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The Waterstones Podcast

The Waterstones Podcast

By Waterstones

Going beyond the book with a wide range of authors to discover the story behind the books we love.
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Stuart Turton

The Waterstones PodcastMar 26, 2024

00:00
26:01
Stuart Turton

Stuart Turton

With a debut that became an immediate bestseller and a second novel that joined his first as a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, we were of course front of queue to find out where Stuart Turton might take us with his latest book. Did anyone guess a crime thriller set in a utopian community made up of the last humans on earth after a catastrophe has wiped out most of humanity? We sat down with him to talk about the hurdles of writing, how he got over them, and why he’s enjoying creating his fictional worlds more now than ever.

Mar 26, 202426:01
Dr. Charan Ranganath
Mar 19, 202424:43
Anna Jones

Anna Jones

Anna Jones has always been a passionate advocate for vibrant, sustainable cooking that places vegetables centre stage. In her latest book, Easy Wins, she highlights 12 hero ingredients that will allow you to get maximum flavour into your food with minimum effort, the perfect solution for those who don’t want to compromise on taste but may have limited time to prepare meals. We visited her kitchen to whip up a little something and to find out more about the philosophy behind the book and to get some great tips and tricks to transform your culinary life.

Mar 12, 202439:43
Gary Stevenson

Gary Stevenson

Growing up in the shadow of Canary Wharf’s towers, Gary Stevenson always yearned for more. In an eye-opening conversation we learn how a simple card game changed his life and how a nose for how the world turns combined with a skill for maths led him to become the most successful trader in one of the world’s largest banks. Featuring larger-than-life characters we discuss why making millions from wealth inequality led to him leaving the obscene bonuses behind in an attempt to alert people to a dangerously broken system. This is The Trading Game.

Mar 05, 202433:50
Sophie Elmhirst

Sophie Elmhirst

The facts are compelling: A couple sailing to the other side of the globe, adrift after their yacht sinks and a battle to survive for 117 days. But the telling of that story is taken to whole new level by Sophie Elmhirst who uses her journalistic skills to uncover the facts and then takes us inside the marriage of her eponymous heroes. Who were Maurice and Maralyn, where did their spirit of adventure come from, and how was their relationship the key to survival?

Feb 27, 202430:40
Sam Sedgman

Sam Sedgman

Fresh from co-writing the brilliant Adventures on Trains series with M. G. Leonard, Sam Sedgman has created an ingenious new adventure for children that follows aspiring inventor, Isaac Turner, across London landmarks on the trail for clues to his father’s disappearance. We spoke with Sam about how a visit to Big Ben with his own father proved to be all the inspiration he needed to create this new series, why he finds the real world so much more fascinating than fantasy and where Isaac’s adventured may take him next.

Feb 06, 202414:55
Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides

An idyllic, private Greek island in the company of a movie star may sound like paradise but things are about to turn deadly in The Fury, the latest thriller from Alex Michaelides. In a fascinating conversation we learn more about how his Cypriot upbringing infuses his storytelling, the new approach to writing that freed up his style, plus the real-life Hollywood inspiration behind his latest creation.

Jan 30, 202422:38
Chris Van Tulleken

Chris Van Tulleken

You've been told the problem is salt, or sugar, or even you! But in a fascinating conversation with Chris Van Tulleken we discover why it’s not you, it's the food. And by food we mean 'industrially produced edible substance' - YUM! What is ultra-processed food, what is it doing to our bodies and the planet, and what can we do to improve our health?

Jan 23, 202423:44
Nina Stibbe

Nina Stibbe

After charming the nation with Love, Nina - the collection of letters written to her sister during a five year stint as a nanny in '80s London, surrounded by literary types all new to her - Nina Stibbe returns to London once again, this time under the roof of author Deborah Moggach, with a hilarious diary of her life as a woman now in her 60's. Went to London, Took The Dog sees her wit as sparkling as ever, as she negotiates discarded takeaway on the streets of London, women's health issues amongst her circle of friends, and sharp observations on everything from dating profiles and literary festivals to the obsession with the whereabouts of Keir Starmer's charisma.

