Alternative Stories and Fake Realities

Spell sounds is an audiofiction soundscape series in which we combine poetry and prose with sound effects to evoke places, spaces and landscapes

In this edition you heard the voices of Tiffany Clare, Sally Walker Taylor, Cee Cee and Chris Gregory

You heard writing by

Lyndsey Croal

Ange Wilson

Anna Chorlton

Josh Holton

Joana Varanda

Cee Cee

And Chris Gregory

Soundscapes, music, mix and editing were by Alternative Stories

Sound effects were by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.org

Please listen out for more from our Spell Sound series soon. Thank you to everyone who has contributed pieces for the series.

Next week on Alternative Stories we'll bring you Audio drama : Notes from Dad's Room by Carole Pluckrose

Subscribe by searching alternative stories in your favourite podcast app to have all editions delivered to you the moment they are released.

In this edition we speak to science fiction writer Frasier Armitage about his novel New Yesterday which was published earlier this year. Frasier is the author of our award winning audio drama Postcards from Another World and several pieces of short fiction. Chris Gregory met Frasier over zoom to discuss the writing process and his influences.

The excerpts from New Yesterday were read by Chris Gregory and the excerpts from Postcards from Another World featured the voices of Sarah Golding, Marie-Claire Wood and Emily Inkpen

Music and sound design were by Alternative Stories and the interviewer was Chris Gregory

You can buy a copy of New Yesterday and Frasier’s other publications by visiting his author page on Amazon here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frasier-Armitage

You can find out more about Frasier by visiting https://frasierarmitage.com/

And follow him on twitter here https://twitter.com/FrasierArmitage

And you can hear Postcards from Another World here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11897671

If you enjoy science fiction you may like our sci fi serial drama The Dex Legacy which is written by Emily Inkpen. You can listen and subscribe by searching The Dex Legacy in your favourite podcast app or click the link below

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1868546

If you would like to support us to make season 2 of The Dex Legacy and gain some unique rewards along the way you can make a pledge to our kickstarter campaign here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-2

and to listen to more science fiction and climate fiction from Alternative Stories check out this podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/sci-fi-and-climate-fiction-on-alternative-stories-107aDoFzmM

If you haven’t already subscribed to Alternative Stories and Fake Realities you can do so by searching Alternative Stories in your favourite podcast app.

If you would like to work with us or enquire about our courses and workshops please contact us via email at [email protected]
You can also follow us on twitter where we posts as https://twitter.com/StoriesAlt
And Instagram where we are https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

Our next workshop will be on 1st July and it will cover writing for audio drama, taking audio from page to production, monologues in audio drama and writing for audio fiction. You can find out more and book via Alex Davis Events here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-for-audio-with-chris-gregory-and-emily-inkpen-tickets-634717375757

Storying our Futures is a new podcast series looking at the climate crisis in east Africa and the ways in which storytelling can help to spread information to the local population. Through the eyes of two Kenyan storytellers, Mara and John, we travel with them through South Sudan and northern Kenya to see how the crisis is affecting local communities.

"Storying our Futures: climate resilience through indigenous knowledge" is a UK/East Africa collaborative project bringing traditional oral storytellers together with East African pastoralist communities, scientific meteorologists, journalists, and indigenous traditional climate forecasters known as Rainmakers, to amplify and explore the many ways that storytelling can support system change. Chris Gregory from Alternative Stories undertook the sound design and editing work for this podcast series.

The podcast series is a joint venture between Adverse Camber, a UK based arts production company, ICPAC, a specialised organisation fostering climate services and knowledge to enhance community resilience in Africa, The British Council, Cath Heinemeyer of York St John University and storyteller / activist Hannah McDowall.

To learn more and listen you can go to to the Adverse Camber website www.adversecamber.org

or listen via Spotify here https://open.spotify.com/show/4Jof3zj7OY68TLjIfdndXw?si=2aa371d9d24f433a

or YouTube here https://youtu.be/ZIOdlh80Rx4

You can follow Adverse Camber and find out more about their work by following them on social media

Twitter. https://twitter.com/adversecamber20
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adversecamberontour/

If you would like to find out more about the Dex Legacy season two kickstarter campaign you can do so here
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emilyinkpen/the-dex-legacy-science-fiction-audio-drama-season-2

Here you’ll find information about why we need funding, what your pledges will pay for and the rewards you can get by backing the project. You’ll also be able to find out about our cast and listen to a new and exclusive piece of music by our soundtrack composer Allen Stroud.

