Swallowed by a Whale: Writing Advice from Authors of Note

In this specially commissioned anthology, sixty accomplished authors offer candid reflections on their writing lives, sharing insights into inspiration, craft, ambition, and the daily realities of creative work.

They explore their methods and routines, the wild ideas that spark stories, and the discipline required to see them through. With honesty and generosity, they discuss both the pleasures and the frustrations of pursuing literary goals, from early beginnings to hopes for the future. Along the way, they offer hard-earned advice on staying motivated, overcoming setbacks, and navigating the inevitable challenges of the writing life.

Emerging voices appear alongside internationally celebrated writers whose books have sold in the millions. Each contributor reflects in their own way on the creative process and the enduring compulsion to write. How do you find inspiration? How do you choose the right words? How do you confront writer’s block? And where do the best ideas truly come from?

Featuring contributions from Cressida Cowell, Matt Haig, Joanne Harris, David Mitchell, Jan Morris, Onjali Q. Raúf, Raynor Winn, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh, Tracy Chevalier, Thomas Keneally, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Tom Gauld, Benjamin Myers, and many others, this anthology offers a rich and inspiring glimpse into the minds of writers at work.

Huw Lewis-Jones is an author, teacher, naturalist, and polar expedition leader whose work has been published in many languages. His books include Ocean Portraits, In Search of the South Pole, The Conquest of Everest, and Explorers’ Sketchbooks.

He has also edited the acclaimed and bestselling collections The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands and Archipelago: An Atlas of Imagined Islands. Huw lives in Cornwall.