out how to focus your mind on the business of writing, learn the value of research, and discover the facts and myths of a successful marketing campaign. If you want to take the plunge and make your work sell, this is not to be missed. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
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Series 3 has arrived! The show has a fresh new look, combining the usual mix of fascinating guests with deeper dives into certain narrative forms. Mark shares a taste of what’s to come.

The history of the world is a history of travel and of cultures connecting, and yet far too many of us still view ‘migration’ as a dirty word - made all too clear by the global reaction to the current crisis in Afghanistan. But Felix Marquardt, author of ‘The New Nomads’, is flipping that perspective, taking control of the narrative, and teaching us that travel is beautiful. Felix also explains how he views life through the lens of his own struggles with addiction, and how he sees addiction everywhere, particularly in our global obsession with infinite growth. In this episode learn the value of exploring and enjoying different countries and cultures, find out why you always need to challenge the narrative you’re presented with, and learn to let a world of diverse perspectives flow through your writing. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

Following each interview of this new series, we’ll be diving deeper into one aspect of that conversation. In this episode we’re reflecting on our conversation with Felix Marquardt, homing in on the topic of addiction. Addiction is a trait shared by many of society's best-loved characters, from James Bond to Sherlock Holmes. We explore why we find ourselves drawn to these types of characters, we examine the prevalence and many faces of addiction in our modern world, and offer advice on how to portray addiction in your writing. To provide further inspiration, in each of these specials we end with a soundscape that captures the vastness of the topic in question...in a single minute. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

What we see on screen or read in books affects our behaviour in the real world - literature and cinema have a real power to influence. So it’s no surprise to know that invisibility has an impact too. Not seeing ourselves, or people like us represented on screen can be damaging in unimaginable ways. That’s why Off the Rails, a film directed by today’s BAFTA nominated guest Jules Williamson, is such a breath of fresh air - tackling taboo topics through the lives of 3 women in their fifties, who’ve set off on an adventure around Europe with their friend’s 17 year old daughter. In this episode we learn how you, as a writer, can have a hand in improving representation and diversity in film, we discover the importance of allowing actors room for spontaneity, and we explore how the journey is more important than the destination. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

Following each interview of this new series, we’ll be diving deeper into one aspect of that conversation. In this episode we’re reflecting on our conversation with Jules Williamson, looking more closely at a point she raised about the ways in which different cultures around the world view death and rebirth. Most religions believe death is not the end, that it’s simply a new chapter in another of life’s adventures, and yet we still fear it. Here we explore the powerful role of death in literature, we examine the weight of responsibility that comes with choosing which of your characters will live and die, and we find out what happens to those writers who go against the grain. To provide further inspiration, in each of these specials we end with a soundscape that captures the vastness of the topic in question...in a single minute. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

Beneath London, within its walls, down its secret passageways and ancient riverbeds is a rich and complex history. The city’s past influences its present - even those parts which are long forgotten or out of sight. Our guest today is Tom Chivers, author of London Clay: Journeys in the Deep City. The book reads like a detective story, examining London through its geology, its hidden landscape and the ghosts of its past. In this episode we discuss the powerful role of senses in evoking your readers’ emotions, we explore how intimately connected places and events can be, and we learn how to better appreciate the world around us. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

This special episode draws on our conversation with Tom Chivers, author of ‘London Clay’, examining the role of places and locations in literature and how they should be treated as characters in their own right. Here we display the importance of writing for all of the senses, we explore the interconnectedness of the past and the present, and we explain how memories and emotions influence the way we experience a place. We end with a 60 second soundscape to showcase how visceral the experience of location can be. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

If you had the chance to step outside the bounds of our manmade reality, and live life as something else, what would it be? For today’s guest, Sumana Roy, she would be a tree. Sumana’s book ‘How I Became A Tree’, originally published in India in 2017, has just been released to a global audience. Hailed as ‘a love song to plants and trees’, the book examines what it means to be human in a natural world. In this episode we explore the enchanting concept of “tree time”, we learn how writers of the past can guide the teachings of today, and we discover the power of personification. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

