The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Dr Rachel Knightley
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Build creative confidence and beat the inspiration addiction with Dr Rachel Knightley. Every episode, we’ll discuss key writing topics while exploring the goals, exercises, tools and techniques to discover what you really want from your writing — and what your writing really needs from you.

  1. 4D AGO

    Ally Wilkes, Stoker-award nominated author, joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Ally Wilkes joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym to discuss the power of horror fiction to explore identity and the highs and lows of creating a writing life that works for the individual you are.     Ally’s debut novel, All the White Spaces, was a Bram Stoker Award finalist, and her second novel, Where the Dead Wait, was one of Esquire’s best horror books of 2023. Her short fiction has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies from publishers including Nightmare Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Flame Tree Press, Eerie River, and Nepenthe Press. Her next novel, Man Eater – set in the fevered jungles of the Amazon during the late Victorian orchid-hunting craze – will be published in February 2027.   Visit the Writers' Gym at writersgym.com   Find out more about Ally at:   Her website: https://allywilkes.com   Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ally_Wilkes   AM Heath: https://amheath.com/authors/ally-wilkes

    48 min

  2. FEB 9

    True Resolutions are Realisations

    Dr Rachel Knightley shares three resolutions for creative confidence on the page and in life.

    7 min

  3. FEB 2

    Jenny Rogers: author, editor and executive coach joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Dr Rachel Knightley is joined by author and editor Jenny Rogers, one of the UK’s most experienced executive coaches. Jenny’s book, Are You Listening? published by Penguin Random House, tells human stories from the perspective of a coach: it tackles common human dilemmas such as how to overcome shame after a mistake, how to face disappointment and  bereavement, what it means to start a new career or recover a more honest self after making a fortune or after life as a celebrity. During her stint as a BBC TV producer she commissioned and edited many best-selling books including Delia Smith’s Cookery Course and Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery.    Recent titles include Personality Type: understanding yourself, getting more of what you want (2024) and Fearless Coaching (2025). She is currently working on a book for women in mid life. This will be published in 2026 by Short Books.   Her books range from Coaching for Health, co-written with Dr Arti Maini to titles on how to be an excellent facilitator, how to cook and eat healthily, how to navigate career crises and how to be a successful coach, with a 5th edition published in 2024 of the book many now regard world-wide as the ‘Bible’ of coaching, Coaching Skills: The Definitive Guide to being a Coach. Jenny’s philosophy as a writer is that, to adapt Dr Einstein’s phrase, everything should be as simple as possible, but not more simple. Her aim is to tackle complex subjects in a way which makes them accessible.   Jenny was an early entrant to the world of coaching and has now been a coach for 35 years. As well as her own coaching, she trains and supervises other coaches. She was married for many years to the BBC Editor and journalist Alan Rogers. He died in 2010. She lives in central London close to her two sons and three grandchildren. She is a keen cook, filmgoer, walker and wannabe textile artist.   Find out more about Jenny at https://jennyrogerscoaching.com

    38 min

  4. JAN 26

    Kayleigh Dobbs, Happy Goat Horror founder, joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Kayleigh Dobbs is an author, editor, and playwright from South Wales. She is the founder of Happy Goat Horror, a review site and podcast with a focus on independent horror. Her recent short story collection The End (Black Shuck Shadows) was a 2023 Imadjinn Award Finalist. This year she has presented and interviewed authors for World Fantasy Con and Edge-lit. https://happygoathorror.com/ Connect here: Instagram: @drrachelknightley Substack: Dr Rachel Knightley Facebook: Dr Rachel Knightley LinkedIn: Dr Rachel Knightley Twitter: @drrknightley

    32 min

  5. JAN 19

    Emeritus Professor Andrew Cowan joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym.

    Andrew was for ten years the Director of the Creative Writing programme at UEA, where he taught for twenty years on the MA in Creative Writing. He is the author of the bestselling guidebook, The Art of Writing Fiction, recently reissued in an updated second edition, and the monograph Against Creative Writing. His first novel Pig was the winner of the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, a Betty Trask Award, the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, a Scottish Arts Council Book Award and the Ruth Hadden Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for five other awards. He has since published five other novels: Common Ground, Crustaceans, What I Know, Worthless Men and, most recently,Your Fault. Find Andrew on Instagram at @andrewcowan01

