Poppet is the story of a young girl growing up in a hippy commune in rural England in 1976. She resents her mother, their social worker and most of all the commune leader, Dion. Over a long harvest season, Poppet learns what she must sacrifice in order to be free.

A folk-horror inspired short story by Tabitha Potts, Poppet won an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize in 2022 and you can read it on their website.

We will be taking a short production break for summer, so our next episode will be on October 1st.

Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist, recognised with an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Her debut novel will be published by Rowan Prose Publishing in 2026.

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Skylark recording - author's own

Image used for podcast credit:

By AliAsterix - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125885918

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Our Writers' salon on the theme of libraries explores characters as diverse as saints, memories, universities, the necessity of writing novels, dystopian visions of the future and seed banks. We chose the theme of Libraries because at a time of book burning and censorship the Library remains a place of freedom of thought and expression.

Our first reading is 'Members of Dead Libraries' written by Declan Geraghty. He is a working class writer and poet from Dublin. He’s had poetry published in Shanghai Poetry Lab, Epoque Press, Militant Thistles, Cry of the Poor and the Brown Envelope Book. His latest short story featured in Lumpen London issue 11. He has won a mentorship with Words Ireland, and their national mentoring program for new writers. He's recently won a scholarship place with The Stinging Fly Play It Forward Programme, and been awarded a mentorship with Skylight 47. The story is read by Simon Roberts.

Our next reading 'All Saints' is by Lindsay Gillespie. Lindsay was born in South Wales, and lives in the South Downs. In between she has been a graphic designer and illustrator, lived in New Delhi, Washington DC, France and taught English in Tokyo. In 2018-2019, she was enrolled in the Creative Writing Programme of New Writing South. She writes short and not-so-short stories and was a Costa 2021 Short Story Award finalist. A year later, she was a finalist for the Bridport Short Story Prize. Other short stories have been shortlisted in nine competitions in recent years including Fiction Factory, Exeter, Oxford Flash Fiction, Fiction Factory Flash, Rhys Davies, Frome, ChipLit, Edinburgh and Fish.

Martin Nathan reads his short story, 'D is for Dentist'. Martin’s short fiction and poetry has appeared in a range of journals and his novel A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke award and the Woodward International Prize.

Simon Roberts, based in West London, performs his short story 'Does the world need any more novels?' alongside Jananne Rahman. Simon Roberts writes short stories and flash fiction. His story Dirty Chicken & Rice was a 2024 Plaza Prizes finalist, and his adaptation of The Slaves of Solitude was produced by Questors Theatre in 2024. He was a finalist in this year's Fish Flash Fiction Prize.

‘The Library’ written and read by Martha Stutchbury explores the transformation / decline of a university library, through the eyes of a librarian working on the special collections floor. Martha Stutchbury is an events producer living and working in London. She studies creative writing part-time at Birkbeck University, and has worked as a researcher on creative non-fiction projects including Kate Summerscale’s ‘The Book of Phobias and Manias’, commissioned by the Wellcome Foundation.

Finally, founder and co-host of the Story Radio Podcast, Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist, and has been published in various literary magazines and anthologies. She received an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize for her story Poppet and is publishing her debut novel in 2026 with Rowan Prose Publishing. She reads from her original short story 'The Hum'.

The photograph used as the podcast cover for this episode was taken by Tabitha Potts and shows the Library at Charleston House.

In this episode Story Radio visited a fascinating exhibition about mudlarking on the Thames and interviewed some of the mudlarks and other people involved in the exhibition. London Museum Docklands recently opened its new major exhibition Secrets of the Thames: Mudlarking London’s lost treasures (4 April 2025 – 1 March 2026) and we were delighted to be among the first to visit it.

The first major exhibition on mudlarking, it explores fascinating finds from the Thames foreshore, an internationally important archaeological site, and the role of mudlarks in uncovering thousands of years of human history. Historically a trade of the Victorian poor, in recent years mudlarking has grown to be a popular hobby for history lovers, with licensed mudlarks uncovering many significant new finds from the Thames.

We spoke to artist Amy-Leigh Bird about her work, inspired by everyday items she finds along the foreshore, Tom Ardill, Curator (Paintings, Prints and Drawings), who told us more about the artworks that were commissioned for the exhibition, and mudlark Tim Miller, Chairman of the Society of Thames Mudlarks.

There is one swear-word in this episode. The mudlarking world has its controversies!

The episode ends with an exclusive reading by Martin Nathan from his novel, The Pain Clinic, which has a scene set by the Thames.

The photograph used to illustrate this podcast is © Alessio Checconi /London Museum. It shows the neck from a stoneware bottle with a bearded face known as a Bartmann bottle 1500s – 1600s. The bearded face decorating the neck lies half-buried on the foreshore.

A Story Radio Salon on the theme of Love, with readings from works in progress by some of our regular writer guests.

Kristin Burniston is a graduate of the MA Screenwriting program at the University of Arts London. In 2023, her short film scripts TREE and HAIRY MARY were selected by the City of Angels Film Festival, WOFFF (where HAIRY MARY placed 2nd), and Best-Script, London.

Recently, Kristin‘s script EGGS was made into a short film and will soon be released on to the festival circuit. Currently, Kristin is working on a London-based children’s animation, a crime fiction TV series, and a feature film script based on her menopausal rite-of-passage novel.

Lindsay Gillespie was born in South Wales, and lives in the South Downs. In between she has been a graphic designer and illustrator, lived in New Delhi, Washington DC, France and taught English in Tokyo. In 2018-2019, she was enrolled in the Creative Writing Programme of New Writing South. She writes short and not-so-short stories and was a Costa 2021 Short Story Award finalist. A year later, she was a finalist for the Bridport Short Story Prize. Other short stories have been shortlisted in nine competitions in recent years including Fiction Factory, Exeter, Oxford Flash Fiction, Fiction Factory Flash, Rhys Davies, Frome, ChipLit, Edinburgh and Fish.

Miki Lentin completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck and was a finalist for the 2020 Irish Novel Fair with Winter Sun. His short stories have been published in Litro and Story Radio. He released his short story collection Inner Core in 2022, and his debut novel Winter Sun was published by Afsana Press.

Lana Citron is a prize-winning author and scriptwriter with twenty years’ professional writing experience. She has published five novels, two non-fiction books and numerous short stories, plays, poems, film scripts, articles and book. Extracts read today are from her book Edible Pleasures, a Textbook of Aphrodisiacs.

Martin Nathan‘s short fiction and poetry have appeared in various journals. His novel A Place of Safety is published by Salt Publishing. His dramatic writing has been shortlisted for the Nick Darke Award and the Woodward International Prize. Martin will be reading from a new short story.

Founder and co-host of the Story Radio Podcast, Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist. She received an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize for her story ‘Poppet’ and is publishing her debut novel The House of Dust and Shadows in 2026 with Rowan Prose Publishing.

The podcast is recorded live in the Colony Room Green bar.

Not Yet is the story of Gabrielle, a woman traveling to the absurdly picturesque coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with her son, their first family trip since her separation from his father. It is a place that holds many memories, and when she suddenly finds herself bleeding uncontrollably all over Tulum, the past catches up with her.

It’s a startling, powerful story about womanhood, family, youth and mid-life, that is undeniably topical.

Joanna Hershon is the author of five novels. Her writing and short stories have appeared in The New York Times, Granta, One Story, The Virginia Quarterly Review, among others, and her work was shortlisted for the O. Henry Prize Stories. Joanna has received fellowships from Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Edward Albee Foundation. She is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University. Joanna grew up in New York and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, and their twin sons and daughter.

This show was produced by Tabitha Potts.

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Podcast Cover Image

Source Tulum Archaeological Site - Quintana Roo - Mexico - 01

Author Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Let The Good Times Roll.

Larry has been a circus clown for over thirty years. Now, with the threat of closure, he stands to lose everything.

About Duncan Robert Illing

Duncan is a writer living in Brighton, his first short story Let The Good Times Roll was published in June 2022 in Brighton & Beyond, A West Hill Writers Anthology.

A writer of fiction, memoir, non-fiction and script, a radio presenter, producer, musician, composer and former A&R manager. Duncan’s writing can be found on Substack, he’s focussing on his next writing projects which include a novel.

CREDITS

Let The Good Times Roll

A story by Duncan Robert Illing

Adapted by Duncan Robert Illing and Kristin Burniston

Larry was played by Andrew Lancel.

Mr Brotherton by Andy M Milligan.

The Administrator by Laura Finnemore

Grace by Shona Graham

Billy by John Kennard

Stewart by James Merganser

Pete by Rob Vincent

Directed by Kristin Burniston and Duncan Robert Illing.

Produced by Duncan Robert Illing

Additional credits:

Entrance of the Gladiators by Julius Fučík performed by the U.S Marine Band, music and performance are both public domain.

Jazz music listed as copyright free and Creative Commons for use.

Clown act music listed as copyright free for use.

Any additional sourced sound effects listed as copyright free and/or public domain at source.

Clown image source listed as copyright free, and its specific adaptation is under copyright.

All remaining aspects of this drama production are under copyright.

In this episode Martin Nathan and Tabitha Potts interview Lead Curator Dr Eleanor Jackson and Julian Harrison, about the British Library's latest blockbuster exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words, where visitors will discover how the voices of medieval women still resonate across the centuries and speak powerfully to our world today.

We discuss famous historical figures such as Joan of Arc and Julian of Norwich as well as discovering forgotten women such as the the rebel Margaret Starr who joined in the Peasant's Revolt, Maria Moriana, a woman who argued that slavery was illegal in order to prevent herself being sold, and the mediaeval Welsh poet Gwerful Mechain who wrote a poem praising the vagina.

Medieval Women: In Their Own Words runs at the British Library from 25 October 2024 – 2 March 2025. The exhibition is supported by Joanna and Graham Barker and Unwin Charitable Trust.

Reading: Hafsa bint al-Hajj, translated by Yasmine Seale.

Music: Early Music New York, Frederick Renz, Director, which comes from "Music for Medieval Love; Early Music New York, Frederick Renz, Director; exCathedra Records, USA."

This episode was produced by Tabitha Potts

Tabitha Potts is a short story writer and novelist, recognised with an Honourable Mention in the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize. Her debut novel will be published by Rowan Prose Publishing in 2026.

Our second live recording of six writers reading their work in the intimate surroundings of the Colony Room Green bar. There will be occasional drink mixing and pouring, laughter and doors opening!

Listen to Lana Citron talk about food as an aphrodisiac, Sue Hubbard read her novel Three about food as a source of emotional renewal, Lindsay Gillespie read her story about ravenous mermaids enjoying a night out at a seaside resort, Dr Stuart Gillespie talking about the way capitalism and agribusiness has corrupted our global food supplies, Martin Nathan reading a short story about how food evokes memories and Tabitha Potts reading a speculative short story about alien sin eaters.

Content warning: Lana Citron's reading at the beginning of the podcast includes a description of animal abuse/cruelty from the writings of the Marquis de Sade which some listeners may find disturbing.

Lana Citron is a prize-winning author and scriptwriter with twenty years' professional writing experience. She has published five novels, two non-fiction books and numerous short stories, plays, poems, film scripts, articles and book. Extracts read today are from her book Edible Pleasures, a Textbook of Aphrodisiacs.

Sue Hubbard is an award-winning poet, novelist and art critic who is new to Story Radio. She has published five collections of poetry, Everything Begins with the Skin (Enitharmon), Ghost Station and The Forgetting and Remembering of Air (Salt), Swimming to Albania (Salmon Poetry) and Radium Dreams (Women's Art Collection, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge) in collaboration with the artist Eileen Cooper RA, and a series of poems, God's Little Artist (Seren).

Her novels include: Depth of Field, (Dewi Lewis), Girl in White (Cinnamon and Pushkin Press), Rainsongs, (Duckworth, Overlook Press US, Mercure de France and Yilin Press, China) and Flatlands (Pushkin Press and Mercure de France). Rothko's Red, her collection of short stories, was published by Salt. She is currently working on a fifth novel, provisionally titled Three, which she reads in this podcast.

Lindsay Gillespie was born in South Wales, and lives in the South Downs. In between she has been a graphic designer and illustrator, lived in New Delhi, Washington DC, France and taught English in Tokyo. In 2018-2019, she was enrolled in the Creative Writing Programme of New Writing South. She writes short and not-so-short stories and was a Costa 2021 Short Story Award finalist. A year later, she was a finalist for the Bridport Short Story Prize. Other short stories have been shortlisted in nine competitions in recent years including Fiction Factory, Exeter, Oxford Flash Fiction, Fiction Factory Flash, Rhys Davies, Frome, ChipLit, Edinburgh and Fish.

Our next reader is Dr Stuart Gillespie, a non-fiction writer who’s also new to Story Radio. He has four decades of experience in nutrition and development since his first position as nutrition coordinator in a rural development project in southern India in the early 80s. His book Food Fight tells the tale of how the food system we once relied upon for global nutrition has warped into the very thing making us sick. It will be published by Canongate in...