Heyer Today

“The thing that had to change most fundamentally [in The Grand Sophy] is that Sophy is simply untroubled…she always has the upper hand, she always has the answer and she's always outwitting everybody. For the film…if a character is completely unassailable, it becomes frustrating. You have to find the kryptonite, you have to find what would make her vulnerable, and what would make her unsure of herself. If she's being so bold and outrageous, what are the consequences?' – Olivia Hetreed on adapting The Grand Sophy into a film Welcome to our final episode in this season of Heyer Today, the podcast all about historical novelist, Georgette Heyer. Sara-Mae has now been working on this programme for years, over which time, the world has been reshaped by a pandemic, she's had a child and met a huge community of Heyer admirers and fans. It's been a tremendously rewarding process in which she's gotten to reread the books she's loved almost all her life and see them with fresh eyes, alongside our Heyer newbies. Since she began this project, looking for Heyer content that was thin on the ground, new podcasts have sprung up, academic essays and conferences exploring the world Heyer created, as well as TV shows adapting the work of similar authors. All of which has made us hopeful that at long last, Heyer will get the recognition she deserves from critics and movie makers.   In this final episode, we'll visit Heyer on her deathbed, with her best friend and husband Ronald at her side, as the magnificent Sarah Golding and Karim Kronfli give voice to her final moments in a tremendously touching scene. *Trigger warning, this scene may be difficult to listen to if you've lost someone from lung-related ailments. On top of that, we chat to screenwriter Olivia Hetreed, coming full circle on our journey to discover what happened to her and her husband, producer Andy Paterson's film version of The Grand Sophy. We'll also speak to Peter Buckman again, as he tells us all about his adaptation of TGS, born out of frustration in the film world. Plus, Jennifer Kloester, Heyer's biographer, will discuss the controversial side of Heyer's oeuvre, exploring accusations of anti-Semitism which have led some to call for her to be ‘cancelled'. Finally, we have an Aussie book club who've never read her work giving us their verdict on The Grand Sophy. SO. MUCH. GOOD. STUFF. This episode was edited, researched, produced and hosted by Sara-Mae Tuson. Beth Keehn worked with Sara-Mae on production, writing and research. Mike Scott also helped with production, as well as a little acting here and there. Rowan Scott for being an adorable addition to the Fable Gazers family. Thanks to Cat Warren and Will Dell for their help across the series with production. Michael Mandalis edited and recorded Beth's bits throughout the season and he did a marvellous job. Thanks also to Geraldine Elliot, Talitha Gamaroff and everyone who supported us in creating this work. We could never have made this without the help of all the guests we've had on this season's episodes. You're all totally fabulous, even if you didn't become converts. Heyer's deathbed scene was enacted by the magnificent Sarah Golding as Heyer, and Karim Kronfli doing his usual fabulous job as Ronald. We'd like to thank our wonderful cast across the series: Helen Davidge as young Heyer, Beth Crane and Hedley Knights playing multiple roles, including Heyer's son, Richard (please check out their brilliant pod We Fix Space Junk, amongst many others), Fiona Thraille (playing Pat Wallace and others), Thomas and Holly Golding as young Boris and young Richard, John Grayson as Frere, Karen Heimdahl, my mother, Cathy Tuson as Sylvia and Mike Scott, again. You all helped to bring Heyer's world to life, and we're profoundly grateful to all of you. Look out for bonus episodes later in the year, we have plans to work with the International Heyer Society and Jen Kloester on some special short episodes. The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril's luminous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander's cinematic Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd, and their work will shortly be available on Spotify and Bandcamp or on request for people who donate to our Paypal. Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Special thanks to Peter Buckman for all his kind assistance, and for letting us use selections from his adaptation of The Grand Sophy, do go and find out more about it at thegrandsophy.co.uk Remember to rate and review the pod … it helps small indie companies like us to thrive. If you'd like to help us with future projects, you can go to our 'Support us' page and donate money to keep us in tea and biscuits. Heyer Today has been a Fable Gazers production.   Show notes: The Grand Sophy extracts were produced by Jane Markham of Podcats, who cast six young actors, all members of the Oxford University Dramatic Society. You can listen to the podcast on most podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, TuneIn, ITunes, and Google Podcasts. Websites: www.thegrandsophy.co.uk. Sarah Golding   Karim Kronfli You can find Message to Bears here. Tom Chadd's music here. Emma Gatrill's website is here.

