A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

About A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

Acclaimed writer Sally Bayley lives on a narrowboat, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, sustained by reading and writing. In this series, she invites us into her life, showing us how books have the power to change your life. Sally has recently been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, but this is not a misery memoir podcast; she shows us how literature and connection to nature can console and give courage and insight. The series is produced by Andrew Smith, James Bowen, Lucie Richter-Mahr, and Dylan Gwalia. To find out more about Sally please visit: https://sallybayley.com.

Publisher

Sally Bayley, Andrew Smith

Category

arts · education · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Dec 2022

Latest episode

7 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

98 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Sept 2026

   Travelling with Mrs Parnell

   ‘I follow her behind, as a bridesmaid…’ This week, Sally is preparing to travel. To do so, she goes on an imaginative journey with her character, Mrs Parnell, the centrepiece of her forthcoming book of the same name. Listen for a meditation on routine, intimacy, and the journeys, real and imagined, that make up our days. The wonderful piano music in the closing section is ‘Scorpio’, by Paul Seba. More on Paul and his work can be found here. This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen. Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

2. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Writing Lessons: Responding to Noise and Sound

   ‘Conduct had kept chaos at bay.’ This week, we join Sally once again at work on her next novel, Mrs Parnell, making use of Shirley Hazzard’s The Great Fire (2003) and trying to ignore a mounting number of distractions. Listen for reflections on the embodied nature of the writing ritual, and the process of developing intimacy with character. This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen. Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

3. 

   23 Jul 2026

   The Humble Paragraph: Part 2

   ‘Keep your threads firmly tied together…’ This week, we conclude our episode on paragraphs and the writing process. Listen for an insight into Sally’s process of expanding her narratives from the visual towards the historical and biographical, continuing to consider Transit in Venus. This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen. Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

48 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

58

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

Contact A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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