Inklings Book Club

Addie E Citchens: Dominion 29.05.2026 43分

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Marcia Hutchinson: The Mercy Step 20.05.2026 34分

Welcome back to our Women's Prize 2026 spotlight series. Today we’re joined by Marcia Hutchinson, whose debut novel The Mercy Step is shortlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize and just won the Discovery Prize at the British Book Awards! Following the life of a child from the womb to age eleven, Marcia Hutchinson crafts a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion in 1960s Bradford. Marcia also founded Primary Colours, a multicultural educational publishing and training company based in Huddersfield, who helped create resources on cultural education, for example celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving in the UK. Marcia was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list in 2010 for services to cultural diversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rozie Kelly: Kingfisher 18.05.2026 46分

Welcome to our special Inklings Book Club series spotlighting each of the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlisted authors. First up, we’re meeting Rozie Kelly, author of Kingfisher. This is her debut novel, about an academic married to a man who becomes infatuated with a female poet. Kelly finds beauty in the messiness of being human in this meditation on grief, power, desire, our search for identity, how we love and the consequences when we fall short. Rozie Kelly was shortlisted for the PFD Queer Fiction Prize 2023 and was one of the eight participants in the inaugural Prototype Development Programme 2024. Her debut novel Kingfisher won the NorthBound Book Award before being shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anders Lustgarten: Kill Billionaire 15.05.2026 57分

Today we’re joined by Anders Lustgarten whose new book Kill Billionaire follows a wise beyond her years 14 year old girl from rural Australia called Kayla, who starts taking down billionaires. I was so intrigued to ask Anders about crafting this character, and his outlook on the world. He is a talented playwright – with 12 original plays under his belt. Now he’s turning his pen to novel writing – and he’s here to tell us all about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg James: All The Best For The Future 07.05.2026 1時間 5分

Greg James has been a presenter for BBC Radio 1 since 2007 where he now host the coveted breakfast show. He is also a children’s author, known for the Kid Normal series he writes with Chris Smith, and now his memoir is here. It’s called All The Best For The Future, and it’s a meditation on life and all its trimmings. My first ever job was at a plastic factory, and when I worked there I used to always listen to Radio 1 and my favourite radio DJ, Greg James. Listening to how he hosted his show made me want to be in this world, so today this is very full circle moment for me to be introducing Greg to the Inklings Book Club podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Porter: Nova Scotia House 01.05.2026 1時間 3分

This month we have been reading Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter. I totally fell in love with this book which follows a gay couple called Johnny and Jerry in the 90s, as Jerry lives his final days. He is a victim of the AIDS crisis, and this book is both a celebration of his life. We continue to follow Johnny in the present day after Jerry has passed, with a few appearances from Gareth, Jerry’s best friend. We see what Jerry’s life could have been like if he had survived, like Gareth, and what his life could’ve been like if we was born a generation later, like Johnny. It’s moving and it’s so heartfelt, but also experimental in its writing style. For me, this book was a total triumph, I utterly adored it and I’m thrilled to be talking to Charlie Porter, its author today. Charlie is also a fashion journalist and the author of two non-fictioj title. His book Bring No Clothes explores the clothing choices of the Bloomsbury Group from a philosophical perspective, while What Artists Wear examines the clothes of various artists. Nova Scotia House is his debut novel, so please welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Charlie Porter! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seán Hewitt: Open Heaven 29.04.2026 1時間

Today we’re joined by poet, lecturer, and literary critic Seán Hewitt. Seán is the author of three original poetry collections, a memoir, and several curations of other poets’ work, from wood engravings to tales of love from the ancient world. His debut novel, Open, Heaven, was published last year and I utterly adored it. A man returns to the small village in which he first fell in love, which summons up memories of the charismatic and impulsive Luke. There’s gorgeous nature writing, and plenty of yearning, but also that perfect literary alchemy that happens when a poet writes a novel. I interviewed Seán at Waterstones with a bunch of you wonderful people – so, here’s what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte McConaghy: Wild Dark Shore 21.04.2026 41分

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Benjamin Wood: Seascraper 15.04.2026 40分

