Best Penny Wincer Podcasts (2024)

1
Finding the Courage to Speak up with Siobhan Strode 40:40

6d ago40:40

40:40

In today's episode (which is the last one of the season before the podcast goes on its summer break) I chat with the wonderful Siobhan Strode. Siobhan is a word witch and mentor and she helps her clients raise their voices and create change in the world. She's an ex-teacher, nearly 40, lives in Devon with three sons, her dog Strike, and her childho…

1
Understanding Self Doubt in Midlife with Sas Petherick 45:35

13d ago45:35

45:35

Today’s guest is the wonderful Sas Petherick, a coach, coaching supervisor, and founder of the Self Belief Coaching Academy. We talk about her understanding of self doubt, how it acts as a self-protective mechanism, and about why self doubt can feel especially prominent during midlife. Sas provides valuable insights on managing self doubt, listenin…

1
Navigating the Messy Middle: Embracing Midlife as a Second Adolescence 21:57

19d ago21:57

21:57

Today, I want to share with you a concept I haven't been able to stop thinking about since Julia Goodall talked about it in episode three. So let's dive in and explore what it means for us as midlife individuals looking to navigate the sometimes tricky in-betweenness of this phase. So, what do you think? Does the concept of a second adolescence res…

1
Best Bits of The Happy Middle (so far!) 5:27

27d ago5:27

5:27

This week I thought I'd share some of my favourite bits from The Happy Middle so far. I've been lucky to have interviewed some really inspiring people who've shared their stories so generously. Enjoy the episode and please share this on Instagram (make sure you tag me too so I see it!) Thanks for listening, please come and say hello over on Instagr…

1
Navigating Midlife and Caregiving with Penny Wincer 39:33

1M ago39:33

39:33

In this episode, I welcome Penny Wincer, a Melbourne-born author, writing coach, and podcast host based in London. Penny shares her midlife journey from a freelance photographer to a writer and non-fiction coach all while navigating life as a single parent and caregiver. We chatted about the challenges of caregiving, and the importance of self-comp…

1
Conversations on Change, Joy, and Purpose with Katy Murray 46:24

2M ago46:24

46:24

Today's guest is Katy Murray, a women's leadership coach, inclusion facilitator, speaker, and author of Changemakers, a women's guide to stepping up without burning out. Katy works with female leaders who want to make a real difference in the world by helping them to find the right balance between work and looking after themselves. It was a real pl…

1
Finding Your Style in Midlife with Emma Carr 34:20

2M ago34:20

34:20

Do you save your clothes for best? I have to admit that I do and my guest today, personal stylist and image consultant Emma Carr wants us all to stop doing that. I worked with Emma a few years ago when I felt like I had no idea how I wanted to look anymore after having children and hitting my 40s. I love Emma's approach to helping us navigate chang…

1
Practicing Pleasure as an Act of Resistance with Meena Bhasin 34:08

2M ago34:08

34:08

When the word feels heavy and hopeless prioritising pleasure can feel taboo. In today's episode of The Happy Middle I chat with creator, violist, mother, and pleasure activist Meena Bhasin. We explored how sensuality and rage transform during midlife and how you can channel your rage into powerful, positive energy. And Meena discusses why pleasure …

1
Navigating Midlife Nutrition and Lifestyle with Laura Clark 39:26

3M ago39:26

39:26

In this episode, Laura Clark, a menopause dietitian and food therapist with over 25 years of experience, discusses her holistic approach to helping midlife women navigate the menopausal transition through better nutrition, understanding food relationships, and addressing emotional well-being. We chat about the importance of contextualising diet wit…

1
Exploring Midlife, Relationships, and Joy with Julia Goodall 35:24

2M ago35:24

35:24

Today's guest is Julia Goodall, a clinical psychologist turned psychotherapist and relationship coach. She helps clients find joy in everyday life and love in extraordinary ways and I loved our chat so much, which meandered from exploring the the nuances between therapy and coaching through to the importance of open communication in relationships. …

