Behind The Spine

“Novels can open a space in which opposing ideas are valid at the same time. In which reality is considered in a complex way.”
What defines a novel? Can the genre deal in both fiction and fact? It may seem contradictory, but the ability to play with facts in a novel may actually bring the truth behind them into focus more clearly.
Juan Gabriel Vasquez is widely heralded as one of the world’s greatest living novelists. In his new book Retrospective, he charts the barely fictionalised and extraordinary life of the Colombian film director Sergio Cabrera. In this episode Juan tells us about Cabrera’s series of incredible adventures, and he explains why he chose the format of a novel to portray the life of a real person.
In this episode, you will learn:
How novels can be a powerful way of portraying facts in a new light.
Why you should use the novels you write as a form of rebellion against the status quo.
When to leave yourself out of the story, to open space for your readers to make up their own minds about the events that unfold.
Find out more about Juan 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

“Grief doesn’t experience time in a linear model. You don’t just grow out of grief by dint of the days passing. That’s why Lily doesn’t have a typical arc - that eureka moment at the end”.
Characters won’t always align with your views, or do the things you expect of them. The most authentic and compelling characters are those who lead messy lives and make infuriating decisions - because that’s real.
Susannah Dickey is a Northern Irish writer and the author of Common Decency. In the novel we follow neighbours Lily and Siobhan, whose isolating and messy lives become entwined in a dark way. In this episode Susannah explores their lives, delving into issues of empathy, understanding and the hidden intimacies of modern existence.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why it’s our job as writers to create deeply flawed and frustrating characters.
Why characters don’t always need to have a traditional narrative arc.
Why it’s ok for a reader to interpret your work in whichever way they want.
Find out more about Susannah 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Anyone who has spent time in a hospice or sat by the bedside of a dying person knows this…it can be a lot of time to fill. Often weeks on end of sitting around. It’s like hosting a really bad dinner party.”
The dramatisation of death is common to see on page, stage and screen - usually all focused around the dying breaths and final moments. But those moments are fleeting, and for those waiting to die, it can be a long, mundane and even funny experience at times.
Catherine Newman is the author of We All Want Impossible Things, a novel which draws on her own personal experience of waiting by the bedside of her best friend as she approached the end. In the book we get to see the humour and heartache of a 40 year long friendship coming to an end, as Ash cares for her best friend Edi who’s been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. 
In this episode, you will learn:
How to draw from real experiences in works of fiction.
Why flawed characters can still be loveable, even if they’re not likeable.
Why death doesn’t have to be dramatised to be deeply moving.
Find out more about Catherine 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“This is an expression of everything I feel, in the midlife women around me, this sort of simmering rage that we’re living with. You’re supposed to be the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect daughter, the perfect friend. It’s a huge, huge pressure.”
Held to an incredibly high standard by society and squeezed from all sides, women are fed an ideal that is impossible to live up to. And for women of a certain age, there’s the prevailing narrative that they’re “past it…invisible and unfuckable”. 
Refuting this narrative is Fran Littlewood. In her novel Amazing Grace Adams, she rails against the existing stereotypes and expectations placed on women. Grace, who at times feels like a minor character in her own life, ends up fighting back, ripping up the social contract to have her “main character moment.”
In this episode, you will learn:
Why authentic characters can lead conflicted and contradictory lives.
How to use your writing to shine a spotlight on unseen stories.
Why you should reimagine the best version of yourself in your next character. 
Find out more about Fran 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

Ahead of Series 7 which goes live in February, we share some exciting news from our sister project, The Writing Salon.
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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 7 is about to launch, and it’s time to whet your appetite for our most international series to date. Find out what’s coming up, and hear a teaser of our conversation with Gabriella Braun, Director of Working Well, who’ll be kicking the series off by discussing her new book All That We Are: Uncovering the hidden truths behind our behaviour at work. 
Tune in from Wednesday 1st February for the return of Behind The Spine.
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

“Conflict isn’t just between people, it’s within us. We all have inherent contradictions within us. That is the way we’re built.”
Feuds, power struggles, tensions and conflict - the workplace can so easily become a hotbed of hostility. Toxic work cultures are frighteningly common - but why? And what can we do about it?
Gabriella Braun gets to the very root of this problem in her non-fiction novel All That We Are: uncovering the hidden truths behind our behaviour at work - an essential piece of reading that should be mandatory for everyone. In this episode, hear phrases like “the concentration camp in my mind” as we discuss the unspoken things that divide us. Find out how we can reflect on our “moments of madness” to create workplaces where we can thrive. And hear the haunting discoveries about Gabriella’s ancestry, spurred on through the writing of this book.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to tell a story that hasn’t yet found its headline.
Why including yourself as a character in your own book can tell you so much.
How to take the business of writing seriously.
Find out more about Gabriella 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“What I trust is if my stories are not so much plot driven but character driven, then the possibilities are endless”.
Crime is a genre we all know and love. But what are the perfect ingredients for crafting a crime story that keeps you coming back for more - that stokes the desire to return for a whole series of novels?
Well, if you want the recipe, look no further than Simon Mason. He’s the author of ‘A Killing in November’ and ‘The Broken Afternoon’, two novels in the DI Wilkins series - an incredible universe he’s begun to unleash on the world. In this episode we find out why Simon always thinks of character first, before plot - and we discover why his novels have been labelled “Morse for the 2020s”.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you should search for opportunities for dramatic conflict when first drawing your cast of characters.
Why it’s ok to write in a setting already familiar to readers of your genre.
How rage and anger can be a powerful motivation to write.
Find out more about Simon 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 so strange, this idea that parts of your life are already determined. And would you want to know? I wouldn’t want to know.”
Do you believe in the supernatural? If not, what would make you believe? Or perhaps the question is, where? As a gothic museum home to people with outlandish theories, The Cloisters is the perfect breeding ground for supernatural belief.
‘The Cloisters: The Secret History for a New Generation’ is the new novel from Katy Hays. It follows the story of Ann Stilwell who discovers a once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards, and gets caught up in a web of ambition, toxicity and mystery. In this episode we delve deep into notions of fate, destiny and belief, and get an insight into Katy’s writing process.
