Folklore, Speculative Fiction & Independent Publishing with Nathaniel Spain

In this episode, Megan speaks with Nathaniel Spain, writer, designer and publishing professional based in Tyne and Wear, and editor of independent micro press Carnyx Press, which he launched in 2025.Nathaniel talks about wearing multiple hats as editor, designer, illustrator and typesetter, and why he’s drawn to speculative fiction—from folklore and mythology to metaphor-rich stories that let us explore contemporary issues and sensitive subjects at a slight remove.They discuss Oaths and Offerings, Carnyx Press’s first anthology of northern folklore, touch on the physical craft of beautiful books (from paper choices to cover design), and explore how Nathaniel balances indie publishing with his work in marketing and special editions at Hachette UK. He also explains why Carnyx Press explicitly rejects the use of generative AI, and what’s at stake for writers, readers and the future of publishing.Mentioned in this episodeCarnyx Press – Nathaniel’s independent micro press publishing speculative short fiction anthologies.Oaths and Offerings – A folklore-inspired anthology exploring nature, community, prejudice, climate change and belonging in northern settings.Cosmic Horror - The third anthology from Carnyx Press is open for submissions from 1st October to 30th November 2026.Ursula K. Le Guin – The Dispossessed – A speculative novel that contrasts different political systems through twin worlds.Lally Macbeth – The Lost Folk – A non-fiction work examining the richness of folklore. Host Credits Hosted and edited by Megan Dawson (SYP North Podcast Officer)LinkedIn: SYP LinksInstagram: @SYP_UKTwitter: @SYP_UKWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected] 

In this episode, Tom speaks with Emma Leask, Production Editor at Bloomsbury Academic and former Chair of SYP North.Emma shares her route into publishing after moving away from a law degree to a master’s in publishing, stepping up from production assistant to production editor at Bloomsbury Academic, working across lists including theology, music and sound studies, politics, international development, and anthropology. She demystifies production as a project-management role at the heart of the publishing process, coordinating copy-editing and typesetting to cover design and print, and explains how her work in academic production differs from trade in pace and schedules.Emma also highlights key skills for production roles, from organisation, time management, problem-solving, and clear communication. She offers advice on how experience from other departments or transferable skills from outside publishing can still be relevant to production. Finally, she reflects on her time as an SYP North mentor, why Northern voices and production roles need more visibility, and how the future of academic books is changing. Emma LeaskProduction Editor, Bloomsbury AcademicFormer Chair & current Mentor, SYP NorthMentioned in this EpisodeBloomsbury Academic bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/bloomsbury-academic/33 1/3 Series https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/series/33-13/SYP North Mentorship Scheme thesyp.org.uk/mentorships/Host Credits & SYP LinksHosted by Tom Barker (Co-Chair, SYP North)Edited by the Inside Publishing podcast teamInstagram: @SYP_UKTwitter/X: @SYP_UKWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or would like to take part in the show, drop us a line at [email protected].

In this episode, Sophie speaks to Phillip Powell-Mills, a marketing manager at The International Bunch, a marketing consultancy and agency for academic publishing. Philip discusses his route into the industry, the complexities and misconceptions of his role and his work as a mentor with ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers). Mentioned in this episode:The International Bunch - https://www.internationalbunch.com/ALPSP - www.alpsp.org Follow on: Facebook, LinkedIn, XFind out more about ALPSP’s student and early career memberships here.Hosted and edited by Sophie Ward (SYP London Podcast Officer)Instagram: @SYP_LondonWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected]

In this episode, Megan speaks with Rebecca Wilkie, Senior Programme Manager (Festivals & Events) at New Writing North and Director of Durham Book Festival.Rebecca shares her journey from growing up in Liverpool to studying and working in London, moving from literary agency The Agency (London) Ltd and BookTrust into the subsidised arts, and eventually leading literary events across the North East. She reflects on class and regional inequality, highlighting the importance of creating opportunities for writers and readers across the region.They go on to explore the realities of producing a major literary festival: the challenges of persuading authors to travel beyond London and Manchester, balancing established names with emerging voices, and New Writing North’s commitment to creating accessible events through live-streaming and captioning.Rebecca also shares her thoughts on the changing literary landscape, the skills needed to build a career in festival programming and what literary festivals can offer in an age of algorithms.Rebecca WilkieNew Writing North: https://newwritingnorth.com/team/rebecca-wilkie/Links & resourcesNew Writing North: https://newwritingnorth.comDurham Book Festival:  https://newwritingnorth.com/festivals/durham-book-festival/Louise Powell's Underdogs: https://www.culturednortheast.co.uk/p/louises-debut-novel-races-out-ofNew centre for writing and publishing: https://newwritingnorth.com/capital-works/Northern Writers’ Awards: https://newwritingnorth.com/northern-writers-awards/BookTrust: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/The Agency: https://theagency.co.uk/Women’s Prize for Fiction: https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/Host Credits & SYP Links:Hosted and edited by Megan Dawson (SYP North Podcast Officer)Instagram: @SYP_UKTwitter: @SYP_UKWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected] Transcript: https://thesyp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Book-Festivals-and-Literary-Communities-with-Rebecca-Wilkie.pdf