Emboldened by our discussion with Sumana Roy, author of How I Became A Tree, this special episode is inspired by her thoughts on the natural world. Here we explore the ‘us and them’ mentality that has created our fractured relationship with nature, we discuss the important role of language in fostering a deeper connection between humans and nature, and we share a beautiful recording of the dawn chorus at Kielder Forest. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

Halloween is nearly upon us, a holiday rich in folklore, cultural adaptation and religious propaganda. To delve deep into its history we’ve called in the expert of all experts. Lisa Morton has written many, many books on the subject, including Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween, and is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker award. In this episode we learn the origins of Halloween as a Celtic festival, we find out how Hollywood turned the holiday into the gorefest we see today, and we hear the legend of Stingy Jack, a devilish man who we can thank for the creation of the Jack-o'-lantern. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

Following our discussion with Halloween expert and award-winning author Lisa Morton, we’re delving deeper into the origins of some of the most famous Halloween stories. In particular we discover the genesis of the Jack-o’-lantern, which owes its name to one Stingy Jack, a blacksmith who sold his soul to the Devil. We go on an intriguingly ghoulish exploration through the many variations of Jack’s story, and find out how we ended up with the legend of today. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

A battle of morals, of defiance, of unity against oppression. The people who rose up in the Battle of Cable Street did so to oust the toxicity of fascism. For next week’s episode we hear from Father Alan Green, one of the faith leaders who joined residents and community leaders to remember the Battle 85 years on. But first we set the scene with this special, exploring the history that led up to the calamitous clash of 1936. We learn how a small and relatively unknown battle had massive implications, we visit a stunning mural that was created to remember the events, and we find out how the sentiments of the past are still relevant today. If you’d like to take part in the Behind The Spine writing competition, you can find all the details on our website.

The Battle of Cable Street lives on. It may have been just a blip in London’s history, but the sentiment of the day continues to permeate throughout the ages. The coming together of a community against a common enemy, rising up against oppression - well, that narrative is always being retold. That’s why this event has been deemed worthy of remembrance. Marking 85 years since the battle, Father Alan Green, chair of the Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum, joined a number of other faith and community leaders outside the mural that stands in its memory. In this episode Father Alan explains why the battle still holds relevance today, he discusses the incredible power of diversity and of a community standing together, and he explains why we must always challenge the narratives we are sold. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.

New year, new series! The fourth installment of the podcast brings a host of new features. Alongside our usual lineup of fascinating interviews, we’ll also be following the journey of adventurer and extreme sports enthusiast Cazz Lander, as she prepares to row along the coastline of Great Britain. We’ll also bring you a special episode featuring voice acted renditions of the winning entries from our writing competition. Mark shares a taste of what’s to come.

From the UK to Turkey. That’s the distance today’s guest is set to travel this year. But this isn’t your usual holiday trip. Cazz Lander is preparing to row 2000 miles along the coastline of Great Britain. Battling the tides, the currents, the unpredictable weather patterns, she and her partner Andre will be unassisted and unsupported. The pair will have to carry all of their food and provisions on the boat with them. It’s an insane task, but as a Guinness World Record holder, Cazz is no stranger to a challenge.
In this episode we discover the importance of taking baby steps towards a bigger goal, we learn why you should consider writing about adversity in a positive way, and we uncover the value of facing your fears head on. Over the course of this series we’ll be following Cazz’s journey, checking in at various points throughout her training and adventure. Stay tuned.
Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

Heartwarming moments around the dinner table with three friends, and the horror and suspense driven by a ghost from the past. Wahala is a book that walks between two genres seamlessly and masterfully. The debut novel from author Nikki May was almost locked away for good. But the strength of her characters meant she couldn’t give up on them, and we’re glad she forged on. This book follows the stories of three mixed-race women, but culture isn’t at the forefront of the storytelling - serving as texture, rather than foreground.
In this episode discover the importance of a strong set of characters - and why you shouldn’t fall too deeply in love with them, learn how to give some of your own personality over to your characters, and find out why it’s important, as a writer, to set your ambitions high.
Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

