I
have been having a massive clear-out of my home office and to ease the pain of this essentially hideous task, I’ve been listening to online author interviews.Here are a few of my favourites:
NCWGF 2016 – Masterclass by Kit de Waal – The Art of Trespass (2016 – 1 hour 5 min). Lecture presenting the context of appropriation in changing political landscapes, followed by talk on writing as a working class writer.
Kit de Waal on The Trick to Time (2018 – 6 min). Capturing moments, grief and loss, and things of great meaning. Love this interview.
What my mama told me: Edith Eva Eger at TEDxLaJolla (2014 – 12 min).
Edith Eger on BBC Woman’s Hour (2018). Two minutes of brilliant advice. “I will never stop climbing.”
BBC Woman’s Hour: Radio episode: 49:22 (Oct 2018 – 8 min).
Eimear McBride talks about A Girl is a Half-formed Thing (2014 – 5 min). Some interesting points on writing confidence and not knowing the ending till you get there.
Oprah Winfrey Presents: Becoming Michelle Obama (2018 – 42 min). Again, a strong emphasis on a continual journey. Also on failure, ‘Failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result.’ I love her. I just love her.
Michelle Obama discusses her new book “Becoming” – Part I and Part II and Part III (2018 – 9+5+10 mins in three parts).
Annie Proulx on ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2011 – 5 min).
Annie Proulx interview (1999 – 22 min) on Wyoming as her writing landscape, on collaboration between author and illustrator, and on the architecture of stories.
JK Rowling Harvard Commencement Speech (June 2008 – 24 min).
Oprah interviews J K Rowling (Aug 2015 – 50 min). On her Harvard speech, “I used to be borderline phobic about public speaking.” Rowling talks about failure, how hitting rock bottom liberates you from fear of failure.
NEWSNIGHT: Kirsty Wark interviews author Donna Tartt about ‘The Goldfinch’ (2013 – 7 min). On writing anywhere, always taking a notebook, and deleting 8 months’ work.
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