Damian Barr's Literary Salon

Our dearest podcast listeners - we have a special, important message for you from our founder Damian Barr, as we say a very fond but sad farewell to the Literary Salon... Some of you have come along in person or online or listened to our podcast for years. Thank you for being there—readers bring a book to life, and that's what you've done for Salon. It's been fifteen years since our first night at Shoreditch House and we've grown beyond any dream Damian dared have. So in this special final episode, Damian shares his decision with you, takes us on a joyful trip down memory lane, and gives you a sneak peek of the next chapter... Damian Barr's Literary Salon was founded 15 years ago by award-winning writer, columnist and broadcaster Damian Barr. Find out more about Damian and subscribe to his personal newsletter on his website - www.damianbarr.com. Follow Damian on Twitter/X - @Damian_Barr Follow Damian on Instagram - @mrdamianbarr Podcast produced and edited by presenter/producer Megan Bay Dorman. For any podcast production or presenting enquiries, email Megan on mbaydorman@gmail.com Podcast programmed by Sales, Marketing & Publicity Director Matt Casbourne. For any enquiries email Matt on mcasbourne@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the summer is out we wanted to share a page-turning holiday read on the podcast. The Orchid Hour takes us back to New York City, 1923, when Zia De Luca's life is about to be shattered. She lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library, but when an unassuming patron is murdered, the police investigation focuses on Zia... After another tragedy strikes even closer to home, she learns the crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village. When the police investigation stalls, Zia decides to find her own answers. As she's pulled in deeper and deeper, will Zia be able to bring the killers to justice before they learn her secret? This is a great book for anyone who enjoyed Broadway Butterfly by Sara Divello and Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman. The Orchid Hour by Nancy Bilyeau is published by Lume, an imprint of Joffe Books, and available now. If you enjoy the work we do and would like to support the Literary Salon podcast, you can get a copy (at a discounted price!) from our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman. W: www.meganbaydorman.com E: mbaydorman@gmail.com Insta: @meganbaydorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne. Insta: @indiepublishermatt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week is a spellbinding debut novel by writer and commissioning editor on The Observer newspaper, Kathryn Bromwich. In At the Edge of the Woods, Laura lives alone in a cabin deep in the Italian Alps. When she isn't translating documents, she spends her days climbing the mountains exploring the woods. But while she reconnects with nature, Laura is hiding from the violence of her past. The village where she purchases supplies grows wary of the woman in the cabin and of her increasingly odd behaviour... With a deft hand and slow-burn tension, At the Edge of the Woods is a captivating novel for anyone who enjoyed Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller or Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm. ‘An exceptional debut; uncanny, unsettling, original and subtle.' - Robert Macfarlane At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich is published by independent press Two Dollar Radio and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman. W: www.meganbaydorman.com E: mbaydorman@gmail.com Insta: @meganbaydorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne. Insta: @indiepublishermatt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week will have you laughing and crying in equal measure! Stand-up comedian Jo Caulfield's hilarious memoir, The Funny Thing About Death, is about two unconventional girls growing up in the 1970s. Six years ago, Jo was about to go on stage when she found out that her big sister Annie had cancer. Not the best way to start a nationwide comedy tour. But the tour turns out to be a welcome distraction for them both. As Jo reports back from various hotels and service stations, they revisit their childhood and adolescence while navigating Annie's illness, learning through trial and error how to behave when someone you love gets sick. 'It's a wildly satisfying and moving read... I loved this special book' - Graham Norton The Funny Thing About Death by Jo Caulfield is published by Polygon, an imprint of Scottish independent press Birlinn, and available now. You can get yourself a copy while supporting the Literary Salon and UK indie bookshops by buying from our shop on Bookshop.org. And if you fancy meeting Jo in St Andrews, pop along to a special event with her at Toppings bookshop on 20th September! Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman. W: www.meganbaydorman.com E: mbaydorman@gmail.com Insta: @meganbaydorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne. Insta: @indiepublishermatt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're joined by Paul Dalgarno reading from his thoughtful, existential novel, A Country of Eternal Light. Margaret Bryce has been having a hard time since dying in 2014. In a liminal place, we join Margaret as she revisits her life, from her Aberdeen prefab childhood to the birth of her twin girls, through Thatcher's Britain, the Piper Alpha oil rig disaster, Australia's Black Summer bushfires, the death of Princess Diana and the COVID pandemic. But as Margaret struggles to remember her past, there is something she's also fighting to forget... An emotional journey, A Country of Eternal Light by Paul Dalgarno is published by Polygon (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd) and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can support the Literary Salon's work by visiting our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, Catherine Taylor reads from her new book The Stirrings: A Memoir in Northern Time, a story about coming of age in the north of England during the 1970s and 80s. Historical events were happening all around her: from the pursuit and capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, to the anti-nuclear protests and Miners' Strike. But there were also pressing concerns at home, including her parent's divorce and a debilitating illness that would define her late adolescence... We're so excited about this memoir and we hope you enjoy this reading from Catherine! Damian will be in-conversation with Catherine this August at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The Stirrings is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and available now. If you'd like a copy, you can support the podcast by buying from our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, Booker award-winning author Ben Okri combines fiction, essay and poetry in Tiger Work. This incredible collection, inspired by environmental activism, displays his classic blend of storytelling, fantasy and magic in tales that imagine messages sent to us from beyond the end, from those who saw it coming - exhorting us to change now.  'Both a work of lyrical imagination and a warning about the dangers we will face unless we take immediate action' - New Yorker This is an important and incredible collection, and we hope you enjoy Ben's special reading for us. Tiger Work by Ben Okri is published by Apollo, an imprint of Head of Zeus, and available now. We recommend visiting your local indie bookshop or you can support the Literary Salon by getting a copy from our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the Booker longlisted author, and an Irish Times No.1 bestseller - Donal Ryan's The Queen of Dirt Island is a searing, jubilant novel about four generations of women and the stories that bind them. On a council estate in County Tipperary, Ireland, the Aylward women stick with each other through thick and thin, and always with a wicked sense of humour. The head of the family, Nana, is a woman who has buried two sons. Her daughter-in-law, Eileen, is estranged from her own parents, having 'shamed' them and given birth to Saoirse. And then there's Saoirse herself, eavesdropping on lives she cannot comprehend. It is only when they must battle for the inheritance of Dirt Island - a narrow strip of land adjacent to Eileen's childhood home - that they truly understand the roots that bind their lives together. Listen now for an exclusive reading from Donal himself. 'Beautiful, compassionate... Donal Ryan at his inimitable best' - MAGGIE O'FARRELL The Queen of Dirt Island is published by Transworld and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can support the work we do and the podcast by visiting our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast programmed by Matt Casbourne Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our next guest on the podcast is Essie Fox, reading from her instant Sunday Times bestseller, The Fascination. It's a Victorian story about the estranged grandson of a wealthy collector of human curiosities, who becomes fascinated with teenage twin sisters, leading them into a web of dark obsessions... And we love this dazzlingly gothic novel from the bestselling author of The Somnambulist. ‘A magical, macabre masterpiece' - A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer  This is a perfect pick for anyone who enjoyed Laura Shephard-Robinson's The Square of Sevens or Liz Hyder's The Illusions. (And if you'd like a non-fiction book on the subject of Victorian circuses and curiosities, then read John Woolf's The Wonders.) The Fascination by Essie Fox is published by independent publisher Orenda Books and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Or you can grab a special signed and numbered first edition with beautiful sprayed edges from our indie bookshop friends Goldsboro Books. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a literary thriller in store for you this week! In the seaside town of Kinlough, Ireland, three old friends are thrown together for the first time since the disappearance of their friend Kala... Fifteen years later Helen has reluctantly returned for her father's wedding; Joe is a world-famous musician back in town for a gig; and Mush has never left, too scared to venture beyond the counter of his mother's café. When two more girls go missing, the past and present collide as these estranged friends are forced to confront the events that led to Kala's disappearance, and to try to stop history from repeating itself... Colin Walsh's debut novel Kala is published by Atlantic Books and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. 'A gritty heartbreaker of a thriller... Part heartfelt coming-of-age tale, part brutal Irish noir, this is a spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans.' - Kirkus Podcast programmed by Matt Casbourne Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep in Brazil's neglected Bahia hinterland, two sisters find an ancient knife beneath their grandmother's bed and, momentarily mystified by its power, decide to taste its metal. The tragedy that follows marks their lives and binds them together forever... Heralded as a new masterpiece and the most important Brazilian novel of this century, Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior merges folklore with the plight of Afro-Brazilian subsistence farmers, covering themes of family, spirituality, slavery and its aftermath. It has received the Prémio Leya, a prestigious Portuguese literary prize, and is Itamar's English language debut novel. This gripping tale has been skilfully translated by Johnny Lorenz, who also reads this exclusive extract for us on the podcast. A perfect story for lovers of The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante, or Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor. Crooked Plow is published by independent publisher Verso and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning actor and creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Gertrude Stein, Miriam truly is a national treasure - and possibly our very favourite lesbian. She made us wait a long time for her extraordinary life story, and it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played. From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, her memoir This Much Is True is packed with brilliant stories, several of which Miriam shared with us in this live Literary Salon at the London Library. As you might expect from Miriam and her potty mouth, the conversation with Damian gets explicit and sweary at times, as well as being honest, intelligent and HILARIOUS - enjoy!   Interview and reading recorded live at Damian Barr's Literary Salon, at the London Library, in December 2021. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Live audio recorded by Jake Clark-Darby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smart, accessible, thoughtful, entertaining and frank: our Book of the Week is Black Girl, No Magic by Kimberly McIntosh. Informed by years of social policy research and campaign work, as well as her own personal experiences, this debut essay collection investigates the intersection of race and class in the UK. She discusses dismantling the myth of social mobility for those who conform to expectations, how systematic injustice impacts us all, and many other urgent questions.  Don't worry if you're not an expert on any of the above; this is a great place to start no matter your background.   ‘Witty, fresh and full of life' Liv Little, founder of gal-dem  'This book is a glowing achievement by one of the best essayists of her generation' Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, writer and managing editor of Skin Deep magazine  A book for fans of Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino and Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, Black Girl, No Magic by Kimberly McIntosh is published by The Borough Press and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A grand hotel, a famous opera star and a psychoanalyst with a hidden agenda. Our Book of the Week offers a glamorous, thrilling ride through murder, madness and the darkest recesses of the mind, set at Birmingham's Regent Hotel in 1929, where guests sip absinthe cocktails on velvet banquettes and nothing is as it appears... Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas is published by Apollo, an imprint of beloved publisher Head of Zeus, and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can get a copy from Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're thrilled to bring you a reading from And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu. This is the inaugural title from a new publisher on the scene: Roxane Gay Books, an imprint of Grove Atlantic. Roxane Gay is of course the bestselling author of Bad Feminist and her press will publish beautifully written, provocative, intelligent writing including underrepresented fiction, nonfiction and memoir.  And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a passionate and heartbreaking debut from a Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist, exploring what love and freedom cost in a society steeped in homophobia. It's a poignant and searching book, reminding us of the work to be done around the world to ensure the safety and rights of our LGBTQ+ community. ‘A courageous, heart-in-mouth debut about the lives and loves of young gay Nigerians. I can't wait to see what Ani Kayode Somtochukwu writes next.' - Patrick Gale, author of Mother's Boy We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're bringing you a brilliant, poignant and darkly comic novel by Irish author Alice Ryan.  Molly Black has been running away since her parents died. But this time, or so says her note, she's gone for good... There's Been a Little Incident is an award-winning debut novel about grief, family and the people who are there for you when you can't be there for yourself. 'Warm, wry and genuinely funny' - Marian Keyes Perfect for readers of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan and Snowflake by Louise Nealan, we can't wait for you to discover this fantastic book for yourself! There's Been A Little Incident is published by Head of Zeus and available now in paperback in all good bookshops, or from our shop on Bookshop.org. Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for some sex positivity! This week we've invited sex and relationship columnist Zachary Zane to read to you from his painfully funny memoir, Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto. The New York based author bares all in this memoir-manifesto, exploring how, even today, we live in a world that shames people for the sex they have and the sexualities they inhabit. Through the lens of his bisexuality and self-described sluttiness, Zachary breaks down how this sexual shame impacts our lives, and how we can unlearn the harmful, entrenched messages society imparts to us. We recently featured a very popular interview with Zachary on our Instagram Live, in which he opened up about his sexual experiences, exploring polyamory, orgies, anonymous encounters and his thoughts on how to lead a fulfilling sex life in a long-term relationship, not to mention bi-visibility and dismantling toxic masculinity. Do head on over to that after you've enjoyed this special podcast episode with a brilliant reading from Boyslut! ‘Reading about Zane's own sexual adventures is like getting invited to Sunday brunch by your wittiest, sluttiest, funniest friend and getting to listen to him recount his crazy weekend.' - Dan Savage Boyslut, perfect for readers of Unprotected by Billy Porter or Here for It by R. Eric Thomas, is published by Abrams Image, an imprint of Abrams & Chronicle Books. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne            Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got another page-turner on the podcast this week, this time by internationally bestselling author Joanne Harris!   