You can follow The Dex Legacy on twitter here https://twitter.com/thedexlegacy
And on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/thedexlegacy1/

Thank you as always for listening to this edition of Alternative Stories and Fake Realities
You can follow Alternative Stories on twitter here https://twitter.com/StoriesAlt
And on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

You can contact us by email via [email protected]

Marc Hughes, the larger-than-life presenter of the supernatural investigation TV show Paranormal Takedown, is in Shropshire visiting his friend Jack who claims that the Devil is active in the county. Alongside co-host Emilie Daniels, Marc has decided to make a special edition about the weird goings-on but upon arrival in the county he starts to realise that the stories he is hearing are stranger and darker than he imagined.

Catch up with part one of the drama here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/12499890

Content warning : this podcast contains swearing, suggestions of peril and references to violence , death and injury.

In the Best of Men by Amy Boucher you can hear, in order of appearance

Tiffany Clare as Emilie
Alex White as Marc
Carl Wharton as Jack
Amy Boucher as the woman in the pub
Chris Gregory as 'Owd Scratch
Emily Inkpen as Laura

Other parts are played by members of the cast

Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories

Casting and actor direction is by Chris Gregory and Amy Boucher

Sound effects are by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.org

The script for The Best of Men is by Amy Boucher and may not be reproduced in whole or in part other than with the permission of the author.

You can find out more about our writer Amy Boucher by visiting her blog here https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/

And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/g0blinegg

You can follow Alternative Stories on social media here

Twitter https://twitter.com/StoriesAlt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

And contact us by email here [email protected]

Find out more about our lead actors, and hire them to voice your podcast or drama

Tiffany Clare https://twitter.com/TiffanyEclair

Alex White https://twitter.com/alexwhiteactor

Carl Wharton https://twitter.com/carlwharton

Emily Inkpen is the writer of our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy. Find out more and listen here https://www.thedexlegacy.com/

If you've enjoyed The Best of Men please check out our other folklore and folk horror productions via this Podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/folklore-folk-horror-and-fairytale-on-alternative-stories-107a9Gdi9h

We'd also like to recommend another podcast we think you'll enjoy - The Spectre of the Sea is by Owen Staton and Bethan Briggs Miller and features folklore, legend and history from the Welsh coastline. Listen and find out more here.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/spe…

https://twitter.com/spectre_sea

We always appreciate ratings and reviews so if you have enjoyed this edition please rate or review the podcast on apple podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or any podcast app that accepts ratings.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this edition of The Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast featuring the new novel "Spring Fever" by Thomas Legendre

Readings from Spring Fever were by Tiffany Clare with Thomas Legendre playing Craig Merleau in the interview excerpt

The interviewer was Chris Gregory

Editing sound design and original music were by Alternative Stories

Spring Fever is available now from publisher Valley Press and more widely from 1st June

Order a copy directly from Valley Press here https://www.valleypressuk.com/shop/p/spring-fever

Find out more about Thomas Legendre by visiting his website here https://www.thomaslegendre.com/

And follow him on twitter here https://twitter.com/legendreality

Readings in this podcast were by Tiffany Clare. You can find out more about Tiffany and hire her for your voice stage or film project by visiting her website here https://www.voicebytiffany.com/

Get updates on forthcoming Alternative Stories podcasts and find out about our writers and actors by following us on social media where we post as

https://twitter.com/StoriesAlt
And https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

Hire us to produce your drama or podcast. Get in touch via [email protected]

Listen out for part 2 of The Best of Men by Amy Boucher coming soon.

When Marc Hughes, the larger-than-life presenter of the TV show Paranormal Takedown, receives a series of increasingly desperate voice mail messages from his childhood friend Jack claiming that a great evil is loose in Shropshire, he is sceptical. Realising that investigating the story might make for great television he sets off to debunk Jack's claims and finds himself at the heart of some dark and dangerous folk beliefs that seem to have spilled over from stories to reality.

Content warning : this podcast contains swearing, suggestions of peril and references to violence , death and injury.

In the Best of Men by Amy Boucher you can hear, in order of appearance

Tiffany Clare as Emilie

Alex White as Marc

Carl Wharton as Jack

Music, sound design, production and editing are by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories

Casting and actor direction is by Chris Gregory and Amy Boucher

Sound effects are by Alternative Stories and from Freesound.org

The script for The Best of Men is by Amy Boucher and may not be reproduced in whole or in part other than with the permission of the author.

