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'The Cavalry': A Short Story By Christopher Meredith
Welcome to a new mini series of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast
This week we have short fiction from Welsh poet, novelist and short story writer Christopher Meredith. The story you're about to hear is a seasonal piece set in the early 1960s in south Wales. It's called 'The Cavalry' and it's from Chris's brilliant collection 'Brief Lives' which is published by Seren.
Christopher Meredith is the award-winning author of five novels and five collections of poetry and also tranlsates Welsh to English. Prizes include an Eric Gregory Award, the Arts Council of Wales Young Writer Prize and the Fiction Prize for his first novel, Shifts. His second novel, Griffri, was shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award. His collection of poems, The Meaning of Flight, was long-listed for The Book of the Year Award 2006. He has given readings all over Britain and Europe as well as in Israel/Palestine and the USA. Born and brought up in Tredegar, he was a steelworker and a schoolteacher before becoming a professor of creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. He lives in Brecon. A collection of six short fictions, titled Brief Lives, was released in 2018.
All content in audio, onscreen and in print is protected and may not be copied or used for any purposes including generative AI/AI training.
Join us next week on the alternative stories and fake realities podcast for award winning audio drama. The Angry House by Thomas Wrightson is a ghost story set in Cornwall in the late 1990s and it was the winner of the 2025 Pen to Print Audio play competition.
Production, sound design and editing in this episode were by Chris Gregory.
If you'd like to support the work of Alternative Stories, gain early access to many of our podcasts and hear exclusive bonus episodes please consider joining our Patreon. You can find a link here: https://www.patreon.com/AltStories
In this episode of the Alternative Stories podcast we're chatting with poet, novelist and audio drama writer Madeleine F White about the two books she is publishing in the first part of 2025; the poetry collection 'The Horse and The Girl' and the verse memoir 'Maiden Mother Crone'
We have a full length interview with Madeleine and excerpts from the collections read by Madeleine. We also hear a clip from Madeleine's audio drama 'The Ark' based on her debut novel 'Mother of Floods' and an excerpt from an episode of the 'Write On! Audio' Podcast.
You can follow Madeleine f White on social media here
If you have enjoyed this podcast you can listen to more from our production company Alternative Stories including our new science fiction drama 'Burnout' here https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories
In this episode we chat with fantasy author Alethea Lyons about her series of novels and short stories called The Seer of York. We look at the influences on Thea's writing including the folklore of the British Isles and the inspiration that the City of York has been on her world. Along the way we hear excerpts from Alethea's writing read by Emily Inkpen
If you'd like to find out more about our reader Emily Inkpen and hire her for your voice or writing project you can do so here https://www.emilyinkpen.com/
Having arrived in Devon to visit the mysterious Sally Whitehorn, Molly, Ealine and Katherine contemplate the invitation that brought them there and the meaning of the ancient hare folklore she invokes. Can what she is proposing really be true and what will it mean for the women?
Hare Spell is written by Terri Windling, Fay Hield , Sarah Hesketh and Sarra Culleno with additional material, editing and collation by Chris Gregory.
You heard Amy Forrest as Molly Sarah Golding as Sally Stevie Skinner as Ealine Nadia Wyn Abouayen as Katherine Marie-Claire Wood as Amy Chris Gregory as the hotel receptionist
Music was by Fay Hield and Inge Thomson
The songs "When She Comes" and "Hare Spell" are taken from the Topic Records album "Wrackline" by Fay Hield. Copyright is held by Fay Hield under exclusive licence to Proper Music Publishing Limited. We would like to thank Fay Hield, Topic Records and Proper Music Publishing Ltd for their kind permission to use these tracks.
Musicians on Fay Hields tracks are Fay Hield, Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron, Ben Nicholls and Ewan MacPherson with production by Andy Bell
The instrumental soundtrack recordings you heard are written and performed by Inge Thomson, copyright Inge Thomson and commissioned by the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast
Direction, sound design and production of the audio drama is by Chris Gregory
Casting was by our writing team
Sound effects are from freesound.org
The presenters are Holly Sangster and Kelli Winkler
If you'd like to learn more about the participants in this drama the links below will point you to their websites or twitter feeds
When three women receive letters from a sender in Devon they are intrigued enough to accept the invitation within and set off to travel to Dartmoor to meet the mysterious Sally Whitehorn. What will they find there and will Sally's outlandish claims prove to be true? Our story explores real folk stories about hares and the mythology associated with them.
Hare Spell is written by Terri Windling, Fay Hield , Sarah Hesketh and Sarra Culleno with additional material, editing and collation by Chris Gregory.
You heard Amy Forrest as Molly Sarah Golding as Sally Stevie Skinner as Ealine Nadia Wyn Abouayen as Katherine Marie-Claire Wood as Amy Chris Gregory as the hotel receptionist
Music was by Fay Hield and Inge Thomson
The songs "When She Comes" and "Hare Spell" are taken from the Topic Records album "Wrackline" by Fay Hield. Copyright is held by Fay Hield under exclusive licence to Proper Music Publishing Limited. We would like to thank Fay Hield, Topic Records and Proper Music Publishing Ltd for their kind permission to use these tracks.
Musicians on Fay Hields tracks are Fay Hield, Sam Sweeney, Rob Harbron, Ben Nicholls and Ewan MacPherson with production by Andy Bell
The instrumental soundtrack recordings you heard are written and performed by Inge Thomson, copyright Inge Thomson and commissioned by the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast
Direction, sound design and production of the audio drama is by Chris Gregory
Casting was by our writing team
Sound effects are from freesound.org
The presenters are Holly Sangster and Kelli Winkler
If you'd like to learn more about the participants in this drama the links below will point you to their websites or twitter feeds
Dressing For The Afterlife is the new collection from British Cypriot poet Maria Taylor. Published by Nine Arches Press, the collection has been highly commended by the judges of the Forward Prizes for Poetry 2020. In our podcast we feature nine poems from the book and an interview with Maria.
