London Writers' Salon

Gretchen Rubin—bestselling author of The Happiness Project and The Four Tendencies on how self-awareness shapes her creative process, the habits that sustain her writing life, and how she wrote her latest nonfiction book Secrets of Adulthood. We discuss: * How Gretchen found her voice and path as a writer * Dealing with naysayers & rejection * Building confidence and redefining “success” in the early stages * How to structure and sustain a long-term writing practice * Her favorite aphorisms—and how she uses them as creative tools * Why time management is personal * How to simplify big ideas into meaningful insights * And more exclusive tips for writers and creatives Resources and Links: Books She's Reading: * The English Understand Wool [https://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Understand-Wool-Storybook-ND/dp/0811230074] * Piranesi by Susanna Clarke [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50202953-piranesi] * Upcountry by Nelson DeMille [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33820.Up_Country] Gretchen's Website & Books mentioned * Gretchen’s Website: [https://gretchenrubin.com/]https://gretchenrubin.com/ * Secrets of Adulthood [https://gretchenrubin.com/books/secrets-of-adulthood/] * The Four Tendences [https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-four-tendencies/] * Forty Ways to Look at JFK [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/034545049] About Gretchen Rubin Gretchen Rubin [https://gretchenrubin.com/] is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s known for her ability to convey complex ideas—from science to literature to stories from her own life—with levity and clarity. She’s the author of many bestselling books, such as The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, Life in Five Senses and The Four Tendencies, which have sold millions of copies in more than thirty languages. Her most recent book is Secrets of Adulthood. She’s also host of the popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happier-with-gretchen-rubin/id969519520] and founder of award-winning Happier app [https://thehappierapp.com/?_gl=1*vga398*_ga*NzI4Nzk4Nzc1LjE2MDA4ODcxODI.*_ga_7C83YBXZPT*MTY3MTE5MDgwNi4xNTQuMS4xNjcxMTkwOTcyLjAuMC4w] which helps people track their happiness-boosting habits. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. [http://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com] For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. [http://writershour.com] * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/ WritersSalon [http://twitter.com/WritersSalon] Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon [http://instagram.com/londonwriterssalon] Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon [http://facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon] If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Francesca Simon is the legendary author of over 60 books for children, including the global bestselling Horrid Henry series, which has been translated into 27 languages. Her books have sold over 25 million copies. She talks to us about early rejection, finding fame, reinventing her voice to write librettos, and her first foray into adult fiction with Salka: The exquisite retelling of the tragic myth of the Lady of the Lake.  Francesca was appointed MBE in 2023 and continues to advocate for literacy and storytelling across generations. RESOURCES & LINKS * 📑Interview Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VZ6IlqinsbZ9ZABqexm0IDejukEGzVPLV7ZqK-91Xgg/edit?usp=sharing] * Salka by Francesca Simon [https://tinyurl.com/387f87hs] * Goodreads [https://www.goodreads.com/] * Francesca’s Website [https://www.francescasimon.com/] For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. [http://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com] For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. [http://writershour.com] * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/ WritersSalon [http://twitter.com/WritersSalon] Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon [http://instagram.com/londonwriterssalon] Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon [http://facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon] If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

How do you write a great query letter, find the right agent, and stand out in today’s crowded submissions inbox? In this special compilation episode, four top literary agents: Ed Wilson, Lucinda Halpern, Madeleine Milburn & Sam Copeland, share their honest advice on getting signed, writing marketable books, and navigating today's publishing industry. * Timestamps: Ed Wilson - 1:01 Lucinda Literary -  19:11 Madeleine Milburn - 37:20 Sam Copeland - 48:47   ABOUT THE LITERARY AGENTS  Ed Wilson [https://www.johnsonandalcock.co.uk/ed-wilson] is a literary agent and director at Johnson & Alcock, a London-based literary agency with a diverse and developing list of authors of fiction and nonfiction. He represents everything from award-winning literary fiction to bestselling crime, science-fiction, and fantasy.  * Ed's profile [https://www.johnsonandalcock.co.uk/ed-wilson] at Johnson & Alcock * Ed's Twitter account [https://twitter.com/literarywhore] * Johnson & Alcock's submission guidelines [https://www.johnsonandalcock.co.uk/submissions] * Full LWS episode: #071: Ed Wilson — Submitting to Agents & Navigating Publishing, Junior vs Experienced Agents, How to Follow up with Agents, Smaller vs Larger Literary Agencies [https://londonwriterssalon.simplecast.com/episodes/071-ed-wilson-submitting-to-agents-navigating-publishing] * Lucinda Literary [https://lucindaliterary.com/] is a New York literary agent and the author of Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4J71HQN/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0C4J71HQN&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2]. She represents a range of New York Times and internationally bestselling authors in the categories of business, health, lifestyle, popular science, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction.  * * Get Signed: Find an Agent, Land a Book Deal, and Become a Published Author [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739644/get-signed-by-lucinda-halpern/] * Lucinda Literary [https://lucindaliterary.com/] * Follow up question? Get in touch with Lucinda here [https://lucindaliterary.com/post-event-contact/]. * Full LWS episode: #96: Lucinda Halpern — How to Get Signed With a Literary Agent, Unlock Your Book’s Big Idea, Query Letter Essentials, Unconventional Ways to Engage With Beta-Readers [https://londonwriterssalon.simplecast.com/episodes/96-lucinda-halpern-how-to-get-signed-with-a-literary-agent-unlock-your-books-big-idea-query-letter-essentials-unconventional-ways-to-engage-with-beta-readers] * Madeleine Milburn [https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk/agents/madeleine-milburn/] has been responsible for discovering some of the highest-selling and award-winning contemporary authors who consistently hit the bestseller lists in the New York Times, including Nita Prose (The Maid), Costa Book Award winner and bestseller Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine). She represents bestselling crime and thriller brands including C.L. Taylor, C.J Tudor, Mark Edwards and Teresa Driscoll. * Website [https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk/] * Submitting your work to the Madeleine Milburn Agency [https://www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk/submissions/] * Full LWS episode:  #064: Madeleine Milburn — Catching an Agent's Eye & Building an Author-First Agency [https://londonwriterssalon.simplecast.com/episodes/064-madeleine-milburn-catching-an-agents-eye-building-an-author-first-agency] * Sam Copeland [https://www.sam-copeland.com/who-am-i] was shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the 2020 and 2021 British Book Awards and selected for the Bookseller's Most Influential People in Publishing in 2020. He welcomes e-mail submissions and can be contacted on sam@rcwlitagency.com. He is also a children’s author [http://www.sam-copeland.com/].  His Charlie Changes series was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book of the Year shortlisted * Sam Copeland  [https://www.sam-copeland.com/who-am-i] * RCW Literary Agency [https://www.rcwlitagency.com/] * Full LWS episode: #118: Sam Copeland — How to Catch The Eye Of A Literary Agent, Compelling Pitch Letters & Writing Funny Children’s Fiction [https://londonwriterssalon.simplecast.com/episodes/118-sam-copeland-what-literary-agents-are-looking-for-writing-funny-childrens-fiction-nnspspz5] For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. [http://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com] For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. [http://writershour.com] * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/ WritersSalon [http://twitter.com/WritersSalon] Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon [http://instagram.com/londonwriterssalon] Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon [http://facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon] If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

