‘Speculative fiction, like all literature, doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and writers in 2026 are going to incorporate the music we listen to, the technology we use, the films we watch, the global affairs that concern us, into the stories we write, just as writers in 1926 did—which, along with stylistic experimentation, keeps the genre alive.’

‘We need to be open to feedback and willing to make changes while also staying true to the story we want to tell. It can be a fine line but one worth walking to create a novel or non-fiction work readers will not be able to put down.’

‘I sometimes think we forget the ‘social’ part of social media. Even when operating what essentially is a business account, it still needs to be engaging, represent you as an author, and connect with your book community.’

‘Better to have a poem you love knocked back than have one you sort of like accepted in a journal. This may sound obvious but sometimes, especially early on in your writing career, you might take any publishing opportunity as a win. I think it’s important to write for yourself, sit on your work for a while, edit and edit again and then send out in the world.’

‘The very process of considering and selecting the type of feedback you want is truly magical. It gives you a slight editorial detachment, as you will be forced to consider your writing on a craft level. It also psychologically prepares you for receiving the feedback. You’ll no longer be afraid that the person will simply say it’s “good” or “bad”. Instead, you’ll receive marvellously focused feedback.’

‘“Voice” is not just about style and word choice, it’s about the kind of books you write, the aspects of character you explore, the issues and themes you return to and, in the end, the experience you deliver to your readers. It’s the “you” in the book.’

‘I think because the streamers are able to take risks and screen material that might not fit the charter of the networks, there’s more opportunity for writers to create stories that are fresh and original.’

‘Poetry can be intensely emotional, and it can reveal truths in ways that avoid the discursive. It is perhaps the lyric, with its unique characteristics of brevity, musicality, concentration of thought and emotion in a formalised way, which best exemplifies a poem’s ability to reverberate and animate consciousness, to bring us into connection with the inner life.’

‘To me, being a writer is about being part of the world and reflecting it back to readers; you’re not going to be able to do that in a well-rounded way if you restrict yourself.’