Today we’re joined by the incredibly talented novelist Julia Armfield. Julia wrote one of my favourite books ever, called Our Wives Under The Sea. It’s about a woman who returns from a disastrous deep-sea dive, and her wife who is now looking after someone she barely recognises. It’s so lyrical and beautiful, she is such a talent. We met to discuss her debut, as well as her newest release Private Rites, a similarly wet novel. In Private Rites, the world is drowning after so much rain. Three sisters are navigating love and loss in this new reality, and the book is actually a reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Unfortunately we don’t have the video for this episode, the footage somehow got lost, so this episode is audio-only. Please welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Julia Armfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have a very special episode where we’ll be talking about Enid Blyton’s classic series of children’s books The Faraway Tree, co-hosted by Ruby Granger! Ruby will be chatting with Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan, Phoenix Laroche, Billie Gadsdon, Delilah Bennett Cardy, Simon Farnaby, and Ben Gregor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Andy Weir is the king of sci-fi. His first novel The Martian follows Mark Watney, an astronaut mistakenly presumed dead and abandoned on Mars by his crew during a dust storm. Stranded with limited supplies, he uses his botany and engineering skills to survive while NASA figures out how to rescue him. His next novel was Artemis, following a woman living in the first city on the Moon. Then came Project Hail Mary. We follow science teacher Ryland Grace as he wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he discovers he is the last surviving person on a mission into space to understand a substance called astrophage. Astrophage is causing the sun to die out, and scientists have discovered a distant planet that might hold the key to destroying it. Ryland Grace has to use his scientific training to finish the mission alone, and meets an unlikely ally in space. It’s a story of friendship, communication, understanding, and resilience. It’s both laugh out loud funny and cry your eyes out heartbreaking, a modern sci-fi classic. Now it’s been turned into a film. In our last episode I met with star of the film Ryan Gosling and filmmakers Lord and Miller. And now, we’re chatting with the author himself Andy Weir. I really hope you enjoy this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you know me you will know how much I adore the novel Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. We follow science teacher Ryland Grace as he wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how we got there. As his memory slowly returns, he discovers he is the last surviving person on a mission into space to understand a substance called astrophage. Astrophage is causing the sun to die out, and scientists have discovered a distant planet that might hold the key to destroying it. Ryland Grace has to use his scientific training to finish the mission alone, and meets an unlikely ally in space. It’s a story of friendship, communication, understanding, and resilience. It’s both laugh out loud funny and cry your eyes out heartbreaking, a modern sci-fi classic. Now, Andy Weir’s novel has been adapted for the screen. Ryan Gosling takes on the role of Ryland Grace – he’s the Oscar-nominated star of Barbie, La La Land, Drive, The Nice Guys, and The Notebook. He is a force to be reckoned with, and a true movie star. We’ll also be joined by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of Project Hail Mary. They’re a filmmaking and acting duo behind Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and the Spider-Verse franchises which won them an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking to one of the greatest living writers, George Saunders. He is the author of 12 books, including Tenth of December, Pastoralia, Swimming in a Pond in the Rain, and Lincoln in the Bardo which won the the Booker Prize. Three of his books were included in the New York Times’ top 100 books of the 21st century so far, and his work is noted for its humanity and unique, often experimental narrative style. He’s the king of short stories and has one of the best selling pages on Substack. His newest release, Vigil, is about a lady called Jill Blaine who has died in an explosion. She comes back to earth to help guide people who are dying to the afterlife and provide comfort in their final moments. But she meets her match in KJ Boone – an owner of an oil company who have caused immense damage to the climate, all while he denied climate change. He is a bad person, and yet Jill wants to empathise with him. The third major player in the novel is called The Frenchman – he is the man who invented the first engine. He feels a lot of guilt about how his inventions were used, unlike KJ Boone.  