The difference between getting a brand proposition message to land elegantly and speaking to an empty auditorium is very, very simple. Recognise need, ignite emotion, add value and unlock potential.

We speak to English A Level student Estella Jones to get her lens on literature as she sets her sights on a career in publishing.

The close pairing of World Book Day and International Women’s Day prompts a moment to consider changing attitudes to gender voices in children’s literature and beyond.

A reassuringly random encounter underlines that being in conversation with the universe is as much what writing’s all about as the flow of words on the page.

I write, but I know embarrassingly little about printing. I'm now on the edge of a book project and I want to understand how my input fits into a world of exacting standards, inspired problem solving and constant innovation. The print factory beckons and I’m as excited as Charlie Bucket.

Fiction translates known experience into another language, but one we’re more fluent in, or simply more open to listening to, than our mother tongue. It’s an approachable place in which to find pieces of ourselves and, in increments, become more self-aware.

A literature festival is a curious thing. A time when solitary writers become public authors, the private act of reading becomes a communal exercise in listening, our silent musings become lively conversations and a giant wooden typewriter becomes a thing of joy to adults and children alike.

A talk from performance artist Andy Field, author of Encounterism, at the Burford Literary Festival underlines the power of being open to the world around us.

From Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games to scenes within Lewis Carroll's 'Wonderland', what is it that makes dystopian fiction so curiously compelling?

Juggling a love of writing with being a parent is no mean feat. Family life requires you to be fully present, not shut away in a quiet room contemplating or in flow. But carve out a creative hour and its rewards are nourishing and additive for the dynamic of the whole unit.

Castles have a curious way of both providing security and repelling advances, in short instilling respect, depending on whether you find yourself within or without the boundaries. Which is where terminology becomes so interesting. The inner and outer ‘wards’ are designed to protect those inside, and ‘ward off’ those who would seek to breach the walls.

Why are allusions to nature so compelling in fiction? Are, as Thomas Hardy writes, our 'feelers always directed to the sky and wind' and if they are what does nature as a backdrop or character in literature allow us to learn about ourselves?

Children are brilliant. They ask deep questions (at random, with no preamble and usually when you’re in the middle of something) that force you to present your answer in a tangible way, reframing your opinion or even consciously considering a topic for the first time.

Round the fire or via the page, our ability to tell stories isn't just life enriching, it's an essential charactertistic. But successful communication is two way and the job of the writer is incomplete if the narrative is lost to the realm of the literary elite. Can ChatGBT help?

Fair weather can be a source of friction for the budding writer, a distraction from the desk. So how do we keep up the discipline? Or is a pause in creative activity in favour of outdoor leisure pursuits important in the long term?

We’re used to receiving writing tips from the experts but what about hearing from someone in the thick of it, metaphorically throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks?

An 18th century townhouse nestled innocuously in a modern cityscape, a visit to the home of Dr Samuel Johnson unveils much more than the dictionary he created there including two Elizabeths, a faithful manservant and a diverse circle of friends.

I’m more familiar with (multiple) variations and interpretations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice than I am with the source text. So what does all this variety tell us?

I’m taking a big deep breath and entering the gender debate. I’m fascinated with words that are applied only, or at the very least predominantly, to women that are bound by sexuality.

If the poet John Donne says it, it must be true. We’re not alone, even when we feel pushed (or have freely wandered) to the edges or find ourselves unsure in which direction and manner to reach out.

A friend of mine is a passionate advocate for the power and merit of AI chatbots. An AI chatbot makes sense to him. It’s emergent and fast evolving. It saves time (big time). It does a good job. Is it going to put me out of one?

For years I thought the saying ‘just deserts’ referred to puddings, as if the doling out of one sweet treat over another represented a poetic justice of some kind.

Scrabble is a game that transcends its two dimensions. It can be creative, playful, crafty, provocative. Even controversial at times.

It’s always a pleasure to spend time in the company of people who have a passion regardless of your own level of knowledge of the subject.

Formative reads are books that stay with you. Even if the details of the plot may become a little sketchy with the passage of time you never forget how they made you feel.

The creative process can offer nourishment for the soul you can’t put a price on.

One of the loveliest things my closest friends and I do is to send pick-me-up parcels (known as 'posals') to each other.

Love isn't hard to put into words. It’s easy. Otherwise what have the poets been doing all this time?

A flash of electric blue so transitory as to have been easily missed. The kingfisher appeared just when I needed it to.

Life is not a rehearsal. It's a phrase of my late father's that has shaped my life.

If I were to say the words ‘white rabbit’ to you what image would they conjure up?

My CD collection represents a period of my life frozen in time. The thawing process is proving joyful and a joy worth sharing.

Discovering your parents had entire lives before you were born is both deflating and enriching. It's fascinating how this can be demonstrated in specific documents.

Twenty years after first reading Atonement I had the opportunity to hear Ian McEwan speak at the 2022 Cheltenham Literature Festival.

How much room is there for personal interpretation when it comes to our use of language?

Recognising the catalyst for positive change is a contemplative process.