“One of the great gifts that Freud has given to our culture is that our sexual fantasies are not to be censored in any way. They are beyond sin, they're beyond political correctness. We have to accept that our fantasy lives don't necessarily reflect the person we might want to appear.” - Amy Street Welcome to Heyer Today, the serial podcast in which we explore Georgette Heyer's legacy. This week Sara-Mae talks to Amy Street, the author who runs the @georgettedaily account on Twitter. She's also a huge fan of Austen – her debut novel ‘Becoming Mary' explores what happened to Mary Bennet after Pride & Prejudice. As someone who once wrote a series of short stories reclaiming forgotten characters in famous novels (for her university dissertation) Sara-Mae appreciates someone who wears their fandom on their ink-stained sleeve. You could say she's another mega fan. Her delightful selections of Georgette Heyer's quotes would brighten anyone's day, and in the somewhat harsh social media landscape, it's a wonderful, sunny oasis. We talk literature's sexiest and somewhat problematic heroes like Heathcliff, Rochester and more. Plus, Stephen Fry joins us to talk about the original bad boy - Beau Brummell - whom many of Heyer's heroes were based on. The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril's wondrous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander's luscious Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd. Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Remember to rate, review and subscribe…I can't tell you how much it helps small indie companies like us to thrive. Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production. Show notes: Regency portrait of Stephen Fry by artist Cathy Tuson. We discuss: Beau Brummell and Oscar Wilde, Cotillion, Devil's Cub, Frederica, Friday's Child, fan fiction, problematic heroes.   Links A New York Times article about Joan Aiken's Austen spinoffs. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/books/review/joan-aiken-jane-austen-spinoffs.html    

This is Heyer Today, the podcast taking you on a journey exploring the work of Georgette Heyer, underappreciated author of hilarious and charming Regency romances and detective novels. As with all of our book club episodes, this week we're going to be trying to convert two people who've NEVER read Heyer. Today we have Emma Moran, winner of the 2019 Thousand Films award. Emma's a Northern Irish writer and comedian, based in London. She began writing and performing sketch comedy and stand up while at UCL and took a sketch show, Galpals, to the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe. Most excitingly, she's recently had her first TV show, Extraordinary, greenlit for Disney+. She's also written and produced comedy sketches for The Hook, as well as Newsjack. We got together in that hallowed time in the distant past before the 'rona virus turned us all into bitter recluses. Margaret Sutherland is a Project Coordinator for Transcribimus living in Vancouver, Canada. She kindly read Black Sheep with me, encouraged by her niece by marriage, Geraldine – one of my very first victims (see episode 6, Faro's Daughter). We'll also be travelling back in time to 1966 to take a look at what Heyer was up to when writing the book. Plus, Georgette and Ronald visit the Queen! Show notes: Brenda S. Cox - Hypochondriacs in Jane Austen and Regency Medicine  Our fabulous voice talent includes Sarah Golding as Georgette, Karim Kronfli as Ronald, Beth Crane as the Queen and Hedley Knight as the Chauffeur and the Duke of Edinburgh. The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril's wondrous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander's luscious Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd. Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Special thanks to the Audible team for letting us use an extract from the book. Do go out and buy it, it's a fabulous listen. Remember to rate, review and subscribe…I can't tell you how much it helps small indie companies like us to thrive. Also don't forget to get your Xmas merch or if you fancy buying us a cup of tea donate via PayPal here. Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production.

