Jane Harper on beginning at the end

Ilona Bannister, long time friend of Not Too Busy To Write is on the podcast talking about her new novel and her move from literary fiction to thriller. FIVE is set on a train platform, 5 minutes before a train will arrive and one of the five characters will die. The reader is asked who they think deserves to die. Ilona talks with me about breaking the forth wall, unlikeabe characters and how readers are reacting to confronting their own prejudices, why law school is great training for a writer and the pleasures and humanity of the thriller genre. FIVE is out May 5th Links FIVE - Ilona Bannister Little Prisons - Ilona Bannister When I Ran Away - Ilona Bannister THE FOLD membership for writers - join the 21 Day Writing Challenge! Penny on Instagram @pennywincer

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Newman is back on the podcast talking about her hilarious new novel about midlife anxiety Wreck. Catherine talks with me about writing superstitions, hilariously terrible reviews, what success as a novelist has really meant to her and the joy she has found in owning her own publication on Substack after a lifetime writing for other people. Links Wreck by Catherine Newman Sandwich by Catherine Newman We All Want Impossibly Things by Catherine Newman Crone Sandwich - Catherine's Substack THE FOLD membership for writers

6 years ago comedian Helen Thorn's life was turned upside down when she discovered her then husband was having a years long affair. Within two years she had written a Sunday Times Best Seller about the experience and it's immediate aftermath - fags, dating and all - but especially about the women who hold us up when life gets us down. Now, she's written a new book reflecting on the strength gained from facing unexpected loss. Helen and I talk about just what there is to be gained from total honesty on the page, some of the women that inspired her to write this book and the calm that has descended after the chaos. Links How To Face Change and Come Back Stronger by Helen Thorn Get Divorced, Be Happy by Helen Thorn Helen Thorn on Instagram Scummy Mummies THE FOLD membership for writers

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is an author and journalist, and today we talking about her new novel Female, Nude, a sexy sultry book about seeing and being seen, which weaves visual art into a story of womanhood, motherhood and disability. We also talk about The Republic of Parenthood, a book made up of the collected columns Rhiannon wrote for the Guardian, weaving in the personal, the political and cultural as she became a mother herself. Links Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett The Republic of Parenthood by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett Year of the Cat by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

James Hunt's debut memoir Love Needs No Words is the story of a unique fatherhood, caring for his two sons, both of whom are non-speaking and autistic. James talks with me about the decision to write the things he didn't feel he could say out loud to friends and family, and how those words began to reach families all over the world with a shared reality. He talks about needing that connection so much early in his journey, how he came to be able to speak about his own mental health so much more openly and how he hopes this book will reach the many Dads who struggle to be open about their experiences. Links Love Needs No Words by James Hunt SAA Clothing Stories about Autism on Instagram