Happy New Year! We begin 2021 with a conversation with Desmond Elliott Prize shortlisted Abi Daré, whose debut The Girl With The Louding Voice caught everyone’s attention last year. Abi talks about her approach to world building and how she used the narrative voice in the book to explore its setting. Asking the questions is novelist Sarah Bower.
Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna, who start the episode by celebrating that it’s not 2020 anymore.
![]()
You can go direct to the RSS feed here.
If you like this episode don’t forget to subscribe!
Get more free resources on world building: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/5-world-building/
Find out about our Early Career Awards, including the Desmond Elliott Prize: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/early-career-awards/
Check out our online courses: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/creative-writing-online/
More on what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/
Made possible with support from Arts Council England.
Music by Bennet Maples.
You may also like...
Writing the self in memoir: Camilla Balshaw on Named
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, writer Camilla Balshaw shares insights into exploring themes of identity and belonging in her memoir, ‘Named’.
4th May 2026
New ideas and how to grow them
‘Ideas are like frogs. They can be slippery beasts.’ In this article, NCW workshop leader and writer, Abi Hynes, offers some advice for wrangling writing ideas creatively when you don’t know what to do with them.
22nd April 2026