In Dressing For The Afterlife you heard :
Prologue read by Marie-Claire Wood Then I Reconsidered Prayer read by Tiffany Clare Ante read by Nadia Wyn Abouayen And There She Was in the Shrunken Apartment like Joan Crawford, Toy Dog on her Lap read by Marie-Claire Wood Learning the Steps read by Tiffany Clare I Began The Twenty-Twenties as a Silent Film Goddess read by Marie-Claire Wood What it was Like read by Tiffany Clare Ophelia read by Phoebe Holmes The Floating Woman read by Phoebe Holmes
The presenter and interviewer was Hollye Sangster Music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory Sound effects were from freesound.org Production and editing were by Chris Gregory
You can purchase Dressing For The Afterlife directly from Nine Arches Press via this link https://www.ninearchespress.com/
Follow Nine Arches Press on twitter here https://twitter.com/NineArchesPress
and you can find out more about Maria Taylor by following her on twitter where she posts as https://twitter.com/MariaTaylor_
Our preview was presented by Kelli Winkler. You heard a trailer for Hare Spell our new audio drama which you'll be able to hear on 18th September. It is written by Fay Hield, Terri Windling, Sarah Hesketh and Sarra Culleno and features original music by Fay Hield and Inge Thomson. You heard the voices of Sarah Golding, Amy Forrest, Stevie Skinner, Nadia Wyn Abouayen and Marie-Claire Wood.
Hare Spell is based on and inspired by music from Fay Hield's new album Wrackline which is released on Topic Record / Proper Music Distribution on 11th September.
You can purchase the album and find out more about it by following this link https://www.topicrecords.co.uk/2020/05/fay-hield-wrackline/
Phoebe Stuckes is a poet living and working in London. Her new collection Platinum Blonde is published this week by Bloodaxe Books. We bring you 5 poems from the collection and an interview and thoughts on the poems from Phoebe herself.
The poems you can hear are Bleach read by Marie-Claire Wood Wet read by Tiffany Clare Paris read by Tiffany Clare Thus I Became a Heart Eater read by Marie-Claire Wood and Confessional read by Nadia Wyn Abouayan
The presenters are Hollye Sangster and Kelli Winkler
You can purchase Platinum Blonde directly from Bloodaxe Books via this link https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/
and follow Bloodaxe on twitter here https://twitter.com/BloodaxeBooks
Follow Phoebe Stuckes on twitter here https://twitter.com/phoebestuckes
As lockdown eases in London a group of friends decide to meet up for the first time in three months. As they travel they reflect on what lockdown meant to them. This is a collaborative audio drama project with some of our actors writing and performing their own parts in the production.
Out of the Darkness was written by Katherine Priddy, Charis McRoberts, Marie-Claire Wood and Chris Gregory with additional material by Warren Graham.
Warren Graham played Michael Katherine Priddy was Freya Marie-Claire Wood played Georgia Sophie Macnair was Alex Chris Gregory played David
The presenter was Karen Cooper
Sound Design, soundscapes and production were by Chris Gregory Sound effects were from freesound.org The news clips were from public domain sources including Downing Street Press Briefings The Song "Wolf" was written and performed by Katherine Priddy and produced by Simon J Weaver. Additional music was by Chris Gregory
This podcast is dedicated to anyone who lost a loved-one, their job or livelihood during the pandemic. Our thoughts are with you. We are aware that many people were much more seriously affected by the events of the last few months than the characters in this drama. The story is not intended to be representative of the entire population but merely to the experiences of the characters depicted.
Katherine Priddy is a folk singer from Birmingham. You can find out more about her and her music by visiting her website http://www.katherinepriddy.co.uk/ and you can buy "Wolf" and the EP it appears on by clicking on Store via this link. There is also a video for the song which you will find by searching for Katherine's YouTube channel. You can follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/KatherinePriddy and Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/katherinepriddy/
This is the final podcast in season 2 of Alternative Stories and Fake Realities. Thank you to all the actors, writers, musicians and poets who have appeared in this series.
Thank you also to our loyal and valued listeners. We do hope you have enjoyed this finale to the season and that you will join us again in season 3 which will be starting in September.
Undertow is a short story by Nicholas John inspired by and featuring music from British acoustic duo Show of Hands.
Undertow is written and performed by Nicholas John with music by Show of Hands Show of Hands are Phil Beer and Steve Knightley The presenter of this edition of the podcast is Karen Cooper Sound design and editing are by Nicholas John and Chris Gregory
Nicholas John is a writer and music journalist. You can find out more about him by following him on twitter https://twitter.com/WordSong_
Given events of the year so far it is more important than ever that you support musicians and performers wherever possible. Like all other forms of live entertainment revenue from gigs and performances has completely dried up for most bands and artists. There is no better way of supporting the music industry than by ordering a CD, digital download or other item of merchandise from artists you enjoy. If you've enjoyed this podcast please take a listen to more by Show of Hands and consider supporting them by ordering their new album from their online store. https://smarturl.it/bfielddancefloor
Copyright on the story Undertow: Nicholas John
Publishing Copyright on the song Undertow: (Steve Knightley/MCPS Ltd) Sound Copyright is owned by Show Of Hands and is used by kind permission of Hands On Music. The original version of the song Undertow is taken from the Show Of Hands 2006 album 'Witness'
Dex Industries' top scientist has developed a new weapon and it's about to be tested but how devastating will the new bomb be? The Bomb is a prequel to The Blood Road series of novels by Emily Inkpen
In The Bomb by Emily Inkpen:
Warren Graham plays Tristan Annika Kordes is Osa Kelsey Griffin plays Isra Lewie Watson plays Devek Harri Rees-Jones is Varian Charlie Richards plays Ren Chris Gregory plays Nathaniel Emily Inkpen plays "Auto"
The presenter is Hollye Sangster Music, sound design and production are by Chris Gregory Sound effects are from Freesound.org
Jennifer Wong is a poet living and working in London and originally from Hong Kong. Her poems deal with the idea of life in a city and culture very different from our own. As well as her poems, in this podcast Jenny offers insight into her writing process and provides background to the 5 poems we feature.
