Multi-exit entrepreneur, investor and one of the UK’s most influential business figures, Debbie Wosskow OBE discusses the gender pay gap in writing, her fearlessness in asking men for money, and why the Women’s Prize Trust is so important.

Debbie is best known for founding the home-swapping platform Love Home Swap and co-founding the women’s network AllBright. She has built and scaled multiple successful businesses, advised the UK government on the sharing economy and now co-chairs the Invest in Women Taskforce, driving hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into female-led companies. 

A former board member at the Women’s Prize Trust, Debbie is Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, a company that produces science-backed nutritional supplements for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, a Board Member of The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and a Non-Executive Director at Channel 4. She is also the co-author of the business bestseller, Believe, Build, Become - How to Supercharge Your Career. 

Debbie was awarded an OBE in June 2016 for services to business & received Freedom of the City of London 2019.

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Presenter and author Alice Loxton discusses how fiction can help us understand the past – particularly when it comes to women’s stories; finding humour in classic literature; and her companionship with figures from history.

Alice is passionate about bringing history to mainstream, younger audiences, and she has over three million followers on social media, where her videos educate on British history, heritage and art. She has worked with many organisations including 10 Downing Street, The Royal Academy, English Heritage, The National Gallery, Tate, BBC, ITV, and Microsoft, and she writes about history for publications including The Times, Telegraph and Spectator. She’s an ambassador for the National Trust, a mentor for The King’s Foundation 35 Under 35 Network, and a patron of The British Pilgrimage Trust. 

Alice’s book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives was a Sunday Times bestseller and Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2024. Her new book, Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen, sees her follow in the footsteps of Eleanor of Castile’s funeral procession, bringing to life the formidable character of this lesser-known royal.  

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Presenter, DJ and radio host Kemi Rodgers is excited to head back to the jungle for the new series of I’m A Celebrity and shares what books she’ll be packing for the journey.

Kemi is best known for her work on Capital Radio and as a co-host for I'm a Celebrity: Unpacked on ITV2 alongside Joel Dommett. Kemi’s love for music extends beyond radio – her expertise led her to produce a documentary for Warner Music, and she’s a familiar face at festivals and events, where she frequently DJs. She often hosts art events and shares her passion for history in her own social series, History with Kemi, making history accessible and engaging for her audience.

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Chair of Judges for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Baroness Thangam Debbonaire explains why the prize is so important; the enduring importance of democracy for women worldwide; and her formative years working in a communist bookshop. 

Thangam is a Labour Member of the House of Lords, where her key interests include arts policy, international cultural partnerships and diplomacy, copyright and AI. A former Labour MP, she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from September 2023 until May 2024. Before parliament, Thangam worked for 25 years on the protection from - and prevention of - violence against women and girls, both nationally and internationally. She was recently announced as chair of the judging panel for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, sponsored by Findmypast. 

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Actor Nikki Amuka-Bird discusses her awe for Zadie Smith, the need for humour in books about difficult conversations and her relationship with playing “mean” characters. 

Nikki is an actor whose career spans across film, television, and stage. She was born in Nigeria and grew up in Antigua before moving to the UK to attend boarding school. She studied at LAMDA – the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art – and quickly fell in love with the craft, before beginning what would become a stellar stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nikki has starred in a number of critically acclaimed roles in both British and international productions. She is perhaps best known for her work in television, with standout performances in Luther & the adaptation of Zadie Smith’s NW, which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Nikki also appeared in the BBC adaptation of Small Island by Andrea Levy, winner of the 2004 Women’s Prize for Fiction, and most recently as the lead in UKTV’s I, Jack Wright. Her impressive filmography spans a wide array of roles, from starring alongside Rachel Weisz in Denial, to working with director and producer M. Night Shyamalan in Knock at the Cabin.

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

Recorded May 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Columnist and writer Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett talks to Vick about motherhood, neurodivergence  and her love for quiet books which look at interior lives.

