ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

We spoke to the show's creator and writer, Sally Wainwright, at the premiere screening of Riot Women in Hebden Bridge on 7th October 2025. Watch the interview below, where Sally introduces Riot Women and also delves into her writing career and shares some great writing advice.

• Read an interview with Sally on developing and writing series 1 of Happy Valley on our blog
• Read the Happy Valley scripts

In the below interview from our archive - Sally tells why she’s always had a compulsion to tell stories, how Coronation Street influenced her writing and how she found her voice as a writer.

She talks to us about why self-editing is so essential and why it’s so important to get the details right.

Q&A with Sally Wainwright from the 2012 Manchester Literature Festival

Sally talks to Writersroom's Kate Rowland about her work, from the genesis of the hugely successful ‘, her masterpiece  through to the phenomenon that is . 

She discusses starting out as a writer and how she discovered her voice to how emerging writers can preserve their own.  She gives insight into developing character and story, her writing process, the power and importance of research to craft an authentic story, and how her ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Drama  was inspired by personal family experiences.