Join me each second and fourth Monday of the month, when I'll be in conversation with an author about one (occasionally more) of their books. We'll be taking a fairly deep dive, looking at the background, the topics, writing, and the nitty gritty. Expect spoilers and frequent discussions of the endings.
Charlie and Amy Engel (I Did It For You) discuss her literary thriller wherein the killer did it but it isn't that simple, wherein both the victim's and killer's families are given empathy, and wherein the sister of the victim and the brother of the killer start a romance. Please note that whilst there are no references to detailed violence, this episode looks at various issues surrounding murder cases. A transcript is available on my site General references: It was indeed Elmore Leonard who said, "You take out the parts that people skip when they're reading". This link has more information. Books mentioned by name or extensively: Amy Engel: The Familiar Dark Amy Engel: I Did It For You Release details: recorded 17th December 2024; published 28th April 2025 Where to find Amy online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || Facebook Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:15 The inspiration - location and character 02:37 Creating Greer 04:50 Creating Ludlow and the well-drawn townspeople 07:53 How Amy works with secrets and reveals 09:24 How was it writing Greer in terms of her being an unreliable narrator? 11:10 The different extra narratives 12:33 Roy, the killer's, difference, his potential neurodivergence, and the importance of looking at this 15:41 Did you ever consider not having Roy 'do' it? 17:33 The grief in the book, including a look at the different sets of parents 19:46 Including Dean and humanising the family of the murderer 22:30 Amy tells us more about how her career in law influenced her writing 24:35 The slower pacing, which isn't so usual for a thriller, and how Amy categorises her novels. We then move on to what Amy added to the novel in editing 27:59 Amy's thought process and planning in regards to the bad guy (different person to the killer) 34:03 Amy deciding to end Greer and Dean's romance 36:29 Where Greer and Dean may end up, separately, beyond the pages of the book. We then move on to Greer's parents in the same vein 39:03 What Amy is writing and planning now
Charlie and Nydia Hetherington (Sycorax) discuss the witch Shakespeare's Prospero hates so much and Nydia's reimagining slash prequel to The Tempest. This involves conversation about chronic illness, attitudes to women in regards to the occult, and on a seemingly unrelated subject, the tendency of pirates to leave problematic people on isolated islands. A transcript is available on my site General references: W H Auden: The Sea And The Mirror Books mentioned by name or extensively: Libby Colman: Trixie - The Childhood Of Sycorax, Witch Of Algiers Margaret Atwood: Hag-Seed Marina Warner: Indigo Nydia Hetherington: A Girl Made Of Air Nydia Hetherington: Sycorax Tad Williams: Caliban's Hour William Shakespeare: The Tempest Release details: recorded 4th December 2024; published 14th April 2025 Where to find Nydia online: Website || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:20 The initial inspirations - theatre and Nydia's chronic condition 10:23 Research and inspirations in regards to other adaptations 12:58 More on Nydia's dedication to Shakespearean writing 13:58 Disability and women being witches put together 20:01 The good women in the book, Yemma and Zari 24:11 Including Barbarossa the pirate and the way pirates left criminals isolated 28:26 Afalkey the Beautiful and charming men 30:05 The role the Crow plays 32:48 What Nydia is writing at the moment 34:30 Nydia's William Blake novel she mentioned earlier
Charlie and Gill Paul (Scandalous Women) discuss Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann, and the way the 1960s publishing industry treated women. A transcript is available on my site General references: My other episodes with Gill are 42 and 86 The Love Machine (movie) Some of Richard Osman's words on the subject can be found here Once Upon A Time In America Lady Boss trailer Mad Men Feud: Capote Vs His Swans Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders I spoke to Èric Chacour in episode 115 The three books with a Mira in them were Eliza Chan's Fathomfolk, Èric Chacour's What I Know About You, and Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing Books mentioned by name or extensively: Dale Carnegie: How To Win Friends And Influence People Gill Paul: Another Woman's Husband Gill Paul: The Second Marriage (Jackie And Maria) Gill Paul: A Beautiful Rival Gill Paul: Scandalous Women Helen Gurley Brown: Sex And The Single Girl Ian McEwan: On Chesil Beach Jackie Collins: The World Is Full Of Married Men Jacqueline Susann: Valley Of The Dolls Jacqueline Susann: The Love Machine Letty Cottin Pogrebin: How To Make It In A Man's World Truman Capote: In Cold Blood Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 11th October 2024; published 24th March 2025 Where to find Gill online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:23 Why these women and why now? 03:02 More about Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins 04:15 Jacqueline Susann's screen work 05:58 On Gill's having Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins meet and support each other 09:06 The murder of Sharon Tate 10:29 Jacqueline's illness and bargaining with God 14:22 About Jackie Collins' marriages 17:28 Creating the fictional character, Nancy 20:55 More on Nancy in regards to the historical misogyny 26:19 Gill's fictional Truman Capote interview and the real stories including the facts behind Capote's In Cold Blood 31:06 Jacqueline Susann's keeping up to date with booksellers' lives 33:31 Nancy's relationships with Stephen and George 35:52 The Cousin, Louise, the drugs and trafficking 37:18 Gill's writing style and how it aligns with Scandalous Women 39:28 Including a small nod to A Beautiful Rival and how Gill includes these in her books in general 41:45 What Gill is writing now Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and C J Wray (The Excitements) discuss the WW2 women her book about fun-loving nonagenarians is based on and her views on modern and historical adoption as an adoptee herself. We also discuss the Peter Jones (John Lewis) department store, using Morse Code, and Diamond Doris, a jewel-thief who got away with quite a bit. Please note there are a couple of mild swear words in this episode. Please also note we talk of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry which is commonly shortened to FANY. A transcript is available on my site Tickets to my live show of Friday 4th April can be bought here Sign up to the Author's Afterword newsletter here General references: William Ernest Henley's Invictus poem Long Lost Family The Yoga teacher Chris mentions is Dorothea Barron. It isn't the same lady Charlie mentions, and unfortunately Charlie has been unable to find out who that was. Books mentioned by name or extensively: C J Wray: The Excitements C J Wray: Bad Influence Christian Lamb (with Chris): Beyond The Sea, A Wren At War Don Marquis: Archy and Mehitabel Pam and Jean Owtram (with Chris): Codebreaking Sisters Stella Knightley: The Girl Behind The Mask Stella Knightley: The Girl Behind The Fan Stella Knightley: The Girl Behind The Curtain W E Fairbairn's book: Hands Off! Self Defense For Women And Girls Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 26th September 2024; published 10th March 2025 Where to find Chris online: Website (as C J Wray) || Website (Chrissie Manby) || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:05 About Pat and Jean Owtram, the two sisters who inspired The Excitements 04:04 About the inspiration for Penny's stealing, Diamond Doris 07:25 Using the Peter Jones department store 09:05 All about Archie 10:20 Toujours gai! 11:43 How Chris went about the writing itself 14:13 The Invictus poem and Fairbairn book 16:53 Chris' use of Morse Code 19:16 Davinia and Sister Eugenia, and we then move on to Arlene 22:52 Chris talks about adoptions both historical and modern and her views on it as an adoptee herself 28:20 Did Chris consider having Penny and Josephine defeat the gunman? 29:03 Frank's choice not to send Penny back to into the field 31:59 About Chris' next book, Bad Influence 34:51 Chris once wrote a 90,000 page book in 2 months! Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie is joined by Alex Hay, Lucy Barker, Stacey Thomas, and a wonderful audience at Goldfinch Books in Alton. You want a writing deep dive? You've got it! Please note that this episode has a whispered swear word in it - we were all adults! The next live event will be at P&G Wells in Winchester on Friday 4th April. Tickets are available here If you can't click the link, go to pgwells.co.uk Full show notes and a transcript to follow shortly. A video version of this live show will be available in a few weeks.