This week I'm talking to Dr Lucie Bea, one of my favourite people on Twitter. Not only is she an academic who is extremely knowledgeable about film history, (I quoted her wonderful article on the 1950 film version of The Reluctant Widow in episode 9), she's also the host of the #GeorgetteHeyerReadalong group which has given me and many other Heyer fans some much needed solace during this weird time. The readalong reminds me of the reasons I created this podcast, to share my love of Heyer with new people, and to indulge in the luxury of looking at her books again with fresh eyes. As Lucie says: “As a result of slower reading, we had the opportunity to reflect on Heyer's writing style, her sentence construction, and her gift for dialogue. We also considered the social and economic background to the novels: Heyer makes clear in The Quiet Gentleman that the Frant fortune originates in the enslavement of people, and, while we were reading this book, the National Trust published its report, Addressing our Histories of Colonialism and Historic Slavery. The large houses and the society about which we enjoy reading had a horrific human cost.” I'm also delighted to share a fab conversation I had with Emily Griffin, Publishing Director of Arrow Books for Penguin Random House. PRH are in charge of publishing Heyer's books. Emily was kind enough to have a natter with me about the publishing biz as it relates to romance, and Heyer's books in particular.   *Just a note, we had difficulty getting a decent recording of Emily for various reasons, so the sound isn't as good as I'd like, but what she has to say is really fascinating, so do stick with it!   Music from: Message to Bears Tom Chadd's music here and Emma's website is www.emmagatrill.com   Show notes: Websites: Dr Lucie Bea Mark Sweney article Alison Flood   Notes on what we discussed: The Wicked Lady Barry Lyndon Maurice Elvey The Favourite  

It's Heyer Today, the epic literary aural feast celebrating the life and work of historical novelist supremo, Georgette Heyer. Today is our 10th book club episode – this week we're discussing False Colours with two fabulous ladies: Jenni Waugh, who has worked on the Jane Austen Centre website and social media channels in Bath, and Rhiannon Shaw, a comedian who's written for The Daily Mash, BBCs Newsjack, Succubus Magazine and TurtleCanyon.com. (Jenni pictured here with Mr Darcy) But will the two ladies be converted? Show notes: To keep up with Rhiannon and to read more funny jokes, follow her on Twitter – she's @rhiannoneshaw You can find Karin Heimdahl here. She was our wonderful voice talent today playing Nora Samuelli, while Sara-Mae played her sister, Annie. The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril's wondrous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander's luscious Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd. Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Special thanks to the Audible team for letting us use an extract from the book. Do go out and buy it, it's a fabulous listen. Remember to rate, review and subscribe…I can't tell you how much it helps small indie companies like us to thrive. Thanks also to Jude Knight, for reading from her article The Regency Sex Trade. *Apologies for the mispronunciation of Evelyn throughout.* Re sex work in the 18th century. We found Victoire Sanborn's Jane Austen's World blog to be a delight. She also has some great Heyer reviews, and recommended this Heyer short story for your delectation. Sanborn found the source in The Happy Magazine, September 1922. Websites: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/15/twins-literature-useful-storytelling https://www.madamegilflurt.com/2015/08/the-regency-sex-trade.html https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/progress-of-a-woman-of-pleasureprostitutes-in-18th-century-london/ https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/?s=Georgette+Heyer We discussed: Bath Tangle Persuasion Emma Instead of the Thorn Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production.