Living with a chronic illness can mean different things to different people. Not only does the term cover a wide spectrum of conditions and disabilities, even those affected by the same form of chronic illness may experience it differently. That’s why it can be hard to find treatments, assistance and solutions - and why the space is riddled with misinformation. That’s where our guest Natasha Lipman comes in. She’s an award-winning chronic illness blogger, and host of the Rest Room podcast, where she works with experts to bring evidence-based guides on topics like pacing, exercise and chronic pain management. In this episode, rediscover the importance of becoming an expert in the subject you’re writing about, learn to avoid leaping to a negative narrative when discussing issues of disability, and find out how easy it can be to make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Behind The Spine is the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon - you can sign up to the newsletter here.
For a full transcript of the episode, click here.

Borussia Dortmund is one of Europe’s most celebrated football clubs. Its story is one of tenacity, rule-breaking and of fighting the power. As a German club you might find it unusual to discover that one of the club’s biggest supporters is a bloke from Croydon. 
Terry Duffelen fell in love with Borussia Dortmund some years ago, and co-founded the long-running Yellow Wall, Borussia Dortmund podcast. He's also just released his debut book Borussia Dortmund: A history in black and yellow. 
In this episode we explore why football, and sport in general, is one of the perfect narratives, we unpack the difference between writing the history and a history of a subject, and we discuss the fear and excitement that’s involved in releasing your work out into the wild for the first time.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

During series 3 of the podcast we launched the Behind The Spine writing competition. You were tasked with writing a short story of no more than 1000 words, based on one of the writing lessons we’ve learnt from our many amazing guests. And you well and truly delivered! With entries from all over the world, it was hard to narrow down our choices, but two winners emerged.
 
‘A Homecoming’, by Michelle Witton
‘A Teacher’s Note’ by Damian Clarke
 
In this special episode their stories have been brought to life by actors Sarah Agha and Damian Lynch. Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

Throughout the course of this series we’re following the journey of adventurer and extreme sports enthusiast Cazz Lander as she prepares to row 2000 miles along the coast of Great Britain. A lot has moved on since we caught up in episode 1, and after a raft of setbacks, training is in full swing. 
Now in South Africa, the team of Cazz and her partner Andre are making great strides towards their goal of hitting the Great British waters in June, despite not yet having had a chance to row in the boat they’re going to use.
In this episode we explore the formidable character of the weather, we discuss the importance of worrying less about the things you can’t control, and we learn how to keep pushing through when things go wrong. 
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

When an artist chooses to portray someone’s image in a painting, they get to call the shots - to tell that person’s story however they see fit. A painting says more about the artist than it does of their muse. So what would happen if the painted could tell their own story?
Sophie Haydock’s debut novel The Flames - out later this month - answers that question, in a breathtakingly unique way. Part fiction, part fact, she tells the story of the four women who posed for the artist Egon Schiele in Vienna more than 100 years ago.
In this episode we discover why history is better told and justice is better served when engaging multiple perspectives, we find out why it’s important to take artistic liberties when turning fact into fiction, and we discover how to use the skills of a journalist to write stronger characters.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

Although the internet grants us access to boundless knowledge, algorithms and social media platforms create a very tribal online experience where our own beliefs are confirmed, instead of challenged. And it’s within these echo chambers that terrorists and violent extremists are able to radicalise others to their cause.
Anne Craanen is a senior research analyst Tech Against Terrorism, and host of the organisation’s podcast. She and the team supports the tech industry tackle terrorist exploitation of the internet, whilst respecting human rights.
In this episode we find out about the push and pull factors involved in online radicalisation, we learn about the post-apocalyptic narrative pushed by one faction of violent extremists, and we discover how you, as a writer, can play a role in developing counter narratives to dismantle problematic ideologies.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Find the full transcript here.

