Behind The Spine

Trailer: Behind The Spine

Behind The Spine is a podcast which deconstructs genre and narrative, and finds learning opportunities for writers in the most unlikely of places. The first episode is coming soon, available on your favourite podcast platform from Wednesday 15th Apri…

S1E1 Pandemics: Fact vs fiction with Christian Hunt

Readers the world over are obsessed with stories of post-apocalyptic worlds, dystopian futures and pandemics - and now those stories have become our reality. Christian Hunt, expert in behavioural science and founder of ‘Human Risk’, explores our reac…

S1E2 Football: The narrative of sport with Graham Sibley

Sport, and in particular football, has the ability to envoke such intense and strong emotions, both positive and negative. So what can we learn, as writers, from the obsession and passion of football fans, when developing our characters? Graham Sible…

S1E3 True Crime: A morbid curiosity with Mark Williams-Thomas

Research, evidence and building up a case - the work of a detective and an investigative journalist are closely interlinked, and both have much in common with the art of storytelling. In this episode we're joined by investigative journalist Mark Will…

S1E4 Marketing: A brand's story with Pete Gomori

To tell an entire story, an entire history and personality, in just a few words, a single sentence, or a symbol - that is the power of brand marketing. From Coca Cola, to Disney or McDonald's, the name of a successful brand alone has the power to con…

S1E5 After The Storm: Life after lockdown with Rory Sutherland

"If you think things are going back to normal, think again". It's a phrase we've heard time and again since this pandemic locked us all in our homes, but just how permanent will our behaviour changes be? Rory Sutherland works for marketing agency Ogi…

S1E6 Country Music: Finding complexity in simplicity with Liv Austen

The beauty of country music lies in its simplicity - its ability to speak to the everyman. And yet it is powerfully evocative, with lovers of the genre finding an incredible depth of meaning in the words, as they relate to their own lives. Liv Austen…

S1E7 Sex: The magic of on-screen intimacy with Ita O'Brien

Sex can be an uncomfortable subject for many, but for actors being filmed under the sheets, that discomfort takes on a whole new meaning. That's where the role of an intimacy coordinator comes in. Ita O'Brien has worked on many high-profile TV shows,…

S1E8 Video Games: Owning the narrative with Sam Loveridge

Movie-like stories, life-like graphics and sprawling environments. Video games are now creating some of the most immersive narrative experiences imaginable, so there’s plenty that writers can learn in this episode of the podcast. Sam Loveridge, globa…

S1E9 Music: The journey of sound with Dame Evelyn Glennie

There is so much more to music than sound. There's the emotion you feel when you hear your favourite song, the intensity of watching a live performance, and the vibrations of the beat that thump through your chest. As our guest Dame Evelyn Glennie pu…