Nov 07, 202328:04
Ed Gamble

Ed Gamble

Looking back on his life so far through the prism of food, Ed Gamble’s Glutton is a hilarious take from a foodie obsessive who’s come to recognise quality over quantity. We sat down to talk about the ultimate cheeseboard, why Guinness is magical, and how type 1 diabetes impacts his favourite pastime.

Nov 02, 202330:18
Judi Dench

Judi Dench

Widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest actresses, Dame Judi Dench has conquered both stage and screen in a career spanning six decades. In Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent, her conversations with actor and director Brendan O’Hea provide illuminating insights into the works of the Bard as well as hugely entertaining stories from her life on stage. We sat down for our own conversation with them both to talk about first steps on the stage, the genius of Shakespeare, and why being part of a company in service of an audience is the most important thing.

Oct 24, 202338:18
Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart

With a career spanning seven decades, Sir Patrick Stewart is still probably best known to many as Captain Jean-Luc Picard or Professor X - but what of the journey towards these career highs? With his memoir, Making it So, now on shelves, we sat down to speak with him about his childhood in Yorkshire, the influence of a troubled father, and the inspiring teachers who set him on the path to stardom.

Oct 23, 202318:48
Richard Armitage

Richard Armitage

Having created thrills on screen as an actor it was perhaps only a matter of time before Richard Armitage decided to create a literary thriller of his own. After memorable appearances in TV thrillers like Spooks and three separate Harlan Coben dramas, Armitage has penned his own, Geneva, which sees a Nobel Prize-winning scientist forced to question everything as intrigue swirls around a new bio-tech innovation. We sat down to talk about literary influences, his approach to writing, and why acting and music have both helped him create this first novel.

Oct 17, 202316:42
Madhur Jaffrey

Madhur Jaffrey

Familiar to millions as the woman who brought Indian cookery into UK kitchens through her books and TV series, Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a sumptuous new edition featuring some brand new recipes. We sat down to speak with her from New York about her childhood in India, training as an actress in London, and her influence to this day as the author of the book that many still maintain is the best Indian cookbook available.

Oct 10, 202325:47
Mary Beard

Mary Beard

In her latest book, eminent historian and author, Mary Beard, presents a thematic approach to the role of Roman Emperor. What did it mean to be at the head of the empire, what daily work was involved, and what did it mean to have access to his inner circle? We sat down to talk about Roman dining, statues and coins, and why this period of history holds such fascination to people living today.

Oct 03, 202321:29
Adrian Edmondson

Adrian Edmondson

Well-known to fans of The Young Ones, Bottom, or any number of alternative comedy shoots from the 1980s onwards, Adrian Edmondson’s anarchic comedy of violence has surprising roots in an unsettled childhood. We sat down to talk about boarding school, found family and why the whole comedy thing was a bit of an accident.

Sep 26, 202329:13
David Mitchell

David Mitchell

No matter how you feel about them, there’s no doubt that the Royal Family still play a crucial role in our national identity - but how did we get to where we are? And how much do we really know about the Kings and Queens of our past? We sat down with comedian and writer David Mitchell to discover why the early Kings were just successful bullies, why royal succession is a bit like losing your mobile phone, and why Magna Carta is important for many reasons, but doesn’t get you off wearing a face mask or paying your council tax.

Sep 19, 202322:35
Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes

The cause of more dropped jaws than almost any other entertainer, Miriam Margolyes shared a lifetime of hilarious incident in her first memoir, This Much Is True. Thankfully, she has plenty more to say, and in Oh Miriam! we have more hilarity, but also reflection, emotion, and a healthy dose of passion too; all of which is on display in our exclusive conversation with her.

Sep 13, 202320:27
Katherine Rundell

Katherine Rundell

Former Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winner Katherine Rundell has turned to fantasy to create her latest fictional world. The Archipelago is a cluster of magical islands where humans live alongside the creatures of myth, but the magic is under threat. We sat down to speak about a childhood of adventure, standing on the shoulders of giants, and what readers can expect from this exciting new trilogy.

Sep 12, 202324:17
Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein

It was amusing at first when Naomi Klein found people would confuse her with fellow author Naomi Wolf. But when her namesake started to develop increasingly extreme views during the COVID pandemic, it required more attention, and opened up a mirror-world of conspiracy, misinformation and shifting ideologies. In a fascinating conversation with the author of No Logo we discuss why what Doppelgänger depicts is such a pressing issue for us all, and how to get back to what really matters.

