Love your library

International bestseller Chloe Gong joins us on this episode of the Love Your Library podcast to talk about her latest release, Last Violent Call. Containing two captivating novellas that expand upon her Secret Shanghai series, Last Violent Call allows the stories from the world of These Violent Delights and Foul Lady Fortune to continue. Hattie speaks to Chloe about the emotional weight of finishing off a series, her upcoming projects (including the highly anticipated Immortal Longings, which is out in July 2023), and what it’s like being a...

In this episode of Love Your Library, Hattie and Craig are joined by Kat, Jess and James from Cantell School and the University of Southampton to talk about their Reading Buddies initiative. This project sees Key Stage 3 pupils paired with sixth form and university students to help build confidence with reading.   Follow Cantell School on Facebook to stay up to date on their latest news, including the Reading Buddies project.   If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to listen to our interviews with Empathy Lab,...

On this special episode of Love Your Library, we’re joined by prize winning author and illustrators Jake Alexander and Harry Woodgate to hear about their experiences writing and illustrating children’s picture books. First, we speak to Jake the winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration in 2019, for his work Can I Read My Books, Please. This project has now developed into the published children’s book We want our books. A defiant, moving, and joyful picture book about the power of protest and the importance of books. Rosa...

Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six, joins us on this month’s episode of the Love Your Library podcast. She tells us all the newest instalment in her popular Atlas Six series, The Atlas Paradox, how she comes up with her ideas, and how she ended up on this path. We also chat with Emma from Gosport Discovery Centre about a few recommended reads. You can find those, and a few other books on our extraordinarily tall to-read piles below: Terry Pratchett: a life with footnotes – Rob...

In this mini episode of Love Your Library, we speak to Sarah Mears from Empathy Lab and Libraries Connected. We talk about the amazing work libraries across the country did during the pandemic, and about how reading can boost empathy skills in children. Find out more about the resources from Libraries Connected below: Universal Offers Reading Well Books on Prescription Big Jubilee Read Novels that Shaped our World Green Libraries Manifesto   Learn more about Empathy Lab’s resources: Empathy Day Reading for Empathy Collections Empathy Walks Empathy Shorts...

In this episode of the Love your Library podcast, we’re joined by bestselling author Ruth Ware to hear about her latest novel, The It Girl. A dark thriller full of unforeseen twists, The It Girl sees a decade-old murder case being reopened, and asks whether the testimony that closed it in the first place put an innocent man behind bars. We chat to Ruth about where the inspiration for this book came from, including the historic cities of Oxford and Edinburgh.   We also speak to Ollie, a Library...

On this mini episode of Love Your Library, we’re joined by author Rachel Hore to hear about her most recent novel, One Moonlit Night. With her husband, Philip, missing in action, Maddie and her daughters are forced to flee wartime London. Seeking refuge in Philip’s childhood home, Maddie soon learns that her husband has been keeping a deep secret. Hear about Rachel’s journey from Hong Kong to Norfolk and from publishing to writing, and how those journeys helped her write her twelfth novel. If you enjoyed this episode,...

In this edition of the Love Your Library podcast, Kate speaks to writer and neuroscientist Ali Hazelwood about her works of romantic fiction set among the backdrop of laboratories and research stations. These STEMinist rom-coms, including her latest, Love on the Brain, have earned her the firm position as a bestselling author in today’s literary landscape. We also chat with Lily, who works across a range of Hampshire Libraries, about her recommended read – from September’s author of the month, Margaret Atwood. The Heart Goes Last is Atwood’s...

On this mini episode of the Love Your Library podcast, we speak to Emma Braithwaite from The Reading Agency about all of the fantastic work it’s doing in libraries all over the country. From the Summer Reading Challenge to World Book Night, The Reading Agency has something for everyone, from children to adults and new readers to book fanatics. You can find out more about some of The Reading Agency’s projects below: The Summer Reading Challenge Reading Ahead World Book Night Reading Well If you enjoyed this episode, why not...

This edition of the Love Your Library podcast sees us chat to the prolific British writer, Mike Gayle. Mike recently became the first ever male recipient of the outstanding achievement award at the 2021 Romantic Novel Awards for his contribution to the literary genre. We spoke to him about his latest book, The Museum of Ordinary People, and why his writing in this space is so powerful. The Museum of Ordinary People is a book about human lives, physical memory and the seemingly valueless objects that people just...