Writing the grotesque body with Heather Parry

Gothic Horror at its finest

Today I want to share with you a podcast put out by the National Centre for Writing, which is a Literature House in Norwich, the UK’s first UNESCO city of Literature and commonly known as the City of Stories.

I am a volunteer at the National Centre for Writing and really believe in its mission and the opportunities it affords people.

They also run the Writing Life Podcast, in the episode I’m sharing with you today author Heather Parry discusses writing the grotesque body and reimagining gothic tropes.

Writing the grotesque body with Heather Parry

Below is a link to the full podcast catalogue.

Writing festive thrillers: Nicola Upson on The Christmas Clue – The Writing Life

In this festive episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer Nicola Upson delves into the themes and appeal of crime novels set at Christmas. Nicola Upson’s debut, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey — one of Britain’s finest Golden Age crime writers – and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4. Several of Nicola’s novels have been listed for the CWA Gold and Historical Daggers, and Sorry for the Dead was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Praised as a ‘perfect Christmas crime story’ by Elly Griffiths, her latest novel The Christmas Clue was published in September 2025. She sat down with NCW’s Caitlin Evans to discuss The Christmas Clue, and how she tackled balancing festive cheer with page-turning twists and deceptive characters. Together, they touch on writing fiction inspired by real people, what drew her to writing a Christmas crime novel, and how to develop the ideal festive setting for a murder mystery.

KATIE MARIE