In this episode, Rob chats to Kevin Duffy from Bluemoose Books about the trials of independent publishing, the effects of Brexit on writers, the problem with agents, getting your authors pinched, assemby line blancmange books pumped out by big publishing and Hebden Bridge. Rob and Kate talk about Not the Not the Booker prize, Jacob Rees-Mogg, William Shatner singing O Canada, Feminism and Jeremy Clarkson. Rob forgets to edit out the bit where he wishes Boris Johnson dead (I don’t really).

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Links to stuff mentioned in the podcast:

William Shatner sings O Canada

• New Glasgow Lobster suppers
• Publishers are paying writers a pittance – Guardian article
• Grayson Perry – The Descent of Man
• Doris Lessing – The Golden Notebook
• Northern Lights Writers Conference  with Joanne Harris
• MLF – Lara Feigel in conversation with our Kate Feld
• Brain Haemmorhage: How climbing moutains saved me – Helen Carter
• The Northern Fiction Alliance

Namechecks:

Grayson Perry, Eley Williams, Eimear McBride, Michael Stewart, Ronan Hession, Benjamin Myers, Alastair Sutcliffe, Jenn Ashworth (again), Deborah Levy, Hamish Hamilton, Stefan Tobler at And Other Stories, Dead Ink, William Shatner, Lara Feigel, Doris Lessing, Jeremy Clarkson, Phillip Pullman, Joanne Harris

In this episode, Rob chats to Rosie Garland about family secrets, Morning Pages, Vampire Queens, Time-travelling Suffragettes, Rock and roll stardom and her latest novel The Night Brother. Rob and Kate talk Gopher museums, Rainbow unicorns, Curmudgeonly bitches and, oh yeah, writing stuff. Special appearances by Very Loud Music Man and Reversing Lorry.

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Links to stuff mentioned in the podcast:

• Odes by Sharon Olds
• The Artists’ Way by Julia Cameron
• Leftlion magazine 100th issue with Rob’s column comes out end of March
• The Real Story – In the Half-light
• The Not Quite Light Weekend
• Rose Collis’s Trouser Wearing Characters
• The Time Travelling Suffragettes

Namechecks:

Sharon Olds,  Julia Cameron, Maria Fusco, Rachel Genn, May Lan Tan, Joanna Walsh, Dmitra Xidous, Stella Duffy, Kate Bornstein, Rose Collis, Mari Lloyd, The March Violets, Eddie Cantor

Come, Armageddon, Come!

You are cordially invited to the launch of my book, Industrial Revolution.

The Times calles it “a post-apocalyptic romp through Manchester […] Fun for the whole family! (Not just your goth stepson)”

The Guardian says “Basically, if JK Rowling, Richard Nixon, The Pope, Dweezil Zappa and Dostoyevsky wrote a book together, this would be it!”

The Daily Mail calls it “offensive”

They didn’t actually say any of that, I did. That is just a taste of the hijinx in store for you inside the book and on the night itself. PLEASE COME!

Readings by ultra awesome Manchester writers, Benjamin Judge, Dave Hartley and Fat Roland!

Tuesday, 20 August
7.00pm
Dulcimer bar, Chorlton, Manchester

Book signing! Midweek drinking! Aforementioned hijinx!

EAT MY MASSIVE IMAGE

Book launch to be sometime in late August, hopefully between the 18th and 21st and most likely in a Chorlton pub of some description… probably Dulcimer.

I will let you know as soon as I know it myself.

It is in fact possible to buy the paperback on Amazon if you really really cannot wait for the launch, but the books at the launch will be going for £7, so you may want to wait. I am now begging auditioning fellow authors to do reading spots on the night.

Humming and hawing about showing the trailer as well… dunno if I can deal with my pals looking at a blown up version of my horrid face.

WATCH THIS SPACE