Charlie and Maggie Brookes (The Prisoner's Wife) discuss her stunning story which was inspired by a real happening - a woman who hid in plain sight as a British soldier in a prisoner of war camp. A transcript is available on my site General references: Maggie's previous episode with me is episode 92 Now The War Is Over Time Watch All Our Working Lives The Sphinx, Maggie's poem version of The Prisoner's Wife Colditz The party episode with Maggie is Milestone 01 (also with Elizabeth Fremantle, Gill Paul, and Amanda Geard) Books mentioned by name or extensively: Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Maggie Brookes: The Prisoner's Wife Maggie Brookes-Butt: Wish John Nichol and Tony Rennell: The Last Escape Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 23rd September 2024; published 24th February 2025 Where to find Maggie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:29 The inspiration - a woman who hid as a man in a Nazi prisoner of war camp and how real it might be 09:49 How Maggie's work as a BBC producer helped her write The Prisoner's Wife 11:49 How the book started as a poem and then Maggie's journey to Czechia to do research into the Long March 20:19 The inspiration of Maggie's father, a prisoner of war who never spoke about his experience 26:58 What Maggie cut from the novel 28:52 Izzy's character development, language progression, and 'Algernon Cousins' 34:38 Adding in Bill's chapters later 36:53 Ralph and his fate being left open 41:24 Scotty's character and his sacrifice 43:28 The real Rosa Rauchbach and her lover 44:32 What are you writing now? Photo credit: Lyn Gregory Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Éric Chacour (What I Know About You) discuss Egypt in the 1970s for the Levantine community and LGBT people, the famous French-Egyptian singer Dalida, Romeo and Juliet, Éric's use of the second person, and author and translator working together on writing that had been in place for 15 years. A transcript is available on my site General references: Dalida's Helwa ya Baladi Books mentioned by name or extensively: Éric Chacour: What I Know About You Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 20th September 2024; published 10th February 2025 Where to find Éric online: Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:09 Éric's initial inspiration, Romeo and Juliet, for What I Know About You (he'd been writing the book for years) 05:18 The writing itself, including the use of the second person (Charlie has pointed out Éric's dedication to syllables and language) and the translation 10:31 The political backdrop, the use of it, and the decades chosen 13:29 The time period in terms of the LGBT community and Tarek's choices in that context 14:55 Entangled protons and love 16:25 Could Tarek have stayed with his family? 18:24 More on reader's interpretations and reactions 20:53 Nesrine and Mira and their importance 26:35 The servant, Fatheya 29:16 Talking of the impossibility of another point of view and the ending 31:20 Éric tells us why he included Vivienne 33:11 More about theatrical inspirations, and then we get on to how Éric wanted to be a songwriter 37:44 Dalida 39:22 Should we blame the grandmother? 41:54 Reality and fiction in terms of Rafik's narrative owing much to imagination and interpretation 45:41 What's next? Photo credit: Justine Latour Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Edward Carey (Edith Holler) talk at length about the arts and the theatre in the context of his book and in general. They also talk about Norwich as Edward's book is his love letter to the city. Please note there is a mild swear word in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Edward's previous episode on this podcast is number 52 Wikipedia's article on Norwich Robert Louis Stevenson's essay on toy theatres is called A Penny Plain And Twopence Coloured and is available on Project Gutenberg The downloadable theatre on Edward's website (scroll down, on the left) Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters In Search Of An Author My episode with Melissa Fu is number 59 Books mentioned by name or extensively: Edward Carey: Edith Holler Gaston Le Roux: The Phantom Of The Opera Jeanette Winterson: The Passion Julian Of Norwich: Revelations Of Divine Love Robert Louis Stevenson: Memories And Portraits Xavier de Maistre: Voyage Around My Room Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 2nd September 2024; published 27th January 2025 Where to find Edward online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:29 The starting point of Edith Holler - lockdown, not being able to go to the theatre, and Brexit. We then move on to the fictional missing children in the book 05:22 Norwich as both a location and inspiration 12:01 Further notes on creating Edith herself, and then we discuss interpretations 18:41 More on the drawings and card theatre 21:05 The other characters 25:10 The Iron Curtain that separates theatre crew and theatre goers 29:01 The language of the novel 30:37 Was there something in particular that lead to you setting the book in the Edwardian period? 33:23 Being in Edith's head 34:27 Beetle Spread! 38:30 Did you ever consider having Edith leave the theatre? 39:20 The undercrofts and the importance of moving the story underground. We then continue on to discuss further theatrical influences on both the novel and ourselves 47:12 The photograph of a woman at the very end of the book 48:59 Edward explains why he won't tell us about what he's currently working on Photo credit: Elizabeth McCracken Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
For live show tickets, click here Charlie and Chloe C Peñaranda (The Stars Are Dying) discuss the incident wherein her heroine stabs the hero, getting around her hero's ability to run amok via deus ex machina, and becoming a hybrid author after success as a self-published writer. Please note there are brief mentions of abuse in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Chloe's TikTok Books mentioned by name or extensively: Chloe C Peñaranda: An Heir Comes To Rise Chloe C Peñaranda: A Throne From The Ashes Chloe C Peñaranda: A Sword From The Embers Chloe C Peñaranda: The Stars An Dying Chloe C Peñaranda: The Night Is Defying Sarah J Maas: A Court Of Thorns And Roses Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 24th October 2024; published 13th January 2025 Where to find Chloe online: Website || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:36 Was romantasy the genre you'd been waiting for? 02:55 The initial thought for The Stars Are Dying - Greek myths and Chloe's series An Heir Comes To Rise, and we talk about potential spin-off series 06:34 Why Chloe chose the second iteration of Nyte and Astraea's relationship to focus on instead of the first 08:04 On having a general direction or goal in mind for The Stars Are Dying 08:49 Creating Astraea and Nyte 10:26 Using a slow burn romance 11:45 Getting around the potential deus ex machina of Nyte's powers 13:07 Deciding when to give readers answers as to Astraea's mental state and so on 14:33 The inclusion of amnesia and abuse 15:44 The Libertatum 17:55 The planning before putting pen to paper 19:21 Discussing Astrea's stabbing of Nyte 20:53 Slight notes on the crossover between The Stars Are Dying and An Heir Comes To Rise 23:54 On Cassia's role 25:06 Drystan 25:38 About The Night Is Defying 27:06 How fans of An Heir Comes To Rise have responded to The Stars Are Dying 28:38 Being, now, a hybrid author 30:13 How the traditional publishing deal came about 32:19 On getting a house and garden for her dogs following the publishing deal 33:37 Ideas Chloe is considering for her next work Photo credit: Caroline Anne Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Eliza Chan (Fathomfolk) discuss many questions of immigration in both reality and her fantasy fiction, the different mythological creatures she used and decisions in regards to location inspiration, and Fathomfolk's controversial ending. Please note there is a spoiler in this episode for N K Jemisin's The Fifth Season. For live show tickets, click here. A transcript is available on my site General references: The Witcher Jessica Jones The Untamed Books mentioned by name or extensively: Eliza Chan: Fathomfolk Eliza Chan: Tideborn N K Jemisin: The Fifth Season R F Kuang: Babel Rhonda Parrish (ed.): Sirens Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 14th August 2024; published 23rd December 2024 Where to find Eliza online: Website || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:25 The initial inspirations 04:34 More about the topic of immigration 06:57 World building and the world outside of Tiankawi 09:05 Creating Mira, Nami, and Cordelia 14:56 Having started with one narrative and changing it to three 17:44 Using different countries' mythologies, originally planning to set Fathomfolk in a British city, and the possibility of historical settings 25:25 Kai's significance and his relationship with Mira 28:59 Writing and pacing 31:23 Eliza's 'use' of The Drawbacks and the response to the book 37:06 The Onseon engine 39:20 Dragon pearls 42:25 The themes of motherhood and friendship 46:18 The use of gods 49:46 The controversial ending! 51:25 Book two, Tideborn 52:23 Harbour Of Hungry Ghosts 53:52 The game of Wulan Photo credit: Sandi Hodkinson Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
First live show details Guests: Alex Hay (The Queen Of Fives; The Housekeepers), Stacey Thomas (The Revels), Lucy Barker (The Other Side Of Mrs Wood) Date: Wednesday 26th February Location: Goldfinch Books, Alton, Hampshire Ticket link: https://bit.ly/3Das5kn Accessibility: Both the shop itself and the toilets are accessible.
Charlie and Elaine Chiew (The Light Between Us) discuss early 20th century Singaporean photography and its influences on Elaine's novel in depth, which involves looking at social issues and the history of the qipao. We also dive into the time travel aspects and the use of Chinese spirit-mediums. A transcript is available on my site General references: The Lake House (2006) Il Mare (2000) The Young Companion magazine In The Mood For Love Books mentioned by name or extensively: Constance Turnbull: A History Of Singapore Elaine Chiew: The Heartsick Diaspora Elaine Chiew: The Light Between Us Elaine Chiew (ed.): Cooked Up! Kevin Kwan: Crazy Rich Asians Terence Heng: Of Gods, Gifts and Ghosts Spiritual Places in Urban Spaces Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Sympathizer Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 23rd July 2024; published 9th December 2024 Where to find Elaine online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 00:02:04 About Elaine's research into early 20th century Singaporean photographs and bringing voices that haven't had a say in fiction to the fore 00:10:28 How important is The Light Between Us's Tian Wei compared to Charlie [the character]? 