The Essay

Music might feature in the work of many writers, but do many writers play an instrument? Quite a few do, and this essay series charts five writers with musical 'careers'. Here is a bit of autobiography, telling listeners how they started out, their inspirations, their memorable performances and how playing relates to their lives as writers. And they are keen to demonstrate their musical talents, which you can hear at the end of each essay! Novelist and journalist Louise Doughty has taken up the piano later in life, in fact only last year. So how will learning to play now be different from learning as a child?