S2, E1: The Courage to Write Your Story: Author Tanya Shadrick on Memoir, Creativity and Becoming Yourself

S2, E1: The Courage to Write Your Story: Author Tanya Shadrick on Memoir, Creativity and Becoming Yourself

This week on A Thread of One’s Own, Theo Clarke is joined by acclaimed author Tanya Shadrick to discuss her extraordinary memoir The Cure for Sleep: A Late-Waking Life [https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-cure-for-sleep/tanya-shadrick/9781474618090], and the journey to becoming a writer later in life. The Cure for Sleep: A Late-Waking Life (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) is Tanya’s memoir of what it took—and cost—to break free from old social constraints and make that larger story for herself, even as she remained a wife and mother in a small town. It was a Waterstones and Evening Standard Non-Fiction Book of the Year. Together they explore what it means to find your creative voice after years of putting others first, the power of memoir to make sense of our lives, and how writing can become an act of self-discovery. Topics discussed on the show include: writing memoir; becoming a writer later in life; balancing creativity with family life; finding time to write; the importance of place in storytelling; memory and truth in memoir; writing as self-discovery; overcoming self-doubt; and the journey to publication. BIOGRAPHY Tanya Shadrick embarked as a writer after forty with The Wild Patience Scrolls. A mile of writing composed pen on paper beside England’s oldest outdoor pool during her young children’s school hours, it was an intensely local project that led to BBC Radio 4 features and an international residency at the Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature in Switzerland. Following that large-scale performance piece, Tanya became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and was welcomed as a writer-in-residence at other extraordinary locations, including the National Trust’s Grade II-listed cliffside artists’ cabin at Bucks Mill, North Devon, and Virginia Woolf’s garden on the Sussex Downs. Theo Clarke is a bestselling author, interviewer and former Member of Parliament. She is the creator and host of ‘A Thread of One’s Own’, a podcast and Substack celebrating books, writing and the creative process. Her memoir ‘Breaking the Taboo’ was shortlisted for the Westminster Book Awards. Resources: 📖 The Cure for Sleep: A Late-Waking Life by Tanya Shadrick 🌐 Tanya Shadrick: https://tanyashadrick.com/ Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast [http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast] Instagram: @theoclarkemp A Thread of One’s Own production team: Host and Producer: Theo Clarke Editor: Adam Woodward Designer: Emily Ryder Social media: Eleanor Flavin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com [https://theodoraclarke.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S1, E10: Author Arabella Byrne on Writing In the Blood: Mothers, Daughters and Addiction

In this week’s episode, our host and bestselling author Theo Clarke speaks to writer and journalist Arabella Byrne about her memoir In the Blood: On Mothers, Daughters and Addiction, co-written with her mother Julia and published by HarperCollins. They discuss: the practical and emotional challenges of co-writing a memoir with a parent; writing faithfully about family, the influence of journalism and fiction on memoir, the changing landscape of recovery books; family silence around addiction, and she shares her advice for writing. IN THE BLOOD In the Blood: On Mothers, Daughters and Addiction is a memoir in two voices, telling the story of a mother and daughter who both found themselves in Alcoholics Anonymous just nine months apart. Exploring addiction across generations, family secrets, memory and recovery, it is a powerful account of how women navigate inherited trauma and find a way forward. Buy the book: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/in-the-blood-on-mothers-daughters-and-addiction-arabella-byrnejulia-hamilton?variant=41343870042190 [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/in-the-blood-on-mothers-daughters-and-addiction-arabella-byrnejulia-hamilton?variant=41343870042190] BIOGRAPHY Arabella Byrne is the co-author of In the Blood: On Mothers, Daughters and Addiction, published by HarperCollins in November 2024 and longlisted for the TLS Ackerley Prize for Memoir. She writes for the Spectator, The Times, The Telegraph, Literary Review and The Critic, amongst others. She is an Ambassador for NACOA (the National Association for Children of Alcoholics) and holds a PhD in French history from the University of Pennsylvania. Arabella is married with two children and lives in Oxfordshire. ABOUT THE HOST Theo Clarke is an author, podcaster, and former politician. She hosts the book club A Thread of One’s Own and the hit women’s health podcast Breaking the Taboo. [https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast] She is the bestselling author of Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Taboo-about-birth-trauma/dp/1785909355] which was shortlisted for the Westminster Book Awards. The former MP for Stafford, Theo won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and has been included multiple times in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list. Follow @theoclarkemp [https://www.instagram.com/theoclarkemp/?hl=en]and @drarabella [https://www.instagram.com/drarabella/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com [https://theodoraclarke.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S1, E9: Author Theo Clarke on Writing Memoir, Motherhood & Breaking the Taboo

This week our regular host Theo Clarke is interviewed by broadcaster and journalist Belle Donati about Theo’s bestselling book Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma, and her journey as a writer and campaigner for women’s health. Topics discussed on the show include: writing memoir; championing women’s stories; balancing writing with parenting and a day job; motherhood and creativity; creative writing courses; the importance of writing buddies and accountability; and her writing routine. BIOGRAPHY Belle Donati is a broadcaster and journalist. She has anchored international breaking news for Sky News, NBC-Euronews and France 24, and has a background at the BBC, ITV and Al Jazeera English. She has interviewed guests from Nigel Farage and Humza Yousaf to Brian Cox and Isabel Allende. She hosts podcasts and discussions with The How To Academy on culture and politics. After the birth of her second child, she became an advocate for early intervention in at-risk babies. She is a part of the Ei SMART Foundation team and sits on the Lived Experience Advisory Panel for charity RareMinds. She is chair of the board of trustees of The Lovington Foundation. Theo Clarke hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health. She has also published the memoir Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. Theo was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. Theo has served as parliamentary private secretary at the Departments for Education, Business and Trade and HM Treasury, in addition to being trade envoy for the Prime Minister. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and was included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list in 2025 and 2024. She sits on the Board of the United Nations Association UK as their Vice Chair. RESOURCESBreaking the Taboo by Theo Clarkehttps://www.waterstones.com/book/breaking-the-taboo/theo-clarke//9781785909351 [https://www.waterstones.com/book/breaking-the-taboo/theo-clarke//9781785909351] Global Birth Trauma Alliancehttps://www.globalbirthtraumaalliance.com/ [https://www.globalbirthtraumaalliance.com/] Birth Trauma Associationhttps://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/ [https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org/] MASIChttps://masic.org.uk/ [https://masic.org.uk/] Website: http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast [http://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast] Instagram: @theoclarkemp [https://www.instagram.com/theoclarkemp/] A Thread of One’s Own production team: Producer: Adam Woodward Designer: Emily Ryder Social media: Bella Carter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com [https://theodoraclarke.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S1, E8: Wainwright Prize Shortlisted Author Paul Lamb on Writing, Nature and A Life in the Countryside