Here’s what happened when I chatted with George Saunders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking to poet and novelist Aria Aber. Aria is an Afghan-German poet, novelist and educator. Her poetry collection Hard Damage won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and Whiting Award. Her debut novel, Good Girl, was shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Yale Review, and Granta. Good Girl is my favourite book I’ve read so far in 2026, I absolutely loved it. We follow a girl, Nila, who is immersed in the Berlin clubbing scene, grappling with her Aghan identity in the wake of increasing xenophobia towards Afghan people. She explores friendship, family, and also a tumultuous relationship with an older man – a writer called Marlowe. I am so thrilled to be introducing to the Inklings Book Club, Aria Aber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, it’s safe to say the whole world is talking about Wuthering Heights. Hello and welcome back to the Inklings Book Club where this month we are reading Emily Brontë’s gothic classic, just in time for the release of Emerald Fennell’s adaptation. And so… who better to speak to than Emerald herself? I caught up with Emerald to chat all things Wuthering Heights, as well as her favourite books and poems. Emerald Fennell is an actress, filmmaker and writer. In 2021, Promising Young Woman won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay – one of three nominations the film received that year. The film also won a Critics Choice Award, two BAFTAs, and a Film Independent Spirit Award. She returned to directing with Saltburn in 2023 which set the world ablaze, and now of course Wuthering Heights is doing the same. She also starred as Camilla in The Crown and Midge in Barbie. She is completely unstoppable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I asked Inklings members what book we should read for February, you guys voted overwhelmingly for Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontè’s gothic masterpiece. Set amongst the backdrop of the sprawling Yorkshire Moors, in the first part of the novel Bronte details the all consuming, toxic, passionate, obsessive, and destructive relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Heathcliff is a real enigma and a social outcast – he is adopted from Liverpool and brought up alongside Cathy. But, when Catherine chooses a wealthier man to marry – Edgar Linton – Heathcliff embarks on a bitter quest for vengeance. The second part of the novel details the way he inflicts pain and suffering on the next generation too. The novel explores this magnetism between Cathy and Heathcliff, two people who just cannot resist each other’s pull. There’s revenge, discussions of social class, and the dark – even defensive – side of human nature when the ego is bruised and feelings are hurt. Today we’re joined by Oscar-nominated actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, as well as Alison Oliver, who play Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Isabella Linton in the new retelling, “Wuthering Heights”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I always say the best celebrity memoir I’ve ever read is I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy -- it’s so open and vulnerable and honest and raw, but it’s also beautifully written. She details what it was like to grow up as a child star, especially when a parent is putting an immense amount of pressure on you. Not just to be a breadwinner, but to look a certain way, behave in a certain way, and nothing is enough for them. The memoir went on to be crowned winner of the 2023 American Library Association Alex Award and the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography.  Now, given that I love that book so much – of course my most anticipated release of 2026 has to be Half His Age, Jennette’s debut novel. Yes, she’s turned her hand to fiction and it is a wild ride. And, it’s already a Sunday Times number one bestseller. I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to interview Jennette for her London book tour, and here it is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most enduring, perennial and important plays ever written, and Shakespeare’s longest, Hamlet tells the story of a man torn by internal conflict after his uncle murders his father, the king of Denmark, and marries his mother, the queen. Many actors have dreamed of taking on this role, and Riz Ahmed is the latest to do so in his new adaptation of Hamlet in cinemas now. Riz Ahmed is an Oscar-nominated British-Pakistani actor, who you’ll know from Sound of Metal, Rogue One, Nightcrawler, and The Night Of. This adaptation is refracted through a South Asian lens in contemporary London. It proves how timeless Shakespeare’s lines are that they can be so deeply felt in this modern context, and Riz speaks with such passion about the revolutionary qualities of the play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m joined by Jente Posthuma whose novel What I’d Rather Not Think About was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2024. Ironically, is something I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT!!! The novel is fertile ground for rumination and thought-provoking conversation. It’s told in a series of vignettes, as a woman contemplates the suicide of her twin brother. It’s a deeply felt meditation on grief, translated into English from the original Dutch by Sarah Timmer Harvey I wanted to ask Jente about the process of crafting this gorgeous little book, and I hope you enjoy this conversation. Welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Jente Posthuma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m excited to be sharing an interview with one of my favourite short story writers, Bora Chung. Bora is a South Korean writer, as well as a translator. She has a pHD in Slavic literature. I first encountered her work when her short story collection Cursed Bunny was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, translated from the original Korean into English by Anton Hur – straight out of the gate, from the opening line, it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read. The first line is “She was about to flush the toilet” – and you’ll hear Bora explain this story later in the interview. This was her debut collection in English, but this first story was actually first published in 1998. She has since published another short story collection titled Your Utopia, as well as novels Midnight Timetable and Red Sword. Bora joined me backstage at the Gothenburg Book Festival in Sweden to discuss her work. Please welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Bora Chung! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A debut novel being shortlisted for The Booker Prize and WINNING the Women's Prize -- yeah, it doesn't get much bigger than that. Yael Van Der Wouden's The Safekeep totally floored me. It considers ownership, property, lust, yearning, repression, and the echoes of war that richochet long after the final bullet is fired. It’s historical fiction set in 1961, and writes hatred and love with the same passion and intensity. This was one of my favourite conversations I’ve had for the podcast, and I’m so happy to be sharing it with you today. I asked Yael a tonne of questions from our Fable Book Club chat and Instagram account – search Inklings Book Club if you’d like to join. For now, please welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Yael Van Der Wouden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline O'Donoghue is a New York Times bestselling author and podcaster. Her podcast Sentimental Garbage has been streamed 12 million times. Her book The Rachel Incident has sold over 250,000 copies and is currently being adapted for the screen. Meanwhile, her young adult debut was All Our Hidden Gifts which became a much loved trilogy. Today we’re also going to be discussing her new book, the first in a duology, titled Skipshock! We discussed Irish literature, being described as Sally Rooney-esque, and the difference between YA and adult fiction. Thanks to Hay Festival for hosting us :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and Emily Bader (My Lady Jane) star in the first of Emily Henry's book-to-screen adaptations, People We Meet On Vacation. Here, they talk about their characters, Alex and Poppy, as well as their taste in books!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Henry is the queen of romance, author of novels like Beach Read, Happy Place, Book Lovers, and Funny Story. I sat down with her to discuss People We Meet On Vacation, her first book to be adapted for the screen, alongside director Bret Haley. With tremendous thanks to Marc Uddo for helping me clean up the audio! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harlan Coben is the number-one bestsellling author of 35 novels, translated into 46 different languages. Specifically, he's sold over 90 MILLION copies, and 12 of his stories have been adapted for the screen by Netflix. The newest adaptation is Run Away, starring James Norton and Ruth Jones, which follows a family trying to find their daughter Paige. I wanted to ask Harlan about finding that perfect formula that has made him the king of the thriller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the day after Christmas, and you might be wondering How To Kill Your Family... Author of How to Kill Your Family, Bella Mackie, has done it again. She's back with her sophomore novel What A Way To Go and discusses it here, on launch day, with Jack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm so thrilled to introduce a hero of mine to the Inklings Book Club: Rick Riordan. Author of over 40 books, including the iconic Percy Jackson series, Rick is infatuated with mythology. From Norse to Egyptian myths, he's brought characters of legends to life and introduced them to a whole new audience. Firstly, I had to just say: thank you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016, David Szalay's novel All That Man Is was nominated for the biggest prize in books, The Booker Prize. Then, in 2025, he was shortlisted for his newest offering, Flesh, and won the whole thing!! It's well-documented that Flesh was my personal winner this year, and I was elated to see it propser. Flesh tells the story of István, a Hungarian immigrant working for a wealthy English family as a chauffeur. In a way, István is the chauffeur of the novel too, silently driving us forward -- however, all we see is his side profile, his outline. He's evasive and stoic as a result of his unprocessed trauma. I was thrilled that David was able to find time in his jampacked schedule as a newly crowned Booker winner to come and chat to the Inklings Book Club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sorry for the lisp this mic seemed to give my audio guys. This is Saba Sams’ debut novel, all about the sticky stuff, the scum and the scuzz. It’s about the things we’d usually scrub away – instead of glossing over it, we linger there and embrace the mess. Set in Brighton, we follow an unconventional family dynamic – two young divorcees, Jules and Leon, and the girl, Nim, who gives them her baby, I interviewed Saba at The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Book Festival, as part of their Voicebox programming, which provides inclusivity at the book festival by providing free events which are accessible for everyone. It’s such a great initiative and I’m so pleased to have been involved. Especially when it means getting to interview an author I adore, about a novel that was definitely one of my favourites I read this year — at one point the characters sit on Brighton Pier and eat a warm doughnut in the pouring rain, and that’s exactly what this reading experience was for me too.  In amongst the chaos, there is warmth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our December book of the month is... HAMNET! Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet won the Women’s Prize in 2020 – an apt year to be awarded, given that it is, in part about a plague. While our own plague, COVID-19 locked us all in our houses, many of us found solace in this beautiful novel. O'Farrell took us back a few centuries to Stratford Upon Avon where Shakespeare's family resided. But this book isn't about Shakespeare -- in fact he's never mentioned by name -- instead, t’s about the playwright's wife Agnes and children Hamnet and Judith. I sat down with Maggie to hear about it, and pose some of your questions to her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as I started a book club, I knew we’d have to read Hamnet at some point. Hamnet is a fictional imagination of the life of Anne Hathaway -- here called Agnes because that’s what her family called her -- as well as her children. It’s about the family of William Shakespeare, but in the book he is never called by name. Instead, the spotlight is shifted to his family who are so often a mere footnote in his biography. Here, they are the focal point. Unfortunately his son Hamnet tragically died aged just eleven and, while not much is known about his cause of death, here Maggie O’Farrell speculates what may have happened. Today we are joined by two special guests who know a thing or two about Hamnet. Paul Mescal is an Academy Award nominated actor, having starred in Aftersun, Gladiator II, All of Us Strangers and of course Normal People. Now he stars as William Shakespeare in the Hamnet film adaptation which is in cinemas in the US today, and in the UK from the 9th of January. He stars alongside Jessie Buckley who plays Agnes. Jessie is also an Academy Award nominated actress, known for her roles in The Lost Daughter, Fargo, Women Talking, and for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the West End revival of the musical Cabaret.  When I tell you, their portrayals of the characters in this film are just spellbinding. You are totally captivated from the moment they step onto the screen, right to the final frame. I genuinely don’t think this could have been done better and I hope they’re both ready to be nominated for Academy Awards once again because I can’t tell you how much they deserve it. This film is emotionally intense, exploring themes of grief, illness, and heartache. Both deliver career-defining performances – all I’m saying is prepare to sob. Not at this interview though – I mean I hope not at this interview – but certainly at the film. I sat down with Paul and Jessie to discuss this project, as well as their favourite books. Please welcome to the Inklings book club, Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dustin Thao's first novel broke the internet. You've Reached Sam was a BookTok sensation, selling over 1 MILLION copies. Now, he's back with a companion piece called You've Found Oliver, as well as a standalone queer romance novel When Haru Was Here. He joined us during his UK book tour to speak about his timeline-bending novels, the YA genre, and the inspiration behind his work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's getting to that time of year where we start to think about what our favourite book of the year is going to be… and I think I know mine. This is Rejection by Tony Tulathimmute – it’s a collection of interconnected stories with the overarching theme of rejection, and I think it’s one of the most well-constructed and thoughtful satires I’ve ever read. I can’t recommend it enough, it feels like the perfect analysis of the “loneliness epidemic” and the way that rejection manifests in our romantic lives, professional lives, and creative lives. I loved this conversation with Tony, in which we deep-dived into some of the stories in this collection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trespasses is a politically charged forbidden love story as well as an astute depiction of a complicated mother-daughter dynamic. We follow Cushla whose name comes from an Irish Gaelic saying meaning “my pulse” – it’s an equivalent to sweetheart or darling, but specifically "the pulse of my heart". And that is who she is for multiple characters. Her mother Gina is an addict and requires a lot of caring for to keep her from taking things too far. Cushla works at her brother’s bar in the evenings and at a school in the daytime, and falls in love with one of the pub’s patrons, Michael. The trouble is, she’s catholic and Michael is protestant – oh and he’s also married. They embark on a love affair that changes both of them forever, it’s that invisible string idea of someone you just keep being drawn back to. Politics infiltrate every aspect of life, and their love becomes totally consuming, so there’s a lot of intense emotion. Louise Kennedy expertly navigates this with the dark humour characteristic of Irish fiction, and it’s just so exquisite to read. Truly a masterclass in writing. 5/5 I loved it. It’s now been turned into a TV show starring Lola Petticrew as Cushla, Tom Cullen as Michael, and Gillian Anderson as Gina. I had the privilege of sitting down with this gorgeous cast to ask them about the show, and here’s what happened. You can stream every episode of Trespasses on Channel 4 now!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s book of choice is Die My Love by Ariana Harwicz, an Argentine writer, screenwriter, playwright, and documentary maker. It was first published in Spanish in 2012, before being translated into English in 2017 by Sarah Moses and Caroline Orloff, and longlisted for the International Booker Prize. For our discussion, we are welcoming not one, not two, but three incredibly special guests: Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, celebrated director Lynne Ramsay, and award-nominated translator Carolina Orloff. Carolina founded Charco Press, and Die My Love was actually their first release! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the third and final instalment in our three-part Frankenstein extravaganza. We’ve heard from a Shelley scholar about the origins of the book, we’ve heard from Guillermo Del Toro about the themes of the book, but today I wanted to focus on the characters of the book. Two people who know these characters very well are Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi. In Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, Oscar portrays the eponymous Victor Frankenstein, while Jacob takes on the role of the creature. Their performances are magnificent, Jacob manages to show so many emotions just through his eyes, while Oscar delivers a captivating and raw journey throughout Victor’s life. Their on-screen chemistry is truly extraordinary and I hope they’ve got a lot of suits ready for awards season, because they’re going to need them. I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to chat with these world class actors, about Frankenstein in particular but also books in general. I hope you enjoy the chat, and stay tuned afterwards for a special reading from the novel.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mexican filmmaker and THREE-time Academy Award winner Guillermo Del Toro joins the Inklings Book Club to discuss Mary Shelley's gothic classic Frankenstein, as well as his new Netflix adaptation. We spoke about the horror genre, his favourite books, and the library he calls Bleak House. Frankenstein is streaming from November 7th on Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Shelley published Frankenstein anonymously in 1818. She was later credited for her work, but the book's origin story is just as interesting as the novel itself. In the "year without a summer" of 1816, Mary joined her husband Percy and Lord Byron for a weekend away, where the scared each other with ghost tales. They came up with a challenge to see who could write the creepiest story of their own, and Frankenstein was born. I sat down with Rachael Marsay, the Roy Davids Archivist of Modern Literary Archives and Manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries, to discuss the creation of this gothic classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew O'Hagan is the author of seven novels, as well as being a brilliant journalist. We sat down to discuss his epic novel Caledonian Road, a state-of-the-nation novel about one man’s tragic fall from grace. He’s socially and politically liberal, and feels he’s done everything as best he can, but his life begins to unspool. With a mammoth cast of SIXTY ONE characters, Andrew embarked on a massive research project to meet people fr I’ve followed Andrew O’Hagan’s career for many many years so I was thrilled to be able to sit down with him for this conversation at the Gothenburg Book Fair. I hope you enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While I was at Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden I managed to track down the inimitable Juhea KIm to have a backstage chat all about her rapturous and ravishing prose.  