00:14:48 Working out the time travel and including Charlie's family 00:21:04 How Elaine's career in the creative arts influenced the book, and how women in Singapore used their agency when being photographed 00:35:38 Looking at the smaller moments of war and the lead up to war. Also Elaine's inclusion of the Ghee Hin Kong Si 00:40:19 Aiko's creation and importance in the book 00:47:17 Elaine's writing style and use of punctuation which fascinated our host! 00:52:14 The use of the tangki and all that involved 01:00:59 Brief notes on what Elaine is writing now Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Emma Cowell (The Island Love Song) discuss the Greek island of Hydra, reactions from readers in regards to IVF and polyamory plot threads, early onset dementia, and the Parthenon sculptures. A transcript is available on my site General references: Leonard Cohen's Bird On A Wire The photo of the lady in shadow that Emma took The Pirate Bar, Hydra Books mentioned by name or extensively: Emma Cowell: One Last Letter From Greece Emma Cowell: The House In The Olive Grove Emma Cowell: The Island Love Song Emma Cowell: Under The Lemon Tree Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 9th July 2024; published 25th November 2024 Where to find Emma online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:20 The inspiration - the Greek island of Hydra 04:10 The conflict in the book, siblings, and how being on an island makes it more dramatic 06:04 The island as a character 07:41 Why it was important to explore sisterhood and non-chosen family 13:40 Writing Georgia in all her chaos and character progression 18:24 Ella and having to live with your ex having wrote a song about you 20:18 Emma tells us about the songs in the book (they exist!) and her musical background 24:32 Leonard Cohen's influence in terms of Hydra, and Hydra's lack of technology 27:51 Emma's use of the island of Dokos and writing about researching Greek food at The Pirate Bar 34:29 Emma discusses IVF journeys, parenthood, and readers who contact her to thank her for the way she includes fertility and romantic issues. We then move on to a time in Greece where there were very problematic adoptions 40:00 The concept of twin flames 42:32 Emma's inclusion of early onset dementia 48:27 Why Emma set her 'present day' storyline in 2016 - student days and mobile phone usage 51:15 Emma's thoughts on returning the Elgin marbles/Parthenon sculptures 54:05 What's next - the book to be named Under The Lemon Tree. This morphs into a longer conversation about how Emma writes and plots 58:52 What Emma cut from The Island Love Song Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Susan Muaddi Darraj (Behind You Is The Sea) discuss the Palestinian Christian community, her immigrant characters and their children, how she used the current conflict in her stories, and the segregation and working class in Baltimore, Maryland. Please note this episode mentions domestic violence. A transcript is available on my site Books mentioned by name or extensively: Lawrence T Brown: The Black Butterfly Susan Muaddi Darraj: Farah Rocks Fifth Grade Susan Muaddi Darraj: Farah Rocks Summer Break Susan Muaddi Darraj: Farah Rocks New Beginnings Susan Muaddi Darraj: Farah Rocks Florida Susan Muaddi Darraj: Behind You Is The Sea Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 25th June 2024; published 11th November 2024 Where to find Susan online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:49 The initial inspiration for Behind You Is The Sea - Susan's character, Marcus Salameh 05:01 How poetry runs in Susan's family 07:21 The focus on women and women's worth 09:15 Susan's choices in making most of her characters people from one family 10:36 The story Hashtag - including stories of domestic violence and murder - and how the West would see it 16:13 How Susan doesn't want to be 'nice' to her characters 18:37 The different generations and how they relate to one another, and then we move on to discuss a spin-off novel that Susan is writing 23:55 Where the title, Behind You Is The Sea, came from 26:16 How Palestinian Muslims and Palestinian Christians live peacefully together in Palestine 31:13 Segregation in Baltimore 35:53 The way Susan included the current Arab-Israeli conflict in the book 37:35 What's next - Susan's current works in progress, including her work for children Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Louise Morrish discuss the extensive efforts the latter went to in order to be published, the networking she did prior to that, and how she's giving back to the writing community. Please note there is a very mild swear word at the end of this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Goldfinch Books Owner Gary is Gary Clark of The Interland series Books mentioned by name or extensively: Louise Morrish: Operation Moonlight Louise Morrish: Women Of War The Writer's And Artists' Yearbook Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 17th July 2024; published 4th November 2024 Where to find Louise online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:11 The early days of Louise's writing and the Faber Academy course 03:54 The importance of networking with others 05:32 Struggling to get anywhere, submitting to the Penguin Random House First Novel Competition, and winning 12:27 Persevering in the face of rejection 14:30 Class, and, then, novels in the drawer 17:53 The process Louise used when submitting to all the agents and talking about shyness and gaining confidence 27:16 More on the writing groups Louise runs and 'giving back' 31:52 About Louise's books, Operation Moonlight, and Women Of War 37:07 Being a librarian and seeing your own books in the libraries Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Mark Stay (The Witches Of Woodville) discuss writing humour into wartime, using period-correct language as well as slang, why community is important and how much we've lost over the decades, and the metric ton of projects he has on the go. Please note there are various uses of very minor curse words. A transcript is available on my site General references: The Bestseller Experiment Claire Burgess' YouTube video about jam roly polyThe Fortean Times Mark's newsletter The Witches Of Woodville website I spoke to Jacquie Bloese in episode 101 I spoke to Lucy Barker in episode 96 A Canterbury Tale (Powell and Pressburger) Went The Day Well Threads The Day After When The Wind Blows Chernobyl The Last Of Us The transcript for Scriptnotes episode 403 Ben Aaronovitch's episode on The Bestseller Experiment Unwelcome Nautilus Books mentioned by name or extensively: Becky Brown: Blitz Spirit C K McDonnell: The Stranger Times Constance Miles: Mrs Miles's Diary Dennis Knight: Harvest Of Messerschmitts Mark Stay: The Crow Folk Mark Stay: Babes In The Wood Mark Stay: The Ghost Of Ivy Barn Mark Stay: The Holly King Mark Stay: The Corn Bride Mark Stay: The End Of Magic Mark Stay: The End Of Dragons Mark Stay and Mark Oliver: Back To Reality Nella Last: Nella Last's War Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 19th June 2024; published 28th October 2024 Where to find Mark online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:25 Where the series might go in terms of number of books 03:14 Jam roly poly, getting bell ringing correct, and the forthcoming inclusion of the Morris Dancers in a pivotal role 05:34 The very first beginnings of the Witches of Woodville series 10:05 All about Faye and her relative immaturity 13:10 Widening the scope beyond humour to be more serious 16:02 Creating Miss Charlotte and Mrs Teach 18:10 Does Mark have future plots in mind? 18:49 The characters of the community of Woodville, starting with a question about the librarian 22:45 On Bertie's Battle of Britain diary 26:35 The language in the books - repetitions, and old-fashioned phrases 30:34 Mark's inclusion of the work of German artist, Hannah Höch 32:57 Grief as a theme 36:39 Miss Charlotte's sight and not wanting to make people invincible 41:19 Mark's use of real people in the series, and where you might find pieces of himself in his work. Mark also talks about how we've lost a sense of community 48:05 Mark's time co-hosting The Bestseller Experiment Podcast, why he moved on, and the various projects he's planning 53:54 More about Mark's current film project Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Jessica Bull (Miss Austen Investigates) discuss Jane Austen! The mysteries in her books, what and how she read, her likely views on slavery, her forgotten brother, the proposals of marriage she received (there were many!), and her life in her birthplace of Steventon. A transcript is available on my site General references: Charlie said she'd find info on the yew tree, here's Jessica Bull's Instagram reel on St Nicholas' Church Books mentioned by name or extensively: Ann Radcliffe: The Mysteries Of Udolpho Charlotte Lennox: The Female Quixote Claire Tomalin: Jane Austen: A Life Daniel Livesay: Children Of Uncertain Fortune Deirdre Le Faye (ed.) Jane Austen's Letters Frances Burney: Camilla Frances Burney: Cecelia James Edward Austen-Leigh: A Memoir Of Jane Austen Jane Austen: Sense And Sensibility Jane Austen: Pride And Prejudice Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey Jane Austen: Sanditon Jessica Bull: Miss Austen Investigates (The Hapless Milliner) Jessica Bull: Miss Austen Investigates: A Fortune Most Fatal Lucy Worsley: Jane Austen At Home Henry James: Tom Jones Margaret Edgeworth: Belinda Matthew Gregory Lewis: The Monk PD James: Death Comes To Pemberley Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 29th April 2024; published 14th October 2024 Where to find Jessica online: Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:35 Jessica's love of and study of Jane Austen 05:30 Expanding on Jessica's statement that a lot of Austen involves mystery 10:45 Were you ever worried about how people might view your Jane Austen, her silliness? 17:15 The importance of including, in the novel, what Jane Austen was reading 21:11 Where Cowper, Austen's favourite poet, comes into it, and we begin to discuss Austen's views of slavery and abolition, and Jessica's response to such 27:04 The price of books in those days! 28:51 We discuss a ton about Steventon, Austen's birth place - Jessica's recreation of the house and our own visits to the location 32:57 Talking about the other family members, including Anna and, particularly, George and what we know about him 39:34 About the people Jessica had to cut from the book and how she's going to go forward in terms of including people later in the series 41:52 All about Jessica's fictional letters and the allusions to the real ones 45:22 What Jessica believes about Austen and Tom Lefroy's relationship and Austen's love live in general 49:53 Changing real events to suit the novel, as well as Austen's agency, and locations 53:20 Jessica's time in Hampshire, seeing Chawton and how it inspired her 54:57 About book 2, A Fortune Most Fatal, and the fraudster Princess Caraboo 58:04 Brief notes on how many books may be in the series Photo credit: Cassie Burac Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Nikki Marmery (Lilith) discuss her epic tale that looks from the start of the Genesis story all the way to our present day, showing how the biblical stories did away with an all-important goddess for women - Yahweh's wife - and the consequences that has had. There is discussion, too, on the Gnostic gospels, various mythologies, and environmentalism. A transcript is available on my site General references: Jeremiah 7:18 says: "The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour out drink offerings to other gods." About Asherah poles, which Charlie notes, there are many references in the Bible. One such is Deuteronomy 16:21: "Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God." Jennifer Saint's episode where she mentions Sarah Clegg is is 95 The quote from St Paul Nikki includes is from 1 Timothy 2:12 Books mentioned by name or extensively: Francesca Stavrakopoulou: God: An Anatomy John Milton: Paradise Lost Nikki Marmery: On Wilder Seas Nikki Marmery: Lilith Sarah Clegg: Women's Lore The Bible Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 18th April 2024; published 23rd September 2024 Where to find Nikki online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 00:01:36 The inspiration - the way the goddess Asherah, god's wife, was taken out of tradition, and the icons that have survived through time 00:04:23 Is there a way Asherah might've been able to continue as a worshipped goddess longer than she did? 00:10:13 All about Nikki's character of Lilith and how the original faiths saw men and women as equal 00:18:25 Nikki's employment of other myths and religions, how they they interacted, and the origins of now-Christian symbols 00:24:49 Nikki's inclusion of Ereskigal, goddess of the Underworld in Sumerian mythology 00:28:41 Nikki's effective dismissal of Heaven and her historical and Biblical reasoning 00:34:23 The environmental aspect of the book 00:37:12 How Nikki's Eden and the events therein are just a small part of the wider world, and, also, Noah's Ark in this context 00:42:50 Nikki's Biblical language. We then move on to her character of Samael specifically 00:48:41 The varied inclusions of Jezebel and Salome 00:53:04 Nikki's depiction of Jesus and using the Gnostic gospels 00:59:51 Nikki's religious background 01:02:07 Brief notes on what Nikki's planning to write next Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Natalie Jenner (Every Time We Say Goodbye) discuss the war years and 1950s Italian film industry and the Vatican's authority over it, changing working practices after being accused of discrimination, and including still-living celebrities in your book. A