    36 min

  6. JAN 12

    Alison Littlewood, Shirley Jackson award winning author joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Alison Littlewood’s latest novels, published as A. J. Elwood, are The Other Lives of Miss Emily White and The Cottingley Cuckoo. Her first book, A Cold Season, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and described as ‘perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.’ Other titles include Mistletoe, The Hidden People, The Crow Garden, The Unquiet House and Path of Needles. Her short stories have been selected for several Best Of anthologies and published in her collections, Quieter Paths, The Flowering and A Curious Cartography. She has won the Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction. Alison lives in a house of creaking doors and crooked walls in deepest darkest Yorkshire, England.    HarperCollins on 3 October announced the acquisition of Until We Drown by Ava Morwood, the penname of Alison Littlewood, who has previously been an R&J pick and won the Shirley Jackson award.   Acquired with UK and Commonwealth rights from Oli Munson at AM Heath in a two-book deal, Megan Jones will publish Until We Drown in hardback, ebook and audio in April 2026.   A spellbinding thriller with a powerful sense of place, Until We Drown is set in the Peak District, where Ellie Kellaway and her family are seeking a fresh start. Ellie hopes to leave behind her troubling memories of the sea – and her husband’s affair with the beautiful wild swimmer he met there.   But this new home harbours dark secrets, where ancient legends intertwine with chilling realities. When Ellie’s daughter finds a mermaid carving hidden in the bones of their house, the family find themselves pulled into an undertow of betrayal and vengeance which threatens to drown them all.   Megan Jones said: ‘I am thrilled to be working with Ava, not only a wonderfully talented writer but someone passionate about the stories which special places hide. Until We Drown is a thriller that conjures a dark fascination that lasts long after the final page.’   Ava Morwood said: ‘I’m completely thrilled that Until We Drown has found such an amazing home. It’s a heart-and-soul of a novel, which began with my fascination with the presence of mermaid folklore in the landlocked Peak District and grew into a rather darker, more dangerous contemporary thriller. I’m beyond happy to be working with Megan and the fabulous team at HarperNorth, and grateful to my agent, Oli Munson, for making this happen.’   Find out more: AvaMorwood.com AlisonLittlewood.com

    36 min

  7. JAN 5

    Jade Robertson, founder and creative director of Little Lies joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Today Dr Rachel Knightley explores a different kind of storytelling that has been part of her exploring and expressing the stories she contains for nearly a decade, and a community she's been part of while also building her own in the Writers' Gym: Jade Robertson is the creative force behind Little Lies, an indie fashion brand rooted in 70s rock ‘n’ roll. Since launching the brand from her bedroom in 2015, Jade has built a loyal global community of customers who resonate with the ethos of creating “future-vintage” pieces—timeless styles designed in small batches with inclusivity in mind. Little Lies has grown from a passion project into a business with a seven-figure turnover and brand known for its authenticity and bold energy. Last year, the world took notice when Taylor Swift was photographed wearing one of their signature designs, further cementing their place in the fashion world. Jade is passionate about sharing her journey and insights, regularly speaking at universities, business groups, and on various podcasts, always bringing a grounded, relatable approach to entrepreneurship, creativity, and building an ethical brand in today’s world. Whether it’s about her love of blending music with fashion, building an independent business, juggling motherhood with business life or leading with purpose in the fast-paced world of retail, her talks resonate with audiences looking for real insights and inspiration.   www.little-lies.com Instagram: @jadelittlelies

    49 min

  8. 12/29/2025

    Ashley Thorpe, award winning animator joins Dr Rachel Knightley at the Writers' Gym

    Dr Rachel Knightley's guest at the Writers' Gym today is  Ashley Thorpe. Ashley  is a self taught Devon based animator whose early films (SCAYRECROW, THE SCREAMING SKULL & THE HAIRY HANDS) were a celebration of the neglected aspects of British folklore. His first feature 'BORLEY RECTORY' (a Carrion Film / Glass Eye Pix co-venture) with Reece Shearsmith & Julian Sands was completed late 2017and won 'Best Animated Feature' at Buffalo Dreams Festival New York and a "Special Achievement in Cinema" accolade. After being released on Blu Ray in 2019 the film is now streaming on Netflix, Prime and Talking Pictures. As a freelance animator he has provided animated titles / sequences for such varied films as the multi award winning 'WOODLANDS DARK & DAYS BEWITCHED', Saturn award winning 'TALES OF HALLOWEEN', 'MANCUNIAN MAN', 'NEVERLAND NIGHTMARE' as well as ongoing animated title sequences and graphics for the BBC's hit show 'UNCANNY’.   Ashley's website: https://carrionfilms.co.uk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleycarrionthorpe/?hl=en-gb

    54 min
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About

Build creative confidence and beat the inspiration addiction with Dr Rachel Knightley. Every episode, we’ll discuss key writing topics while exploring the goals, exercises, tools and techniques to discover what you really want from your writing — and what your writing really needs from you.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr Rachel Knightley
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Writers’ Gym Podcast