New show going out Sunday 18 April, 1-2pm

I’m thrilled to say that the show will be back on air after a short winter haitus. The new show will be airing on 97.2FM on Sunday 18 April 2010, 1-2pm.

For this month’s show, which covers 18 April – 16 May 2010, we interviewed local author Charlie McQuaker whose Belfast pulp fiction novel Die Hard Mod is being published on 27 April by A Pulp Press Original (£5.99, Amazon, ISBN 978-1-907499-20-3).

Charlie reads from two chapters in the book (Chapter 2 & 10), and we got a chance to talk to him about the challenges of writing in the pulp fiction genre and his research into the Mod world of Brighton and Belfast (where his novel takes place).

Although the novel is current, the characters still keep the Mod lifestyle alive with the fashion, films, books and of course music of the1960s. Songs like: “Tin Soldier“, Small Faces; “About My Girl”, Jimmy Magriff; and “Somebody Stole My Thunder”, George Fano.

There was also a bit of time for Tara and I to do a special news round up for all the literary Brighton Festival and Festival Fringe events that caught oure – list forthcoming !

Tara & I recorded from her living room in Hanover – a big thanks to Ragroof Theatre for lending us their Zoom microphone. We couldn’t have pulled it together in the small scraps of spare time we collectively have without that help.What a great mic!

A massive thanks to Tara for arranging the interview with Charlie & the mic loan & suffering the 3 hours of production time tonight despite having had little sleep the night before.

Next shows: Sunday 16 May, 1-2pm & Sunday 13 June, 1-2pm.

 

Next show goes out on 24 January 2010

Happy new year!

The next Writers Hub is going out on Radio Reverb on Sunday 24 January 2010, 1-2pm. The show is going to be a bit of a mish mash as I wasn’t able to get the December loaded up at the station’s new premises in time. A bit of wintery poems and writing, plus some new stuff to look to the spring with. Not sure I’ll have time for the usual interview, plus rest assured all will be back to normal for February with the news round up and interview line up.

For those of you who haven’t heard, Radio Reverb have left their studios on North Street and are now further down on the Old Steine.  They made the heroic move during December, and I haven’t actually stepped foot in the new place yet. Last I heard, they were waiting for the new phone number.

If you have some writing you’d like read on Writers Hub, please email me on hello@amyriley.com. And if you’re brave enough to read it yourself, even better.

 

November edition of Writers Hub

Naomi Foyle, poet and author of The Night Pavilion on Waterloo Press, talks about her work with Gaza Strip and a fundraiser for the cause on 6 December at The Hope, Brighton.

Music from Alisdair Roberts – “The Whole House is Singing” – and Elle Osborne – “Wide Eyes Wise” – who are performing tonight at the Hope.

With guest co-presenter Tara Gould in the studio. This show aired on Radio Reverb 97.2 FM on Sunday 27 November.

Thanks to Kieran for the new jingles!

Writers Hub – November edition (right click to download)

 

Grit Lit: Short story evening with Isabel Ashdown

Glasshopper, a novel by Isabel Ashdown

This Thursday, Grit Lit is bringing 8 writers to Kemptown’s legendary Red Roaster to read their hardest, grittiest short stories.  We’re very pleased to have Isabel Ashdown read excerpts from her award-winning, selling out faster than you can buy, first novel Glasshopper, along with Tim Lay, myself, Chris Callard, Ed Siegle, Jake Kennedy, Emma Gray, and Tara Gould.

Expect tales of drugs and gangsters at the Marina, a bereaving mother who becomes possessed, a missing person hunt throughout Brazil’s poverty-stricken favelas, a black artist in New York whose downward spiral lands him in the city’s infamous Sing-Sing prison, and more.

You can get tickets for £5 from http://gritlit.eventbrite.com or on the night. Doors 7.45pm, the evening lasts until 10pm.

 

Call for submissions for 29 November show

The next Writers Hub airs on Sunday 29 November 1-2pm.

I’m accepting original writing based on the darkening days of autumn and the Christmas season - 1500 words or less – to be read out on air.  It could be a story, a poem, a sketch, non-fiction – whatever you choose.

If you have any news or events you’d like read out, please get in touch.

As always, I’m looking for people to interview about their novel, project, event or writing-related phenomenon.

 

Writers’ Hub: October 2009

This month, I’ve interviewed Brighton author Amanda Sington-Williams, whose award-winning first novel, the Eloquence of Desire, is due to published in July 2009 by Sparkling Books.

Submission on this month’s theme: AUTUMN & FOOD

• Ed Siegle’s short story “Eels and Cathering Wheels”, read by Kieran Hood
• Jennifer Pulling’s short story ”Lunch at Da Giovanni”
• Paul Wimsett’s short play “The Hag’s Car”
• Amanda Sington-William’s poem “A Spanish Diet”

The show was meant to air on Sunday 1 November,  1-2pm on Radio Reverb, but unfortunately the entire station went down. The show went out at 9pm later that evening, but I’m in the process of re-arranging another airing.

More information about the show…

 

Writers’ Hub: September 2009

This month guest co-host Tara and I interviewed poet and playwrite Maria Jastrzebska, who’s first play The Dementia Diaries recently premiered in Lewes in September.

We also talked to Maria about her new collection of poetry, Everyday Angels, which is coming out on Brighton’s Waterloo Press this month.

The show aired on Sunday 4 October, on Radio Reverb 97.2 FM

 

Writers’ Hub: August 2009

This month’s theme is Pride, in honour of Brighton Gay Pride, which took place all through August. Co-host Tara and I interview lesbian novelist Vanessa Austin Locke and talk about Pride in Brighton activities and other literary news and events.

The show aired on

Submission on this month’s theme: PRIDE

• Emma Gray
• James Burt

 

Writers’ Hub: July 2009

Writer Tara Gould joined me in the studio for this month’s edition of Writers’ Hub.We chatted about her night Short Fuse, which is currently looking for readers, for Brighton and for Hastings events, and her new literary ambitions: a first novel.

We also discussed some upcoming opportunities for writers, via New Writing South and Myriad Editions, and we also presented the writing for this month’s theme: seaside and seaside towns.

For published writing, I took two slightly off-kilter takes on the traditional seaside theme: the very dark tale, ”The Pearce Sisters” by Mick Jackson, from The: BrightonBook, published by Myriad Editions (2005), in which two eccentric sisters’ hospitality goes one step too far; and an extract of the sci-fi story “To Walk Upon the Sea” by Larry Matthews, from Fabulous Brighton: An Anthology of Short Stories by Peter James, Lynne Truss and others (2000), in which a man’s strained relationship comes to a head amongst dolphins, corporate Brighton and a mysterious discovery.

“The Pearce Sisters” is read by Wil Jones (Boutique Theatre), and “To Walk Upon the Sea” is read by Peter Taylor. Both books can be found in Brighton’s Jubilee Library.

I got some great original writing submissions via Twitter: two short shorts from Emma Cave and Nigel Cooper – see further down to read the pieces.

Finally, it was a great pleasure to have Jon Cotter, Director of Company Paradiso in the studio. Jon recently ran a project in Berkshire prisons working with young offenders called “The Ballad of Reading Jail”.  He shared some of the stories and played clips from their show on BBC Radio Berkshire. Here’s one quote from a young person who took part in the project:

I’d never really written much before. It was while I was sat in a prison cell, and I had all this stuff going through my head, that I decided to pick up the pen. I needed to express myself. I still keep things in perspective with my poetry, as in not wanting to go back.’

– Participant, Shaun D

You can download the show by right clicking the link below.

Writers’ Hub July 2009 – Radio Reverb

Many thanks to Donald, Grant and everyone at RR for helping me navigate the station’s equipment.

We were meant to have an interview and readings from an Ian Breckon, author of Knight of Swords [Old Street, 2009], but weren’t able to due to technical difficulties.

 

Writers’ Hub: June 2009

The June edition of my new monthly radio show for Brighton community radio station Radio Reverb 97.2 FM- Writers’ Hub – aired on Sunday 14 June.

My main interview is with Brighton scriptwriter Sarah Naomi Lee, a BBC radio producer who’s first lucky break into Radio 4 broadcast was with her radio play “I Can See You”. I got a tremendous response from local writers about this month’s theme – thanks to Bridget Whelan for helping promote this.

Readings:

• An extract from A Good Confession, by Bridget Whelan
• An extract from The Sewerside Chronicles, by Tim Lay

Submission on this month’s theme: MUSIC

• Neal Pearce
• Yassin
• Josie Darling
• Sally Latter

A link to download the Writers’ Hub June 2009 show to come shortly!

More information about the show…