*Artwork for Episode 2, Season 2, with Naomi Ishiguro*

How You Find Your Voice

Season 2, Episode 2

In this episode of the How You Find Your Voice podcast, I speak with novelist Naomi Ishiguro about her dazzling new fantasy novel, The Rainshadow Orphans.

The first in an ambitious fantasy trilogy inspired by Japanese folklore, anime and speculative fiction, The Rainshadow Orphans is set in a mythological archipelago inhabited by dragons, sun spirits, hackers and robots. It's a richly imagined world, but beneath the adventure lies a story about friendship, belonging, hope and the communities we build when the systems around us fail us.

Together, we explore the art of world-building and what it takes to create a fantasy world that feels both magical and believable. Naomi shares how teaching secondary school students unexpectedly became one of her greatest creative influences, introducing her to anime, coding clubs, robotics competitions and even bubble tea, all of which found their way into the novel.

The conversation also explores Japanese folklore, yokai, animism and Eastern mythology, and how Naomi approached drawing on these traditions with curiosity, imagination and cultural sensitivity.

There is also a wider thread running through this conversation about community. Rather than celebrating the lone hero, Naomi is more interested in friendship and the idea of found family. We discuss the tension between individualism and collective responsibility, and why those questions feel particularly relevant today.

We also talk about revenge, justice and hope. Naomi reflects on why revenge stories have endured for centuries, and why she believes that hope isn't naïve optimism but, as she puts it, "the only logical position to hold."

Towards the end of our conversation, we move away from fantasy and into the realities of being a writer. Naomi speaks with remarkable honesty about creative burnout, the uncertainty of publishing and why external success doesn't necessarily quiet self-doubt.

One of my favourite moments comes when she says simply:

"You're a writer if you write."

It's a wonderfully encouraging reminder that being a writer isn't something bestowed by publishers, prizes or bookshop shelves. It's a verb.

Topics Covered

The Rainshadow Orphans
Fantasy world-building
Japanese folklore, yokai and animism
Anime, manga and Japanese pop culture
Dragons and Eastern mythology
Building believable magic systems
Teaching teenagers and creative inspiration
Bubble tea, coding clubs and robotics
Friendship, found family and belonging
Community versus individualism
Fantasy as a way of asking questions
Revenge, justice and strategy
Hope in fiction
AI, technology and speculative fiction
Teaching Jane Eyre and learning how novels work
Creative burnout and publishing
Imposter syndrome and artistic identity
What makes a writer
Finding your voice through writing

About Naomi Ishiguro

Naomi Ishiguro is a British novelist and short story writer. She is the author of the novels Common Ground and Escape Routes, the short story collection Scissors Paper Stone, and The Rainshadow Orphans, the first book in a new fantasy trilogy inspired by Japanese folklore, anime and speculative fiction.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Naomi worked as a bookseller, creative writing tutor and secondary school English teacher. Her experiences in the classroom became one of the defining influences on The Rainshadow Orphans, shaping both its characters and its imaginative world.

Her work explores community, belonging, identity and hope, asking timely questions about power, responsibility and what it means to find common ground.