The Brit Lit Podcast

Our guest on episode 78 is poet Blake Auden, who has almost 300,000 Instagram followers and is known for speaking openly about mental health. He also has four collections of poems out in the world, and the most recent is Murmuration, which came out in October. He and I talked about what therapy and writing have in common, how he approaches social media so that it helps rather than hinders his mental health, and lots more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned in this episode: Murmuration, by Blake Auden On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong Weather, by Jenny Offill  Dept of Speculation, by Jenny Offill Girl, Unstrung, by Claire Handscombe This Time Next Year, by Sophie Cousens Just Haven't Met You Yet, by Sophie Cousens The Twelve Dates of Christmas, by Jenny Bayliss The Winter of Second Chances (UK)/The Season of Second Chances (US), by Jenny Bayliss On a Night Like This, by Lindsey Kelk Gifts, by Laura Barnett Black British Lives Matter, ed. Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Register for Claire's online book launch for Girl, Unstrung on 5th December here. In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Help fund the podcast through this PayPal link! Buy Claire's novels, Unscripted and Girl, Unstrung. Sign up for Claire's mailing list. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Blake Auden Website / Instagram  Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok  

My guest in this special bonus episode is Robinne Lee, the author of my favourite read of 2021, The Idea Of You. She's not British, but I loved this book so much that I wanted to bring you this interview anyway! Robinne and I talked about her origin story as a fanfic writer, why she chose to make her main character French, why love stories that don't end happily can have such a big impact on us both in fiction and in real life, and a whole lot more.   ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned in this episode: The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee Bringing Up Bébé (US)/French Children Don't Throw Food (UK), by Pamela Druckerman Bonjour Tristesse, by Françoise Sagan (French version) Bonjour Tristesse, by Françoise Sagan (in English) My Oxford Year, by Julia Whelan Girl, Unstrung, by Claire Handscombe Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Help fund the podcast through this PayPal link! Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Pre-order Claire's YA novel, Girl, Unstrung. Sign up for Claire's mailing list. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Robinne Lee Website / Instagram / Twitter Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok        

I'm so excited to bring you an interview with none other than Sophie Kinsella, who's known to many as the queen of British chick lit and the author of the mega-bestselling Shopaholic series.  We talked about her new book The Party Crasher, how being a musician and being a writer are interconnected, what it's been like to be a comedy writer over the last year and a half, what her favourite biscuit is, and a whole lot more! ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned in this episode: The Party Crasher, by Sophie Kinsella Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella The Tennis Party, by Madeline Wickham An Island Wedding, by Jenny Colgan The Beloved Girls, by Harriet Evans Sorrow and Bliss, by Meg Mason Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi Murmuration, by Blake Auden The Christmas Bookshop, by Jenny Colgan Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe Girl, Unstrung, by Claire Handscombe ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Help fund the podcast through this PayPal link! Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Pre-order Claire's YA novel, Girl, Unstrung. Sign up for Claire's mailing list. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Sophie Kinsella Website / Instagram / Twitter Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok

This month's guest is Kirsty Capes, author of the novel Careless. We talked about why she wanted to write about female friendship, what it was like to study with Bernadine Evaristo, why it's especially important for kids in the foster care system to see themselves reflected in books, and a whole lot more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned in this episode: Careless, by Kirsty Capes The Tracey Beaker series, by Jacqueline Wilson No One Is Talking About This, by Patricia Lockwood All the Fun of the Fair, by Caroline Hulse The Adults, by Caroline Hulse Complicit, by Winnie M Li Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke The Bookshop of Second Chances, by Jackie Fraser The Hidden Child, by Louise Fein Endgame, by Malorie Blackman The Literary Almanac, by Francesca Beauman Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe Girl, Unstrung, by Claire Handscombe ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Help fund the podcast through this PayPal link! Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Pre-order Claire's YA novel, Girl, Unstrung. Sign up for Claire's mailing list. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Kirsty Capes Instagram / Twitter Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok    

This month's guest is Mary Pauline Lowry, who wrote The Roxy Letters. Mary is married to a Brit, and she had lots of fascinating insights about the cultural differences between the countries, and I loved talking to her back about Bridget Jones and Jane Austen too. The Roxy Letters was one of my favourite reads of 2020. It was really fun and just what I needed. It's out now in paperback.   Mary and I talked about why we love epistolary novels, took a bit of an accidental deep dive into books about Hollywood, chatted about the difference between British humour and American humour, and lots more!  *****  Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways.  *****  Books Mentioned on the Podcast:  The Roxy Letters, by Mary Pauline Lowry  Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding  Where D'you Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple  Dear Committee Members, by Julie Schumacher  A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy O'Toole  The Color Purple, by Alice Walker  Emma, by Jane Austen  Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen  Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen  Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen  Persuasion, by Jane Austen  The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler  Eligible, by Curtis Sittenfeld  Men Are From Mars, Woman Are From Venus, by John Gray  Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe  Girl, Unstrung, by Claire Handscombe  Damnation Spring, by Ash Davidson  Grown Ups, by Emma Jane Unsworth  Breast and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami, transl. Sam Bett and David Boyd   He Will Be Mine, by Kristy Greenwood  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid  Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid  The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee  Mona at Sea, by Elizabeth Gonzalez James  Rosaline Palmer Take the Cake, by Alexis Hall  Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall  Perfect Timing, by Owen Nicholls  Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins  A Slow Fire Burning (signed edition!), by Paula Hawkins  They: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, by Sarfraz Manzoo  *****  In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops!  In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates.  Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm.  Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted.  Pre-order Claire's YA novel, Girl, Unstrung.  Sign up for Claire's mailing list.  Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com  *****  The Brit Lit Podcast  Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website  Mary Pauline Lowry  Instagram / Twitter / Website  Claire  Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok    

Our guest on episode 74 of the Brit Lit Podcast, is Lizzy Dent, who wrote The Summer Job, and who's also a YA author -- as Rebecca Denton, she wrote This Beats Perfect, among other books. She and I talked about her favourite food writing, what it's like to have a novel come out during a pandemic, why we love the book Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, and more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?   Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books available in the UK from Bookshop UK here  Buy all the books available in the US from Bookshop US here ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. The Brit Lit Podct has recently been named as one of the top 10 British literature podcasts! Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Lizzy Dent Instagram / Twitter / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok

Our guest on episode 73 of the Brit Lit Podcast is Danielle Wood who, as Minnie Darke, wrote one of Claire's very favourite books of recent years, called Star Crossed. Among other things, she discussed what makes One Day by David Nicholls such an amazing novel, and gave some recommendations for books by Tasmanian authors.  Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books available in the UK from Bookshop UK here  Buy all the books available in the US from Bookshop US here ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel / TikTok  

