Writing Podcast Episode 650: Olivia Isaac-Henry and her new book, ‘Sorrow Spring’

A ‘folk horror’ that spans 40 years – awash with intrigue, magic and dark secrets! That’s what awaits you in this episode as we meet British author Olivia Isaac-Henry and discuss her latest suspense novel, Sorrow Spring. Olivia shares what inspired the location and themes, how she blended historical events with fiction, and the challenges of straddling two time periods and different character narratives.

You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.  

00:00 Introduction
02:22 Nat Newman's writing tip: You’re not ‘bad’
10:17 WIN! The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French
12:10 Word of the week: ‘Wolver’
15:41 Writer in residence: Olivia Isaac-Henry
18:47 Olivia’s inspiration for her story and themes
19:59 Setting the scene: Time periods and locations
21:35 Character backgrounds and motivations
23:40 Crafting distinct voices for characters
26:03 Incorporating real-life events into fiction
26:58 Writing process and challenges
28:19 Upcoming projects and future plans
32:37 Olivia’s tips for aspiring writers
33:56 Final thoughts

Links mentioned in this episode

Writer in residence: Olivia Isaac-Henry

In addition to writing novels, Olivia Isaac-Henry is a crime drama lover, occasional keyboard player, and backing vocalist in the band The Protaganist. She grew up in Worcestershire but now lives in London, where she loves the theatres, food markets and festivals.

Follow Olivia on Instagram.

Follow HarperCollins Publishers Australia on Twitter and Instagram.

 

This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre and our course Crime and Thriller Writing.

 

Find out more about your host, Valerie Khoo (@valeriekhoo on Twitter and @valeriekhoo on Instagram).

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