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 that has had a big effect on some of his work.

Please note there are two incredibly mild swear words in this episode.

General references: BBC Writers Room, now BBC Writers Paul's play is called Big Man Paul's blog post about tips from Heather Larmour

Books mentioned by name or extensively: Kit de Waal: My Name Is Leon Kit de Waal (ed.): Common People Paul McVeigh: The Good Son Paul McVeigh: I Hear You Paul McVeigh (ed.) The 32 Paul McVeigh (ed.) Queer Love Sarah Butler: Ten Things I've Learnt About Love Sinéad Gleeson (ed.) The Art Of The Glimpse Wendy Erskine: Sweet Home Wendy Erskine: Dance Move

Release details: recorded 7th April 2025; published 28th July 2025

Where to find Paul online: Website || Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:28 Paul talks about being commissioned by the BBC to write the short stories now featured in I Hear You, as well as his success in doing so 07:03 Why publish these short stories in a collection now? 13:01 Did Paul's working class background have an affect on the resilience he's discussed? 16:37 The first story, Tickles. We also talk about Paul being an emotional writer 26:01 The second story, Cuckoo, which is heavily influenced by an operation Paul had 32:45 About the 10 linked stories, The Circus 38:23 Paul tells us about the short story collection he's currently writing

Charlie and Sophie Jo (Red Flags) discuss healthy relationships particularly in the context of young people and in terms of values and hobbies. They also delve into popular media from the '90s and 2000s as included in Sophie's book.

General references: Love Respect 10 Things I Hate About You How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days The OC Girls Normal People TV adaptation

Books mentioned by name or extensively: Sally Rooney: Conversations With Friends Sally Rooney: Normal People Sophie Jo: Red Flags

Release details: recorded 17th March 2025; published 14th July 2025

Where to find Sophie online: Website || Instagram || Facebook || TikTok

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:35 The inspiration for Red Flags 04:10 More about Stephanie 08:34 Is there a sequel for Stephanie in Sophie's future? 10:54 Creating Poppy and Cam, who Charlie found were extremely well written 13:56 Sophie tells us about her work helping teens know what about healthy love looks like 17:58 The popular media references in the book from the 1990s and 2000s 20:39 The scene in the bookstore, the meta aspect to Red Flags 23:12 Talking more about relationships where people might not have interests in common 25:08 Cam's parents and their affects on his views of relationships and so on 28:55 Talking about the characters we haven't yet talked about 31:13 Cam's granddad 33:01 Where might Poppy and Cam end up in the future? 35:59 What the response has been from teen readers 37:23 Some details about Sophie's next book

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 how and the why, a boy stolen as a child and now he's found his way home...

Please note we mention abuse, kidnapping, and prostitution.

Books mentioned by name or extensively: Carmel Harrington: The Stolen Child Carmel Harrington: The Nowhere Girls J R R Tolkien: The Lord Of The Rings

Release details: recorded 17th February 2025; published 23rd June 2025

Where to find Carmel online: Website || Instagram || Facebook

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:33 The inspiration for The Stolen Child 04:43 Carmel's research 06:18 Planning and plotting 10:37 On giving the answers up front and working with everything else after doing that 13:00 Exploring DNA tests 14:13 Creating the characters 21:02 More about Kimberley's father-in-law, Kevin 23:08 The locations - why them and why have four? 25:55 The prostitution storylines 28:47 On Sally not going back to the orphanage but being able to talk to Sister Jones 31:28 Ian, the exploitative abuser 44:37 On not dobbing Kimberley to the police 50:49 Was it difficult getting these characters out of your head after you'd finished the book? 52:11 Watering plants with pasta water?! 53:02 What Carmel is working on now

Photo credit: Patrick Browne Photography

Charlie and Samantha Sotto Yambao (Water Moon) discuss her UK debut - yay! - exploring the concepts of fate and choice, the process of evolving the romance, and, we catch up on the lives of Sam's dogs.

A transcript is available on my site

General references: Ticket link for the podcast live events Sam joined me to discuss The Beginning of Always in episode 50 Sam joined me to discuss Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, and A Dream of Trees in episode 5

Books mentioned by name or extensively: David and Leigh Eddings: The Belgariad J R R Tolkien: Return Of The King Samantha Sotto: Before Ever After Samantha Sotto: Love And Gravity Samantha Sotto: A Dream Of Trees Samantha Sotto Yambao: Water Moon

Release details: recorded 11th February 2025; published 9th June 2025

Where to find Sam online: Website || Facebook || Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

03:38 This being Sam's UK debut; how it came about 07:32 The inspirations - Ninenzaka in Kyoto 10:28 Expanding on the pawnshop concept in terms of Water Moon's look at fate and choice 12:56 Sam's interest in putting science and fantasy and magical realism together 15:07 Neutrinos! 17:24 When in the process do you research? 19:01 Creating Hana 23:05 Writing about the loss of mothers 25:40 The romance in terms of when Keishin was included 31:19 The bad guys of the book 34:05 All about the ending and Sam's choices 37:17 Charlie brings in Death of the Author 41:06 Doctor Who references 42:19 What's next? 43:03 Asking about Sam's dogs who have made appearances in our previous episodes

Charlie and Amy Jordan (The Dark Hours) discuss the Irish police force, the Garda, in the 1990s, particularly where it involves sexism. They also discuss the effects on a relationship of being a member of the police, and the way trauma can influence extreme actions.

A transcript is available on my site

General references: The New York Times review (paywall)

Books mentioned by name or extensively: Amy Jordan: The Dark Hours

Release details: recorded 14th January 2025; published 12th May 2025

Where to find Amy online: Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

01:31 The inspiration 03:19 Writing Julia and exploring the effects of what she's been through 09:21 Exploring trauma and its effects 14:22 The pacing 18:49 More about how Amy included Julia's husband and what he goes through as a result of her career, which includes talking about people Amy knows 23:26 Where Julia says, "Call me Julia" 25:22 The misogyny and the Garda in general in the 1990s 32:36 Brendon and his Morse Code 35:08 Creating the fictional villages, and Amy's spooky story of a real house 38:33 Minor details of book 2, including where Amy will take Julia and Philip's relationship

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