Whether you’re a stand-up facing an audience, or a writer thinking up jokes for the big screen, comedy is hard. As society becomes more culturally diverse, and as much of what we watch comes from the US, landing a joke is getting more tricky. Not only that, comedians these days also have to deal with social media’s ‘cancel culture’. So how are things shaping up for the future of the genre?
Liam Pape is the founder of The West End Comedy Club in London. The club offers weekday performances for both established and up-and-coming comedians, with many using the London venue as a testing ground for their Edinburgh Fringe acts.
In this episode we find out why audiences may need a little post-covid re-socialising now live events are back on, we learn how to benefit from the tricks used by observational comedians, and we take an intriguing look at the true face of ‘cancel culture’.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
Read the full transcript here.

The daily grind has a habit of stifling creativity. You may be struggling to innovate in a way you know you’re capable of - you may be burnt out without even knowing it. Sometimes it pays to take a step back. That’s why spaces like Watershed are so important, offering creators a chance to play with their ideas and to experiment in a safe environment.
 
Watershed is the South West of England’s leading film, culture and digital media centre. Victoria Tillotson is the organisation’s Talent Development Lead and supports artist development within its Pervasive Media Studio. She also works on Watershed’s magazine, ‘Rife’, which gives a mainstream platform to the voices of under 24s.
 
In this episode we find out how you can use technology to accelerate your creativity, we learn how innovative ideas can build brighter futures, and we discover what it means to ‘think global, and act local’.
 
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
 
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
 
You can view the full transcript here.

Female representation in the sciences is getting better. It’s still not good enough, but we have come a long way. Set in the 1960s, Lessons In Chemistry is a novel which serves to remind us of just how far we’ve come, by recognising the struggles of the not too distant past.
Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel tells the tale of chemist Elizabeth Zott, an unconventional heroine on a mission to upend the status quo. The book’s not out till the 5th of April, and it's already being turned into a TV series. It’s that good.
In this episode we discover how anger can be a useful tool for a writer, if you learn how to channel it. We learn that a successful novel is often all in the rewrite. And we learn to challenge conventional assumptions about what is ‘possible’. 
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Nature is as beautiful as it is destructive. For those who live each day surrounded by it, nature isn’t always something to be romanticised.
 
In her English language debut, esteemed Welsh writer Caryl Lewis tackles nature’s duality beautifully through the character of the sea, drawing on her own connection and closeness to the landscape. ‘Drift’ moves between the Welsh coast and war-torn Syria to tell the unusual and captivating love story of Nefyn and Hamza.
 
In this episode we delve into Caryl’s love of the Welsh language and heritage, we learn many great lessons from the Welsh festival of culture - the Eisteddfod - including the wonderful notion that a “writer is a writer”, and we explore the ways in which we are all affected and influenced by our environment.
 
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
 
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
 
You can view the full transcript here.

We’re back with series 5 of the podcast, with an exciting cast of new guests and the return of the Behind The Spine Writing Competition. Mark shares a taste of what’s to come, including a conversation with choreographer Alexander Whitley - going live on the 18th March.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

The abstract narratives offered through dance performances allow each audience member to experience a story unique to them - to draw their own conclusions of the events that are unfolding. It’s no surprise then that dance has become the perfect playground for experiments with immersive technologies, like virtual reality.
Alexander Whitley is a London-based choreographer working at the cutting edge of British contemporary dance. Through a number of mesmerising projects he’s reinventing the landscape of dance.
In this episode we discuss the powerful possibilities of storytelling through the human body, we find out how immersion is offering audiences a deeper sense of connection to dance, and how technology is augmenting and enhancing the artform.
Find out about Alexander’s most recent production ‘Overflow’, which tackles what it means to be human in an era of Big Data. You can watch the trailer HERE. 
And hear about his collaborative and immersive dance experience ‘Future Rites’, a unique interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Watch a short film HERE.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Social media influencers live the lives we wish we lived - perfect and flawless… Or so we think. IDOL is the story of online health and wellness guru Samantha Miller, whose spiral downwards shows that life behind the camera lens is not always so rosy - that we don’t always know who we’re idolising.
Louise O’Neill is a prolific Irish author with multiple titles to her name. Through IDOL she draws on some of her own, testing experiences with social media, digging into its darker side. And through a tumultuous relationship she also plays with the concepts of memory, self perception and truth.
In this episode we find out how the fallibility of memory can be used to create dynamic and interesting characters, we learn about the lasting impacts of addictive relationships, and we explore the concept of abstract characters.
IDOL is out now. Find a copy here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

