The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Andrew was for ten years the Director of the Creative Writing programme at UEA, where he taught for twenty years on the MA in Creative Writing. He is the author of the bestselling guidebook, The Art of Writing Fiction, recently reissued in an updated second edition, and the monograph Against Creative Writing. His first novel Pig was the winner of the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, a Betty Trask Award, the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, a Scottish Arts Council Book Award and the Ruth Hadden Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for five other awards. He has since published five other novels: Common Ground, Crustaceans, What I Know, Worthless Men and, most recently,Your Fault. Find Andrew on Instagram at @andrewcowan01

Alison Littlewood’s latest novels, published as A. J. Elwood, are The Other Lives of Miss Emily White and The Cottingley Cuckoo. Her first book, A Cold Season, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and described as ‘perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.’ Other titles include Mistletoe, The Hidden People, The Crow Garden, The Unquiet House and Path of Needles. Her short stories have been selected for several Best Of anthologies and published in her collections, Quieter Paths, The Flowering and A Curious Cartography. She has won the Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction. Alison lives in a house of creaking doors and crooked walls in deepest darkest Yorkshire, England. 

 

HarperCollins on 3 October announced the acquisition of Until We Drown by Ava Morwood, the penname of Alison Littlewood, who has previously been an R&J pick and won the Shirley Jackson award.

 

Acquired with UK and Commonwealth rights from Oli Munson at AM Heath in a two-book deal, Megan Jones will publish Until We Drown in hardback, ebook and audio in April 2026.

 

A spellbinding thriller with a powerful sense of place, Until We Drown is set in the Peak District, where Ellie Kellaway and her family are seeking a fresh start. Ellie hopes to leave behind her troubling memories of the sea – and her husband’s affair with the beautiful wild swimmer he met there.

 

But this new home harbours dark secrets, where ancient legends intertwine with chilling realities. When Ellie’s daughter finds a mermaid carving hidden in the bones of their house, the family find themselves pulled into an undertow of betrayal and vengeance which threatens to drown them all.

 

Megan Jones said: ‘I am thrilled to be working with Ava, not only a wonderfully talented writer but someone passionate about the stories which special places hide. Until We Drown is a thriller that conjures a dark fascination that lasts long after the final page.’

 

Ava Morwood said: ‘I’m completely thrilled that Until We Drown has found such an amazing home. It’s a heart-and-soul of a novel, which began with my fascination with the presence of mermaid folklore in the landlocked Peak District and grew into a rather darker, more dangerous contemporary thriller. I’m beyond happy to be working with Megan and the fabulous team at HarperNorth, and grateful to my agent, Oli Munson, for making this happen.’

 

Find out more:
AvaMorwood.com
AlisonLittlewood.com

Today Dr Rachel Knightley explores a different kind of storytelling that has been part of her exploring and expressing the stories she contains for nearly a decade, and a community she's been part of while also building her own in the Writers' Gym: Jade Robertson is the creative force behind Little Lies, an indie fashion brand rooted in 70s rock ‘n’ roll. Since launching the brand from her bedroom in 2015, Jade has built a loyal global community of customers who resonate with the ethos of creating “future-vintage” pieces—timeless styles designed in small batches with inclusivity in mind. Little Lies has grown from a passion project into a business with a seven-figure turnover and brand known for its authenticity and bold energy. Last year, the world took notice when Taylor Swift was photographed wearing one of their signature designs, further cementing their place in the fashion world. Jade is passionate about sharing her journey and insights, regularly speaking at universities, business groups, and on various podcasts, always bringing a grounded, relatable approach to entrepreneurship, creativity, and building an ethical brand in today’s world. Whether it’s about her love of blending music with fashion, building an independent business, juggling motherhood with business life or leading with purpose in the fast-paced world of retail, her talks resonate with audiences looking for real insights and inspiration.

 

www.little-lies.com

Instagram: @jadelittlelies

Dr Rachel Knightley's guest at the Writers' Gym today is  Ashley Thorpe. Ashley  is a self taught Devon based animator whose early films (SCAYRECROW, THE SCREAMING SKULL & THE HAIRY HANDS) were a celebration of the neglected aspects of British folklore. His first feature 'BORLEY RECTORY' (a Carrion Film / Glass Eye Pix co-venture) with Reece Shearsmith & Julian Sands was completed late 2017and won 'Best Animated Feature' at Buffalo Dreams Festival New York and a "Special Achievement in Cinema" accolade. After being released on Blu Ray in 2019 the film is now streaming on Netflix, Prime and Talking Pictures. As a freelance animator he has provided animated titles / sequences for such varied films as the multi award winning 'WOODLANDS DARK & DAYS BEWITCHED', Saturn award winning 'TALES OF HALLOWEEN', 'MANCUNIAN MAN', 'NEVERLAND NIGHTMARE' as well as ongoing animated title sequences and graphics for the BBC's hit show 'UNCANNY’.
 
Ashley's website: https://carrionfilms.co.uk
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleycarrionthorpe/?hl=en-gb

Claire Louise Amias is an actor and playwright. She has worked extensively on screen and stage, including feature films, No. 1 touring, West End and regional theatre.She is also Co-Artistic Director of A Monkey With Cymbals Theatre Company and
has written, acted in and produced several projects. The Masks of Aphra Behn is an Offie award-winning one-woman show about the first professional female writer in the English language; the show went on a national tour and helped raise funds for the successful A is for Aphra statue campaign. She wrote a follow-up play, Oranges
& Ink, about Behn’s possible friendship with Nell Gwynn; this was Offie-nominated and had a West End run. Her current project is Haunted Shadows: The Gothic Tales of Edith Nesbit, which will begin touring the UK on 24 October, running until May next year. This is an adaptation of three of Edith Nesbit’s creepiest stories.
 
Find out more about Claire and book for Haunted Shadows at https://www.amonkeywithcymbals.co.uk/