transcript is available on my site General references: I talked to Natalie about her previous book, Bloomsbury Girls, in episode 65 Day For Night Quo Vadis Umanità Nine Summertime Three Coins In The Fountain Roman Holiday A similar quote of Kurt Vonnegut's is "Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages." I talked to Liz Fenwick about the map girls in episode 100 Natalie's Instagram post on Ray Holland The Prince Of Foxes Natalie's episode on chapters 7-9 of Pride And Prejudice for the Rosenbach Library Books mentioned by name or extensively: Charles Dickens: Our Mutual Friend Charles Dickens: A Tale Of Two Cities Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Last Days Of Pompeii Henry James: The Portrait Of A Lady Jane Austen: Pride And Prejudice Jane Austen: Emma Joe Klein: Primary Colors Natalie Jenner: The Jane Austen Society Natalie Jenner: Bloomsbury Girls Natalie Jenner: Every Time We Say Goodbye Natalie Jenner: Austen At Sea Sophia Loren: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow My Life Zadie Smith: The Fraud Zoe Wheddon: Jane Austen's Best Friend Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 11th April 2024; published 9th September 2024 Where to find Natalie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 00:01:52 The different inspirations for the book - old films, Natalie's character Vivian from her previous book, Bloomsbury Girls, the WW2 refugees that lived at the Cinecittà movie studies and then used as extras (this turns into a longer discussion) 00:10:58 More about Cinecittà itself 00:13:08 The Vatican's past authority over the Italian film industry 00:17:59 How Natalie researches her books, and her love of Rome 00:29:30 John Lassiter, urgh! 00:34:20 The importance of Tabitha's story and how a reader's criticism changed how Natalie wrote 00:38:25 La Scolaretta and the stafetta - the young women messengers and assassins in WW2 Italy 00:44:45 Natalie's knowing, and the life of, Ray Holland, film-maker Jack Salvatori's son 00:52:28 Writing as characters celebrities who are still with us, with a focus on Sophia Loren 00:59:16 All about Natalie's forthcoming next book, Austen At Sea, which Charlie reckons will end up being her favourite of all Natalie's books 01:08:59 Natalie tells us why she likely won't write about Jane Austen herself Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
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Charlie and Matt Ottley (The Tree Of Ecstasy And Unbearable Sadness) discuss Matt's type I bipolar disorder and how it has influenced this, his latest book, and his life in general. As Matt is also a composer and illustrator and the book involves both, we also discuss in detail the creation of the music and artwork. Please note that there are mentions of child sexual abuse and attempted suicide in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: The Sound Of Picture Books on YouTube Film trailer for The Tree Of Ecstasy And Unbearable Sadness Tina Wilson set up the Lester Prize Books mentioned by name or extensively: Matt Ottley: The Tree Of Ecstasy And Unbearable Sadness Buy the books: UK Release details: recorded 16th April 2024; published 26th August 2024 Where to find Matt online: Website || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 00:01:36 The whys of the book - why this story, why produce it in this way, why now (this turns into a larger discussion of Matt's bipolar disorder and how it affects him) 00:13:18 Matt's musical initiative for children, The Sound Of Picture Books 00:19:45 The artistic process of the book, the artwork 00:24:35 The image of the pregnant mother in water, Matt's painting of water in general, and the elephants 00:29:08 The animals in terms of metaphors of unreality, evolution, and mania 00:32:32 Where Matt started in illustration, music, and writing - the discussion revolves mostly around music - and also inspirations 00:42:01 All about the music - composing, recording, the orchestra, choir, and so on 00:52:01 [An extract of music from the score, courtesy of Matt] 00:58:34 Discussing the narration and narrator, Matt's wife, Tina Wilson 01:02:04 The book's text - starting point and so on 01:04:38 Matt tells us about his childhood, family, and experience of bipolar growing up 01:09:34 What's next? (A variety of projects are discussed.) Photo credit: Tina Wilson Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Kate Weston (You May Now Kill The Bride) discuss her hilarious comedy thriller wherein a group of friends go on a hen do, one of them is murdered, but they don't stop going to hen dos... Please note there is some swearing in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Below Deck Books mentioned by name or extensively: Kate Weston: Murder On A School Night Kate Weston: You May Now Kill The Bride Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: Recorded 14th March 2024; published 12th August 2024 Where to find Kate online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:56 The starting point/inspiration - hen dos (and Kate's own) 06:17 Why the murders? 08:01 How did you plan/write the book? 10:34 Creating the friends and their personalities 14:58 Was there a particular reason why you offed Tansy first? 16:37 Did you want the murderer to be worked out? 18:36 Have you got a favourite character? 20:00 How did you keep the balance between the bonkers and the realistic? 21:55 Jeremy's club 23:34 Could someone else have been the murderer? 25:29 Could DI Ashford and Lauren's thread ever end happily? 27:04 Transitioning from writing YA 28:59 What are you writing now? 29:29 Tell us about your stand-up career Photo credit: Joanna Bongard Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is Joined by Liz Fenwick, Emma Cowell, Ronali Collings, and Tammye Huf, for a general bookish chat. We start off with an excellent conversation on the industry's use of 'women's fiction' when the genderless 'commerical fiction' would do very well. Please note there is one use of 'damn' in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Leonard Cohen's Bird On A Wire The 'Women in Love' panel Liz was on was part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2015 The Constant Gardener (film) Desert Island Discs Escape To The Country Books mentioned by name or extensively: Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre Elissa Soave: Ginger And Me Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights Emma Cowell: One Last Letter From Greece Emma Cowell: the House In The Olive Grove Emma Cowell: The Island Love Song John Le Carré: The Constant Gardener Kate Atkinson: Life After Life Liz Fenwick: One Cornish Summer Liz Fenwick: The Secret Shore Paul Auster: The Brooklyn Follies Paul Auster: The New York Trilogy Ronali Collings: All The Single Ladies Sarah Winman: A Year Of Marvellous Ways Tammye Huf: A More Perfect Union Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 6th May 2024; published 5th August 2024 Where to find Liz online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Emma online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Ronali online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Tammye online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 04:02 What is your genre? (The authors discuss labels in terms of gender expectations and marketing in this vein.) 08:25 How do you books do overseas? 10:40 If you wrote in another genre, which would it be? 15:14 If your book was turned into a film or TV show, who would you want cast in it? 20:33 If you could've written someone else's book, whose would you choose? (Some interesting discussions on individual writing styles here.) 26:01 What is the best fan or reader encounter you've had? 31:50 What do you wish you'd known before you became a published author? (Turns into a longer conversation about the difficulty of writing to a deadline.) 41:28 Can you remember any particularly interesting fact that you discovered in your research that couldn't be included in the book? 44:54 Tell us about what you're currently writing Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Phillip Lewis, Melissa Fu, and Amanda Geard for a general bookish chat. This is a slightly quieter episode with some incredibly poignant and compelling stories. A transcript is available on my site General references: Seamus Heany's Limbo Phillip quotes from Dorothy L Sayers' Unnatural Death. The full quote is "...After all, it isn't really difficult to write books. Especially if you either write a rotten story in good English or a good story in rotten English, which is as far as most people seem to get nowadays." Melissa's episode of The Diverse Bookshelf Amanda's episode of Richard & Judy's podcast Phillip's episode of Charlotte Readers Information about Charles Ray Finch Information about Ronnie Long Netflix's The Staircase The episode of this podcast that includes Dorothy L Sayers is episode 100 with Liz Fenwick Books mentioned by name or extensively: Amanda Geard: The Midnight House Amanda Geard: The Moon Gate David S Rudolph: American Injustice Dodie Smith: I Capture The Castle Dorothy L Sayers: Unnatural Death Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Secret Garden Grace Paley: Enormous Changes At The Last Minute Judy Finnigan: Roseland Melissa Fu: Peach Blossom Spring Phillip Lewis: The Barrowfields Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 28th March 2024; published 29th July 2024 Where to find Phillip online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Melissa online: Website || Instagram Where to find Amanda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 04:10 What does your genre do and what it is for? 09:48 Where do you write, and where do you like to read? 16:46 What's the nicest thing anyone's said about your books, or the nicest review? 20:29 Tell us about a time when you were a guest on another podcast 25:38 What did you do before you were a published author or what do you do alongside your writing? 33:06 You can have a coffee morning with three other authors. Who are you choosing? 39:44 What bookish event or personal bookish event are you looking forward to within the next few years? Photo credit: Isil Dohnke, Sophie Davidson, Amanda Geard Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Manda Scott (Any Human Power) discuss her book in terms of its Shamanist contexts, her informed ideas for how we can change and thus improve the UK political system, and playing Dungeons And Dragons with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon. We also discuss Mass Multiplayer Online gaming in the context of both Manda's book and, briefly, ourselves - this is an episode wherein two gamers meet. A transcript is available on my site General references: Historical Writer's Association Accidental Gods Podcast Thrutopian Writer's Association Ursula K Le Guin's original quotation, "We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable - but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art" is from her speech in acceptance of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, 19th November 2014 Chauvet Cave artwork The writer Charlie couldn't remember is Max Porter, his book is Grief Is The Thing With Feathers World Of Warcraft Guild Wars 2 Doom The Accidental Gods membership program Books mentioned by name or extensively: Isabel Harman: Why We Get The Wrong Politicians Manda Scott: Any Human Power Manda Scott: Boudica Max Porter: Grief Is The Thing With Feathers Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 11th March 2024; published 22nd July 2024 Where to find Manda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:50 What was the very initial thought or kernel of this book? 08:52 What Manda would like to see happen in order to start accomplishing the environmental and political goals put forth in Any Human Power 14:13 Lan - why is she dead? 18:00 About the 'spirit guides' in the book, discussing crows 22:02 Lan not stopping the story thread in which Kaitlyn dies 25:42 Manda delves into all the political change in the book and her thoughts on our real UK world in this context 37:10 How far we're meant to like/connect with the characters and how flaws are important 41:16 At the end we have the sense of cycles; do we see a chance for things to change for Lan later on? 43:43 Manda talks about one of her influences, Taiwan's government system 46:22 Talking Manda's use of World Of Warcraft (WoW) in the book, which devolves into a short gaming conversation 50:21 Manda played D&D with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon - details 53:07 About Manda's podcast, Accidental Gods 56:30 What Manda's writing now, including book 2 Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Elissa Soave, Jenni Keer, and Chloe Timms for a general bookish chat. This one is big on writing, branding, and marketing, and, if Charlie dares says herself, is one of the most fun episodes of this entire show. Please note there is a mild swear word in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Confessions Of A Debut Novelist Groundhog Day Elissa episode with me is number 80 Elissa's episode on Chloe's podcast Chloe's writer's club The Lake House Books mentioned by name or extensively: Chloe Timms: The Seawomen Daphne Du Maurier: Rebecca Elissa Soave: Ginger And Me Elissa Soave: Graffiti Girls Eliza Clark: Penance Guillermo del Toro: The Shape Of Water Janice Galloway: Collected Stories Janice Galloway's The Trick Is To Keep Breathing Jenni Keer: The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place Jenni Keer: At The Stroke Of Midnight Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood: The Testaments Roget's Thesaurus Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 7th March 2024; published 15th July 2024 Where to find Elissa online: Twitter Where to find Jenni online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Chloe online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:21 What is your genre and what does it do, what's it for? 11:31 If you wrote in another genre, which would it be? 17:47 How is your social media strategy? 27:22 What's the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 33:01 If you could have written someone else's book, which book would you choose? 37:17 What is the best writing advice you've ever been given? 43:56 All three tell us what they're currently writing, soon publishing (in two cases), and Elissa also tells us about her November 2024 release Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Jacquie Bloese (The Golden Hour/The Secret Photographs) discuss early erotic photography, Victorian erotic stage performances, and the beginnings of bicycle use for women which had a huge impact on female agency. Please note there are mentions of suicide and abuse in this episode A transcript is available on my site General references: The photograph of Marie Berin Marion Sambourne's diary I can recommend the keyword phrase 'early bicycle wear women' for lots of pictures of the outfits Jacquie describes Wikipedia's article on the history of women cycling (bicycling and feminism) Books mentioned by name or extensively: Jacquie Bloese: The Golden Hour Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 3rd April 2024; published 8th July 2024 Where to find Jacquie online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:26 The whys of this book and the inspiration, particularly in the context of the photography 03:56 More about the model written about by Linley Sambourne, who committed suicide, and how Jacquie was influenced by it 05:47 Why Jacquie chose Brighton, and why she chose the Victorian period in that context also 09:00 About the female photographer, Marie Bertin, that Jacquie mentioned 09:58 About Holywell Street in London 11:30 The women points of view of The Golden Hour - Ellen, Clem, and Lily 16:23 Harriet (Harry) Smart and the music halls/theatres 20:28 More about The Vigilant Association 24:08 How Jacquie plotted her book and kept all the secrets straight in her mind 28:34 How Ottile had a bigger role in previous drafts 31:46 The importance of the questions of sexuality 34:53 Ellen and Reynold's mother, her story and the significance of her story 38:05 Women! Cycling! And the importance of cycling for women at the time 42:09 About Jacquie's inclusion of cats and the way they influenced the book 44:35 What Jacquie's writing now, her book that includes silent films Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Alex Hay, Stacey Thomas, and Lucy Barker for a general bookish chat with a concentration on the writing. The trio toured together as debuts and we get to witness just how well they work together. A transcript is available on my site General references: Downton Abbey Ocean's Eleven Mary & George (Julianne Moore) Zsolt's Instagram post on The Revels Euphoria Fear The Walking Dead Pride And Prejudice Persuasion Books mentioned by name or extensively: Alex Hay: The Housekeepers Isabella Beeton: Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management Stacey Thomas: The Revels Lucy Barker: The Other Side Of Mrs Wood Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: Recorded 18th January 2024; published 1st July 2024 Where to find Alex online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Stacey online: Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Lucy online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:44 How the trio's debut novelist tour came about 05:42 Anecdotes about the tour 08:37 Will you do another tour? 09:40 Last discussion on the tour 10:39 What is historical fiction, what does it do, what's it for? 20:51 Was there anything particular that you liked in research but couldn't include in your book? 31:25 What is the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 34:25 If your book was to be adapted who would you want cast in it? 37:46 Tell us more about what you're writing at the moment Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Liz Fenwick (The Secret Shore) discuss the women cartographers who were fundamental in the Allies winning the Second World War and the way women at university at the time had to choose between their career and having a family. We also discuss Liz's love of Cornwall, her use of Dorothy Sayer's Gaudy Night, and we go back a few times to the people who were involved in the secret flotillas that preceded the Normandy landings. A transcript is available on my site General references: My previous interview with Liz is episode 35 Liz's TikTok plot walk on Frenchman's Creek The Woman's Hour episode including women's intuition Books mentioned by name or extensively: Daphne Du Maurier: Frenchman's Creek Dorothy Sayers: Gaudy Night Ernie Pyle: The Best Of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches Liz Fenwick: A Cornish Stranger Liz Fenwick: The Returning Tide Liz Fenwick: The Path To The Sea Liz Fenwick: The River Between Us Liz Fenwick: The Secret Shore Liz Fenwick: A Portrait Of You Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 25th March 2024; published 24th June 2024 Where to find Liz online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:45 You'd wanted to write about the secret flotillas for a long time? 02:58 Women's work in cartography in the Second World War 05:48 Furthering this discussion we go to Liz's character, Merry, or Dr Tremayne, and begin a discussion on what Liz left out of this book 09:42 More about Merry's work in the context of how a woman had to choose between a career and having a family, particularly in the context of Oxford University 16:06 Merry's mother, Elise, including her story in The Secret Shore 19:46 The romance in the book, including the love story 23:00 Liz's love and use in her novels of Frenchman's Creek, Cornwall 25:06 Ridifarne! 27:01 Is heart or head more important? 28:16 Liz's use of Dorothy Sayers' Gaudy Night and the character of Peter Wimsey 31:19 The real people in the book and how Liz made it all happen 33:38 All about Maurice Cohen and the mouse 35:22 The sacred wells in Cornwall 38:14 All about Liz's plot walks, which she releases to TikTok 41:03 Does it feel strange when you're not writing about Cornwall? 44:10 Liz's next book, A Portrait Of You Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Gill Paul, Elizabeth Fremantle, Amanda Geard, and Maggie Brookes for a general bookish chat. We get all philosophical about genre, discuss film adaptations (Elizabeth's Firebrand is out), whose books we wish we could have written, and best fan encounters. A transcript is available on my site General references: Firebrand - the UK release date it 14th June A Royal Affair House Of The Dragon Netflix's The Queen's Gambit Amanda's interview with me on The Moon Gate is episode 84 Elizabeth's appearance on BBC Front Row The Irish Times' article on Amanda's house (includes a photo of the room we discuss) Father Ted The Historical Novel Society 2024 Conference Books mentioned by name or extensively: Amanda Geard: The Midnight House Amanda Geard: The Moon Gate Diana Gabaldon: Voyager Dodie Smith: I Capture The Castle Elizabeth Fremantle: Queen's Gambit Elizabeth Fremantle: Disobedient Elizabeth Fremantle: The Sinners (working title) Gill Paul: The Secret Wife Gill Paul: Another Woman's Husband Gill Paul: The Manhattan Girls Gill Paul: A Beautiful Rival Gill Paul: Scandalous Women Jenny Ashcroft: Echoes Of Love Kerry Fisher: The Secret Child Maggie Brookes: The Prisoner's Wife Maggie Brookes: Acts Of Love And War Maggie O'Farrell: I Am, I Am, I Am Paula McLain: The Paris Wife Walter Tevis: The Queen's Gambit Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: Recorded 26th September 2023; published 26th February 2024 Where to find Elizabeth online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Amanda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Gill online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Maggie online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:36 What is historical fiction - what does it do, what it is for? 06:09 If you wrote in another genre, what would it be? 08:29 If your book was to be made into a film or TV show, who would you want cast in it? 13:03 Can you describe your latest book without talking about the plot at all? 15:47 If you could have written someone else's book, whose would you choose? 18:38 What's the weirdest thing anyone's said about one of your books? 22:43 What's the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 26:11 Have you ever been mistaken for another author? 28:55 What is the best interview you've had excluding this podcast? 32:53 What is the best writing advice you've ever been given? 37:27 Can you remember any particularly interesting fact that you discovered in research that you couldn't include in your book? 42:48 What bookish event are you looking forward to in the next couple of years? 45:52 What is everyone's next book? (Except Gill - she mentioned hers earlier.) Photo credit: Gill Paul, JP Masclet, Amanda Geard, Lyn Gregory Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ (Dazzling) discuss Igbo mythology, the differences between polygamy and monogamy in Igbo culture, and the social impacts of colonialism and military coups in Nigeria. Chịkọdịlị also talks about having her characters bother her when she's trying to shower, finding literature in rubbish heaps, and needing a literary residency - please let her know if you've one to spare! Please note there are mentions of rape and general violence in this episode. Where to find Chịkọdịlị online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:43 The starting point of Dazzling 04:54 The original narratives and the hows and whys of Chịkọdịlị's choices in terms of points of view and tenses 07:41 Why Chịkọdịlị doesn't have a favourite character and how she knows her characters 09:23 Is Chịkọdịlị writing a sequel? Shhh... 14:13 Chịkọdịlị tells us about how she worked on world building, which includes information about her childhood in Nigeria and how it compared to her initial years in the UK. She also discusses colonial and Christian impacts on Igbo culture 22:03 Why it was important to include the lack of family - Chịkọdịlị talks about polygamy in her culture and the differences between that and a one-mother family 29:08 The spirits and Igbo mythology in the book 34:32 Chịkọdịlị's use of the leopard society, which is a factual society, and who they were in reality 39:47 The 'lost girls' in the book - the whys and hows and the connections to reality. And the 'use' of menstruation 44:15 The inclusion of politics and its importance - looking at the civil wars and coups 47:04 Bringing the Harmattan into what Chịkọdịlị's been saying 49:25 What Chịkọdịlị is writing now Photo credit: The Visual Team.