Rhiannon is best known as a writer and columnist for The Guardian, co-founder of the feminist satire blog The Vagenda (later a book) and as a writer for Vogue, Elle and the Independent.  She’s also the author of multiple books. Her debut novel, The Tyranny of Lost Things, is a beautiful coming of age story that deals with trauma and memory, set against the backdrop of the 2011 London riots. Her critically acclaimed memoir, The Year of the Cat, explores her decision whether or not to have a baby, and how a small cat named Mackerel reminded her of just how much love she had to offer. Her new book, The Republic of Parenthood: On Bringing Up Babies, is a fearless account of the first years of parenting, drawn from her agenda-setting Guardian column, alongside new essays and beautiful illustrations by Pia Bramley. Rhiannon’s second work of fiction, Female, Nude, will be published in 2026.

** The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar 

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

Recorded May 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Feminist campaigner and founder of Sex Ed Matters, Laura Coryton discusses the power of sisterhood, the books which have inspired her campaigning and why sex education in schools still needs to evolve.

In 2014, Laura led the petition ‘Stop Taxing Periods’ to end tampon tax, which gained over 300,000 signatures and support from major political figures including Barack Obama. The campaign successfully lobbied the government to abolish the tax in 2021, before which they established the ‘Tampon Tax Fund’, through which almost £100 million pounds was donated to female-focused charities. Laura is an Obama Foundation European Leader and stood in the 2024 parliamentary election as the Labour Party candidate in Richmond Park. Her first book Speak Up! was published in 2019 and aims to inspire the next generation of female voices. Laura regularly speaks at schools about the experience and challenges of being a female campaigner, to advise and empower girls who might want to start their own campaigns or get involved with politics.

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

Recorded May 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Body positivity influencer and feminist writer Megan Jayne Crabbe discusses female hunger, moving beyond the ‘male saviour’ narrative and learning to accept her race, sexuality and place in the body positivity movement. 

Megan is best known for changing the narrative of how women feel about their bodies. She’s amassed over 1.3 million followers on social media, and has built her platform by creating empowering content on the topics of body positivity, mental health, feminism and beyond. She is also a seasoned presenter and podcast host, working with major broadcasters like the BBC, Universal Studios, Channel 4, The Brits and MTV, where she hosts the new digital series Faces, interviewing famous women about their own journeys with their bodies. In 2017 Megan released her bestselling debut book, Body Positive Power, and earlier this year released her second title, We Don’t Make Ourselves Smaller Here, a collection of personal essays which explore the areas of life where women often lose themselves.  

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. 

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

Recorded April 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Queen of Irish comedy Joanne McNally kicks off the second instalment of Bookshelfie series eight talking about her love for Bridget Jones, and why she’s drawn to stories about break-ups and revenge.

Joanne is known for her sharp wit and self-deprecating humour, and her hotly-anticipated new show Pinotphile, which is selling out venues across the UK and Ireland, tackles everything from dating disasters to the wild journey of being single in her 40s. She’s also a primetime TV regular and one of podcasting’s best loved names, co-hosting the award-winning My Therapist Ghosted Me alongside her best friend Vogue Williams, and the hugely popular BBC Sounds format Joanne McNally Investigates. Joanne’s debut book, Femme Feral, a raucously funny and brutally honest blend of memoir and cultural commentary exploring modern womanhood, will be published in 2027. 

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and continues to champion the very best books written by women.

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

Recorded May 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Accomplished writer and this year’s Chair of Judges for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction Kit de Waal talks to Vick about her memoir, the value of audiobooks and why we need to see more writing about women in mid life. 

Kit de Waal has written novels for adults and young adults, short stories and her memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes was published in 2022. Her debut novel My Name is Leon was an international bestseller; in 2022 it was adapted for television by the BBC and it is now on the GCSE curriculum. She is founder of the TV production company Portopia Productions and The Big Book Weekend, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and holds many roles in book and arts organisations. She is Chair of Judges for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her new novel The Best of Everything, a story about the meaning of kindness and the love that can alter one's life, is published next week.

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women.

Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!

You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. 

This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.