Story Radio Podcast
A monthly podcast dedicated to celebrating the literary short story and all things bookish. Bite-size short fiction for writers and readers everywhere. Listen to a short story or interview on the 1st of each month at 12:00am. Hosted by Tabitha Potts and Martin Nathan open to established, new and emerging writers in the English language. Always free to submit. We are a small organisation run by volunteer writers and producers (Tabitha Potts and Martin Nathan) hoping to benefit the writing community. Our eventual aim is to be self-funding and to pay our writers and actors for each short story we...
S3 E64 · Mon, March 31, 2025
Not Yet by Joanna Hershon
Not Yet is the story of Gabrielle, a woman traveling to the absurdly picturesque coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with her son, their first family trip since her separation from his father. It is a place that holds many memories, and when she suddenly finds herself bleeding uncontrollably all over Tulum, the past catches up with her. It’s a startling, powerful story about womanhood, family, youth and mid-life, that is undeniably topical. Joanna Hershon is the author of five novels. Her writing and short stories have appeared in The New York Times , Granta , One Story , The Virginia Quarterly Review , among others, and her work was shortlisted for the O. Henry Prize Stories. Joanna has received fellowships from Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Edward Albee Foundation. She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University. Joanna grew up in New York and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, and their twin sons and daughter. This show was produced by Tabitha Potts . Donate We are a volunteer-led organisation and appreciate any donations towards our running costs. Buy us a coffee Become a patreon Contact us Visit our our website Storyradio.org Sound effects beach-wave-cliff-tulum-ruins.wav by Geoff-Bremner-Audio -- https://freesound.org/s/667331/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Airy wind chimes quintet at Hunter's Tor, Teign Gorge by Philip_Goddard -- https://freesound.org/s/700528/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 Podcast Cover Image Source Tulum Archaeological Site - Quintana Roo - Mexico - 01 Author Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
S3 E63 · Fri, February 28, 2025
Let The Good Times Roll by Duncan Robert Illing
Let The Good Times Roll. Larry has been a circus clown for over thirty years. Now, with the threat of closure, he stands to lose everything. About Duncan Robert Illing Duncan is a writer living in Brighton, his first short story Let The Good Times Roll was published in June 2022 in Brighton & Beyond, A West Hill Writers Anthology . A writer of fiction, memoir, non-fiction and script, a radio presenter, producer, musician, composer and former A&R manager. Duncan’s writing can be found on Substack , he’s focussing on his next writing projects which include a novel. CREDITS Let The Good Times Roll A story by Duncan Robert Illing Adapted by Duncan Robert Illing and Kristin Burniston Larry was played by Andrew Lancel. Mr Brotherton by Andy M Milligan . The Administrator by Laura Finnemore Grace by Shona Graham Billy by John Kennard Stewart by James Merganser Pete by Rob Vincent Directed by Kristin Burniston and Duncan Robert Illing. Produced by Duncan Robert Illing Additional credits: Entrance of the Gladiators by Julius Fučík performed by the U.S Marine Band, music and performance are both public domain. Jazz music listed as copyright free and Creative Commons for use. Clown act music listed as copyright free for use. Any additional sourced sound effects listed as copyright free and/or public domain at source. Clown image source listed as copyright free, and its specific adaptation is under copyright. All remaining aspects of this drama production are under copyright.
S3 E62 · Fri, January 31, 2025
Medieval Women: In Their Own Words interview with Dr Eleanor Jackson and Julian Harrison
In this episode Martin Nathan and Tabitha Potts interview Lead Curator Dr Eleanor Jackson and Julian Harrison, about the British Library's latest blockbuster exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, where visitors will discover how the voices of medieval women still resonate across the centuries and speak powerfully to our world today. We discuss famous historical figures such as Joan of Arc and Julian of Norwich as well as discovering forgotten women such as the the rebel Margaret Starr who joined in the Peasant's Revolt, Maria Moriana, a woman who argued that slavery was illegal in order to prevent herself being sold, and the mediaeval Welsh poet Gwerful Mechain who wrote a poem praising the vagina. Medieval Women: In Their Own Words runs at the British Library from 25 October 2024 – 2 March 2025. The exhibition is supported by Joanna and Graham Barker and Unwin Charitable Trust. Reading: Hafsa bint al-Hajj, translated by Yasmine Seale. Music: Early Music New York, Frederick Renz, Director , which comes from "Music for Medieval Love; Early Music New York, Frederick Renz, Director; exCathedra Records, USA." This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist, recognised with an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Her debut novel will be published by Rowan Prose Publishing in 2026.
S3 E61 · Tue, December 31, 2024
Story Radio Writers Salon on the theme of Food
Our second live recording of six writers reading their work in the intimate surroundings of the Colony Room Green bar. There will be occasional drink mixing and pouring, laughter and doors opening! Listen to Lana Citron talk about food as an aphrodisiac, Sue Hubbard read her novel Three about food as a source of emotional renewal, Lindsay Gillespie read her story about ravenous mermaids enjoying a night out at a seaside resort, Dr Stuart Gillespie talking about the way capitalism and agribusiness has corrupted our global food supplies, Martin Nathan reading a short story about how food evokes memories and Tabitha Potts reading a speculative short story about alien sin eaters. Content warning: Lana Citron's reading at the beginning of the podcast includes a description of animal abuse/cruelty from the writings of the Marquis de Sade which some listeners may find disturbing. Lana Citron is a prize-winning author and scriptwriter with twenty years' professional writing experience. She has published five novels, two non-fiction books and numerous short stories, plays, poems, film scripts, articles and book. Extracts read today are from her book Edible Pleasures, a Textbook of Aphrodisiacs . Sue Hubbard is an award-winning poet, novelist and art critic who is new to Story Radio. She has published five collections of poetry, Everything Begins with the Skin (Enitharmon), Ghost Station and The Forgetting and Remembering of Air (Salt), Swimming to Albania (Salmon Poetry) and Radium Dreams (Women's Art Collection, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge) in collaboration with the artist Eileen Cooper RA, and a series of poems, God's Little Artist (Seren). Her novels include: Depth of Field , (Dewi Lewis), Girl in White (Cinnamon and Pushkin Press), Rainsongs , (Duckworth, Overlook Press US, Mercure de France and Yilin Press, China) and Flatlands (Pushkin Press and Mercure de France). Rothko's Red , her collection of short stories, was published by Salt. She is currently working on a fifth novel, provisionally titled Three , which she reads in this podcast. Lindsay Gillespie was born in South Wales, and lives in the South Downs. In between she has been a graphic designer and illustrator, lived in New Delhi, Washington DC, France and taught English in Tokyo. In 2018-2019, she was enrolled in the Creative Writing Programme of New Writing South. She writes short and not-so-short stories and was a Costa 2021 Short Stor
S3 E60 · Sat, November 30, 2024
Interview with Hanna Nordenhök about her novel Caesaria
