Storymix: Craft and Conversation

The Dream Job (Destiny Ink: Talent Show Magic)

Adeola Sokunbi spent years asking her mum if she could draw on the walls. The answer was always no. Then lockdown arrived, her mum gave in and said yes to the shed, liked what she saw, and handed over the rest of the house. The doodle that went up on...

Who Gets to Ride (Stableheart)

At one point Nicola Williamson was sharing a house with 22 guinea pigs, seven chickens, four rabbits, two dogs, two cats, a rooster called Jack Sparrow and two seagulls named Flappy and Crappy. She was also a vet for decades, and a veterinary...

What Access Looks Like (Dead Yard: Deep Trouble)

When Pardina Samson-Fessale was a child in Saint Lucia, her mum, the only South African on the island at the time, marched into Nelson Mandela's hotel and refused to leave until they had met him. He gave Pardina a glass of orange juice and told her to...

The Power of Names (The Lost Name Society)

In the 1990s, Savita Kalhan smuggled books through customs in the lining of her suitcase. Three decades on, she's writing teen horror under a name built from names that are very important to her This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Jasmine...

On Your Own Terms (The Lucky House Detective Agency)

In this episode, we're talking to Lui Sit, who writes under the pen name Scarlett Li, author of The Lucky House Detective Agency, published by Storymix Books on 11th June 2026. We talk about why Lui thinks that collaboration with Storymix made The...

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Imagine Differently (I Feel Your Pain)

This week on our episode of Storymix: Craft and Conversation Season 2, Jasmine Richards chats with YA author Angelica Ellis, who writes under the pen name A. M. Ellis, about blending two genres, who gets to write which stories, and the expectation...

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Writing the In-Between (Princess Apparently)

In the first episode of Season 2 of Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Storymix founder Jasmine Richards talks to debut children’s author Siren Knight about mixed race identity, Caribbean history, teenage life and the creative journey behind her new...

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How do I get a seat at the publishing table?

This week on the final episode of the season of Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue and Azi Farni chat extensively with children’s literary agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch about what it really means to be a literary agent, industry expectations,...

Getting your work out there

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, in our final Craft episode of the season, Maame Blue takes you through the crucial steps needed to get your stories out of your head and into the hands of agents and publishers. Plus, our 5 Minute Mentor...

How do I tackle big topics like slavery and racism?

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue and Azi Farni sit down with author and teacher J. T. Williams - who wrote The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries - to discuss how research can play a part in story development, what it takes to create...

Writing For Different Ages

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue explains the differences in creating stories for children depending on their age, with the help of three Storymix Studio books! Plus, our 5 Minute Mentor Jasmine Richards breaks down publisher...

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How do I use slang or foreign words authentically?

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue and Azi Farni take a closer look into dialogue, language and heritage, in conversation with Tania Tay - the author writing as Crystal Sung on the upcoming middle grade series Spellcasters. From...

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Writing Authentic Dialogue

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue is discussing dialogue! How to make it sing, how to make it ring true, and what to avoid, especially when writing for kids. Screenwriter and author E. L Norry will be doing a reading of her...

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Who or what do I draw?

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue and Azi Farni dig deep into the world of children’s illustration with the help of illustrator Selom Sunu, who discusses diversity in children's book characters, how to decide what to draw, and...

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Finding Characters

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue takes the helm of another Craft episode, this time to help you find inspiration for creating authentic characters that reflect your reader's worlds - that is, the world of children. With a...

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How do I reflect my heritage without resorting to stereotypes?

This week on Storymix: Craft and Conversation, Maame Blue and Azi Farni get into the Conversation with Storymix Founder, author and editor Jasmine Richards to explore the question: How do you reflect your heritage without resorting to stereotypes when...

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Archetypes vs Stereotypes

Welcome to the first ever episode of Storymix: Craft & Conversation! In our first Storymix Craft episode, host Maame Blue shares some tips on differentiating between Stereotypes and Archetypes when creating stories for children. Plus, we'll hear a...

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