Our guest today is Sareeta Domingo, who's the author of both adult and young adult fiction, and most recently the editor of the collection called Who's Loving You: Love Stories by Women of Colour. She talks about romantic reads she loves, the process of putting together an anthology, why books by British authors of colour are important, and more. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books from Bookshop UK here Buy all the books available in the US from Bookshop US here ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Sareeta Domingo Twitter/ Instagram  

Today, we hear from Naoise Dolan, who's an Irish author and the writer of the Women's Prize longlisted novel Exciting Times. She and I talked about cultural and literary differences between the UK, the US, and Ireland, what we both think about the idea of “likeable” characters, some great Irish authors, and more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books from Bookshop UK here Buy all the books available in the US from Bookshop US here Exciting Times, by Naoise Dolan Grown Ups, by Marian Keyes Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen A Room Called Earth, by Madeline Ryan Aftershocks, by Nadia Owusu A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing, by Jessie Yu The Road Trip, by Beth O'Leary I Belong Here, by Anita Sethi The Adventure of Miss Barbara Pym, by Paul Byrne Last Night, by Mhairi McFarlane A Trip of One's Own, by Kate Wills The End of Men, by Christina Sweeney-Baird The Wife Who Got a Life, by Tracy Bloom Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Naoise Dolan Twitter/ Instagram  

Happy Independent Bookstore Day! I work part-time in a lovely bookshop on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, and in this bonus episode, I interview my boss, Laurie Gillman, who founded the shop five years ago, to talk about what goes into starting and running a bookshop.  Laurie and I talked about what makes East City Bookshop special, some fun stories she has of hanging out with a few British authors, the challenges of the last year, her advice for anyone wanting to start a bookshop, and a whole lot more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books available in the UK from Bookshop UK here Buy all the books from Bookshop US here  Tin Man, by Sarah Winman (US / UK & Worldwide) How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig (US / UK & Worldwide) Little, by Edward Carey (US / UK & Worldwide) A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, by Hanif Abdurraqib (US / UK & Worldwide) Mary Jane, by Jessica Anya Blau (US / UK & Worldwide) Creatures of Passage, by Morowa Yejidé (US / UK & Worldwide) Revival Season, by Monica West (US / UK & Worldwide) The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris (US / UK & Worldwide) Once There Were Wolves, by Charlotte McConaghy (US / UK & Worldwide) Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy (US / UK & Worldwide) Children Under Fire: An American Crisis, by John Woodrow Cox (US) A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape, by W Ralph Eubanks (US / UK & Worldwide) Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (US / UK & Worldwide) ***** Buy your books from East City Bookshop here! In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel East City Bookshop Twitter/ Instagram  / Website  

Our guest on episode 70 is Sophie Cousens, the author of the romantic novel This Time Next Year. She and I talked working in TV taught her about storytelling, what she misses about London, the special island where she lives now, her next book, and more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Buy all the books from Bookshop UK here Buy all the books available in the US from Bookshop US here This Time Next Year, by Sophie Cousens  Just Haven't Met You Yet, by Sophie Cousens The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab Writers and Lovers, by Lily King The Summer Job, by Lizzy Dent Uncoupled / The Paris Connection, by Lorraine Brown  The Mismatch, by Sara Jafari Beach Read, by Emily Henry The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett He Will Be Mine, by Kristy Greenwood Common Ground, by Naomi Ishiguro Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro Who's Loving You, by Sareeta Domingo The Littlest Library, by Poppy Alexander Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe  ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Sophie Cousens Twitter/ Instagram  / Website  

Our guest today is Lorraine Brown, whose debut novel Uncoupling came out a couple of weeks ago in the UK, and will be out in the US as The Paris Connection this summer. It's a delightful love story which made for a great start to my reading year. Lorraine spoke to me just before her novel was published, and we had a meandering chat about all kinds of things from our love of trains, our experiences of LA, why authors should stay away from their Goodreads reviews, and more. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: (All available in the UK here and most available in the US here) Uncoupling/The Paris Connection, by Lorraine Brown The Note, by Zoe Folbigg Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe  The Chalet, by Catherine Cooper The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley The Guest List, by Lucy Foley The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett Girl A, by Abigail Dean The Submission, by Amy Waldman Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen The Crow Folk, by Mark Stay The Divines, by Ellie Eaton Insatiable, by Daisy Buchanan Raceless, by Georgina Lawton ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Lorraine Brown Twitter/ Instagram  / Website   

Our guest today is Cherie Jones, whose Barbados-set novel How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is hot off the press and has won praise from all quarters. Cosmopolitan calls it “visceral and haunting” and Bernadine Evaristo says that it's “a hard-hitting and unflinching novel from a bold new writer who tackles head-on the brutal extremes of patriarchal abuse”. Cherie and I talked about what it's like to study writing far from home, where to start if you want to read short stories, what it's like to live in Barbados, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: (All available in the UK here and most available in the US here) How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, by Cherie Jones UK / US / Worldwide In Praise of Love and Children, by Beryl Gilroy UK / US / Worldwide The Girl with the Louding Voice, by Abi Daré UK / US / Worldwide Augustown, by Kai Miller UK / US / Worldwide The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead UK / US / Worldwide Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, by Leanne Shapton UK / US / Worldwide Ms Hempel Chronicles, by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum UK / US / Worldwide Summer Lightning & Other Stories, by Olive Senior UK / US / Worldwide Miguel Street, by V. S. Naipaul UK / US / Worldwide People Like Her, by Ellery Lloyd UK / US / Worldwide Rescue Me, by Sarra Manning UK / US / Worldwide The Lonely Fajita, by Abigail Mann UK / US / Worldwide Alexa, What Is There to Know About Love, by Brian Bilston UK / US / Worldwide (signed!) Little Scratch, by Rebecca Watson UK / US / Worldwide The Humiliations of Welton Blake, by Alex Wheatle UK / US / Worldwide Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe UK / US / Worldwide ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com *****   The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Cherie Jones Twitter/ Instagram  / Website   

