Explore every episode of the podcast My Private View

Writer and editor Lauren Schott joins Si Sapsford for a conversation about writing, creativity and the long process of turning an idea into a novel.

Lauren is the author of Very Slowly All at Once, a psychological thriller about marriage, mystery and the consequences of seemingly small decisions. Before becoming a novelist, she spent more than two decades working in publishing and editing.

In this conversation, Lauren talks about where ideas come from, why she can spend months thinking about a story before writing it, creating characters, editing and the difficult balance between working on other people's stories and finding time for your own.

We also talk about children's books, publishing and rejection, writer's block, adapting books for screen, and the growing impact of AI on writing and the creative industries.

At the end of the conversation, Lauren recommends a book that has stayed with her, and Si responds with a recommendation of his own.

My Private View is a series of conversations about how we look at art and culture — and what we notice, think about and take away from the creative work of others.

The conversation follows her transition into television through The Heist and Hunted, exploring how genuine investigative techniques are adapted for screen, the ethics of surveillance, and why human behaviour remains the most revealing clue of all.

A thoughtful conversation about judgement, resilience, leadership and what years spent reading people can teach us about ourselves.

Topics include:

• Becoming a police officer by chance
• CID and major crime investigations
• Risk assessment and instinct
• Misogyny in policing
• Burnout and leaving the police
• The Heist and Channel 4's Hunted
• Surveillance and privacy
• Human behaviour under pressure
• Leadership and decision making

Book recommendation: The Child in Time by Ian McEwan.

My Private View is a podcast exploring art, culture and the ideas that shape the way we see the world through conversations with artists, writers, thinkers and people with extraordinary experiences.

Website:https://www.georginabradley.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-bradley-58738a138/Watch Hunted:https://www.channel4.com/programmes/hunted

My Private ViewWebsite:www.sisapsford.comInstagram:@my_private_viewYouTube:

@myprivateview.

In Episode 1 of My Private View, Si Sapsford talks with artist, curator and podcaster Gary Mansfield about art, identity and transformation.

After serving 7 years in prison, Gary discovered art in unexpected circumstances — an experience that changed the way he saw himself and the world around him. Together they explore creativity as a catalyst for change, discussing perception, trauma, resilience and reinvention.

A conversation about second chances, self-understanding and the transformative power of seeing differently.

00:00 Introduction03:10 Early life and prison08:20 Discovering art inside prison16:45 Conceptual art and changing perspective28:30 Identity, stigma and reinvention39:10 Scars, trauma and artistic practice50:00 Second chances and social change59:00 Final reflections