The Word Monkeys: Recent Episodes
Matt Brown
The Word Monkeys is a podcast about what it takes to write a book. Author Matt Brown shoots the breeze with some of his favourite writers.
In this episode, Matt and Sophie Anderson chat about how to retell a story and why it's so important that we do. Sophie Anderson is the author of The House With Chicken Legs, The Girl Who Speaks Bear, and the Castle of Tangled Magic. TGWSB won Wales Book of the Year (2020) and is on the shortlist for the 2021 Carnegie Medal. Sophie is retelling the story of Branwen for The Mab. Pre-order your copy of The Mab at https://unbound.com/books/the-mab/
Matt Twitter: @mattbrownauthor
Sophie Twitter: @sophieinspace
In this episode, Matt and PG Bell, author of the Thrain To Impossible Places series, discuss why a family version of the Mabinogion doesn't exist. Matt and Peter also chat about how the Mabinogion is like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and why the Otherworld is awesome.
If you'd like to support The Mab please go here https://unbound.com/books/the-mab/
Competition details are here https://www.mattbrownwriter.com/news-blog/mab-school-giveaway
The Mab is a new project that I have created with Eloise Williams, the Children's Laureate for Wales. It's a retelling of the Mabinogion, the ancient Welsh stories of kings and giants and adventure, for kids. You can help support The Mab by going here https://unbound.com/books/the-mab/
In this episode I chat with Hanan Issa, a writer and poet, about her first experience with the Mabinogion, why it is crying out to be retold, and how dealing with kids can give you unexpected skills.
Twitter @mattbrownauthor
Matt chats to award-winning YA author Tamsin Winter about how to achieve a deadline during lockdown, what it's like to have a name that people get wrong, and why lockdown has brought out the best in some people.
Twitter: @MsWinterTweets @mattbrownauthor
Matt chats to award-winning author, Lisa Thompson about lockdown routines, using movies for inspiration and winning awards. Lisa and Matt are both up for an FCBG 2020 award, along with Lorraine Gregory. You can vote for any of them here http://fcbg2019.wpengine.com/2020-voting-younger-readers/
Twitter: @lthompsonwrites @mattbrownauthor
In this episode of the Word Monkeys, Matt and Stef work their way through the World Cup of Superheroes. Who will win? One thing's for sure, it won't be Iron Man
Twitter
@mattbrownauthor
@stefmowords
Wellity, wellity, wellity. Here we go with another Word Monkeys Lockdown Special. This time, Matt chats to writer, author, producer, comedian, human, Danny Wallace. There's chit-chat about meat-drops, exploding pears, awesome action movies and what it's like when your book becomes a movie.
TWITTER:
Matt - @mattbrownauthor
Danny - @dannywallace
If you want to know why bombs look round in cartoons then feast your peepers on this... https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-we-picture-bombs-as-round-black-balls-with-a-burning-wick
It's April, 2020 and, if you're listening in the future, the whole world is in lockdown. In this episode, Matt chat's to P.G. Bell, the fantabulous children's author and writer of the Great Brain Robbery and the Train to Impossible Places. Matt and Peter chit-chat about partying in your dressing gown, what sci-fi is the best, and which books fired a young P.G. Bell's imagination.
Twitter:
Matt - @mattbrownauthor
Peter - @petergbell
Do you believe in life on other planets?
Who is your favourite alien?
Should a man wear a furry tabard?
Matt chats with author, poet and space cowboy, Dom Conlon ,about these burning questions and many, many more
Chat to Matt on Twitter @mattbrownauthor
Chat to Dom on Twitter @dom_conlon
Matt chats with Barry Loser and Future Rat Boy author Jim Smith. Together they break down the secrets of creating a brilliant character. Find out how Jim was influenced by Back to the Future, Guardians of the Galaxy and Dallas (the TV show not the place).
Tweet Matt @mattbrownauthor
Tweet Jim @barryloser
Did you know that coming up with a half-decent title is one of the hardest bits of writing a book. No? Well, it is. Matt chats to Piers Torday, Jo Nadin and Usborne editor Becky Walker about the dark art of title-creating.
Abi has written four books, the Dreamsnatcher, the Shadow Keeper, the Night Spinner and Sky Song. She chatted with Matt about the perils of social media, how rejection can sometimes be a good thing, and writing inclusive characters.
This podcast comes with free baby cries and added Highlander. YUM!
You can follow Abi on Twitter @moontrug
Matt is @mattbrownauthor
Matt dons his enviro-trousers and chats to Piers Torday about a brilliant initiative started by children's authors to raise awarness about the environmental damage caused by single-use plastics. Check out authors4oceans.org for more info on how you can help.
