women read

Name: HilaryReading: Tender Buttons, Gertrude SteinWhy did you want to read this? I had a few different ideas but Tender Buttons won out for being the most fun to read aloud. I have a few deadlines at the moment and it was therapeutic to spend thirty minutes thinking of nothing but the shapes and sounds of the words, focusing on not tripping up because nothing unfurls in an expected way. The lines have their rhythm though, and I find a strange or altered sense of emotionality in them which cannot be tied to meaning, like in dreams—which was fun to think about in the reading. How did you record yourself? In my studio surrounded by oil heaters in April, a little awkwardly so as not to block the microphone with the book. There was some background noise of the trams, traffic and voices on the street below, and some knocking about in the rooms next door, but not loud enough to be picked up by my laptop mic (I hope). 

Nombre: LiaLeyendo: Romance Artístico, Chris Kraus¿Por qué quisiste leer esto? Traduje y edité este libro: le tengo mucho cariño.¿Cómo te grabaste? Con un micrófono que me prestó Juan Pablo, después de bañarme, en la primera tarde lluviosa del año./Why did you want to read this? I translated and edited this book, so I'm very fond of it.How did you record yourself? With a microphone that Juan Pablo lent me, after taking a shower, on the first rainy afternoon of the year.

Name: SarahReading: Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieWhy did you want to read this? This is the story of a 15 year-old Nigerian girl's coming of age. It's about the relationships in her life, set against a military coup. I chose it because it lets you into her world and her steps to independence and it allows you to imagine the society in which she lives. The relationship between her and her deeply religious father, alternating between love and fear, is particularly well drawn. Although I read it over a year ago, it stays in my mind. How did you record yourself? My son helped me. He held his phone for me to speak into, in our front room.

Name: Afton Reading: Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, T Kira Madden Why did you want to read this? This book has been a huge teacher text for me. It's incredible at the sentence level--I love the scrappiness of her sounds, consonants especially. I want everyone to listen to and read her.  How did you record yourself? In the middle of the day, I turned off the heat, which is loud, and sat on my bed with my phone. 

Bonus episode if you'd like to listen to the text read in the original French by Selbi's mum Leila.Épisode bonus si vous souhaitez écouter le texte lu en français par Leila, la maman de Selbi.

Name: Selbi Reading: King Kong Theory, Virginie Despentes Why did you want to read this? I was very moved by this book, it changed the way I think. It's raw and speaks to a woman's condition. It's a feminist manifesto but not the commercial Beyonce T-shirt feminism. I wish I read this book earlier in my life - it is one of those life-changing books, it will not leave you unshaken. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself sitting at a table where I usually work, in the evening. I've heard that wearing a silk scarf whilst recording yourself reading out loud is a good idea, so I wore one.

Name: Laura Reading: Potiki, Patricia Grace Why did you want to read this? Potiki is a novel about indigenous land rights in Aotearoa New Zealand, it follows a Māori community who's ancestral land is under threat. It was published in 1986 but Māori are still facing the same issues as the current government has introduced a bill that limits the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, Aotearoa New Zealand's founding document. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a gift, and must be protected.  How did you record yourself? On my laptop in a room with pink walls that looks over the back garden. I am a secondary school teacher and usually have to manage behaviour and circle the classroom while reading aloud, it was nice to sit and be still, to have my mind only on the words. 

Name: Rebecca Reading: Look at Me, Anita Brookner Why did you want to read this? Brookner opens 'Look at Me' with a series of close readings of the history of the representation of sickness and madness in art. This has a quality of non-fiction (and reflects Brookner's other life as an art historian) but she also manages to convey so much about her narrator, Frances Hinton. Her isolation, self-estrangement, reticence and rage; her sense of her life's smallness and unfairness.  How did you record yourself? Sitting in bed with my cat, who I was afraid could be heard purring in the recording. 

