Twenty Questions with Jesse

Dear listeners,

Apologies for such a long break!

I am very excited to be back with a new episode for a new year!

Happy 2023, may it be a joyful year for us all.

This month’s podcast episode is with Tina Redshaw. Tina is the former British ambassador to Cambodia, which is where we met.

This episode was recorded in Tina’s kitchen, during the rainy season, we were joined by her pets.

Tina has worked internationally her entire career - initially in the development sector with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) before becoming a diplomat. Tina loves spending time in nature, walking or cycling, & hates to be too far from the sea for too long. She also loves travel, music, particularly jazz and books !

I hope that you enjoy finding out about Tina through her 20 questions and answers!

You can find Tina on Twitter @tsredshaw & on LinkedIn under Tina Redshaw.

Tina doesn’t have a favourite book but she does have some favourite authors:

Margaret Atwood, Carol Shields, Orhan Pamuk

Tina’s favourite childhood book: Samantha and the Swan by Cecile Curtis

A book that Tina wants everyone to read: The book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams

Tina can’t live without poetry

A book that Tina has read recently: The Life of Milarepa by Tsangnyön Heruka

Other books mentioned:

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

365 bedtime stories

Apologies dear listeners.

Last month, I wasn’t able to do an episode and although it’s late, I’m back!

This month’s guest is my lovely friend, Tina. Tina and I met because she’s married to my dear friend, John and through John, we became friends.

Tina is a certified Professional Facilitator, trainer, writer, researcher, human rights defender, social justice activist and collective care advocate.

Tina and I share a love of outdoor swimming, trees, travel, musing about life, the underdog, books and a good gin and tonic.

You can find Tina on LinkedIn:

http://linkedin.com/in/tina-puryear-facilitator

Tina’s Books:

Tina’s favourite book: The Overstory by Richard Powers

Two books that everyone loved but Tina didn’t get the hype : Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer andThe Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Two books that have left an everlasting impression on you:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and 1984 by George Orwell

Tina’s favourite childhood books: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and Paddington Bear by Michael Bond

Tina’s favourite non-fiction book: The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben

The book that Tina will read next:

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

A book that Tina can’t do without:

A poetry book (non-specific, poetry in general)

Other Books/Films/Programmes Mentioned:

Books:

Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

1984 by George Orwell

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Girl Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer

The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown

Films:

Paddington

Programmes:

Gardeners’ Question Time (R4 programme)

Poetry Unbound (podcast) with Pádraig Ó Tuama

On Being with Krista Tippett (podcast)

Ukrainecast (podcast)

Notes:

The Age of Innocence was published in 1920 and was set in the 1870s.

After this podcast was recorded, Ruth Ozeki was awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022.

This month’s podcast is with Helen Vassallo.

Helen is the founder of the Translating Women project, and a translator of Francophone women's writing. She writes regular reviews and opinion pieces for the Translating Women blog, and tweets about the project at @translatewomen. 


Helen’s favourite book, and why you love it so much: Fish Soup by Margarita García Robayo (tr. Charlotte Coombes), published by Charco Press


A book or two that everyone loved but Helen didn’t: Anything by Haruki Murakami (Helen’s answer explains why!)


A book that has left an everlasting impression on Helen: Le Jour où Nina Simone a cessé de chanter by Darina Al Joundi (in English translation: The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing, tr. Helen Vassallo)

Helen’s favourite childhood book: The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann


Helen’s favourite non-fiction book: Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez (winner of the Royal Society Science Books Prize)

The last book that Helen read: Paradais by Fernanda Melchor (tr.Sophie Hughes), published by Fitzcarraldo Editions

A book that Helen will read next: All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami (tr. Sam Bett and and David Boyd), published by Picador Books

A book that Helen wants everyone to read: Black Box by Shiori Ito (tr.Allison Markin Powell), published by Tilted Axis Press


A book that Helen can’t live without: Living a Feminist Life by Sara Ahmed

 

Bonus Question: 2-3 Independent publishers that Helen recommends: Tilted Axis Press, Charco Press and Comma Press

Other Books Mentioned

Holiday Heart by Margarita García Robayo (tr. Charlotte Coombes), published by @charcopress

Shadow the Sheep-Dog by Enid Blyton

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl

Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (tr. Sophie Hughes), published by Fitzcarraldo Editions

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (tr. Sam Bett and David Boyd), published by Picador Books

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami (tr. Sam Bett and David Boyd), published by Picador Books

Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami (tr. Louise Heal Kawai), published by Pushkin Press

Towards a Feminist Translator Studies: Intersectional Activism in Translation and Publishing by Helen Vassallo (to be published in Autumn 2022)

May’s podcast episode is with the lovely Stella Duffy.

I’ve known Stella a long time, almost 30 years I think!

Stella Duffy is an award-winning writer of seventeen novels, over seventy short stories and fourteen plays.

She worked in theatre for over thirty-five years as an actor, director and facilitator. She is the co-founder of the Fun Palaces campaign supporting community-led connection, with over 750,000 local participants across the UK. She received the OBE for Services to the Arts in 2016. 

Stella is also a yoga teacher and is in the third year of a doctorate training in Existential Psychotherapy, her research is in the embodied experience of postmenopause. Alongside her research and private psychotherapy practice, she works in an NHS cancer support service and a low-cost community mental health service. 

Join us to hear her twenty answers!

Books Mentioned:

The book that made a great impression on Stella is When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult times by Pema Chödrön

Stella’s favourite childhood book is Elizabeth of the Garret Theatre by Gwendoline Courtney

The Yoga Manifesto: How Yoga Helped Me and Why it Needs to Save Itself by Nadia Gilani is the last book that Stella read.

You can find Stella @stellduffy on Twitter and Instagram. She also has a blog: https://stelladuffy.blog.

This episode’s guest is Sophie Hostick-Boakye.

Listen to a fantastic conversation about race, books and life.

You can find Sophie on Instagram and Twitter under @sophiekingo.

Sophie also has an Instagram page following her boys’ reading journey: @fablibrary. She also is one of three people behind the Instagram group: the mixed family conversation.

Sophie’s favourite book: Small Island by Andrea Levy

A book that everyone loved but you didn’t: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Sophie’s favourite childhood books: there are so many! The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg, Find the White Horse by Dick King-Smith, The Water Horse by Dick King- Smith, Sweet Valley Twins by Francine Pascal, Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal.

Sophie’s children’s favourite books: all books by Atinuke and Planet Omar by Zanib Mian

Sophie’s favourite non-fiction book: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Two books that Sophie will read next:

A More Perfect Union by Tammye Huf and The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

A Book that Sophie wants everyone to read: Black British Lives Matter: A Clarion Call for Equality by Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder

Other books/films enjoyed and mentioned:

B is for Baby by Atinuke

Wish We Knew What to Say: Talking with Children About Race by Dr Pragya Agarwal, Maybe I don’t Belong Here by David Harewood and Black Sheep by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys (out in June 2022)

Books by Jeffrey Boakye: I Heard what You Said (out in June 2022), Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs, Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millenials and the Meaning of Grime, Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored and What is Masculinity? Why does it matter? And other big questions.

Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke

Love makes a family by Sophie Beer

Boys Dance by John Robert Allman

This is a bumper episode, to coincide with series 2 of Bridgerton being released today!

This episode’s guest is Adjoa Andoh. Adjoa has been an actress, writer and director for over 30 years. You may recognise her in her role as Lady Danbury in Netflix’s Bridgerton and she is also my mum.

We recorded this last weekend in time for its publication today!

We discuss race, slavery, books, family, love, identity, football and many other things. It is a cracker of an episode, one that I will treasure.

 

You can find Adjoa on Instagram and Twitter.

The speculative fiction prize she mentioned is called The Future Worlds Prize.

Adjoa’s production company is called Swinging the Lens.

 

Adjoa’s books:

 

Adjoa’s favourite book: Beloved by Toni Morrison

A book that everyone loved but Adjoa didn’t: A Room with a View by E.M Forster

A book(s) that has (have) left an everlasting impression on Adjoa: Native Son by Richard Wright and Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

Adjoa’s favourite childhood book(s): The Children by James Vance Marshall and Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner

A book that Adjoa will read next: The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

A book that everyone should read in Adjoa’s eyes: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

 

A quote:

 

“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” Martin Luther King

 

Books mentioned:

 

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Uncle Tom’s Children by Richard Wright

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Mrs Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter

Easy Rawlings series by Walter Mosley

The Painter’s Friend by Howard Cunnell

I am a Bunny by Ole Risom

 

Films mentioned:

 

Walkabout

Mississippi Burning

Bridge of Spies

 

TV shows mentioned:

 

Bridgerton (Netflix)

For this year’s International Women’s Day, we have episode 4 of my podcast.

This episode is with my cousin, Julie Ripley. Julie is married to my cousin Mat and I met her when I was a teenager, many years ago now. I felt I had met a kindred spirit. For me, it is a friendship that has grown and grown.

Check out her twenty answers.

Julie’s books: Julie’s favourite book: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie A book that everyone loved but Julie didn’t get the hype: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson A book that left an everlasting impression on Julie: 1984 by George Orwell Julie’s favourite childhood book: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Julie’s favourite non-fiction book: Ways of Seeing by John Berger Julie is going to read next: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke A book that Julie can’t live without: a dictionary

Other books mentioned: Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann Life of a Pi by Yann Martel

Happy International Women’s Day 2022!

Podcast 3 Shownotes

I am this episode’s guest. My good friend, Lisa York interviewed me. I met Lisa just over a year ago here in Phnom Penh.

We talk about books, women writers, living overseas, love, kindness, friendship and many other things.

Tune in to hear my 20 answers.

Books Mentioned:

My favourite book: Girl Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo

A book that has left an everlasting impression on me: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

My favourite childhood book: The Babysitters’ Club by Ann. M Martin

My favourite non fiction book: Lowborn by Kerry Hudson

A book that I want everyone to read: Poems from the Edge of Extinction by Chris McCabe

Websites mentioned:

https://aroundtheworldonefemalenovelistatatime.wordpress.com/

https://maphub.net/WomenWritersWorldwide/map

https://www.language-gym.com

https://www.positive.news

https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/bbwb/black-britain--writing-back.html

Twitter handles of people mentioned:

https://twitter.com/gianfrancocont9

https://twitter.com/mrvinalesmfl

https://twitter.com/ThatKerryHudson

https://twitter.com/BernardineEvari

This episode’s guest is my friend Lorraine Wilkes. Lorraine and I met in Tanzania in 2020 when we were both living there. We clicked straight away and we bonded over our love of talking, books, travel and life. Lorraine also helped me discover that my French isn’t as bad as I thought! Join us to hear her 20 answers.

Books Mentioned:

Lorraine’s favourite book: La vie devant soi (The life before us) - Romain Gary

A book that has left an everlasting impression on Lorraine: Les mémoires d’une jeune fille rangée (The memoirs of a dutiful daughter), by Simone de Beauvoir

Lorraine’s favourite childhood book: Les Malheurs de Sophie (Sophie’s misfortunes) by the Comtesse de Ségur

Lorraine’s favourite non fiction book: Gut by Giulia Enders

A book that Lorraine will read next: We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Other books/authors mentioned:

It starts with the egg by Rebecca Fett

bell hooks

The power of vulnerability by Brené Brown

The essence of the podcast is in each episode to have an interesting conversation with a woman that I love/appreciate/admire/ respect. In each episode, I will be asking my guest 20 questions. The result is their scintillating and intriguing answers. The link to my book blog is https://aroundtheworldonefemalenovelistatatime.wordpress.com. Join us on 1st of November for the first episode.