In conversation

Playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero takes us from the tweet that inspired her to write The Whip through to the play’s production and performance at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre.

Michael Ohajuru discusses his pioneering project on John Blanke, one of the first recorded black men in British history.

British-born Cypriot poet Anthony Anaxagorou explains his determination to tackle tough subjects in his poems.

The poet, novelist, lyricist and physician Suhayl Saadi talks about the journey of his polyphonic novel Psychoraag.

John Siddique talks to Ishy Din about their experience of directing and producing the new series, Mosaic Monologues, featuring six dramas commissioned by WritersMosaic.

The musician, producer and writer Love Ssega reflects on the power of art as activism and fighting for air.

The novelist Catherine Johnson talks about writing fiction based on historical characters like the dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker.

The Ethiopian-British actor, playwright and filmmaker Beru Tessema, focusing on his film Lions and his play Wolves on Road, describes how he channels his migrant experience in his work.

Dalia Al-Dujaili talks about her new book, Babylon, Albion: A Personal History of Myth and Migration, a poetic reflection on belonging that draws on Arab mythology and Islamic tradition alongside English folklore.

The author and journalist Saima Mir discusses her love for Malcolm X, moving away from rage on the page, and her approach to layered storytelling in which women gain both power and agency.

The poet, novelist and memoirist Mona Dash reflects on how her mother, also a poet, inspired her to become a writer.

The London-based Filipino author Candy Gourlay describes illuminating gaps in history through her children's books Wild Song and Bone Talk set in the time of the Philippine-American War.