In this episode, Gemma talks to Shaun McMullen about New Cross Press, his brand new press launched earlier this month. With a background in law, Shaun discusses how his career has influenced his approach to starting his own business. He talks through the process of publishing Horsefly, the first book on their list. Shaun also gives an insight into the behind the scenes of forming your own press, how he connected with the small press community, sharing advice along the way.New Cross Press links:Instagram: @new.cross.pressWebsite: https://newcrosspress.comHost Credits & SYP Links:Hosted and edited by Gemma Jackson (SYP UK Lead)Instagram: @SYP_UKTwitter: @SYP_UKWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected] 

In this episode, Megan speaks with Will Mackie, Senior Programme Manager at New Writing North and co-leader of the MA in Publishing at Northumbria University.Will shares his journey from editorial roles into talent development and how he now supports emerging writers, particularly in the North of England. We explore structural imbalances in UK publishing and discuss how education, prizes and partnerships can help open up the industry.The episode also highlights the unique partnership between Hachette UK, New Writing North and Northumbria University, offering students real industry experience through placements and opportunities like attending London Book Fair.Mentioned in this episodeDavid Miller Internship Programme: https://newwritingnorth.com/event/the-drf-david-miller-internship-programme-2026/New Writing North: https://newwritingnorth.com/Northumbria University – MA Publishing: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/ma-publishing-dtfpui6/Hachette UK: https://www.hachette.co.uk/Authors Mentioned:James Harris – A children’s writer from Middlesbrough whose career developed after winning a Hachette children’s novel award.Louise Powell – Upcoming debut novelist publishing with John Murray Press (Hachette UK). Her novel, set in Middlesbrough, explores illegal dog racing in the North East.Shaun Wilson –  Author of a recently published autofiction work set in Wigtown, Cumbria (published 23 April 2026). Host Credits & SYP Links:Hosted and edited by Megan Dawson (SYP North Podcast Officer)Instagram: @SYP_UKTwitter: @SYP_UKWebsite: https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected] 

In this episode, Gemma speaks with literary translator, Julia Sanches. She translates from Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan, and has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. As well as discussing her career journey, we talk about her views on literary prize culture, how  she approaches a project and  why translation deserves more recognition in the UK and the US.Books mentioned:Macunaíma by Mário de Andrade, translated by Katrina DodsonCane by Jean ToomerThe Golden Notebook by Doris LessingThe Dream Hotel by Leila Lalami Distant Fathers by Marina Jarre, translated by Ann GoldsteinJulia’s website https://juliasanches.comSYP website https://thesyp.org.ukInstagram @syp_ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected]

In this episode, Gemma is joined by Muminah Koleoso, a First Chapter Award 2025 winner. She is a poet, writer and the founder of the Sister Station podcast. They discuss her career journey, the growing online poetry community and the challenges of a London-centric publishing industry. Muminah also shares insight into her creative process, and how her love of reading and storytelling motivates her daily.   Muminah’s Instagram @minahsmusingsSYP Website https://thesyp.org.ukInstagram @syp_ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected]

In this episode, Nuala speaks to Scots poet and language activist Len Pennie to discuss the landscape surrounding learning or re-learning our native, minority languages across the UK. In the second episode of a three-part series, Len continues the conversation begun by my conversation with Pàdriag. We discussed preconceived notions surrounding Scots, Scots as a language for love and not just anger, and whether we should always be speaking our minority languages even when bilingual? Len proposed paying the Grandmas for their role in cross-generational language learning, and how, for her, the importance of Scots Word of the Day is to provide a nice moment of Scots in people's everyday. Ultimately, our conversation was about addressing some of the feelings of shame, stigmatisation, and inadequacy that come with learning languages we are expected to know. Len Pennie@misspunnypennie on instagram Books mentioned: Poyums (2024) and Poyums Annaw (2025)Hosted and edited by Nuala Tranter (SYP Scotland Podcast Officer)Instagram @sypscotlandWebsite: https://thesyp.org.uk If you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the conversation, drop us a line at [email protected]

In this episode, Gemma interviews Sofia Saghir - Campaigns Manager at Riot Communications, a PR agency specialising in arts, culture and entertainment. Sofia discusses the difference between delivering campaigns while working in-house vs at an agency. Also she talks about the range of coverage needed for a successful PR campaign and how the growing importance of BookTok is changing the media landscape. She shares how her career began on her book blog, along with some invaluable advice for aspiring PR and publishing professionals. Sofia's links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-saghir-5505b5230/Riot Communications: https://www.riotcommunications.com/Episode Transcript: https://otter.ai/u/HwOya2CCO8GJoznkxbKUSOQrsaY?utm_source=copy_urlHosted and edited by Gemma Jackson (SYP London Podcast Officer)Instagram @syp_londonX @SYP_UKWebsite https://thesyp.org.ukIf you have any questions about this episode or wish to partake in the show, drop us a line at [email protected]