In this episode, you will learn:
The importance of setting in shaping the minds and beliefs of your characters.
Why you should hold your endings loosely, and how to let your characters tell their own story.
The key to outrunning your inner critic. 
Find out more about Katy 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“We need to get our heads out of the sand, and be open and aware to learning new things, in order to gain new inclusive habits which will enable us to be more sensitive and kinder to others.”
Our modern world is a more accepting one, but also a busier one. While we understand better than ever the importance of being kind - it can be difficult to find the time to actually practise kindness.
Benjy Kusi is a diversity, inclusion and wellbeing consultant, and the author of self-help guide ‘Hope this Helps: How to be Kinder to Yourself and Others’. The book is non-judgemental and packed with helpful explanations, tips and advice. In this episode we delve into issues of race, gender and identity, and explore the differences between sympathy and empathy.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why it’s ok to ask for help, and how to do it in a sensitive way.
How ignorance gets a bad rep and why we don’t need to pursue perfection.
The importance of communicating your message with kindness, not judgement.
Find out more about Benjy 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 is as foreign to some people here, as it would be to someone not living here. There’s a kind of feral nature to it that I wanted to capture."
Many of us hold a picture postcard view of the Caribbean - steel drums, calypso music and coconut trees - but places like Trinidad have a shockingly dark past. 
Kevin Jared Hosein is the author of ‘Hungry Ghosts’, a book which explores the impact of colonialism on Trinidad, taking us back in time to a snapshot in the country’s history when Trinidadians experienced subhuman living conditions, consigned to gruesome, barrack-type quarters. In this episode we learn about the violence that ensues as hardship forces a community to turn on itself, and explore the mythological concept of ‘hungry ghosts’.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to use violence not for the sake of violence, but as a way of communicating a more fundamental message.
How landscape can be used to convey emotion.
Why it’s important to understand the whole history of a country, even the unsavoury parts.
Find out more about Kevin 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Faced with a more precarious claim on power, the film industry is depicting men in more stereotypically powerful ways. The big question is ‘what do we do about it’?”
The global feminist movement has the same budget as one F35 fighter plane. That alone shows you how much of a chasm there is between the funding for peace and the funding for war.
In this International Women’s Day special, we speak to Dean Peacock, director of the Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace programme for the Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom. In this episode he explores the origins of WILPF, one of the oldest women’s peacebuilding organisations in the world. He discusses the concept of the “war economy”. And he explains the impact of gaming and entertainment on ideals of masculinity.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why a new type of war story should be told - the stories of the pacifists and war resisters.
Why we need to redefine our vision of masculinity.
How to better use violence in your writing.
Find out more about Dean 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“If someone wants to write a story that you have researched and really gotten involved with emotionally - if you see someone do it in a different way that opposes your own views - how would that make you feel?”
Have you ever had the feeling someone else might be writing the exact same story as you, at the exact same time? Have you ever felt desperate to finish your book in case someone pips you to the post?
Well, in The Witch in the Well rivalry, jealousy and hatred run amuck as this very scene unfolds. Our guest this episode is the book’s author, Camilla Bruce. In this episode we learn about the battle between Catherine and Elena, two women trying to tell the story of long-dead witch Ilsbeth Clark. 
In this episode, you will learn:
How to get scientific about the writing process.
How folklore can complement a modern narrative.
The impact of looking through the lens of death.
Find out more about Camilla 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 such an unbelievable amount of violence. There is so much unnecessary hurt that women and children are suffering. There have got to be solutions, and we have to keep trying to find those.”
No matter where you are in the world, violence against women is frighteningly prevalent, taking many forms and rooted in the power imbalance between the genders.
Ayesha Mago is the global advocacy director of the the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, an organisation which works to advance research on violence against women and violence against children in low and middle-income countries. In this episode we hear the stark realities faced by women globally, and how badly the system can fail them. We find out why violence against women is so difficult to tackle, while getting an insight into the types of interventions that work. And we find out how people like Ayesha keep fighting, even when the problem feels too big to tackle.
In this episode, you will learn:
How effective communication may mean adapting what you say and how you say it. 
The importance of challenging prevailing ideals of toxic masculinity in your writing. 
About the role of honest storytelling in highlighting the issue of violence against women.
Find out more about Ayesha 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 girls really want to bring someone home that doesn’t just try to fit in. They want someone who’s going to bring something new to the family lore, to family legend, to the Garnett way of life.”
Every family has their own traditions, habits and customs that often seem alien to the outside world. And for large, close-knit families whose lives are entirely intertwined, this can make for a daunting experience for new partners.
The Garnett Girls certainly have their own way - whether they believe it’s the right way is up for debate. As a family of four women, led by eccentric mother Margo, they don’t do things by halves. A novel of family secrets, betrayal and the bonds of sisterhood, The Garnett Girls is the debut novel from book publicist Georgina Moore. And in this episode she tells the story of how they came to life.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to effectively establish the voices of multiple characters. 
How to fully engage with the narrative benefits that come from using multiple perspectives.
And why you need to focus on presenting older women in an authentic way.
Find out more about Georgina 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 became more curious, I think. The longer I’ve written, the more curious I have become. I was somehow liberated when I started to work. I felt like I became more free.”
Is it ever too late to finish writing that novel you started all those years ago? Creating a truly great novel takes time - sometimes longer than you think. Today’s author spent an entire decade writing her newly released debut novel, and it was certainly worth the wait.
Lydia Sandgren is the author of Collected Works, a massive 700 page novel that follows the life of former writer Martin Berg. The book asks searching questions about motherhood, family relationships, the stories that we tell ourselves and those that we inherit. In this episode we hear how Lydia is the type of person who never gives up, and how she’s changed both as a person and a writer over the ten years of writing the book. 
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you don’t always need to know everything about your characters before you put pen to paper.
The art of adding musicality and lyricism to writing a novel.
Why cutting and re-writing your work isn't a waste of time.
Find out more about Lydia 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“He’s carrying this post-colonial sense that many Black people, many Nigerians and Africans feel. Like, we feel we are subservient - we are not good enough as white people.”
Andrew Aziza is a 15 year old boy growing up in Kontagora in Northern Nigeria, wrestling with issues of politics, identity and spirituality. Faced with a feeling that Africa is “cursed”, he finds himself longing to be with a blonde, white woman from the West.