Charlie and Sarah Marsh (A Sign Of Her Own) discuss the lesser-known aspect of Alexander Bell's work - teaching deaf children to speak - in terms of both the real history and the fictionalised character she created in order to explore the events. This includes snippets about the manufactured rivalry between the two inventors of the telephone; Bell's wife, Mabel Hubbard (who was deaf); the Deaf community in London in the late 1800s; and the way Sarah employs language - written, signed, spoken - to excellent effect. A transcript of this episode is available on the podcast website. Reuben Conrad's 1979 book is called Deaf School Child Wikipedia's page on Bell and Elisha Grey's rivalry Where to find Sarah online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:55 The inspiration for A Sign Of Her Own 03:27 Alexander Bell's work with deaf children, 'Visible Speech', and the reality of it all 07:08 The Deaf community in London at the time 08:13 The locations - America and London 09:21 The characters, particularly Sarah's fictional heroine, Ellen, and where bird names as surnames come into it 11:49 Talking about Mabel Hubbard, Alexander Bell's wife, who was deaf 13:24 The rivalry between Alexander Bell and Elisha Grey 15:30 The way Sarah uses different languages in her book 18:57 The romance in the book, between Ellen and Frank 20:48 Where Sarah sees Ellen going in her life beyond the book 22:34 Brief notes on what Sarah's writing now
Charlie and Natasha Solomons (Fair Rosaline) discuss Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, told from the perspective of Rosaline, wherein Romeo is a groomer and Juliet must be saved from him. We discuss as well Natasha's stylistic choices for her prose and the changes she made to the original ending. Please note that there is a lot of discussion of sexually predatory behaviour and some explicit language in this episode. Mark Scott's rephrasing of Charles Dibdin's argument can be found in his 1987 publication, Shakespearean Criticism, page 419 Natasha's I, Mona Lisa Natasha's Mr Rosenblum's List Ros Barber, The Marlowe Papers Pamela Butchart's To Wee Or Not To Wee Susan Calman's audiobook version of Pamela Butchart's To Wee Or Not To Wee Where to find Natasha online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:39 The inspiration for Fair Rosaline - Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet as being darker than it's portrayed 06:18 How we never see Rosaline in the original, and how Natasha changes this 07:01 Shakespeare's own thoughts on his characters, and Natasha's interpretations here 10:29 How Natasha borrowed from other Shakespearean Rosalines and Rosalinds 16:32 The importance of Juliet and her relative relevance in the book, and how Natasha considered different types of readers when she wrote 19:39 We start talking about the changes Natasha makes to the ending 20:44 Romeo's copying Tybalt - the balcony and roses not being Romeo's original idea in Fair Rosaline 21:57 The theme of roses and thorns 24:54 How Natasha wrote her prose - similar but not the same as Shakespeare's 28:12 How Natasha changes (or, as she says, 'made it more explicit') Friar Lawrence 32:45 The men being in on it 34:17 The importance of the convent and the theme of women's freedom 40:25 Tybalt's death and why Natasha made the choices she did 42:29 How Natasha wrote with her young daughter beside her on Zoom in lockdown 44:34 What Natasha's writing now: Cleopatra, with the Shakespearean influence again 47:18 There will be a play of Fair Rosaline!
Charlie and Lucy Barker (The Other Side Of Mrs Wood) discuss Victorian mediums both factual and fictionalised - their work, the spiritualism that led to their popularity, the social circles, the rivalry, the rumours of fraud, and the women's roles as early grief counselors. We also talk about the early days of the Suffrage movement and various aspects of the book's ending. Please note there is a very mild swear word in this episode. The Courtauld's exhibition of Georgiana Houghton's spirit paintings A preview of Tracy Ann Oberman's audio version of The Other Side Of Mrs Wood Lucy's blog post on the postal service in Victorian times One Night At McCool's Lucy's blog post on using Notting Hill Where to find Lucy online Blog || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:50 The real mediums who inspired the book: Agnes Guppy and Florence Cook 05:17 Lucy talks about how mediums in general were able to escape accusations of falsehood despite many being outed as frauds 08:53 The fickleness and loyalty of medium patrons 10:35 Why the Victorians were in to Spiritualism 14:00 The importance of the references to America throughout the book - America's own spiritualism 15:27 Mrs Wood, Miss Newman, and Miss Finch 19:07 The very early days of the women's suffrage movement 22:30 About Mrs Wood's circle of people 26:35 How Mrs Wood seeing herself as providing a service for grieving people, and the role of mediums in early grief counseling 29:34 The comedy in the book, and Lucy speaks briefly about her next book in the context of humour 30:58 Lucy's use of letters in the book, and Mr Clore's columns 33:23 The ending: why Lucy chose the ending she did for Mrs Wood and Mr Larson 35:32 Charlie thought it was going to be revealed that Miss Finch could really talk to spirits - Lucy discusses this point. Listen in! 37:24 The ending: Mrs Wood and Miss Finch and their terms 39:20 Lucy tells us about the locations in the book: Victorian-era Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove 42:32 Lucy gives us more information about her next book
Charlie and Jennifer Saint (Atalanta) discuss the forgotten story of the female member of the Argonauts - Jennifer's use of and changes to the various versions of the mythological story, including her usage of motherhood as a theme, Homer's thoughts on his women characters, the assault of Callisto, and the fact that Jason isn't much of a hero. Please note there are mentions of sexual assault in this episode. Episode 60 of this podcast is my interview with Jennifer about Elektra Jennifer's Elektra Jennifer's Ariadne The Argonautica Sarah Clegg's Women's Lore Cicero said, in the Tusculan Disputations, Book I, On The Contempt Of Death, section XXXIX: "If a child dies young, one should console himself easily. If he dies in the cradle, one doesn't even pay attention." Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad Where to find Jennifer online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:42 Why Atalanta, what drew you to her? 03:19 Why the first person in particular and how did you create Atalanta's voice? 06:31 The relevance of Atalanta's story to our present day, especially compared to Elektra 08:49 The unimportance of Jason (of the Argonauts) 10:07 Atalanta's growth as a person and her relative genderlessness 12:49 How and why Jennifer included motherhood in the way that she does (and how there are bad parents in Greek mythology) 17:54 Depending on the version of the story, Atalanta doesn't always meet Artemis - Jennifer talks about this and her choices for her story. We then move on to Callisto's story and the different versions of it 24:25 Jennifer talks about how Homer seems to have empathy for the women in his stories as part of a wider discussion as to the reception of the female characters in Ancient Greek society 27:49 How Jennifer approached writing the male characters, who revolve around Atalanta rather than the other way around 34:57 The ending - becoming lions would've been seen as a punishment in Ancient Greece, so how did Jennifer change this for her story? 38:02 Artemis' and Aphrodite's relationship 41:16 What's next - Jennifer's book on Hera 42:23 Might Jennifer ever write a 'regular' high fantasy novel?
Charlie and Elizabeth Fremantle (Disobedient) discuss the formative life, and Elizabeth's fictionalisation, of Artemisia Gentileschi, a woman painter from the 17th century. Please note that there are many mentions of rape in this episode, and there is also a mention of animal death. The previous episodes with Elizabeth are episode 7 and episode 70 The exhibition at The National Gallery Judith Slaying Holofernes Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes Mary D Garrard's Artemisia Gentileschi Elizabeth's Queen's Gambit Firebrand Where to find Elizabeth online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:18 Why Artemisia, and the general inspiration for the book 04:40 Elizabeth talks about Artemisia's work in general, as well as her success in her lifetime 10:58 How much does your fictionalisation of Orazio Gentileschi align with what's known? 15:14 Where Artemisia worked on her father's paintings 16:47 The Stiatessi family and what we know about Artemisia's husband 20:12 About Zita, real name Tuzia 22:49 The fragments of translations in the book - listen in for some interesting facts! 25:56 The use of laundry and light coming through the laundry lines 28:21 The Nightingale (Ovid's Metamorphoses' Philomel and Procne) 31:19 About Beatrice Cenci and Elizabeth's next book 35:28 Asking Elizabeth about what Charlie feels is her defining element - her honing in to one or two specific elements - and how she may continue in this vein in future 40:42 Lola the dog, who is mentioned at the start of the novel 41:29 Release dates for Firebrand, the film of Queen's Gambit Photo credit: JP Masclet.
