In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Chief Executive Peggy is joined by bestselling author Peter James to discuss researching for crime novels.

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger.

Together, Peter and Peggy discuss the practical implications of his research for his thriller novels. They also touch on the start of his writing career, his advice for keeping readers glued to the page, and his process for writing and developing the characters for his crime thriller series.

In this podcast, NCW Communications & Participation Assistant Ruby is joined by S G Bell to discuss routes into writing.

S G Bell is a writer working from his rural home in Norfolk. The Epilogue Event is the first instalment in the AI Aftermath series. In his fiction, he explores ideas intercepted at the boundaries of his professional and academic experience – most specifically, speculations about the vulnerability of social groups, and the existential challenges emerging from the internet and artificial intelligence.

Together, Simon and Ruby discuss his debut novel The Epilogue Event, and the circumstances that led to him becoming a novelist. They also touch on the benefits of uniting with a community of emerging writers, the idea of ‘failing forward’, and the benefits of continued learning.

Simon is a graduate of our Develop Your Fiction course. If you’re considering signing up for an online tutored course, go to our website and click NCW Academy now to find out more about our course programme, read more success stories like Simon’s, and discover why you should learn with us.

In this podcast, NCW Head of Programme & Creative Engagement Holly is joined by author Ferdia Lennon to discuss writing dialect in fiction.

Ferdia Lennon was born and raised in Dublin. He holds a BA in History and Classics from University College Dublin and an MA in Prose Fiction from the University of East Anglia. His short stories have appeared in publications such as The Irish Times and The Stinging Fly. In 2019 and 2021, he received Literature Bursary Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland. Glorious Exploits is his first novel. A Sunday Times bestseller, it was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as a Book at Bedtime and was the winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024.

Together, Holly and Ferdia discuss his debut novel Glorious Exploits, and his decision to represent contemporary Dublin-Irish dialect through his writing. They also touch on writing a story within a story, how language and dialect can make historical fiction more accessible, and the important decision of whose voice and delivery should lead the story.