Straight out the gate, Juhea Kim’s debut novel Beasts of A Little Land became a prize-winning international bestseller. It’s a historical epic set in early 20th century Korea which was occupied by Japan. We follow Jade and JungHo, two orphaned children, as their lives intertwine over five decades of war, occupation, revolution, and Korean history. The two have a life-changing friendship which results in Jade having to make a decision between following her own ambitions and risking everything for the one she loves. The Times Literary Supplement weren’t kidding when they called it “a stunning achievement.” Now, Juhea has written a short story collection, featuring ten ecological tales inspired by colours. It’s titled A Love Story From the End of the World, and tells tales of nature, animals, technology, and the climate crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Coin marks the arrival of a striking new voice to the literary landscape. Yasmin Zaher’s irreverent debut is as shocking as it is stunning, as bonkers as it is beautiful. The Dylan Thomas Prize winning novel is full of big ideas, but without ever moralising, as our unnamed narrator navigates the squalor of New York City, after leaving Palestine. Grimy city streets provide a backdrop for an evisceration of modern culture, from politicians and the media to religion and war. Our jeering narrator gets involved in a scheme buying and selling Bikrin Bags. It’s tongue-in-cheek, outrageous, and rude, but so much fun to read. She is unruly and unfiltered, resisting adherence to hegemony, and a total riot. Join the book club on Fable: https://fable.sng.link/Ali7l/5kmb/rnxe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evenings and Weekends is a love story to London, a portrait of a city with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters. Everyone is facing a dilemma, and their lives collde during a sweltering heatwave where everyone feels a little... too close. But there are no villains -- instead, it's an exercise in empathy. Oh, and there's a whale stuck in the Thames. Jack Edwards chats to Irish author Oisín McKenna about his dazzling debut, in this inaugural Inklings Book Club meeting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fíona Scarlett’s debut novel Boys Don’t Cry was an international bestseller, and she was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Her new novel, May All Your Skies Be Blue is a dual timeline story about young love, friendship, and the things that happen to us that we cannot control. This episode was recorded at the Gothenburg Book Fair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I can't believe I'm saying this, but today we are joined by two legends: Cillian Murphy and Max Porter. Cillian and Max have collaborated as co-curators of the Sounds From A Safe Harbour Festival in Cork, Ireland, as well as the theatre adaptation of Max’s book Grief Is The Thing With Feathers. The book is a hybrid of prose and poetry about a crow visiting a grieving family. Now, they’re working together on the adaptation of Max's novella Shy, now a Netflix movie called Steve. The original book is a lyrical novella about a boarding school for troubled boys, documenting the chaos of one boy’s mind, whose name is Shy. Steve is actually very different from the novel, instead named after the head teacher at the school. In the film, he’s played expertly by Cillian Murphy. Cillian is an Irish actor, winner of a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and of course an Oscar. I sat down with the two of them to discuss this experimental and exciting project, and their love for books in general. Thank you to Netflix for making this happen!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded at Gothenburg Book Fair, I interviewed Swedish ICON Fredrik Backman about his newest book, My Friends -- a book that almost never was. Fredrik Backman is the author of EIGHT bestselling novels, including the Beartown trilogy, Anxious People, and A Man Called Ove. Thumbnail photography image credit: Natalie Greppi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fyodor Dostoevsky's White Nights became the fourth biggest selling translated book in the UK last year, so I wanted to speak to someone very familiar with the text. Bridgerton's Luke Thompson happens to be a Dostoevsky superfan just like me, and narrated the new audiobook version, so is well acquainted with the story. We sat down at Penguin's offices in London to chat about the book and Luke's taste as a reader. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coco Mellors is the author of two novels, and her love of her craft is just infectious. Her debut, Cleopatra and Frankenstein exploded onto the literary scene in 2022, documenting one couple’s impulsive marriage in New York City and the ripple effect it has on their close circle of friends. Everyone is reading and loving this book, even Carrie Bradshaw who is spotted reading it one scene in And Just Like That. Truly, the highest literary honour. Coco’s second novel, Blue Sisters, was published in 2024. It’s about three sisters who reconnect in their childhood home after their fourth sister has sadly passed away. It takes place across London, New York, Paris, and LA, and tackles themes of grief, sisterhood, and addiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bestselling author of six novels, including One Day, Us, and You Are Here, David Nicholls shares his tips for writing, reading, and adapting. David has been one of my favourite writers for as long as I can remember. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices