Book Shambles

Our guest this week is comedian, writer and host of The Guilty Feminist, Deborah Frances-White. She chats with Robin and Josie about her time as a Jehovah's Witness, discovering improv and some of her favourite books including work by Virginia Woolf, George Orwell and Erica Jong. This is the last episode of the current series as Josie heads off on maternity leave. We've still got lots of episodes and specials to come though including recordings of lots of our recent live shows with guests including Dean Burnett, Alan Moore and Lucie Green. Tickets are still available for our live show on June 11 with guests Adam Buxton and Hannah Fry, as well as Space Shambles with Robin, Chris Hadfield, Stewart Lee and others on June 15. royalalberthall.com for tickets. Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

Matt Haig has been one of our most requested guests on social media so we're delighted he is our guest this week. Robin and Josie chat to Matt about his own work including the upcoming Notes on a Nervous Planet as well as some of his favourite works from the likes of Emily Dickinson, Carl Sagan and Janette Winterson. A bonus 20 minutes of chat await Patreon supporters this week. You can hear that, and help keep the podcast in production, by pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles

We're celebrating our 100th episode! We're either a bit early, or a bit late, depending on how you want to count 'actual' episodes, but it's the thought that counts. On this episode we chat to Emmy and Golden Globe award winner and Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston about his autobiography A Life in Parts. He chats about his acting process, reading for role research, the Time's Up movement, favourite playwrights and a whole lot more. Robin is in the studio and Josie pre-recorded a series of questions as she was off with pregnancy related engagements.  Thank you, as always, to you our great Patreon supporters. We would never have been able to make one episode, let alone a hundred odd, without their amazing support. It is hugely appreciated by all of us at Shambles. This week, it's a bumper Patreon edition with almost 25 minutes of extra Cranston just for pledgers. If you'd like to join them and help keep Book Shambles keeping on, head to patreon.com/bookshambles

Robin shared a house at The Laugharne Weekend with writer, author, comic and storyteller Nick Revell. They chat about Nick's latest tale, drinking with Peggy Seger and shape shifting lizards. If you'd like us to keep making the show, please do consider pledging at patreon.com/bookshambles and then ideally actually pledging.

Founder of the Craftivist Collective, Sarah Corbett joins Josie and Robin to talk about craftivism and her own books on the subject. But Sarah also brought along a big bag of her favourite books to talk about so there's much chat about Martin Luther King Jr, Rebecca Solnit, Daniel Goleman and more. To hear an extended version of this episode and gets lots of other perks and rewards, you can support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

Robin caught up with MP and author of Everywoman: One Woman's Truth About Speaking the Truth, Jess Phillips. They chat about the book, influences, the diaries of Adrian Mole and much more. Thanks for your continued support. Details of our first live book club have been posted for pledgers at the $3 and up tier. If you'd like to support the show you can do so at patreon.com/bookshambles

Stay With Me was one of the most acclaimed novels of the part twelve months and this week its author, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, joins Robin and Josie to chat about her debut novel. They also chat about some of Ayọ̀bámi’s favourite books, Richard Holloway, Michael Rosen and much more. Book Shambles would not, and could not continue, to exist without your support on Patreon. Pledge at patreon.com/bookshambles

At The Laugharne Weekend Robin sat down with the prolific and acclaimed author, writer (and broadcaster) Stella Duffy. They chat about writing crime fiction, promoting diverse storytellers, Fun Palaces and a whole lot more! Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles

In an episode we actually recorded quite a while back, writer, performer and comedian Ricky Gervais joins Robin and Josie in the studio for this week's episode. After Robin starts by saying Ricky doesn't like to read, they chat about why that is and some of Ricky's favourite philosophy writers and science books. To hear an extended version of this episode, plus get access to bonus episodes and lots of other goodies, as well as helping keep the podcast going, please support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/bookshambles

The final Author Extra we recorded at BAHFest, Robin chats to Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, authors of the graphic novel Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything. They chat about reusable rockets, why Google Glass failed, augmented reality, medical breakthroughs and lots more! Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles