Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, poet, and activist. She has published over a dozen critically acclaimed books, including the bestselling novels The Poisonwood Bible,The Lacuna, and Flight Behavior, and is the first author to win the Women’s Prize for Fiction twice - first in 2010 for The Lacuna and the 2023 Prize was awarded for Demon Copperhead, a reimagining of Dickens' David Copperfield set in poverty-stricken Virginia at the height of the opioid crisis. 

She has received numerous other literary awards over the course of her career, including the National Humanities Medal and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

In addition to her writing, Barbara is a prominent activist and advocate for issues related to the environment, animal rights, and social justice. She has been involved in numerous campaigns and nonprofit organisations, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Center for Biological Diversity, and is the founder of the Bellwether Prize for fiction that addresses issues of social justice.

Barbara’s book choices are:

Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season six 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.

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