We’ve brought you all the build to Cazz Lander’s Great British Row, and now the adventure athlete and her partner Andre have finally set sail. Catching Cazz just a few days before launch, Mark gets up close and personal with the mighty boat she’ll be calling home, and finds out how she’s feeling. Enjoy this bonus episode, and stay tuned for regular updates from the boat.
Find out more about and donate to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Most of us are in the writing game because we love the creative journey. The business of writing however? Well, we’re not always great at that. But if you want to make money and turn your passion into a career, the business is just as important as the writing, and needs to be thought about early in the process. And that’s where many of us could use a little help.
Kerri Layton is a performing arts business coach and founder of Backstage Badasses. Through various courses and resources she empowers writers, actors, performers and dancers to take control of their finances.
In this episode learn to deliver on the needs of your audience by viewing art as a service, find out how to gain creative freedom by monetising your passion, and discover how to pivot and succeed time and time again.
Find out more about Kerri on her website.
For a direct link to Kerri’s free training, click here.
Join the Backstage Badasses group here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Would you give up your life and put everything on the line for your country? If you were plucked off the street and asked to serve as a secret agent overseas during wartime, would you say yes? These are the decisions that The Special Operations Executive agents had to come to terms with.
SOE was formed in 1940, and the organisation’s F section sent more than four hundred agents into France. But while some are widely known – others have had their stories largely overlooked. In her new book ‘Mission France’ Dr Kate Vigurs uncovers the stories of the 39 female agents of SOE.
In this episode we discover the importance of shedding light on the overlooked heroes of our stories, we find out how the threat of that ‘next knock on the door’ can build suspense and anxiety in your writing, and we examine the topic of motivation - how a character’s personality might fundamentally change when left with no choice.
Find out more about Dr Kate Vigurs here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

When Thomas Hardy’s wife died, his world was forever changed. Though his marriage to Emma Gifford was tumultuous, his grief was still paralysing. After Emma’s death Hardy discovered and read her diaries, and later burnt them. But why did he burn them? What words were written inside? Why did they evoke such a reaction?
We will never know the answers to these questions, but author Elizabeth Lowry has done an incredible job of filling in the gaps. Through extensive research and some very good best guess-work, she’s raised the diary from the ashes, bringing Emma’s story back to life in her novel The Chosen.
In this episode we learn how to create compelling fictionalised portrayals of real stories, we explore the role of buildings as emotional anchors for your characters, and we find out how to make stories from the past feel relevant.
Find out more about Elizabeth Lowry here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Yip is a 4ft nothing hairless mute. Born in 1815 and unable to talk, he’s presented with various challenges in his early life. And though he later learns to write, his hardships never cease. In the midst of the Georgia Gold Rush, he gets caught up in a brawl, meeting an unlikely companion while on the run from the law.
My Name is Yip is the debut novel from Paddy Crewe, and it’s an astonishingly brilliant read. Paddy has expertly taken on the challenge of telling the story of a man with no voice. Told as a first-hand reflection of Yip’s life, the story is written in a distinctly unique way, authentic to the character.  
In this episode we find out how to turn a sidekick into a main protagonist, we learn why you shouldn’t over-research every element of your book, and we find out whether you really need to be on social media.
Find out more about Paddy here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the everyday - to have your mind dominated by short-term goals. But how often do you stop and consider the future? Whether it’s for our own personal development, or for the sake of the planet, short-term thinking can severely hold us back.
That’s why Ella Saltmarshe co-founded the Long Time Project, whose goal is to find new ways to help us care about the long-term future. She also presents a podcast called The Long Time Academy, which aims to change the way we choose to engage with time.
In this episode we learn about art and culture’s superpower of inciting change, we find out why you don’t need to be a specialist to be a success, and what it means to be a better ancestor to the generations that will inherit the Earth.
Find out more about Ella here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