1
Navigating Midlife, Perimenopause, and Neurodivergence with Lucy Lucraft 32:02

3M ago32:02

32:02

This podcast episode features a rich conversation with Lucy Lucraft, a midlife, ADHD-diagnosed mother, journalist turned podcast producer, and advocate for a free Palestine. Lucy & I delve into midlife experiences, discussing the challenges and weirdness of navigating the 'middle bit' of life, from peri-menopause and its symptoms, which can interse…

1
Stacey Heale on writing about death and life 47:30

4M ago47:30

47:30

Stacey Heale is a fashion academic and writer whose husband Greg was diagnosed with terminal cancer when their youngest daughter was just a baby. Greg died 5 years later. In her memoir Now Is Not The Time For Flowers, Stacey writes about the big conversations that arise from imminent death. In this epsiode Stacey and I talk about writing about the …

1
Jesse Sutanto on writing a best selling series 33:52

4M ago33:52

33:52

Jesse Sutanto is the best selling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wang's Unsolicited Advise for Murders and the winner of the Comic Writer in Print Award 2021. Jesse and I chat about her latest book in her very funny Aunties crime series The Good, The Bad and The Auntie, about her journey from Oxford MFA in Creative Writing, to leaning into h…

1
Charlotte Wood on writing craft and Australian fiction 42:27

4M ago42:27

42:27

Charlotte Wood is an award winning Australian author of 10 books including the 2016 Stella Prize winner The Natural Way of Things and the 2020 international bestseller The Weekend. Her latest novel Stone Yard Devotional is about a woman who abandons her life, her marriage, her career and retreats to a religious community in a remote area of Austral…

1
The Happy Middle: An Introduction 11:00

4M ago11:00

11:00

Welcome to my new podcast The Happy Middle. I'm Suzy Darke and this podcast is for women navigating midlife with its ups, downs, and 'messy middles'. This first episode is mostly about me, my life, and my midlife journey, from motherhood to menopause, to finding my creative voice and becoming a coach. So curl up, grab a cuppa and dive in, I'm so gl…

1
Tamu Thomas on women who work too much 50:49

5M ago50:49

50:49

Tamu Thomas is a transformational coach whose debut book Women Who Work Too Much helps over-achieving, over-functioning women set boundaries, find joy and flourish. In this conversation we talk about natural (rather than toxic) productivity, radical rest and why work (not over work) can be a positive thing. This is such an important conversation fo…

1
Bijal Shah on the power of bibliotherapy 57:14

5M ago57:14

57:14

Author Bijal Shah is a trained Bibliotherapist who brings the power of reading into the therapy room. It's a technique that dates back to Ancient Greece and Bijal shares some of the tools and techniques she uses in todays episode. Certain that reading is a big part of your mental wellbeing? You will love this episode which does a deep dive into why…

1
Amy Arthur on pacing yourself as a writer 50:59

6M ago50:59

50:59

Amy Arthur is an award winning writer and science journalist whose new book Pace Yourself is a practical guide to pacing - a tool developed to the manage symptoms of chronic illnesses like ME/CFS which Amy was diagnosed with as a teenager. This is such an important (and practical) conversation, not just for those who are managing chronic illnesses …

1
Jessica Bull on blending fact and fiction 47:53

6M ago47:53

47:53

Jessica Bull's debut novel Miss Austen Investigates sets Jane Austen up as an amateur sleuth, when a dead woman is discovered at a ball and her beloved brother is arrested and facing the noose. I had so much fun talking to Jessica about the challenges of blending fact and fiction, her passion of Jane Austen (and the books and films that have been i…

1
Katherine May on writer boundaries 53:52

8M ago53:52

53:52

Katherine May is the Sunday Times and New York Times best selling author of Enchantment. Today we talk about the challenges of writing a follow up to her phenomenal bestseller Wintering, the importance of writers being open about the constraints they face, especially successful authors and advocating for accessibility while promoting your work. We …

