Esbat: A Bookish Podcast

Cat Voleur talks about the found footage subgenre with Elle and Regi, including found file books and her upcoming novel, Revenge Arc. They talk about why the genre appeals, the films they’ve seen, the best and worst of the genre, how they got into it and the early days of internet horror with creepypastas, Marble Hornets and more. With a special (brief) guest appearance from Rich, Elle’s partner.

You can follow Cat on Twitter, @cat_voleur and us @EsbatBookish, along with hosts @elleturpitt and @regicwrites

Please note, this episode contains discussions around a variety of found footage films, though does not go into detail regarding films such as The Poughkeepsie Tapes and Megan is Missing. There are also references to WWII and Vietnam. 

Elle and Regi discuss one of their favorite topics - fanfiction! They get into how they started, the kind of things they’ve read, what they love about fanfic and how it helped both grow as writers.

Follow us on social media, @EsbatBookish and our hosts, @elleturpitt and @regicwrites

Please note, this episode contains discussions surrounding Harry Potter, problematic creators, and occasions where fanfic can cross a line. This episode contains mentions of dead dove genres, Harry Potter/JKR, toxic fandoms and some associated issues

Welcome to Esbat: A Bookish Podcast. A snippet of just some of the wonderful guests we've had on recently. Music by Annie on the Run.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @EsbatBookish

Elle and Regi are joined by three of the Calling Darkness cast - S.H. Cooper, Desdymona Howard and Dan Zappulla. They talk about the jacket, why it’s so special, what makes Calling Darkness great, and reveal some behind the scenes facts, as well as discussing future projects on the horizon.

You can follow Calling Darkness on Twitter, @CallingPod, S.H. Cooper @MsPippinacious, Desdymona Howard @desdymona and Dan Zappulla @danzappulla. We regret to inform you The Jacket currently has no social media presence. But don’t forget to follow us too @EsbatBookish, @elleturpitt, and @regicwrites.

To the best of our knowledge this episode does not contain triggering content, but please feel free to reach out if there’s anything you feel should be highlighted.

You can follow Katherine on Twitter, @katherinesilva_ and follow us @EsbatBookish, @elleturpitt, and @regicwrites.

TW/CW: murder, trauma, abusive relationships, domestic abuse, animal death

JM Sedlock joins Elle and Regi to talk about The Haunting of Hill House. They discuss the book's queer representation, the film & TV adaptations, the way mental health is used in the book and the possible inspirations from Shirley Jackson’s life, as well as the name ‘Eleanor’ which Elle has lots of thoughts on! Spoiler alerts for the book and adaptations, including the Netflix series.

Check out Mine the anthology, and follow JM @jmsedlockwrites, and follow us @EsbatBookish, @elleturpitt, and @regicwrites.

TW/CW: mental health, mental illness, suicide, parental trauma, domestic abuse

Jamie Zaccaria sits down with Elle and Regi to discuss lesbian vampires. From Carmilla to Daughters of Darkness and beyond, they talk the rise of films in the 70s and 80s, the closeness of women and girls, and what vampires represent about sexuality.

Check out Jamie’s website, and follow us @EsbatBookish, @elleturpitt, and @regicwrites, and don’t forget to pick up a copy of Lavender Speculation, coming 2023.

TW/CW: abuse, abusive relationships, sexism

Elle and Regi are joined by Ariel Powers-Schaub in a discussion of The Chalk Man, C.J. Tudor’s debut novel. They talk about the possible influences on the book, the Satanic Panic and video nasties, and Stephen King.

Follow Ariel on Twitter @Ari_Hellraiser, and follow us @EsbatBookish, @elleturpitt, and @regicwrites

TW/CW: abortion, pedophilia, age inappropriate relationships, suicide, sexual abuse, historic abuse, alcoholism, religious abuse, grooming

We have another bonus episode just in time for Christmas, with special guests Dee and Dai from Divination Hollow. We talk Christmas, the differences between Christmas in the US and UK, tradiations, books, films and more, with a Christmas trivia quiz.

We do not recommend this episode for younger ears, due to conversations regarding Santa Claus.

Follow Divination Hollow @divinationblog, and our contributors Dee (@SirenofScience) and Dai (@PrepareToDai). You can follow us on Twitter@EsbatBookish, Elle @ElleTurpitt and Regi @Regicwrites

Content Warnings: grief, surgery, medical issues,

(“Sleigh Bells” downloaded from Freesounds and used under a Creative Commons License)

Elle and Regi talk about the last year, their podcast journey, the media they’ve consumed and their plans for 2023. They talk books, TV shows, films, graphic novels, webcomics and more for their last episode of season one.

You can follow us on Twitter@EsbatBookish, Elle @ElleTurpitt and Regi @Regicwrites