The Writing Life

In this episode of The Writing Life, Singapore-based writer Choo Yi Feng shares his approach to writing speculative fiction.

 

Choo Yi Feng is an intertidal explorer, climate activist, ecologist and fiction writer. The Waiting Room is his debut short story collection. Elsewhere, his short stories have previously been published in Foglifter Journal, Anathema: Spec from the Margins, Queer Southeast Asia and Alluvium, the journal of Literary Shanghai. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022. His residency in the Dragon Hall Cottage was supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore.

 

He sat down with writer and mentor Simon K Jones to discuss world building in speculative fiction, and how his work blends elements of science-fiction, horror, mythology, and more. Together, they touch on his month-long residency in Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, his method for developing mysterious, compelling characters, and how his interest in the sea and sea animals translates in his stories.

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, writers and performers John Osborne and Lewis Buxton share insights on writing poetry for page and performance, and reflect on their lives as poets living and working in Norwich City of Literature.

 

John Osborne is a poet, scriptwriter, broadcaster and theatre-maker. He began writing whilst studying at the University of East Anglia and has never stopped, producing an eclectic mix of poetry, storytelling theatre shows, non-fictional explorations of everything from radio to the charms of the seaside and even a Sky One sitcom, After Hours. His latest collection of poems To Make People Happy was published in June 2025, and looks at happiness.

 

Lewis Buxton is a writer and theatre maker. His work has appeared in The Independent, Poetry Review, The Rialto, Ambit and Magma amongst others. He has won the Winchester Poetry Prize, received the UEA Literary Festival Bursary and is the Co-Director of TOAST. His first collection Boy in Various Poses was published by Nine Arches Press in 2021. His second collection Mate Arias was published in July 2025, and is a unique celebration of the tenderness and love that can be communicated by men.

 

Together, they discuss their poetry collections To Make People Happy and Mate Arias, and their themes of happiness, connection, and communication. Touching on everything from Norwich’s influence on their writing to how their performances subvert and expand expectations of what poetry is, this is an open conversation about finding inspiration, writing the absurd and surreal, and experimenting with form, rhythm, and structure.

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer and NCW tutor Julia Crouch welcomes the New Year with us and shares her advice and encouragement for the writing year ahead.

 

Julia is the author of ten internationally published crime novels, including Cuckoo, Tarnished, The Long Fall, and Her Husband’s Lover. Unable to find a sub-genre of crime writing that neatly described her work, she came up with the term Domestic Noir, which is now widely accepted as the label for one of the most popular crime genres today.

 

Julia has been a Visiting Fellow on the UEA MA Creative Writing Crime Fiction and teaches online for Faber Academy and the National Centre for Writing. She co-runs the Brighton Crime Wave, a bi-monthly crime fiction night.

 

She sat down with NCW’s Holly Ainley to discuss the different ways to be a writer, and to share her advice for getting started and staying motivated. Together, they discuss the benefits of cultivating a daily writing habit, finding inspiration in unexpected places, and being kind to yourself in the pursuit of your goals.

 

Get a head start on your writing goals with NCW Academy, the home for creative writers. You can find out more about our workshops, courses, free resources, and more at nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/academy.

In this festive episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer Nicola Upson delves into the themes and appeal of crime novels set at Christmas.

 

Nicola Upson’s debut, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey — one of Britain’s finest Golden Age crime writers – and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4. Several of Nicola’s novels have been listed for the CWA Gold and Historical Daggers, and Sorry for the Dead was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Praised as a ‘perfect Christmas crime story’ by Elly Griffiths, her latest novel The Christmas Clue was published in September 2025.

 

She sat down with NCW’s Caitlin Evans to discuss The Christmas Clue, and how she tackled balancing festive cheer with page-turning twists and deceptive characters. Together, they touch on writing fiction inspired by real people, what drew her to writing a Christmas crime novel, and how to develop the ideal festive setting for a murder mystery.

In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, Singapore-based writer Clara Chow delves into the world of 'experimental fiction' and why she takes on projects that push against the grain.
 

Clara Chow works across genres of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her strange experiments under Hermit Press include obscure prose chapbooks such as The Melancholy of Broken Bollards. She has been a resident at the University of Iowa, Toji Cultural Center, Asean Literary Festival and Shanghai Writers’ Programme. Her residency in the Dragon Hall Cottage was supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore.

 

She sits down with writer and mentor Megan Bradbury to discuss how she defines ‘experimental fiction’, and the importance of prioritising fun with your creative writing. Together, they touch on her month-long residency in Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, writing as a collaborative project, and the role bilingualism plays in her creative work.