Kicking off the new season, Hannah and Sam are joined by Frances Hardinge and Martin Brown to talk all things spooky. Get ready for a deep dive into curses and ghosts, and prepare yourself to hear the answers to questions such as 'which gentle children's classic terrified one of our guests?' 'why can adding colour to an illustration make it more scary?' and 'Just how many types of scary ARE there in children's books?'

To celebrate Independent Bookshop Week in the UK we're bringing you a special extra episode recorded live at Round Table Books in Brixton,  featuring the brilliant YA author Namina Forna in conversation with guest host Stacey Thomas - book reviewer at Bad Form Review and judge on The Diverse Book Awards longlist. Join Namina as she discusses her latest YA book The Merciless Ones published by Usborne, how it tackles issues such as colourism and Black female power, and the importance of community spaces like bookshops to her creativity.

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This episode was produced by Charlie Morris.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Hark, listenerfolk! Gather round the campfire, or the wireless, and listen carefully to Ye Olde Podcaste, which this week brings you exciting tales of stories set in other times.

Sam and Hannah are joined on this 100% historically accurate quest by magnificent authors Emma Carroll and Michelle Paver, who have plenty to share with us about the thrills and fascinations of writing and reading historical fiction. Find out when we’d most like to be stranded in time, why fantasy and history are closer than you think, and, most chillingly of all, why 2019 counts as ‘historical’.

This is the last episode in our current series of Down the Rabbit Hole, but don’t fret – we will be back with a new weekly season later in the year. Until then, you can let us know what you make of the show – or pitch us some new ideas for future episodes – on Twitter or Instagram @dtrhradio. Plus, don't forget to check out our website at dtrhradio.com.

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This episode was produced by Sam Sedgman.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Put on your best frocks and party hats because you’re invited to Down the Rabbit Hole’s 100th birthday!

To mark this special occasion, hosts Caroline and Charlie are joined by guests of honour, author Katherine Webber and Down the Rabbit Hole alumna, Imogen Russell-Williams, for an episode all about parties in children’s and YA stories. From The Magic Faraway Tree’s Land of Birthdays to Wonderland’s Mad Tea-Party, we share some of our favourite literary celebrations and even have a go at hosting our own, taking inspiration for the best party outfits, venues, music, food, decorations and guests from the world of children’s books.

The world of children’s literature is brimming with creatures great and small...and magic. This week Charlie and Sam are joined by March's Waterstones Children's Book of the Month author of The Last Firefox, Lee Newbery, to chat all about the animal companions that bring their powers to enrich (or sometimes upset) the lives of children in books. From Narnia to Animorphs, we dissect what makes an animal magic, and what unique spins we can put to tales of firey fox tails, mythical beings, and even a whole new take on unicorns.

Who are your favourite magical creature from the world of kids' books? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram at @dtrhradio. Plus, don't forget to check out our website at dtrhradio.com.

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This episode was produced by Charlie Morris.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

If you had to take on the world, what characters from children’s literature would you want by your side? A magician? A talking animal? A detective? A tech genius? This week, Hannah and Caroline are joined by Piers Torday and Daisy May Johnson to assemble their own teams of characters from children’s books! But who has the most well-rounded squad?

If you think you could draft a better band of characters for anything life might throw at you, let us know! Share your selections with us on Instagram or Twitter - you can find us on both @dtrhradio. Plus, don't forget to check out our website at dtrhradio.com.

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This episode was produced by Hannah Love.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Avast, me hearties! Climb aboard ship as we set sail for adventure on this week's show with an episode all about timeless stories of pirates and smugglers.

Captain Charlie Morris is pouring out the grog and First Mate Hannah Love is swabbing the poop deck to welcome about two very special guests: Alex Wheatle, author of Kemosha of the Caribbean, and Annabelle Sami, author of the Agent Zaiba Investigates series, and its most recent instalment, The Smuggler's Secret.

Follow Down the Rabbit Hole on Twitter and Instagram, and check out our website at dtrhradio.com.

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This episode was produced by Charlie Morris.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Grab your ration kits and your longbows, listeners - there's danger out there! Today we are delving into the perilous world of Young Adult dystopias, as Caroline and Charlie consider which warped futures and apocalyptic presents they would have most luck surviving. (Spoilers - not many!)

Joining them on their hazardous fight for survival are bestselling Young Adult author Melinda Salisbury, and dystopia enthusiast and BookTuber Sanne Vliegenthart, also known as Books and Quills.

Follow Down the Rabbit Hole on Twitter and Instagram, and check out our website at dtrhradio.com.

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This episode was produced by Caroline Carpenter.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Scour the cupboards, stock the fridge, and get your marmalade sandwiches ready as we talk all about the mouthwatering delights of FOOD in children's literature! What do we remember eating in books when we were younger? Are midnight feasts all they're cracked up to be? And why doesn't real life have as many picnics in as we want it to?

Joining Sam and Caroline around the dinner table with lashings of ginger beer are the award-winning children's writer Katherine Rundell, author of beloved and bestselling books stuffed with plentiful delicious delights, and Kate Young, award-winning food writer, cook and bookworm, author of The Little Library Cookbook with recipes to bring meals from literature to life.

Come for the whipple-scrumptious fudgemallow delight, stay for the edible tarantulas. Will Katherine eat a rat? Can Kate persuade us to try a pie floater? All this, and plenty more, in this week's fully-stocked episode.

Follow Down the Rabbit Hole on Twitter and Instagram, and check out our website at dtrhradio.com. 

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This episode was produced by Sam Sedgman.

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed by Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We kick off our brand new season of weekly episodes with a dreamy chat about our favourite book crushes. Who did we fancy in books growing up? How do we feel about those crushes now, as adults? Is it okay to fancy Aslan? Why is The Secret Garden so sexy? And how do today's children's books broach the subjects of love and yearning differently to the classics?

Two brilliant special guests join us for our season premiere: Caroline O'Donoghue is the host of the podcast Sentimental Garbage and author of the magical YA novel All Our Hidden Gifts. Kate Saunders is the author of Five Children on the Western Front which re-imagines E. Nesbitt's young heroes as older characters facing the spectre of war - and romance.

Follow Down the Rabbit Hole on Twitter and Instagram, and check out our website at dtrhradio.com

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This episode was produced by Hannah Love. 

Our music is Hustle by Kevin MacLeod from incompetech.com, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0