Matt chats to songwriter, singer & producer Liz Horsman about how she writes songs, the expectant hum of machines, and how reality TV inspired her to write a dance hit.
Tracks featured are Heavy High, Tomorrow is a Long Time and Real Joy.
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Lee Stuart Evans is a writer on some of the funniest shows on the telly. He has just written a novel called Words Best Sung that had an unusual route to publication. So, Matt wanted to have a chinwag with him about that and what it's like to write for some of the country's top comics, like Sean Lock and Frank Skinner.
Twitter @mattbrownauthor
Matt is joined by Piers Torday to chat about some of their favourite books that they have read in 2017. Inevitably though, they end up talking about Donald Trump. Happy new year.
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Web www.mattbrownwriter.com
The happiest of Christmasses to you all. Please enjoy a bit of writing from Christmas Past. A story I tried (and failed) to get published a few years ago. See you in 2018.
Despite 2017 being dominated by all kinds of hellish news about the mini-brained, cloth-headed nincompoops we elect as our leaders, there have been some good things too. In this episode, Matt chats to award-winning author, Polly Ho-Yen about some of the best books she has read in 2017.
A little Christmas treat in the form of a reworking of an old, favourite podcast. Matt chats to Farmer Bob about the very English tradition of village pantomime.
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In this episode, Gabrielle and Matt wallow in 80s videogame nostalgia. If the words Jet Set Willy, Acorn Electron, or Atari mean anything to you then you're going to love this one!
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Web www.mattbrownwriter.com
Matt chats to author and computer games expert, Gabrielle Kent. In this first pod, Gabrielle chats about how monumentally pregnant she is, how tricky it can be to come up with baby names, and some of the things that inspired her to write the award-winning Alfie Bloom series. Enjoy!
Twitter @mattbrownauthor
Web www.mattbrownwriter.com
In this episode, the third and final one of the Carnegie Medal mini-series, Matt chats to three more nominated authors about their writing process. Lara Williamson chats about her writing routine, Polly Ho-Yen tells sad stories of awful drafts, and Peter Bunzl has an idea that he can't talk about. Like, subscribe and please share the Word Monkeys joy.
Twitter: @mattbrownauthor
Web: www.mattbrownwriter.com
Seven Word Monkeys have appeared on this year's Carnegie Medal shortlist and here, Matt Brown capitalises on their success. In this, the second episode of this mini-season, we hear writing advice from AF Harrold and Robin Stevens. You'll love it, unless you're called Simon or Alan.
Tweet @mattbrownauthor
Website www.mattbrownwriter.com
An incredible seven Word Monkey authors appeared on the 2018 Carnegie Medal Nominations list. Huge congrats to all of them. This mini-season will provide you with writing tips from their brilliant brains. Enjoy!
Tweet Matt @mattbrownauthor
Web him up at www.mattbrownauthor.com
Can you believe the Word Monkeys podcast is aleady a quarter-of-a-century episodes old? Where does the time go? In this episode Matt and Claire chat about whether you have to believe in ghosts if you write about ghosts. There are some spooky-ass stories in this and some OTT production. Enjoy and happy pre-Halloween Halloween.
Tweet Matt @mattbrownauthor
Visit his website mattbrownwriter.com
This pod sees Matt chat to Sainsbury's Children's Book Award nominee, Claire Barker. Stand by for discussions on the art of storytelling, random 70s cartoons and acting cool when you meet your heroes (or not).
Chat to Matt on twitter @mattbrownauthor or visit his website mattbrownwriter.com
Matt chats to brilliant author Lara Williamson about her award-winning book, A Boy Called Hope, funny shop signs and why she is like Ming the Merciless.
Matt tweets as @mattbrownauthor
Matt's website is www.mattbrownwriter.com
More chat from award-winning author Polly Ho-Yen. Polly and Matt discuss popularity, celebrity authors and tear-gassed mother-in-laws. All the scrapings from the bottom of the chat-pan get turned into the finest podcast gravy.
Matt chats to award-winning author, Polly Ho-Yen, about rogue body hairs, quitting your day job, and why first drafts suck.
Matt chats to the award-winning author of Cogheart about being confused for other people on the internet, diversity in books, and a shared early love of 80s kids TV.
Matt chats to Roald Dahl Funny Prize winning author Jamie Thomson about his brilliant Dark Lord books, why history is storytelling and how to plan stories. PLUS can he turn my mini sausage dog into a hound from hell?
The second Holly Bourne podcast. Holly and Matt chat about feminism, mental health and when fans cross the line.
A short teaser for the upcoming Holly Bourne podcast deconstructs the musicality of Holly's voice.