Sep 11, 202334:54
Anne Enright

Anne Enright

The Wren, The Wren, the new novel from Booker Prize-winner Anne Enright, continues her examination of themes around motherhood, family relationships and connection. As we sat down to talk about it, we discussed how it is really a novel about its characters and an investigation into what language is trying to do, and what happens when it reaches its limits.

Sep 05, 202325:08
Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith

From her debut novel 23 years ago, Zadie Smith has held both readers and critics in rapt attention. That debut was of course White Teeth, which went on to become a multi award-winning bestseller, and whilst the novels that have followed have taken readers to different parts of the world, she has for many been an essential chronicler of life in London. Her new novel, The Fraud, is set once again in our capital city but in a surprise to some, including the author herself perhaps, it is set during the Tichborne Case of 1873, making this her first historical novel. We spoke to discover what it was about this case and those involved in it that caused her to give in to the genre she had avoided so assiduously.

Aug 31, 202340:60
Edinburgh International Book Festival

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Anyone who’s had the chance to meet a favourite author at an event knows that it can add something really special to the books you love; and book festivals offer the opportunity to do it again and again. In a special episode of the podcast we head to the Edinburgh International Book Festival to meet authors Josie Long, Monica Heisey, Will McPhail, Brandon Taylor and K Patrick, as well as readers too, and discover what makes it so special.

Aug 25, 202323:47
Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Shortlist 2023
Jul 13, 202359:19
Caitlin Moran

Caitlin Moran

When Caitlin Moran was out promoting her series of books about women and feminism, she would often encounter the same question from audiences at the end of the event: What about Men? At a time when people can claim that men actually have it harder than women in some respects, what advice did she have for them? So she went away, spoke to male friends, did the research and came back with her thoughts. We sat down to talk about the strange ways men talk to each other, the dangers of the manosphere and what positive aspects of masculinity we should be celebrating.

Jul 04, 202342:51
Lorrie Moore

Lorrie Moore

Lorrie Moore has continued to delight readers with her short stories but it has been 14 years since her last novel, the Women’s Prize-shortlisted A Gate at the Stairs. Her new novel, I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home, contains dual narratives which deal with the themes of love, loss and memory. As one of America’s most distinctive voices it’s best not to try and summarise things for a pith intro, far better to join our conversation about literary forms, the absurdity of loss and why romantic love is a tricky thing.

Jun 27, 202329:06
Caroline O'Donoghue

Caroline O'Donoghue

Caroline O’Donoghue’s new novel for adults, The Rachel Incident, is a love story but just not the one you might be expecting from the book’s premise. Set in the post-economic crash Republic of Ireland of 2009 it sees our eponymous heroine looking for love and to be taken seriously in a world full of uncertainty. We sat down to talk about friendship, making memories and cultural touchstones.


Jun 20, 202331:56
Emma Cline

Emma Cline

After her attention-grabbing debut novel, The Girls, Emma Cline has been quietly getting on with the business of writing. A story collection, Daddy, is now followed by a new novel, The Guest, another stylish display of Cline’s considerable skills that follows a young woman, drifting amongst the elite of Long Island, with the threat of everything being washed away with one wrong decision. We sat down to speak about literary influences, avoiding the obvious and portraying femininity.

Jun 13, 202324:16
David Grann

David Grann

Stories of seafaring, shipwreck, mutiny and murder have long held a fascination, particularly for dwellers of this island nation and in his latest investigative piece of narrative non-fiction, David Grann has a tale that grips from first page to last. The Wager was a vessel shipwrecked in the 1740s, its crew presumed lost, until a group of survivors washed up on the coast of Brazil. Their story of survival would have been incredible enough except for a second group of survivors to appear in Chile with stories of mutiny, murder and even cannibalism. What follows is not so much a question of who is telling the truth, but of who gets to tell the story that will become the truth. A court martial of individuals but also the idea of Empire itself. We sat down to talk about the pursuit of truth, human survival and the power of stories to endure.