Stephen Buoro is the author of The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa, a coming-of-age story that follows an intelligent and highly emotional teenager on a journey of self discovery in the shadow of colonialism and communal violence. In this episode we discover how, among a backdrop of religious violence and turmoil, Andrew turns into the ‘superhero’ Andy Africa to save his continent, seemingly becoming a metaphor for Christ.
In this episode, you will learn:
To consider the duality and conflict between the themes that you tackle in your writing.
How you can break the mould and experiment with new writing styles.
Why using unique, local language can allow you to paint an authentic portrait of life within a community.
Find out more about Stephen 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 reason I thought the cleaner had taken my brush wasn’t because of value. It was to get back at me, you see.”
What started as the innocuous tale of a missing hairbrush, potentially stolen by a hotel cleaner, quickly turned into an exciting novel about kleptomania and control. 
It may have been just a small and fairly innocuous moment in Senta Rich’s life, but she morphed it into something spectacular - her debut novel Hotel 21. In the book we follow hotel cleaner Noelle, a seemingly model employee who can’t help taking little ‘souvenirs’ from the rooms. In this episode we delve into the life of a kleptomaniac, and what might drive someone to steal an abundance of meaningless treasures.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you should remain inquisitive and curious at all times.
The questions you should be conscious about when you begin putting pen to paper.
Why you should tap up the experts in your life for information.
Find out more about Senta 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 that question ‘What if?’ ‘What if I had done this differently?’ And it's something I'm really obsessed with in my own life.”
The death of a main character is often a controversial and difficult moment in any work of literature - but what if it happens in the first few pages?
Stirred by her own experiences of losing a close friend far too soon, Becky Hunter’s debut novel One Moment sees death not as the end, but as the beginning. After a tragic opening, Scarlett watches down on her best friend Evie, as she wrestles with and comes to terms with her death.
In this episode, you will learn:
How writing can help us process grief, and gain strength from it.
To feel empowered to break writing conventions.
Why getting an agent does not guarantee success.
Find out more about Becky 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Her story in my mind is sort of a two steps forward, one step back kind of journey. It's not that we face one major challenge in our life and suddenly we are these wise and capable people.”
In life, there isn’t one straight road out of adversity and grief. And so, when charting your characters’ journeys through hardship, authenticity means lingering in the messiness.
Shelley Read’s new book ‘Go As A River’ is a wonderful coming-of-age story, which opens in 1940s rural Colorado. It follows the story of teenager Victoria Nash, and her struggle to survive after fleeing her home to the harsh wilderness of nearby mountains. We also meet young drifter Wilson Moon, who changes Victoria’s life forever. In this episode we discuss the choice of setting and location, we explore Wilson's portrayal - a masterclass in representation, and we dig into Shelley’s writing process.
In this episode, you will learn:
The power of setting your stories in locations that are close to your heart.
How to portray a character’s struggle authentically.
Not to be afraid of pushing characters down the order of importance, or losing their stories completely.
Find out more about Shelley 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Having that realisation of looking back on a memory that they really prized and valued, and realising that it was something a little bit darker and that they were perhaps taken advantage of. It is something that's really troubling for people.”
Is there a moment in your life that you look back on with nothing but fondness? A golden moment where life was perfect? How closely do you think that memory holds up to reality?
We’re all guilty of looking back with rose-tinted glasses from time-to-time - but just how fallible can our memory really be? In her debut novel The Girls of Summer, Katie Bishop plays with the concept of a memory becoming dark and twisted on reflection. The novel sees protagonist Rachel go through a number of gruelling realisations about the ‘best summer of her life’.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you should carefully consider your use of tense.
How writing can help you give a voice to issues close to your heart.
Why stories don’t need plot twists to be compelling.
Find out more about Katie 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 so welcoming. The people are wonderful. It's beautiful. It was really where I thought I could see myself living and building a life. And then when I found out about that murder, it did raise the hairs on the back of my neck.”
How does a place you love transform into a place of fear? Can the beauty of an island paradise ever outshine the darkness that lies beneath the surface?
The Dive is the debut novel from Sara Ochs. The thriller takes place on the fictional island of Koh Sang in Thailand, where backpackers are being picked off one by one. In this episode we discover how The Dive was inspired by Sara’s real-life experience in Koh Tao - a paradise plagued by murder.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you don’t have to be trained in writing, to write.
The importance of dramatic irony.
Why you need to take time to reflect on your success.
Find out more about Sara 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Kala is the Sinatra of the book. You have all these different perspectives on her. My hope was that having these panoramic perspectives would create spaces for the reader to create their own relationship to Kala.”
A town with a series of dark secrets, upended by the reopening of a decades old-wound. When the horrors of the past have scarred and warped their victims over time, how does despair manifest when it all comes back to haunt them?
Kala is the debut novel from Colin Walsh. The book takes us to the Irish village of Kinlough, introducing us to three friends, Helen, Joe and Mush. In the past we see the events of a terrifying summer unfold, and in the present a body is unearthed in the woods and two girls have gone missing. In this episode we explore Colin’s many feats of literary genius that have brought this incredible thriller to life.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you can’t always plan your most crucial writing decisions.
How playing with perspectives can give one character multiple personalities.
An interesting way of adapting writing style to mimic the distinct personalities that feature in your book.
Find out more about Colin 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 anyone could have looked at the Patterson family and said, “oh, what a conventionally successful party”. But I did want to honour them. And I realised I was actually and am proud of them because they did it. They loved, they were good, they were decent, they were kind, they were courageous.”
Though Christina Patterson’s family may not be “conventionally successful”, they are extraordinary. Despite much tragedy, Christina looks back on her family’s story with joy.
In her new memoir, ‘Outside, the Sky is Blue’, she relives the rocky history of her family, exploring issues of mental ill health, cancer and death. As she rummages through boxes of letters, papers, photos and belongings, Christina also discovers new stories she must confront.
In this episode, you will learn:
That all stories are worth telling - everyone has a memoir in them.
The importance of self-love.
Why you should consider keeping a diary.
