Author's Afterword
Episodes
134: Elodie Harper (Boudicca's Daughter)
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Elodie Harper (Boudicca's Daughter) discuss the Iceni women history didn't deem important enough to give us names for, working with morall...
133: Juhea Kim (A Love Story From The End Of The World)
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Juhea Kim (A Love Story From The End Of The World) discuss Juhea's fantastic largely environmental and philosophical short story collectio...
132: Clémence Michallon (Our Last Resort)
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Clémence Michallon (Our Last Resort) discuss Clémence's epic multi-thousand-a-day writing streak and how she cuts sentences that don't w...
131: Nikki May (This Motherless Land)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Nikki May (This Motherless Land) discuss her childhood in Lagos and moving to England, various ways Nikki's story changed over time (quite...
130: Jim C Hines (Kitemaster)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jim C Hines (Kitemaster) discuss how his story developed over a number of years, including wonder and physics reasoning in the book, his e...
129: Julie Kagawa (Fateless)
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Julie Kagawa (Fateless) discuss video games, working with fate and destiny, Julie's brilliant world building and magic system, and the dec...
128: Maggie Stiefvater (The Listeners)
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Maggie Stiefvater (The Listeners) discuss the lesser-known history of the US hosting Axis diplomats in luxury hotels, the arrangements mad...
127: Emily Slapper (Everyone I Know Is Dying)
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Emily Slapper (Everyone I Know Is Dying) discuss her phenomenal book that looks at a young woman spiralling from mental illness. This invo...
126: Michael Stewart (Black Wood Women)
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Michael Stewart (Black Wood Women) discuss the persecution of Irish people in the 17th century, the loss of and possible reintroduction of...
125: Paul McVeigh (I Hear You)
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Paul McVeigh (I Hear You) discuss Paul's time writing stories for the BBC, being an emotional writer, and a traumatic medical experience t...
124: Sophie Jo (Red Flags)
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Sophie Jo (Red Flags) discuss healthy relationships particularly in the context of young people and in terms of values and hobbies. They a...
123: Carmel Harrington (The Stolen Child)
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Carmel Harrington (The Stolen Child) discuss her stunning thriller wherein the reveal is given at the start and we have to find out the ho...
122: Samantha Sotto Yambao (Water Moon)
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Samantha Sotto Yambao (Water Moon) discuss her UK debut - yay! - exploring the concepts of fate and choice, the process of evolving the ro...
Necessary hiatus: dental gone wrong
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
121: Amy Jordan (The Dark Hours)
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Amy Jordan (The Dark Hours) discuss the Irish police force, the Garda, in the 1990s, particularly where it involves sexism. They also disc...
120: Amy Engel (I Did It For You)
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
119: Nydia Hetherington (Sycorax)
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Nydia Hetherington (Sycorax) discuss the witch Shakespeare's Prospero hates so much and Nydia's reimagining slash prequel to The Tempest. ...
118: Gill Paul (Scandalous Women)
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Gill Paul (Scandalous Women) discuss Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann, and the way the 1960s publishing industry treated women. A transcr...
117: C J Wray (The Excitements)
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 historica...
Live 01: Alex Hay, Lucy Barker, Stacey Thomas
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
116: Maggie Brookes (The Prisoner's Wife)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
115: Éric Chacour (What I Know About You)
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
114: Edward Carey (Edith Holler)
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
113: Chloe C Peñaranda (The Stars Are Dying)
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For live show tickets, click here Charlie and Chloe C Peñaranda (The Stars Are Dying) discuss the incident wherein her heroine stabs the hero, gettin...
112: Eliza Chan (Fathomfolk)
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Eliza Chan (Fathomfolk) discuss many questions of immigration in both reality and her fantasy fiction, the different mythological creature...
Announcement: Live Show!
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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) ...
111: Elaine Chiew (The Light Between Us)
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Elaine Chiew (The Light Between Us) discuss early 20th century Singaporean photography and its influences on Elaine's novel in depth, whic...