In Broken Light, Bernie Moon has given her life to other people: her husband, her son, her friends. At nineteen she was full of dreams and ambitions; now almost fifty, and going through the menopause, she's fading, fast. When a young woman is murdered in a local park, it sparks a series of childhood memories and a talent that has lain dormant most of her adult life. But what will she do with this power and who will she become when she decides to use it..? Perfect for readers of Naomi Alderman's The Power and Stephen King's Carrie. 'Profound, moving and utterly unforgettable' - CATRIONA WARD Broken Light by Joanne Harris is published by Orion and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prepare to be dazzled by our Book of the Week, Eyes Guts Throat Bones, an anthology of macabre tales at the end of civilisation. Moïra Fowley's spellbinding imagination will captivate your senses in an irresistible collection that explores our darkest impulses and deepest fears, interlaced with stories of queer love.  ‘One of my favourite storytellers. These tales lingered, morphed, consumed me.' Kiran Millwood Hargrave Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moïra Fowley is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and out now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're delighted to bring you a new instalment of The Darkland Tales! In this series, leading Scottish authors offer dramatic retellings of stories from their nation's history, myth and legend. Last season we brought you Hex by Jenni Fagan. This season we're spotlighting Nothing Left to Fear From Hell by award-winning author Alan Warner. In this story, Bonnie Prince Charles flees from the disastrous Battle of Culloden with a small band of companions through the mountainous landscapes of the north-west Highlands of Scotland. Dive into the past with this page-turning reimagining!  Nothing Left to Fear From Hell by Alan Warner is published by Polygon, an imprint of Scottish indie press Birlinn, and is available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Make room in your heart for our book of the week! Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love is the feel-good book you need to read right now. When 79-year-old Arthur comes out to his family the announcement is met with mixed feelings and leads his grandson Teddy to reconsider sharing his own secret... Now the two must navigate a new world of love, heartbreak and finding their place in the queer community.  ‘Uplifting and emotional' Justin Myers If you enjoyed page-turning books like Alice Oseman's Heartstopper or Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare, you'll love this novel.   Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out is published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne     https://harpercollins.co.uk/collections/hq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're bringing you a gripping literary thriller set in the world of dark academia, for fans of Donna Tartt's The Secret History and Katy Hays The Cloisters.  In Joanna Margaret's debut novel The Bequest, PhD student Isabel Henley arrives to study at St Andrew's University but when her friend Rose disappears she must solve a 450 year-old mystery to save both their lives... 'Richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable' Joyce Carol Oates The Bequest by Joanna Margaret is published by Head of Zeus and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're beyond thrilled to welcome Max Porter onto the podcast to read from his highly anticipated and acclaimed new novel, Shy! Max is the bestselling author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny. His latest story is about adolescent rage, struggles with mental health, imagination and coming-of-age in an alienating world, about being lost in the dark and the uncertainty of whether you'll ever find yourself. ‘Shy is the strangest, most beguiling and affecting of all his books.' Ian Rankin Shy by Max Porter is published by independent press Faber and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode is especially for fans of folklore and readers of marvellous myths. White Cat, Black Dog contains seven modern fairytales from Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, featuring illustrations by award-winning artist Shaun Tan. Each is inspired by a classic fable retold with a modern twist, breathing new life into old favourites with Kelly's signature imagination and wit. If you enjoyed Salt Slow by Julia Armfield or The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter then this collection is for you! White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link is published by Head of Zeus and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. 'This book is sublime' - Emma Straub Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you could save the life of a loved one by trading in years of your own life, how many years would you give? How many lives could you save? Would you know when to stop? Francis Broad has negotiated the day of his death and now he must come to terms with the decisions he has made. Three Gifts by Mark A. Radcliffe is our thought provoking, page-turning book of the week. Published by Brighton-based independent publisher Epoque Press, this book is available now and will appeal to readers of The Lovesong of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce and One Day by David Nicholls: both authors who we adore and have hosted on the Literary Salon. We recommend buying a copy of this beautiful book from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop at bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love platforming talented new voices on the podcast and this week we're thrilled to be joined by debut author Krystle Zara Appiah, as she reads from her new book, Rootless. When an unplanned pregnancy forces Efe and Sam to confront their differences, they'll discover if what they really want is still each other… A poignant, heart-breaking story about a British-Ghanaian marriage in crisis, Rootless explores themes of friendship, family expectations, societal obligation and motherhood. But above all, it's a story of love. Readers who loved Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and One Day by David Nicholls will especially enjoy this gem. ‘A poignant debut which marks Krystle Zara Appiah out as one of Britain's best new young writers' - HARPER'S BAZAAR Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah is published by The Borough Press and available now. Show a debut author some love and grab your copy from your local independent bookshop or from our shop on bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to this special episode sharing a conversation between Jojo Moyes and Alex Clark about Jojo's new novel, 'Someone Else's Shoes'! Jojo's novels have sold over 51 million copies worldwide, hit the Number One spot in 12 countries, have been translated into 46 languages and one of her bestselling books was adapted into a film starring Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke. Someone Else's Shoes is her 16th novel, and we were incredibly excited to have her on a special Instagram Live last month, just 24 hours after it hit UK bookshops! In the book we meet Nisha Cantor and Sam Kemp, two very different women whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined after a bag mix-up at the gym. Nisha lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband inexplicably cuts her off entirely. Sam is struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. Now Nisha's got nothing and Sam's walking tall in a pair of Louboutins that catch eyes – and give her career an unexpected boost. Except Nisha wants her life back - and she'll start with her shoes . . .  Our guest host for this conversation, Alex Clark, is a journalist and broadcaster often seen in the pages of the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement and heard on BBC Radio 4. A wildly experienced interviewer and chair of live events, her recent guests include Kazuo Ishiguro, Tessa Hadley and Melissa Harrison. We hope you'll enjoy this podcast of the Instagram Live interview, and do keep your eyes peeled on our Insta for more Lives with your favourite authors this year! Someone Else's Shoes is published by Michael Joseph and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org Podcast introduced, produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're delighted to welcome award-winning author Sebastian Barry to the podcast, reading from his new novel Old God's Time. Recently retired policeman Tom Kettle is settling into the quiet of his new home, but when two former colleagues turn up at his door with questions about a decades-old case, one which Tom never quite came to terms with, he finds himself pulled into the darkest currents of his past... A beautiful novel in which nothing is quite as it seems, Old God's Time is about that which haunts us. Published by independent press Faber, you can buy a special signed Independent Bookshop edition of the book featuring exclusive endpapers through Booka Bookshop. And as always, copies are available on our shop on Bookshop.org. 'Full of love and heartache, this is an unforgettable novel from one of our finest writers.' DOUGLAS STUART Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love literary memoir by newly discovered Irish authors then have we got the book for you! Carmel Mc Mahon's In Ordinary Time is a revelation - a multi-layered exploration of memory, grief and addiction that mines the ways that trauma reverberates through time. From tragically lost siblings to the broader social scars of the Famine and the Magdalene Laundries, Carmel sketches the evolution of a consciousness – from her conservative 1970s upbringing to her emigrant's tale in New York in the 1990s, and back to the much-changed Ireland of today. This is a perfect book for anyone who enjoyed Emilie Pine's Notes to Self and Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These.  'A vivid, evocative and resonant counterpoint of time, memory and meaning' - JOSEPH O'CONNOR, award-winning author of Shadowplay In Ordinary Time by Carmel Mc Mahon is published by Duckworth Books - celebrating their 125th anniversary as an independent press - and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Publicist to the stars, Georgina Moore, is our beloved guest of the week. Her debut novel The Garnett Girls is the most talked about book of 2023, and trust us when we say: believe the hype! The charismatic Margo is matriarch of the Garnett girls: Rachel, Imogen and Sasha, her three daughters who live in the shadow of their larger than life mother. But in the family home on the Isle of Wight, behind the lavish parties and casual acquaintances with handsome men, Margo is keeping a secret that gnaws away at her and is preventing each of the Garnett girls from finding true happiness. This is a story about mothers and daughters who learn that brave faces will only get them so far in life. Perfect for lovers of character-led novels, summers by the beach and books by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore is published by HQ and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our 250th episode! My how time flies when you're enjoying phenomenal books. Since it's a very special episode, we have a very special guest to celebrate with us - the one and only internationally bestselling Jojo Moyes! We couldn't be more thrilled to have Jojo join us with a wonderful reading from her new book, Someone Else's Shoes.  Sam and Nisha should never have crossed paths. But after a bag mix-up at the gym, their lives become intertwined - even as they spiral out of control. Nisha is a woman who loses everything, including the clothes off her back, while Sam finds new confidence in wearing a pair of Louboutins - a new experience that triggers a change in her otherwise humdrum life. So enjoy this exclusive reading, and then tune in to a special interview with Jojo over on the Literary Salon's Instagram with our guest host, Alex Clark! Someone Else's Shoes is published by Michael Joseph and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org   Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome national treasure Michael Rosen onto the podcast this week to share some beautiful, witty and thoughtful reflections from his new memoir, Getting Better. Exploring the roles that trauma and grief have played in his own life, Michael investigates the road to recovery, asking how we can find it within ourselves to live well again after - or even during - the darkest times of our lives. Moving and insightful, Getting Better is an essential companion for anyone who has loved and lost, or struggled and survived. Already a Guardian and BBC book of 2023, it's a perfect read for anyone who loved This Too Shall Pass by Julia Samuel and A Manual for Heartache by Cathy Rentzenbrink.  Published by Ebury and available now in all good bookshops, we recommend grabbing a copy of Getting Better from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another episode of the podcast featuring the bestselling literary thriller, Mouth to Mouth, selected as a Best Book of the Year many times over by Vogue, Esquire and even Barack Obama.  Alone on the beach, Jeff spots a drowning man in the rough surf. He rescues and resuscitates him, then quietly leaves when the emergency services take over. But Jeff can't let go of the events of that traumatic day. He begins to feel compelled to learn more about the man whose life he has saved but as he does he can't help but wonder: would it have been better to let him drown? This book will especially appeal to readers of Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li and The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Written by Antoine Wilson and published by Atlantic, the book is available in paperback now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with our first episode of the new season and we're starting off with a bang! Debut novel River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer is a deeply affecting work of historical fiction that will transport you to the slave plantations of Barbados in 1834. Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names of Rachel's children sold to places across the Caribbean. Unable to wait for her freedom, she escapes the plantation and embarks on a mother's journey to find her lost kin.   Described by the Observer as ‘a tender exploration of one woman's courage in the face of unbelievable cruelty. The heart of the novel lies in its celebration of motherhood and female resilience.'  If you loved Andrea Levy's The Long Song or Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing, then this book is for you. River Sing Me Home is published by Headline Review and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Marple: Twelve New Stories' is a brand-new collection of original tales penned by some of the world's bestselling female writers. Each story takes inspiration from Agatha Christie's classic originals to feature a new mystery for Miss Marple to solve. As ever, she knows more than she appears to. Acclaimed authors Kate Mosse and Lucy Foley and sought-after bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud joined Damian Barr for a Special Salon at the British Library to celebrate the return of Marple and to discuss her legendary creator Agatha Christie. Enjoy this special episode packed with exclusive readings and expert insights, celebrating the incomparable, enigmatic spirt of Jane Marple and her legendary creator! This event was held at the historic British Library, the national library of the UK, with its unparalleled archive of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, sounds and websites. All of Christie's first editions are held there and their spirit suffused the evening! Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our final Book of the Week episode of the season before we take a little break and return next year with more undiscovered gems. But before we go, we want to bring your attention to an incredibly powerful memoir by critically acclaimed author Gavin McCrea, entitled Cells: Memories for My Mother, The author of Mrs Engels and The Sisters Mao unspools an intimate story of feeling out of place in the insular suburb in which he grew up, the homophobic bullying he suffered at school, his brother's mental illness and drug addiction, his father's sudden death, his own devastating diagnosis, his struggles and triumphs as a writer, and above all, his relationship with his mother.  Published by independent press, Scribe, we cannot wait for you to read Gavin's accomplished new book (and is especially perfect for fans of Seán Hewitt's All Down Darkness Wide). We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An eccentric tinkerer for a father and a cross-dressing woman who can read the language of clouds; The Weather Woman is spellbinding historical fiction with a love story at its heart. We're delighted to welcome award-winning author Sally Gardner to the podcast for this reading from her immersive new novel. Sumptuous descriptions of Regency London meet captivating characters to produce a page-turning book you'll want to add to your TBR. Published by Apollo, an imprint of Head of Zeus, The Weather Woman is available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have not one but two bestselling authors joining us this week on the podcast, with readings from their new book Mad Honey. Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan have teamed up in a beautiful collaboration to produce a gripping novel that is at once a murder mystery and a court room drama, exploring questions around identity and gender. Some readers are calling it the book of the year and we're here for it!   Olivia fled her abusive marriage to return to her hometown and take over the family beekeeping business when her son was six. Now Asher is over 6 feet tall and in his last year of high school, a kind, good-looking, popular ice hockey star with a tiny sprite of a new girlfriend who Olivia loves. Then Lily is found with a catastrophic head injury at the bottom of the stairs - and Asher is arrested on a charge of murder... what was the truth of their relationship? Mad Honey is published by Hodder and Stoughton and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. And if you'd like to see Jodi and Jenny in person, check out their tour schedule here.      Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week is a whip smart and thoughtful memoir by Carrie Marshall. Carrie Kills A Man is about growing up in a world that doesn't want you, and about how it feels to throw a hand grenade into what appears to everyone else to be a perfect middle-class life. It's the story of how a tattooed transgender rock singer stopped being a depressed suburban dad and started being her authentic self. When more people think they've seen a ghost than met a trans person, it's easy to believe misconceptions about someone you've never met. A great start is to read about the life of Carrie Marshall. Carrie Kills a Man is published by 404Ink and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org    Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our book of the week is a fantastic memoir packed full of wit, warmth and candour. The Marmalade Diaries follows 30-something Ben Aitken as he rents a room from formidable 85-year old Winnie at the start of the very first UK coronavirus lockdown. Their lives interweave, forming an unlikely friendship, where lessons were learnt (heat the red wine in the oven with the plates; preserve or pickle whatever you can; never throw anything away) and grief, both personal and that of a nation, was explored. This is the true story of intergenerational friendship that will have you charmed and chuckling at their shared domestic life. The Marmalade Diaries is published by Icon Books and available now in paperback. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode is a meditation on sexuality, mental health and abusive relationships. In this probing and intimate book that combines memoir with social history, Michael Handrick unpicks the narratives and societal expectations of what it means to be a man, working class and gay. Beautifully written and unflinchingly honest, Difference is Born on the Lips is published by Flint Books and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast hosted by Damian Barr Produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A psychologically dark and graphic novel haunted by the spectre of Francis Bacon. This week's episode could not be any spookier. We're welcoming Tade Thompson onto the show to read from his new novel Jackdaw.  In the book, a psychiatrist hired to write a short piece on Francis Bacon becomes obsessed with the artist, his life, and the characters who surrounded him.  ‘This metafictional memoir-cum-horror… [is a] darkly comic nightmare set on the borderlines of creativity, imagination and madness.' Guardian, best recent sci-fi and fantasy  Published by independent press Cheerio and available now in all good bookshops! We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org . Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relive this very special night of stories and poetry at our special Salon celebrating three of Scotland's most exciting voices: Len Pennie, Courtney Stoddart and Alan Cumming! Len is a champion for Scots and isnae feart! Her poems have been enjoyed by millions online and she appeared with Damian in the BBC documentary In Search of Sir Walter Scott. Courtney is an acclaimed Scottish-Caribbean poet and performer. Her work focuses on racism, imperialism, womanhood and growing up in Scotland. Alan is…Alan and memoir , 'Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life', sees him unpack the lot. It is an honest, poignant and joyful insight into his extraordinary life. He covers career highlights - from winning a Tony and an Olivier to filming with Stanley Kubrick and the Spice Girls. Alan also offers an honest account of the less glamorous, often painful, moments which underpin the values he fights for as a committed social justice and LGBTQI+ activist. And yes, there are Liza Minnelli stories. So settle down and enjoy this honest and joyous recording from late 2021. This Salon raised funds for the Scottish Book Trust - a national charity bringing the benefits of reading and writing to everyone in Scotland since 1998. Find out more about their brilliant work here. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's nothing we like more than to highlight the exceptional talents of our queer literary community, so it's our pleasure to bring you Am Not Raymond Wallace by debut author Sam Kenyon. Manhattan, 1963: Raymond lands in the New York Times newsroom on a three-month bursary from Cambridge University. To his surprise, he's tasked with a journalistic investigation into the ‘explosion of overt homosexuality' in the city. On an undercover assignment, a secret world is revealed to Raymond, one which will awaken repressed desires; a world in which he meets Joey. This is the story of a generation of queer men seeking a community, kinship, love, acceptance, and ultimately redemption. We can't wait for you to fall in love with it. ‘A beautiful story… elegantly told and utterly heartbreaking. You'll need tissues.' - Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl The novel is available now, published by independent press Inkandescent. Discover this and many of their brilliant titles including Address Book by Costa shortlisted author Neil Bartlett, as well as Mainstream, an anthology of stories with contributions from writers that we love including Kit de Waal and Kerry Hudson, among others. We recommend buying their books from your local indie bookshop or you can get it from our shop at Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week is a dazzling debut novel you need to add to your TBRs. Brimming with compassion, One for Sorrow, Two for Joy by Marie-Claire Amuah is a sensitive portrayal of the consequences of domestic violence and a defiant story of friendship, resilience and hope. 'Intense and beautiful and heartbreaking' - Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder One for Sorrow, Two for Joy is published by two-time Booker-winning indie press Oneworld and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org to support the Salon podcast. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week is by a debut author and an independent press - our favourite mash-up! New Skin for the Old Ceremony is a novel by Scottish-Indian author Arun Sood that tells the story of four estranged friends, reunited for a motorcycle trip up the Isle of Skye. They hope to reconcile how their lives have splintered since a transformative road trip in Northern India fourteen years earlier. It's a novel about youth, the spectres of friendship, and colonial legacies spanning India and Scotland, exorcising past ghosts to face the present. Not to mention a nod to the music of Leonard Cohen - what more could you want from a book? Published by indie press 404 Ink and available now, we recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Book of the Week is an exceptional meditation on masculinity, male friendship and grief. Poet and author Michael Pedersen lost a cherished friend, Scott Hutchison, soon after their voyage across the Scottish Highlands. Just weeks later, Michael began to write to him. As he confronts the bewildering process of grief, what starts as a love letter to one magical, coruscating human soon becomes a paean to all the gorgeous male friendships that have transformed his life. 'As perfect a portrait of friendship as I've ever read.' STEPHEN FRY Boy Friends by Michael Pedersen is published by Faber and available now. We recommend buying from your local indie or you can get it from our shop at Bookshop.org. Exclusive signed copies are also available from Portobello Bookshop. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a brilliantly evocative book for your listening pleasure on this week's episode. The Foghorn Echoes is by Danny Ramadan, an award-winning Canadian-Syrian author and advocate for LGBTQ+ refugees.   Danny's new novel is about two gay men who find themselves in war-torn Damascus and an alienating Vancouver. It is a tragic love story about coping with traumatic experience, as Hussam and Wassim come to terms with the past and realise the secret that haunts them is not the only thing that binds them. ‘This is a beautiful novel, written by a once hurt child and loved and deeply admired by another, me.' ALAN CUMMING The Foghorn Echoes by Danny Ramadan is published by Canongate and available now. We recommend buying from your local indie or you can get it from our shop at bookshop.org Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love to treat our listeners to the most sought after books and in a podcast world premiere we're celebrating the launch of Maggie O'Farrell's hotly anticipated, soon to be chart-smashing historical novel, The Marriage Portrait. That's right, this is the first podcast in the WORLD where you can hear an extract from the book! Winter, 1561. Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara, is taken on an unexpected visit to a country villa by her husband, Alfonso. As they sit down to dinner it occurs to Lucrezia that Alfonso has a sinister purpose in bringing her here... He intends to kill her. The Marriage Portrait is an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger. It is a MUST read and we hope you enjoy our exclusive message from Maggie and this podcast world premiere reading.  Published by Tinder Press and available now, we recommend buying from your local indie or you can get it from our shop at Bookshop. Plus there are exclusive signed editions available at Waterstones for anyone who wants an extra special book. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're in the market for something a little unusual and totally brilliant then let us introduce you to Bobby Palmer's wholly original debut novel Isaac and the Egg. A man who has lost everything finds a reason to keep going when he discovers a two-foot-tall egg of unknown origin in a forest. What unravels is a story of grief, friendship, humour and heart that will surpass your wildest eggs-pectations!  'A mad, sad, funny debut' PATRICK GALE Destined to be a word-of-mouth book of the year, you can meet the author at one of his upcoming events by clicking here. Published by Headline and available now, grab a copy from our shop on Bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enjoy the world's first reading and interview with award-winning author Kit about her brand new book 'Without Warning And Only Sometimes', published this week! Kit is the award-winning and bestselling author of 'My Name Is Leon' and edited the pioneering collection 'Common People'. 'Without Warning & Only Sometimes: Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood' is her story of growing up in a household of opposites and extremes. Her haphazard mother was a devout Jehovah's Witness who believed the world would end in 1975. Her father was the opposite. Kit was caught between three worlds: Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham. It's funny, honest and as compelling as her fiction. Kit joined us in May 2022 at a live in-person Literary Salon to share the world premiere of her effervescent memoir. Also joining us with a world premiere that night was BAFTA-winning writer of The Split, Suffragette and The Iron Lady, Abi Morgan OBE - and you can listen back to Abi's episode which was released in May. 'Without Warning And Only Sometimes' is out now and you can support the Salon to keep our podcasts free by picking up a copy from our shop on bookshop.org. Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman Programmed by Matt Casbourne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices