Virtual Salon

Second Year Creative Wriging and English Literature students complile links to Podcasts, Blogs and Criticism

Black Chick Lit — A Bi-monthly Podcast: Podcasts, discusses books for and by Black women. Podcasts include readings of Black female authors, works such as Zora Neale Hurston, NK Jemisin and Oyinkan Braithwaite. Includes special features such as Urban Fic Month. Follow Black Chick on Twitter.

Backlisted Podcasts — presented by John Mitchinson and Andy Miller, sponsored by Unbound the Crowd Funding Publisher. Episodes feature guest writers and critics, who select books they believe deserve a wider audience. Well-informed discussions and audio clips of the featured author.

You’re Booked — Podcasts presented by author/Journalist Daisy Buchanan. Episodes feature book discussions with other writers. Episodes include authors Nikesha Shukla, Elif Shafak and Ayisha Malik. Follow You’re Booked on Twitter.

Original Audio Influx Press — Independent Publisher Influx Press presents a series of podcasts featuring short story readings by various authors. Authors include Courttia Newland and Irfan Master as well as a series of podcasts of Literature Under the Influence and Lockdown Discussions. Follow Influx Press on Twitter

Litro Podcasts — A Literary and Creative Arts Platform for those with an interest in literature, culture and innovation. Championing emerging international writers as well as celebrating the established. Podcast features include The Depressing Command by Feyisayo Anjorin and Pantone 213U by Marcy Henry. Follow Litro on Twitter

AAWW Radio Podcasts — AAWW Radio is a podcast of AAWW.org, a non-profit organisation. The Asian American Writers Workshop is dedicated to the idea that Asian American stories deserve to be told. Podcasts feature novelists, activists, poets and intellectuals, bringing together people who usually would not be in the same room, a sanctuary for the immigrant imagination. Podcasts include You don’t say no to Yuri Kochiyama and Breaking Caste. Follow AAWW on Twitter.

Compiled by Chris Arnephie

Asymptote Journal — This website publishes translated work from all over the world in many different languages. It shines a spotlight on a global community of writers, featuring poetry, non-fiction and fiction writing. There is also a list of countries and writers, making it easy for us to navigate the site, and choose whether you want to read a review of a specific author's work, or find latest literary offerings from a particular country.

Lithub Literary Criticisim — The literary criticism section of Lithub is full of excellent content. Ranging from interviews with writers, to essays repositioning the works of classic literary figures in a modern context, and discussions on evaluating historical events. Try How Virginia Woolf and Susan Sontag Looked at Photos of Violence

Electric Literature — A non-profit digital publisher. Site also features Literary news, Essays and Criticism as well as a weekly Literary magazine Recommended Reading, publishing short stories and novel excerpts and The Commuter featuring Flash Fiction, Poetry and Graphic Narrative. Electric Lit are committed to elevating new voices and examining how Literature and Storytelling can help illuminate social justice issues and current events. Electric Lit is available for free to readers but contributions are welcomed. Follow Electric Literature on Twitter.

Writer Myriam Gurba’s blog — Myriam Gurba’s blog is inspiring, as she shares short stories, and real-life anecdotes of being a writer as well as her full-time job as a high school teacher in America. Giving an insightful depiction of what it looks like juggling two careers at once. Gurba presents the role of the writer, as both provocateur and an activist.

WNDB (We Need Diverse Books) Blog — A non profit organisation advocating for essential change in the publishing industry. Producing and promoting Literature that reflects and is inclusive of the lives of all young people. Blogs feature Q & A’s with authors such as Camryn Garret Full Disclosure, Tricia Elam Walker blog Why Diverse books are Important for everyone – Not just marginalised kids, as well as guest blogs from the likes of Jamie Lawson Celebrating Pride during a Pandemic with ‘Rainbow Revolutions’. Follow WNDB on Twitter.

The Book Smugglers — A book review blog founded by Ana Grilo and Thea James. Specialising in Speculative Fiction, SFF Short Fiction and NonFiction. They also help to promote and publish short stories and authors via their Independent Digital Publisher Book Smugglers Publishing. Features include Women To Read and Non Binary Authors to read. Follow The Book Smugglers on Twitter.

The Hub — The London Bookfair Blogs The London Bookfair LBF is a global marketplace for rights negotiation, sales and distribution of content for print, audio, tv, film and digital channels. The Hub is the LBF’s home for media insight and news. Blogs include industry news via Snapshot of the Week and other blogs such as LBF Book club – Your recommendations. Follow The Hub on Twitter.

Compiled by Amran Ahmed & Chris Arnephie