Benjamin Wood is the author of five novels, the first of which – called The Bellwether Revivals, was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Book Awards and Commonwealth Book Prize. His fifth novel, Seascraper, won the Nero Book Award for fiction and was longlisted for both the Booker Prize and the Walter Scott Prize. Seascraper is a portal to the seaside where we follow a young man called Thomas who works a pretty archaic job as a seascraper, which his family rely on him to do. He dreams, however, of becoming a folk singer, and longs to perform at his local pub. One day he comes home to find a man called Edgar waiting for him – Edgar is a Hollywood producer who wants to shoot a film on the beach, and asks for Thomas’ help and expertise. The book is atmospheric and moving, at times capturing the isolation and monotony of the work and his aspirations to be anywhere else, and at other times fast-paced and intense – reminding us of the extreme danger of such a job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaveh Akbar: Martyr! 11.04.2026 1時間 5分

Hello and welcome back to the Inklings Book Club podcast and our March book of the month!!! This month we read Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar, and I’ve loved reading all of your insights on the Fable app. You sent in thoughtful, astute, and perceptive questions, and today I had the privilege of posing them to Kaveh Akbar, the author of Martyr! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Khong: Real Americans and My Dear You 07.04.2026 48分

Rachel Khong started out as the executive editor of Lucky Peach Magazine, before turning her eye to novel writing. Her debut, Goodbye, Vitamin, was released in 2017 and won the California Book Award for First Fiction. Her second novel, Real Americans, became an instant New York Times bestseller, following three generations of a family, spanning 80 years. It explores themes of Chinese-American identity, genetic engineering, inheritance, and the way that our heritage shapes our lives. Today we’ll mostly be discussing her new short story collection, My Dear You, which uses supernatural elements to explore human concerns around race, destiny, and mortality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Armfield: Our Wives Under The Sea and Private Rites 31.03.2026 50分

Today we’re joined by the incredibly talented novelist Julia Armfield. Julia wrote one of my favourite books ever, called Our Wives Under The Sea. It’s about a woman who returns from a disastrous deep-sea dive, and her wife who is now looking after someone she barely recognises. It’s so lyrical and beautiful, she is such a talent. We met to discuss her debut, as well as her newest release Private Rites, a similarly wet novel. In Private Rites, the world is drowning after so much rain. Three sisters are navigating love and loss in this new reality, and the book is actually a reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Unfortunately we don’t have the video for this episode, the footage somehow got lost, so this episode is audio-only. Please welcome to the Inklings Book Club, Julia Armfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claire Foy & Nicola Coughlan: The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton 27.03.2026 46分

Today we have a very special episode where we’ll be talking about Enid Blyton’s classic series of children’s books The Faraway Tree, co-hosted by Ruby Granger! Ruby will be chatting with Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan, Phoenix Laroche, Billie Gadsdon, Delilah Bennett Cardy, Simon Farnaby, and Ben Gregor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susie Dent: Guilty By Definition 26.03.2026 45分

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Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary and The Martian 20.03.2026 36分

Andy Weir is the king of sci-fi. His first novel The Martian follows Mark Watney, an astronaut mistakenly presumed dead and abandoned on Mars by his crew during a dust storm. Stranded with limited supplies, he uses his botany and engineering skills to survive while NASA figures out how to rescue him. His next novel was Artemis, following a woman living in the first city on the Moon. Then came Project Hail Mary. We follow science teacher Ryland Grace as he wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory slowly returns, he discovers he is the last surviving person on a mission into space to understand a substance called astrophage. Astrophage is causing the sun to die out, and scientists have discovered a distant planet that might hold the key to destroying it. Ryland Grace has to use his scientific training to finish the mission alone, and meets an unlikely ally in space. It’s a story of friendship, communication, understanding, and resilience. It’s both laugh out loud funny and cry your eyes out heartbreaking, a modern sci-fi classic. Now it’s been turned into a film. In our last episode I met with star of the film Ryan Gosling and filmmakers Lord and Miller. And now, we’re chatting with the author himself Andy Weir. I really hope you enjoy this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Gosling: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 17.03.2026 23分

If you know me you will know how much I adore the novel Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. We follow science teacher Ryland Grace as he wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how we got there. As his memory slowly returns, he discovers he is the last surviving person on a mission into space to understand a substance called astrophage. Astrophage is causing the sun to die out, and scientists have discovered a distant planet that might hold the key to destroying it. Ryland Grace has to use his scientific training to finish the mission alone, and meets an unlikely ally in space. It’s a story of friendship, communication, understanding, and resilience. It’s both laugh out loud funny and cry your eyes out heartbreaking, a modern sci-fi classic. Now, Andy Weir’s novel has been adapted for the screen. Ryan Gosling takes on the role of Ryland Grace – he’s the Oscar-nominated star of Barbie, La La Land, Drive, The Nice Guys, and The Notebook. He is a force to be reckoned with, and a true movie star. We’ll also be joined by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of Project Hail Mary. They’re a filmmaking and acting duo behind Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and the Spider-Verse franchises which won them an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Saunders: Vigil 10.03.2026 45分

Today we’re talking to one of the greatest living writers, George Saunders. He is the author of 12 books, including Tenth of December, Pastoralia, Swimming in a Pond in the Rain, and Lincoln in the Bardo which won the the Booker Prize. Three of his books were included in the New York Times’ top 100 books of the 21st century so far, and his work is noted for its humanity and unique, often experimental narrative style. He’s the king of short stories and has one of the best selling pages on Substack. His newest release, Vigil, is about a lady called Jill Blaine who has died in an explosion. She comes back to earth to help guide people who are dying to the afterlife and provide comfort in their final moments. But she meets her match in KJ Boone – an owner of an oil company who have caused immense damage to the climate, all while he denied climate change. He is a bad person, and yet Jill wants to empathise with him. The third major player in the novel is called The Frenchman – he is the man who invented the first engine. He feels a lot of guilt about how his inventions were used, unlike KJ Boone. Here’s what happened when I chatted with George Saunders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aria Aber: Good Girl 20.02.2026 57分

Today we’re talking to poet and novelist Aria Aber. Aria is an Afghan-German poet, novelist and educator. Her poetry collection Hard Damage won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and Whiting Award. Her debut novel, Good Girl, was shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Yale Review, and Granta. Good Girl is my favourite book I’ve read so far in 2026, I absolutely loved it. We follow a girl, Nila, who is immersed in the Berlin clubbing scene, grappling with her Aghan identity in the wake of increasing xenophobia towards Afghan people. She explores friendship, family, and also a tumultuous relationship with an older man – a writer called Marlowe. I am so thrilled to be introducing to the Inklings Book Club, Aria Aber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emerald Fennell: Wuthering Heights 19.02.2026 19分

Well, it’s safe to say the whole world is talking about Wuthering Heights. Hello and welcome back to the Inklings Book Club where this month we are reading Emily Brontë’s gothic classic, just in time for the release of Emerald Fennell’s adaptation. And so… who better to speak to than Emerald herself? I caught up with Emerald to chat all things Wuthering Heights, as well as her favourite books and poems. Emerald Fennell is an actress, filmmaker and writer. In 2021, Promising Young Woman won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay – one of three nominations the film received that year. The film also won a Critics Choice Award, two BAFTAs, and a Film Independent Spirit Award. She returned to directing with Saltburn in 2023 which set the world ablaze, and now of course Wuthering Heights is doing the same. She also starred as Camilla in The Crown and Midge in Barbie. She is completely unstoppable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi & Alison Oliver: Wuthering Heights 13.02.2026 17分

When I asked Inklings members what book we should read for February, you guys voted overwhelmingly for Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontè’s gothic masterpiece. Set amongst the backdrop of the sprawling Yorkshire Moors, in the first part of the novel Bronte details the all consuming, toxic, passionate, obsessive, and destructive relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Heathcliff is a real enigma and a social outcast – he is adopted from Liverpool and brought up alongside Cathy. But, when Catherine chooses a wealthier man to marry – Edgar Linton – Heathcliff embarks on a bitter quest for vengeance. The second part of the novel details the way he inflicts pain and suffering on the next generation too. The novel explores this magnetism between Cathy and Heathcliff, two people who just cannot resist each other’s pull. There’s revenge, discussions of social class, and the dark – even defensive – side of human nature when the ego is bruised and feelings are hurt. Today we’re joined by Oscar-nominated actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, as well as Alison Oliver, who play Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Isabella Linton in the new retelling, “Wuthering Heights”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices