A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley

Written by: Sally Bayley Andrew Smith
  • Summary

  • Acclaimed writer Sally Bayley lives on a narrowboat, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, sustained by reading and writing. In this series, she invites us into her life, showing us how books have the power to change your life. Sally has recently been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, but this is not a misery memoir podcast; she shows us how literature and connection to nature can console and give courage and insight. The series is produced by Andrew Smith, James Bowen, Lucie Richter-Mahr, and Dylan Gwalia. To find out more about Sally please visit: https://sallybayley.com.
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Episodes
  • On Rhythm
    Dec 11 2024

    ‘Rhythm seems to be the first or formal relation of part to part in any whole…’

    This week, Sally has been thinking about rhythms, in her life, writing, and the works of others. Listen for a meditation, via James Joyce, Jean Rhys’ Good Morning, Midnight (1939), and Sally’s work in progress, on the suturing of experience, and the spaces between moments of being.

    Joyce’s reflection on rhythm, among others, can be found in full here.

    Sally is currently in the early stages of writing out the rhythms and images of her next book – a passage from which appears in this episode - following an unlikely set of characters, including Katherine Parnell, from the realm of fable, fairytale, folklore, and history.

    The guitar music accompanying Sally’s discussion of the fire is by Dylan Gwalia. The closing track is ‘Thursday’, by Paul Sebastian.

    This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.

    Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

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    25 mins
  • Orphan Power
    Nov 23 2024

    This week, Sally has been reflecting on her ‘orphan power’, a phrase once applied to her by Will Self, and her relationship with orphaned literary characters such as Jane Eyre. Listen for a meditation on isolation, belonging, and the communities that art can provide.

    The extracts performed here involving Jane Eyre and Miss Marple are from Sally’s first coming of age novel, Girl with Dove (William Collins, 2018).

    The wonderful piano music in the opening section is 'Rain', by Paul Sebastian.

    This episode was partially inspired by Sally being asked to speak at a symposium on ‘The Impact of Lived Experience on Care Associated Research by Care Experienced Researchers’, convened by Dr Annie Skinner, a Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford Brookes University. More information on Dr Skinner’s work can be found here.

    This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.

    Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

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    22 mins
  • Playing in the Sun
    Nov 15 2024

    This week, we join Sally at home, on a sunny autumn day. Listen for a meditation on play, weather, and our relationships with everyday objects.

    The passage from David Copperfield can be found here.

    More from Sally on the kaleidoscope mentioned early in the episode can be found here.

    This episode was edited and produced by James Bowen.

    Special thanks to Andrew Smith, Violet Henderson, Kris Dyer, and Maeve Magnus.

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    16 mins

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