Find out more about Christina 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“One person told me he got to a point where he didn't actually care whether he lived or died. He felt so ill that he had hallucinations. So it's a risk. It's a risk.”
For the people who’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, making it to the summit is more than a battle of fitness or of money. It’s a challenging test of one’s mental fortitude unlike no other. Throw into the mix a little deception, trickery and deceit - and that climb can become deadly.
In Karen Hamilton’s latest book ‘The Contest’, she introduces a new layer of jeopardy into the mix. In this mountaintop locked-room thriller, two teams are pitted against each other in a race to the top. But with traps, tricks and backstabbing abound - trust is nowhere to be found.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to write about a place you’ve not visited yourself.
How to deepen the mystery of your villain’s actions.
Why you should have faith in your editors.
Find out more about Karen 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“What you want from that gothic house is the sense of being overwhelmed by scale, while also having a sense of unease and claustrophobia as well. Those two things, twinned together.”
The Regent Hotel in Birmingham may be grand, but beneath its opulence, cocktail parties and fine dining, lies a gothic nightmare of murder, deception and mystery.
Hokey Pokey, the new book from Kate Mascarenhas, follows Nora Dickinson, who finds herself locked in the Regent with a host of high society guests during a terrible snow storm. And while they’re shut off from the outside world, reality begins to shift as supernatural terrors awake. In this episode we learn about Kate’s choice to blend two genres together, we dig into her hauntingly matter-of-fact writing style, and we explore the religious elements to her depiction of the supernatural.
In this episode, you will learn:
How do ensure flashbacks don’t sap the energy and tension from your story.
Why intuition and formal knowledge are key to engaging a reader’s emotions.
Why you should consider drawing the places you’re writing about.
Find out more about Kate 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 wanted to start with a very unstable, shaky foundation in order to create a world of voltage and heat and fire. Each book in the series is its own little storm.”
The hardboiled genre has received a complete makeover. Holiday is a queer, chain-smoking, heavily tattooed nun, covered completely in her nun’s habit. And her amateur sleuthing skills are taking the literary world by storm.
Scorched Grace is the first of a brand new series of books from Margot Douaihy. In the novel, Holiday attempts to uncover the mystery behind a shocking arson attack at Saint Sebastian's School. This poetic novel deals with religion, humanity, conflict, identity, eroticism and much more.
In this episode, you will learn:
How messy characters can be very healing and reparative to a reader.
Why you shouldn’t shy away from including eroticism in your books.
That there’s always room to refine and reinvent well-loved genres.
Find out more about Margot 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Her love is quite possessive, wanting to become the other person, owning the man, or becoming whole and finally complete. But the thing is, she's never going to complete herself because the wound is too deep.”
Between 14 and 40. That’s how many men were killed by Belle Gunness. Yet despite the terrible atrocities of ‘America’s first female serial killer’, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard her name.
In ‘My Men’, a new novel from Victoria Kielland, we learn the tortured and troubled history of this Norwegian-born serial killer, taking a glimpse into her twisted world. And we discover how this is not simply a story of a monster, but of a girl longing for love.
In this episode, you will learn:
How there is often humanity to be found in even the most terrifying monsters.
How love can be both a force for good and for bad. 
And how sometimes it’s in the most innocuous of places that you’ll find the subject of your next novel.
Find out more about Victoria 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Loving a country is also never ceasing to be demanding. Through that book I asked my city to do something else, to change the system. I have a bittersweet relationship with the city. I love it. And at the same time, I have a little bit of anger.”
Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco, is a city of great inequality - a patriarchal system run by a monarchy. And in ‘As Rich as the King’, we see how that inequality impacts the life of sixteen-year-old French teenager Sarah.
Abigail Assor’s brilliantly poignant novel is inspired by her own experience growing up in Casablanca in the 90s. Sarah, while poor, attends Casablanca’s elite high school for expats and wealthy locals. It’s there that she tries to form a relationship with Driss, rumoured to be the richest guy in the city - but to do that she has to cross the gaping social divide that separates them.
In this episode, you will learn:
When to avoid making heroes of your characters.
Why, if you love a place, you must confront the harsh truths about it. 
How to effectively communicate the underlying message of your book.
Find out more about Abigail 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“How many weddings have you gone to where you don't really know very many other people at the wedding? And it's trying to make those connections of who is who. It was something I wanted to recreate for the reader.”
Between deciding the guest-list and actually getting everyone together under one roof, wedding days can be… chaotic, to say the least. Beneath the jubilance often lies a web of unresolved family dramas and conflict. The question is, will it bubble up to the surface?
Kate Sawyer’s new novel ‘This Family’ is set over a single summer’s day, at the wedding of Mary, whose fractured family has been brought together. The book regularly takes us back in time, revealing information about the cast of characters that have gathered for the big day.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you shouldn’t place too many restrictions on yourself before you head into writing a novel.
Why the most interesting parts of a story are often what lie beneath what you can see.
Why you should surround yourself with fellow writers.
Find out more about Kate 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Height of the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis had happened just a year before. The last thing you want is to show the world’s superpower to be so incompetent that they shot their own president. And you can understand why they would cover that up and try to hide it.” 
In memory of US President John F Kennedy, and to mark the 60th anniversary of his assassination, we peer beyond the conspiracy theories to find out what really happened on the fateful day. Did Lee Harvey Oswald really fire all three shots, as the official reports suggest?
Mark Taylor is an imagery analyst, holds a degree in psychology and has been an avid target shooter since the age of 11. With this unique skill set, he’s analysed the evidence in a level-headed and expert way. Examining footage like the Zapruder and Bronson films, images of the bullets, photos of the motorcade and the grassy knoll, Mark concludes the fatal third bullet came from another gun. In this episode we dig deep to find out who pulled the trigger on that final shot, and how Mark reached his conclusion.
You can also watch the full episode on YouTube here.
A word of caution, we’re discussing a murder, and will be showing video footage captured on the day of the assassination. As such, the content of this production may be emotionally challenging. If this is not for you, skip this episode, and join us next year for series 9. Otherwise, please take care while watching or listening.
See Mark’s full analysis here, in a presentation titled The JFK Assassination - The Real Nightmare On Elm Street.
