Book Shambles

This week Robin and Josie sit down to talk inspirational books with founder and director of the Daughter’s of Eve organisation and FGM campaigner, Nimko Ali. There’s chat of religious texts, George Orwell, Walt Whitman and many more besides.

Welcome to Season 5 of Book Shambles, now part of the Cosmic Shambles Network! Artist and writer and Raoul Martinez joins Robin and Josie to kick of Season 5 of Book Shambles. They discuss Raoul's new book Creating Freedom, have a bit of a debate about free will and chat about the work of Howard Zinn, Rebecca Solnit, Noam Chomsky and more.

It’s the 50th episode of Book Shambles which just happens to coincide with the launch of the Cosmic Shambles network. Well, we say coincide, we orchestrated it entirely. Anyway, Robin and Josie have a chat about Robocop and what they’ve been reading lately before we take a walk down memory lane with some highlights from the first 49 episodes. Check out the CSN at cosmicshambles.com

The Costa Book of the Year is announced this week, so we’re joined by the chair of the judging panel, writer and historian Kate Williams. She chats with Robin and Josie about judging the prize, great sci-fi books, history’s great diaries and the perils of historical accuracy in fiction. The Cosmic Shambles network launches next week, sign up now at cosmicshambles.com

Josie and Robin are joined by writer Johann Hari to talk about all manner of things. From his new book, ‘Chasing the Scream’ and rebuilding trust with readers, to the work of Rebecca Solnit, Simon Ings, Peter Ackroyd and more. This is a bonus episode, free to all with no charge to our Patreons. Subscribe to the all new Cosmic Shambles which is launching soon at cosmicshambles.com

Comedian James Acaster is in the guest chair this week to talk about the arts scene in Kettering, great comedians’ biographies, Dave Eggers and dealing with a drop in your Uber rating. And Book Shambles is expanding. Cosmic Shambles is coming soon and you can sign up for free at cosmicshambles.com

Storyteller Philip Ridley joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about his own art, plays, books and more as well as his early comic book influences, reading to escape and the problems with genre. Also Robin and Josie still haven't read Ulysses. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Scientist, Author and Broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts sits down with Robin and Josie this week to talk about the challenges of turning science TV shows into popular science books and why she should read more fiction. There’s also chat about Stevie Smith poems leading to hypothermia, great new pop biology books and some Carl Sagan controversy. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Writer and performer Alice Lowe (and her delightful baby) join Robin and Josie this week to talk about writing dark fiction and horror whilst pregnant, including her film Prevenge. There’s also chat around the work of Patti Smith, Angela Carter, Tom Robbins and, of course, Kurt Vonnegut. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

A Christmas Special of Book Shambles! Robin and Josie chat about their favourite books of the year and then we caught up with twenty of the guests backstage at Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium show about their favourite books of the year including Simon Le Bon, Chris Hadfield, Brian Cox, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ben Goldacre, Helen Czerski and many more! All Patreon proceeds from this episode will be donated to St Mungo's Help For Homeless People charity. cosmicshambles.com is coming in 2017. Sign up to the mailing list now.