Our guest today is bestselling novelist Milly Johnson, who's the author of many books of romantic fiction, most recently I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day. Milly has had a fascinating career, including as a greetings card joke writer, and I hope you'll enjoy learning about that as much as I did! She talks to us about Christmas themed-book recommendations, why her latest book is her favourite of hers, her time ghost writing for Purple Ronnie, and more. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: (All availalble in the UK here) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, by Milly Johnson UK / US / Worldwide Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe UK / US / Worldwide The Yorkshire Pudding Club, by Milly Johnson UK / US / Worldwide The Birds and the Bees, by Milly Johnson UK / US / Worldwide The Queen of Wishful Thinking, by Milly Johnson UK / US / Worldwide For My Best Friend Forever, by Purple Ronnie UK / US / Worldwide Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper, by Debbie Johnson UK / US / Worldwide The World at My Feet, by Catherine Isaac UK / US / Worldwide Christmas For Beginners, by Carole Matthews UK / US / Worldwide Let's Meet on Platform 8, by Carole Matthews UK / US / Worldwide I Heart Christmas, by Lindsey Kelk UK / US / Worldwide Seven Days of Us, by Francesca Hornak UK / US / Worldwide The Adults, by Caroline Hulse UK / US / Worldwide The Little Library Christmas, by Kate Young UK / US / Worldwide Seven Kinds of People You Meet in Bookshops, by Shaun Blythell UK / US / Worldwide The Flip Side, by James Bailey UK / US / Worldwide Black History Walks, by Tony Warner UK / US / Worldwide Erin's Diary, by Lisa McGee UK / US / Worldwide ***** Find gift ideas for bookworms here in the UK, here in the US, and more here. Buy a Libro.fm audiobook gift subscription and support the podcast here. Lots of Christmas themed books collected for your reading pleasure here! In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Milly Johnson Twitter/ Instagram  / Website / Newsletter  

Our guest on episode 66 is Lucy Farfort, who's the illustrator of the gorgeous new picture book Afraid of the Dark, written by Isabel Otter and Sarah Shaffi.  It's a lovely book about moving house, new beginnings, friendship and finding ways to cope with fear.  Lucy and I talked about the process of illustrating books, advice for anyone who'd like to get into the field, the importance of diversity in publishing, and more.  You can see Lucy Farfort talking about and showing us her book here. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Afraid of the Dark, by Isabel Otter, Sarah Shaffi, and Lucy Farfort UK / US / Worldwide Islandborn, by Junot Diaz and Leo Espinosa UK / US / Worldwide Billy and the Beast, by Nadia Shireen UK / US / Worldwide The Bear and the Piano, by David Litchfield UK / US / Worldwide Holes, by Louis Sachar UK / US / Worldwide When Life Gives You Mangos, by Kereen Getten UK / US /Wordwide Failosophy, by Elizabeth Day UK / US / Worldwide Ghosts, by Dolly Alderton UK / US / Worldwide The Little Library Year, by Kate Young UK / US / Worldwide The Little Library Christmas, by Kate Young UK / US / Worldwide Freshers, by Lucy Ivison and Tom Ellen UK / US / Worldwide All About Us, by Tom Ellen UK / US / Worldwide I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, by Milly Johnson UK / US / Worldwide Mantel Pieces, by Hilary Mantel UK / US / Worldwide A Song for the Dark Times, by Ian Rankin UK / US / Worldwide Symona's Still Single, by Lisa Bent UK / US / Worldwide Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams UK / US / Worldwide Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe UK / US / Worldwide ***** In the US and now the UK, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In other countries, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted, here in the UK, here in the US, and here worldwide. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Lucy Farfort Twitter/ Instagram  / Website  

Our guest on episode 65 is Annie Lyons, who, among other books, is the author of the lovely, heart-warming novel Eudora Honeysett Is Quite Well, Thank You, known in the US as The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. It's about an older woman who grew up in the Second World War and is now at the end of her life, and kind of over the whole thing, and ready to be done. But then a new family moves in next door, and she makes a new friend. I read it this spring, when reading had been a struggle for weeks –it was just the book I needed. Among other things, Annie talked to me about her recent favourite reads, her love of Mary Berry, and about her fascinating career in publishing – she worked as a bookseller on Charing Cross Road for a while, and I guarantee you will never be able to guess who her most famous customer was. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive?  Here are some painless ways. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeysett The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, by Ruth Hogan Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres The Alice Network by Kate Quinn The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka Mary Berry's Christmas Collection, by Mary Berry Mary Berry's Baking Bible, by Mary Berry Once Upon a Tyne, by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly Byker Grove, by Adele Parks The Diary of an MP's Wife, by Sasha Swire The Baby Group, by Caroline Corcoran Everything I Know About Love, by Dolly Alderton The High Moments, by Sara-Ella Ozbek Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In the UK, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Annie Lyons Twitter / Website  

Our guest today is Gillian Harvey, the author of Everything Is Fine. She and I talked about how she ended up living in France, how social media can affect our self-worth, and more.  ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Everything is Fine, by Gillian Harvey A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle A Year in the Merde, by Stephen Clark The Neighbour, by Nicola Gill Normal People, by Sally Rooney This Lovely City, by Louise Hare After the End, by Clare Mackintosh Intimations, by Zadie Smith  The Fleet Street Girls, by Julie Welch Love in Colour, by Bolu Babalola Diamonds at the Lost and Found, by Sarah Aspinall Shuggie Bain, by Douglas Stuart Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In the UK, you can support the podcast by using this link to buy from Blackwells.com, which ships internationally at inexpensive rates. Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Gillian Harvey Twitter / Website      

Our guest on episode 63 is Robert Webb, who, as well as being a writer, is an actor, best known for the hit British comedy Peep Show. He's the author most recently of the novel  Come Again. He describes that novel like this: Middle-aged widow time travels back to 1992 and tries to save future dead husband when he is an annoying student. Grief, nostalgia, jokes, car-chase, new love, renewal, joy. He and I talked about 90s nostalgia, the unusual structure of his book, and the emotional toll of time travel. ***** Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. ***** Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Come Again, by Robert Webb The Innocent, by Ian McEwan Feel Free, by Zadie Smith Sweet Sorry, by David Nicholls One Day, by David Nicholls Under the Volcano, by Malcolm Lowry A Star is Bored, by Byron Lane Wishful Drinking, by Carrie Fisher The Golden Rule, by Amanda Craig (UK, 2nd July, literary fiction) Hearts and Minds, by Amanda Craig How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? by Pandora Sykes (UK, 9th July, essays) The Hungover Games, by Sophie Heawood My Best Friend's Girl, by Dorothy Koomson All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk Note to Boy, by Sue Clarke Older and Wider, by Jenny Eclair (UK, 2nd July, non-fiction) Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get your first two audiobooks for just $14.99 with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways. Sign up for Book of the Month and get your first book for just $9.99 with the code BRITLIT! In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! In the UK, and for paperbacks and hardbacks published in the UK and not available elsewhere, head to Blackwells. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. I encourage you, now and always, to buy some of your books from Black-owned bookshops in London and in the UK more generally. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Robert Webb Twitter   