What if uncertainty wasn’t something to fear, but your greatest creative ally? Dr. Margaret Heffernan—author, entrepreneur, and TED speaker—on how artists and writers thrive in chaotic times. We also talk about embracing the unknown, navigating AI-driven anxiety, and staying creatively resilient in a world that rewards certainty. We discuss: * Margaret’s early creative life and career across TV, tech & writing * What artists can teach us about navigating uncertainty * Why AI can’t replicate the human imagination * How writers manage doubt, income & purpose * The danger of over-planning and the value of wandering * Lessons from writing Embracing Uncertainty under deadline * Making peace with the chapter that always fights back * The creative power of soft focus & soaking up the world   About Margaret Heffernan Margaret Heffernan is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and former BBC producer. She has written seven books, including Willful Blindness—named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times—and her latest, Embracing Uncertainty. Her TED Talks have over 15 million views, and she writes regularly for the Financial Times and BBC Radio 4. She is Professor of Practice at the University of Bath and mentors leaders around the world. Resources and Links: * 📑Interview Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xayPXNCHWIMvnj2_wABDmWgaBQQDfPTnCW28Tu2w4LY/edit?usp=sharing] * The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World - TED Talk [https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_human_skills_we_need_in_an_unpredictable_world?language=en] * Embracing Uncertainty  [https://www.mheffernan.com/book-embracinguncertainty.php] * Unchartred  [https://www.mheffernan.com/book-uncharted.php] * Margaret’s Substack [https://heffernanm.substack.com/] For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. [http://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com] For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. [http://writershour.com] * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/ WritersSalon [http://twitter.com/WritersSalon] Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon [http://instagram.com/londonwriterssalon] Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon [http://facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon] If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Celebrated writer and memoirist Melissa Febos on the art of the memoir,  the alchemy of personal experience and literary craft, and how to turn the raw material of life into art. We also her latest book, The Dry Season,  where she examines the solitude, freedoms, and feminist heroes Febos found during a year of celibacy. We also talk about: - Writing the unspeakable and undoing shame. - The role of research and personal obsession in memoir. - Finding structure through inventory, list-making & reflection. - Balancing vulnerability with privacy on the page. - How Melissa decides what’s hers to tell—and when. - Her advice on discouragement, creative play & sustaining the practice.   ABOUT MELISSA FEBOS Melissa Febos is the nationally bestselling author of four books, including Girlhood, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, and Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative. She has received fellowships and awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, NEA, LAMBDA Literary, the British Library, and more. Her essays appear in The Paris Review, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and Best American Essays. She is a full professor at the University of Iowa and lives in Iowa City with her wife, poet Donika Kelly.   RESOURCES & LINKS: 📑 Interview Transcript (forthcoming) * Order a Signed Copy of The Dry Season [https://www.prairielights.com/pre-order-dry-season-june-2025-prairie-lights-0] * Pre Order The Dry Season [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725681/the-dry-season-by-melissa-febos/] * The Dry Season [https://www.melissafebos.com/the-dry-season] * Melisa’s Website [https://www.melissafebos.com/] * Whip Smart [https://www.melissafebos.com/whip-smart] * Abandon Me [https://www.melissafebos.com/abandon-me] * Body Work [https://www.melissafebos.com/body-work] * “Living Like Weasels” by Annie Dillard [https://www.dailygood.org/story/1490/living-like-weasels-annie-dillard/] * Belgian Beguines [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/855/#:~:text=These%20Beguines%20were%20either%20unmarried,their%20spiritual%20and%20material%20needs.] For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. [http://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com] For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. [http://writershour.com] * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/ WritersSalon [http://twitter.com/WritersSalon] Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon [http://instagram.com/londonwriterssalon] Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon [http://facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon] If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!