Charlie and Kristy Woodson Harvey (The Summer Of Songbirds) discuss whether we should like her character, Lanier (who stops her best friend and brother being together); the various plot threads she left out of the book (including alternative endings); and US summer camps (both Kristy's experiences, and the effect of the pandemic lockdowns). We also spend a good amount of time discussing the pre-actor's-strike announcement of an adaptation of Kristy's Peachtree Bluff series and her next two books. Kristy's The Wedding Veil Kristy's Christmas In Peachtree Bluff Friends & Fiction Kristy's interview with Susan M Boyer The announcement about the Peachtree Bluff adaptation on Kristy's website Where to find Kristy online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 02:14 The inspiration: a sailing trip at a summer camp Kristy went to with her family during the pandemic 06:49 So Lanier and Rich came first?... 08:02 How Kristy doesn't write in chronological order and how it ends up working well 12:01 How Kristy feels about Lanier 15:35 Why was important to write about Daphne's family and the problems there are there? 19:21 Why no narrator for Mary Stuart? 25:39 This book was originally longer (what got cut) 29:24 Kristy's childhood experiences of US summer camps 33:52 Why Kristy ends her book with a scene about Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart's children going to camp 34:51 Real camps that had to close due to the lockdowns 36:24 The concept of 'hard things' 40:27 Other endings Kristy had in mind for The Summer Of Songbirds 44:43 A sequel? 48:18 The on-hold Peachtree Bluff adaptation 52:16 What's next (A Happier Life, and and very, very brief peak at Kristy's 2025 book)
Charlie and Maggie Brookes (Acts Of Love And War) discuss the small group of British Quakers who went to aid refugees during the Spanish Civil War, the way the war tore families apart as people chose different sides, and why she ended her romantic thread differently than might be expected. All referenced media in this episode: Francesca Wilson's In The Margins Of Chaos Maggie Brookes' Acts Of Love And War Maggie Brookes' The Prisoner's Wife Buy Acts of Love and War and other books mentioned Where to find Maggie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:53 The initial inspiration: Professor Farah Mendlesohn's PhD on the Spanish Civil War 03:39 The very small group of Quakers, including Alfred Jacob, who went out to Spain from Britain to help refugees 07:02 The real life women in Maggie's book: Francesca Wilson, Kanty Cooper 09:30 How the Quakers got their supplies to Spain, and the refugee children's colonies 15:03 What happened to the refugees after the war 18:26 Maggie's fictional characters - Lucy, Tom, and Jamie and having two brothers on different sides of the war 22:20 People in Britain who thought Franco was right, and why they thought that, and we mention the non-intervention pact many countries agreed to 27:27 On why Maggie had one of the brothers die, and who was better for Lucy 29:59 The ending, Maggie leaving Lucy single 32:00 Maggie tells us about the inspiration of her first book, The Prisoner's Wife, and Maggie briefs us on what she's writing now Photo credit: Lyn Gregory Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops
Charlie and Stacey Thomas (The Revels) discuss English Civil War era witch hunting which includes the methods, the propaganda, and the awful theatre of it all. We also discuss Stacey's inclusion of actual witches in her narrative, and Stacey's recommendations of Wolf Hall and A Little Life. Witchfinder General James VI/I's Daemonologie Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life Bridget Collins' The Binding Stacey's episode on Witches Of Scotland I spoke to Amita Parikh in episode 72 Where to find Stacey online Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:20 What made you want to tell this story of a man who is a witch, and his role in the judgement of witches? 02:23 Stacey's interest in James I and his favouritism of different male courtiers 04:22 The theatrical elements of the book 05:58 The torture of the accused 'witches' that led to fantasy stories being created 08:51 The influence of the printing press and propaganda pamphlets on the public's thoughts about accused women 10:02 About knot magic 12:09 The importance of having actual witches in the book and the impact of religion 14:32 Stacey's interest in taxidermy and Althamia's experience 16:41 Althamia's impact on the novel 17:54 The themes of grief and guilt in the book 20:51 Castor and Pollux 22:20 The writing style and narrative voice, and Stacey recommends Wolf Hall and A Little Life 25:24 All about Will and how he fits into the story 30:44 Is John Rush a witch?... And the fact he's left at large at the end 34:40 The initial execution scene did not originally happen... 35:57 Althamia says "Happy endings are beyond most people" and talks of proper endings - how does Stacey see The Revels in that sense? 39:15 Modern day apologies for witch hunters by the church 42:02 What Stacey's working on now (this turns into a lengthy discussion on debutantes and their publicity machines With thanks to Jawnson.
Charlie and Celina Baljeet Basra (Happy) discuss the experiences undocumented migrants to Western Europe face, French film director Jean Luc Goddard's seminal film Bande À Part, Indian talkshow Koffee With Karan, and Celina's particular usage of Umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. The Abduction Of Europe A review of 'Park', the 2017 exhibition curated by Celina Bande À Part Bruce Bégout's Le Park Uski Roti There are no clips of the discussed Koffee With Karan episode on YouTube, but if you've the right channel, it is from 7th November 2010 Where to find Celina online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:48 Why Celina wanted to tell this story: inspiration from a distant relatives' migration from India to Italy 05:24 Celina's highly unique narrative structure (fragmented) and how she used it to further achieve her aims 09:45 Would there have been a way for Happy's life to improve, if what happened to him at the end didn't happen? 12:07 The real riot of exploited migrants that was mentioned in the book 14:36 The character of Europe and the way Celina created a woman from a continent 19:32 The importance of the presence of Happy's family in the novel 21:20 The phrases of Italian vocabulary included that shows us where Happy is in his learning about his new life 24:35 Wonderland - the real one in Jalandhar and Celina's fictionisation of it 28:53 The inclusion of Jean Luc Goddard's Bande À Part 34:35 The inclusion of Indian talkshow Koffee With Karan 40:22 Why Celina included the other narrative voices of Harbir and Zhivago at the end 43:37 What's next Photo credit: Lilian Scarlet.
Charlie and Rachel Abbott (Don't Look Away) discuss young carers and the guilt they can feel, trafficking in Cornwall - both fact and fiction - and having her series' policewoman staying in the background of the story rather than take the spotlight. (We talk about that a couple of times, I loved it!) Please note that there are mentions of suicide in this episode. And So It Begins Stranger Child Come A Little Closer Sleep Tight About the trafficking at Newlyn Harbour in late 2019 Where to find Rachel online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:40 The inspiration for Nancy and Lola's story 03:15 Nancy's feeling of guilt as a young carer who failed to save her mother 06:23 The way Rachel really fleshes out the non-police characters in her thriller 11:05 How long Lola will be in prison 13:48 Research Rachel does in terms of the police 16:55 How important is policewomen Stephanie (the linking factor of the books) compared to Nancy (one of this book's victims)? 20:18 Stephanie is written in the third person and Nancy is in the first person... 22:20 Why set the book in Cornwall, and why create a fictional village in Cornwall 25:36 The trafficking in the book and real situations 29:34 How Rachel goes from one plot to many - the expansion 33:15 How Rachel uses technology in her books as opposed to finding tech makes things too easy 35:03 What's next for Stephanie King, book 4 in the series? 41:26 Was there anyone that Rachel's editing agent didn't like, or did really like? 43:26 Rachel's current work on her next Tom Douglas book Photo credit: Andrew Crowley.
Charlie and Karen Hamilton (The Contest) discuss the specifics of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the vast support crews, her ridiculously privileged holidaying characters and where their requests are based in reality, and why everyone is obsessed with toilets. We then move on to an extensive discussion of the thriller aspect of Karen's book and whether, even though there is one killer in her book, there are in fact more. Erick Kivelege's Climbing Kilimanjaro With Africa's Top Guide Kilimanjaro Porters Society Where to find Karen online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:14 Mt Kilimanjaro and luxury travel 05:26 How climbing the mountain goes - the specifics of it 15:30 Karen's characters - Florence, Jacob, and Hugo 24:55 The grief in the book and the whole contest of two groups climbing Kilimanjaro 26:54 The violence and discussing who the killer is, and the associated theme of isolation 36:31 Ethical Getaways and BVT merging and the effect on Florence and Jacob 39:34 What's next (brief) Photo credit: Emma Moore.
Charlie and Radhika Sanghani (I Wish We Weren't Related) discuss having alopecia, healing from being a people pleaser and self-empowerment in general, and her comic novel which includes an ex-fiance turned future brother-in-law, and a father who died, was not dead, but then died - true fictional story. Radhika's book also includes beloved cats, so we talk about cats too. Asha Bhosle Pema Chödrön Marian Williamson talking about choosing between love and fear Radhika's novel 30 Things I Love About Myself Where to find Radhika online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:35 The inspiration, in particular the theme of healing from alopecia 04:39 The characters, in particular Saraswati in Bollywood 08:14 Satya Auntie, and spirituality, in particular Buddhism and what Marian Williamson teaches about all our decisions being due to love and fear 12:37 On character Reeva's people pleasing and our own! 15:27 Reeva's trauma from her accident 17:36 Reeva's speech at her father's funeral 19:21 The choices made in regards to Reeva and Nick's relationship 21:34 The importance of including a second funeral, this time for someone Reeva knew and loved 22:55 Cats! All the cats! 25:52 What Radhika wanted to say about family 27:14 What's next Photo credit: SEBC Photography.
