I interviewed Lewis Stockwell about his Natural Aesthetic Canoe Journeying, his deep involvement in nature and his CFS-M.E. condition. Lewis is  an artist, a curriculum innovator and a Programme Leader for @uhoutdoors at Herts University.

Continue reading LEWIS STOCKWELL AND THE WONDERS OF NATURAL AESTHETIC CANOEING →

I interviewed environmentalist Nicola Davies, author of 80 children’s books and trained zoologist, who worked at the BBC Natural History Unit as a researcher and presenter. Nicola has lectured in creative writing at Bath Spa University and was the first recipient of the Special Libraries Association’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Non-fiction. In 2018 she had four picture books longlisted for the Greenaway Award. Continue reading WRITING FOR LIFE ON EARTH →

I interviewed Danish/English screenwriter Line Langebek about her work in films/TV, including lead-writing on Finnish Childrens’ series THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR  and developing a feature film  REPATRIATION with the British Film Institute.

Line is the co-founder of @RaisingFilms and @libraryofchange.

Leslie: Can you tell us about how you are using your skills as a screenwriter to create change, please, and the range of approaches you have used.

Continue reading A SCREENWRITER’S STORY →

I asked TSL author Frank Parker about writing on the subject of Ireland and colonial history. Frank‘s latest book Called to Account is a historical novel based on the real life of Arthur Kennedy. Appointed Poor Law Inspector in Kilrush, County Clare, towards the end of 1847, Kennedy exposed the practice of mass evictions carried out by wealthy landlords.

Leslie: Tell us about the books you’ve written about Ireland. How did they begin, grow and develop? Did one book stand on the shoulders of the other ? Continue reading FRANK PARKER – CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR IRISH HISTORY →

i  interviewed composer, baritone and conductor Clive Whitburn  who has often performed with major orchestras at venues such as the Royal Albert and Festival Halls and the O2 Arena. Clive plays the oboe, guitar and sitar; he is the founder and managing director of New Network Singers.

Leslie: Can you trace for us the development from childhood onwards of your fascination with different types of music and soundscapes?

Clive: I was born in the 50s in a Devon terrace house. My dad was a music teacher and some of my earliest, pre-school memories are hearing him play the piano downstairs and being taken to the theatre to see my mum and dad in a production of The Mikado. Continue reading CLIVE WHITBURN’S SOUNDSCAPES →

I interviewed prolific Nigerian poet and  editor Adedayo Agarau who was a finalist in the 2021 Sillerman Prize.

Adedayo has several published chapbooks, including For Boys Who Went,  The Arrival of Rain and Origin of Names (selected for the New Generation African Poet – African Poetry Book Fund – 2020) and his individual poems are in demand with magazines such as World Literature Today, Anomaly, Frontier, Iowa Review and Boulevard.

As an advocate  for new African writing, Adedayo edits Agbowó: an African magazine of literature and art, and the New International Voices Series at Icefloe-Press. He also edited the groundbreaking Memento: An Anthology of Contemporary Nigerian Poetry.

Leslie: Tell us about your own creativity – in particular how you came to be a human nutritionist, a documentary photographer, and a poet. What’s the common creative ground between these different disciplines and how do they differ? Continue reading ADEDAYO AGARAU – POET, EDITOR & ADVOCATE OF NEW AFRICAN WRITING →