1
Marisa Bate on writing the political and personal 1:06:56

8M ago1:06:56

1:06:56

Marisa Bate is a freelance journalist, women's rights advocate and author of Wild Hope. Part memoir, part reportage and part social history, Wild Hope tells the story of expanding and contracting women's rights in America through two bus journey's across the mid west - one by Marisa's mother in the 70s and the other, by Marisa in 2021. In this epis…

1
Laura Bates on the power of storytelling in activism 41:04

9M ago41:04

41:04

Laura Bates is a Sunday Times Bestselling author, an activist and speaker. Laura founded the Everyday Sexism Project in 2012 and has gone on to write multiple best selling non-fiction books about gender equality. She has spoken in the United Nations, the Houses of Parliament, is regularly called on to provide evidence for parliamentary reports and …

1
Huma Qureshi on fiction and borrowing from life 1:12:17

9M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

Award winning writer Huma Qureshi returns to the podcast to discuss her debut novel Playing Games, a story about two sisters, their very different ways of processing grief and the question over whether it's ok for a writer to take from real life. We talk about the challenges of moving from short to long form fiction, the pluses (and minuses) of hav…

1
Karen Haller on publishing non-fiction as an expert 49:59

9M ago49:59

49:59

What's it like to publish a book as an expert in your field? Karen Haller is a behavioural colour and design psychology expert and is the author of The Little Book of Colour. Karen and I talk about some of the highs and lows of traditional publishing, some of the particular challenges she faced, as well as the many opportunities it opened up for he…

1
Kate Sawyer on second novels and career changes 43:42

9M ago43:42

43:42

Kate Sawyer is novelist and podcaster with a background in theatre producing and acting. Her first novel The Stranding was shortlisted for the Costa first novel award in 2021 and today we are talking about her second novel This Family. We talk about how her career in theatre has fed into her work as a novelist, genre expectations and how being a so…

1
Marchelle Farrell on memoir and belonging 48:12

9M ago48:12

48:12

Marchelle Farrell's debut memoir Uprooting is about a year of tremendous upheaval and Marchelle's attempt to find home in a garden. In this conversation, we talk about vulnerability in the garden and on the page, identity in medicine and as a writer and how Marchelle's garden gave her a new perspective on colonialism. Uprooting is out now. Links Up…

1
REPLAY: Beth Kempton on being a fearless writer 1:04:14

12M ago1:04:14

1:04:14

Summer REPLAY series Beth Kempton is a Japanologist, a best selling author and a writing mentor whose books have been translated into 24 languages. Her Latest book The Way of the Fearless Writer challenges the assumption that writing must be a struggle and filled with suffering. We talk about why it's important to know why we write, learning to let…

1
REPLAY: Evie Wyld on writing about male violence 38:07

12M ago38:07

38:07

You can sign up to the waitlist for Penny's next Non-Fiction Book Proposal Group at pennywincerwrites.com Summer REPLAY series Evie Wyld is an award winning author of three novels, the latest of which, The Bass Rock, won the Stella Prize 2021. We discuss writing a novel about male violence against a backdrop of #MeToo, and speaking about the subjec…

1
REPLAY: Abigail Bergstrom - literary agent and novelist 43:11

12M ago43:11

43:11

To sign up to the waitlist for Penny's next Non-Fiction Book Proposal Group Program visit pennywincerwrites.com Summer REPLAY series Abigail Bergstrom is a literary agent and consultant, former editor, and now debut novelist. What A Shame is a darkly funny novel about grief, friendship and dabbling in the occult. Abigail talks about the challenges …

1
REPLAY: Chloe Ashby on writing art in fiction 41:34

1y ago41:34

41:34

Summer Replay Series Chloe Ashby is an arts journalist and author based in London. Her debut novel Wet Paint is about a young woman struggling to move forward after the traumatic death of her best friend, who finds solace in a painting and a life of routine, until a sudden change of circumstances has her undressing for strangers as a life model. We…