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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“No one wakes up a horrible person. It's something that takes hold over time. It's about worldview, formative experiences, and what you were told growing up as a kid. And I try very hard to think about that stuff because… you can feel it.” - Tom Hindle
In the idyllic setting of Italy’s largest lake, Lake Garda, the illustrious Heywood family gather for a wedding when horror strikes. Someone has been murdered… but who is the killer? And will they strike again?
Tom Hindle is making quite the name for himself in the whodunit genre, with the releases of  A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game and now Murder on Lake Garda. Meshing the pacey excitement of a detective novel with the gritty realism of well fleshed out characters, his books have a hint of thriller, and his latest is no different. 
Tune in as Tom tells us about the rotten Heywood family and their unsavoury past, how he came to set a murder mystery in such a place of serene beauty, and why the beat “People lie, facts don’t” runs so consistently throughout his novel.
In this episode you will learn:
Why you should think of your scenes as elastic bands if tension is your goal
How to avoid creating 2-dimensional characters.
That everyone is the hero of their own story, and believes what they’re doing is right.
Find out more about Tom 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“What a great idea if, through this grieving process both of them could heal - could come to understand the other through the vehicle of poetry” - Diana Janney
Poetry and philosophy bring together two fractured souls, 12 year old Rufus Ellerton whose parents have died, and his grandfather Horatio who’s now tasked with raising him.
Diana Janney’s latest novel is a beautiful, musical piece of writing, which weaves poetry and philosophical musings into the prose. A Man of Understanding follows the story of Rufus (Blue) as he moves to a finca in Majorca with his grandfather.
Hear as Diana explores her motivations for writing a novel like this, in this way. How her musical background inspires her writing style - even if she doesn’t realise it. And what kind of writer Diana is, gardener or architect.
In this episode you will learn:
How to weave poetry and philosophy into a novel
Why you should hold onto those characters you abandoned in the past.
The benefits of bringing all parts of yourself to your writing.
Find out more about Diana 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“They’re kind of flags mounted in occupied territory. That's the idea of a tattoo on the female form. Because the female form is a political space. It's a space of contention and conflict.” - Joelle Taylor
A tattoo can tell the most profound story. Many have deep meanings to the people who wear them, and all of them serve as time capsules, allowing a person to revisit a moment in time again and again.
Accomplished poet and playwright Joelle Taylor’s debut novel The Night Alphabet introduces us to the heavily tattooed Jones, who regales us with the stories behind the ink that adorns her body. Flitting between past and future, the book takes us on a journey through time, tackling hard subjects like violence against women and generational trauma.
Hear how Joelle navigated the move from poetry to prose, why she chose to tell such important stories through the art form of tattoos and hear the inspirational story of the impact her work has had on marginalised female communities.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you should write stories about the issues you feel enraged by. 
How to get creative when choosing how to tell your story.
And how different stories demand different forms.
Find out more about Joelle 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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

“She felt she had a duty to protect all these people. And the Villa very much became, for Iris, a refuge for everybody” - Fiona Valpy
In the past, a wartime heroine shelters people from the ravages of war. In the modern era, the villa once used for refuge is up for demolition, and its extraordinary past may be the only thing that can save it.
The Cypress Maze is the latest novel from prolific writer Fiona Valpy. As a dual-timeline novel, we spend time in both 1943 and 2015, at the Villa delle Colombe. Moving from an Italy in the midst of World War II and in the throes of civil war, to a more peaceful point in Italy’s history, but one that is turbulent for the villa’s characters Beatrice and Tess.
Hear how each timeline was inspired by two incredible, real-life stories of determination and bravery. Delve into issues of grief and suffering, in a novel that illuminates how we all experience these emotions differently. And learn how to do dual-timeline narratives the right way.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you must find an anchor for your story when writing dual-timeline fiction.
The importance of empathy as a writer.
Why your writing should include both the shadow and the light.
Find out more about Fiona 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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

“What we want is people in extreme situations. We enjoy watching people pushed to their emotional limits.” - L.D. Smithson
Have you ever watched a reality TV show and thought ‘I could do that’? It’s one thing watching the events unfold on-screen. It’s another thing entirely being in the thick of it, watching the essence of your personality unravel under the pressure. Now imagine the stakes were much higher. A game where death is a very real threat.
The Escape Room is the latest novel from Leona Deakin, writing under the pseudonym L.D. Smithson. The novel follows a cast of 8 characters through the eyes of Bonnie, our protagonist, as they compete for cash in a reality TV show of puzzles and games. But when the first contestant winds up dead, they soon realise the only way out alive… is to win.
Hear how L.D. Smithson drew inspiration from our fascination and love of reality shows like The Traitors and Big Brother. Discover how she leans into her background as a psychologist to give us an insight into the human psyche under pressure. And learn how she used a mixed-media narrative to bring this story to life in many unique ways.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to use podcasts as a narrative vehicle within a novel.
The confidence you can gain from a pseudonym.
And the importance of a good editor.
Find out more about L.D. Smithson 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 are many, many ways to be a deaf person, but the important thing is to think about the ways in which you embrace it” -Sarah Marsh
The word ‘deaf’ encompasses so many different lived experiences. And by its very nature it’s hard to communicate what it means - what it feels like - to be deaf. But through writing, anything is possible.
Sarah Marsh is the author of A Sign of Her Own: The vivid historical novel of a Deaf woman's role in the invention of the telephone. Through the novel’s protagonist, Ellen Lark, we get a glimpse into what it must be like to be deaf, beautifully put in her shoes as she constantly struggles to both understand and be understood.
This novel also teaches us about deaf history. Hear the lesser known story of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, and the role he played in the deaf community, from teaching a method called Visible Speech, to his oppressive views about sign language.
In this episode, you will learn:
About the huge variety in the deaf experience
How history doesn’t remember everything in equal measure
To never stop searching for ways to bring your lived experience to life through writing.
Find out more about Sarah Marsh 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 am probably the consumer from hell when it comes to this stuff, and I do like to believe that I’m fighting on behalf of other people. Some sort of consumer rights, compliance vigilante.” -Christian Hunt
If you’ve ever spotted a road sign that makes no sense at all, or been sent round in circles trying to cancel a TV subscription, you’re not alone. Society relies on us complying with rules on a daily basis, but sometimes the rules laid out for us are confusing. 
