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Sam Russell Talks Evergreen and the Rise of Audio Storytelling

Writer Sam Russell interview

As someone with a deep (and sometimes unhealthy) interest in writing, I lurk around the writing nooks of Twitter quite often. Often from a number of secret literary accounts. Often enough that I saw when Sam Russell posted the first episode of his audio fantasy, Evergreen, a story read by British actress Catherine Russell—also Sam’s mother. And then, I noticed something remarkable, every new episode of Evergreen would receive more and more praise. Much of this was due to Sam’s excellent marketing strategy, but also, listeners legit enjoyed the story. Myself included.

And that’s when I knew I had to pay closer attention to this revolution, especially while working in the audio storytelling field myself. I knew first-hand that the narrative-driven audio boom was in full effect, and Sam Russell was proving it right before my eyes. And so I happily reached out to Sam in order to pick his brain about Evergreen and his idea to present it as an audio series.

Below, Sam explains his journey to writing his enthralling fantasy spectacle, voiced by the multi-talented Catherine Russell.

A photo of writer Sam Russell, the author of Evergreen.

An Interview with Sam Russell, the author of Evergreen

Gary Swaby: Thank you for agreeing to do this interview. First of all, Please tell us a little about you. Where did you grow up and what was life like as a child?

Sam Russell: I grew up in South London. My parents were both struggling artists, but because it was the late 80s they still managed to get a deposit together to buy a derelict flat, something two lawyers of the same age would struggle to do now.

We never moved just expanded. They fixed up the first flat and then nine years later bought the one next door. My parents are great and I always felt loved, but never pandered to. If I wanted to do something or achieve something, they’d always help but only if I showed initiative and drive first, which I think stood me in good stead.  

Gary: When did you first realize that you were a writer? 

Sam: I started in improv comedy, where you are basically writing an hour and a half show with your friends every night and then throwing it all away and doing the same thing again tomorrow. I think all kids make up stories, I just never grew out of it. 

Gary: Glad you never did grow out of it! What was the first thing you remember writing?

Sam: Me and my cousins, when we were about ten, wrote an American crime / heist radio play called Lucky Number 7 about a young man who checks his back account one morning and finds he now has a million dollars in his account and starts spending like crazy.

PLOT TWIST: It was mob money sent to his account by accident. So now he has to go to Las Vegas to try and win it back. 

Gary: I would love to actually read that someday. For anyone who hasn’t heard of it yet, what is Evergreen? 

Sam: Evergreen is a fantasy book I wrote during lockdown after doing stand-up comedy, which was my full-time job pre-covid. It became illegal to do stand-up during the pandemic so I shifted gears.

The Evergreen story follows Adam, the first man, cursed by God with immortality searching for his wife Eve, who God has hidden as punishment. It’s got comedy, it’s got action, it’s got lore. It’s got a fantasy Doctor Who vibe. 

Official artwork for Sam Russell's Evergreen.
Official artwork for Evergreen

Gary: How did the idea for Evergreen come about and when did you know you wanted to make it an audio serial?

Sam: I’ve had the nugget of this idea knocking about my head for years. I read a lot of religious texts and mythology as a kid / teenager and I thought it would be cool to try and write a story that tries to tie it all together.

I knew I wanted to make it an audio serial probably about three months after writing the book. I was already doing some podcast producing for media, and I read how long it takes on average from approaching a traditional agent to your book being on a shelf, so I just thought there must be a better way. Going the audio root so far has been great. No complaints.

Gary: Was it difficult to get listeners in the beginning? 

Sam: It was, and it still is. But the nice thing about publishing a book like this, one chapter every two weeks is that it can be a slow growth. The fans we have now are lovely and supportive. We are happy to keep ticking along, and if it blows up it blows up. I’m keeping expectations low and just enjoying the whole process. If you try to force these things, it usually just backfires, you know?

Gary: Oh, I know exactly what you mean. So, is there a story behind how you got Catherine Russell, your mother and praised actress, to agree to be the voice of Evergreen? 

Sam: Well, it was very handy because she is my mother. Basically, I had just finished the book and we were both complaining about missing live performance during the pandemic, and the idea sort of came up organically and truth be told, my mum was the one who read to me as a child and her voices were great and to be able to share that with others is wonderful. 

A photo of writer Sam Russell (left) with mother and actress Catherine Russell (right), working on Evergreen.

Gary: Not everyone knows the importance of reading to children. A love for storytelling can begin at a very young age. What would you say are the biggest challenges with writing for audio?

Sam: I am not sure if I can answer that properly because it wasn’t initially written for audio.

Our process is: I send Catherine a chapter, she makes notes, I rewrite and then we have a chat. We’ve changed a few things like having dates read out in longhand and other little things like that, but most of the text has stayed the same. 

Gary: Would you say writing for audio has made you a better writer in general? 

Sam: I think writing for any new medium makes you better at writing in all the others. I’ve written a bit for comic books, stand-up, TV, film, animation, and in all of them, you learn new things that you can take to your next project, whatever that may be. 

Gary: You’re absolutely right. Many writers are now realizing the potential of writing specifically for audio, I myself have a job writing scripts for audio. Many centuries ago, stories were spoken out loud, with people sat around fires. Do you think the world is coming full circle now with this audio revolution? Minus the fires maybe.

Sam: No more fires! I personally consume most of my books through audio and have since I was a child. I think it’s a great way of telling stories as long as you’ve got a good narrator and a good story to tell.

I think with the likes of Audible’s Sandman we are on the verge of an audio boom. 

Gary: Will you be sticking to writing for audio or will you also write other projects specifically for print and ebook? 

Sam: I don’t know. I think I’ll just keep writing whatever people ask me to write. I’m still an improviser at heart, give me a suggestion and I’ll run with it!

Gary: Who or what has been your biggest inspiration as a writer? 

Sam: Neil Gaiman. I was a big comic book kid, then someone gave me The Sandman graphic novels and my head just exploded. That guy can craft such wonderful complex worlds whilst keeping the story so human. I highly recommend his American Gods and Norse Mythology. 

Gary: Ah yes, I have friend’s who also appreciate Gaiman’s work. One day I will dive into his catalogue. What does the future look like for Evergreen? How long will the story go on? 

Sam: The first book is finished and I know where the story goes for the next two. The first one has about 12 more chapters which will continue to release. 

Gary: Thank you so much for answering my questions, I wish you all the best with Evergreen. And well done for all of the passion and hard work.

Check out Evergreen and follow Sam & Catherine Russell via the links below!

Sam and Catherine Russell will also be attending the Streatham Literature Festival 2021 on Sunday October 10th for a live reading of Evergreen. More details here

Gary Swaby

A full-time writer for ABF Creative, Frozen Water Publishing, The Koalition and Redital Publishing. Gary resides in the United Kingdom and has a deep appreciation for the art of writing and storytelling.