Honouring Oracy
Crime writer Dreda Say Mitchell MBE, joins hosts Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker for episode 5 in Series 2 of The Amplify Project.
She is the author of sixteen novels, with her debut scooping The CWA’s John Creasey Dagger in 2005, the first time a Black British author has received this honour. She writes with her life partner, Ryan Carter. Her first psychological thriller, Spare Room, was an international bestseller. Lee Child, international New York Times Bestselling author, named her 2022 novel, Say Her Name his best book of the year. She is one of the twelve acclaimed international female authors of the Sunday Times Bestselling Marple, a new reimagined Miss Marple anthology.
"...if I hadn't have grown up in East London, I probably wouldn't have been a writer."
Dreda Say Mitchell is a bestselling and award-winning author. Her first novel, Running Hot, was published in 2004 and won the crime writers association’s John Creasey Memorial Dagger Award for best first novel. The first time a Black British writer has received this honour.
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Nick Makoha
The greatest gift bestowed upon us is the ability to tell and share a story
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by poet Nick Makoha.
Diana Evans
Finding my voice
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by novelist and journalist Diana Evans.
Alex Wheatle
Reading became my saviour
For this episode writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by award-winning author Alex Wheatle who shares with us how reading became his saviour.
Juliet Gilkes Romero
Soy Negra
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by Juliet Gilkes Romero who speaks about how her identity as a Black woman is integral to her writing.
Colin Grant
I've been a ventriloquist
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by memoirist and biographer Colin Grant. He tells us about writing his memoir Bageye at the Wheel and how he was inspired to write about Jamaican greats Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
Hafsa Zayyan
It's Been a Wild Ride
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by debut novelist Hafsa Zayyan, winner of the #Merky Books New Writer’s Prize.
Rachel Long
Black Joy
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by poet Rachel Long. She tells us about being inspired by Jean “Binta” Breeze, wanting to write poems that sound and feel real and why she set up Octavia Poetry Collective.
Anthony Joseph
Infiltrating The Canon
For this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by award winning Caribbean poet, novelist, musician, and creative writing lecturer Anthony Joseph.
Trish Cooke
My Caribbean Heart
In this episode writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by children’s writer and writer for theatre, TV, Radio and film, actress Trish Cooke
Oladipo Agboluaje
The Unapologetic Writer
In this episode, writers Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by playwright and academic Oladipo Agboluaje.
Pat Cumper & Pauline Walker
The Amplify Project Series 1 wrap-up
The hosts of The Amplify Project, Pauline Walker and Patricia Cumper, passionately believe that the Black British canon is fragmented and rarely recognised particularly in the UK. In this episode, they reflect on the first series of The Amplify Project in which they interviewed 10 esteemed Black British writers for the page, screen and stage.
Common Threads: Black and Asian British Women’s Writing International Conference 2022
The Amplify Project at the Common Threads Conference 2022
In this special podcast we speak to writers and academics attending the conference at Brighton University in July 2022.
Yomi Sode
The Malleable Storyteller
Introducing the first episode in this, the second series of The Amplify Project. Our podcast hosts Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker are joined by award-winning Nigerian British writer, Yomi Sode.
Roy Williams
Climbing The Racial Mountain
In this second episode in the series, our hosts are joined by one of the country's leading dramatists Roy Williams OBE FRSL
Dean Atta
Claiming His Tick Box
For the third episode of this series, our hosts are joined by YA writer Dean Atta.
Ben Tagoe
The Pragmatic Optimist
BAFTA nominated writer Ben Tagoe joins our hosts Pauline Walker and Patricia Cumper for episode 4 of The Amplify Project.
Dreda Say Mitchell
Honouring Oracy
Crime writer Dreda Say Mitchell MBE, joins hosts Patricia Cumper and Pauline Walker for episode 5 in Series 2 of The Amplify Project.
Inua Ellams
Icaraus' Wings
Our guest for Episode 6, S2 of The Amplify Project is award-winning poet, playwright & performer, graphic artist & designer, Inua Ellams.
Courttia Newland
Cyclical Evolution
For Ep 7, S2 our hosts are joined by author, screenwriter, playwright, creative writing tutor and literary activist Courttia Newland. In this episode we learn about Courttia's drive for diversifying his writing using different genres and formats.
Titans of Black British Publishing
Titans of Black British Publishing
In this special podcast we meet three women - Verna Wilkins, Susheila Nasta and Margaret Busby - who, over the last half a century, wrote, published, edited, curated and blazed a trail for today's writers.
Patrice Lawrence
Mind Mapping
Joining us for Ep 8, S2 is writer and journalist, Patrice Lawrence. She is the author of the award-winning children and YA books, Orangeboy, Indigo Donut and Eight Pieces of Silver.
Leone Ross
Strangeness as Metaphor
Novelist, short story writer, editor and educator Leone Ross join our hosts for ep 9, S2. In this episode we learn that being a writer comes from the impulse to tell stories to try to make sense of things with sentences.
Theresa Ikoko
The Characters Are In Charge
Screenwriter and playwright, Theresa Ikoko, joins our host for ep 10, S2. Theresa shares her journey from winning awards for her first theatre play to writing for the screen.