Welcome one and all to the second episode of Pet Projects, featuring Lancaster-based writer, illustrator and Creative Writing lecturer, Inés G. Labarta. In conversation with host Pete, Inés talks about her two black cats, Nori and Luna, and her current pet project: the release of her new novel, The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán (Blackwater Press), this month. Despite their shared hue and origin, Inés’s cats have proven very different in personality, which is perhaps appropriate given variety is the spice of life where she is concerned. 

In addition to having published in Spanish and English, Inés learnt Japanese as a student, writes her speculative fiction across a variety of genres (inc. migrant narratives, queer literature, magic realism, RPGs, monstrous fiction and the gothic), and produces her own podcast (The Wandering Bard), which you can find here on SoundCloud. 

Of herself, she says, ‘I am a citizen of nowhere because I feel at home in the Highlands, in Miyayima, in the Guadarrama mountains, in Edinburgh and Clonmacnoise. I didn’t choose to be born in Spain – but I do choose to consider this planet my home and to connect with others no matter where they come from.’ Fortunately for us, the family she has made with her partner, Nori and Luna is (mostly) keeping her in Lancaster just now.

Pet Projects is a collaborative project devised by writer and editor Peter Humphreys and artist and filmmaker Ana Rebolledo. It is available on Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music and other podcast providers.  

Inés’ website: https://inesglabarta.com

Inés’ highly imaginative new novel, The Three Lives of Saint Ciarán: https://www.blackwaterpress.com/product/the-three-lives-of-st-ciaran-pre-order-new/

Inés’ profile page at Lancaster University: 
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/people/ines-gregori-labarta 

Inés’ writing podcast, The Wandering Bard: https://thewanderingbard.net/about/

Pet Projects - Episode 2 - Inés G. Labarta

For the third instalment of Pet Projects we are joined by actor and theatrical producer Nicole Garbellini for a fascinating chat. 

Having been scouted in Italy and performing at the Venice Biennale, setting up her own theatre company in Hong Kong, and thereafter completing her acting studies in London, where she is now based, Nicole is not used to being upstaged. However, her beloved cat Marty McFly has done his best to compete with her in a way that only cats can: appearing alongside Nicole and her husband David in ‘Close Quarters’, a YouTube series from writer Ryan King born in the Covid lockdowns, during which our animals – to many of us – became more important than ever. 

Some of the other subjects Nicole and I explore in this episode are the difficulties of transporting pets between countries; the challenges and joys of producing theatre, including ‘Mussolini’s Mistresses’, a play created in Hong Kong by Nicole’s Aurora Theatre, from writer/director Clare Stearns, but coming to the UK soon, and how cats are not as antisocial as ‘the man’ tells us – Marty as a grandpa to younger felines? Why not? He can teach them how to skateboard for starters. For all budding actors/cat owners, there is much to learn in this episode about both. Enjoy!

Pet Projects is a collaborative project devised by writer and editor Peter Humphreys and artist and filmmaker Ana Rebolledo, who provides the artwork and video content. It is available on Spotify, SoundCloud and elsewhere. Please like and subscribe, and follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petprojectspod/) for updates and insights from the Pet Projects universe.

Some links related to Nicole’s life and work >>>

‘Close Quarters’ YouTube comedy-drama series starring Nicole, David and Marty: https://youtu.be/TeSb7QlslA8?si=0JHUANBmOAimFgFs

Aurora Theatre YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AuroraTheatreHK

‘Mussolini’s Mistresses’, interview with cast members: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw11NyuOUhU 

Aurora Theatre, Hong Kong – latest news: https://www.auroratheatrehk.com/blog/

Pet Projects - Episode 3 - Nicole Garbellini

For the sixth instalment of Pet Projects, we are chuffed to welcome Ollie and Pixel to the show. As well as being a renowned author of speculative fiction (in the SFF genre), Dr Oliver K. Langmead (aka Ollie) is a Creative Writing tutor at Lancaster University’s world-famous Creative Writing department. 

Ollie describes how he first met Pixel, the importance of play, the shared health problems that saw them taking the same medication, and how ‘yard time’ for cats doesn’t have to mean putting wildlife at risk. 

Turning to publishing, Ollie discusses his research into (de)anthropomorphism and personhood, and his widely praised verse novel Calypso, a stunning piece of sci-fi, created with help from real-life astronauts, his longstanding editor, and literary influences including Milton and Homer. We discuss writing techniques, how to get into ‘the classics’, northern SFF events and publishing scams, among other things. 

Pet Projects is a collaborative project devised by writer and editor Peter Humphreys and artist and filmmaker Ana Rebolledo, who provides the artwork and video content. It is available on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes and elsewhere. If you’re enjoying the podcast please like, subscribe and share.

Links to Ollie’s work & works discussed: 

Ollie’s website: https://oliverlangmead.com 

Ollie’s university bio: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/people/oliver-langmead 

Writers Beware – a website exposing publishing scams: https://writerbeware.org 

The Coral Bones by EJ Swift: https://ejswift.co.uk/2022/08/05/announcing-the-coral-bones/ 

The Odyssey by Homer (audiobook version): https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320993/odyssey-by-fry-stephen/ 

Paradise Lost by John Milton (audiobook version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=depIn1frboE 

Genesis by Frederick Turner: https://frederickturnerpoet.com/?page_id=166 

Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58320923-deep-wheel-orcadia 

Jim Stewart, poet: https://dura-dundee.org.uk/2018/11/02/this-tay-poems-by-jim-stewart/ 

It’s Strange Up North: https://www.waterstones.com/events/its-strange-up-north/leeds (inaugural event of ‘fantastical fiction featuring some of the very best writers working in the SFF space today’, June 2024)

The Publishing Rodeo (podcast co-created/-hosted by writer Sunyi Dean): https://publishingrodeo.wordpress.com

Pet Projects - Episode 6 - Oliver K. Langmead

Sadness’s Pattern

Wild water swimming in Morecambe Bay

Demised

Jean's Balad

What you gonna do?

Tan Humana Q'Duele

ID Ideology

Digging Holes

I'm a writer and editor based in Lancaster. Check out my podcasts Pet Projects (in which I interview creative types about their pets - and their projects), First Impressions (a surreal slice of literary cheesecake), and Monkey Scribbling (two older blokes reflect on their youth in the '90s through the letters they exchanged at the time). 

Pet Projects is a collaboration with Ana Rebolledo and Monkey Scribbling with Richard Pye. 

The family band I formed with my brother, Decaying Leather, in 1989 continues to write and record. Our music can also be found on SoundCloud and elsewhere.