The Brit Lit Podcast

Daisy Buchanan is the author most recently of the memoir The Sisterhood, a book about growing up as the eldest of six girls. She and I talked about the books she recommend to her sisters, why Judy Blume's novels have been so formative for so many of us, what book covers featuring the back of a woman's head have going for them, and more.

You can listen to the episode here,

or Spotify, or iTunes,

or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan

I Love You More Than You Know: Essays, by Jonathan Ames

The Blessing, by Nancy Mitford

Anybody Out There, by Marian Keyes

What a Carve Up! , by Jonathan Coe

Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Last Minute Rooms in Bethlehem: And Other Great Internet Search Histories of the Past, by Dale Shaw

Forever, by Judy Blume

Flowers in the Attic, by V C Andrews

Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k, by Sarah Knight

The Time of Indifference, by Alberto Moravia

The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante

Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer

How to Be a Grown Up, by Daisy Buchanan

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

Sex and Rage, by Eve Babitz

Scribble Scribble, by Nora Ephron

Delight, by JB Priestley

The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary

Our Life in a Day, by Jamie Fewery

Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan

The Parisian, by Isabella Hamma

Going Solo: My choice to become a single mother using a donor, by Genevieve Roberts

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

Podcasts Mentioned on the Show:

You're Booked

Backlisted

The High Low

Always There

Sentimental Garbage

*****

Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Daisy Buchanan

Twitter

Daisy Buchanan is the author most recently of the memoir The Sisterhood, a book about growing up as the eldest of six girls. She and I talked about the books she recommend to her sisters, why Judy Blume's novels have been so formative for so many of us, what book covers featuring the back of a woman's head have going for them, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan

I Love You More Than You Know: Essays, by Jonathan Ames

The Blessing, by Nancy Mitford

Anybody Out There, by Marian Keyes

What a Carve Up! , by Jonathan Coe

Oh My God What a Complete Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Last Minute Rooms in Bethlehem: And Other Great Internet Search Histories of the Past, by Dale Shaw

Forever, by Judy Blume

Flowers in the Attic, by V C Andrews

Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k, by Sarah Knight

The Time of Indifference, by Alberto Moravia

The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante

Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer

How to Be a Grown Up, by Daisy Buchanan

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

Sex and Rage, by Eve Babitz

Scribble Scribble, by Nora Ephron

Delight, by JB Priestley

The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary

Our Life in a Day, by Jamie Fewery

Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan

The Parisian, by Isabella Hamma

Going Solo: My choice to become a single mother using a donor, by Genevieve Roberts

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

Podcasts Mentioned on the Show:

You're Booked

Backlisted

The High Low

Always There

Sentimental Garbage

*****

Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Daisy Buchanan

Twitter

On today's episode, you get to hear from Claire, the host of the podcast, about her own novel, Unscripted, out today. It's a smart beach read about a young aspiring writer with a celebrity crush and a determined plan. Claire speaks to her friend Juliet about the challenge of writing from multiple points of view, how Myers Briggs has helped form her characters, what she really thinks of LA, her long and torturous route to publication, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

Star-Crossed, by Minnie Darke

One Day in December, by Josie Silver

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

So Here's the Thing . . .: Notes on Growing Up, Getting Older, and Trusting Your Gut, by Alyssa Mastromonaco

Reasons to Be Cheerful, by Nina Stibbe

How to Fail, by Elizabeth Day

The Party, by Elizabeth Day

Some Kids I Taught And What They Taught Me, by Kate Clanchy

*****

Buy Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Get your ticket to see Claire and four other debut authors at the Riff Raff on Thursday 11th April.

See other information for Claire's book tour.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Mariam Khan is the editor of the new collection of essays called It's Not About The Burqa, in which seventeen Muslim women write about faith, feminism, sexuality and race. She talks to the podcast about the process of putting together the anthology, what she thinks about feminism, why she loves audio books, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

The Good Immigrant, by Nikesh Shukla

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman

Let Me Tell You This, by Nadine Aisha Jassat

Nasty Women, by 404 Ink

My Past Is a Foreign Country, by Zeba Talkhani

The Good Immigrant USA: 26 Writers Reflect on America, ed. Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman

The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Mariam Khan

Twitter

Our guest today is Charlie Morris, who's a senior publicity and marketing exec at Little Tiger UK and Stripes Books. She talks to the podcast about what her job looks like day to day, advice she has for people wanting to get into the publishing industry, a groundbreaking book she's been working on for a year, and more.

*****

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Proud, ed. Juno Dawson

Once and Future, by Amy Rose

Music and Malice in Hurricane Town, by Alex Bell

All The Lonely People, by David Owen

In at the Deep End, by Kate Davies

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts), by L C Rosen

The Good Immigrant, by Nikesh Shukla

The Good Immigrant USA: 26 Writers Reflect on America, ed. Nikesh Shukla and Chimene Suleyman

How to Be a Grown-Up, by Daisy Buchanan

The Sisterhood: A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me, by Daisy Buchanan

Don't You Forget About Me, by Mhairi McFarlane

You Had Me At Hello, by Mhairi McFarlane

Roald Dahl's Rotsome & Repulsant Words

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Charlie Morris

Twitter/Blog

Lucy Foley is the author of four novels, including most recently The Hunting Party. It's a creepy, insightful thriller about a group of university friends who, for their annual New Year's Eve trip, have chosen a remote location in the Scottish Highlands. And a few days into their trip, one of them is found dead. Who died; who killed them; and why: that's what we read on to find out. Lucy spoke to the Brit Lit Podcast about her pivot away from historical fiction to thrillers, why she structured The Hunting Party as she did, her favourite fiction about groups of friends and what it is that makes groups of longtime friends such fertile territory for fiction, and more. Books Mentioned on the Podcast: The Secret History , by Donna Tartt The Shooting Party , by Isabel Colegate Big Little Lies , by Liane Moriarty The Lady Vanishes , by Ethel Lina White The Dry , by Jane Harper Stone Mothers , by Erik Kelly He Said/She Said , by Erin Kelly Blood Orange , by Harriet Tyce It's Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race , by Mariam Kham Stubborn Archivist , by Yara Rodrigues Fowler Late in the Day , by Tessa Hadley Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe (A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.) ***** Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations. Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it. Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted. Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts. For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog. Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected] ***** The Brit Lit Podcast Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website Claire Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel Lucy Foley Twitter