Christian Hunt is an expert in compliance and risk management, and the author of Humanizing Rules: Bringing Behavioural Science to Ethics and Compliance. From the funny to the deadly, he’s been analysing many of these peculiar rules through his Compliance in the Wild series on social media, spurring his fans to send in examples of their own.
This episode explores the impact these compliance faux pas have on consumers and the general public, and why we should make it our duty to call businesses out on this stuff. We hear how Christian’s method of crowdsourcing content allows him to take bigger creative risks and evolve his message. And we explore some of the challenges writers face and how Christian is dealing with them.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to evolve and adapt your message after your book has been written.
How to deal with criticism and stop overthinking failure.
Why audience connection is so valuable to a creator.
Find out more about Christian Hunt here.
Hear Mark interviewing Christian about his book on his own podcast, Human Risk.
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 didn't get to see my family or Georgia for 17 years. So when I did go back, I found it really strange, really surreal. That was very emotional for me. So I started writing it really trying to make sense of it in my own head.” -Leo Vardiashvili
Inspired by his own estrangement from his homeland, Leo Vardiashvili tells the story of a family torn apart as they wrestle with the events of the past.
Hard By A Great Forest is told through the eyes of Saba, who is forced to leave London and return to Georgia, in search of his missing father and brother, 18 years after they fled the war-torn country. Saba follows breadcrumb clues left behind by his brother, whilst guided on his journey by strangers and old ghosts.
This episode explores Leo’s own experiences leaving Georgia, only to return to the country as a stranger. We hear about the history of the Georgian Civil War which is weaved throughout this novel, and about the culture and the people of Georgia. And we learn what Leo had to give up in order to write the book.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to use the inspiration of your own life experiences in your writing.
Why minor characters must be furnished with a complete set of complex characteristics.
If your novel seems like a dead-end, it may simply be missing one crucial ingredient you haven’t thought of yet.
Find out more about Leo Vardiashvili 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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

“This senior copper said to me, Well, you have to remember we're dealing with criminals who know no restraints at all, who are just absolutely hard bastards with no emotion and no compassion. We have to have a few of them in our ranks to balance it out.” - Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson is a well-known name in British politics, having held a range of cabinet positions in both Blair and Brown governments, including Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Health. Utilising his insider knowledge, he’s created a compelling, authentic and truly immersive series of crime books.
The Mangan Series stars detective constable Louise Mangan. In the latest, Death On The Thames, we’re taken back to 1999 as she follows a lead that takes her to Tagg Island, a community of houseboats near Hampton Court in London. We’re then brought to the present, where trouble rises from that same island.
This episode explores Alan’s intimate knowledge of politics and the police and how that has influenced much of his fiction writing career. We discuss the misogyny faced by our protagonist throughout the novel and hear why Alan decided to pay homage to murdered TV personality Jill Dando.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why it can be useful to write fictional stories in real places.
That there isn’t one single way to do a dual-timeline narrative.
To always keep your audience in mind when you’re thinking of moving onto the next big idea.
Find out more about Alan Johnson 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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've certainly met men like Cole and you are fooled by them because they're fooling themselves. They're so dangerous and insidious for that reason, because you are actually sucked in a bit” - Araminta Hall
Are you “one of the good guys”, supportive of women’s rights and equality and opposed to gender injustice? This episode will make you think twice. Cole has escaped to the coast after his marriage imploded, and finds himself caught up in a media firestorm after two feminist activists go missing in the area.
One of the Good Guys is the sixth book from established author Araminta Hall and is an exploration of how women are treated in the modern world. Written in three distinct parts, we first see life through the eyes of “good guy” Cole. The story is then told through the eyes of his ex-wife, and that’s when we begin to see his perception of himself unravel. And in part three we’re caught up in the social and mainstream media reaction to what happens to Cole.
This episode explores the abuse women still have to put up with in a post #MeToo era, and the fear they still feel simply walking the streets alone. It looks into the insidious nature of patriarchal power. And it ventures into the territory of social media, and how damaging our obsession with “the truth” can be.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why stories about minorities facing injustice don’t need to be victim stories.
Why characters that believe they are good are more frightening than those that are pure evil.
To examine your own ideas about being “one of the good guys”.
Find out more about Araminta Hall 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Yes, there is oppression and hardship, but there’s also culture and joy and beauty and love and friendship. I think sometimes even we forget that there is life, and life always finds a way, even under occupation.” – Sarah Agha
What gives you a sense of identity and makes you feel connected to your community, your people? The narratives we build through art are at the heart of these identities. As we explore in this episode, getting them right is crucial, especially if you are Palestinian today. 
The Arab Film Club showcases exceptional cinema from the Arab World. The first series of their new podcast, which launches today, focuses on five pioneering Palestinian directors and their multi-award-winning films. Over the years, Sarah Agha, the club's founder, has shared a great deal of her culture and expertise in the subject. 
This episode explores some of the narratives built around Arab, and specifically Palestinian, lives, and who gets to tell those stories. It reminds us of the long history of Palestine, as Sarah recounts what it was like returning to the land where her father is from. And gives you recommendations on how to start your journey into the exciting world of Arab cinema. 
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you shouldn’t be afraid of your own ignorance. 
Why research is a central part of the writing process.
Why there are no small stories.
Find out more about Sarah Agha and the Arab Film Club here.
You can listen to their brand new podcast here.
You can listen to the episode of The End of the Line featuring Sarah 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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

“That experience of going under the ground and feeling how alienating it feels down there. That feeds very nicely into the sort of gothic ideas that we're talking about here, that sense of the past is oppressive.” – Rosie Andrews
Somewhere on the border between Wales and England, Miss Catherine Symonds arrives at the shadowy Locksley Abbey to take on the role of governess. She’s traveling in disguise, because what she’s really after is uncovering the circumstances surrounding her sister Emily’s death. Emily was the previous governess. 
In The Puzzle Wood, author Rosie Andrews delves into tales of Welsh mythology, forgotten childhood memories, and an unreliable narrator. With this second book, the bestselling author of The Leviathan offers us a classic piece of gothic literature. 