110: Emma Cowell (The Island Love Song)
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
109: Susan Muaddi Darraj (Behind You Is The Sea)
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Susan Muaddi Darraj (Behind You Is The Sea) discuss the Palestinian Christian community, her immigrant characters and their children, how ...
Bonus 01: Louise Morrish On Her Unusual Publishing Journey
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sh...
108: Mark Stay (The Witches Of Woodville)
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Mark Stay (The Witches Of Woodville) discuss writing humour into wartime, using period-correct language as well as slang, why community is...
107: Jessica Bull (Miss Austen Investigates)
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jessica Bull (Miss Austen Investigates) discuss Jane Austen! The mysteries in her books, what and how she read, her likely views on slaver...
106: Nikki Marmery (Lilith)
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
105: Natalie Jenner (Every Time We Say Goodbye)
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, chan...
Name Change: I Want Your Opinions!
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The poll is here Or, if your app does not show links: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TGVG9F
104: Matt Ottley (The Tree Of Ecstasy And Unbearable Sadness)
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
103: Kate Weston (You May Now Kill The Bride)
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 m...
Milestone 05: Liz Fenwick, Emma Cowell, Ronali Collings, Tammye Huf
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is Joined by Liz Fenwick, Emma Cowell, Ronali Collings, and Tammye Huf, for a general bookish chat. ...
Milestone 04: Phillip Lewis, Melissa Fu, Amanda Geard
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sligh...
102: Manda Scott (Any Human Power)
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 impro...
Milestone 03: Elissa Soave, Jenni Keer, Chloe Timms
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
101: Jacquie Bloese (The Golden Hour/The Secret Photographs)
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jacquie Bloese (The Golden Hour/The Secret Photographs) discuss early erotic photography, Victorian erotic stage performances, and the beg...
Milestone 02: Alex Hay, Stacey Thomas, Lucy Barker
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Alex Hay, Stacey Thomas, and Lucy Barker for a general bookish chat with a concentratio...
100: Liz Fenwick (The Secret Shore)
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Milestone 01: Elizabeth Fremantle, Amanda Geard, Gill Paul, Maggie Brookes
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Gill Paul, Elizabeth Fremantle, Amanda Geard, and Maggie Brookes for a general bookish ...
99: Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ (Dazzling)
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ (Dazzling) discuss Igbo mythology, the differences between polygamy and monogamy in Igbo culture, and the ...
98: Sarah Marsh (A Sign Of Her Own)
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
97: Natasha Solomons (Fair Rosaline)
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Natasha Solomons (Fair Rosaline) discuss Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, told from the perspective of Rosaline, wherein Rome...
96: Lucy Barker (The Other Side Of Mrs Wood)
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Lucy Barker (The Other Side Of Mrs Wood) discuss Victorian mediums both factual and fictionalised - their work, the spiritualism that led ...
95: Jennifer Saint (Atalanta)
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
94: Elizabeth Fremantle (Disobedient)
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Elizabeth Fremantle (Disobedient) discuss the formative life, and Elizabeth's fictionalisation, of Artemisia Gentileschi, a woman painter ...
93: Kristy Woodson Harvey (The Summer Of Songbirds)
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kristy Woodson Harvey (The Summer Of Songbirds) discuss whether we should like her character, Lanier (who stops her best friend and brothe...
92: Maggie Brookes (Acts Of Love And War)
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, th...
91: Stacey Thomas (The Revels)
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Stacey Thomas (The Revels) discuss English Civil War era witch hunting which includes the methods, the propaganda, and the awful theatre o...
90: Celina Baljeet Basra (Happy)
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Celina Baljeet Basra (Happy) discuss the experiences undocumented migrants to Western Europe face, French film director Jean Luc Goddard's...
89: Rachel Abbott (Don't Look Away)
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ha...
88: Karen Hamilton (The Contest)
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Karen Hamilton (The Contest) discuss the specifics of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the vast support crews, her ridiculously privileged h...