In 19th-century Sweden, Caesaria is kept in a doctor's mansion as a trophy: she is the first baby to be born alive from one of his c-sections. In a Gothic ambience, Caesaria narrates in first person her experiences in the mansion and her encounters with its mysterious inhabitants and visitors. Does she know where she comes from? Where is her mother? Is there a world beyond these walls? We interview Hanna Nordenhök about her Gothic tale, published for the first time in English by Heloise Press on the 24th October 2024. Inspired by a real-life nineteenth-century medical miracle, it explores issues - women's bodies and women's rights - that are vitally contemporary. Our wide-ranging discussion covers some international writers and film-makers whose work listeners might not be familiar with so we thought we would list them here. Authors Ágota Kristóf - 1935 – 2011: Hungarian author The Notebook Trilogy and The Illiterate are available in translation Birgitta Trotzig 1929 – 1935: Swedish author Her work seems currently only available in Swedish or translated into French or Spanish. Fernanda Melchor (b.1982) Mexican: Paradais and Hurricane Season published by Fitzcarraldo Films The Wild Child - Francois Truffaut 1970 The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Hans Werber Herzog 1974 The Knick - Steven Soderbergh (TV series) 2014-15 Hanna Nordenhök (Malmo, 1977) has been awarded several major literary honors for her work, both as novelist, poet and essayist. Her novel Caesaria (2020) scooped Swedish Radio’s Literary Prize and was shortlisted for Vi’s Literature Prize. Nordenhök also works as a translator from the Spanish and has been praised for her translations of Fernanda Melchor, Andrea Abreu and Alia Trabucco Zerán. Her last novel Wonderland (2023) was listed among the Best Books of the Year in Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Expressen, Borås Tidning, Hufvudstadsbladet and Magasinet ETC, as well as shortlisted for Vi's Literature Prize. Saskia Vogel is a writer and translator of over two-dozen Swedish-language books. Her novel Permission was published in five languages. She is a recipient the Berlin Senate grant for non- German literature, the Bernard Shaw Prize, two English PEN Translates Awards, and was a PEN America Translation Prize finalist. She was Princeton’s Fall 2022 Translator in Residence. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she lives in Berlin. This episode was produced by Martin Nathan . Martin Nathan’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize. Donate We are a volunteer-led organisation and appreciate any donations towards our running costs. <a href="https://ko-fi.com/storyr
S3 E59 · Thu, October 31, 2024
At the Watts Memorial EC1 by Simon Roberts
'At the Watts Memorial EC1' is a haunting recreation of some of the true stories told on the famous memorial in Postman's Park. The memorial commemorates brave people who lost their lives trying to save others in acts of heroic self-sacrifice in the last three centuries - most recently in 2007. We hear the heart-breaking stories of William Donald of Bayswater, a railway clerk, Sarah Smith, a pantomime artiste, and Solomon Gamalan, an eleven-year-old boy, among others. One of these stories can also be heard in the September Writers Salon, where the author read it live in the Colony Room Green. Written and read by Simon Roberts Simon Roberts, based in West London, writes short stories and flash fiction. His story Dirty Chicken & Rice was a 2024 Plaza Prizes finalist, and his adaptation of The Slaves of Solitude was produced by Questors Theatre in 2024. He was longlisted for the 2022 Fish Short Story Prize. Produced by Tabitha Potts Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist, recognised with an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Her debut novel will be published by Rowan Prose Publishing in 2026. Music credits Poignant Piano Melodies Creating a Melancholic Atmosphere by Nancy_Sinclair | License: Creative Commons 0 Donate We are a volunteer-led organisation and appreciate any donations towards our running costs. Buy us a coffee Become a patreon Contact us Visit our our website Storyradio.org
S3 E58 · Mon, September 30, 2024
Story Radio Writers Salon
Writers Salon: Bohemia Theme – Brought to You from the Colony Room Green, London Welcome to the first-ever Writers Salon, hosted at the Colony Room Green, an artist-run bar in London. The theme was Bohemia, with tales of 1980s art models, 19th-century stage acts, clubbing in Tenerife, and a famous musician dying in hospital. Thanks to all the amazing writers who participated; our next event will be on November 11th. Featured Writers: Kristin Burniston Kristin Burniston , an MA Screenwriting graduate from University of the Arts London, has had her short film scripts TREE and HAIRY MARY selected by festivals like City of Angels and Best-Script London. Kristin is working on a children’s animation, a crime fiction TV series, and a feature film based on her novel. Lindsay Gillespie Lindsay Gillespie, from South Wales, now resides in the South Downs. She has lived in New Delhi, Washington DC, France, and Tokyo, where she taught English. A Costa 2021 Short Story Award finalist, she was also a finalist for the 2022 Bridport Short Story Prize, with stories shortlisted in Fiction Factory, Exeter, and Oxford Flash Fiction. Find her on Twitter @LindsGillesp14 . Darren Coffield Darren Coffield , an artist and author, studied at Goldsmiths, Camberwell School of Art, and Slade School of Art. His exhibitions have appeared at the Courtauld Institute and National Portrait Gallery. His books include Tales from the Colony Room and Queens of Bohemia , which celebrates the brilliant women of Soho. He shared readings from Queens of Bohemia . Goran Baba Ali Goran Baba Ali , a writer and journalist, has published in Kurdish, Dutch, and English. His debut English-language novel The Glass Wall draws from his experience as an ex-refugee from Iraqi Kurdistan. He is the founder of Afsana Press. Miki Lentin Miki Lentin completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck and was a finalist for the 2020 Irish Novel Fair with Winter Sun . His short stories have been published in Litro and Story Radio . He released his short story collection Inner Core in 2022, and his debut novel Winter Sun was published by Afsana Press. Martin Nathan Martin Nathan ’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in various journals. His novel A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke Award and the Woodward International Prize. Tabit
S3 E57 · Sat, August 31, 2024
Dolls are for Babies by Lana Citron
A young girl goes for a walk in the country with life-changing consequences. This short story by Lana Citron was originally published in US magazine Thin Air , 2022 under the title "The Understanding". Trigger warning: The following short story contains content and or references of a violent and sexual nature. These may be distressing or triggering to some sensitive listeners. Please proceed with caution. If you find these topics difficult to engage with, you may choose to skip this story. Lana Citron is a prize-winning author and scriptwriter with twenty years’ professional writing experience. She has published five novels, two non-fiction books and numerous short stories, plays, poems, film scripts, articles and book reviews. You can read more about her at www.lanacitron.com . The sound engineer was Gabriel Hansen and the producer was Tabitha Potts. Music from freesound.org P: Sad Music by Nancy_Sinclair Photographer credit: ©Valentina Lari
S3 E56 · Wed, July 31, 2024
Interview with Daisy Goodwin the author of Diva
We interview Daisy Goodwin, novelist and screenwriter, about her latest novel, Diva (Head of Zeus March 2024), inspired by the life of the brilliant soprano Maria Callas. The novel opens at a time when Callas is at the height of her extraordinary career but in a stultifying marriage and haunted both by her unhappy childhood and the ever-present fear of losing her voice. When she meets Aristotle Onassis, she believes she has finally met her soulmate. But as the novel makes clear, just like the tragic heroines she embodies on stage, even her fame and brilliance cannot save Callas from heartbreak. We talk to Daisy about the nature of the word 'diva', musical genius and the fragile nature of the human voice. Daisy Goodwin is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter . She is the screenwriter of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria and lives in London. She is also Tabitha Potts' sister and they have worked together in the past.
S3 E55 · Sun, June 30, 2024
Close to Revelation and Check Your Tire Pressure
This month we have two auto-fiction stories about parents and children. Our first auto-fiction piece, "Close to Revelation" written by Janet Lawrence, is set during the pandemic and tells the story of a woman trying to get pregnant using IVF while chaos erupts all around her. Janet Lawrence is a writer, journalist, and video producer based in New York City. In her writing, she often examines life's "small" moments to try and find truths that unite us. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her two children. Narrator/Voice Over actor: Alexandra Echavarri Music Composer: Olga Gonithellis Our second auto-fiction piece, "Check Your Tire Pressure" by Corinne Noufi, tells the story of a father and daughter and how their love for each other is expressed in seemingly mundane, but very important, rituals that bring them closer together. This episode contains a swear word. Corinne Noufi is a marine scientist dedicated to promoting sustainable ocean practices and preserving our waters for future generations. With 17 years spent in Colorado and another decade in Washington State, Corinne now calls Brunswick, Maine, home. She brings her passion and expertise to her role at the Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Maine, where she runs her own podcast, "Salty Talks." In her free time, Corinne enjoys biking, hiking, cooking, and, of course, podcasting! Join her on "Salty Talks" as she dives into fascinating conversations about aquaculture, marine conservation, and the future of our oceans The readers are Corinne Noufi and her father Rommel Noufi. Music used in "Check Your Tire Pressure" is courtesy of Podcastle/Salty Talks.
S3 E54 · Fri, May 31, 2024
Interview with Katie Willis about The Quiet Act of Loving Bones
Story Radio interviews Katie Willis , author of The Quiet Act of Loving Bones , published by Joan Publishing. We discuss bones, inspiration, the colour yellow, Russia and lucid dreaming. "It is rare to come across a book that feels, at the same time, overwhelmingly strange and delightfully familiar. The Quiet Act of Loving Bones takes you into a world that is intimate and physical but also ghostly and ecstatic. You'll dance with it until you feel dizzy and transformed. I think Katie Willis has written a classic." - Toby Litt Katie Willis has written a beautifully precise dance anti-narrative. Her story is about the quiet defiance of using an interior world to navigate the complexities of embodied life. This book is for anyone who has been an adolescent or a dreamer. - Laura Joyce About Katie Willis Katie Willis was a ballet dancer. She lives in London, close to a river, dividing her time between water and land, home and hospital. She writes about women and water, bodies and bones, and the stories that bones hold individually and collectively. This is her first novel. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts . Music: dark piano-loop in f-minor 2 by Baz_Odink_NL -- https://freesound.org/s/442780/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
S3 E53 · Tue, April 30, 2024
Anne by Kristin Burniston
Eleven-and-a-half months ago, Mary didn’t know she had sisters. Now, at her home in Hove on England’s South Coast, they meet to scatter their mother Anne’s ashes. This episode was written, directed, and produced by Kristin Burniston . Kristin is a graduate of the MA Screenwriting program at the University of Arts London. In 2023, her short film scripts TREE and HAIRY MARY were selected by the City of Angels Film Festival, WOFFF (where HAIRY MARY placed 2nd), and Best-Script, London. Recently, Kristin‘s script EGGS was made into a short film and will soon be released on to the festival circuit. Currently, Kristin is working on a London-based children’s animation, a crime fiction TV series, and a feature film script based on her menopausal rite-of-passage novel. ANNE was published in 2022 in Brighton and Beyond: A West Hill Writers Anthology under the pseudonym “Maggie Winters”. Mary read by Elly Tipping María read by Iniki Mariano Marguerite read by Florentia Antoniou Lucas and Joe read by Theo Greenwood Photo by Richard Burniston Written, read and produced by Kristin Burniston Sound recording by Holywell Studio Sound design by Christopher Nathan Post-production and mixing by Duncan Illing Executive Producer – H Howard As there are swearwords in this episode, we have rated it as Explicit.
S3 E52 · Sun, March 31, 2024
Interview with Miki Lentin about Winter Sun
Martin Nathan and Tabitha Potts interview writer Miki Lentin about his new novel Winter Sun , published by Afsana Press in 2024. A nine-day winter break in Tenerife. Nothing is quite good enough. A son tries in vain to ask his ailing, elderly Irish Jewish father questions about their past before it is too late. The absurdity and hilarity of family holidays in the sun are brought to life in this sharp and fiercely honest novel that crosses borders, carrying the reader on a ride of childhood pain, a search for identity, and growth. Miki talks about auto-fiction, package holidays, memory and meals in this fascinating interview. Miki Lentin took up writing while travelling the world with his family a few years ago. Miki completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck in 2020, and was a finalist in the 2020 Irish Novel Fair for his first book, Winter Sun . Miki has been placed highly in competitions including Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize, Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Award, and Leicester Writes, and has been published in Litro, Storgy, Story Radio, MIR amongst others. In 2022 he brought out a collection of short stories with Afsana Press, Inner Core, that cover death, anxiety, masculinity, family and children and social good. The book was called 'consistently enthralling... funny, moving and disturbing in equal measure' by Francis Gilbert, author of I’m a Teacher Get Me Out of Here . Miki volunteers with refugee charity Breaking Barriers and with foodKIND in Greece, and dreams of one day running a café again. Martin Nathan produced this episode. Martin Nathan’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize.
S3 E51 · Thu, February 29, 2024
Outing by Simon Roberts
A student goes on a day trip to the seaside with his mum, and ends up learning a great deal more about himself - and her. This story was written and read by Simon Roberts . Simon Roberts is currently based in West London and writes short stories and flash fiction. He was longlisted for the 2022 Fish Short Story Prize. He has read his work on Riverside Radio, London’s largest community radio station. Simon also writes for the theatre; his adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s 1947 novel The Slaves of Solitude will be produced by the Questors Theatre in 2024. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts , writer and podcaster. She recently received an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck University and a First in English Language and Literature from Oxford University. Read her short story collection here or visit her website . Photo by Tabitha Potts. Seaside sounds used in the recording were courtesy of Yarmonics on Freesound.org. This episode contains some sexual swearwords so has been marked as explicit.
S3 E50 · Wed, January 31, 2024
Jane Labous Past Participle Interview
Listen to an interview with Jane Labous and hear her reading from her new novel, Past Participle , published by Afsana Press. Dakar, Senegal, 1987: On a rainy night after a wild party, the British ambassador’s wife, Vivienne Hughes, is involve in a car crash. Her vehicle hits the motorbike of a young Senegalese doctor, Aimé Tunkara, killing him. Pleading diplomatic immunity, Vivienne and her husband flee to England. Three decades later, Aimé’s little sister, Lily Tunkara, now a high-flying lawyer in Dakar, finds a photograph that compels her to investigate what really happened that rainy night. As Lily faces increasing hostility from the local community, she turns to Vivienne Hughes, the only remaining witness, but is either woman prepared for the truth to emerge? Past Participle is the story of two women bound together by the faultlines of the past, a study of love and guilt, power and desire, retribution and forgiveness. Jane Labous is an award-winning author, BBC journalist and broadcaster known for her frontline coverage of human rights and gender issues, always telling the powerful human stories behind the headlines. Jane read English & French at Jesus College, Oxford, before working for the UK and international press and INGOs, most often out of Dakar, Senegal. This while developing her creative art as a writer, filmmaker and novelist, drawing on her insider knowledge of the aid sector and foreign journalism, and her unique experience of both expat and local family life in Ngor, Dakar. Jane's credits span a vista of international outlets, including The Independent , Voice of America , Geographical , The LA Times, BBC Africa and BBC Radio 4 ’s From Our Own Correspondent . She has also worked as a writer and filmmaker for aid/humanitarian agencies including the UN, the World Health Organisation, Save The Children, and Amnesty International. She has won the BBC Radio 4 and Royal Geographical Society Documentary Award, the Merck More than a Mother Media Recognition & Film Award for Francophone African Countries, and a European Journalism Centre Development Reporting Grant. Her fiction has been longlisted for the Bath Novel Prize and the Santa Fé Writers' Project Literary Award. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts , writer and podcaster. She recently received an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck University and a First in English Language and Literature from Oxford University. Read her short story collection here or visit her website .
S3 E49 · Sun, December 31, 2023
Fantasy: Realms of Imagination interview with Matthew Sangster and Tanya Kirk of the British Library
Tabitha Potts and Martin Nathan interview the lead curator and guest curator of the British Library’s blockbuster exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination , Tanya Kirk and Matthew Sangster . The exhibition runs until 25th February 2024 and tickets can be booked here . The exhibition has been critically acclaimed with a five star review in The Telegraph , ‘a visually captivating treat’, and has been featured in The Guardian , The I Newspaper , Apollo Magazine and BBC Radio 4: Front Row to name a few. We interviewed both curators about the process of assembling an exhibition featuring over 100 objects that spans the breadth of a genre as varied as Fantasy, from its roots in epics and mythology to contemporary writers like Neil Gaiman and Susanna Clarke. Tanya Kirk , Lead Curator, Printed Heritage Collections 1601-1900, has worked at the British Library for 16 years, currently as the leading expert on 300 years of the Library’s printed collections. She has curated six major exhibitions on topics including Gothic fiction, Shakespeare in performance, the British landscape in literature, science fiction and most recently, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination . She is the editor of four Christmas-themed collections of short stories in the British Library’s Tales of the Weird series. With Matthew, she co-edited Realms of Imagination: Essays from the Wide Worlds of Fantasy (2023). Matthew Sangster joined the University of Glasgow in 2016 and was promoted to Professor of Romantic Studies, Fantasy and Cultural History in 2022. Prior to that Matthew worked at the British Library cataloguing the archive of the Royal Literary Fund and contributing to the exhibitions The Worlds of Mervyn Peake in 2011 and Writing Britain: Wastelands to Wonderlands in 2012. Matthew is the author of Living as an Author in the Romantic Period (2021) and An Introduction to Fantasy (2023); co-director of Glasgow’s
S3 E48 · Thu, November 30, 2023
The Watchers by Kae Hart
A young woman watches over her little sister in a polluted dystopian world where her scientific knowledge is her only weapon. The story was written by Kae Hart. Kae is a university student who learned to speak by telling stories to everyone who would listen. The cashier at the local grocery store was her first fan. Since then, she has written stories, poems, and novels, and hopes to continue to do so. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts , writer and podcaster. She recently received an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck University and a First in English Language and Literature from Oxford University. Read her short story collection here or visit her website . The photo used is by Kvaale at Morguefile..com. S: Beautiful Romantic Piano by UNIVERSFIELD | License: Attribution 4.0
S3 E47 · Tue, October 31, 2023
Dust and Oranges by Nicholas Batura
This Halloween, rather than encountering ghosts and ghouls, we explore the horrors of war. A little girl sneaks out of her family home to buy a birthday gift for her mother, a decision that changes her life forever. Nicholas Batura lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, with his rad wife and their rescue pit bulls. When he’s not writing, he can be found on the jiu jitsu mats, or working through the secrets found in a bottle of wine. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts . Photo by pawankawan at Morguefile.com S: Beautiful Romantic Piano by UNIVERSFIELD | License: Attribution 4.0
S3 E46 · Sat, September 30, 2023
Dirty Chicken and Rice by Simon Roberts
In this darkly comic and moving story, two young flatmates prepare and eat their favourite comfort food, dirty chicken and rice, at a time when there isn't much comfort to be had. Simon Roberts is currently based in West London and writes short stories and flash fiction. He was longlisted for the 2022 Fish Short Story Prize. He has read his work on Riverside Radio, London’s largest community radio station. Simon also writes for the theatre; his adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's 1947 novel The Slaves of Solitude will be produced by the Questors Theatre in 2024. Photo Credit: Jerry Pank Cookipedia.co.uk Copyright: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
S3 E45 · Thu, August 31, 2023
The Book of Beginnings: interview with Sally Page
The Story Radio team interview Sally Page, best-selling author of The Keeper of Stories , whose new novel The Book of Beginnings has just been published by HarperCollins. We talk to her about stationery, fountain pens, romance and ghosts. The Book of Beginnings tells the story of Jo, who is hiding from her past when she agrees to run her uncle’s beloved stationery shop. Glimpsing the lives of her customers between the warm wooden shelves, as they scribble little notes and browse colourful notebooks, distracts her from her bruised heart. When she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret, and Malcolm, a septuagenarian still finding himself, she suddenly realizes she isn’t alone. They each have a story that can transform Jo’s life… if only she can let them in. This episode was produced by Martin Nathan . Martin Nathan’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize. After studying history at university, Sally Page moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, she continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, Plooms.co.uk . In her debut novel, The Keeper of Stories , Sally combined her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. In her second novel, The Book of Beginnings Sally draws on her love of stationery. Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is studying to be a doctor and her younger daughter is the author, Libby Page. Both are keen wild swimmers.
S3 E44 · Mon, July 31, 2023
Waking the Dead: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
This month we are featuring short stories and flash fiction written at a creative writing workshop in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park . The stories are loosely inspired by the gravestones of people who were buried in the cemetery. They include Charlie Brown , boxer and publican, Alec Hurley , boxer, singer and husband of Marie Lloyd , the Woods family, who all died from influenza leaving only one surviving child and Maurice O'Connor , a workhouse doctor who committed suicide in mysterious circumstances. Thank you to all the writers who participated in the workshop for lending us your imagination for the day, and to Claire Slack the Heritage Officer for telling us the compelling real-life stories of some of the people buried in the cemetery park. This episode contains swearwords so has been marked as explicit.
S3 E43 · Fri, June 30, 2023
Pure at Heart by Patricia Furstenberg
A young girl is fascinated by the story of a magical being hidden in the forest outside her home, and goes out at night to look for her. Written by Patrica Furstenberg and read by Lysandra Furstenberg . With a medical degree behind her, writer and poet Patricia Furstenberg authored 18 books imbued with history, folklore, legends. The recurrent motives in her writing are unconditional love and war. Her essays and poetry appeared in various online literary magazines. Romanian born, she resides with her family in South Africa. Follow her on Twitter @patfurstenberg Find her on Facebook patriciafurstenbergauthor The story was produced by Tabitha Potts . Photo credit swatcop on Morguefile.com.
S3 E42 · Wed, May 31, 2023
Interview with Tracey Rose Peyton author of Night Wherever We Go
Martin Nathan and Tabitha Potts interview Tracey Rose Peyton about her beautiful and heart-breaking debut novel, Night Wherever We Go , published by The Borough Press. Night Wherever We Go is an intimate look at the domestic lives of enslaved women in 1800s America, and an evocative meditation on resistance and autonomy, on love and transcendence and the bonds of female friendship in the darkest of circumstances. It tells the tale of six women who are forced to become impregnated by their owners but decide to take matters into their own hands to prevent this from happening. Review by Sarah Waters - ‘a haunting evocation of the routine brutalities of slavery that is also a powerful celebration of friendship, community, resilience and rebellion. A hugely impressive debut.’ Tracey Rose Peyton also reads from her novel for us. This episode was produced by Martin Nathan . Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety – is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he was shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award.
S3 E41 · Sun, April 30, 2023
Dogs by S P Murphy
A woman at home with her baby during lockdown hears the unsettling sound of dogs fighting in the street. It isn't long before she is in danger herself - and she has to decide how to fight back. Dogs by S P Murphy was first published in Litro Magazine. S. P. Murphy is an American writer and arts consultant living in London. He has served on the board of PEN America and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He writes short stories and contributes articles on culture and politics to various publications. He is working on his first novel, a love story set in the US in 1970, when the nation was, like today, tragically divided. This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts .
S3 E40 · Fri, March 31, 2023
Interview with author Ava Glass and reading from The Chase
Martin Natha interviews spy insider turned author Ava Glass about her debut novel, The Chase , published by Penguin. Listen to this podcast to find out more about how Glass found her inspiration, and hear her talking about how she structured her novel which has been highly praised by various critics for its gripping plot and breathless pace. She also reads from The Chase for Story Radio. 'A thrilling read ... I could not have loved it more!' Lisa Jewell 'A high-octane, warp-speed thriller' Guardian This episode was produced by Martin Nathan . Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety - is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he was shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award.
S3 E39 · Tue, February 28, 2023
Interview with Helen Fields author of The Institution
In this episode Martin Nathan and Tabitha Potts speak to best-selling crime novelist Helen Fields, criminal law barrister turned writer, about her new book The Institution . The Institution is a nail-biting psychological thriller about a criminal profiler, Dr Connie Woolwine, who goes undercover in a high security prison hospital while she tries to solve the brutal murder of one of the nurses, and find her missing child. Helen also reads the opening chapter of The Institution . Content warning: some listeners might find this distressing. This episode was produced by Martin Nathan .
