This episode is packed full of great upcoming book events in Brighton and Sussex as well as some great local authors and publishers. We also discuss this summer’s hottest rom com, HONEY & SPICE by Bolu Babalola.

We speak to William Shaw about Fatal Shore as part of Shoreham Festval next month; Lesley Wood about The Coast is Queer Festival, Susannah Stevenson about Charleston’s Small Wonder Festival. Mark Thompson joins Caitlin to talk about his new book ETERNAL CITY out with Sussex based RedDoor press; and I talk to Brighton writer Helen Trevorrow about her book NEW BRIGHTON followed by a discussion about this month’s book HONEY AND SPICE with the book’s editor, Katie Packer. 

We are back from our summer break with a jam-packed show. We speak to the new owner of Kemptown Bookshop, Cathy Haywood, about her plans for the shop as well as YA specialist, Remony Hart about her plans for the new YA and kids’ section. Caitlin Gleeson speaks to Lily Lindon about her new book DOUBLE BOOKED, and I interviewed Cate Quinn about one of this summer’s hottest thriller, BLOOD SISTERS.

We are  also joined by the author of this month’s book club Chloe Timms’ to talk about her wonderful novel, THE SEAWOMEN. The Book Club is also available as a podcast which you can download from wherever you get yours. 

Our next book club book is HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola. The Book Club is also available as a podcast, where you can download from wherever you get your podcasts. You can get in touch with us on Instagram at @btnbookclub and email us at [email protected]. If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, get in touch! 

It’s our Summer Reads Special and we have a jam-packed episode for you this month, full of fabulous book recommendations from Caitlin Gleeson at City Books, a great interview with Laura Kay about her Brighton-based new book TELL ME EVERYTHING, a chat with Carolynn Bain about Brighton’s very own Book Festival at the end of June. We also have the pleasure of speaking to the author of this month’s book club book, Dolen Perkins Valdez about her spellbinding novel TAKE MY HAND. And to top it off, we speak to J.E. Seuk about her role in creating Brighton and Beyond, an exciting new anthology!

We’ll be taking a short break over the summer but will be back at the end of July with a new show. If you’re missing great book and author content, you’ll be able to find Anna over at global writing club, Jericho Writers, where she heads up their online and offline events programme. Their Summer Festival of Writing is free to members at just under £11 a month. For this, you can catch over 30 events with some wonderful writers such as Louise O’Neill, Paula Hawkins, Manjeet Mann, Cathy Rentzenbrink, and the author of our next book club book, Chloe Timms, who's debut novel THE SEAWOMEN is out very soon! 

On this episode, we take a deep dive into one of this year’s most highly anticipated thrillers DO NO HARM with Brighton-based writer Jack Jordan, who also sticks around to talk about our book club book FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters. We talk to our wonderful sponsor Brighton Fringe and Hammer and Tongue tell us about their poetry slams and we also talk poetry with bookseller and writer Erica Gillingham, who's new collection THE HUMAN BODY IS A HIVE is out now.

Our next episode is a Summer Reads special and we’ll be talking to Laura Kay amongst some other fab writers with books out this summer as well as hearing about the very exciting Brighton and Beyond anthology which I’m honoured to have worked on. Our next book club book is Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s TAKE MY HAND.

On this episode, we talk to three Brighton-based writers of Historical fiction: Fran Quinn, author of THE SMALLEST MAN, Jacquie Bloese, author of THE FRENCH HOUSE and Caraline Brown, author of THE CANDLELIT MENAGERIE. Caitlin Gleeson speaks to art historian and curator Alexandra Loske, curator at Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums, and Anna discusses this month’s book club book – Toni Morrison's only short story – RECITATIF with fellow book podcaster, Sarah Ozo-Irabor from Books & Rhymes.

Our next episode is a Brighton Fringe special We’ll be joined by some amazing guests who are performing at the landmark festival. Their programme is out now, so get booking your tickets! We’ll also be joined by Brighton-based thriller writer, Jack Jordan, introducing his forthcoming book, DO NO HARM. Our next book club book – inspired by Jack – is Sarah Walters’ Fingersmith.

This month, we talk to authors who take three very different periods in history and use them to form their fiction. Brighton-based Alice O’Keeffe’s new book SKYLARK explores the controversial SpyCops scandal of the 90s; local writer Nofel Nawras' book BRIGHTON FUNK is a coming-of-age story of a mixed-race teenager, dealing with the turbulent period of adolescence in Brighton in the 1970s and Melissa Fu, whose novel PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING is inspired by her own families’ history in China from the 1930s to the present day. 

We also talk to Creative Future about their Writers Awards for underrepresented writers which are open now for entries. 

As ever you can get in touch with us on Instagram at @btnbookclub and email us at [email protected].

Mentioned in the show:

Buy our next book club book, RECITATIF.

On the first Brighton Book Club episode of of 2022, we’re talking new beginnings. 

Lisa Edwards, Sussex author of CHEAT PLAY LIVE, joins us to talk about the book that follows the author as she starts again in her forties and redefines what it traditionally to be a woman. We walk to Beth Miller about her new book THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK TO LIFE, about losing yourself and finding yourself, and having the courage to start again. Caitlin Gleeson talks to local author Jo Furniss about the Hove Creative Writing Club, a group that meets weekly in Hove to learn from experts and write without distraction.

Our Book Club Book is UNSETTLED GROUND, by Claire Fuller – a writer who ‘started again’ as an author in her forties – and joins us to talk about her multi prize-shortlisted novel.

Our next book club book is Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu. A bold and moving look at the history of modern China, it is told through the story of one family and spans 1938-2005 in China, Taiwan and the USA. It’s an epic, powerful and intensely personal debut about war, migration, family, and the search for a place to belong.

After a short break, we’ll be back with a new show on February 27th. Do get in touch with your ideas for the show at [email protected] and follow us on Instagram at @btnbookclub. If you’re a business in Brighton who’d like a boost, email us to find out about affordable sponsorship opportunities. 

On this episode of the Brighton Book Club, We have a BUMPER recommendation special. Caitlin Gleeson from City Books runs us through their top 10 bestsellers; Elizabeth Perry gives us her alternative suggestions and Carolynn Bain, founder of Brighton's Afrori Books runs us through her top six book-buying suggestions.

We also talk to Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, co-writers of this month's book club book, THE VIEW WAS EXHAUSTING. 

On this episode of the Brighton Book Club, we take a deep dive into the Man Booker longlist with KD Books, talk to founder of the Brighton Book Shop, Lois, about their LGBTQIA+ charity bookselling venture and Evie Wyld joins us to discuss this month's book club book, THE BASS ROCK. 

On this episode of the Brighton Book Club, we hear from local author of LOVE IS THE ANSWER, Ben Craib, talk to avid reader Laura Mugridge about the Women's Prize shortlist (plus bonus material on Sally Rooney and Jessie Cave's SUNSET), to artist and creator of COMA, a graphic novel depicting the author's 15-day medically induced coma, Zara Slattery, and to Heidi James, author of WOUNDING, this month's book club book.