This episode explores how Rosie Andrews managed to write a pure gothic novel, inspired by gothic legends like Robert Louis Stevenson and M. R. James, while simultaneously retaining her own style. Hear about her choice of including a crime in the plot, as well as the challenges of writing a second book after a successful one.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you should leave your house to become a better writer.
How settings and landscapes can become characters in your story.
How to write that perfect twisty end to your mystery novel.
Find out more about Rosie 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 for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 I’ve been really unwell, I lose the ability to understand spoken language. But what happens is I hear music with crystal clarity in my mind.”
Did you know that bipolar disorder can fuel intense creativity?
We often fear complex mental health issues - words like psychotic and mental are regularly used to describe villains across TV and film. But this stigma and prejudice is not just inaccurate, it also fails to account for the wide range of lived experiences of people with these conditions.
Capturing what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, Matt Ottley has done the seemingly impossible. His multimodal work The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness explores his own experiences with the condition through a book, poem, orchestral arrangement and film. And it’s stunning.
In this episode, you will learn:
➡︎ The link between mental health disorders and creativity - and why we shouldn’t romanticise this connection.
➡︎ Why exactly Hollywood and media portrayals of mental health can be so damaging.
➡︎ How Matt came to create his stunning masterpiece following a series of severe psychotic episodes.
➡︎ How Matt hopes his journey will inspire and help others like him.
Find out more about Matt and his project here. 
Copies of Matt’s book, The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, are available at all good bookstores in the UK.  
Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.
Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up for the newsletter here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 had a friend who read an early version of the book, and she just said, well, I mean, it's a bit far fetched though, isn't it? And I was like, no, no, no, this did happen.” ~Josie Ferguson
Being separated from a loved one, never sure when you might be reunited again - a familiar feeling for many of us, having lived through the COVID lockdowns. But for Berlin residents alive in 1961, when the Berlin Wall was put up almost overnight, this happened on a devastating scale.
Josie Ferguson is the debut novelist of The Silence in Between, a dual-timeline historical story that follows Lisette, a mother separated from her newborn baby when the wall slices the city in two. The book follows her journey to escape East Berlin to be reunited with her child - but it also takes us back to Lisette’s childhood, during World War 2.
Josie explores the genesis of the book - her experience of being separated from her own family during covid, shortly after the birth of her child. She explores the connection between the atrocities of World War 2 and Russia’s war on Ukraine that still rages on. And she explores the long road as an unpublished author that led her to this moment.
In this episode you will learn:
How familiar events of the past still have new stories to tell 
Why it is vital we continue to write about the tragedies of wartime
Why determination in the face of failure is essential as a writer
Find out more about Josie 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 love finding out people’s back stories. It’s the grittier, it’s the weirder, it’s the bits where people’s lives go wrong that shines a light on their glories later on.” ~Alice Loxton
History’s most famous figures are remembered only for their great deeds and achievements, but rarely for their lives before. What were the likes of Empress Matilda, Richard Burton or Chaucer like when they were teenagers - when they were just 18?
Alice Loxton, one of Britain’s most exciting young historians, explores this in her new book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives. You may have spotted Alice on social media where she has more than 2 million followers. She’s also the author of Uproar: Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London.
Alice explores how, despite narrow curriculums and stuffy history shows on TV, social media is changing how we perceive history, making it more compelling for a wider and younger audience. She explains why she felt it would be so powerful to tell the stories of the 18 year old versions of history’s greatest names. And she shares fascinating insights into their lives, highlighting the strange paths many walked before finding fame.
In this episode you will learn:
How some figures from history are still waiting for their stories to be told.
The importance of giving your characters histories and backstories of their own.
Why it might be worth your while starting a social media channel.
Find out more about Alice 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 looked like the club was going to just disappear completely. And then luckily, it was rescued by a tech millionaire, basically. It sounds like something that would happen far, far higher up the food chain.” ~Graham Sibley
Worldwide cancellations and small clubs on the brink of extinction—COVID-19 turned the football world upside down. Though life is back to normal, there’s plenty about football that has been changed forever.
Graham Sibley, host of the Sound of Football podcast, explores how the game has evolved post-COVID. From the fate of small non-league clubs to the European Super League, TV revenue drying up and the ongoing trials and tribulations of VAR.
Returning to Behind The Spine after appearing in the first-ever series of the podcast, Graham fills us in on the many trials faced by his favourite non-league team, Whyteleafe FC. He shares his thoughts on the rise of the Lionesses and the mainstreaming of women’s football. He discusses much more, including England’s brand new interim manager and the ongoing success of his podcast.
In this episode you will learn:
How there are compelling stories to tell about even the smallest players in football, or any industry.
Not to fear AI - why people will always crave a human touch
Why you should consider expanding your personal brand by selling merch.
Find out more about Graham 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 felt so powerful a moment of realisation to me, that the sum of who I am may be, in some significant way, measured in dollars.” ~Rumaan Alam
Money controls us all, whether we have a lot of it, or not enough. And exposure to money can force people to do questionable things - and even stray from their morals and beliefs.
Rumaan Alam is the New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World Behind, which was adapted for the screen by Netflix. His new book ‘Entitlement’ follows protagonist Brooke, a middle-class woman who finds herself transformed by her new job and proximity to extreme wealth.
Tasked with dishing out the fortune of one billionaire philanthropist, Brooke’s story takes us on a journey through many themes - of race, privilege, legacy, entitlement, morality and class. In this episode Rumaan explains why money became the central point of this novel, how he used dramatic irony and sensory writing to enhance the reader’s experience, and what it was like to achieve such success with his previous book.
In this episode you will learn:
Why the parallels you want to draw through your narrative aren’t always obvious.
A helpful way of coming up with an ending for your book.
Why you need to throw perfectionism out of the window!
Find out more about Rumaan 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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 saw someone with my book on holiday. I think we both ended up having a tear because it was just so lovely. That’s the goal, to see somebody out there reading your words!” ~Helen McGinn
Once an author releases her fourth book in as many years, she learns a thing or two about writing a good novel - reflections become lessons, confidence builds and goals become clearer.
Helen McGinn is an award-winning wine expert and author. The Knackered Mother’s Wine Guide is her first book, but her foray into fiction began during lockdown. In the early days of Behind The Spine we spoke to her about the launch of ‘This Changes Everything’, and since then she’s released another three books, with a fifth on the way.
