Authors' Matters by ALCS

Let's consider the distinctly human skills that go into producing the finished books you find on the shelves of your local bookshop or library. In this episode, we speak with three equally skilled humans who contribute to the collaborative process of creating a finished book: indexer Paula Clarke Bain, editor Kris Doyle and translator Sawad Hussain. We want to celebrate the often unseen work that goes into shaping a reader's experience - AI could never!

The great Maureen Duffy, novelist, poet, playwright, and non-fiction writer, sadly died in May 2026. In this episode we speak to three people who knew Maureen professionally and personally and they share great insight into her life, her work and her activism, particularly all she did for authors' rights including the founding of ALCS. Host Caroline Sanderson is joined by writer Stella Duffy, King's Professor Lawrence Warner and Kevin Fitzgerald, IAF Chair.

To celebrate National Poetry on 1 October 2026, journalist Caroline Sanderson sits down with Chris Redmond and Francesca Beard from the Hot Poets Collective to talk about how they're bringing poetry and science together to address the climate emergency.  

We know that adults are reading less than ever and scrolling more but what does this mean for writers and the wider publishing ecosystem? And how can we fix it? Publisher Joanna Prior and writer Sathnam Sanghera sit down with host Caroline Sanderson to share their thoughts and solutions to the reading crisis - we guarantee listeners will go away inspired to read more.

In the season finale of Authors' Matters, we talk to Trish Cooke, playwright, actress, television presenter, scriptwriter and children's author! Trish reflects on her eclectic writing career and her strong storytelling roots formed in childhood, strengthened by her Dominican heritage. She talks about the highs of her career and the challenges that have pushed her to where she is now. 

Writer of the ITV hit series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Gwyneth Hughes joins Authors' Matters to discuss how her beginnings as a journalist informed her writing and gave her an early instinct for real people's stories. She also shares her insights on how to write fiction successfully for the screen and how the ecosystem of TV writing has changed during the age of streaming.

Journalist Sarah Shaffi joins us on Authors' Matters to talk all things freelance – how to make the decision to go freelance, what to charge and what to expect from your working life.  She also shares details of her work championing writers of colour and representation across the industry.

Winner of the Branford Boase 2024 for his debut, author Nathanael Lessore talks to Authors' Matters about the importance of writer/editor relationships, how to write authentically for a young audience and why school libraries are so important.

Author and academic Vybarr Cregan-Reid talks to Authors' Matters about his fascinating career trajectory (shout-out to Brighton bus company!) and shares his belief in the importance of protecting the humanities in the education sector and also the creative industries as a whole.

Novelist, poet and non-fiction writer Natasha Carthew talks class, the privilege gap and how she created her own literary festival to tackle these issues head on.