S3 E38 · Wed, February 01, 2023
A terrible thing has happened by Elinora Westfall
It is March 1941 during the Second World War, and a young evacuee, Tabitha, is fascinated by the stories about a famous author who lives nearby. Content warning: contains references to suicide. The story is written and read by Elinora Westfall. Influenced by David Bowie, Virginia Woolf and Sally Wainwright, Elinora Westfall is a lesbian writer of stage, screen, fiction, poetry and radio from the UK. Her novel, Everland, was selected for the Penguin and Random House WriteNow Editorial Programme, and her short films have been selected by Pinewood Studios & Lift-Off Sessions, Cannes Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Camden Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, while her theatre and audio shows have been selected by The British Library and performed in London's West End and on Broadway, where she won the award for Best Monologue. The story was produced by Tabitha Potts. Music used courtesy of Timbre of Freesound.org Photo of Virginia Woolf By George Charles Beresford - Filippo Venturi Photography Blog, Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50293324
S3 E37 · Sat, December 31, 2022
Life in the dressing room of the theatre
This short story is about a young woman whose heart is stolen by a mysterious magician. The story is written and read by Elinora Westfall. Influenced by David Bowie, Virginia Woolf and Sally Wainwright, Elinora Westfall is an Australian/British lesbian actress and writer of stage, screen, fiction, poetry and radio from the UK. Her novel, Everland has been selected for the Penguin and Random House WriteNow 2021 Editorial Programme, and her short films have been selected by Pinewood Studios & Lift-Off Sessions, Cannes Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Camden Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, while her theatre shows have been performed in London's West End and on Broadway, where she won the award for Best Monologue. Elinora is also working on The Art of Almost, a lesbian comedy-drama radio series as well as writing a television drama series and the sequel to her novel, Everland. The story was produced by Tabitha Potts.
S3 E36 · Wed, November 30, 2022
Interview with Greg Mosse and Kate Mosse
Tabitha Potts and Martin Nathan interview best-selling novelist and short story writer Kate Mosse and playwright and debut novelist Greg Mosse , whose novel The Coming Darkness (Moonflower Books) is publishing on the 10th November. Early praise for Greg Mosse's dystopian thriller have included Lee Child's review: "Greg Mosse writes like John le Carre's hip grandson" We interviewed both writers about their writing techniques in a wide-ranging discussion of their work. Kate Mosse is the best-selling author of ten novels and short story collections including the multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy - Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel - and Gothic fiction including The Winter Ghosts and The Taxidermist's Daughter , which she has adapted for the stage for 2022. Greg Mosse is currently the founder and leader of the Criterion New Writing script development programme at the Criterion Theatre, London, Since 2015, he has written and produced 25 plays and musicals, often in collaboration. During the coronavirus lockdowns, he wrote two-and-a-half novels, of which The Coming Darkness will be the first to be published. The producer was Tabitha Potts. She is a writer living in East London. She has had several short stories published in print and online and short-listed for various awards, most recently the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize . In a previous life, she was a BBC Radio Drama producer. Read more at http://www.tabithapotts.com .
S3 E35 · Mon, October 31, 2022
Interview with Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess
In this episode, Martin Nathan interviews Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess, about what writing means to her, and she reads an extract from her new book, Celebrating the Seasons with the Yorkshire Shepherdess , about the harsh but rewarding realities of living in tune with the seasons on one of the highest, most remote hill farms in the country. A best-selling author, Amanda is also a full-time shepherdess with 800 sheep, a vintage tractor owner, sheepdog breeder, conservationist (the farm is a haven for nesting birds such as curlews and lapwings), horsewoman, and mother of nine. Amanda and her family have worked the rugged land at Ravenseat Farm in Swaledale on the Yorkshire Cumbria boarder for more than 25 years and are passionate caretakers of the countryside. This episode was produced by Martin Nathan. Martin Nathan’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize.
S3 E34 · Fri, September 30, 2022
Eventide by Kae Hart
A young woman spends time with her younger sister Anya in a deserted playground, while wrestling with her inner demons. The story was written by Kae Hart . Kae is a university student who learned to speak by telling stories to everyone who would listen. The cashier at the local grocery store was her first fan. Since then, she has written stories, poems, and novels, and hopes to continue to do so. The story was read by Claire Lubert . Claire has been working for Humanitarian Organisations for the last eight years (currently Médecins Sans Frontières). She is also involved in writing projects and is a voice artist, having previously trained at Rada and worked as an actor in TV, Film and theatre. She is based in SW London. Eventide was produced by Tabitha Potts . The photograph used in this episode is courtesy of Cherie Durbin .
S3 E33 · Wed, August 31, 2022
Killing the Serpent by Doug Jacquier
A young Australian boy learns some difficult lessons about temptation and faith when he meets another boy from a local religious cult. This story was written and read by Doug Jacquier. He has lived in many places across Australia, including regional and remote communities, and has travelled extensively overseas. His poems and stories have been published in Australia, the US, the UK and Canada. He blogs at Six Crooked Highways . This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts . Recording of artist Jimmie P Rodgers under Creative Commons License 0 from qubodup at Freesound.org Photo by Vintage Film Pics at Morguefile.com.
S3 E32 · Mon, August 01, 2022
The Glass Wall by Goran Baba Ali
Goran Baba Ali , author of The Glass Wall , talks to Martin Nathan, Tabitha Potts and Miki Lentin about his novel and reads a brief extract. The Glass Wall is about a teenage refugee who must relive the pain of his past to enter the land waiting behind a glass wall. Will his story be convincing enough to guarantee his safety? Goran Baba Ali has written and published various literary and journalistic works in Kurdish, Dutch and English. The Glass Wall is his debut novel in the English language. As an ex-refugee, originally from Iraqi Kurdistan, he has personally experienced some of the protagonist’s hardship in this novel, including a few weeks living in a desert. The producer of this episode was Martin Nathan. Sound effects taken from Freesound.org and licensed under the Creative Commons 0 license.
S3 E31 · Thu, June 30, 2022
Waiting for Pilar by Declan Geraghty
In this short story, a man waits in an anonymous hotel room in Madrid drinking beer and watching television while he waits for his lover, Pilar, to arrive. This story was written by Declan Geraghty. Geraghty is a writer, poet and spoken word performer from Dublin. It was first published by Epoque Press Ezine 2021. The story was read by Miki Lentin , and produced by Tabitha Potts . Sound effects taken from Freesound.org and licensed under the Creative Commons 0 license. Photo by Pedrojperez at Morguefile.com
S3 E30 · Tue, May 31, 2022
Miki Lentin talks about his collection, Inner Core
Martin Nathan, Tabitha Potts and Goran Baba Ali talk to Miki Lentin about his short story collection, Inner Core , recently published by Afsana Press . Includes a short reading by Miki Lentin. This interview was produced by Martin Nathan. Inner Core is available to buy as an ebook and paperback with proceeds of all sales going to the refugee charity foodKIND . Miki Lentin took up writing while travelling the world with his family a few years ago. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck in 2020 and was a finalist in the 2020 Irish Novel Fair for his first book Winter Sun . He has been placed highly in competitions including Fish Publishing Short Memoir 2020 and 2022 and Leicester Writes and has been published in Litro , Storgy , Story Radio, MIR amongst others. Miki volunteers with refugee charity foodkind in Greece, and dreams of one day running a café again. Find him on Twitter @mikilentin or read his work on his website. https://www.mikilentin.net/my-writing
S3 E29 · Sat, April 30, 2022
Efflorescence by Miki Lentin
Efflorescence , a short story by Miki Lentin takes us into that time when a man bumps into a friend unexpectedly while on an evening walk, with surprising consequences. Efflorescence is part of a collection of short stories released by Miki Lentin called Inner Core , published by Afsana Press that is available to buy as an ebook and paperback with proceeds of all sales going to the refugee charity foodKIND . Miki Lentin took up writing while travelling the world with his family a few years ago. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck in 2020 and was a finalist in the 2020 Irish Novel Fair for his first book Winter Sun . He has been placed highly in competitions including Fish Publishing Short Memoir 2020 and 2022 and Leicester Writes and has been published in Litro , Storgy , Story Radio, MIR amongst others. Miki volunteers with refugee charity foodkind in Greece, and dreams of one day running a café again. Find him on Twitter @mikilentin or read his work on his website. https://www.mikilentin.net/my-writing The reader was Francis Gilbert. Francis Gilbert has been writing fiction for many years. He is best known for his memoir, I’m A Teacher, Get Me Out of Here (2004 Short Books), his story of working as a young, incompetent inner-city school teacher in the 1990s. It was serialized as Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime, and spawned a sequel, Teacher on the Run (2006 Short Books). His novel The Last Day of Term (2011 Blue Door Press) is also set in school. However, more recently he has explored more personal topics in his fiction: Who Do You Love (Blue Door Press 2017) is about a middle-aged man reflecting upon a university romance, and Snow on the Danube (2019) is about a brother and sister torn apart by the Second World War. For the past few years, he has been working on writing short stories. He was delighted to read Miki Lentin’s powerful short fiction, which he feels shares many similarities with his own work in its depiction of tortured, emotional men. He really loved Miki’s story Efflorescence , and hopes other people enjoy his reading of it, as much as he liked recording it. His day job is as senior lecturer in education at Goldsmiths, but his heart truly remains in writing and reading fiction. http://www.francisgilbert.co.uk http://www.bluedoorpress.co.uk This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts.