When we go on holiday, travel, or relocate, we’re often looking to ‘get away from it all’. What we rarely consider is how difficult that is, especially when it’s our own personal shortcomings that we’re trying to escape. That’s certainly true for the character of Daphne Ferber, who arrives in Berlin for a fresh start, not expecting to run into more drama than she left behind. 
Berlin, the debut novel from author Bea Setton, presents us with the most fascinating and incredibly authentic character. Daphne is in her 20s, in a new city, coming face-to-face with her own demons, desperately trying to figure out who she is.
In this episode we learn how characters can evolve even in our own minds, we unpack the juxtaposition of hype vs reality when it comes to new experiences, and we revisit the importance of writing for all the senses.
Find out more about Bea here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

If you learnt of darkness within your family tree - if you discovered an ancestor caused unimaginable pain - would you feel shame? Would you feel guilt? 
Bearing the guilt of our forebears may seem counterintuitive, after all, we’re not to blame for their actions. And yet it’s more common than you’d imagine. In her debut book ‘In My Grandfather’s Shadow’, Angela Findlay comes face-to-face with her own inherited trauma, uncovering the life of her dead grandfather, who was a decorated German General during the Second World War.
In this episode we learn how meaningful and life-changing it can be to learn about and uncover your family heritage, we explore the notion of places holding information and memories of the past, and we wrestle with the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
Find out more about Angela here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

Despite the common belief that parents just want to do right by their kids, we don’t always see it pan out like that. There are some terrible parents out there, and the dynamic of a toxic family is not an uncommon sight in literature. So what’s going on? What drives these difficult relationships?
In Rebecca Wait’s new novel ‘I’m Sorry You Feel That Way’, she tackles these questions, following the lives of Celia - a pretty awful mother - her son Michael, and twin girls Alice and Hanna.
In this episode we learn how offering a backstory to the ‘villain’ of your story helps to create a more believable and well-rounded character, we reassess the notion that your character must ‘overcome’ their flaws as part of their journey of growth, and we delve into the subject of intergenerational trauma.
Find out more about Rebecca here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.

"Old women are so much more than this. So much more. They are still complete human beings."
Purple hats, knitting needles and gnarled hands - this is how older women are usually portrayed and thought of. The pervading narrative is that they are no longer interesting. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. 
In her debut book Cat Brushing, Jane Campbell disrupts the stereotypes about older women. Through a collection of short stories she explores the lives of thirteen unforgettable characters, in a range of fierce, sensual and vivid narratives.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
Older people are still complete human beings, with rich lives full of experiences.
How to use your writing to flip the prevailing narrative.
The idea that everyone has an "unlived life," and how that can be used in character development.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Lessons In Chemistry: Bonnie Garmus
The Flames: Sophie Haydock
Chronic Illness: Natasha Lipman
Find out more about Jane here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“There’s a huge feeling that a relationship will fix you…and it doesn’t always matter if it’s the right relationship, as long as you’re kinda in one.”
Being single, especially old and single, is not looked upon favourably in society. It’s no wonder then that people rush to make marriage pacts with their childhood best friends - a bizarre yet completely understandable byproduct of societal standards. But do those pacts ever work out?
In her latest book ‘Last Time We Met’, Emily Houghton brings us the story of Eleanor and Fin, who promise themselves to each other during their younger years, before they inevitably drift apart. But when fate brings them back together, everything has changed.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
How to write characters who exist in multiple timelines.
Why you should know your characters outside the confines of the narrative you lay out for your readers.
The importance of practising restraint in your writing.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
A Toxic Family: Rebecca Wait 
Life in Berlin: Bea Setton
Lessons In Chemistry: Bonnie Garmus
Find out more about Emily here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