87: Radhika Sanghani (I Wish We Weren't Related)
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Radhika Sanghani (I Wish We Weren't Related) discuss having alopecia, healing from being a people pleaser and self-empowerment in general,...
86: Gill Paul (A Beautiful Rival)
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Gill Paul (A Beautiful Rival) discuss the working lives of and rivalry between businesswomen Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, and th...
85: Tasneem Abdur-Rashid (Finding Mr Perfectly Fine)
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
84: Amanda Geard (The Moon Gate)
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Balla...
83: Alex Hay (The Housekeepers)
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Alex Hay (The Housekeepers) discuss his meticulously planned and fast-paced 1900s heist novel wherein the entire contents of a grand house...
82: Paula Cocozza (Speak To Me)
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
81: Nicolai Houm (The Gradual Disappearance Of Jane Ashland)
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Nicolai Houm (The Gradual Disappearance Of Jane Ashland) discuss a unique and somewhat extreme form of coping with grief, where his charac...
80: Elissa Soave (Ginger And Me)
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Elissa Soave (Ginger And Me) discuss including the working class in fiction, writing about neuro-divergence without labels, and social car...
79: Lisa See (Lady Tan's Circle Of Women)
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 di...
78: Eleanor Shearer (River Sing Me Home)
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Eleanor Shearer (River Sing Me Home) discuss how slavery didn't really end when it was abolished, and Eleanor's experiences studying the C...
77: Jenni Keer (The Legacy Of Halesham Hall)
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jenni Keer (The Legacy Of Halesham Hall) discuss wacky puzzle houses, writing as a reader, the age gap in her book, and Rebecca-like chara...
76: Kate Thompson (The Little Wartime Library)
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kate Thompson (The Little Wartime Library) discuss the wartime history and community of East London's Bethnal Green - the Tube station tha...
75: Ronali Collings (All The Single Ladies/Love & Other Dramas)
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Ronali Collings (Love & Other Dramas) discuss her relationship with her mother and where that influences her novel, racist comments and de...
74: Kristina McMorris (Sold On A Monday; The Ways We Hide)
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kristina McMorris (Sold On A Monday; The Ways We Hide) discuss the harrowing photographs of children that inspired her last two novels, wh...
73: Orlando Ortega-Medina (The Fitful Sleep Of Immigrants)
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Orlando Ortega-Medina (The Fitful Sleep Of Immigrants) discuss the reality for LGBT asylum seekers in the US, Orlando's own experiences as...
72: Amita Parikh (The Circus Train)
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Amita Parikh (The Circus Train) discuss how Amita's dancing and performing experiences influenced her work, her controversial decision to ...
71: Emma Cowell (One Last Letter From Greece)
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Emma Cowell (One Last Letter From Greece) discuss grief, miscarriage and expectations surrounding it, and, in keeping with her book's titl...
70: E C Fremantle (The Honey And The Sting)
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
She's back! Charlie and E C Fremantle (The Honey And The Sting) discuss producing a book that is utterly devoid - and then some - of filler, Black peo...
69: Cecelia Tichi (A Fatal Gilded High Note)
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Cecelia Tichi (A Fatal Gilded High Note) discuss the Gilded Age in its success and its crimes, her rebellious 1890s character who defies c...
68: Kate Glanville (The Peacock House)
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kate Glanville (The Peacock House) discuss her main character who is 90 years old, and villains who aren't so villainous after all. Kate a...
67: Kristin Harmel (The Forest Of Vanishing Stars)
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kristin Harmel (The Forest Of Vanishing Stars) discuss the true story, and Kristin's own fictional one, of a group of over a thousand Jewi...
66: Sally Page (The Keeper Of Stories)
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Sally Page (The Keeper Of Stories) discuss story collection, the forgotten mistress of the abdicated Edward VIII, and dogs who swear somet...
