#161: Sarah Hall — Writing Award-Winning Short Stories & Literary Fiction, Evocative Landscape & Creative Freedom; Booker-Nominated Writer

Sarah Hall—twice Booker Prize–nominated author and the only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice—on crafting fiction that is both lush and uncompromising, and how to captivate readers on the sentence level while staying true to creative freedom. We discuss:Her early reading life in the countryside and the characters who first sparked her imaginationLessons learned from an “unpublishable” first novel and how Haweswater found its true formThe discipline and intuition behind her writing process and when to share draftsWhy handwriting first drafts rekindled a sense of play and sharpened her editingHow to build short stories that hold “the world on a pin” and reverberate beyond the pageGiving voice to Britain’s only named wind in Helm and weaving folklore, climate themes, and playfulnessDiscerning a story’s ending and sustaining joy in the writing process   About Sarah Hall Sarah Hall is one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary authors. Twice nominated for the Booker Prize and the first and only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice, she is the author of ten acclaimed novels and short story collections, including Haweswater, The Electric Michelangelo, The Carhullan Army, and Burntcoat. Her latest novel, Helm, blends myth, climate anxiety, and playful storytelling to bring Britain’s only named wind to life. Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptHelmThe Helm Wind, the only named wind in Britain - the Met OfficeSarah’s WebsiteSarah’s booksHaweswaterThe Electric MichelangeloHow to Paint a Dead ManThe Carhullan ArmyBurntcoat“The Grotesques” - BBC National Short Story Award WinnerInterview with Sarah Hall in The GuardianFaber & Faber - Sarah’s publisherLee Brackstone - Sarah’s editorZ for Zachariah by Robert C. O’BrienSombrero Fallout by Richard BrautiganIs A River Alive? by Robert MacfarlaneLight Years by James SalterHilary Mantel’s Website For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com. For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com. * FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon If you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!