We spend as much time as we can reading and writing but sometimes you just have to drag yourself away from the page. So when we’re doing household chores, walking the dog or on the commute to work, we take the chance to listen to a podcast. And of course it has to be about writing. Over the past few years we’ve found some brilliant writerly podcasts which have inspired and entertained us in equal measure. Here are the Creative Writing Programme’s top five writing podcasts. 

Bethan Roberts has been teaching on the Longstanding tutor Bethan Roberts has published her sixth novel A Short Road to Longbrook. Here she talks about her new book and her writing life.

Kate Bradley took the Creative Writing Programme from 2005-7 and finished her first novel on the course. Her fourth novel – The Institute – comes out this week. Here she talks about the inspiration behind the story.

You want to write a novel or memoir – but should you take a creative writing course or learn ‘on the job’?

Congratulations to T.M Munyori who has published her debut novel A Holiday Reboot. She’s in the second year of the Creative Writing Programme, studying in Brighton. Here she talks about her journey to publication and her writing life.

John McCullough has been teaching our Advanced Poetry Workshops for many years and has a new poetry collection out this spring. He tells us about his writing life.

Ruth is a novelist and short story writer. She was born in Oxford and grew up in the US. Her short stories have been short listed and commended for the Bridport Prize several times and in 2013 her short story The Coffin Gate was broadcast on Radio 4. Magnetism, her debut novel was published by Myriad in 2018. Here she talks about her writing life.

A huge congratulations to our eight students and alumni who shared their work at our winter reading last night at Kemptown Bookshop, Brighton on inspirations as diverse as greek mythology, doppelgangers, the NHS and laundrettes.

Kate Gillhespy has been shortlisted and highly commended in the Novel category of the 2025 Yeovil Literary Prize.

Our courses start this week so it feels appropriate to share this quote from the inspirational Stephen King. Whether you’re a returning second year writer, or starting on a creative writing course, the life writing programme or poetry, welcome and welcome back. We’re so excited to be teaching again after the long summer break.

Philippa Groom, a graduate of the Life Writing Programme, is one of ten winners of this year's prestigious Fish Publishing Memoir Prize.  Her winning piece, an extract from her memoir, My Hummingbird Heart, is published in the Fish Anthology 2025. 

Elaine is a novelist, short story writer and English teacher. She is the author of a novel and a short story collection. She teaches on the two-year Creative Writing Programme. Here she talks about her writing life.

Congratulations to Advanced Poetry Workshop alumna Lucy Heuschen whose debut poetry collection came out recently. Daughter of Fire is a fierce retelling of the life and legacy of Margaret of Anjou.

Lisa Lintott completed the Life Writing Programme in 2016-2018 and has since written an award-winning play and screenplay. She is currently editing her first novel. Here she talks about her writing life.

Well done to Dorian Nightingale whose poetry pamphlet Songs from Last Imaginations has recently been published by Flight of the Dragonfly Press. Dorian is an alumni of the Creative Writing Programme where he studied short story writing under the tutelage of Rosie Chard and poetry with John McCullough. 

Laura Wilkinson is a tutor on the two-year Creative Writing Programme in Brighton and runs the Advanced Writing Workshops. She has published seven novels for adults (two under a pseudonym) and numerous short stories. Here she offers her top writing tips.

Ieuan Goodwin, who has just finished the two-year Creative Writing Programme, has been shortlisted for The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers with his short story Lily.

Congratulations to Dr Beth Miller whose seventh novel The Friendship List is published today by Bookouture. The Friendship List is an utterly emotional and unforgettable page-turner about love and friendship.

A short story by CWP alumna Lisa Fransson has been included in an anthology of stories to bring hope in dark times. Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s famous poem, the stories included in HOPE: The Thing With Feathers each have a feather motif and a hopeful positive ending.

The short answer is no. There are many successful authors who never went to university. Having letters after your name, or spending years in a university’s hallowed halls, does not necessarily make you a writer. Becoming a writer is all about learning the craft of writing and actually sitting down and writing.