To help you out with the books you’re going to buy as gifts this Christmas, we’ve asked our book clubbers Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Ann and Róisín Ingle to tell us about the books they’ve loved reading this year. Later on, author Maggie O’Farrell talks to us about her ninth novel, A Marriage Portrait, which is set in Renaissance Italy and inspired by the real and tragic tale of Lucrezia di Cosimo de’Medici. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas Book Club: Gifts for Readers / Maggie O’Farrell

The Women's Podcast, hosted by Róisín Ingle &amp; Kathy Sheridan. Producers: Róisín Ingle and Suzanne Brennan.
By women, for everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Author, podcaster and fond friend of the show, Marian Keyes is back with her sixteenth novel ‘My Favourite Mistake’. It follows Anna Walsh, as she ditches her high-flying PR job and makes the move from the Big Apple to the wilds of Connemara. In this episode, Keyes talks to Róisín Ingle about abandoning the original idea for the book, in favour of writing a love story instead. She also reflects on some recent personal milestones; moving house, celebrating 30 years of sobriety and having her portrait unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marian Keyes: My Favourite Mistake

In this episode, author Caroline Magennis talks to Róisín Ingle about her new book Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women. It’s a look beyond the often divisive conversation around choosing not to have children, and offers an alternative message of hope and celebration. We also hear from Margaret O’Connor, a Limerick-based psychotherapist and presenter of the ‘Are Kids For Me’ Podcast. Through her work as a therapist, O’Connor supports people wondering if parenthood is for them. Writer Laura Kennedy, is also here to discuss the pressures faced by women as they approach the end of their fertility window and her own feelings of  ambivalence around motherhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Childfree by choice: The women who choose not to have kids

It’s hard to believe the last time Wallis Bird was on the podcast was nearly five years ago in 2019. Since then, the Berlin-based musician has released two more albums, the latest of which, Visions of Venus, was released last month. It’s a creative collaboration with the German classical quintet Spark, and together they are showcasing 1000 years of female composers from Clara Schumann to Kate Bush, Enya to Hildegard von Bingen. In this wide-ranging conversation with Róisín Ingle, Bird talks about the women at the centre of this ambitious album and what their music means to her. She also shares the details of her ongoing renovation project, turning a derelict farmhouse in rural Germany into a house for herself and five others, and she talks about the grief and shock at losing her best friend suddenly last December. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wallis Bird: 1000 years of female composers

Last November, Pastiche, a pop singer-songwriter from Malahide in Co Dublin was diagnosed with endometriosis, more than a decade after her first symptoms of the condition developed. While the diagnosis itself came as a relief, the 26-year-old was told she may face difficulties when trying to conceive later on. This ultimately led to her decision to freeze her eggs, as a sort of  "insurance policy” for her fertility. In this conversation with Kathy Sheridan, Pastiche talks about the egg freezing process, what she wishes she knew going into it and how she’s used her music to share her personal story. We also hear from Edwina Oakes, chairperson of the Irish Fertility Counsellors Association, who discusses the reasons behind the rising numbers of women freezing their eggs and explains who she typically sees going forward for the procedure.
Pastiche’s new song Forfeit Control is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fertility on Ice: why more women are choosing to freeze their eggs

What does narcissism in mothers look like? According to psychotherapists Helen Villiers and Katie McKenna, the narcissistic mother can be “extremely critical, condescending, oppressive and very judgmental”, with devastating impacts for the entire family. They can also use covert or insidious tactics: taking on a victim role or using guilt tripping or stonewalling to get their way. In this episode, Villiers and McKenna join Róisín Ingle to discuss the main traits of maternal narcissism, how it can impact families and how to heal the emotional scars that come with being a child of narcissistic parents.
Their new book You’re Not the Problem: The impact of narcissism and emotional abuse and how to heal is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas Book Club: Gifts for Readers / Maggie O’Farrell

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