Charlie and Gill Paul (A Beautiful Rival) discuss the working lives of and rivalry between businesswomen Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, and the antisemitism in the US during WW2. We also discuss our views of Wallis Simpson. We spoke about Gill's book The Second Marriage (Jackie And Maria in the US) in episode 42 The Powder And The Glory Lindy Woodhead's Warpaint Cosmetics And Skin Gill's Another Woman's Husband Wendy Holden's The Duchess Where to find Gill online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:03 Why these women? 02:20 Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein hated each other but they never met... 02:59 Elizabeth's and Helena's backgrounds 07:28 The work Arden and Rubinstein put in to become successful 10:30 How Gill wrote her versions of Elizabeth and Helena 11:29 Elizabeth Arden's snobbery 13:46 The antisemitism in the West despite those countries going to war, particularly that coming from Arden 17:49 Irene Delaney, Elizabeth's forgotten 40-year-long PA 20:34 Moving factual events round to suit the narrative 22:24 Elizabeth employed her rival's ex-husband! 24:14 Advertisements and selling the companies 28:03 Helena Rubinstein's first husband was the publisher of Lady Chatterley's Lover 29:40 Rubinstein created the idea of skin types 32:39 The Suffragettes apparently wore lipstick on their marches, and talking about Gill's next book 34:53 What other people might Gill write about in future 36:33 Discussing our views of Wallis Simpson
Charlie and Tasneem Abdur-Rashid (Finding Mr Perfectly Fine) discuss writing a story that hadn't yet been told in novels and working with getting the balance and choices right when it came to writing for Bengali Muslims, Muslims from other cultures, and other readers. We also discuss the guys she cut from the first draft, why she decided to finish her rom-com on the somewhat controversial note she did, oh and if you're looking for a great Turkish restaurant in North London, we've got you covered. Please note that there is swearing and discussion of rape in this episode. Not Another Mum Pod ('Was My Husband Gay?' is episode 6) Tasneem's 'he's a 10 but...' TikTok video Capital Restaurant, Wood Green Hala, Green Lanes Gokyuzu Antepliler Tasneem's Instagram Where to find Tasneem online Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:44 The inspiration for Finding Mr Perfectly Fine 04:33 About Zara, Adam, and Hamza 08:48 How Tasneem wrote and planned the book, and balancing the different audiences she was writing for 13:30 Wherein Tasneem's dad bought her a computer for writing on when she was 10 years old 17:17 Deleted sections of the book - Zara met a lot more people! 20:16 Writing from a specific Muslim perspective (British Bengali) and pushback; also the Sylheti dialect 24:12 On the part where Yasmin wears hijab to cover her beauty when chaperoning Zara on a meet up 27:04 Hamza and Zara's lack of thinking about how controlling he is whereas others can see it 31:47 The Tariq plotline and backstory 33:26 Adam and Zara's mismatched values and working them out, Hamza, and the decisions Tasneem made for the ending 42:02 What happens beyond the ending pages 43:17 The possibility of a book about Amina 44:03 Further info about Tasneem's next book 47:31 On North London Turkish restaurants 49:47 On Tasneem's podcast, Not Another Mum Pod
Charlie Place and Amanda Geard (The Moon Gate) discuss Tasmania in WW2 and in general, Australia's famed poet Banjo Paterson and his fellow Bush Ballad writers, British Blackshirts and the Mitfords, and the Moorgate Tube Crash in London. On a lighter note, Amanda also tells us much about the writing of her book, including a lot of what she left out in order to reduce her book from the lengthy draft it was to the mere 500 hardback pages it is. Amanda was the guest in episode 63 in which we spoke about The Midnight House Waltzing Matilda The Man From Snowy River The Mitfords - Letters Between Six Sisters The Moorgate Tube Crash I spoke to Kate Thompson about the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster in episode 76 Penghana Where to find Amanda online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:50 The inspiration - Banjo Paterson's Bush ballads and mining in Tasmania 03:17 Keeping up with all the characters and planning the timelines 08:43 How there is so much of Amanda in this book 10:51 Mining on the West Coast of Tasmania, and Amanda's dad 13:41 Banjo Paterson and Australian poetry 17:49 Tasmania in WW2, including Prime Minister Robert Menzies 26:01 Women Blackshirts in Britain (including Diana Mitford) and the awfulness of Edeline 30:47 The Moon Gate's lengthy first draft 33:12 Moon Gates and rebirth 35:45 The focus on grief 37:23 Including the Moorgate Tube Crash 40:44 Amanda's Balinn returns! 42:45 The epilogue and what was left out 44:45 Rose and what might have been 47:20 The House of the book, Towerhurst and Australia's Federation houses, and huon pine trees 52:46 What Amanda found when renovating an old Irish house 55:07 More on Amanda's current manuscript, a story looking at occupied Norway
Charlie and Alex Hay (The Housekeepers) discuss his meticulously planned and fast-paced 1900s heist novel wherein the entire contents of a grand house are to be removed... and the mistress of the place is in on it. Alex tells us about the successful collaboration between himself and his three editors and we discuss the various comedy aspects of the book. Sadie Jones' The Uninvited Guests Julia Laite's The Disappearance Of Lydia Harvey Alex's conversation with Sarah Penner for Always Authors Where to find Alex online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:25 The inspiration for The Housekeepers 06:14 Alex's extensive planning of the book and some of the changes made 10:01 Mrs Bone, Danny/Mr de Vries, and the O'Flynn family 12:54 The many narratives and including Miss de Vries in her own narrative as an 'equal' 17:20 The comedy! 21:33 The trafficking plot line 24:37 On Alice and keeping secrets 27:23 Working with three editors 31:22 Was there ever another ending in mind? 33:37 The 'What-choo' boy 34:59 Jane One and Jane Two 36:59 The reality of the smoking machine 38:11 The possibility of an adaptation 38:50 What's next?
Charlie and Paula Cocozza (Speak To Me) discuss how phones have taken the place of conversation, a number of literary Susans, and Paula tells us about her love of reading and libraries in childhood. The Guardian's story on Kirstie Allsopp smashing her daughter's IPad Susan Cain's Quiet Suze Rotolo's A Freewheelin' Time I am (happy?) to say that Susan the dog is no longer the first Susan mentioned on pages about 'Susan' on Wikipedia Hanif Kureshi's Intimacy (beware NSFW cover) The Reading Agency Paula's column, A New Start After 60 Where to find Paula online Twitter Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:08 The inspiration and our modern phone usage 09:01 The hows of how Paula wrote the book 16:12 On the narrator's reliability 19:43 All the Susans in this book! 22:21 The Victorian terrace house, our main character's former home 24:22 Anthony 27:51 So Paula wrote some of the book with pen and paper... 29:40 The use of Shakespeare's Malvolio 31:30 Our narrator's dealings with Anthony and Kurt later in the book, and miscommunication 36:32 Our narrator's relationship with her sons 38:55 Why our narrator is a librarian - Paula's reading journey 43:40 What's next 45:39 On Paula's current feature series for The Guardian, A New Start After 60
Charlie and Nicolai Houm (The Gradual Disappearance Of Jane Ashland) discuss a unique and somewhat extreme form of coping with grief, where his characterisation blends into his own writer self, and the open ending he left his readers with. Please note that there's some swearing and mentions of suicide in this episode. Wikipedia's article on Andersonville Prison Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:20 The starting point of loss and trauma 07:32 Jane, family, and replacing family 12:59 Jane as a writer and how she could have written the book herself 15:35 Nicolai's use of language and how his writer self is included in the book 20:51 Everything about Ulf 24:05 The significance of the musk oxen 28:14 Continuing on the musk oxen in regards to the ending of the book 31:48 How Jane's parents affected who she is 33:03 Nicolai's travels for surfing reasons and what's next
Charlie and Elissa Soave (Ginger And Me) discuss including the working class in fiction, writing about neuro-divergence without labels, and social care and society in context. We also discuss Elissa's Greggs habit, writing about her hometown, and why her editor told her 'this is not Reservoir Dogs...' Please note that there is a mild swear word in this episode. The Primadonna Prize Laura Pearson's episode was number 11 Kazuo Ishiguru's Nobel Prize speech Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Where to find Elissa online Twitter Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:27 The starting point for the book and discussing 'difference' of personality and labels 09:36 The people on the bus and exploring the lives of the working class 13:49 Ginger 15:21 Diane 17:13 Friendship and loneliness 20:23 The writing group 24:20 Uddingston 27:44 The importance of food in the novel 29:17 Wendy's parents 32:14 Social care in the book and our society 36:24 Ginger's death 40:56 Wendy not changing at the end (and including Ali Smith!) 43:53 What's next
Charlie and Lisa See (Lady Tan's Circle Of Women) discuss the medieval Chinese woman doctor Tan Yuanxian, whose book is still in use today. We also discuss, in this context, the isolation and disability of being an aristocratic woman in the time period. Please note that there is swearing in this episode. Tan Yuan Xian's Miscellaneous Records Of A Female Doctor Hildegard Von Bingen The Washing Away Of Wrongs Where to find Lisa online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || YouTube Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 00:55 About Tan Yuan Xian 06:00 Facts versus fiction, where we don't know all that much about Yuan Xian 11:21 While there were many of them, we don't know much about other women doctors in China at that time... 12:44 The importance of friendship in the novel 17:50 Being born in the year of the (Metal) Snake 22:22 The true story of a midwife who had a miscarriage in front of the empress 26:52 The focus on isolation, and foot binding 34:47 Lady Kuo 41:54 Miss Zhao 44:25 The murder mystery 49:58 The men, and in particular Yuan Xian's grandfather 51:16 What's next Photo credit: Patricia Williams.
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