S3 E28 · Thu, March 31, 2022
A Mean Spirit by Joan Treacy
A group of mourners attend a funeral and a wake for a shopkeeper and we learn more about his past and relationships. This short story was written and read by Joan Treacy . Joan Treacy has been writing for about five years. She has written many short stories and several of them have been published in Irish magazines. She is a member of Leixlip library writing group and they have helped and encouraged her writing. She is also the author of a horror novel, Orchard House . Produced by Martin Nathan Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing.
S3 E27 · Mon, February 28, 2022
Interview with Lindsay Gillespie and A Summoning Spell by Lindsay Gillespie
This month Martin Nathan interviews Lindsay Gillespie who was a finalist in the Costa Short Story prize this year with her story Pholas Dactylus . The Costa prize involves them recording the three stories and then a public vote. You can also listen to one of the stories she wrote for Story Radio two years ago, A Summoning Spell, read by Saskia Butler. If you would like to read her prize-winning story you can download Pholas Dactylus here . Warning: A Summoning Spell contains some adult language and is not suitable for under-18s.
S3 E26 · Wed, February 02, 2022
The Necropolis Railway by Tabitha Potts
A clerk goes to a funeral and meets a mysterious young woman in this short story set on the famous Victorian 'Ghost Train'. This story was written and produced by Tabitha Potts . The story was read by Nigel Fyfe . Nigel Fyfe is an actor and voiceover artist. Alongside stage and screen work, he has recorded audio drama with Wireless Theatre and Ragged Foils, and a number of audiobooks. The photograph used to illustrate this podcast is by John Cunliffe of Scope Enterprise and is from the Hathaways of Haworth blog. Sounds under CC-BY 3.0 : Steam Train 1.wav by Benboncan
S2 E25 · Tue, November 30, 2021
Rat Trap by Rebecca Lee
A young female writer is commissioned to write a post about a lethal rat trap for a content mill. This story was written by Rebecca Lee . She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her current project “selfie” is a series of medical poems. Her body of work can be found in The British Medical Journal, CHEST physicians, Dartmouth’s Life Lines and Harvard’s medical school journal, Third Space . The story was read by Jessica Nettles . Jessica is a voice-over artist and a writer. Her influences range from Ray Bradbury to Flannery O’Connor and Shirley Jackson. She reads as voraciously as she can while balancing her career as an English Instructor and a writer of SouthernGothic and Historical Fantasy. Her first novel is Children of Menlo Park. She is also featured in the gothic horror anthology, Off the Beaten Path 4 and has a story in the upcoming Georgia Gothic horror anthology produced by the Atlanta Chapter of HWA (Horror Writer’s Association). To hear more of her voice, check out Episode 775 of the horror podcast, Pseudopod, where she reads Michael McDowell’s “Miss Mack.” To find more about her and her work check out jessicanettlesauthor.com . You also can find her on Twitter @steampunkengl and Instagram steampunkenglish . The producer was Tabitha Potts . The cover art is Mouse (1821) by Jean Bernard (1775-1883). Original from The Rijksmuseum. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel. Public Domain Free CC0 Image Story Radio is taking a short break in the New Year so we will be back on February 1st. We'd like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday and New Year.
S2 E24 · Sun, October 31, 2021
Underground Places by Marie O'Shea
The scene is a retrospective exhibition of the work of a famous male artist. As the young female curator is interviewed by a journalist, we start to suspect there is more to his paintings than meets the eye. Marie O’Shea is a short story writer living on the Beara Peninsula. Her work has appeared in, ‘Popshot’, ‘The Galway Review’, ‘The Blue Nib’, ‘The Caterpillar Magazine,’ ‘Literary Mama’ and ‘Storgy’. Catherine Allison is a voice artist and actor living in SE London. She trained as part of the Battersea Arts Centre’s Development Theatre Company, working with directors such as Paul King, Steven Canny and Phil Wilmott. She also runs Master the Art, a training consultancy that helps people communicate with more confidence, influence and authority in the workplace and beyond. Produced by Martin Nathan Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. Photograph is by Martin Nathan.
S2 E23 · Thu, September 30, 2021
Stray Dogs and Cowboys by Steve Wade
An Irish farmer, Liam Og, decides to leave his farm to his unknown American nephew. This short story was written and read by Steve Wade. Steve Wade’s short story collection, ‘In Fields of Butterfly flames’, was published in October 2020 by Bridge House Publishing. His fiction has been published and anthologised in over fifty print publications. His short stories have won, been placed and shortlisted in numerous writing competitions. Winner of the Short Story category in the Write By the Sea Writing Competition in 2019. First Prize Winner of the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Writing Competition 2020. www.stephenwade.ie This short story was produced by Tabitha Potts. Sounds under CC0 : Sad Violin.wav by Cunningar0807 Image of violin: Photo by lucas mendes on Unsplash
S2 E22 · Tue, August 31, 2021
Salvage by Martin Nathan
SALVAGE is set in Tide Mills, an abandoned village near Newhaven on the Sussex coast. The traces of the mill and the childrens’ home can still be seen on the shingle beach. Content warning: this drama contains some material listeners might find distressing The piece was directed by Luke Blackwood-Stevenson Cast: JANE - Rubie Ozanne BILL - Lewis Jenkins SAM - Kieran Dooner IAN - Hamish Brewster FRED - Luke Blackwood-Stevenson Recording engineer: Max Jukes Script, music and location sounds: Martin Nathan A location-based piece with audio triggered within the Tide Mills site will be released soon. Martin Nathan’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize.
S2 E21 · Sat, July 31, 2021
Loverman by Lindsay Gillespie
Livingstone Franklin, a hospital cleaner, has a side hustle as a soul singer - and a crush on a beautiful colleague. This story is written by Lindsay Gillespie, a Lewes-based writer. It is read by Luke Blackwood-Stevenson . The producer is Martin Nathan. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he has been shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award. Sounds under CC-BY 3.0 : Janie Joelle accapella.wav by juskiddink Photo by Octavio Lopez at Morguefile.com
S2 E20 · Wed, June 30, 2021
Maddy by Sheila Kinsella
In this month's short story, rebellious Maddy's reunion with her much older and more conventional sister goes disastrously wrong. About the writer Belgium based writer Sheila Kinsella’s short stories draw inspiration from her Irish upbringing. An avid watcher of people’s behaviour, and blessed with abundant natural curiosity, Sheila lures the reader into a shrewdly observed world via imagery. Sheila graduated with an MA in Creative Writing (Distance Learning) from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom in 2017. Her stories have since been published in The Galway Review , The Blue Nib and Severine Literary Journal amongst others. The producer was Tabitha Potts. Photo by schurch at Morguefile.com
S2 E19 · Sat, June 12, 2021
Jacqueline by Tatum Anderson
A young woman leaves Jamaica for the UK, hoping to emulate her cousin Jacqueline by working as a nurse. When she arrives, nothing is quite as she expected it to be. Jacqueline was written by Tatum Anderson . She is a journalist and writer from London. She received an MA In Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London and is now working on a PhD there in the autumn. She has recently completed her first novel about Jamaican soldiers in the First World War which was Highly Commended in the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award 2020. She is now working on a second novel. The reader is Juliet Jordon . She is a recent Drama, Applied Theatre and Performance graduate. She is doing an MFA (Master in Fine Arts) in directing. She studied Acting at Morley College London on the Performing Arts HND course. This story was directed and produced by Martin Nathan . Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures , Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. Website: http://www.martinnathan.co.uk The music and image used in this episode are both reproduced with the permission of Martin Nathan.
S2 E18 · Fri, April 30, 2021
Ride the Peter Pan by Allison Whittenberg
A young woman travels from her old life to her new, from the North to the South, on a Greyhound bus. Content warning: this story mentions rape. A Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native who has a global perspective. If she wasn’t an author she’d be a private detective or a jazz singer. She loves reading about history and true crime. Her novels include Sweet Thang, Hollywood and Maine, Life is Fine, Tutored and The Sane Asylum. This short story was read by Antonia White . Antonia White studied Acting at Morley College London on the Performing Arts HND course. The producer was Tabitha Potts . The cover photograph was taken by R Miller on Flickr and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution License . It has been cropped.
S2 E17 · Wed, March 31, 2021
Knish by Martin Nathan and The Prison Poem by Rebecca Ruth Gould
We have two shorter stories this month, Knish by Martin Nathan and The Prison Poem by Rebecca Ruth Gould. Knish by Martin Nathan The knish is a lump of potato with pastry wrapped around it and baked. You can still buy them in Brighton Beach, Long Island, filled with kasha or beef or cherry and cream cheese or pretty much anything you want. Like this story, it’s not what’s on the outside or on the inside that counts. It’s somewhere between the two that makes things different. Written and produced by Martin Nathan. Read by Luke Blackwood . Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he has been shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award. The Prison Poem by Rebecca Ruth Gould For over a thousand years, Persian poets have been writing about prison. One day, these poems stir a nervous conversation between lovers in modern Iran. “The Prison Poem” by Rebecca Ruth Gould recounts a millennium of poems in which imprisoned poets criticize their rulers. Rebecca Ruth Gould is a writer, translator, and scholar. Her books include Writers and Rebels (2016) and the poetry collections Cityscapes (2019) and Beautiful English (2021). Her first short story collection, Strangers in Love, is forthcoming, as is The Persian Prison Poem ( Edinburgh University Press). She was born in the US and now resides in the UK, where she teaches at the University of Birmingham. Visit Rebecca Ruth Gould's website Follow Rebecca Ruth Gould on Medium Twitter @rrgould Instagram @r.r.gould The reader for The Prison Poem was Julia Lewis . The music used in The Prison Poem was from a recording of musician Peyman Heydarian on Freesound.org by xserra and has an attribution license .
S2 E16 · Sun, February 28, 2021
The Friends by Maggie Iribarne
A party, a prank, and a dear friend passed away: "The Friends" by Maggie Nerz Iribarne celebrates and mourns a friendship through awkward laughter and silent tears. Maggie Nerz Iribarne is a lifelong writer of journals, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, and essays. She is happiest with a blank journal and a new pen in hand. A lucky and grateful woman in all ways, she gets to work as a writing tutor at Le Moyne College and practices her craft on the third-floor attic of her home in Syracuse, New York. In November 2020 her short story, “Sick, but Sociable,” appeared in Malarkey Books’ anthology, What I thought of Ain’t Funny ( http://malarkeybooks.com/what-i-thought-of-aint-funny ) . Photo (adapted) by David P Whelen on Morguefile
S2 E15 · Sun, January 31, 2021
The Bowl by Miki Lentin
Two friends shoot some pool on a Saturday night in Dublin. There's not much else to do. But what happens when one friend wants something different from the night out? The Bowl was published on Storgy and is reproduced with their permission. This podcast contains some adult language. About Miki Lentin Miki took up writing while travelling the world with his family a few years ago, and this year was a finalist in the 2020 Irish Writer’s Centre Novel Fair . As well as writing his first book, he writes short stories, the most recent of which achieved second prize in the short story memoir competition with Fish Publishing . He has also been published by Storgy , Momaya Press and Village Raw Magazine , and writes book reviews for MIR Online . He is represented by @taffagent and you can follow him on Twitter @mikilentin Producer This podcast was produced by Martin Nathan. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he has been shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award.
S2 E14 · Thu, December 31, 2020
Left Watching by R D Mouton
Four men, friends since childhood, walk into a wood, where they find a pile of bones. This strange discovery will change their lives forever. RD Mouton is an American Writer and Freelancer. He is currently pursuing a career in writing and completing his current projects, a short story collection and a young adult novel. He can be found on Twitter as @RDMakes . Photo by Koan courtesy of Morguefile.com Sound effect used are adapted from woodsbirds.wav by Sparrer on Freesound.org under the Attribution License The producer is Tabitha Potts
S1 E13 · Mon, November 30, 2020
The Death of Brutus
The narrator is a health care aide who cares for a disabled woman (Betty) as best as possible and tends to her many hamsters, including Brutus, with the ultimate compassion. It seems that Betty’s real confidant and friend is not the hamster she obsesses over in the story, but the young man who cleans out the hamster cages, cooks her meals, and buries her once-beloved rodents in the backyard. This story originally appeared in Fleas on the Dog Online in 2020. Mark Tulin is a poet, short story writer, and author residing in Ventura. He also has time to take pictures of the quirky people and strange objects he finds on Southern California's beaches. Gordon Lawrie (author and editor of Friday Flash Fiction) writes, “Tulin’s skill lies in raising his central characters above everything that surrounds them.” Mark had appeared in Fiction on the Web, smokebox, Vita Brevis Press, The Literary Hatchet, Amethyst Review, Friday Flash Fiction, The Daily Drunk, and podcasts and anthologies. His books include Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, and The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. Keep up to date on all of Mark Tulin’s stories, poetry, and books at: www.crowonthewire.com Photo © Mark Tulin Music (faded in and out) from Comming Back by Loco Lobo under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .
S1 E12 · Fri, October 30, 2020
St Esteban of the Children by E E King
Esteban, finder of lost things, awakes in his grave on November second to return home to his family for Dia De Los Muertos. But he overstays his allotted night and cannot find his way back. Time is running out, for if he stays out too long, he will be forgotten and fade away into nothingness. This story originally appeared in Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores in 2018. E.E. King is a painter, performer, writer, and biologist - She’ll do anything that won’t pay the bills, especially if it involves animals. Ray Bradbury called her stories, “marvelously inventive, wildly funny, and deeply thought-provoking. I cannot recommend them highly enough.” King has won numerous various awards and fellowships for art, writing, and environmental research. She’s been published widely, most recently in Clarkesworld, Flame Tree, Cosmic Roots, and Eldritch shores and On Spec. One of her tales is on Tangent’s recommended reading 2019. Her books include Dirk Quigby’s Guide to the Afterlife, Pandora’s Card Game, The Truth of Fiction, and The Adventures of Emily Finfeather. Check out paintings, writing, musings, and books at: www.elizabetheveking.com www.elizabetheveking.com https://twitter.com/ElizabethEvKing amazon.com/author/eeking Story copyright of the author E E King (all rights reserved). Image copyright Greg Willis adapted with his permission. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . Music used in this podcast is adapted (extracts used and fades applied) from: La llorona by Trío La Aurora licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License .
S1 E11 · Wed, September 30, 2020
The Edge by Martin Nathan
The Edge is part of a series of location-based pieces exploring the stories and power of landscape. They use GPS location to trigger various sections when you run the app in the link supplied and you are in the correct location. This piece runs from Birling Gap to Beachy head and explores some of the stories associated with the area. It works either as a clifftop walk or a walk at beach level (although you need to walk on a falling tide). Despite its beauty Beachy Head has long had associations with loss and destruction. The cliffs were a favourite place of Aleister Crowley, the notorious Great Beast and Satanist, and the piece includes some of the battles between him and local clergy. Written, produced and read by Martin Nathan. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. In 2020 he has been shortlisted for the Woodward International Playwriting Prize and the Nick Darke Award.
S1 E10 · Mon, August 31, 2020
A Chicken that Shares our Values by Daniel Jeffreys
A Chicken that Shares our Values looks at the bipolar experience, how a simple phrase or marketing slogan can plunge us into the super-charged, symbolic world. As meaning-machines how and when do we let go? Daniel’s stories have appeared in Esquire, Ambit, The London Magazine, Litro and The Lampeter Review. He is in the third years of a PhD in the weird and eerie and completing a novel Highly Strung Read more on his blog Conan the librarian: https://conanlibrarianlondon.wordpress.com/ Photo by Spudgun67 / CC BY-SA
S1 E9 · Fri, July 31, 2020
Call Bird by Tabitha Potts
In this short story, two city-dwellers move to a remote house in the countryside and are unsettled by their experiences in their new home. Written, produced and read by Tabitha Potts Tabitha Potts is a writer living in East London. She has had several short stories published in print and online and been short-listed and long-listed for various awards, most recently the Sunderland University Short Story Award. In a past life, she was a BBC Radio Drama producer. Read more at http://www.tabithapotts.com This podcast uses these FX sounds from freesound: Spookywood.mp3 by priestjd (https://freesound.org/people/priestjd/) Magpie_WingsFlapping.wav by digifishmusic https://freesound.org/people/digifishmusic/) Original music composed by Rufus Harman
S1 E8 · Tue, June 30, 2020
BFFs by Marianne Rogoff
In 'BFFs' by Marianne Rogoff, a woman in mid-life contemplates whether or not she's ready for any new relationships while on a road trip. MARIANNE ROGOFF is the author of the Pushcart-nominated story collection Love Is Blind in One Eye , the memoir Silvie’s Life, and numerous travel stories, short fictions, essays, and book reviews. BFFs was a Finalist for the Ernest Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize 2018 and “Featured Fiction” in Fiction Southeast on 02/05/2020. BFFs short story and illustrative photo © Mariane Rogoff all rights reserved Sounds under CC-BY 3.0 : ocean-LaJolla.wav by xserra
S1 E7 · Tue, June 16, 2020
Final Unveil and A Summoning Spell
We have two shorter pieces exploring grief and loss as part of the Waterloo Festival. “Final Unveil” is written and read by Saskia Butler, a writer and performer who lives in Lewes, Sussex. “A Summoning Spell” is written by Lindsay Gillespie, a Lewes-based writer and read by Saskia Butler. Note: these stories deal with trauma events. There is some adult language used so this episode is not suitable for under 18s.
S1 E6 · Sun, May 31, 2020
The Invisibles by Tatum Anderson
Tatum Anderson is a journalist and writer from London and The Invisibles tells of her time as an inpatient at St Thomas's Hospital. She has just received an MA In Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London and will begin a PhD there in the autumn. She has recently completed her first novel about Jamaican soldiers in the First World War and is writing her second. The story was read by actor Miranda Harrison. You can find out more about her work on her website https://mirandaharrison.co.uk . The Invisibles was produced by Martin Nathan. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica . His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. Website: http://www.martinnathan.co.uk The photo used for this episode was adapted from a photo by lisaleo at Morguefile.com
S1 E5 · Fri, May 15, 2020
Persepolis by Miki Lentin
Persepolis by Miki Lentin tells the story of a meeting between a volunteer Tony and a refugee Ali at a refugee support centre in Waterloo. Under a backdrop of a production of 'End Game' that is playing in the Old Vic Theatre, the story looks at both characters, and asks what it is they are both trying to escape from. Written and produced as part of the Waterloo Festival . About the author/producer Miki took up writing while travelling the world with his family a few years ago. Last year he completed a MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University, and this year was a finalist in the 2020 Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair . As well as finishing his first book, he writes short stories, the most recent of which achieved second prize in the short memoir competition with Fish Publishing . He has achieved second prize in the Momaya Press Short Story Award 2019 and has also been published by @Villageraw Magazine and Elixir Magazine online . He also writes book reviews for MIR Online . Miki is a Trustee of The Reading Agency, volunteers with the Refugee Council and at refugee camps in Calais and Greece, and dreams of one day running a café again. His agent is Cathryn Summerhayes @taffyagent . Find him on Twitter @mikilentin The applause sound FX comes from Orange Free Sounds and has been mixed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Photograph of theatre by photographer hotblack at Morguefile.com
S1 E4 · Fri, May 01, 2020
The Vulnerable by Martin Nathan
An encounter with a girl begging on the street proves hard to escape from in this short story written and produced by Martin Nathan and read by Simon Balcon. This is our first short story as part of the Waterloo Festival online. Waterloo Festival is an annual celebration of arts, community and heritage in the artistic heart of London. We will run a series of Waterloo-based stories over May and June so please subscribe to hear more. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica . His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. Website: http://www.martinnathan.co.uk © Martin Nathan Simon Balcon is a local actor who has performed in a wide range of stage roles. https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M55939.html
S1 E3 · Tue, March 31, 2020
Mock Crab by Martin Nathan
The hidden tensions of a family holiday in Europe and a child's birthday party are explored in this short story by Martin Nathan, read by Luke Blackwood. Martin Nathan has worked as a labourer, showman, pancake chef, fire technician, and a railway engineer. His short fiction has been published by Tangent Press, HCE and Grist and his poetry has appeared in Finished Creatures, Erbacce and Aesthetica. His novel – A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. Website: https://www.martinnathan.co.uk © Martin Nathan Luke Blackwood is an actor and you can read about his work here: https://www.northone.co.uk/portfolio/luke-blackwood/ The image used to illustrate this podcast is from Rawpixel under the CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication The music used in this production is 'I'm glad my wife's in Europe' used under license from Pond5.
S1 E2 · Sat, February 29, 2020
Meringues by Miki Lentin
What does it mean to do good in today’s society? A short story, Meringues , by Miki Lentin explores what happens when a newly arrived refugee from Iran accompanies his host to a charity Christmas Party, and shows the unintended consequences of what happens when people put their needs above those of helping others. © Miki Lentin all rights reserved. Miki Lentin has just finished a Creative Writing MA at Birkbeck University. He is a finalist in the Irish Writer’s Centre Novel Fair 2020, has appeared twice at MIR Live, writes book reviews for MIR Online, achieved 2nd prize in the Momaya Press Short Story Award 2019, and has been published by The Elixir Magazine online. He is a Trustee of The Reading Agency and volunteers @refugeecouncil and at refugee camps in Calais and Greece. Find him on Twitter @mikilentin Photo by lauramusikanski at Morguefile.com
S1 E1 · Fri, January 31, 2020
Crow Girl by Tabitha Potts
Crow Girl is a 'folk horror' tale of a young girl found abandoned in a hedgerow and brought up in a remote village. She has a hard and loveless life and struggles to survive - her only allies are the birds she befriends. © Tabitha Potts all rights reserved. Tabitha Potts is a writer living in East London. She has had several short stories published in print and online and been short-listed and long-listed for various awards, most recently the Sunderland University Short Story Award. In a past life, she was a BBC Radio Drama producer. Read more at http://www.tabithapotts.com This short story uses the following sound from Freesounds under CC0 : Crows.wav by ken788 The illustration for Crow Girl is by Amy Shepheard Music is created by Rufus Harman. You can buy the book here A Book of Short Stories https://amzn.eu/d/jjI3Jui
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