It's time for Heyer Today, the podcast in which we investigate the life and work of our favourite historical novelist, Georgette Heyer. We also explore why her books have yet to be made into films, in spite of being utterly delightful. Here to talk to Sara-Mae about that, amongst myriad other things, is none other than Joanne Harris (MBE). Best known for her delicious and highly successful novel Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche, Joanne is very well placed to be able to talk about the difficulties of adapting a book into film. Not only that, she's also a huge Heyer fan. We can't wait to pick her brains about this, as well as her favourite Heyer novels. She's been a teacher, with 15 novels and two collections of short stories under her belt as well as dabbling in television, writing screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks. She's outspoken about author's rights, but does so with pith and humour, though she's not just tweeting about such things, she's actively adding to the discourse by chairing the Society of Authors (SOA), and being a member of the Board of the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS). I could go on for days about this fabulous woman, who lists her hobbies as “mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion of the system”. Her appetite for life expresses itself through her work and the appreciation she exhibits for beauty in writing which is lyrical, delicate and yet at the same time earthy. But her greatest skill is evocation, tugging at the threads and sinews that bind the mind and heart. Join Sara-Mae as she tucks in to a tasty discussion of Georgette Heyer and what makes her work so satisfying to those of us who love her. Learn more: Quotes taken from this article for The Daily Telegraph in January 2001. Thanks to Janet Clarkson, from whose blog we found the John Mollard quote THE ART OF COOKERY by John Mollard (published in 1836) “French Pupton of Pigeons” recipe in THE LONDON ART OF COOKERY And Housekeepers Complete Assistant by John Farley (published in 1787) Lauren Gilbert's blog You can find Message to Bears here: messagetobears.com Tom's music here: tomchadd.bandcamp.com/releases and Emma's website is www.emmagatrill.com

Welcome once again to another of our book club episodes of Heyer Today. Yep, it's the podcast all about Regency romance queen, Georgette Heyer. This week Sara-Mae will be reading The Nonesuch, (one of her favourite Heyers) with two fabulous people who have never encountered the author before. In her quest to indoctrinate more readers, she's converted a whopping 12.5 out of 16 so far – pretty good going. Do you know anyone you think would like Heyer? Why not introduce them to this podcast? Kate Hinksman is a comedy writer who's contributed to BBC Radio Four Extra's Newsjack and the CBBC sketch show Class Dismissed, as well as the technology podcast Design Spark's History Makers. And In 2018 she was shortlisted for the BBC's Felix Dexter Bursary. Will Kate enjoy Heyer's wit and skill with dialogue? Charlotte Nugent spends her time working for The Mercer's Company as a Programme Manager, but she's also a stellar cook. She's run a food stall as the Urban German selling the most delicious schnitzels, rouladen and other Teutonic treats – so she was the perfect person to discuss the food in Georgette's book. From turtle soup to wax baskets of prawns enjoy this aural feast with us, as we read: The Nonesuch. Find Kate here - @katelilian89 You can find Message to Bears here. Tom Chadd's music here. and Emma Gatrill's website is here. Don't forget to rate, review and recommend our podcast, it really helps others to find us. Also, please say hi on our social media channels, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Extras: Mock turtle soup recipe ;)

Welcome to Heyer Today, the podcast about all things relating to Regency romance queen, Georgette Heyer. This week, Sara-Mae will be chatting with playwright Christina Calvit and director Dorothy Milne, who worked together on the acclaimed Heyer adaptations of The Talisman Ring, Pistols for Two, Cotillion and Sylvester at Chicago's Lifeline Theatre. The theatre has a distinguished record of literary adaptations, including some Austen novels, so when we heard about Dorothy and Christina's version of Sylvester, we were absolutely gutted we wouldn't be able to see it. Christina is no stranger to reshaping a literary work, with over a dozen theatrical adaptations under her belt, including Wuthering Heights; A Room with a View; Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice as well as our four Heyers. She worked with Dorothy Milne, a veteran at Lifeline, who's directed over twenty productions. Not only was she an ensemble cast member, she also served as the theatre's Artistic Director from 1999-2019. Both women have been showered in awards, so they were well equipped to tackle Heyer's books. We chat about how Heyer's dialogue lends itself to the visual medium, which other novels they'd love to adapt, our favourite Heyers, and why they think Heyer's work has been misunderstood over the years. Oh, and we'll also be asking the delightful Kathy Skok, a fan from the Heyer Facebook group, for her review of The Talisman Ring play. She got to see a production based on Christina and Dorothy's adaptation. Picture courtesy of David and Melissa Beresford - Ludovic (played by Jeremy Bode) comforts Eustacie (played by Carinda Washburn) Music You can find Message to Bears here. Tom Chadd's music here. and Emma Gatrill's website is here. Don't forget to rate, review and recommend our podcast, it really helps others to find us. Also, please say hi on our social media channels, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Useful links: Lifeline Theatre Lovestreet Theatre adaptation of The Talisman Ring, developed and produced by David and Melissa Beresford, based on Christina's script.

