About this episode

Julie Owen Moylan discusses her writing journey and the research behind her new novel 'Elizabeth and Marilyn'.

Julie Owen Moylan's debut novel, 'That Green Eyed Girl', was a Waterstones' Welsh Book of the Month and a runner up for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize. She followed that up with '73 Dove Street' and 'Circus of Mirrors'. Her short film, 'Baby Cakes', won the Celtic Media Award and won at the Swansea Film Festival. She's inspired by finding the fiction in history, thoroughly researching a time, so she can dive right in and create her own world. Her new novel is 'Elizabeth and Marilyn', which takes us back to the summer of 1956. It looks at the intertwining lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe, two of the 20th Century's biggest icons, and why for a brief moment they were neighbours. We discuss how art inspires her writing, and reminds her she's done the hard stuff before. You can hear why she doesn't believe in writers' block, why the idea came from, and how she has figured out her best writing process. Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine Support the show - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Dan Simpson

Guest: Julie Owen Moylan

Topics covered

• historical fiction
• writing process
• research
• publication journey
• creative inspiration

Keywords

• historical fiction
• Julie Owen Moylan
• Elizabeth and Marilyn
• writing process
• research
• 1956
• writers' block

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Waterstones, Celtic Media Award, Swansea Film Festival

Books & works: Elizabeth and Marilyn, That Green Eyed Girl, 73 Dove Street, Circus of Mirrors, Baby Cakes

More episodes of Writer's Routine

• Ajay Chowdhury, author of 'Eden Falls' - Thriller writer discusses creating with AI, finishing things off, and writing in different genre · July 16, 2026 · 52 min
• Cathy Bramley, author of 'Somewhere Only We Know' - Sunday Times Bestseller discusses inspiration from location, being particular, and embracing being an author · July 9, 2026 · 51 min
• Joseph Eckert, author of 'The Traveller' - Sci-fi writer discusses great hooks, 15 years of planning, and editorial push-back · June 25, 2026 · 50 min
• Foluso Agbaje, author of 'The Talk of the Party' - Thriller writer discusses writing in Dubai, worldwide influences, and her pursuit of perfection · June 18, 2026 · 51 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Writer's Routine podcast page.