Name: Anna Reading: Lisa Robertson, Cinema of the Present Why did you want to read this? I chose Cinema of the Present because I'd needed to read it aloud to myself to fully experience it - I love books like that. It's a long poem that moves in and around and through its subjects: time, thought, surfaces, structures and language, and many, many, other things. Evenly spaced lines alternate between italic and Roman type: two sets of almost identical sentences, but ordered differently so that they begin to repeat each other as the book progresses.  The process of reading it aloud animates this typographical structure and brings each image fully into being. How did you record yourself? I sat on my bed on a wet Sunday morning, phone propped on my knee. 

Name: Ruby Reading: Quantum Listening, Pauline Oliveros Why did you want to read this? I aspire to be a good listener. Oliveros's approach to listening is poetic and practical, yet also incredibly complex. The theory of Quantum Listening stretches from the observation of a slight change in pitch to the wide stance of a worldview. It reminds us that listening is an ongoing practice of attuning to one's environment, caring for each other, and orienting ourselves in a chaotic world. It felt like a gift to dedicate time and attention to this text. May hearing it read aloud allow it to resonate deeply.  How did you record yourself? I recorded myself at dusk in a friend's apartment that reminds me of a tree house. I read by the warm light of the lamps scattered around the room. Every so often, I would turn around to see that the sun still had yet to set, the sky still a muted blue.

Name: Sophie Reading: The Hearing Trumpet, Leonora Carrington Why did you want to read this? I got to know and love this book through teaching it a few years ago, which is a nice way to become familiar with a novel: i.e. with lots of other people. Reading it aloud now reminded me of that time. I find it very, very funny and – if this makes sense – as a book it seems sort of free and unbothered. It has one of my all-time favourite plots, Marian Leatherby is an icon, and I wish Carrington's writing were as well-known as her visual art. How did you record yourself? I sat in my bedroom (which is a bit messy) at my partner's desk, recording with Audacity on my laptop. A couple of years ago, one of my vocal cords was seriously injured – I've been having voice therapy to help me get some strength and volume back, particularly for situations in which I need to speak uninterrupted for a block of time. So, recording this was a challenge I opted into, and I felt quite self-conscious while I was reading. But I think it went well!

Name: Freya Reading: The Emigrants, W.G. Sebald Why did you want to read this? Lately Sebald's books have been exactly what I want to read and it felt like it would be really nice to share this one. I think that's partly what I like so much about the podcast - people sharing what they love, in a gentle way - just putting it out there - and the intimacy of reading aloud. How did you record yourself? Sitting on a fluffy rug on my bedroom floor with my laptop in front of me, it was a sunny morning. *Content note: this episode contains mention of death by suicide*

Name: Isha Reading: Mirrors in the Earth, Asia Suler Why did you want to read this? I discovered this book earlier this year while reading an article on intuitive plant medicine. The language had a vivid nature imagery, an openness and a tenderness that made me feel extremely safe and held. The book reads like a healing salve on a burning wound. I would usually read an essay and then keep the book down — soaking in its essence. And after a few days or weeks passed the next essay would call out to me at exactly the right time — as if it had been patiently waiting for me to be ready to receive its medicine. How did you record yourself? I recorded this with a tentativeness as I explored what my voice meant for me, what it wanted to say and why it was afraid. I also had the Audacity app, my Mac, a lot of pillows and my aunt's study desk to support.

Name: Assunta Reading: The Arcane of Reproduction: Housework, Prostitution, Labor and Capital, Leopoldina Fortunati Why did you want to read this? I wanted to read this text to understand it more deeply and to be able to listen to it on my commute. How did you record yourself? I recorded the chapter with my mobile phone.

Name: Fathima Reading: Traces of Enayat, Iman Mersal Why did you want to read this? This was one of my favourite reads from last year. I had the chance to hear Iman read and talk about her work, and she read an excerpt from the first chapter. I was really struck by the story of Enayat, Iman's search for her and the questions it poses about who gets to be remembered, being a writer and trying to make a living for yourself. I felt a kinship with both Iman and Enayat and their ethos when it comes to their writing. How did you record yourself? I recorded this at my desk, under the shade of my table lamp, at night. I was in my pyjamas and cardigan, as I am, most winter nights.