Matt and YA author Holly Bourne chit-chat about the state of her teeth, why she loves To Kill A Mockingbird before Holly bangs on (a lot) about Harry Potter.
Dan Freedman and Matt Brown discuss why England's football team is so pants, the meaning of Fantastic Mr Fox and what it's like to play football with your own character. Dan is the author of the hugely popular Jamie Johnson series. WARNING! This podcast contains chickens and a terrifying futuristic version of Matt Brown.
Matt and Piers Torday chat about the book that reminds Matt of his summer holidays, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Plus more book selecting from the Summer Reading Challenge book sorter. And added Grumbleweeds!
Also, if you want to read Sita Brahmachari's article on books to breed tolerance in kids then have a look here... https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/jan/12/books-breed-tolerance-children-read-errorist-attacks-paris
Matt and a special guest star chat about the books that remind them of summer holidays gone by. If you want to see more about the Summer Reading Challenge then go to http://www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk
In the last of the AF Harrold pods, Matt and Ashley chat about coming up with names for characters. And there's a mystery too! Please share and tweet. Matt is @frazzleddaddy on Twitter.
Matt Brown chats to poet, author and beard-cultivator A.F Harrold about The Imaginary, burning his books and why Fox Mulder ain't what he used to be. Chat to Matt on Twitter (he's @frazzleddaddy) and visit his website http://www.mattbrownwriter.com
Robin Stevens is the author of the best-selling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike series. She recently beat Matt's books to an award and so to hide his bitterness and frustration he asked her to be a Word Monkey's guest. Be warned though, this podcast has added bongos and a story about something Matt trod in that is quite unpleasant!
In this pod, author Piers Torday tells the extraordinary story of completing the book Death of an Owl that his father Paul had been writing when he died in Dec 2013. You can find some additional photos and info here. Everything published with kind permission of Piers... http://mattbrownwriter.com/death-of-an-owl/
When is a podcast not a podcast? When it's a highly sophisticated, strategic piece of pre-pod marketing, that's when! In the next Word Monkeys podcast Piers Torday tells the extraordinary story of the double-edged inheritance given to him by his father, Paul. For now though, here's the tease...
Word Monkeys ASSEMBLE! In this pod Matt Brown asks the same question to some amazing authors. The question..? What is the weirdest thing people say to you when they know you're an author? Featured wonders are Holly Bourne, Steve Cole, SF Said, Jo Nadin and Piers Torday. You can read the blog that Matt used/ripped off here... https://authorallsorts.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/what-not-to-say-to-authors-and-what-to-say-instead/
Phoenix and Varjak Paw author SF Said becomes the latest Word Monkey. Chat includes life, the universe and libraries. A couple of links to clips mentioned in the pod. Scroobius Pip's poem, Library can be found here...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXhh-DwQseg
Neil DeGrasse Tyson's eulogy to stars can be found here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YysIk3pzc2w
and Carl Sagan's breathtaking Pale Blue Dot can be found here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PN5JJDh78I
Enjoy!
Like Star Wars, TWM has reached episode 7. Only this episode 7 does NOT contain any massive plot holes. In this Christmassy pod, Matt chats to Farmer Bob about the joy of the village panto. Oh no he doesn't etc etc
Matt pumped Jo's brains into his recording device at the Bath Literary Festival 2015. Jo is an amazing writer and her book 'Joe All Alone' has just been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016. Pre-book writing Jo was a speech writer and editor for the Labour party back when everyone thought they were great in the early 2000s.
Back in the autumn of 2015 everyone was going Bond-alicious. So, TWM went and grabbed young Bond author Steve Cole for a chit and a chat.
The Word Monkeys keeps the British end up with this Bond special. Matt Brown chats to Young Bond author Steve Cole and Last Wild scribe Piers Torday about their love of Bond, why Roger Moore is awesome and whether anyone really knows how to play Baccarat!
Brilliant author Piers Torday (The Last Wild) chats about creating worlds, maps in books and why he's "hope-a-tistic" about the future of humanity.
Matt Brown (the adult) rereads the Mr Men book series that Matt Brown (the kid) so loved. In doing so he asks the questions that no one else will ask. Such as "Mr Tickle - happy-go-lucky chancer or menace to society?" and "was there an ancient war between humans and Mr Men?" For more info check out Matt's website http://www.mattbrownwriter.com
A great big interview for episode one with writer, illustrator and all-round ace guy, Jim Smith. He chats about Barry Loser, naming characters and the on-going battle with his nemesis.
The Word Monkeys is a podcast about what it takes to write books. Matt Brown hangs out and shoots the breeze with some of his favourite authors!