May 30, 202337:32
Claire Dederer

Claire Dederer

It’s an old question but one that seems to be asked with increasing frequency in the era of so-called cancel culture: can you separate the art from the artist? After Essayist and memoir-writer Claire Dederer wrote a viral article about her own response to Roman Polanski she looked further into the lives and works of other problematic figures. The result, Monsters, is a personal and entirely subjective look at creatives like Woody Allen, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Pablo Picasso and more, that invites the reader to really think about how they feel about the art they love that comes to be stained in some way. We sat down to talk about art monsters, creative genius, and self-indictment.


May 23, 202341:00
Rebecca F. Kuang

Rebecca F. Kuang

There is no stopping Rebecca Kuang. With the Poppy War trilogy already under her belt and the fantastic success of Waterstones Book of the Year nominee Babel, she has reinvented herself once again this year with Yellowface, a literary thriller that satirises the very industry she’s involved in, publishing and bookselling. As someone who has worked in both of those industries myself, not to mention the world of social media for 15 years, I couldn’t wait to read this one and was even more excited to sit down and talk with Rebecca about her approach to writing, her insights from the industry, and where she might take readers next.


May 16, 202332:15
Caleb Azumah Nelson

Caleb Azumah Nelson

Caleb Azumah Nelson made a huge impression with his debut novel Open Water, an emotionally complex novel of love that was also a celebration of black creativity. His new novel, Small Worlds, continues both of those themes, whilst also looking at notions of family, home and a connection with the authors own Ghanaian culture. We sat down for a talk about love, memory and the creative urge.

May 09, 202332:05
Han Kang

Han Kang

When Han Kang won the International Booker Prize in 2016 the bonus for readers was that there were more of her books ready to be translated into English. Her latest, Greek Lessons, features a woman who has stopped speaking and her professor, a man who has gradually been losing his sight in a tale of human connection and communication, translated once again by her fellow Booker-winner Deborah Smith, working this time with Emily Yae Won. I sat down with her and interpreter Mi Na Sketchley to talk about the novel’s inspiration, style and experience for the reader.

May 02, 202317:49
Emily Henry

Emily Henry

Emily Henry had already published four young adult novels before turning 30 but with her fifth, Beach Read, and a switch to writing romantic comedy for adults she found a whole new level of engagement with readers. With huge popularity on TikTok and a boom in romantic fiction in general, we sat down to talk about writing through phases in life, creating relatable characters and whether those cartoon covers are hiding something a little darker inside.

Apr 25, 202334:57
Diana Evans

Diana Evans

In Diana Evans’ previous book we were introduced to the couple Melissa and Michael. That novel, Ordinary People, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize, and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. It was also beloved by readers and so many of those will be delighted to hear that her latest novel, A House for Alice, continues their story, together with that of Melissa’s family, headed up by her mother, the titular Alice. I sat down with Diana to talk about being driven by your characters, the complexities of family dynamics and why there will never be any place like home.

Apr 04, 202331:07
Sheena Patel

Sheena Patel

In 2022, Sheena Patel published her debut novel I’m A Fan and was chosen as one of the Observer’s Top 10 best debut novelists. In the book, an unnamed narrator tells us about the similarly unnamed ‘woman I am obsessed with’ and ‘man I want to be with’ in a tale of social media, obsessive love, power, privilege and race. It’s an incendiary novel, chosen by Foyles as their fiction Book of the Year and one I knew would allow us to have a frank and funny conversation about where we find ourselves right now.

Mar 28, 202345:03
Benjamin Myers

Benjamin Myers

Benjamin Myers is the kind of writer who has devoted readers. A series of novels over the last 15 years or so, particularly those published by indie imprint Bluemoose, have earned him awards, plaudits, and many dedicated booksellers keen to hand-sell his books. His prolific output belies the fact that for the last 5 years he has been working on Cuddy, a novel that takes inspiration from Saint Cuthbert, the unofficial patron saint of the North of England. What led an atheist to write a novel about faith, and how did he alight on the novel’s multiple timelines and connected narratives? Join us as we find out.

Mar 21, 202341:25
Tiffany McDaniel

Tiffany McDaniel

Tiffany McDaniel’s previous novel, Betty, made such a huge impact with booksellers and readers that we were delighted to make it the fiction book of the month back in August 2021. It was brutal read at times, but violence and poverty were combined with an attention to language that made it a must-read for many. Her new novel, On the Savage Side, deals in similarly dark terrain so I sat down with Tiffany to talk about the real unsolved crime that inspired it, writing about the most difficult things and finding hope in the darkness.

Mar 14, 202316:58
Katherine May
Mar 07, 202329:51
Sebastian Barry

Sebastian Barry

The novels of Sebastian Barry form an intriguing web of family history and his latest, Old God's Time, follows a retired policeman who is forced to reckon with the past as an old case rears its head. We spoke with two-time Costa Book of the Year-winner Sebastian Barry about fleshing out the past, fatherhood and falling in love.

Feb 28, 202353:45
Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan's epic new history, The Earth Transformed, begins at the very dawn of our planet, 4.5 billion years ago, and shows how climatic changes have shaped nations, notions, religions and empires. We sat down to talk about the science behind his new work, some of the astounding discoveries, and what the past can teach us about our current crisis.

Feb 21, 202344:33
Cariad Lloyd, Michael Rosen and Chloe Hooper
Jan 31, 202301:02:33
Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith became an international bestselling author with his debut, Child 44, but he's not a writer to rest on his laurels. His new novel, Cold People, is a piece of speculative fiction which sees the human race adapting to survive in the most inhospitable part of the planet: Antarctica. We spoke with him about alien invaders, human tenacity and what the future might really hold.

Jan 24, 202328:39
Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis

Shooting to stardom with his debut Less Than Zero aged just 21, courting controversy with his bestseller American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis returns with his first novel for 13 years, a fusion of fact and fiction called The Shards. We spoke with the author about notoriety, being a teenager and the similarities between writers and serial killers.

Jan 17, 202344:54
In Real Life with Ian Rankin, Malorie Blackman, Anna James and Geena Davis
Nov 08, 202217:57
Women in Art with Katy Hessel and Lizzy Stewart

Women in Art with Katy Hessel and Lizzy Stewart

When E. H. Gombrich's seminal work of art history, The Story of Art, was first published in 1950 it featured precisely zero female artists. Even today its latest edition features only one. Luckily Katy Hessel has produced The Story of Art Without Men, a timely corrective that puts women centre stage as we have too in this episode of the podcast which sees Katy in conversation with artist and illustrator, Lizzy Stewart, whose latest graphic novel, Alison, follows her heroine's creative awakening against the London art scene of the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Sep 20, 202244:49
Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Special

Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Special

Featuring Bonnie Garmus, Tess Gunty, Louise Kennedy, Sequoia Nagamatsu, Eloghosa Osunde and Tara M. Stringfellow.

A unique opportunity to hear all six authors shortlisted for the inaugural Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. With a prize celebrating debut novels across genres it's no surprise to find such variety amongst our six nominees. Social commentary, science fiction, family sagas, spirituality, great characters and unforgettable lessons in life from the most exciting new voices in fiction. Join us as we discover their road to publication and hear their answers to questions from those who've championed their books: Waterstones booksellers.

Jul 21, 202201:05:43
New Histories with Gill Hornby, Sophie Irwin, Karen Joy Fowler & Susan Stokes Chapman.
Jul 12, 202247:31
Talking with Marian Keyes, Candice Carty-Williams, Dr Julie Smith and Nihal Arthanayake

Talking with Marian Keyes, Candice Carty-Williams, Dr Julie Smith and Nihal Arthanayake

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week and its theme of loneliness, we speak with four writers who know the importance of talking about difficult things and why conversation is at the heart of better mental health. Marian Keyes and Candice Carty-Williams share the personal stories that fed into their fiction, whilst Dr Julie Smith brings her clinical expertise to a wider audience and broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake shows how a career based on dialogue has taught him what can help us all to have better conversations.

May 09, 202257:43
Consequences with Sam Knight and Jo Browning Wroe

Consequences with Sam Knight and Jo Browning Wroe

Consequences brings together two books that seemed to have one thing in common and then turned out to be connected in entirely different ways. Sam Knight's The Premonitions Bureau is a fascinating look at the work of psychiatrist John Barker and a network of psychic visionaries in the 1960s. A Terrible Kindness is the debut novel from Jo Browning Wroe which shows how compassion and sacrifice can shape a life and how hard it can be to change course. In a fascinating discussion we discover more about the nature of time, of structure and of averting disaster.

May 03, 202241:60