Episode 4

Huma Qureshi on fiction and borrowing from life

Published on: 8th November, 2023

Award winning writer Huma Qureshi returns to the podcast to discuss her debut novel Playing Games, a story about two sisters, their very different ways of processing grief and the question over whether it's ok for a writer to take from real life. We talk about the challenges of moving from short to long form fiction, the pluses (and minuses) of having a two book deal and the pleasures of writing about a writer.

Huma is also a brilliant creative writing teacher and we discuss her style as a teacher and some of her favourite book recommendations for writers.

Playing Games is out Nov 9th

Links

Playing Games - Huma Qureshi

Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love - Huma Qureshi

How We Met - Huma Qureshi

Huma's creative writing classes

Sign Up to Dear Huma newsletter

Huma Qureshi on Not Too Busy To Write in 2021


Recommended Books

American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld

Help Yourself - Curtis Sittenfeld

Writers and Lovers - Lily King

Dear Life - Alice Monroe

Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri


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About the Podcast

Not Too Busy To Write
Writing amongst life's many other demands
Penny Wincer is not too busy to write. Except of course, sometimes she is too busy to write as much as she would like. Join Penny as she has conversations with other writers about writing, publishing and creativity whilst juggling all the demands on them such as motherhood, caring and other paid work.

Penny Wincer is the author of Tender (Hodder, June 2020), a mother of two, a non-fiction writing coach and an Australian and long-term resident of London. She’s currently writing her second narrative non-fiction book, Home Matters (July 2024) and working on her first novel.

About your host

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Penny Wincer

Penny Wincer is the author of Tender: The Imperfect Art of Caring (Hodder, June 2020) and is a single parent to two kids, one of whom is disabled. She is also a non-fiction book coach and an Australian and long-term resident of London. She’s currently writing her second non-fiction book and working her first novel.