Series 6 is right around the corner, and what a series it is! We’ll be diving into the world of the metaverse, looking at the mythology of the British landscape, and we’ll be joined by one of the world’s greatest living novelists. And for our first episode we’ll be in the company of Tom Higham, creative director of international media arts agency Mediale. Tune in from Wednesday 5th October - and stay with us right up until Christmas.
 
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
 
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
 
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“It feels so risky for the public purse to invest in individuals rather than in things. Backing people feels like a really progressive thing to do.”
In this era of new tech, where should the money flow? Our guest today argues we need to spend less on technology and invest more in people.
Tom Higham is the Creative Director of international media arts agency Mediale. In this episode he discusses the failings and opportunities within the arts industry, he addresses his concerns with the UK’s levelling up agenda, and he highlights an incredible artwork he’s helped bring to life called ‘People We Love’ by the artist Kit Monkman.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
Why taking yourself out of your art can boost audience engagement
Why simplicity can be the most innovative creative path to take
Why backing people is transformationally positive
Find out more about Tom and Mediale here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“When you have nothing, you’re at your most creative”
How were your school music lessons - did they inspire you, or leave you wanting? For many the music curriculum fails to speak to them, for others it’s unaffordable to even take part. As vital as music education is, there’s a great deal of inequality and inaccessibility that needs to be addressed.
Malaki Patterson is the Artistic Director of The Music Works, a Gloucester-based charity that aims to transform young lives through music, working with young people from all backgrounds, many of whom come from challenging circumstances. Inspired by the barriers he faced when he was growing up, Malaki is on a mission to make music more inclusive.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
Where there’s a will there’s a way. Creativity isn’t reliant on having vast amounts of money or the most high-tech equipment. 
Community is critical to the success of anyone in the creative industries.
If you’re struggling to find your way into the career you aspire to, take a wider view of the industry - the pathways to success are more diverse than you realise.
Find out more about Malaki and The Music Works here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“These poems and artefacts; they inspire more questions than they answer with their narrative incompleteness. They are those areas of black ink - that silence - and I think it’s so enticing.”
For the people who lived during the medieval times, the supernatural and natural were not separate. They were intertwined. At a time when nature dominated the landscape, superstition and the belief in fantastical stories were a part of life - a way to make sense of the mysteries of the world.
Amy Jeffs is an art historian specialising in the Middle Ages, and the author of ‘Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain’. In the book, through fiction and reflection, she retells stories from medieval poetry and legend, and explores the haunting past of the British landscape. 
Especially exciting are Amy’s readings from the book - look out for those!
In this episode, you will learn:
Why walking the ground of the places you wish to write about will make your work more vivid, and able to speak to all of the senses.
How reflecting on the past can unshackle the limits of your worldview.
How to find hope in the writing journey, no matter how time-poor you are.
Find out more about Amy here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“It’s mostly women I know, who love horror films in that way, because nothing’s really scarier than the real world things that can happen to us.”
For all the horror movie characters who end up as corpses - victims to the slaughter - there are those who escape their demise. One particular type of survivor - the ‘final girl’ - is the subject of much fascination for today’s guest.
Isaura Barbé-Brown is a horror expert, and writes for the British Film Institute, Den of Geek, and the Bloody Women journal from Final Girls. In this Halloween special of the podcast, she explores the horror genre through a female lens - celebrating the heroic (and sometimes ghoulish) female protagonists who make it out alive. Isaura set Mark the challenge of watching the following films, which are all up for review in this episode:
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night - by Ana Lily Amirpour
Revenge - by Coralie Fargeat
Ravenous - by Antonia Bird
Trouble Everyday - by Claire Denis
Eve's Bayou - by Kasi Lemons
Teeth - by Mitchell Lichtenstein (AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!)
In this episode, you will learn:
How horror can be just as, if not more impactful when you flip the narrative, and stop relying on the same old notions of female fear and vulnerability. 