1
Marina Benjamin and Caro Giles on writing and caring 43:50

1y ago43:50

43:50

It's Carers Week in the UK so I have recorded a bonus episode of teh podcast with two fellow writer carers. Marina Benjamin is the author of many books, the latest of which is A little Give: the unsung, unseen, undone work of women. She also cares for her elderly mother. Caro Giles is the author of Twelve Moons; A year under a share sky and is a si…

1
Daisy Buchanan: from journalist to novelist 1:13:49

1+ y ago1:13:49

1:13:49

Daisy Buchanan is an award winning journalist, author and broadcaster who has had a varied writing career beginning in teen magazines, and now as a novelist. She's also the host of the chart topping podcast You're Booked - one of my favourite podcasts of all time. We talk about Daisy's move from journalist and non-fiction author to fiction, and how…

1
Nicola Washington on social media for writers 1:05:32

1+ y ago1:05:32

1:05:32

Are you tearing your hair out about social media? Do you want to use it to grow your profile as a writer or shout about your book but it makes you uncomfortable? Nicola Washington is a social media marketer and she is passionate about helping writers get their work out into the world. As she says in this episode, after the immense hard work of writ…

1
Suzy Reading on rest 46:14

1+ y ago46:14

46:14

Suzy Reading is a chartered psychologist, yoga teacher and coach whose work all centres around giving people the skills to nourish themselves. Her latest book is Rest to Reset: The busy persons guide to pausing with purpose. As well as talking about Suzy's journey from expert to author of 8 books, we talk about what rest actually looks like, the pr…

1
Joanna Wolfarth on non-fiction and writing intimate cultural history 46:00

1+ y ago46:00

46:00

Joanna Wolfarth is a cultural historian with a PhD in Southeast Asian art history. Her first book Milk: An intimate history of breastfeeding is a fascinating look at the social, historical and cultural contexts for this very personal of experiences, through art, philosophy, folk wisdom and interviews. Joanna talks about how needing to make sense of…

1
Lucy Werner on how to promote your book 1:00:52

1+ y ago1:00:52

1:00:52

Lucy Werner is a PR expert and founder of The Wern, an agency specialising in PR and branding for creative small businesses. Lucy is not only an expert at book PR but also a published author herself and in this episode Lucy shares what she has learned about book PR and marketing from both sides. From building your authority and your brand before yo…

1
Catherine Newman on laughter, death and embracing your voice 49:18

1+ y ago49:18

49:18

Catherine Newman is a writer with a varied career including two parenting memoirs and a middle grade novel. She had written for the New York Times, O Magazine, The Boston Globe and was a columnist for Real Simple Magazine. Her debut novel We All Want Impossible Things is the story of Ash, whose best friend Edi is dying of cancer. Set over a few wee…

1
Caro Giles on memoir, nature and putting yourself in the foreground 40:39

1+ y ago40:39

40:39

Caro Giles is a writer based in the north east of England, whose first book Twelve Moons tells the story, across a year, of raising her 4 daughters alone in a wild and isolated part of the country. It's an incredible memoir about caring, isolation, and joy found in tiny pockets of time. We talk about how the pandemic totally changed how she the str…

1
Janice Hallett on turning crime fiction on it's head 47:19

1+ y ago47:19

47:19

After a varied writing career including speech writing, journalism and screen writing, Janice Hallett turned to crime fiction and became a best-selling author that completely turned the genre on its head. Using transcripts, messages, emails, letters and articles, Janice's novels weave intricate, humourous and clever tales of murder and mystery. It …

1
Not Too Busy To Write - Series 6 coming soon 1:44

1+ y ago1:44

1:44

Not Too Busy To Write will be back for a new series on January 18th. Guests for series 6 include memoirists, debut novelists, non-fiction authors and much more. The series kicks off with best selling crime author Janice Hallett and oh my goodness is it a great episode about writing outside of the box. See you in two weeks for series 6! Want to writ…