In this month’s episode, our host and bestselling author Theo Clarke speaks to writer and hedgelayer Paul Lamb about his book Of Thorn & Briar, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Wainwright Prize in 2025 and was an instant Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. They discuss: the origins of the book; his writing process; the craft of hedgelaying; supporting wildlife and climate resilience; rural life, tradition and modern agriculture; the rhythm of seasonal work; writing memoir and nature writing; balancing practical craft with reflective storytelling; and how writing has influenced his relationship with the landscape. Paul also shares his top tips for writing a book and his literary influences. OF THORN & BRIAR Of Thorn & Briar explores the craft of hedgelaying and a life lived close to the land. Following the rhythm of the seasons, the book reflects on the relationship between people, place and tradition, and considers the environmental and cultural significance of hedgerows in the British countryside. Buy the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thorn-Briar-Year-Country-Hedgelayer/dp/1398535036 [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thorn-Briar-Year-Country-Hedgelayer/dp/1398535036] BIOGRAPHY Paul Lamb was born in 1976. Four years later, he emigrated with his parents to New Zealand. It was here he first developed a love for the outdoors, spending much time in the wild places of the North Island. He returned to Britain in his teens and found employment as an itinerant farm labourer. In his early twenties, Paul took an apprenticeship with a Dorset woodsman in an isolated coppice and began his journey into woodsmanship. Paul has earned his living from the woodlands and hedgerows of the West Country ever since. This enthralling book celebrates the benefits of hedgerows and a way of living that has all but disappeared in recent decades. Following the rhythm of the seasons, Of Thorn & Briar describes Paul Lamb’s life on the road and the practical aspects of his craft, as he travels the South-West caring for an important but often forgotten part of the British countryside. Follow @westcountry_hedgelayer [https://www.instagram.com/westcountry_hedgelayer/] ABOUT THE HOST Theo Clarke hosts ‘A Thread of One’s Own’ and the hit podcast ‘Breaking the Taboo’ which is in the Top 5% most listened to podcasts globally. She is the bestselling author of ‘Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Taboo-about-birth-trauma/dp/1785909355]‘ which was shortlisted for the Westminster Book Awards. Theo was formerly the Member of Parliament for Stafford and won ‘Speech of the Year’ at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. She has been included multiple times in the Top 100 Women in Westminster list. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com [https://theodoraclarke.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S1, E7: Author Helen Chandler-White on Lost & Found and Why We Hold Onto Things

In this month’s book club, our host and bestselling author Theo Clarke, speaks to journalist Helen Chandler-Wilde about her latest book ‘Lost & Found’. They also discuss advice on writing non-fiction, blending memoir with journalism and share top tips for writing, including the Pomodoro technique, and how to balance being an author with a day job too. LOST & FOUND Why do we buy and keep the things we do, and how can we live a less cluttered life? Journalist Helen Chandler-Wilde dives deep to explore, explain, and guide us on the path to liberation from the tyranny of “too much.” On New Year’s Eve of 2018, journalist Helen Chandler-Wilde lost everything she owned in a storage unit fire in Croydon, where she had stowed all her possessions after a big break-up. She was left devastated, and forced to re-evaluate her relationship with owning material things. A mix of memoir, self-help and journalism, Lost & Found explores the psychological reasons for why we buy and keep the things we do, and explains how we can liberate ourselves from the tyranny of ‘too much’. Helen interviews people from all walks of life, including behavioural psychologists on the science of nostalgia, a nun on what it’s like to own almost nothing and consumer psychologists on why we spend impulsively, to help us better understand why we’re surrounded by clutter and what we can do to change it. This smart-thinking book explains the sociological quirks of human nature and the fascinating science behind why we buy and hold onto things. By the end of it, your relationship with your belongings will be changed forever. Read here: Lost & Found [https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/helen-chandler-wilde/happy-with-less/9781783255603/] BIOGRAPHY Helen Chandler-Wilde is a news and features journalist at Bloomberg and formerly for The Telegraph, where she writes stories about the real people behind the headlines. She covers a range of topics, from celebrity interviews to in-depth stories about housing in the UK. She studied economics and languages at university, before completing a master’s degree in journalism. Follow Helen Chandler-Wilde on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/helenchandlerwilde/] ABOUT THE HOST Theo Clarke hosts A Thread of One’s Own and the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which is in the Top 5% most listened to podcasts globally. She is the bestselling author of Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma. Theo was formerly the Member of Parliament for Stafford and won ‘Speech of the Year’ at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. She has twice been listed among the Top 100 Women in Westminster (2024 & 2025). Follow Theo Clarke: @theoclarkemp [https://www.instagram.com/theoclarkemp/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com [https://theodoraclarke.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]