Name: Julia Reading: The Dud Avocado, Elaine Dundy Why did you want to read this? Throughout the book, I enjoyed the frivolity and openness of the protagonist. I have an affinity with Sally Jay in the way she strives to feel things and live her life, even though at some points her naïvety and impatience bring nothing but a series of misfortunes. This is a story to be read with flush on your cheeks, every time. Also, it evokes some Parisian longings. How did you record yourself? I was sitting on my bed in polka dot tights to feel more exalted and recorded myself on my laptop, set on a red-brown chair near the bedside. Left alone in my communal apartment, I relished in reading out loud and taking sips of coffee when my lips went dry.

Name: Anusuya Reading: The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin Why did you want to read this? I first read The Dispossessed during a family vacation when I was in my mid-teens. By that point, I was an avid Sci-Fi reader, and the vaguely alien-looking spaceship on the cover convinced me that it would be decent for the week. However, it took hold of me in a way no book had before, made me consider things I had never before, or consider further in-depth, and then later, unearth new considerations. I have returned to this book a few more times, and each time it leaves me with my head full, but buzzing with an undercurrent of hope. How did you record yourself? On my bed with my laptop, with a blanket wrapped around my legs since it's been getting rather chilly this week. I recorded it during the night since I was unexpectedly busy the whole day.

Name: Jaya Reading: The Temple of My Familiar, Alice Walker Why did you want to read this? I partly wanted to connect with my 21-year-old self—just finishing college, already into meditation, and amazed by how this book transmitted a shamanic, transformative atmosphere. I bought copies for many friends, and even the mother of a friend, although I had very little money—and these gifts were hardcover copies because the paperback hadn't come out yet. Even now, after decades of meditation, I find it more important than ever to share art that directly supports insight and awakening, rather than trying to address the mystery of life through the intellect. How did you record yourself? I sat on the floor of my son's bedroom with a Rode podmic on a short stand, and an ill-fitted pop filter teetering on the neck of the mic. The mic was plugged into my laptop USB port, where Audacity was taking it all in.

Name: Rosa Reading: Tell Them I Said No, Martin Herbert Why did you want to read this? When you invited me to contribute, my first instinct was to say no. Gathering myself, I turned to one of my favourite books about artists refusing. We can learn so much from artists and how they approach work and the world. How did you record yourself? Using my boyfriend's setup in our old house in Nottingham. We were mid-packing to move back to London and I wanted an excuse to have a break. 

Name: Caitlin Reading: Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown Why did you want to read this? I was a bit hesitant to read this actually. It's definitely a product of its time, and in some ways hasn't aged well. But it is also hilarious and heartbreaking and hard to put down. It's about staying true to yourself and your dreams from the first page to the last, even in the face of hate and judgement. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself on my laptop, in my son's “book nook” which is just a closet with pillows and books, sweating profusely because it's 95 degrees here.

Name: Jesse Reading: Middlemarch, George Eliot Why did you want to read this? When I was invited my first thought was, "Well, I can't read Middlemarch because the podcast is probably already 30 women reading the first chapter of Middlemarch." But then it turned out, no one had read Middlemarch! So obviously I had to read Middlemarch. How did you record yourself? On my laptop at the table by the window.

Name: Eleanor Reading: Small: On Motherhoods, Claire Lynch Why did you want to read this? It's a really beautifully written book about queer motherhood, something that rarely gets talked about. I've found myself wanting to read a lot about motherhood recently, and it's been so refreshing and reassuring to be able to read about it from a queer perspective. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself on my laptop, sitting propped up on my favourite end of the sofa. The curtains were closed, daffodils on the table beside me, and a pizza in the oven.

Name: Jamie Reading: Lucy, Jamaica Kincaid Why did you want to read this? I loved this book - Jamaica Kincaid is deft and smart and her wryness made so many passages worth smirking at. She's unapologetic about how messy relationships can be, which I appreciate not being tidied into something that makes people feel like relationships exist for happy endings. And she's never afraid to question the idea of place as its own unique relationship in our lives - what it means to be who we are based on where we're at and where we've come from. How did you record yourself? I recorded from a big pile on the couch: me (wearing one sock?), a hot water bottle, two blankets, my cat, pillows piled up with my computer on them, and Lucy all in front of the big window in my living room while it rained outside. A few bossy Stellar's jays were fighting for birdseed nearby.

Name: Flora Reading: Looking to Sea, Lily Le Brun Why did you want to read this? I chose to read Looking to Sea because it is a thoughtful, insightful reflection on 100 years of modern art in Britain, written by the brilliant Lily Le Brun. As the daughter of an artist and a painter myself, the work of many of the artists in this book is intrinsic to the fabric of who I am. Le Brun's exploration of the practices and pieces of Vanessa Bell to Bridget Riley provides an insight into more than just the why or how of their art; Le Brun captures the very essences of the artists themselves. How did you record yourself? On my laptop in bed/on the sofa with my cat curled up beside me.

Name: Freya Reading: Long Live the Post Horn!, Vigdis Hjorth translated by Charlotte Barslund Why did you want to read this? I couldn't stop laughing hysterically when I first read this, and immediately wanted to share it and talk about it with other people. I think I was originally drawn to it as the premise of finding an old diary + defending the postal service made it seem made for me (a bad-diary obsessive and snail mail fan), but really it's the deadpan, looping inner monologue of the main character clawing to grasp her life, life, meaning, that is such a joy to read. How did you record yourself? With my laptop at home. You'd think I'd be better at this by now, but I had to redo the opening as I forgot to take off my loudly ticking watch : /

Name: Loré Reading: Shmutz, Felicia Berliner Why did you want to read this? When contemplating what to read, this novel instantly came to mind. I discovered it during the summertime and felt utterly swept up by Raizl's inner life. From religion and familial belonging to sex and friendship to the tension of figuring out one's identity, there are so many themes to chew on. Also, I'm a major slut for good prose and the lines in this book are just decadent. I want everyone to indulge themselves in this story. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself via GarageBand and my roomie's microphone. It was my first time exploring this setup and I instantly (read: obnoxiously!) felt like a pop star.

Name: Amy Reading: The Shame, Makenna Goodman Why did you want to read this? 'The weight of motherhood is a backpack full of stones.' This book messed me up -- but in a good way. I first read it very shortly postpartum. It felt like such consolation, after all the sentimentality and raw emotion of feeling motherhood suddenly happen to my own life, to read this wild, complicated book about a mother who loves her children entirely, and is entirely complicated, disappointed, competent, and failing, all at once. I'm obsessed with the idea of failure within ordinary committed motherhood, and in some ways that feels like the thesis of this book. It felt like it was written in a voice related to mine. Not the same, but recognizable to me. Like being accompanied -- that's a big thing. How did you record yourself? I recorded sitting in our 'cozy corner' where my toddler and I look at his Richard Scarry and lift-the-flap books every day. It's a big floor pillow under our front window, with lots of extra pillows -- one big and round like the moon. The best light in the house. I had a cup of coffee that quickly grew cold because I didn't want to take breaks to sip it. My toddler is at the Children's Museum with my mom. Just me and the dog in the house, so quiet. I hadn't read this chapter in a while -- reading it aloud was a treat. Content warning: this episode contains reference to sexual assault.

Name: Yusra Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer Why did you want to read this? Braiding Sweetgrass is the last book I read. It's beautifully written and very tender, offering a different tone for discussing the climate and ecological emergency. Whilst reading, I found myself reflecting a lot about the phase of life I'm in right now, my relationship with the world and all that inhabit it. Although it is the only book I've managed to read since having my son last year, it has been wonderful to dip in and out of. Relearning is a big theme in the book, so for me it has been very timely. Reading what others have said about it online, the book has been described as “grounding, calming, and quietly revolutionary”. I think that sums it up pretty well. How did you record yourself? I used my laptop to record myself, whilst my son napped. It took a few sittings but we got there in the end!

Name: Ratnadevi Reading: The Overstory, Richard Powers Why did you want to read this? The Overstory is the most absorbing, courageous, wise, compassionate and skilfully crafted book I have read in a long time, a gift to the beleaguered world, particularly the trees. The novel weaves people and trees from very different backgrounds and geographies together, like mycelium connects root systems and fungi. It's deep-time sweep makes the heart ache: what are we humans doing, wrecking our beautiful home? How did you record yourself? I recorded it on my phone, there was no option for quality when saving, hope it's okay.

Name: Lindsey Reading: The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf, Kathryn Davis Why did you want to read this? I read Kathryn Davis's first novel, Labrador, earlier this year and felt like I was kicking the dirt off some kind of revelation I'd found in the ground. A few months later I was in my favorite used book store and saw this book, The Girl Who Trod On A Loaf; I read the back and though I'm not into opera (the central motif), I was immediately attracted to a story that seemed so unruly. Reading TGWTOAL, my jaw went slack nearly every page, in perpetual awe of Davis's precision and muscle. I want everyone to read her. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself reading in the floor of my bedroom, wearing my favorite Pepto-Bismol pink shorts, with the curtains open.

Name: Tanvi Reading: The Island of Missing Trees, Elif Shafak Why did you want to read this? This book struck that evasive balance between the past and the present. It combines the ambition for a bright future with the yearning for a past we cannot seem to leave behind. It's told through the eyes of characters who are as captivating as they are diverse. It moved me to tears and then took me to new heights of joy. I just wanted to share this bittersweet experience with as many people as I could. How did you record yourself? I recorded this at my study table with my garden behind me, which is fitting for the nature of this book. Once you read it, I hope you will see why this was true for me.

Name: Laura Reading: And Away..., Bob Mortimer Why did you want to read this? I think that Bob Mortimer is a lovely man. I'm not a huge reader. I sometimes (unfairly) think badly of myself because of this. I enjoy reading autobiographies of people that I admire because I feel like I already know some of the context, so I find it an easier starting point than some other books. This is, of course, a very funny and silly book but he also writes very sensitively about his life, experiences, and being a shy and quiet person. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself using my phone, sitting at my desk at home one afternoon whilst waiting for a colleague to proof read and approve something for me. Bob's company took my mind off the fear of them finding a horrific, unfixable mistake (there wasn't one… there never is!).

Name: Jane Reading: Trumpet, Jackie Kay Why did you want to read this? I wanted to read this because it remained in my memory so clearly. I loved the story and the clarity of the narrators voice, with the words and images falling like the notes of the trumpet. Her descriptions of the house by the sea and that whole locality, feel very familiar to me as of course do the parts set in Glasgow. How did you record yourself? I recorded this on my Samsung A50, sitting in an armchair in the sunshine. It was easier, and worked out better, than I had anticipated.

Name: Grace Reading: Ninth Street Women, Mary Gabriel Why did you want to read this? I decided to read this book, as in my own art practice I am heavily influenced by women artists. It's inspiring to hear the stories of how they challenged a very male-dominated art scene. This book gives an opportunity for these pioneering women artists' stories to be heard, something that is very necessary and needed. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself on my phone and found it to be a very enjoyable experience.

Name: Andrea Reading: Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion Why did you want to read this? This essay is a treasure trove of classic Didionisms: the devoted descriptions of roads and barren lands, the dire plot twists at the end of routine enunciations, profound human truths told with a crisp sense of humor. If you follow Didion to San Bernardino, she will take you to beguiling places...! How did you record yourself? After some trial and error, I opted for doing it sitting in my (empty) bathtub, since the bathroom turned out to be, funnily enough, the room in my house with best acoustics.

Name: Lisa Reading: Betty by Tiffany McDaniel Why did you want to read this? This book touched me in so many ways, it's brutal, beautiful and poetic all at once. It's a coming-of-age story based on true events and different to anything I have ever read. I loved how Betty's dad with his rich Cherokee history used his knowledge of nature and spirituality to sooth her. Betty will always hold a special place in my heart. How did you record yourself? Curled up on my bed with lots of pillows, dimmed lights and a cup of tea.

Name: Jane Reading: How to Be Both, Ali Smith Why did you want to read this? I chose this book for my book group last year and I think without the group discussions I would have struggled with it. It is incredibly rich and beautiful and I couldn't fathom how it had been written. We all ended up loving this book. How did you record yourself? In my kids room with the cat on a cold Monday when I had no energy and needed to do something other than work.

Name: Freya Reading: All The Things She Said, Daisy Jones Why did you want to read this? It was our birthday and Mel and I thought fuck it, we should do another reading! Through lockdown I came to miss queer spaces intensely and gulped this down when it came out. We've also had lots of queer readers on the podcast so far, but not so many GAY BOOKS, so I thought I'd up the quota with this. How did you record yourself? Lying on the floor in my studio.

Name: Jane Reading: Hot Milk, Deborah Levy Why did you want to read this? Hot Milk is the first book of Deborah Levy's I read and is my enduring favourite. I loved meeting Sofia as she emerges from the stinging sea, seeking pain relief from the injury hut – one of many incredible metaphors for her life as a young woman, where broken things don't quite receive adequate repair and bold ambitions are licked by caring responsibilities...and vicious Medusas. How did you record yourself? Alone at home one Monday evening. I enjoyed being transported back to the Mediterranean on a chilly autumn evening in Bristol.

Name: Hannah Reading: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Judith Kerr Why did you want to read this? I chose When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit because it was my absolute favourite as a child and probably the book I've read the most times of any. As an adult, I don't really reread books at all but I used to read this several times a year as a kid. It reads much more poignantly now though. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself on my phone, in bed with a duvet and a hot drink, the best way to read.

Name: Janice Reading: Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London, Lauren Elkin Why did you want to read this? Walking the city was one of, if not most, crucial experiences of my formative years. Like Elkin, I discovered the concept of flâneur during my undergrad and explored in my own ways academically if there was/is, and thus what was/is the flâneuse, a woman who flâner. Could that flâneuse be an East Asian one? I will never forget the excitement, liberation and transhistorical connection I felt reading this first chapter when the book was freshly released. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself sitting on the sofa in my living room after a little walk along my local New River Path.

Name: Sára Reading: Widow Basquiat, Jennifer Clement Why did you want to read this? This is one of my all-time favourite books. It travels well and doesn't age. It was given to me by a musician friend. The atmosphere and the people in the book have a loud pulse that doesn't fade. I love that Clement uses prose to write a memoir so close to the skin. It is also an excellent book to read to someone on a romantic stroll through a cemetery with famous graves - true story. How did you record yourself? I recorded it first thing in the morning when my speech tends to be at its calmest. I sat by the window overlooking the garden and a school, finishing just before the mayhem of recess erupted in the background.

Name: Jessica Reading: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson Why did you want to read this? I'm curating a new programme that is centred around issues of place and belonging. Shirley Jackson takes any uneasiness around these things and slowly, skilfully amplifies it into horror. I decided on We Have Always Lived in the Castle because that first chapter does a whole hell of a lot. How did you record yourself? My bedroom is the quietest room in the house so I do most of my audio recording in bed. I recorded this on a frosty morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and my dog in my lap.

Name: Claire Reading: Ice, Anna Kavan Why did you want to read this? Ironically this narrative about the world turning to ice was first recommended to me via a paper napkin scribble by my best friend one hot summer day. Now, due to the oncoming bleakness of a British winter, it feels seasonally appropriate. I recommend the thrill of reading this book on its own terms, and waiting to read about Kavan's life afterwards – both are strange rides. How did you record yourself? On my sofa with my laptop, reading from my favourite edition (by "Peter Owen Cased Classics").

Name: Ellen Reading: Bluets, Maggie Nelson Why did you want to read this? Bluets shares the qualities of many of my favourite books – experimental in form, collapsing the lines between prose, poetry, essay and memoir. 240 numbered paragraphs make up this fragmentary, rhythmic meditation, which explores art, literature, grief and female desire through the tinted lens of Nelson's love for the colour blue. How did you record yourself? In bed, warmed by morning sun; my favourite place to read – and often to write (desks are overrated, comfort is underrated).

Name: Blue Reading: Ghost Wall, Sarah Moss Why did you want to read this? I read this book earlier this year and was totally gripped by the seething suspense, seeing patriarchy and power through the eyes of a teenage girl. It touches upon questions that I feel are incredibly important if you become too enamoured with history or the past as inspiration for art or a way of life. How slippery and sinister it can be. How did you record yourself? My beautiful partner set up a microphone for me to read the book from the comfy sofa.

Name: Sophie Reading: The Periodic Table, Primo Levi Why did you want to read this? It's one of the best books I read in my life so far. It's extraordinary and stays with you for a long time. How did you record yourself? Outside, a rare sunny evening, on the steps in front of our house. I hope the road in the distance is not too loud, I think at some point a freight train passes which was not great.

Name: Rebecca Reading: Aurora Leigh, Elizabeth Barrett Browning Why did you want to read this? When I first read Aurora Leigh, I felt like this nineteenth century gem had been hidden from me. Elizabeth Barrett Browning beats most of her contemporaries in the vitality of her language, and the poem carries me throughout with the force of its energy. I find the depiction of young Aurora Leigh's grief, and her turn back towards life, moving. It is a politically rich story, a novel in verse which sets Aurora's ambitions as a writer within the social struggles of her time and place. A tour de force, basically. How did you record yourself? On Zoom audio in my bedroom, with a cup of tea.

Name: Seo Hye Reading: Minor Feelings, Cathy Park Hong Why did you want to read this? When I was choosing a book to read, I was considering picking one of my favourite classic literature books, but instead I chose something I have read much more recently and is written by a woman of POC. This book was initially recommended by Asian American friends and I wanted to share something that may be not so familiar in the UK. As someone who lived in US for years, I wanted to show an insight of Asian American experience regarding race and emotional issues with friends and family which resonated with me. How did you record yourself? I recorded this with my phone in a small living room at my home in Somerset, UK, with a wool blanket over me as it's been unusually chilly August weather.

Name: Vaska Reading: Underland, Robert Macfarlane Why did you want to read this? This past year I discovered some beautiful non-fiction books and Underland was one of them. Macfarlane shines a light on places most of us will never have the opportunity to visit and really makes them come alive on the page. He writes beautifully about the underground places themselves, but also explores what the deep, the hidden, means to our cultural imagination, our psychology, and our relationship to the world and to life itself. His chapter on the catacombs in Paris is particularly visceral and unforgettable! How did you record yourself? This was easier said than done! I had wanted to record myself in a beautiful old churchyard but the wind was too strong and the chatter of other people too loud, so I plumped for my bedroom - which was a challenge as I live next to an unofficial but busy bus station! So it involved me partially hiding under my duvet cover, on the floor, shutters closed, and regularly pausing the tape when the engines got too loud. I think a cheeky seagull and some sirens might have snuck into the recording!

Name: Lindsay Reading: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard Why did you want to read this? Pilgrim at Tinker Creek holds reverence for nature, yet is unafraid to describe its cruelty. Annie Dillard wrote this in 1974, when she was about 30 years old, my age. I think of her when I walk in the neighborhood or hike outside the city where I live, and I try to locate beauty in the way she does. How did you record yourself? I recorded myself with my laptop on a hot summer evening, sweat trickling down my face, in my bedroom, in low light.