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The Writing LifeAuthor: National Centre for Writing
Were a podcast for anyone who writes. Every week we talk to writers about their writing journeys and techniques, from early career debuts to self-publishers and narrative designers. Weve featured Margaret Atwood, Jackie Kay, Sara Collins, Antti Tuomainen, Val McDermid, Sarah Perry, Elif Shafak and many more! The Writing Life is produced by the National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall in Norwich. Language: en Genres: Arts, Books, Education, How To Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Poets in conversation: John Osborne & Lewis Buxton on performance, humour, and place
Episode 360
Sunday, 11 January, 2026
In this episode of The Writing Life Podcast, writers and performers John Osborne and Lewis Buxton share insights on writing poetry for page and performance, and reflect on their lives as poets living and working in Norwich City of Literature. John Osborne is a poet, scriptwriter, broadcaster and theatre-maker. He began writing whilst studying at the University of East Anglia and has never stopped, producing an eclectic mix of poetry, storytelling theatre shows, non-fictional explorations of everything from radio to the charms of the seaside and even a Sky One sitcom, After Hours. His latest collection of poems To Make People Happy was published in June 2025, and looks at happiness. Lewis Buxton is a writer and theatre maker. His work has appeared in The Independent, Poetry Review, The Rialto, Ambit and Magma amongst others. He has won the Winchester Poetry Prize, received the UEA Literary Festival Bursary and is the Co-Director of TOAST. His first collection Boy in Various Poses was published by Nine Arches Press in 2021. His second collection Mate Arias was published in July 2025, and is a unique celebration of the tenderness and love that can be communicated by men. Together, they discuss their poetry collections To Make People Happy and Mate Arias, and their themes of happiness, connection, and communication. Touching on everything from Norwich’s influence on their writing to how their performances subvert and expand expectations of what poetry is, this is an open conversation about finding inspiration, writing the absurd and surreal, and experimenting with form, rhythm, and structure.
