It’s that time of year again! Our podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show returns for a fifth series.

There’s no getting rid of The Dale Hurst Writing Show. I know last year, I was in a bit of a slump with the podcast, and was certain about bringing it to an end this year. But there were developments. Positive developments. The main one: our affiliation with The Bournemouth Journal, a new literary journal created and produced by the MA Creative Writing and Publishing course at Bournemouth University. The very Master’s course I studied during lockdown.

Keeping in close contact with the course after graduation has been so rewarding and valuable (hopefully mutually so); I encourage more students and alumni to stay in touch with your universities after you finish! You never know what opportunities may come along. There’s more I can say on this subject, but we’ll get back on track: The Dale Hurst Writing Show Season 5.

What’s new? What’s improved?

The show’s format will be the same as you know and love. I spent the last few months meeting and interviewing a whole new batch of writers to bring another 10 episodes. One or two bonus interviews may also be included. As always, these writers work in various disciplines and media: literary and genre fiction… film… even, most excitingly this year, video games!

I always try to shake things up from season to season. This year, I’ve added a new question at the end of my regular Q+A segment. The Desert Island Story question; that is, finding out my guests’ desert island book, film, play or TV episode. Some have come out with classics, others have surprised me immensely. It’s always interesting to hear what people come out with, so I intend to keep the question for future series.

It’s also worth mentioning that this season, we mark the 50th episode of the podcast. For this episode, I reunited with some old friends to put something a bit different together. I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing too much. But even if you aren’t a regular listener, this one would be worth engaging with.

Who features in Season 5?

Tune in this season to hear from more writers from all across the globe. On The Dale Hurst Writing Show, we’re never confined to just my home in the UK. In fact, like the last season, we kick off with a chat from the U.S. As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, the season premiere tackles World War II stories, with author and retired Navy Chief, Matt Hardman.

As with previous series, I interview writers at all stages of their careers, from the traditionally published such as Iqbal Hussain, to fantasy writer Fin Cattanach, who publishes prolifically on Instagram. I also had the pleasure of chatting to multiple-award-winning writer and director Max James Walker, whose film The Façade tackles the duality of social media stars and influencers.

Topics for this season include the dos and don’ts of character development, how magic and politics mix within fantasy fiction, and the essentials of interactive storytelling. Naturally, it doesn’t stop there. But you’ll have to follow on Spotify to ensure you don’t miss an episode!

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What is Silhouettes (apart from bad grammar)? Here’s all you need to know about my new collection.

I’ve mentioned Silhouettes in the past few editions of my Progress Report posts. But so little has happened since the last one, I thought it would be a better use of time to give you as much info on this brand-new book.

What exactly is Silhouettes?

At the risk of repeating previous blogs, Silhouettes is a collection of short stories and poems. My first release of this kind. It’s a small anthology made up of my favourite writings from the last few years. Some of them entered into competitions with no real results; others were mere ideas in the beginning and I’ve written them especially for this book. It even includes my fan favourite Sunday on the Boulevard (with my pet lobster). 

A few of the stories and poems are drawn from true experiences of mine, whether social or while working in hospitality. Others are inspired simply by how I look at life, how I look at people. Sometimes in anger, sometimes in irony.

All being well, Silhouettes will be released at the end of September. And we’re going to try to expand beyond Amazon this time! While I’m sticking with self-publishing for the moment, this time I’m looking at IngramSpark to extend my reach. Especially as this book is for more than one audience!

How long will Silhouettes be?

The collection consists of nine short stories of varying subject and style — the shortest is only a couple of pages, while the longest is 20 pages, comprising five chapters (or vignettes). The poems come on top of that — 14 in total and divided into two sections within the book. Again, they vary in length, style and genre. Totalling at around 130 pages.

You say varying genre… what do you mean?

One of the pieces of feedback I had from my novels, The Berylford Scandals, was that the length and genre (historical mystery) were intimidating to new readers. With Silhouettes, I wanted to redress this. To provide something unthreatening for those who don’t normally read, while also giving something new to my regular fans. It has been five years since Sin & Secrecy came out, after all. About time we changed the narrative.

Also to appeal to readers of all kinds, the stories and poems don’t all fall into one particular genre. There’s a mixture of comedy and drama. Domestic sagas (Learning to Live with Lukasz), streams of consciousness (Last Train to London), horror (The Vampire of Allouaine), even one or two attempts at absurdism. We visit hotels, trains, buses, mental health clinics, restaurants, and more, all for a range of reasons in a variety of scenarios. It’s not all flights of fancy, mind you. There are some parts that channel complex themes such as grief, drugs and suicide.

You never know — this may be the book in which you find your kind of story.

One good question I had earlier this week: are the stories connected in any way? The answer is no, though the thought had crossed my mind. To make the characters all related in some way. But with some stories venturing into more fantastical and period realms, it didn’t seem plausible.

Will more information come before the release date?

Of course! I have commissioned the cover and the foreword, so I’ll be able to reveal more about those bits when they’re completed. I also plan to dedicate a part of my podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show‘s 50th episode to Silhouettes. There, I’ll delve into the inspirations behind my favourite stories and the book as a whole. Keep an eye out for that around September (or Follow on Spotify now, and you won’t miss an episode!)

Also, for the first time, I intend to release an audiobook version (just working out the logistics). Watch out for more on this in the near future.

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