It's time for another book club episode on Heyer Today, the podcast all about Georgette Heyer and her work. Guests are Sara-Mae's hubby Mike Scott, who's finally cracked and allowed her to convince him to read ‘The Unknown Ajax', along with travel journo and radio broadcaster, Rob Crossan. So far, the convert tally numbers 10.5 out of 14. Will she convert Rob and Mike? Apart from being Sara-Mae's husband, Mike's also a Partnership Manager for MacMillan Cancer Support, a charity he's long been passionate about. Rob is a published author, freelance journalist and radio presenter based in Stockwell, South London. He's got over ten years' experience writing and talking about travel, lifestyle, food, music, books and disability affairs. And he's been published absolutely everywhere from The Sunday Times, Tatler, The Guardian to CNN Travel and more. You can hear him on BBC radio shows including ‘From Our Own Correspondent', ‘Cerys Matthews' on BBC 6 Music, Feedback on BBC Radio Four, plus he has a fab show called The Happiness Map, in which he chats to musicians like Elvis Costello about the music they associate with a favourite travel destination. Join us for audio drama featuring Sarah Golding, Fiona Thraille and John Grayson, as well as historical contextualisation and a discussion of Heyer's one and only interview with Aussie war correspondant and journalist, Coral Craig. Plus extracts from the audio book courtesy of Audible. Music: You can find Message to Bears here. Tom Chadd's music here. and Emma Gatrill's website is here. Don't forget to rate, review and recommend our podcast, it really helps others to find us. Also, please say hi on our social media channels, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter.

This is Heyer Today, a podcast exploring the life and work of Regency romance nonpareil, Georgette Heyer. Many of you will be familiar with this week's guest; Mary Jo Putney, who hails from Baltimore, Maryland in the US. Host Sara-Mae has been dying to chat to her as, like Georgette, she's also a best-selling author of Regency romances. Join us, as we pick her brains about the art of building a believable regency world. What are the pitfalls? Unlike Georgette, whom she loves, her work explores alcoholism, death, and domestic abuse as themes. A regular on the best seller lists, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly, she's well versed in the art of writing to deadline, just like Georgette. She's also been showered in awards like the Romance Writers of America (RITAs), two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, four NJRW Golden Leaf awards, plus the NJRW career achievement award for historical romance. In 2013 she was awarded the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Phew! Her mantelpiece must be groaning! Also covered in our conversation: Arabella, The Unknown Ajax, Venetia, False Colours and the use of twins in romance. “Romance is a girl thing, which means it never gets as much respect. Mystery is pretty respectable, people get killed, that's respectable. But something that's by and for women largely, is never going to get the same kind of respect.” - Mary Jo

Welcome to Heyer Today, Fable Gazers' epic podcast series all about Regency romance goddess, Georgette Heyer. This week, Sara-Mae attempts to convert two musical babes to Heyer's work. Barbara Bartz is one of the most sought after fiddle players in the London Alternative Folk music scene, and Emily Lee is an up and coming singer songwriter – both of them could easily be Heyer heroines. Both ladies were kind enough to meet me at my home studio (before lockdown) and chat all about one of my favourite Heyer novels, Venetia. Barbara is also a masters graduate of literature, and an ardent reader of poetry, so Sara-Mae couldn't wait to leap in and dissect this fab novel with them… Added to this we look at Heyer's life at the time she wrote the novel, and learn more about her favourite book cover illustrator, Arthur Barbosa. Plus, we have audio drama magic as Sarah Golding and Karin Heimdahl play Heyer and her friend Carola Oman discussing Charlotte Bronte's heroes. If you'd like to join in on the action do check out our reading list, where you'll find all the books we're covering. Please rate, review and recommend our podcast, it really helps others to find us. Also, please say hi on our social media channels, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. We love to hear from you. https://www.basiabartz.com/ https://www.emilyleemusic.co.uk *Correction: we say Georgette was writing Venetia in the early 60s but she actually wrote it in 1957/8.

This week on Heyer Today, Sara-Mae is chatting to not one, but two fabulous authors of magic-inflected Regency fiction. Garth Nix (Old Kingdom, Seven Towers and Keys to the Kingdom books) discusses how his book Newt's Emerald was a homage to Heyer, as well as giving us his list of top Heyer-inspired fantasy works. Zen Cho, our other guest, is a UK-based Malaysian author. Her books Sorceror to the Crown and its sequel, The True Queen, are full of a Heyerian sensibility, but include magic, feminism, dragons and fairies. We also explore LGBT strands in Heyer's work and fan fiction inspired by this sort of subtext, and as usual, both authors discuss their favourite and least favourite Heyers. Read our guests list of recomendations here. Get more info about our guests here: https://zencho.org http://www.garthnix.com Don't forget to rate, review and recommend our podcast, it really helps others to find us. Also, please say hi on our social media channels, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter.  

Welcome to Heyer Today, the podcast all about Regency romance queen, Georgette Heyer. This is a book club episode in which host Sara-Mae Tuson hoodwinks two Heyer virgins into reading The Tollgate. Our guests are comedian Glen Tickle and Jaclyn Green-Stock. Glen is a comedian and writer from New Jersey. He's performed around the US at festivals and colleges, and has appeared on Amazon Prime, SiriusXM, Cozi TV, and The Travel Channel. He co-hosts the podcast Improvised Wikipedia. Jaclyn is a major Jane Austen fan, so Sara-Mae thought this would be a slam dunk. Hmmm, not so much. Our fabulous voice actors are Sarah Golding as Heyer and Karim Kronfli as her husband, Ronald Rougier. Check out their work here: https://sarahgoldingvoiceactorandmore.weebly.com and https://www.podchaser.com/creators/karim-kronfli-107ZzkFiMb The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril's wondrous album, Chapter I as well as Jerome Alexander's luscious Message to Bears tunes. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by myself and Tom Chadd. Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we're @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter. Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production. Don't forget to rate, review and recommend!

Welcome to the second half of Fable Gazers' Season 2: Heyer Today, in which I interview knowledgeable experts and fans about underappreciated Regency romance queen Georgette Heyer This week, we'll be talking to the President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, Susannah Fullerton. She's also an OAM recipient (Order of Australia) as well as a member of the Royal Society of New South Wales. Added to this, she's a marvellous author and literary historian who is an expert on both Austen and Heyer. Together we discuss people's perceptions of Heyer (a poor man's Jane Austen? Pah!), the future of Heyer critique and what makes Heyer great. Our second guest is book blogger Eleanor Turner, who's website ‘Jane to Georgette' is really informative about Heyer and her works, as well as the comparison between Heyer and her idol, Austen.  

Joanne Harris reads her charming short story especially for Fable Gazers in this special bonus episode. Enjoy this delicious, tongue-in-cheek take on Georgette Heyer's style. A kerfuffle in the farmyard causes figurative feathers to fly - will Daphne, the dowdy hen, win her reluctant rooster? Get Joanne's latest book, ORFEIA, now. An exquisite fey fable, it tells of a mother's journey to find her daughter, no matter what the cost.

