Joe Queenan on working for a summer in a bubble gum factory. The first of five talks by writers on the temporary jobs they took before writing full time. Tedium or raw material? Show more

In a series where writers discuss temporary jobs they took before writing full time, Claire Messud recalls work including pushing the elderly in wheelchairs and slaving in offices. Show more

Award-winning writer Julia Blackburn recalls the summer she spent writing dictionary definitions for 'H' and 'L'. Now she sees an autobiographical thread in them. Show more

In a series where writers discuss the temporary jobs they took before writing full time, AL Kennedy recalls the summer she spent working with her grandmother, a furniture polisher. Show more

Novelist Tim Pears remembers his early working life before he became a writer, working as a chimney sweep and caravan park attendent. Show more