So what can we take away from the experiences of someone who’s managed to release a book a year while maintaining a high quality in her work? Helen shares the secrets of her success and how she juggles a busy work and personal life with writing. She explores lessons learnt along the way - like how she digs herself out of a writing rut. And there’s plenty of chat about wine too, of course.
In this episode you will learn:
Why taking time off to write might not be as effective as you’d think.
To pay attention to your descriptions - without overdoing it.
How to bring your passions to your writing.
Find out more about Helen 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“If we’re not on the same page as the underlying storyline, then we have fragmentation. And that fragmentation is really, very dangerous. It’s what’s breaking apart the world.” ~Peter Garrett
Humanity’s story has become fragmented and our understanding of one another disconnected. And when we no longer share a common story, cracks start to show in every area of life. 
Peter Garrett, author of A New Kind of Dialogue, explores this concept in his book - he calls it the fragmentation in consciousness. And through the book he proposes Dialogue as the solution - a way of reestablishing a common understanding with each other.
Peter discusses the impact of Dialogue in deepening human connection and how he uses it in organisations where fragmentation is pervasive. He explains why he chose to tell the story of Dialogue through a series of first hand stories. And he explores his childhood growing up in the bush in Africa, where much of his learnings began.
In this episode, you will learn:
How there are more to conversations than simply the words we say. 
Why writers must think about the overarching vision they want people to buy into.
How everything we experience in life is the product of a story,
Find out more about Peter 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“Every single thing I ever wrote was rejected by myself. I burnt nearly everything I wrote throughout my twenties because I was so ashamed of how bad it was.” ~Donal Ryan
Donal Ryan is an author who’s not only dealt with rejection, but has flourished despite it - winning awards, writing bestsellers and becoming one of Ireland’s best loved authors. But what did it take for him to succeed against the odds?
Donal’s latest novel, Heart, Be At Peace reintroduces us to the original cast of characters from his 2013 book The Spinning Heart. Meeting the inhabitants of this small Irish town 10 years later, we get to see how they’ve changed and grown - now dealing with a new demon… drugs!
Discussing the book and his fascinating approach to writing, Donal explains why he chose to tell this story through so many voices - taking on a polyphonic approach. He explores the way he manipulates and plays with time, creating a beautiful rhythm to his writing. And, as someone who experienced a lot of rejection early in his career, he describes how he pushed through.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why it’s our job as writers to shine a light on darkness. 
How to approach writing the second in a series of novels.
Why you sometimes need to take your art into your own hands!
Find out more about Donal 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 buy copies of our anthology series 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

“We had the tapes and I was just giving them out. And by me giving the tapes out, it spread all across the country - the world!” ~Kamal Ahmed
The Jerky Boys were a global phenomenon in the 90s - a comedy duo who rose to fame by prank calling unsuspecting recipients, and selling the recordings on comedy albums. Now, Kamal Ahemd, one side of that duo, is using the very tactics that jumpstarted his career decades ago to get his latest project off the ground.
Since leaving The Jerky Boys in 2000, Kamal has directed 8 full-length films and most recently a TV mini series. That series is Crash The System, a sci-fi thriller focussing on the story of Tim Lonergan, who becomes a pawn to the weapons tech industry and decides to fight against it.
Take a trip down memory lane as Kamal discusses his early days with The Jerky Boys. Hear as he discusses the current state of satire in the modern entertainment landscape - and why it’s become much harder to get right. And learn all about the genesis of Crash The System and what he’s set out to achieve.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why bootstrapping can be a great way of getting your idea off ground.
Why you sometimes need to deviate from the “master plan”.
How to bring your authentic self to your writing and art.
Find out more about Kamal 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.
Follow inkjockey on Substack here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 really caught my attention in 2016, when there was the first ever case in Canada where two platonic female friends were granted the right to be co-mothers on a birth certificate. And I thought, how astonishing is that?” ~Ellen Wiles
We’ve all heard the pact two platonic friends make, that if they’re both single by 40 they’ll get married. But what about making that same pact about having children instead? Would you raise a baby with your best friend?
Ellen Wiles is the author of The Unexpected, a novel which explores exactly this situation, as platonic female friends Robin and Kessie make the unconventional decision to become co-parents. The book challenges the notion of what’s ‘acceptable’ or ‘correct’ in both the eyes of the law and of society - and how our understanding of family structure is evolving with time.
During this conversation Ellen and Mark chat about what it means to be a modern woman, examining the untold number of pressures put on them by societal expectation. They explore how the legal system governs much of what we believe is right, and how it so often struggles to keep up with evolving cultural norms. And they look at the many ways different societies around the world, and the animal kingdom, parent their children.
In this episode, you will learn:
What’s conventional may not be right - find success your way.
That we can’t expect the legal system to also be our moral compass.
Why we need to stop putting so much pressure on women, in all aspects of life. 
Find out more about Ellen 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.
Follow inkjockey on Substack here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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 that juxtaposition of very grand figures from history and the very bog standard person. They're also two boys who are overlooked by life, and I think that connected them.” ~Louise Kulup
Little is known about Hamnet Shakespeare, the son of the Bard himself, who died aged 11. But it’s thought his death shaped much of Shakespeare’s late works, including the famously melancholy King John. But now Hamnet has been brought to life in an unique and exciting way.
Louise Kulup is the author of ‘Bard Boy’, which sees Hamnet return from the grave to haunt (and mentor) a 13 year old London schoolboy called Ben. Aimed at a middle-grade audience, the novel blends history, humour and supernatural elements.
During this conversation Louise and Mark discuss the intriguing genesis of the book, which is surprisingly autobiographical given its supernatural twist. They explore the ups and downs of Louise’s writing journey, and how it saved her from a dark time in her life. And they tap into Louise’s career as an editor and publisher, to share useful advice and common writing pitfalls to avoid.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why you shouldn’t be afraid of self-publishing
To embrace the joy of writing and the comfort it brings
The challenges that come with writing for children 
Find out more about Louise here and 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.
Follow inkjockey on Substack here.
You can buy copies of our anthology series 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