In this episode, we're joined by former Brighton resident Hattie Williams, author of BITTER SWEET, to Brighton-based Katherine Bradley about her new book THE INSTITUTE, and Kate Beales joins us to talk about a writing retreat she's co-hosting with Anna in March and reads from her debut novel BROKEN HORSES.

Our bumper Christmas Recommendation episode is here! Whether you're looking for inspiration for gifts to buy loved ones, or to put on your own wish-lists, Elizabeth Perry and I have got you covered! We also speak to Brighton-based writer Gabrielle Griffiths  about her debut novel GREATER SINS.

Books we discussed on the show:

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

The Lilac People by Milo Todd

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

The Artist by Lucy Steeds

The Two Roberts by Damian Barr

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor.

Moderation by Elaine Castillo

A Family Matter by Claire Lynch

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth

Deep House by Jeremy Atherton Lin

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen

Bunker by Bradley Garrett / In Love with Love by Ella Risbridger

Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

Paradise by Lizzie Johnson

Supremacy by Parmy Olson

If Then by Jill Lepore

Question 7 by Richard Flanagan

That Dark Spring by Susannah Stapleton

On this month's show we talk to Chris Bridges about his new book SICK TO DEATH; to Hayley Dunlop about her Christmas novel IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, to Anna Jefferson about New Writing South's DEMYSTIFYING PUBLISHING DAY and to Kelly from SOCIAL SAUNA BOOK CLUB.

Events we mention at the end of the show:

This month's show is dedicated to The Coast is Queer Festival, Brighton's landmark festival of LGBTQ+ literature.

Info about all the events we speak to festival speakers Ayse Huseyin, Abi Fellows, Kit Heyam and DG Coutinho. We also chat to Sarah from Writers HQ about their Writing As Resistance Festival in September. 

The Coast is Queer events mentioned on the show:

The Queer Girls Book Club presents Christina Fonthes

Not That Innocent with with Jack Jordan, DG Coutinho, Piotr Cieplak and Lesley Thomson

Developing Your Non-Fiction with Abi Fellows and Paula Akpan

Is a Shared History Possible? with Dr. Nat Arias, Kit Heyam, Jane Traies and Paula Akpan

On this month's episode, we speak to Jo Morey about her new book THE NIGHT LAGOON, to Sally Gardner about THE BRIDE STONE and to Piotr Cieplak about ZOFIA NOWAK'S BOOK OF SUPERIOR DETECTING. We also chat to Kelly at Chapter 34 Books in Shoreham about their event programme and summer reads.

If you're interested in coming to our day long writing retreat, you can find out more here.

On this month's show, we speak to Brighton-based writers Marisa Linton, Kerry Downes and Jill Johnson, plus Althea from Brighton Book Festival tells us about this year's offering. We break our own Brighton-based rules to have E.C. Nevin on the show... the book was just that good! 

This month we speak to three Brighton-based writers; Emma Jane Unsworth (SLAGS), Lauren Bravo (PROBABLY NOTHING) and Andrew Flewitt (DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOSS?). We also talk to Phil Viner about BEYOND THE BOOK festival which takes place on May 10th.

Selected for Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2023 and author of the dazzling collection of short stories, Send Nudes, Saba Sams is a voice not to be missed. 

Today's show includes Ditching based Annabel Thorpe talking about her historical fiction set in Italy and how her work as a travel journalist has informed her writing.  Judy Upton discusses her Sussex based mystery Series. Tom Johnstone talks about how he uses Brighton's unseen history to write short fiction. Sam at Brighton Waterstones talks about their jam-packed event programme in April and May and  Anna Jefferson from New Writing South is back to discuss their Publishing Industry Day which is a must go-to for all aspiring authors in Sussex. 

In this month's jam-packed show, we talk to Brighton-based Fran Quinn about her new book THE LOST PASSENGER; to D.E. White about her crime-writing workshop in Horsham on March 27th; to Anna and Sam from Forthwrite Festival which takes place in Brighton and Crawley in March; to Brighton-based graphic novelists Myf and Corinne from the First Graphic Novel Award and to new-to-Brighton thriller writer, Brooke Robinson.