1
Lindsey Kelk on writing Romantic Comedies 1:00:50

1+ y ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Lindsey Kelk is a Sunday Times bestselling author of over 20 novels. Her latest The Christmas Wish is a hilarious and delightful time loop story set during a family Christmas. Lindsey and I chat about subverting Hallmark movie tropes, being a full time novelist in a much maligned genre and the realities of being working class in the publishing indu…

1
Novelist and Discoveries Prize Judge Chibundu Onuzo 37:51

1+ y ago37:51

37:51

Chibundu Onuzo is a novelist whose first book was published when she was just 21 years old. Her third and latest novel Sankofa was short listed for the Women's Prize for Fiction Futures Prize, an Amazon book of the year and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick in 2021. We talk about the inspiration behind Sankofa, how Chibundu's writing process has c…

1
Writing an illustrated interiors book with Emily Henson 42:01

1+ y ago42:01

42:01

Emily Henson is an art director and stylist and the author of five books. Her latest is Create: Inspiring homes that value creativity over consumption. In this episode Emily talks about her journey from stylist and blogger to author and the close collaborative, relationship she has with her publisher. It's a really fun and informative episode for a…

1
What is publishing a book really like? 40:53

1+ y ago40:53

40:53

Ali and Penny are back together talking about the experience of publication. It has been three months since Ali's book The Last Days came out and it seemed like a great time to have a debrief and discuss the highs and lows, the hard work and the realities of publishing. We talk about reviews, proofs, blurbs, news events that drown out book publicit…

1
Winnie M Li on complicity and power in fiction 36:56

1+ y ago36:56

36:56

Winnie M Li is a Taiwanese-American author and activist originally from New Jersey. Her second novel Complicit is about a film lecturer in an obscure American college who once was on the cusp of a major film career. When she is approached by an investigative journalist about an alleged incident that occurred 10 years earlier, memories of youthful a…

1
Shakaila Forbes-Bell on Big Dress Energy 55:30

1+ y ago55:30

55:30

Shakaila Forbes-Bell is a fashion psychologist and the author of Big Dress Energy: How fashion psychology can transform your wardrobe and your confidence. It's a book that is a pleasure to read, filled with insights and backed up by rigorous research. In this episode Shakaila talks dressing our different identities, the challenges of switching from…

1
Margaux Vialleron on writing about friendship and food 39:18

2y ago39:18

39:18

Margaux Vialleron is a French born, London based writer. Her debut novel The Yellow Kitchen centres around the friendship of three very different women over the course of a year, with a kitchen and the food prepared within it at its heart. Margaux speaks about why she is drawn to writing about friendship and food, how she uses her sense to dive int…

1
Beth Kempton on how to write fearlessly 1:04:44

2y ago1:04:44

1:04:44

Beth Kempton is a Japanologist, a best selling author and a writing mentor whose books have been translated into 24 languages. Her Latest book The Way of the Fearless Writer challenges the assumption that writing must be a struggle and filled with suffering. We talk about why it's important to know why we write, learning to let go in our writing, w…

1
REPLAY: Huma Qureshi on short stories and taking fiction seriously 54:24

2y ago54:24

54:24

Huma Qureshi is a former Guardian and Observer journalist and is the author of the memoir How We Met and her latest book Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love, is a short story collection about the distance between people - between mothers and daughters and between lovers. It includes the "The Jam Maker" which won the Harper's Bazaar Short Story…

1
REPLAY: Cathy Rentzenbrink on life writing 41:02

2y ago41:02

41:02

Cathy Rentzenbrink is a Sunday Times best selling author of The Last Act of Love, A Manual for Heartache, Dear Reader and Everyone is Still Alive. Her latest book, Write It All Down, is all about writing from life. Cathy talks about how her first memoir started because she need to write it out of her, how she's learned to trust the process of writi…

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