Episode 3: Anthony Shapland on A Room Above a Shop, queer love, and becoming a novelist

On today's episode I sit down with Welsh author and artist Anthony Shapland, whose debut novel A Room Above a Shop was released earlier this year.

Set in a small Welsh town in the late 1980s, A Room Above a Shop tells the story of a secret love affair between two men during the height of the AIDS crisis and the era of Section 28. In this conversation, Anthony reflects on writing queer love with restraint and tenderness, coming to writing later in life, and how his background in visual art and filmmaking shaped the way he approaches narrative.

Intro music by Trevor Vaughan

In this episode, we explore:

• Why the novel’s central characters are known only by their initials
• Writing gay history through intimacy, anonymity, and resistance
• Giving yourself “permission” to become a writer later in life
• How visual art, filmmaking, and writing all stem from the same creative impulse
• The emotional significance of finishing the book on the Welsh coast

This week’s recommendation:

• Heart the Lover by Lily King