S11E9 A Tale of Wartime Morality and Courage: Alice Austen’s 33 Place Brugmann

“ Fiction writing is trying to unearth the mystery of who we are.  And it boils down to a question of who and what you care about most” ~Alice Austen

An apartment block in Belgium, full of close neighbours, suddenly torn apart by the news of war. This is the story of 33 Place Brugmann - whose residents’ lives are upended by fear, uncertainty and occupation. Today we’re revisiting the Second World War once again, to share yet another untold tale of the past.

33 Place Brugmann is the debut novel from the award-winning screenwriter, producer, and playwright, Alice Austen. Taking a break from her usual areas of expertise, Alice’s captivating foray into the world of fiction has already been hugely successful - with the book fast becoming an international bestseller.

Alice explores the inspiration for the book - the stories she was told by neighbours who she lived with at the real 33 Place Brugmann. She discusses her shift from writing plays to writing a novel - and how she navigated it. And she muses on the strange reality of how prescient this novel feels in today’s world.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to harness your own moral battles to bring your narrative to life
• Why it pays to be brave when deciding the narrative structure of your novel
• Why a personal group of trusted readers is a treasure to have

Find out more about Alice here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

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You can view the full transcript here.

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