Penny Legg and Express FM's Rob Richardson

I received an email this morning from Rob Richardson, who runs the WriteInvite site and who has interviewed several writers on his currently off air, but hopefully soon back on air again, radio show, WriteOn, on Express FM. Rob and I have been in email contact for some time and I have been to Rosie's Wine Bar in Southsea for one of his evenings for writers, where work is read to the audience, whose members then vote for their favourite writer. The winner gets a cash prize. Rob was also recently a guest at my group for writers, Writing Buddies, at Borders bookshop in Southampton.

Anyway, Rob emailed me to tell me that the radio show, which he has invited me to be a guest on, has been taken off air for a month by the radio station. This is a real shame. Over time Rob has interviewed many writers, from locals to household names, and listeners have gained an insight into what makes a writer tick. I hope that this is only a temporary situation and that the show will come back again, soon. If anyone at Express FM reads this blog, please consider bringing Rob and his writers back. There are few such programmes, where individual wordsmiths can talk about their life and work.

Rob is hopeful and wants me to come and be interviewed. 'I instinctively know you will be a wonderful guest with all your experience in so many areas that are writing related,' he says. Now that is nice of him. He goes on to say, 'You've got a great motor on you,' and hastens to explain before I take offence to this. 'This is a compliment, I promise. You know what it means in terms of get-up-and-go, but might be more suitably applied to a premiership footballer!' Now I have never heard the expression, but I quite like the analogy!

Only time will tell whether WriteOn will be brought back to radio. If Express FM do not want the show, perhaps another radio station will? This is pure speculation on my part and not something that I have discussed with Rob. I do think though, that writers and radio is a natural association and one that is both useful and interesting, both for the writer concerned and the listener.