Today, we're revisiting our interview with Diana Evans from a couple of years ago, as well as hearing about new books out this month. Diana Evans is the author of three novels, 26a, The Wonder, and most recently Ordinary People, which came out this spring in the UK to much acclaim and is out this week in the US. She talked to Claire about her favourite London-set books, her own past life as a dancer, why it was important for her to capture the experience of middle class black brits, and more. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: 26a, by Diana Evans The Wonder, by Diana Evans Ordinary People, by Diana Evans After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie, by Jean Rhys On Beauty, by Zadie Smith This Is London: Life and Death in the World City, by Ben Judah Heart Berries, by Terese Marie Mailhot Tender Is the Night, by F Scott Fitzgerald Dancer, by Colum McCann Lucia Joyce: To Dance in the Wake, by Lucia Joyce Nijinski, by Richard Buckle The Cranes Dance, by Meg Howrey Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert To Be Someone, by Ian Stone Out of Love, by Hazel Hayes The Seduction, by Joanna Briscoe Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** I encourage you, now and always, to buy some of your books from Black-owned bookshops in London and in the UK more generally. Here's a list of books by Black British authors. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways.  Sign up for Book of the Month and get your first book for just $9.99 with the code BRITLIT! In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways.  Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Diana Evans Twitter   

On episode 62, we hear from Rachel Winters, the author of the rom com Would Like to Meet. She and I talked about our favourite rom coms in both books and film form, advice for people wanting to get into publishing, books featuring older people, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: (buy them all here) Would Like to Meet, by Rachel Winters You Deserve Each Other, by Sarah Hogle You Had Me At Hello, by Mhairi McFarlane If I Never Met You, by Mhairi McFarlane The Switch, by Beth O'Leary The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary The Lido/Mornings with Rosemary (US title), by Libby Page Now Let's Dance, by Karine Lambert The Binding, by Bridget Collins Well Met, by Jen De Luca Heat Stroke, by Hazel Barkworth The High Moments, by Sara-Ella The Cabinet of Calm, by Paul Anthony Jones Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get your first book for just $9.99 when you sign up for Book of the Month with the code BRITLIT! In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout. Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Rachel Winters Twitter    

On episode 61, we hear from Rosanna Amaka, whose debut novel The Book of Echoes came out in the now long-distant era of February this year, though I spoke to her just before her publication date. The Book of Echoes is a powerful novel that encompasses several different points in history, including the slave trade and the Brixton Riots. Alex Wheatle, who also writes about that part of London, said the following about the Book of Echoes: 'So bewitching I almost felt like I time-travelled back into Brixton 1981. A gorgeous book'. The Observer called it impassioned, lyrical, and affecting, and the Independent called it powerfully redemptive. Rosanna Amaka talked about her long and winding path to publication, how Brixton has changed over the years, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Book of Echoes, by Rosanna Amaka The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead The Intuitionist, by Colson Whitehead The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary The Switch, by Beth O'Leary A Theatre for Dreamers, by Polly Samson You People, by Nikita Lalwani  Stim, by Lizzie Huxley-Jones Sway, by Dr Pragya Agarwal Ma'am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, by Craig Brown One Two Three Four, by Craig Brown Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe   ***** In the US, buy your hardbacks and paperbacks from Bookshop.org to support the podcast, as well as independent bookshops! Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout. Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Rosanna Amaka Twitter / Website   

On Episode 60, our guest today is Clare Pooley, who's known for her blog Mummy Was a Secret Drinker. She's the author most recently of the heart-warming novel The Authenticity Project.  Clare Pooley and I talked about up lit, the importance of community, how writing a novel compares to writing a memoir, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Authenticity Project, by Clare Pooley Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman Three Hours, by Rosamund Lipton Saving Missy/The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, by Beth Morrey One Day in December, by Josie Silver The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, by Josie Silver The Light we Lost, by Jill Santopolo One True Loves, by Taylor Jenkins Reid If I Never Met You, by Mhairi McFarlane Island Stories: an Unconventional History of Britain by David Reynolds The World According to Physics, by Jim Al-Khalili Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe   ***** Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout! Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Clare Pooley Twitter / Website 

Our guest on episode 59 is Dolly Alderton. As well as being half of the High Low podcast, Dolly is also a successful journalist and columnist, and her novel, Ghosts, is forthcoming later this year. Her bestselling memoir Everything I Know About Love came out in the UK in 2018, and is finally out in the US this month, in hardcover, ebook and also audio. We covered her favourite literary friendships, how it feels to write a novel after writing a memoir,  the challenges and joys of working closely with a good friend on a hugely successful project, and more.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Everything I Know About Love, by Dolly Alderton Ghosts, by Dolly Alderton My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante Standard Deviation, by Katherine Heiny Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding Your Voice in My Head, by Emma Forrest  The Hungover Games, by Sophie Heawood The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch Me, by Elton John Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones Reckless Daughter: a Portrait of Joni Mitchell, by David Yaffe High Times, Hard Times, by Anita O'Day A Theatre for Dreamers, by Polly Sampson Actress, by Anne Enright Nothing To See Here, by Kevin Wilson The Pisces, by Melissa Broder Actress, by Anne Enright My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout! Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Dolly Alderton Twitter / Website / Podcast  

On episode 58, we hear from Erin Somers, the American author of the novel Stay Up with Hugo Best. From time to time on the podcast, I interview people who are not British, for their take on UK books and culture, and it was great to chat to Erin about what differentiates British humour from American humour in particular. We talked about the American institution that is the late night show, the challenge of writing humour, the ridiculous tradition of book blurbing, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Stay Up with Hugo Best, by Erin Somers Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernadine Evaristo Spring, by Ali Smith Women Talking, by Miriam Toews Love, Nina: A Nanny Writes Home, by Nina Stibbe Man at the Helm, by Nina Stibbe The Lido/Mornings with Rosemary, by Libby Page People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern Britain, by Libby Page What Would the Spice Girls Do?, by Lauren Bravo How To Break Up With Fast Fashion: A guilt-free guide to changing the way you shop - for good, by Lauren Bravo. People Like Us, by Hashi Mohamed Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby Harry Potter Knitting Magic: The Official Harry Potter Knitting Pattern Book, by Tanis Grey Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout! Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Erin Somers Twitter / Website  