That you don’t have to avoid classic tropes, like jump scares, in order to do something revolutionary.
Why it’s so important to think deeply about your audience, and the message you’d like them to take away from your work, no matter what genre you’re writing for.
Find out more about Isaura here.
Check out the Final Girls podcast here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“These collectors feel like they have accrued, or put together this cast of characters in one place. These friends who they have grown to know.”
To be human is to love rarity - a rare object grants its owner a sense of power, joy and worthiness, that is simply unexplainable. While few of us are ever lucky enough to possess the kinds of rarities you might find in a museum - collectors are a different breed.
Oliver Darkshire is the author of  Once Upon A Tome: The misadventures of a rare bookseller, which chronicles his many years spent working at Sotheran’s in London, one of the world's oldest antiquarian bookshops. In this episode he explores the two types of rare book collector - the Smaugs and the Draculas - and what compels them to buy these ancient tomes. He explains how the shop became an unlikely social media sensation, which led to him becoming an unexpected writer. And he shares an incredible moment from the book, reading a passage which sums up the store and the people who work in it.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why it’s important to give life to and write backstories for the objects of your stories.
About the many fascinating ways Sotheran’s acquires its rare books.
Why you should share your oddities and curiosities with the world.
Find out more about Oliver here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“The great pleasure of it was to keep the original London, and lay over it a sheen of how it would have changed. It becomes frighteningly easy to imagine this happening.”
What would Britain look like if there was never a Second World War? What if, instead, Britain allowed the Nazi regime to take hold of the country, forming a peaceful Alliance with Germany?
This dystopian version of history is the setting for Jane Thynne’s new novel Queen High, a sequel to Widowland. In this episode we explore this new world, and the unexpected but not implausible alterations to the timeline that might have brought it into being. We discuss the consequences of a regime hellbent on rewriting and editing history. And we talk about the underestimated power of wisdom.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to craft a dystopia that remains unsettlingly close to reality.
How to create a villain that strikes fear into the hearts of your readers.
Why paying mind to the intricacies of your characters is just as important as a focus on world building.
Find out more about Jane here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“There is strange conspiracy of silence around romantic comedies”
Despite the genre’s huge share of the market, there’s a notion that romantic comedy is without substance and not worthy of critical acclaim. Today’s guest is here to explain why that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Emma Hughes is the author of No Such Thing As Perfect, a romantic comedy about Laura Morrison, and her experience trialling a new, ground-breaking dating service called Cupid, that promises to find her perfect match. But is there really a formula to finding love?
In this episode, you will learn:
To fight the stigma surrounding romantic comedies - and why the genre is capable of exploring deep and complex issues.
The value of “comedy baubles” - and why these funny asides are valuable even if they don’t advance the plot.
Why it’s important to reflect on and re-read your work after publication.
Find out more about Emma here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk

“I don’t think people have got enough of a taste of what [VR] can offer to really see where it’s going.”
It’s been billed as the future of technology, poised to transform entertainment, but virtual reality still hasn’t hit the mainstream. The technology is being used in increasingly interesting and sophisticated ways, but just how far is it from becoming a staple in everybody’s home? 
Zillah Watson is a London-based consultant on VR and immersive content. In this episode she explores the knowns and unknowns of virtual reality’s future, she discusses the metaverse and how it’s set to reshape everything from entertainment to journalism, and she talks about the much-needed democratisation of VR.
In this episode, you will learn:
How and when you should use virtual reality to tell a story.
How to build your audience when one doesn’t already exist.
How the best stories often appear at the intersection between innovation and tradition. 
Find out more about Zillah here.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.
You can view the full transcript here.
Connect with the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthespinepodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BehindTheSpine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BehindTheSpine
Website: www.behindthespine.co.uk