65: Natalie Jenner (Bloomsbury Girls)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Natalie Jenner (Bloomsbury Girls) discuss Jane Austen in all Natalie's interesting concepts, tales of related auctions she has been involv...
64: Chloe Timms (The Seawomen)
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Chloe Timms (The Seawomen) discuss Chloe's dystopian fictional religious cult in all its fantasy and reality, the major changes she made t...
63: Amanda Geard (The Midnight House)
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Amanda Geard (The Midnight House) discuss buying big derelict houses, the importance of community in County Kerry, and Amanda's stunning e...
62: Grace D Li (Portrait Of A Thief)
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Grace D Li (Portrait Of A Thief) discuss Chinese American identity, art theft and repatriation, and bonkers fun fictional heists. Please n...
61: Yvonne Bailey-Smith (The Day I Fell Off My Island)
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Yvonne Bailey-Smith (The Day I Fell Off My Island) discuss the effects on children of immigration from Jamaica to the UK, the effects on p...
60: Jennifer Saint (Elektra)
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jennifer Saint (Elektra) discuss the Trojan War in terms of the women the men left behind - Elektra, Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and, arguabl...
59: Melissa Fu (Peach Blossom Spring)
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Melissa Fu (Peach Blossom Spring) discuss the experiences of Chinese refugees during the Second Sino-Japanese War - particularly those who...
58: Natasha Miller (Relentless)
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Natasha Miller (Relentless) discuss Natasha's incredible and inspirational life as a classical violinist and jazz singer, and founder and ...
57: Kate Quinn (The Rose Code; The Diamond Eye)
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kate Quinn (The Rose Code; The Diamond Eye) discuss the extraordinary people behind Bletchley Park's successes, including socialite Osla B...
56: Imogen Clark (Impossible To Forget)
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Imogen Clark (Impossible To Forget) discuss her latest novel - a pre-release bestseller, creating the story as she goes and publishing wha...
55: Patrick Gale (Take Nothing With You; Mother's Boy)
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Patrick Gale (Take Nothing With You; Mother's Boy) discuss musicality - his own and his character's, setting a childhood in a care home, t...
54: Kaia Alderson (Sisters In Arms)
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Kaia Alderson (Sisters In Arms) discuss the little-known 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black female US unit in W...
53: Sara Nisha Adams (The Reading List)
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Sara Nisha Adams (The Reading List) discuss books! The ways they can bring very different people together, the importance of libraries in ...
52: Edward Carey (B: A Year In Plague And Pencils; The Swallowed Man)
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Edward Carey (B: A Year in Plague and Pencils; The Swallowed Man) discuss his epic drawing project wherein he undertook to create a sketch...
51: Janie Chang (The Library Of Legends)
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Janie Chang (The Library Of Legends) discuss the incredible journeys made by Chinese university students, during the 1937 Japanese invasio...
50: Samantha Sotto (The Beginning Of Always)
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Samantha Sotto returns! We discuss her latest book The Beginning Of Always (its inspiration was the woman whose death mask was used to create the firs...
49: Rebecca F John (The Haunting Of Henry Twist)
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Rebecca F John (The Haunting Of Henry Twist) discuss being gay and bisexual in the 1920s, the way the flapper years could mask the effects...
48: Rosie Travers (The Theatre Of Dreams)
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Rosie Travers (The Theatre Of Dreams) discuss writing novels set amongst the working class of the south coast, Art Deco buildings we've lo...
47: Jennifer Robson (Our Darkest Night)
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Jennifer Robson (Our Darkest Night) discuss the horrors of life as an Italian Jew during the Second World War, those who fled and those wh...
46: Hazel Gaynor (The Bird In The Bamboo Cage)
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Hazel Gaynor (The Bird In The Bamboo Cage) discuss the lives of the pupils and teachers of the Chefoo school for missionaries' children in...
45: Claire North (Notes From The Burning Age)
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Charlie and Claire North (Notes From The Burning Age) discuss climate change today and into the future, sexism back of house in theatre, and how she v...