Mark Stay's new fantasy novel, The End of Magic, is hot off the press. As well as being an author, he's one half of the podcast The Bestseller Experiment, which chronicles his adventures in publishing alongside another Mark. The podcast has tons of useful advice for anyone conducting their own experiment in becoming a bestselling author. We talked about Mark's new novel, his experience of crowdfunding, three things he's learned along the way of his experiment in becoming a bestselling author, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Back to Reality, by Mark Stay and Mark Oliver

The End of Magic, by Mark Stay

Robot Overlords, by Mark Stay

Headhunters, by Jo Nesbo

Robot Overlords, by Tade Thompson

Soupy Twists!: The Full Official Story of the Sophisticated Silliness of Fry and Laurie, by Jem Roberts

The Lost Properties of Love, by Sophie Ratcliffe

The Face Pressed Against a Window, by Tim Waterstone

A Love Story for Bewildered Girls, by Emma Morgan

I Owe You One, by Sophie Kinsella

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Mark Stay

Twitter / Website

The Bestseller Experiment

Twitter / Website / Podcast

Alexandra Sheppard is the author of YA novel Oh My Gods, the story of Helen Thomas, whose dad is none other than the Greek god Zeus. Not only does Helen have all the usual teen stuff to deal with — like new friends to make and a cute boy to impress — she also has to keep her chaotic family's true identities secret. Alex talks about her love for Greek mythology, how it felt to re-read her teenage diaries, an author she and Claire love, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard

The Everlasting Rose, by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles, by Dhonielle Clayton

On The Come Up, by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Tiny Pretty Things, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Shiny Broken Pieces, by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Well-Read Black Girl, ed. by Glory Edim

Roald Dahl's Creative Writing with Matilda

Kick the Moon, by Muhammad Khan

The Wall, by John Lanchester

The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Alexandra Sheppard

Twitter / Website

Our guest today is Ben from the Bookshop Band. The Bookshop Band started in 2010 and write songs inspired by – you've guessed it – books. They're about to embark on their first tour of the US, so if you're based in or around New York, New Mexico, or Colorado, you'll have a chance to catch Ben and Beth at one of several locations between now and the first week of February. I spoke to Ben about their upcoming tour, how they started out, their songwriting process, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

The Paris Wife, by Paula McLane

The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce

All The Lonely People, by David Owen

Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard

Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, by Rajeev Balasubramanyam

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, by Anstey Harris

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

*****

Links mentioned in the podcast episode:

The Bookshop Band US tour

The Open Book - a bookshop holiday

A Critic Sells Books Down by the Seashore -- New York Times article calling the Bookshop Band "not just good but achingly good".

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

The Bookshop Band

Twitter / Website / YouTube

Lindsey Kelk is back on the podcast today to catch us up on what she's been up to in the last year. Lindsey is the author of the best-selling I Heart series of romantic comedies as well as countless other books and an exciting new project we possibly have the world exclusive on. She's also the cohost of two podcasts. We talked about her favourite books of the year, the podcasts she likes, the joys and challenges of writing a beloved series, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

One in a Million, by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Hawaii, by Lindsey Kelk

Cinders & Sparks, by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart New York, by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Vegas, by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Christmas, by Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Forever, by Lindsey Kelk

The Rise and Fall of Becky Sharp, by Sarra Manning

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, by Philip Pullman

To All the Boys I've Loved Before, by Jenny Han

Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan

Wilde About The Girl, by Louise Pentland

Louis & Louise, by Julie Cohen

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

From the Corner of the Oval, by Beck Dorey-Stein

The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin

Lullaby/The Perfect Nanny, by Leila Slimani

The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

*****

Podcasts mentioned:

Full Coverage

Tight and Fights

Getting Curious

The Emma Guns Show

Who Weekly

The High Low

At Home With

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Lindsey Kelk

Twitter / Website

We hear from Francesa Hornak, the author of Seven Days of Us, a page-turner of a novel about family tension perfect to curl up with over the Christmas holidays. In episode 32 of the Brit Lit Podcast, she tells us about the books she likes to give for Christmas, her favourite reads about family tension, the novel her grandmother wrote, and more.

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Seven Days of Us, by Francesca Hornak

The Nest, by Cynthia d'Aprix Sweeney

The Vacationers, by Emma Straub

Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng

Hangover Square, by Patrick Hamilton

Love, Nina, by Nina Stibbe

A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan

The Diary of a Nobody, by George Grossmith

Eleven, by Patricia Highsmith

One Point Two Billion, by Mahesh Roa

The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachmann

The Pure Gold Baby, by Margaret Drabble

Normal People, by Sally Rooney

Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney

Theresa's Choice, by Rachel Cecil

In Our Mad and Furious City, by Guy Gunaratne

The Au Pair, by Emma Rous

Friends Like These, by Sarah Alderson

Friend Request, by Laura Marshall

Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe

(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let's be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)

*****

Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.

Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.

Pre-order Claire's novel, Unscripted.

Sign up to Claire's newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.

For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.

Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]

*****

The Brit Lit Podcast

Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website

Claire

Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel

Francesca Hornak

Twitter