Radio Litopia: The sock puppet row

Radio Litopia is an essential show for both writers and readers and the latest episode, embedded here, offers a detailed debate on the sock puppet story which this past week's generated more traffic on Twitter than any other subject, as well as prompting features in newspapers across the world.

Guests this episode include  Jeremy Duns, the man who brought this whole scandal to the public domain.

Mark Billingham live on Litopia

Litopia is an online radio show that is essential listening for writers everywhere - it's totally interactive via a chat room which is regularly visited by the presenters during the show. Tonight's episode is extra special in that it features crime writer, Mark Billingham as the star guest. Find it HERE

It's always better to listen live and take part via the chat show but each show is also uploaded as a podcast and available via the usual sources.

The Good, the Bad and Litopia

There's an absolutely amazing Internet radio show aimed at readers and writers which broadcasts two live shows a week, one on Friday and another on Sunday, both shows are then available as podcasts for later enjoyment. The show titled Litopia is hosted by Peter Cox and is a kind of talking heads show with a difference - listeners can interact with the show live in both the online chat show and via Skype or telephone.

I'm addicted and never miss an episode and so will you be once you've listened to an episode or two.  Find it HERE

Litopia is intelligent, witty and totally unpredictable. They do sometimes get it wrong though - last Sunday when they were going through a quiz in which author's names are read backwards, it's harder than it sounds, host Peter Cox had Louis L'amour as one of the authors - the clue given was that he wrote in a genre that no longer exists. The following talk was enlightening to see how the mainstream thinks of the western as a dead mass-market genre.

That sure riled me up folks  and I promptly went into overdrive in the chat room - pointing out that I myself write westerns, and pointing out that so do many others - what about Larry McMurtry? What about Stephen King's, Dark Tower series which is an apocalyptic western when all is said and done? Later on the importance of Radio Drama to new writers was discussed in the light of the BBC's plans to cut drama output on The World Service. I did in fact telephone in and heard my Welsh twang (well sort of since my Blackberry's circuitry seemed to make me sound as if I'd been castrated)  blasting out over the airwaves.

Anyway host, Peter Cox has promised to discuss westerns in a future show and you can guarantee that a certain Jack Martin will be phoning in for that particular episode.

Litopia is an amazing show and the regular panel all provide much entertainment, particularly the lovely and Scottish Eve, who once collected Poll Tax (in-joke there, folks) but now holds the position of the thinking hack's top totty.The saga of  Dave Bartram's puppies, all of whom sound like The Hound of the Baskervilles, has also been very entertaining.

Litopoa is a pioneer publishing online community. Its focus is publishing and writers and aims to help both the emerging and established writer.


Litopia - It's the X-factor for the less cerebrally challenged.