We’re taking a wee break to work on the second half of the season and make it as good as it can possibly be. We’ll be back in a few months’ time with episodes 13-25 to finish telling Georgette’s story and solve the mystery of why her books have yet to be made into films. In the meantime, read the books on our reading list, and rate, review and recommend! Find all 13 books here. Take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts Fablegazers.com Find out how to support us here.  

It’s another book club episode! This week Sara-Mae talks to Jojo Thomas – a trained Co-Active coach, and master hypnotist, plus Aiden Truss. He’s a novelist and copywriter, who is into sci-fi and edgy post-modern literature. Will either of them fall for Heyer’s delightful, frothy classic? The score so far is six yays to two nays. Also this week, Georgette faces the media at a Tatler party. She and Pat have a gossip about the literati, and to her chagrin, Georgette is mistaken for Dame Edith Bagnold… Remember there are spoilers so do read the book before listening… Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

This week Sara-Mae chats to Heyer biographer and novelist, Jennifer Kloester. As a world-renowned expert on Heyer, they discuss the mysteries of Heyer’s life, her relationship with Ronald, plus Jen’s journey to creating her great work - and the friendships she made along the way. Listen, as Jen regales us with fascinating stories about fellow Heyer biographer Jane Aiken Hodge and Georgette’s son, Sir Richard Rougier, as she widens the aperture through which we get to see Heyer’s life.  Articles cited:  Heyer Films: Mythconceptions - All Things Georgette: https://jenniferkloester.com/2-heyer-films-mythconceptions-things-georgette/ Take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

In this week’s book club episode on The Quiet Gentleman, we try and convert ‘corporate misfit’, competitive power lifter and comedian, Dom Patmore, as well as Sara-Mae’s cousin Talitha, who is also a digital strategy mogul and yoga teacher. But will they fall for the charms of this romantic Regency thriller? Also this week, we find Georgette having the difficult task of breaking off her relationship with long-time father figure and agent, LP Moore… Remember there are spoilers so do read the book before listening… Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

This week we chat to film producer Andy Paterson and agent for Georgette Heyer’s estate Peter Buckman, as we try to unravel the mystery of why Heyer’s books haven’t been adapted for the screen. Andy, who has produced such luminous hits as Girl With A Pearl Earring and The Railwayman, chats to us about his latest project, and Peter Buckman elaborates on the more frustrating elements of metamorphosing a book into celluloid… Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Heyer Today, the most epic literary podcast ever made, continues with our 4th book club episode. Our convert tally is 3/4 so far, but will this week’s victims, Robert (Global VP of Finance at Impact) and the very right Reverend Caroline Risdon, say yay or nay to our Regency queen? Meanwhile, Georgette and her son Richard are in the Albany cellars as the doodle bugs fall on London. Luckily, they’re in good company: no less personages than JB Priestley, GB Stern, Graham Greene, Margery Sharp, Harold Nicholson and Edith Evans huddle beside them. Surely, if a bomb destroyed their apartments, London’s literary elite would be decimated! Voice talent includes: Hedley Knight (JB Priestley and Graham Greene), Cathy Tuson (Margery Sharp), Helen Rose-Davidge (Georgette Heyer), Holly Golding (young Richard Rougier) and Fiona Thraille as Dame Edith Evans Remember there are spoilers so do read the book before listening… Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Heyer Today is the ultimate Georgette Heyer podcast. This week, we’re interviewing Sunday Times best selling author Harriet Evans. She’ll be sharing her top 10 favourite Heyer’s. We also chat about the perils of being a woman writer, comparing Austen and Heyer, plus dream up new rules for being a romantic hero/heroine. Stay tuned for the Stephen Fry appearance! Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/   Books discussed are: Black Sheep Friday’s Child Devil’s Cub Lady of Quality Faro’s Daughter Arabella Venetia The Nonesuch Bath Tangle The Convenient Marriage   And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Our third book club episode sees Sara-Mae discussing Faro’s Daughter with uni mate Geraldine Minuk-Eliot. Is she taking a gamble in trying to convert Geraldine? Meanwhile, Georgette fends off enquiries from her publisher friend, Frere, as to her progress with writing Faro’s Daughter… Our fantastic voice talent includes: Helen Rose-Davidge as young Heyer (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-davidge-2572a157), and John Grayson as Frere (https://johngraysonvoiceartist.com). Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts    

This week we look at Heyer’s treatment of her heroes and heroines and unpick why she was largely ignored by the literati. Our guests are two people who could definitely fall into that category: Alison Bonomi of the LBA literary agency and poet and novelist Jane Holland. With Charlotte Lamb as her mum, Jane knows all about the impact of a literary legacy. Join Sara-Mae as she talks to them about Heyer’s lasting impact on the Regency romance genre, as well as what it’s like to live in the shadow of a famous author... Show notes: We reference Laurel Ann Nattress' article for Austenprose: 'Heyer’s Heroes: Immutable Romance Archetypes' We also discuss a host of Heyer's books, including: Venetia, Faro's Daughter, The Tollgate, The Unknown Ajax, The Quiet Gentleman, The Convenient Marriage and more. Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

  Heyer Today is the ultimate Georgette Heyer podcast. This week bass player and teacher, Khalid Ham, joins us to talk about one of Heyer’s most popular books: Devil’s Cub. As he’s the same age as Vidal, Sara-Mae quizzes him on the similarities between himself and the hot-headed hero. Plus, we journey to 1920s Africa, as Georgette and Ronald visit Tanganyika on one of Ronald’s ill-fated mining excursions. As a rhino crashes into camp, Georgette rushes into the danger zone… Our fantastic voice talent includes Sarah Golding (sites.gravyforthebrain.com/website/sarahofgolding/), Helen Davidge and Karim Kronfli (podchaser.com/creators/karim-kronfli-107ZzkFiMb). Suzy Buttress’ brilliant pod is The Casual Birder. Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Heyer Today is the ultimate Georgette Heyer podcast. This week we talk to Emma Darwin. She's the only author to be simultaneously listed for the Commonwealth Writers' Best First Book, AND the Romantic Novelist's Association Book of the Year. And she has one other small detail about her ancestry that people tend to fixate on… yes, she is Charles Darwin’s great-great granddaughter. But she’s so much more than that; an accomplished novelist and teacher, as well as a judge on several writing awards (the Crowns in particular). So we were delighted to be able to chat to her about all manner of things relating to Heyer’s craft, how to write historical fiction and the importance of forgetting your research in order to make a story sing. Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Heyer Today is the ultimate podcast on Regency romance queen, Georgette Heyer. This week is the first of our biweekly book club episodes, featuring two potential converts, Sonali and Genna, audio drama on Heyer’s life and a juicy historical contextualisation segment giving an insight into Heyer’s world around the time she wrote this week’s book: These Old Shades. Awesome vocal talent from Helen Davidge as young Heyer, Thomas Golding as young Boris, Cathy Tuson and Karim Kronfli (https://www.podchaser.com/creators/karim-kronfli-107ZzkFiMb). Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts Fablegazers.com

Welcome to Heyer Today, the ultimate Georgette Heyer podcast. This Regency romance queen has been ignored by critics and film fundis alike for too long. Join us as we explore her life and work with fabulous guests, a book club and a cinematic investigation. In this episode you'll tickle your ear holes with the dulcet tones of national treasure, Stephen Fry as he reveals the inception of his Heyer obsession. Join in the fun by checking out our book list here: https://fablegazers.wordpress.com/heyer-today-reading-list/ And take part in our conversation here: Twitter: @fable_gazers Insta: @fablegazers Facebook: fb.me/fablegazerspodcasts fablegazers.com

Fable Gazers Season 2: Heyer Today takes a deep dive into the life and work of Georgette Heyer, plus a book club, a cinematic investigation and amazing guests like Stephen Fry, Joanne Harris, Mary Jo Putney and more.