You can find out more about our writer Amy Boucher by visiting her blog here https://nearlyknowledgeablehistory.blogspot.com/

And follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/g0blinegg

You can follow Alternative Stories on social media here

Twitter https://twitter.com/StoriesAlt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

And contact us by email here [email protected]

Find out more about our actors, and hire them to voice your podcast or drama

Tiffany Clare https://twitter.com/TiffanyEclair

Alex White https://twitter.com/alexwhiteactor

Carl Wharton https://twitter.com/carlwharton

The second part of The Best of Men will be out in April on this podcast. Please subscribe to have it delivered to you the moment it is released.

If you've enjoyed The Best of Men please check out our other folklore and folk horror productions via this Podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/folklore-folk-horror-and-fairytale-on-alternative-stories-107a9Gdi9h

We always appreciate ratings and reviews so if you have enjoyed this edition please rate or review the podcast on apple podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser or any podcast app that accepts ratings.

Thank you for listening to the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast. Our guest in this edition is Alex Davis of the UK Ghost Story Festival

You can find out more about the festival, book tickets and read more about the participants by visiting the festival website here https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/
Follow the festival on twitter here https://twitter.com/GhostStoryFest
And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/ghoststoryfestival/
And follow Alex Davis on twitter here https://twitter.com/AlexDavis1981

Our podcast was recorded at the Museum of Making in Derby.
https://www.derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making/
Follow the museum on twitter here https://twitter.com/MuseumofMaking
And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/derbymuseums/

We share excerpts from the following audio books in this podcast

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke (Harper Collins) Read by Paula Masterton
https://carolynjesscooke.com/
Follow C J on twitter here https://twitter.com/CJessCooke

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell. (Raven) Read by Sheila Atim
https://www.laurapurcell.com/
Follow Laura on twitter here https://twitter.com/spookypurcell

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce (Penguin) The audiobook of The Witch in the Well is narrated by Christina Cole, Emily Barber and Charlotte Davey
https://camillabruce.com/
Follow Camilla Bruce on twitter here https://twitter.com/millacream

The House of Footsteps by Mathew West (Harper North) read by Joshua Manning
https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-house-of-footsteps-mathew-west
Follow Mathew West on twitter here https://twitter.com/mathewoneT

Thank you to Alex Davis for being our guest in this edition and The Museum of Making in Derby for hosting our interview. We’d also like to thank the authors and publishers whose work is featured in this podcast.

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast and would like to hear more ghostly fiction please check out our 2 part Ghostlore anthology

Part one https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/10264614-ghostlore-an-audio-fiction-anthology-part-one-wilderness
Part two https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/10353265-ghostlore-an-audio-fiction-anthology-part-two-hauntings
Please also check out our ghostly audio drama The Gathering by Lewis Carter here https://www.buzzsprout.com/411730/11594709-the-gathering-an-audio-drama

If this is your first time listening to our podcast please subscribe to have all future editions delivered to your podcast feed the moment they are released. You can find us by searching “alternative stories” in your favourite podcast app

In this podcast we look at working class writers, their work and experience with guest editor Amber Hall. We look at the difficulties that working class writers overcome and the limitations and expectation placed upon them by the wider world of literature. We speak to guests 1990s Chris and Lisa McKenzie both of whom ae part of the Working Class Collective, A community of working class creatives formed during the pandemic.

This podcast was guest edited by Amber Hall. Amber also interviewed 1990s Chris and Lisa McKenzie for this podcast. You can find out more about Amber by following her on social media

You can follow her on twitter here https://twitter.com/amber_marie_123
And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/amber.marie.123/

Amber is a member of the editorial team for Write On! and you can read an interview with her here https://pentoprint.org/write-on-interviews-writer-amber-hall/

Lisa McKenzie is a writer and academic from Nottingham. You can find out more about her and her work by visiting her website
https://lisamckenzie1968.wixsite.com/website

You can follow Lisa on Twitter here https://twitter.com/redrumlisa

1990s Chris is a queer writer, poet, performer and film maker originally from Hereford and now living in Bristol You can find lots of Chris’s work via his Linktree here https://linktr.ee/1990schris

And follow Chris on Twitter here https://twitter.com/1990sChris

Lisa and Chris are both members of the Working Class Collective.

Find out more about the collective and buy the book “Lockdown Diaries of the Working Class” via their website here https://www.workingclasscollective.co.uk/

Follow the collective on Twitter here https://twitter.com/WorkingClassCol

You can hear 1990s Chris performing his piece “Sink” as part of this podcast

Join us next week for a podcast about the UK Ghost Story Festival

https://www.ukghoststoryfestival.co.uk/

Thank you for listening to this edition of the Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Podcast.

In this edition we speak to Cailean Steed, the author of a new novel “Home” which is published by Raven Bloomsbury on 19th January. The novel deals with Zoe, a young woman who has grown up as part of a repressive religious cult who returns to rescue her sister.

Excerpts from the audiobook of “Home” in this episode were read by Paula Masterton. The audiobook is published on the same day as the hardback and e-book versions of the novel.

The interviewer was Chris Gregory

Sound design, editing and music were also by Chris Gregory

To find out more about Cailean Steed you can visit their website here https://www.caileansteed.com/

And follow them on social media here
https://twitter.com/CaileanSteed
https://www.instagram.com/caileansteedauthor/

To order a copy of Home via the Raven Bloomsbury website follow this link https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/fiction/crime-thriller-mystery/
And follow Raven Bloomsbury on twitter here : https://twitter.com/bloomsburyraven

If you have enjoyed this podcast please subscribe in your favourite podcast app if you haven’t already. Just search for alternative stories wherever you listen to podcasts. Coming up soon we have a podcast about working class writers with Amber Hall, a new audio drama “The Best of Men” by Amy Boucher and a feature on the UK Ghost Story Festival.

You may also enjoy the other podcasts made by Alternative Stories

The Seren Poetry Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035359
Write On! Audio, a podcast aimed at writers which we make for Pen to Print : https://anchor.fm/pentoprint
And our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy https://www.thedexlegacy.com/

If you would like to contact us you can do so via [email protected]
And follow us on twitter https://www.thedexlegacy.com/
And Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stories.alt/

Making a life on a new world following a family tragedy, Lyra and Neeva reflect on their past lines as farmers on Epsilon while coming to terms with the realities of existence on their new home, Lunasetti. Postcards From Another World by Frasier Armitage is the winner of the 2022 Pen to Print audio play competition.

In Postcards from Another World by Frasier Armitage you heard
Sarah Golding as Lyra
Marie-Claire Wood as Neeva
Warren Graham as Zabo
Emily Inkpen as the computer
Rhiannon Armitage as the Lunasetti spaceport announcer
Chris Gregory as Privik.

Production, sound design and editing were by Chris Gregory for Alternative Stories
The original score was composed and performed by Chris Gregory
Sound effects were from Freesound.org
Casting advice, actor coaching and beta listening were by Frasier Armitage.

You can find out more about Frasier Armitage and his work by visiting his website here https://frasierarmitage.com/
You can follow Frasier on twitter here https://twitter.com/FrasierArmitage
And Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/frasierarmitage/

You can contact and hire our lead actors by visiting them online
Sarah Golding https://sarahgoldingvoiceactorandmore.weebly.com/
Marie-Claire Wood https://linktr.ee/MarieClaireWood
Warren Graham https://twitter.com/wg973
Emily Inkpen https://www.emilyinkpen.com/

The script for Postcards from Another World by Frasier Armitage was the winner of the 2022 Pen to Print audio play competition. We would like to thank Pen to print for their support in the making of this drama and for sponsoring this annual competition. The 2023 competition is open for entries now. We are looking for scripts of around half an hour (4- 5000 words) and the competition is open to UK residents only. You have until 31st March to submit your entires and you can find out more and enter the competition here
https://pentoprint.org/get-involved/competitions-2023/

We hope you’ve enjoyed listening to Postcards From Another World. Please join us in 2023 for more audio drama, poetry and fiction podcasts You can subscribe by searching for alternative stories in your favourite podcast app.

If you’ve enjoyed this audio drama please check out our other science fiction , fantasy and cli fi productions. Here’s a link to a podchaser playlist https://www.podchaser.com/lists/sci-fi-and-climate-fiction-on-alternative-stories-107aDoFzmM

You’ll also enjoy our science fiction serial drama The Dex Legacy by Emily Inkpen – search The Dex Legacy in your favourite podcast app to listen and subscribe.
https://www.thedexlegacy.com/

We’d like to end this podcast with a recommendation for an audio drama we think you’ll enjoy.. Set in the wilds of British Columbia, Darkstead is a fantasy crime drama by writer / director Lucy Gib Smith. You can listen and subscribe to Darkstead here https://www.darkstead.com/