Our guest on episode 57 is Talia Hibbert, who's the author of many romance novels including, most recently, Get a Life, Chloe Brown. We talked about the illustrated cover trend, how she got her start writing novels, what it's like to get picked as a Book of the Month author, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert Splendid , by Julia Quinn Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black The Kingmaker, by Kennedy Ryan The Rebel King, by Kennedy Ryan Three Little Words, by Jenny Holiday Roaring Girls: The Forgotten Feminists of British History, by Holly Kyte Genius and Ink: Virginia Woolf on How to Read The Matchmaker, by Catriona Innes The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, by Abbi Waxman Star-Crossed, by Minnie Darke. Daisy Jones & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid Very Nice, by Marcy Dermansky Nothing to See Here, by Kevin Wilson Summerlings, by Lisa Howarth The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get 20% off a year's digital subscription to the writing magazine Mslexia. Just click this link and use the code BRITLIT20 at the checkout! Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Talia Hibbert Twitter / Website  

On episode 56, we hear from Kate Young, who's the author of The Little Library Cookbook and The Little Library Year, collections of recipes inspired by books. Kate Young is Australian but has lived in the UK for ten years, so I think we can claim her as one of our own. We talked about her journey writing about books and food, the process of creating recipes, Australian authors who deserve to be better known elsewhere, and more.  You can listen to the episode here, or Spotify, or iTunes, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Little Library Cookbook: 100 Recipes from Your Favorite Books, by Kate Young The Little Library Year: Seasonal Cooking and Reading, by Kate Young To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett A Song for Summer, by Eva Ibbotson Home Fire, by Kamila Shamsie Possum Magic, by Mem Fox Looking for Alibrandi, by Melina Marchetta Saving Francesca, by Melina Marchetta Cloudstreet, by Tim Winton The Secret River, by Kate Grenville If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, by Italo Calvino Bowie's Books, Bowie's Bookshelf, by John O'Connell That Reminds Me, by David Owusu She Speaks: The Power of Women's Voices, by Yvette Cooper Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Kate Young Twitter  

Our guest on episode 55 is Fiona Collins, who's the author of several novels including, most recently, You, Me and the Movies, a story about bumping into a long-ago love and the feelings it reignites. It's out now as an ebook and will be coming out in paperback on Boxing Day. Fiona Collins and I talked about audiobooks, one of my favourite American authors, and film adaptations -- including the perennial debate of which screen version of Pride and Prejudice we prefer.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: You, Me and the Movies, by Fiona Collins Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen You, Me and the Movies, by Fiona Collins Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen Expectation, by Anna Hope Becoming, by Michelle Obama Daisy Jones & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (some of Claire's favourite quotes from the book can be found here) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,  by Taylor Jenkins Reid Forever, Interrupted, by Taylor Jenkins Reid After I Do, by Taylor Jenkins Reid One True Loves, by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Beautiful Ones, by Prince I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story, by Anthony Daniels Between the Stops: The View of my Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus, by Sandi Toksvig Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get a week of access to the full digital archive of Mslexia Magazine with the code BRITLIT. Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel  

On this episode, we hear from Stephen Cox, whose debut novel Our Child of the Stars came out earlier this year. And he's also part of an innovative new bookshop in North London that's being run by a cooperative. He and I talked about what makes the '60s such an interesting time to set a novel, the importance of bookshops on the high street, what makes a great writers' group, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Our Child of the Stars, by Stephen Cox This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone  The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood Today would have been my dad's 76th birthday. In his honour, I've made five of his songs public on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and all (or most of) the other places people listen to music. These songs were part of the soundtrack to my childhood. You On My Mind is my favourite of these, and I love that Have Another Drink really showcases his piano playing -- the riffs are very him, very representative of his best musicianship. In his later years, he got a bit obsessed with adding electronic music effects, and I much prefer the original song-and-piano only versions of his songs. I hope some of those survive somewhere, and that I'll be able to share them one day. He also got a bit obsessed with the Obama campaign in '07-'08, and wrote a whole load of songs about that. They're not his best work, but I'll share them at some point too. Heck, maybe the Crooked media boys will get a kick out of them. I miss my dad often and a lot these days -- a lot of his heroes and influences are hitting milestones, releasing memoirs, and, sadly, passing away. I wish I could have seen Rocketman with him, and bought him Elton John's memoir. I wish I could have ranted about Brexit with him, too -- though it's probably best he never had to live through it. I know he'd be pleased that his music lives on, though. I hope people will enjoy it. https://open.spotify.com/album/6Gw81dZOrnvx2kpFKpKN8P?si=NG9WPRjpQSSQPNod7CtN5w   The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt Beowulf Dracula, by Bram Stoker Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley Grand Union: Stories, by Zadie Smith Me, by Elton John Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Julie Andrews Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella Christmas Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Stephen Cox Twitter / Website All Good Bookshop Twitter / Website  

From time to time on the podcast, we speak to someone who is not British, so that we get an outside perspective on UK books. On episode 53, we hear from Liberty Hardy, Book Riot's resident velocireader and all round Queen Of All Things Books. She talked about how she manages to read as much as she does – and she really does read a LOT – and we also talked about her favourite Kate Atkinson book, what Sarah Waters quote she has as a tattoo, and a lot more. It's a fun one -- have a listen! Also, it's the podcast's 2nd birthday today! If you'd like to buy it a present, some love on patreon.com/britlitblog is always appreciated.  Books mentioned in this episode:  Himself, by Jess Kidd Things in Jars, by Jess Kidd From The Wreck, by Jane Rawson Star-Crossed, by Minnie Darke. Ghost Wall, by Sarah Moss A God in Ruins, by Kate Atkinson Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson The Paying Guests, by Sarah Waters The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, by Max Porter Lanny, by Max Porter Here We Are, by Graham Swift The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, by Timothy C Winegard Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Get your first three audiobooks for under $5 each with the code BRITLIT on Libro.fm. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Liberty Hardy Twitter / Instagram / podcast  

We hear from Owen Nicholls, author of the debut rom com Love, Unscripted. If you liked High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, Love Unscripted is definitely one for you to pick up. Owen Nicholls talks about some underrated rom coms, a little known film he recommends to us all, the breathtaking speed of the publishing industry (!) when compared to film making, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Love, Unscripted by Owen Nicholls In at the Deep End, by Kate Davies Do Not Feed the Bear, by Rachel Elliott Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro Daisy Jones & The Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Confession, by Jessie Burton Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times on Television, by Louis Theroux Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Other things mentioned: Love, Unscripted Giveaway! The Maid's Head Hotel, Norwich The Script Notes podcast ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Owen Nicholls Twitter  

From time to time on the podcast, we speak to someone who is not British, so that we get an outside perspective on UK books. Helen Cullen is Irish, though she has lived in London a long time and her debut novel, The Lost Letters of William Woolf, is set there. Helen talked to me about the lost art of letter writing, some of her favourite epistolary novels, why she loves London, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Lost Letters of William Woolf, by Helen Cullen 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helen Hanff Persuasion, by Jane Austen Love, Nina: A Nanny Writes Home, by Nina Stibbe A Room of One's Own, by Virginia Woolf Three Guineas, by Virginia Woolf Afternoons with the Blinds Drawn, by Brett Anderson The Hiding Game, by Naomi Woods Mrs. Hemingway, by Naomi Woods The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett They Don't Teach This, by Eniola Aluko Confessions of a Bookseller, by Shaun Blythell To War with the Walkers, by Annabel Venning Come Again, by Robert Webb For Emily, by Katherine Slee Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Read Helen's review of The Hiding Game by Naomi Woods. Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Helen Cullen Twitter / Website  

Our guest today is Laura Jane Williams, who's the author most recently of Our Stop, a new romcom out this summer. It's the story of Daniel and Nadia, who take the 7.30 train every morning. One morning, Nadia's eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper: To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I'm the guy who's always standing near the doors… Drink sometime? So begins a story of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word. Laura and I talked about what makes train travel romantic, what she thinks of the chick lit label, how she feels about her four-book deal, and more. City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert One Day, by David Nicholls Praise Song for the Butterflies, by Bernice L McFadden Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams How to Fail, by Elizabeth Day Three Women, by Lisa Taddeo Fleishman Is in Trouble, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe Love, Unscripted, by Owen Nicholls You, Me and the Movies, by Fiona Collins The School Run, by Helen Whitaker ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Laura Jane Williams Twitter / Website  

I've got a great interview for you today that's both fascinating and more than a little mouth-watering. Olivia Potts is the author of A Half Baked Idea, a memoir which tells the story of how baking became first her comfort and then her profession in the aftermath of her mum's passing away. We talked about Olivia's time at culinary school, how she came to make what sound like amazing artisanal donuts, her favourite food magazine, and much more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: A Half Baked Idea, by Olivia Potts Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany, by Bill Buford Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, by Julie Powell The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart, by Emily Nunn Poor Man's Feast: A Love Story of Comfort, Desire, and the Art of Simple Cooking, by Elissa Altman Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding: Sweet and Savoury Recipes from Britain's Best Baker, by Justin Gellatly The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster, by Sarah Krasnostein One Good Turn, by Kate Atkinson The Secret Place, by Tana French Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise, by Katherine Rundell What Happens Now?, by Sophia Money-Coutts Crossfire (Noughts and Crosses), by Malorie Blackman Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe  (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Olivia Potts Twitter / Website  

Our guest on episode 48 is Anna Stuart, author of the novel Bonnie and Stan, which Ruth Hogan has called “a fresh, original love story beautifully told”. If you loved the film Yesterday, you'll find echoes of it in this novel. I spoke to Anna about the setting of her book in both time and place – 1960s Liverpool – how being untidy can help with creativity, the challenges of writing historical fiction, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Bonnie and Stan, by Anna Stuart She's Leaving Home, by Edwina Currie Four Minutes to Save a Life, by Anna Stuart The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, by Ruth Hogan The Keeper of Lost Things, by Ruth Hogan The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson  Headlines and Hedgerows, by John Craven Please Miss, We're Boys, by Susan Elkin Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Anna Stuart Twitter / Website  

Abbi Waxman's latest novel The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is out this week on both sides of the Atlantic. Nina Hill loves trivia and her cat, and works in a delightful but struggling bookshop. She's an introvert who's got her life and social calendar under control – until she finds out about a whole big family she never knew she had. And just as she's struggling to get her head around that, the trivia competition world throws an attractive guy into her path, too. What I loved best about this book – and there's a lot to love -- was the charming, witty tone of the writing, which addresses the reader directly in places. Abbi Waxman talked to the podcast about the booksellers that inspired the book, the neighbourhood of LA in which it's set, how her degree in anthropology informs her writing, the joys and challenges of being a Brit living in the US, and more. You can listen to the episode here, or Spotify, or iTunes, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, by Abbi Waxman Other People's Houses, by Abbi Waxman The Garden of Small Beginnings, by Abbi Waxman Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast, by Charlie Connelly Notes from a Small Island, by Bill Bryson The Body: A Guide for Occupants, by Bill Bryson At Home: A Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson Sweet Sorrow, by David Nicholls Expectation, by Anna Day A Half Baked Idea, by Olivia Potts Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Abbi Waxman Twitter / Website  

Our guest today is Beth O'Leary, who's the author of the runaway hit The Flatshare, which is a Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into multiple languages, including Dutch, Polish and Catalan. Beth talks about her former job in children's publishing, what it was like drafting her novel on the train, how objects left around a flat can tell us a lot about a person, and more.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary Our Stop, by Laura Jane Williams Are We Nearly There Yet?, by Lucy Vine Hot Mess, by Lucy Vine What Fresh Hell, by Lucy Vine Everything You Ever Wanted, by Luiza Sauma When We Were Rich, by Tim Lott Sweet Sorrow, by David Nicholls One Day, by David Nicholls The Plus One, by Sophia Money-Coutts What Happens Now?, by Sophia Money-Coutts The Switch, by Beth O'Leary Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Beth O'Leary Twitter

Jennifer Ryan returns as a guest to discuss her newly published second novel, The Spies of Shilling Lane. She talked about the woman who inspired the novel, the importance of the British stiff upper lip in the Second World War, why women made great spies in that period, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, by Jennifer Ryan The Spies of Shilling Lane, by Jennifer Ryan Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly Lost Roses, by Martha Hall Kelly Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Jennifer Ryan Twitter / Website    

Our guest today is Rajeev Balusabranyam. Rajeev is the author of the novel Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, which came out earlier this year. He's also very accomplished, with a few literary awards and nominations under his belt and degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge. He talks about his meditation practice, why he loves California, and what it was about the academic world that he wanted to explore in his novel. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, by Rajeev Balasubramanyam Island of a Thousand Mirrors, by Nayomi Munaweera Tell Her Everything, by Mirza Waheed Those Who Are Loved, by Victoria Hislop The Book Club, by CJ Cooper Bonnie and Stan, by Anna Stuart Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Rajeev Balasubramanyam Twitter / Website  

On today's episode, we hear from Louise Walters, who's the author of three novels and also runs her own small publishing company. We talked about why she started Louise Walters Books, what kind of books she looks for, and the advice she has for anyone wanting to go the same route. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson, by Helen Kitson Don't Think a Single Thought, by Diana Cambridge Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase, by Louise Walters A Life Between Us, by Louise Walters The Road to California, by Louise Walters Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, by Winifred Watson Climbers, by John Harrison Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, by Carlo Rovelli Lowborn: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain's Poorest Towns, by Kerry Hudson Conviction, by Dame Denise Mina A Nice Cup of Tea, by Celia Imrie Unscripted, by CLaire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Louise Walters Twitter / Website  

Our guest today is Laura Mucha, who studied psychology, philosophy and flying trapeze,  worked as a face painter,and swam in Antarctica before becoming a lawyer for an international law firm. Then, when she was hit by a car aged 29, she decided to change career – she's now an award-winning poet, author, broadcaster, performer and speaker, and most recently the author of the fabulously named book Love Factually, which is about the science of who, how, and why we love. Laura was so much fun to talk to, and full of wisdom too. We covered some big topics in this interview – love, death, and poetry among them – and she also mentioned some fascinating-sounding books about creativity. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Love, Factually/Love Understood, by Laura Mucha Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio, by Jessica Abel A Poem for Every Day of the Year, by Esiri Ali With the End in Mind: Dying, Death, and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe Saturday Night at the Movies: The Extraordinary Partnerships Behind Cinema's Greatest Scores, by Jennifer Nelson The Science of Fate: Why Your Future is More Predictable Than You Think, by Hannah Critchlow This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story, by Leah Hazard Don't Touch My Hair, by Emma Dabiri Faber & Faber: The Untold Story, by Toby Faber Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernadine Evaristo ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Laura Mucha Twitter / Website  

Daisy Buchanan is the author most recently of the memoir The Sisterhood, a book about growing up as the eldest of six girls. She and I talked about the books she recommend to her sisters, why Judy Blume's novels have been so formative for so many of us,  what book covers featuring the back of a woman's head have going for them, and more.   You can listen to the episode here, or Spotify, or iTunes, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan I Love You More Than You Know: Essays, by Jonathan Ames The Blessing, by Nancy Mitford Anybody Out There, by Marian Keyes What a Carve Up! , by Jonathan Coe Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen Last Minute Rooms in Bethlehem: And Other Great Internet Search Histories of the Past, by Dale Shaw Forever, by Judy Blume Flowers in the Attic, by V C Andrews Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k, by Sarah Knight The Time of Indifference, by Alberto Moravia The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer How to Be a Grown Up, by Daisy Buchanan Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy Sex and Rage, by Eve Babitz Scribble Scribble, by Nora Ephron Delight, by JB Priestley The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary Our Life in a Day, by Jamie Fewery Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan The Parisian, by Isabella Hamma Going Solo: My choice to become a single mother using a donor, by Genevieve Roberts Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) Podcasts Mentioned on the Show: You're Booked Backlisted The High Low Always There Sentimental Garbage ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Daisy Buchanan Twitter Daisy Buchanan is the author most recently of the memoir The Sisterhood, a book about growing up as the eldest of six girls. She and I talked about the books she recommend to her sisters, why Judy Blume's novels have been so formative for so many of us,  what book covers featuring the back of a woman's head have going for them, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan I Love You More Than You Know: Essays, by Jonathan Ames The Blessing, by Nancy Mitford Anybody Out There, by Marian Keyes What a Carve Up! , by Jonathan Coe Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen Last Minute Rooms in Bethlehem: And Other Great Internet Search Histories of the Past, by Dale Shaw Forever, by Judy Blume Flowers in the Attic, by V C Andrews Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k, by Sarah Knight The Time of Indifference, by Alberto Moravia The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer How to Be a Grown Up, by Daisy Buchanan Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy Sex and Rage, by Eve Babitz Scribble Scribble, by Nora Ephron Delight, by JB Priestley The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary Our Life in a Day, by Jamie Fewery Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan The Parisian, by Isabella Hamma Going Solo: My choice to become a single mother using a donor, by Genevieve Roberts Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe  (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) Podcasts Mentioned on the Show: You're Booked Backlisted The High Low Always There Sentimental Garbage ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Daisy Buchanan Twitter  

On today's episode, you get to hear from Claire, the host of the podcast, about her own novel, Unscripted, out today. It's a smart beach read about a young aspiring writer with a celebrity crush and a determined plan. Claire speaks to her friend Juliet about the challenge of writing from multiple points of view, how Myers Briggs has helped form her characters, what she really thinks of LA, her long and torturous route to publication, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley Star-Crossed, by Minnie Darke One Day in December, by Josie Silver Becoming, by Michelle Obama So Here's the Thing . . .: Notes on Growing Up, Getting Older, and Trusting Your Gut, by Alyssa Mastromonaco Reasons to Be Cheerful, by Nina Stibbe How to Fail, by Elizabeth Day The Party, by Elizabeth Day Some Kids I Taught And What They Taught Me, by Kate Clanchy ***** Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted. Get your ticket to see Claire and four other debut authors at the Riff Raff on Thursday 11th April. See other information for Claire's book tour. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel    

Mariam Khan is the editor of the new collection of essays called It's Not About The Burqa, in which seventeen Muslim women write about faith, feminism, sexuality and race. She talks to the podcast about the process of putting together the anthology, what she thinks about feminism, why she loves audio books, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Good Immigrant, by Nikesh Shukla Scythe, by Neal Shusterman Let Me Tell You This, by Nadine Aisha Jassat Nasty Women, by 404 Ink My Past Is a Foreign Country, by Zeba Talkhani The Good Immigrant USA: 26 Writers Reflect on America, ed. Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Mariam Khan Twitter

Our guest today is Charlie Morris, who's a senior publicity and marketing exec at Little Tiger UK and Stripes Books.  She talks to the podcast about what her job looks like day to day, advice she has for people wanting to get into the publishing industry, a groundbreaking book she's been working on for a year, and more. *****  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Proud, ed. Juno Dawson Once and Future, by Amy Rose Music and Malice in Hurricane Town, by Alex Bell All The Lonely People, by David Owen In at the Deep End, by Kate Davies Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts), by L C Rosen The Good Immigrant, by Nikesh Shukla The Good Immigrant USA: 26 Writers Reflect on America, ed. Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman How to Be a Grown-Up, by Daisy Buchanan The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan Don't You Forget About Me, by Mhairi McFarlane You Had Me At Hello, by Mhairi McFarlane Roald Dahl's Rotsome & Repulsant Words Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Charlie Morris Twitter/Blog  

Lucy Foley is the author of four novels, including most recently The Hunting Party. It's a creepy, insightful thriller about a group of university friends who, for their annual New Year's Eve trip, have chosen a remote location in the Scottish Highlands. And a few days into their trip, one of them is found dead. Who died; who killed them; and why: that's what we read on to find out. Lucy spoke to the Brit Lit Podcast about her pivot away from historical fiction to thrillers, why she structured The Hunting Party as she did, her favourite fiction about groups of friends and what it is that makes groups of longtime friends such fertile territory for fiction, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Secret History , by Donna Tartt The Shooting Party , by Isabel Colegate Big Little Lies , by Liane Moriarty The Lady Vanishes , by Ethel Lina White The Dry , by Jane Harper Stone Mothers , by Erik Kelly He Said/She Said , by Erin Kelly Blood Orange , by Harriet Tyce It's Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race , by Mariam Kham Stubborn Archivist , by Yara Rodrigues Fowler Late in the Day , by Tessa Hadley Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Lucy Foley Twitter  

Mark Stay's new fantasy novel, The End of Magic, is hot off the press. As well as being an author, he's one half of the podcast The Bestseller Experiment, which chronicles his adventures in publishing alongside another Mark. The podcast has tons of useful advice for anyone conducting their own experiment in becoming a bestselling author. We talked about Mark's new novel, his experience of crowdfunding, three things he's learned along the way of his experiment in becoming a bestselling author, and more.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Back to Reality, by Mark Stay and Mark Oliver The End of Magic, by Mark Stay Robot Overlords, by Mark Stay Headhunters, by Jo Nesbo Robot Overlords, by Tade Thompson Soupy Twists!: The Full Official Story of the Sophisticated Silliness of Fry and Laurie, by Jem Roberts The Lost Properties of Love, by Sophie Ratcliffe The Face Pressed Against a Window, by Tim Waterstone A Love Story for Bewildered Girls, by Emma Morgan I Owe You One, by Sophie Kinsella Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Mark Stay Twitter / Website The Bestseller Experiment Twitter / Website / Podcast  

Alexandra Sheppard is the author of YA novel Oh My Gods, the story of Helen Thomas,  whose dad is none other than the Greek god Zeus. Not only does Helen have all the usual teen stuff to deal with — like new friends to make and a cute boy to impress — she also has to keep her chaotic family's true identities secret. Alex talks about her love for Greek mythology, how it felt to re-read her teenage diaries, an author she and Claire love, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard The Everlasting Rose, by Dhonielle Clayton The Belles, by Dhonielle Clayton On The Come Up, by Angie Thomas The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas Tiny Pretty Things, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra Shiny Broken Pieces, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra Well-Read Black Girl, ed. by Glory Edim Roald Dahl's Creative Writing with Matilda Kick the Moon, by Muhammad Khan The Wall, by John Lanchester The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Alexandra Sheppard Twitter / Website  

Our guest today is Ben from the Bookshop Band.  The Bookshop Band started in 2010 and write songs inspired by – you've guessed it – books. They're about to embark on their first tour of the US, so if you're based in or around New York, New Mexico, or Colorado, you'll have a chance to catch Ben and Beth at one of several locations between now and the first week of February. I spoke to Ben about their upcoming tour, how they started out, their songwriting process, and more.  Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Paris Wife, by Paula McLane The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce All The Lonely People, by David Owen Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, by Rajeev Balasubramanyam The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, by Anstey Harris Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Links mentioned in the podcast episode: The Bookshop Band US tour The Open Book - a bookshop holiday A Critic Sells Books Down by the Seashore -- New York Times article calling the Bookshop Band "not just good but achingly good". ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel The Bookshop Band Twitter / Website / YouTube  

Lindsey Kelk is back on the podcast today to catch us up on what she's been up to in the last year. Lindsey is the author of the best-selling I Heart series of romantic comedies as well as countless other books and an exciting new project we possibly have the world exclusive on. She's also the cohost of two podcasts. We talked about her favourite books of the year, the podcasts she likes, the joys and challenges of writing a beloved series, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: One in a Million, by Lindsey Kelk I Heart Hawaii, by Lindsey Kelk Cinders & Sparks, by Lindsey Kelk I Heart New York, by Lindsey Kelk I Heart Vegas, by Lindsey Kelk I Heart Christmas, by Lindsey Kelk I Heart Forever, by Lindsey Kelk The Rise and Fall of Becky Sharp, by Sarra Manning The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, by Philip Pullman To All the Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan Wilde About The Girl, by Louise Pentland Louis & Louise, by Julie Cohen Becoming, by Michelle Obama From the Corner of the Oval, by Beck Dorey-Stein The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin Lullaby/The Perfect Nanny, by Leila Slimani The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Podcasts mentioned: Full Coverage Tight and Fights Getting Curious The Emma Guns Show Who Weekly The High Low At Home With ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Lindsey Kelk Twitter / Website

We hear from Francesa Hornak, the author of Seven Days of Us, a page-turner of a novel about family tension perfect to curl up with over the Christmas holidays. In episode 32 of the Brit Lit Podcast, she tells us about the books she likes to give for Christmas, her favourite reads about family tension, the novel her grandmother wrote, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Seven Days of Us, by Francesca Hornak The Nest, by Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney The Vacationers, by Emma Straub Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng Hangover Square, by Patrick Hamilton Love, Nina, by Nina Stibbe A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan The Diary of a Nobody, by George Grossmith Eleven, by Patricia Highsmith One Point Two Billion, by Mahesh Roa The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachmann The Pure Gold Baby, by Margaret Drabble Normal People, by Sally Rooney Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney Theresa's Choice, by Rachel Cecil In Our Mad and Furious City, by Guy Gunaratne The Au Pair, by Emma Rous Friends Like These, by Sarah Alderson Friend Request, by Laura Marshall Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Francesca Hornak Twitter  

Josie Silver is the author of One Day in December, a delightful novel, perfect for curling up with by the fire. Claire loved it, and she'll be recommending it to all the romantics in her life. Josie talked to the Brit Lit Podcast about why winter brings out our romantic side, her favourite love stories in fiction, an example of how much blind luck can be involved in succeeding in the publishing industry, and more. You can listen to the episode here, or Spotify, or iTunes, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: One Day in December, by Josie Silver Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen The Time Traveller's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger The Break, by Marian Keyes Star-Crossed, by Minnie Darke Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at britlitpodcast@gmail.com ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Josie Silver Twitter / Website