The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Showing up for yourself and sharing your achievements can be scary, but instead of waiting for the feelings to change we can shift the focus to action that empowers.

If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching

Lucy Kate Barnes, Trustee and Co-Founder of Lawyers Who Care

Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym is her coaching client, award-winning advocate Lucy Kate Barnes.

Lucy grew up on council estates. She went into care at 13 and fell off the "care cliff" at 16. Aged 18, she studies law at Surrey. She is now a barrister. Alongside her legal career, she set up charity Lawyers Who Care and is a vocal advocate for children's rights and social mobility for disadvantaged young people. She won Diversity Champion of the Year 2025 and was one of the Universities UK 100 Faces Campaign to celebrate the first in families to go to university. 

Learn more about Lucy here: 

Website: Lucykatebarnes.co.uk
Substack: Theadvocatewithin.substack.co.uk 
Instagram: @lucykatebarnes

If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Rachel shares how a common phrase helps us cut through what we fear and focus on what we want — instead of getting caught up in unhelpful ‘what-ifs’ that suppress the creative ones.

If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching

Helen Marshall, multi-award-winning author and academic 

Dr Rachel Knightley is joined at the Writers' Gym by World Fantasy and British Fantasy Award winning author, Dr Helen Marshall. Helen is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Queensland. She has won the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award and the Shirley Jackson Award for her three collections of short stories. Her debut novel The Migration argued for the need to remain hopeful, even in the worst circumstances. It was one of The Guardian’s top science fiction books of the year. Her second novel The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl who Loved Death was released in 2025.

Learn more about Helen Marshall here: https://helen-marshall.com/

Instagram: @hairside

If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Most of us are looking for more time. But what if instead of looking for more of it, we first look at our beliefs around how we ‘should’ use the time we already have? Dr Rachel Knightley offers thoughts and strategies around time, writing and how we allow ourselves to create the things we want to put in the world.