The poems in this edition are;
Arrivals
Dim Sum at Joy King Lau
The Colour of Race
Catch 22 in Simplified Language
Diary of a Miu Miu Salesgirl
All poems are written and performed by Jennifer Wong Music, sound design, soundscapes and production are by Chris Gregory Sound effects are from Freesound.org The presenter is Holly Sangster Letters Home, Jenny's 2020 poetry collection, is published by Nine Arches Press and we thank them for allowing us to recreate these poems in this podcast
Please check out our other poetry content including podcasts featuring Ella Frears, Mary J Oliver, Sarah Corbett and Peter Finch by subscribing to the podcast in your favourite podcast app or in a streaming service such as Spotify.
Jenny recorded the content for this podcast at home without access to professional recording equipment. We hope the variable sound quality does not spoil your enjoyment of this podcast.
Thank you once again to Jenny for sharing her poems with us in this podcast.
In the edition we review the new novel, "Mother of Floods" by Madeleine F White and bring you an interview with the author. We have excerpts from the novel read by Madeleine herself and we look at her plans for a sequel and other writing projects begun during lockdown.
The presenter is Kelli Winkler Sound design, music and production are by Chris Gregory Sound effects are from Freesound.org
If you are interested in reading Mother of Floods you can purchase it in paperback or e-book form via Crowsnest books by following this link https://www.crowsnestbooks.com/ The book and e-book can also be purchased from Amazon.
Please subscribe to Alternative Stories and Fake Realities for more author interviews, previews and analyses into the writing process.
Coming soon we'll bring you Poetry from Jennifer Wong Audio drama : The Bomb by Emily Inkpen Audio drama : Out of the Darkness - a collaborative piece inspired by the easing of lockdown in London featuring Katherine Priddy, Marie-Claire Wood, Warren Graham, Charis McRoberts and more
In this edition we bring you an interview with Emily Inkpen, the author of our forthcoming science fiction audio drama The Bomb. We also have previews from the drama and a look forward to some other upcoming content.
Emily Inkpen is a British writer and her sci fi novel The Blood Road is currently in query. The Bomb is a prequel to this novel series but contains events pivotal to the main story.
In the clips you can hear the voices of Harri Rees Jones, Kelsey Griffin, Charlie Richards, Annika Kordes, Lewie Watson and Emily herself. Warren Graham and Chris Gregory join the cast but are not heard in these clips.
The presenter and interviewer in this podcast is Kelli Winkler Music, sound design and production are by Chris Gregory Music is published by Scared Crow Music
In this episode we share two short audio dramas by Nottingham based playwright and short fiction author Robbie Laughton.
These were two of four plays we recorded with Robbie and our cast in August. You can listen to our first podcast featuring Robbie's dramas "Hairy Fairy" and "Tormeted" which has since been featured on BBC Radio, here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/episodes/15864824
Please note that "Dog Only Knows", our second drama contains very strong and abusive language throughout. Listener discretion is advised.
Hair's Breadth When Bob goes to the supermarket to buy extra supplies for a barbecque, he brings home more than a selction of wine and some hollandaise sauce... in fact, he forgets the hollandaise altogether.
In “Hair's Breadth” by Robbie Laughton Chris Gregory played Bob, John was played by David Monteith and Emma by Holy Gillanders. Other voices were played by members of the cast.
"Hair's Breadth" was directed by Emily Inkpen and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell. Sound design and production was by Chris Gregory. Music was by Franz Gordon.
The script for “Hair's Breadth” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.
Dog Only Knows Dog walking can be frustrating when your dog doesn't want to follow orders and the whole world seems to be against you.
In “Dog Only Knows” by Robbie Laughton The Man was played by David Monteith. Other voices were played by Holly Gillanders and Robbie Laughton.
"Dog Only Knows" was directed by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory and recorded at Orpheus Studio in London by Richard Campbell. Sound design, music and editing were by Chris Gregory.
The script for “Dog Only Knows” is copyright Robbie Laughton and may not be produced in whole or in part except with the written permission of the author.
Find out more about Robbie Laughton and his work by visiting his short fiction site Incredible Shorts here https://incredibleshorts.com/
The Writer's Gym Podcast Produced by Alternative Stories and featuring Rachel Knightley, Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory, the Writers' Gym Podcast tackles a different writing topic each week. With discussions, writing advice, anecdotes and writing challenges you'll enjoy the podcast if you are a writer, reader or someone who enjoys conversations about writing and books. https://open.spotify.com/show/0myjCJkk2pt6jPfdIa0AAr?si=0fd7d646491f4f01
Through the trees is an anthology about trees and woodlands, their folklore and mythology. Dealing with the subjects of transformation and change into and from trees our writers use poetry and monologue to tell their stories inspired by folk and fairy stories, classical mythology and lived experience.
The pieces in part 2 are
The Woodcutter's Children by Sarra Culleno read by Tiffany Clare with music by Fay Hield Arbol by TAK Erzinger read by Tiffany Clare The Fairy Tree by Signe Maene read by Kelsey Griffin Dark Moon by Sarah Corbett read by Amy Forrest Serenade by TAK Erzinger read by Tiffany Clare Extract from the audio drama "No Words" performed by Tiffany Clare and Federico Foglia
The presenter is Tiffany Clare Music and production are by Chris Gregory
In this podcast we featured the track "Willow Glen" by Fay Hield which appears on the Topic Records album "Old Adam" . We would like to thank Topic Records and Proper Records for their kind permission to use this track and particularly to Glen Johnson for enabling this. You can find out more about Topic Records, The World's Oldest Independent Record Label, here https://www.topicrecords.co.uk/ You'll also find more about Fay Hield's upcoming album Wrackline which will be released on September 11th here. Listen out for news of another exciting collaboration between Fay and Alternative Stories on the podcast and by following us on Twitter and Instagram. You can follow Fay on twitter here https://twitter.com/fayhield
TAK Erzinger is an American writer and artist living in Switzerland. She'll be appearing in another edition of Alternative Stories very soon. Find out more about her and her work by following her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/takerzinger/
Forthcoming podcasts from Alternative Stories include: The Bomb, an audio drama by Emily Inkpen, Mother of Floods by Madeleine F White, poetry from Jennifer Wong and Out of The Darkness, a collaborative piece on the lifting of lockdown with writers reflecting on their experiences during the Covid 19 crisis.
Through the trees is an anthology about trees and woodlands, their folklore and mythology. Dealing with the subjects of transformation and change into and from trees our writers use poetry and monologue to tell their stories inspired by folk and fairy stories, classical mythology and lived experience.
The pieces in part 1 are Laurus Nobilis written and performed by Charis McRoberts Changing by Sarah Corbett performed by Amy Forrest I'll Be Gone Soon written and performed by Tanya O'Sullivan
Music, sound design and production are by Chris Gregory with sound effects from Freesound.org. Original music is published by Scared Crow Music.
This edition is presented by Kelli Winkler
In the next part of Through The Trees we'll have writing by Sarra Culleno, TAK Erzinger, Sarah Corbett and Signe Maene and performances by Kelsey Griffin, Tiffany Clare and Amy Forrest
You can hear more by Charis McRoberts in our podcast called Raven (Season2 episode 27) and Sarah Corbett in the episode called The Witch Bag (Series 2 episode 15)
Here is a brief overview of the work of the Trust The Hypatia Trust was formed to collect, and make available, published and personal documentation about the achievements of women in every aspect of their lives. Central to activities has been the care, development and re-distribution of the Hypatia Collection, a unique set of sub-collections of books, artefacts, and archives, by and about women.
Created initially to oversee a major collection of women’s literature now placed on permanent loan to the University of Exeter, the Hypatia Trust has extended its interests to a wide and international range of educational engagements and partnerships.
Important to the Trust’s activities has been the will to make available – through research, publication and exhibition – the worthwhile achievements of women, so often overlooked, and even suppressed in written histories.
Its educational activities focus on issues that affect women in families, community and society, and on the continuing need for documentation and support to their concerns.
Allison and Jenny have been together for 6 months but Jenny is falling out of love with New York City. Can their relationship survive if she moves away from the city?
Out of Towners is a comedy drama written by Jackie Jorgenson and Mary McDonald and based on the characters, Allison and Jenny which originally appeared in our audio drama The Out of Towners Club which appeared at Christmas 2019 (series 1 Episode 22)
Allison : Mary McDonald Jenny : Jackie Jorgenson Kylie : Caroline Mincks Dan: Miguel Antonio
The presenter is Kelli Winkler Additional material was written by Chris Gregory Music, sound design and production were by Chris Gregory Sound effects are from Freesound.org Music is published by Scared Crow Music
Out of Towners is an Alternative Stories 2020 production for the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast
In part 4 of our short series on women poets from Cornwall we feature three poems from performance poet Lesley Hale.
Lesley is originally from the north of England but moved to Cornwall 20 years ago. Her poetry in this podcast explores themes of music, travel and relationships.
Fugue : Libretto and Score is read by Tiffany Clare Dust is read by Tanya O'Sullivan Guitar Lesson is performed by Chris Gregory
All poems are by Lesley Hale and used with her full permission. They may not be reproduced without her permission Music, soundscapes, sound editing and production are by Chris Gregory The presenter in this edition is Hollye Sangster
You can find out more about Lesley Hale and her poetry by following her on twitter where she posts as https://twitter.com/_LesleyHale_
Please subscribe to Alternative Stories and Fake Realities to hear our new content the moment it's released. We're available on all major podcast platforms.
The National Theatre stage production of Small Island by Andrea Levy will be available to watch worldwide on the NT At Home YouTube channel from 7PM on Thursday 18th June for a week. Amy Forrest who has appeared in recent episodes of this podcast was part of the cast playing the role of Mrs Ryder and in this short edition she discusses the importance of the play, how she was cast in it and the importance of the arts during the coronavirus crisis.
Small Island is by Helen Edmundson based on the original novel by Andre Levy and will be available between 18th and 25th June via the National Theatre Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pac-Furijsw If you watch please consider making a donation to the National Theatre to support its work and employees during lockdown.
If you would like to find out more about Amy Forrest please follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/amyforrest26 and listen to her appearances on Alternative Stories including in the audio drama The Seeing Trees
If you have enjoyed this podcast please subscribe to hear more from Alternative Stories and Fake Realities
A psychological drama in which Kirsty Monroe, a busy young executive in London struggles to maintain a relationship with her younger sister whilst holding down a difficult job. When Helena disappears Kirsty must track her down and try to patch up their failing family.
In the Lake Isle you can hear
Kelsey Griffin as Kirsty Monroe Sophie MacNair as Helena Monroe Carl Wharton as Mr Monroe Warren Graham as Michael, the counsellor Chris Gregory as the man in the coffee shop
The Lake Isle is written by Chris Gregory and Clarke Wainikka with script review by Sophie MacNair and Kelsey Griffin Music, sound design and mixing are by Chris Gregory The presenter is Kelli Winkler
If you’re a regular listener and would like a namecheck on the podcast or access to Alternative Stories bonus material and merchandise please contact us via office@alternativestories.com Please contact us also if you would like to recommend a writer, poet or dramatist for inclusion in future editions.
In this edition we preview our upcoming drama The Lake Isle with lead actor Kelsey Griffin. We also look ahead to another drama production, a sequel to our 2019 Christmas production, The Out of Towners Club written by Jackie Jorgenson and Mary McDonald.
In this edition you can hear the voices of Kelsey Griffin, Sophie McNair, Jackie Jorgenson, Mary McDonald, Tiffany Clair and Federico Foglia.
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
You heard extracts from "The Lake Isle" by Chris Gregory and Clarke Wainikka, "Out of Towners" by Jackie Jorgenson and Mary McDonald and "No Words" by Chris Gregory
Music and sound design are by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music.
The Lake Isle will feature in the next edition of the podcast while Out of Towners will appear later in June.
In this edition we feature poems from Cornish Poet, Ella Frears. Ella is one of the most prominent young poets in Britain at this time with her collection "Shine Darling" attracting praise from many quarters including the Guardian Newspaper in its selection of the best recent poetry books. Readers are asked to note that this episode contains strong language and explicit content which some readers may find offensive. Please avoid if this is likely to be the case.
All poems are by Ella Frears and recreated here with Ella's permission Poems are read by Tiffany Clare with soundscapes and music by Chris Gregory Sound design and editing are by Chris Gregroy The presenter is Hollye Sangster A quote from poet and critic Mark Waldron from the Offord Road website is recreated in part in this edition of the podcast.
Ella Frears is published by the excellent Offord Road Books who also publish Will Burns who was featured in an earlier edition of this podcast. You can follow Offord Road on twitter here https://twitter.com/OffordRoadBooks and visit their website here https://www.offordroadbooks.co.uk/ You can purchase Shine Darling, Ella's acclaimed new poetry collection from which these poems are taken directly from Offord Road via this address
This has been the third in our series of short podcasts featuring female poets from Cornwall.
In the forests of Scandinavia a family is besieged by a malicious raven which watches and follows them everywhere they go. How will they escape from this curse and at what cost? The Seeing Trees is a dark nordic mystery with elements of violence, peril, horror, language and elements that some listeners may find disturbing. Please do not listen if you object to any of the above.
In the Seeing Trees By Kaitlin Felix…
Charlie Richards played Trygve Lewie Watson was Harleif Tiffany Clare was Mother Amy Forrest played Freja Chris Gregory was Magnus and Townsman Annika Kordes played Townswoman 1 Karen Cooper played Townswoman 2
The incantation was performed by Charlie Richards, Tiffany Clare, Kaitlin Felix and Chris Gregory with coaching, support and counselling by Kaitlin!
Original music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory
The Seeing Trees was adapted from her original short story by Kaitlin Felix and Chris Gregory
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
You can find out more about Kaitlin Felix and read more of her work by visiting her website www.katifelix.com or following her on twitter where she posts as https://twitter.com/KatiGirl90
If you have enjoyed this edition and haven’t yet subscribed to the podcast you can do so in apple podcasts, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Once you’ve subscribed you’ll have all future editions of Alternative Stories delivered to your podcast feed the moment they are released. If you would leave us a rating and review and perhaps recommend us to a friend we would be very grateful
We have more drama coming soon with “The Lake Isle”, a psychological drama which examines the ways in which we communicate in the digital age, “The Bomb”, a sci fi drama by Emily Inkpen and a follow up to our drama “The Out-of-Towners Club” by Jackie Jorgenson and Mary MacDonald. We’ll also have more poetry from Ella Frears Angela Stoner and Lesley Hale in our Cornish Poets season.
In this episode we chat with novelist, academic and short story writer Philippa Holloway about her new short fiction collection "Untethered" which was published last month by Parthian. Along the way we hear excerpts from the collection performed by Emily Inkpen and Chris Gregory.
In this podcast you heard excerpts from the following stories
A Cloud of Starlings - read by Emily Inkpen Handprints - read by Chris Gregory Beached - read by Emily Inkpen
Sound design, editing, music and interviewing were by Chris Gregory
This edition is called Raven. It features the short story "The Raven's Call" by Charis McRoberts and a preview of The Seeing Trees, our forthcoming audio drama which features a raven. This podcast also includes interviews with Charis McRoberts, Kaitlin Felix author of "The Seeing Trees" and Amy Forrest.
The Raven's Call is written and performed by Charis McRoberts with music by Chris Gregory. It is reproduced with Charis' permission.
The Seeing Trees trailer features the voices of Lewie Watson, Tiffany Clare, Charlie Richards and Amy Forrest. The Seeing Trees is written by Kaitlin Felix and will be published on the podcast on Friday 4th June. You can also hear a short interview with Kaitlin
We also reproduce an interview from the BBC's Podcast Radio Hour in which Amy Forrest talks about the ways in which Alternative Stories has adapted to the Covid 19 pandemic. This is the full version of a piece which was truncated for the BBC broadcast.
Sound design, music and mixing are by Chris Gregory. Music is published by Scared Crow Music.
The presenter in this edition of the podcast is Kelli Winkler
In part 3 of our series on creating audio drama we discuss sound design and music with guests Hedley Knights from We Fix Space Junk, Daniel French from Fishbonius Sound Design and the Chronosphere Fiction Podcast, Richard Campbell from Red Valley, John Bartmann of the How I Make Music podcast and Chris Gregory of Alternative Stories and Fake Realities.
If you've ever wanted to get into creating audio drama this podcast will help you master the basic skills of sound design and editing you'll need to learn. We also hope that established sound designers and composers will find plenty to enjoy and learn in this podcast.
You heard clips from the following shows in this podcast
We Fix Space Junk Red Valley Chronosphere Fiction Alternative Stories and Fake Realities You also heard the track " Heart of Acceptance" by John Bartmann
All extracts and clips are provided by the contributors and are used with their permission. They may not be reproduced except with the owner's consent.
Follow our contributors on social media and listen to their shows here
Sound design and mixing in this edition were by Chris Gregory The Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Theme music is by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music The presenter in this edition is Kelli Winkler
Selkie is an original audio drama by Signe Maene. Selkies are mythical creatures from northern European folklore. Seals that can transform to human form by shedding their skin they are particularly prevalent in Scottish folklore . In our story, Andrew discovers a selkie whilst walking on the beach near his home. He immediately falls in love aiming to make the selkie his wife.
In Selkie by Signe Maene the parts were played as follows
Sophie Macnair as The Selkie Lewie Watson as Andrew Simone Low as Andrew's Mother Kelsey Griffin as a Selkie and singer of Ae Fond Kiss Stevie Skinner as a Selkie
The music is arranged and performed by John Spiers based on the traditional folk tune "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" "Ae Fond Kiss" (trad. with lyrics by Robert Burns) is performed by Kelsey Griffin Additional music and soundscapes are by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music
Sound effects are from Freesound.org Sound mixing and editing are by Chris Gregory The presenter in this edition is Kelli Winkler
In this short bonus edition we preview our forthcoming audio drama Selkie by Signe Maene. We talk to Signe herself and to Sophie Macnair who plays the selkie in our story. We also hear from John Spiers, the folk musician who performs the theme music for the drama.
In this edition you heard the voices of Signe Maene Sophie Macnair John Spiers Simone Low Lewie Watson Kelsey Griffin
In this edition, the second in our series featuring women poets from Cornwall in the South West of England, we feature the work of Mary J Oliver. We also look at Cornwall itself and its enduring influence on artists, writers and poets with presenter Hollye Sangster.
The poems featured in this podcast are
"To the uninhabited Island of Cara" read by Tiffany Clare with music and soundscape by Chris Gregory "Torso to Torso" read by Tiffany Clare "Undressing the Dead" and "Play to Win" both read by Piers Owen with music by Judith Bailey performed by Deborah Came (piano) "NGO Lunch Break : Accra" read by Jade Matthew with music and soundscape by Chris Gregory
Some of the poems in this podcast are included in Mary's 2019 book "Jim Neat : The Case of a Young Man Down on His Luck" which is published by Seren Books
We would like to thank Mary J Oliver for her help and cooperation in the making of this podcast and for her ongoing support of our podcast.
The presenter in today's edition is Hollye Sangster with additional contributions from Kelli Winkler
Sound effects used in this podcast were from Freesound.org
and to read more about Mary and her book, "Jim Neat" (the subject of a previous Alternative Stories Podcast) please click here https://www.jimneat.com/
A Memory of Robin is an audio drama from writer David Green. It tells the story of Gem, the daughter of a woman called Robin whose last few days of life we follow through extracts from her voice diary as she seeks to escape the confines of an increasingly oppressive and totalitarian government.
In A Memory of Robin by David Green characters were played as follows:
Robin - Jackie Jorgenson Gem, her daughter - Abby Hilden The Voice of the Nation - Kelli Winkler
A Memory of Robin was based on the short story of the same name by David Green. Additional material and adaptation were by Chris Gregory.
Original music was composed and performed by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music Sound design ,editing and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory Sound effects were from Freesound.org
In the first of a series of short podcasts featuring female poets from the county of Cornwall in the extreme south west of England we feature Sarah Cave and her poem cycle The Eidolon Triptych. Poems are read by Jade Matthew with music and soundscapes by Chris Gregory
The Eidolon Triptych is written by Sarah Cave and performed here with her full permission and cooperation.
The soundscapes used in this edition are published by Scared Crow Music and sound effects are from Freesound.Org.
The presenter in this edition is Kelli Winkler
If you would like to find out more about Sarah Cave please follow her on twitter where she posts as https://twitter.com/campanilecave
We'll be featuring more women poets from Cornwall on the podcast soon. These will include, Mary J Oliver, Ella Frears, Lesley Hale and Angela Stoner. Please subscribe to hear these editions and our other content.
In this special edition presented by Amy Forrest we look at the techniques, equipment and training you'll need to make a career as a voice actor by talking to a number of actors who have made the switch successfully. Our actors come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from stage and screen to podcasts and commercial voiceover work and each provides insight and advice for prospective new voice talent. We particularly hope that actors whose careers have been put on hold by coronavirus, like our presenter Amy, can find useful advice to set themselves up to do voice work.
Amy, Kirsty, Jade, Saya, Maddy, Tiffany. Charlie and Kelli all appear in Alternative Stories and Fake Realities
You heard clips from Alternative Stories and Fake Realities, The Prickwillow Papers and Red Valley. We would like to thank Maddy, Alan and the creators of Red Valley for allowing us to use these clips.
All recommendations for equipment, software, courses and teachers are the preferences of our guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Alternative Stories and Fake Realities. This podcast cannot be held responsible for these recommendations and individuals should always do their own research before purchasing any equipment mentioned in this podcast.
In this edition we explore podcasts producing historical audio drama. In a medium dominated by Sci Fi we look at some podcasters telling stories from the past and their inspiration and methods for doing this.
We feature Jill Korn from L'Histoire Audio, Christopher Knighton and Debbi Christophers from Lottie's Diary and Jackie Jorgenson of Shared Manifest Entertainment, the production company behind Tales from the Aether.
You can hear original music by David Simpson (theme to Confessional) and Chris Gregory (Kyna's Theme from The Witch of Rockwood Cove)
In our trailer for the upcoming Alternative Stories and Fake Realities audio drama "Selkie" by Signe Maene you heard the voices of Sophie Macnair, Lewie Watson and Simone Lowe with music by John Spiers.
Very Short Stories : A Microfiction Special With Charlotte O'Farrell
Very short stories and microfiction are terms for tiny pieces of writing that can tell an entire tale in a small number of words. On twitter the hashtag #VSS365 is used to signify these stories told in a single tweet. A skilled proponent of VSS is British writer Charlotte O'Farrell who joins us on the podcast today. We have worked with Charlotte to turn some of her stories in Alt Stories episodes for the Listen Rinse Repeat podcast which is promoting handwashing during the Covid 19 crisis by putting out tiny episodes timed to ensure a good handwash (20 - 40 seconds) and to keep listeners entertained while they clean. Charlotte talks about the VSS phenomenon and why she loves it and provides some tips for writers wishing to have a go. We also feature writing from Victoria J Price, Lena Stone, Mark Anthony Smith and Natalie Reilly Johnson
In this edition you can hear the voices of Saya Zahawi Maddy Searle Daffyd Morse Joy Hayward Simone Lowe Annabelle Broad
Our presenter is Kelli Winkler and our special guest is Charlotte O'Farrell
In this episodes we share a short series of monologues written by Stella Klein and performed by members of the Alternative Stories acting team.
Stella Klein is a London-based writer of very short stories and occasional poems. Her flash and micro fiction has appeared in print and online collections published by Fish, 101 Words, Spread the Word, FlashBack Fiction, Flash Fiction Magazine, Reflex Fiction and The Mechanics Institute Review.
Reclining Nude is performed by Tiffany Clare Baristas is performed by Chris Gregory The Day Susan McPhee Was Away is performed by Emily Inkpen Sausalito is performed by Reginald West Euphonium Blues is performed by Lewie Watson Easy Peasy Lets Make Love is performed by Emily Inkpen and Craft Coffee and Climate Change is performed by Chris Gregory
Sound design, editing and music on all monologues is by Chris Gregory
Four of these monologues have previously been published:
Baristas in City of Stories, Vol. 2. Spread the Word 2018
Sausalito (earlier version titled Licorice King) Flash Fiction Magazine, April 2020
Reclining Nude: Fish Anthology, Fish Publishing 2020
Craft Coffee and Climate Change, in Defence of Pseudoscience, Reflex Fiction Volume 5. Reflex Press, 2022
This week we bring you comedy sketches and conversation from Phoebe and Miztli of the acclaimed sketch comedy duo Ladylikes. Recording separately in lockdown they talk cats, shopping, growing vegetables, working from home, daytime TV and the best and worst aspects of lockdown.
Ladylikes in Lockdown is written and performed by Phoebe Batteson Brown and Miztli Rose
The presenter is Annabelle Broad and sound mixing and editing are by Chris Gregory
In this special edition we look at the techniques, processes and practicalities of creating audio drama with the creators of some of the best and most exciting drama podcasts out there. We discuss writing, casting, working with actors, directing and recording as well as the touchy subject of monetising your show.
Our guests are David S. Dear of A Ninth World Journal Karin Heimdahl of the Y2k Audio Drama Jackie Jorgenson of Tales From the Aether and Oscar and Jade Wenman-Hyde of Conversations: An Original Audio Drama
Our presenters are Kelly Winkler and Amy Forrest Music and sound design are by Chris Gregory
Find out more about our guests and their podcasts by checking these links
The Witch Bag is a poetry collection by Sarah Corbett. Originally published in 2002, 18 years on we review and reimagine the collection assessing its impact as art and on the life and career of Sarah as a poet.
The narration is by Sarah Corbett herself and readings are by Jade Matthew, Tiffany Clare and Amy Forrest
The Witch Bag read by Jade Matthew Green Rose read by Tiffany Clare Black Crow Woman read by Jade Matthew To the Spider read by Tiffany Clare Spook read by Tiffany Clare First Light read by Amy Forrest Eclipse read by Amy Forrest Cornwall 1974 read by Amy Forrest Starfish read by Amy Forrest Sculpture: Girl Standing read by Tiffany Clare
Music, soundscapes and sound design by Chris Gregory
The presenters in this edition are Kelli Winkler and Annabelle Broad
The Witch Bag is published by Seren Books and we thank them for their assistance in the making of this podcast.
Rachel Lightfoot is a comedian, poet and blogger from Sheffield, South Yorkshire and in this short episode she shares her thoughts, fears, observations and ideas about isolation alongside a couple of her poems.
Script written and performed by Rachel Lightfoot Poems "Too Much Girl" and "The Fanatic" by Rachel Lightfoot with soundscapes by Chris Gregory
Sound design by Chris Gregory Sound effects from freesound.org Original sound recordings by Rachel Lightfoot
"The End of The Beginning ", Part 4 of the Angel's Calling by Victoria J.Price, a fantasy audio drama miniseries from the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.
Earth's parallel world, Ohinyan is home to angels, witches and magical creatures but an impending disaster in the world means that some of these beings are visiting Earth to seek help.
Narrator : Tiffany Clare Fia Aldridge : Annabelle Broad Sophie: Kirsty Woolven Hazel: Maddy Searle Alexander : Charlie Richards The Lady Noor : Saya Zahawi Teenage Girl : Joy Hayward The Waiter : Chris Gregory
Other parts were played by members of the cast
Music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music
Sound effects were from Freesound.org
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
The Angel’s Calling is adapted from her original novella by Victoria J Price and published with the author’s full permission and cooperation.
In this short extra edition of the podcast we bring you two poems from British poet Sarra Culleno.
The pomes featured are Green Man and Clearing up After Children
Our presenter and reader in this edition is Annabelle Broad Poems are by Sarra Culleno Sound design, editing and original music by Chris Gregory Sound effects (birdsong) is from Freesound.org
London born and Manchester based, Sarra Culleno is a poet, mother of two and English teacher who is widely published and performs at poetry events across the UK. She writes about children’s rights, motherhood, identity, gender, age, technology, the environment, politics, modern monogamy and education. She features in numerous podcasts, radio shows, and literary festivals as Featured Poet. She was longlisted for the Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Prize.
"The Witches' Secret", Part 3 of the Angel's Calling by Victoria J.Price, a fantasy audio drama miniseries from the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.
Earth's parallel world, Ohinyan is home to angels, witches and magical creatures but an impending disaster in the world means that some of these beings are visiting Earth to seek help.
Narrator : Tiffany Clare Fia Aldridge and Runa : Annabelle Broad Sophie: Kirsty Woolven Hazel: Maddy Searle Alexander : Charlie Richards The Lady Noor : Saya Zahawi Teenage Girl : Joy Hayward The Waiter : Chris Gregory Other parts were played by members of the cast
Music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music
Sound effects were from Freesound.org
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
The Angel’s Calling is adapted from her original novella by Victoria J Price and published with the author’s full permission and cooperation.
Artists in Isolation is a special edition of the podcast looking at the ways in which artists can adapt their working lives and creative processes to cope with the isolation caused by the Covid 19 crisis. It features actor Jade Matthew, folk musician John Spiers and writer, blogger and podcaster Christina Castaneda.
We would like to thank Jade, John and Christina for their time in writing and recording their pieces. Please listen out for Jade and John in future editions of the podcast.
The presenters in this edition are Kelli Winkler and Annabelle Broad
"Alexander's Mission", Part 2 of the Angel's Calling by Victoria J.Price, a fantasy audio drama miniseries from the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.
Earth's parallel world, Ohinyan is home to angels, witches and magical creatures but an impending disaster in the world means that some of these beings are visiting Earth to seek help.
Narrator : Tiffany Clare Fia Aldridge : Annabelle Broad Jo : Kirsty Woolven Hazel: Maddy Searle Alexander : Charlie Richards The Lady Noor : Saya Zahawi Student Advisor : Tanya O'Sullivan The Dying Woman : Annika Kordes The Homeless Man: Chris Gregory Other parts were played by members of the cast
Music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music
Sound effects were from Freesound.org
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
The Angel’s Calling is adapted from her original novella by Victoria J Price and published with the author’s full permission and cooperation.
"The Girl and the Angel", Part 1 of the Angel's Calling by Victoria J.Price, a fantasy audio drama miniseries from the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.
Earth's parallel world, Ohinyan is home to angels, witches and magical creatures but an impending disaster in the world means that some of these beings are visiting Earth to seek help.
Narrator : Tiffany Clare Fia Aldridge : Annabelle Broad Sophie Aldridge and Jo : Kirsty Woolven Alexander : Charlie Richards Paramedic : Tanya O'Sullivan Nurse : Karen Cooper Hazel: Maddy Searle
Music and soundscapes were by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music
Sound effects were from Freesound.org and from BBC Sound Effects
The presenter is Kelli Winkler
The Angel’s Calling is adapted from her original novella by Victoria J Price and published with the author’s full permission and cooperation.
In this episode we chat with fantasy author Alexandra Beaumont about her new novel Dissonance of Birdsong (Brigids Gate Press 2024)
Alexandra Beaumont is a fantasy author and folklorist whose debut novel "Testament of the Stars" was also featured on this podcast. Her latest book, Dissonance of Birdsong draws on the folklore and landscape of Cornwall.
"This Rough Magic I Abjure" by Ruthanne Reid plus a preview of our new fantasy miniseries "The Angel's Callling" by Victoria J Price and news of the UK International Radio Drama Festival at which our drama "No Words" will be featured.
"This Rough Magic I Abjure" by Ruthanne Reid features her character Grey who also appears in her novella "String". Follow Ruthanne on twitter for more details https://twitter.com/RuthanneReid Grey - Chris Gregory "The Throne" - Joy Hayward Music and soundscape by Chris Gregory Extract from The Tempest, Act 5, Scene 1 by William Shakespeare read by Chris Gregory
In the preview of "The Angel's Calling" by Victoria J Price you can hear the voices of Tiffany Clare, Annabelle Broad, Kirsty Woolven, Saya Zahawi, Charlie Richards, and Maddy Searle. Original music score by Chris Gregory
In the excerpt from "No Words" which originally appeared in our Daphne and Apollo edition (June 2019) you ca hear the voices of Tiffany Clare and Charlie Richards. The original music score is by Chris Gregory. Find more about the UK International Radio Drama Festival by following the festival's twitter account here https://twitter.com/radiodramafest
In this episode we feature flash fiction from 4 British Writers. All 4 stories have as a theme parents or parenthood.
"The Bear" by Mark Anthony Smith is read by Tanya O'Sullivan "Sorry" by Della McEwen is read by Afia Yale "She's my Mum" by Lena Stone is read by Joy Hayward "Father, Son" by Siobhian R.Hodges is read by Dafydd Morse
The presenter is Kelli Winkler Original music and soundscapes are by Chris Gregory and published by Scared Crow Music Sound effects are from freesound.org
"The Bear" was originally published by the online literary journal “Nymphs” which we highly recommend. You can find it at nymphspublications.com
This edition we feature poetry from Peter Finch. His new collection, "The Machineries of Joy" is published by Seren Books on 17th February. We feature 9 poems from the collection in the podcast
The Road West The RoadWest #2 Hendrix Island Clarksdale Ty Draw First Hearing Bob Dylan "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" Boots The Machineries of Joy ABC of Birds
Our readers are Gavin Duff, Dafydd Morse, Nerys Howell and Chris Gregory Soundscapes created by Chris Gregory The Presenters are Nerys Howell and Kelli Winkler Sound effects are from freesound.org
You can find out more about Peter Finch by visiting www.peterfinch.co.uk and about Seren Books by visiting www.serenbooks.com
Nerys Howell is the writer and presenter of Seren, a new audio drama podcast which we highly recommend.