Writers on Writing

Téa Obreht, author of SUNRISE

Téa Obreht is the author of four works of fiction. Her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a 2011 National Book Award finalist a

Kimberly McCreight, author of SOMEONE ELSE’S HUSBAND

Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Reconstructing Amelia, which was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Alex Awards a

Literary agent Maria Whelan

Maria Whelan is an agent at Mushens Entertainment, in London. Prior to that, for more than 8 years she worked as an assistant and agent at InkWell Management in New York.

Liam Higginson, author of THE HILL IN THE DARK GROVE

Debut Welsh author Liam Higginson has written an atmospheric, psychologically suspenseful, creepy novels told in gorgeous literary prose. It’s also steeped in Welsh mytho

Claire Vaye Watkins, author of YELLOW PINE

Claire Vaye Watkins was born in Bishop, California and raised in the Mojave Desert on the Amargosa River. A graduate of the University of Nevada Reno, she earned her MFA

Michael Cunningham, author of UNSAYABLE: A LIFE IN WRITING

Michael Cunningham is the author of eight novels, including the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Hours and his 1990 novel, A Home at the End of the World. Both of th

Teddy Wayne, author of THE AU PAIR

Teddy Wayne is the author of the novels The Au Pair, The Winner, The Great Man Theory, Apartment, Loner, The Love Song of Jonny Valentine, and Kapitoil. He is the winner

Stacey Abrams, author of CODED JUSTICE

Stacey Abrams served eleven years in the Georgia House of Representatives, seven as minority leader. She was the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for

Elizabeth Strout, author of THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Things We Never Say, Tell Me Everything; Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!, which was shortlisted for the B

Douglas Stuart, author of JOHN OF JOHN

Douglas Stuart is one of those unicorn authors who seemed to have appeared out of thin air and took the literary world by storm. His 2019 debut novel, Shuggie Bain, would

Hafeez Lakhani, author of ABUNDANCE

Hafeez Lakhani was born in Hyderabad, India and raised in suburban South Florida. His fiction and essays have appeared in Crazyhorse, Exposition Review, Salt Hill, Tikkun

Annie Hartnett, author of THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS

Annie Hartnett is the award-winning author of three novels: Rabbit Cake, Unlikely Animals, and the national bestseller The Road to Tender Hearts, which won the 2025 New E

Steven Rowley, author of TAKE ME WITH YOU

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books

Tom Perrotta, author of GHOST TOWN

Tom Perrotta’s eleven works of fiction include Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which was adapted into

Cassandra Neyenesch, author of A LITTLE BIT BAD

Cassandra Neyenesch is a Brooklyn-based writer, activist, and curator. Cassandra’s reviews and cultural pieces have appeared in The Guardian, Brooklyn Rail, HuffPost, Pub

Ada Limón, author of AGAINST BREAKING: ON THE POWER OF POETRY

Ada Limón is likely best known for her role as the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. Her signature project, "You Are Here," focused on connecting poetry with the n

Estelle Erasmus, author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED

Estelle Erasmus is a 2025 TEDx Speaker and an award-winning writing professor at New York University. An award-winning journalist, she has written for The New York Times,

Jayne Anne Phillips, author of SMALL TOWN GIRLS

Jayne Anne Phillips has been on the podcast at least three times. First in 2000, with her novel MotherKind. Again in 2014 with Quiet Dell, and the last time in 2023 with

T.C. Boyle, author of NO WAY HOME

T. Coraghessan Boyle is the author of thirty books of fiction, including The Tortilla Curtain, Talk to Me, I Walk Between the Raindrops, and most recently, No Way Home. H

Louise Erdrich, author of PYTHON’S KISS

Louise Erdrich in one of those relatively rare authors who has won both a National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize. She’s authored 19 novels as well as story collections,