Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bookshelfie: Self Esteem Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, AKA Self Esteem talks to Vick about pushing back against the male gaze, the healing power of her art and how to carry on as a female music artist in your 40s.
Rebecca is one of the UK’s most exciting breakout musical stars of the past decade. Performing as Self Esteem, she rose from cult favourite to mainstream hero following the huge success of her empowering, truth-telling 2021 single, I Do This All The Time. Her trademark lyricism and razor-sharp wit led to a Mercury Prize nomination for her second solo album, Prioritise Pleasure, and was crowned the Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year. Her latest album, A Complicated Woman, received the Visionary Award at the 2025 Ivor Novello Awards, praised for its ‘fearless, genre-defying songwriting that is reshaping the sound and substance of modern pop’.
Her first book, also titled A Complicated Woman, is a Sunday Times bestseller, taking readers on a poignant, witty journey using notes, lyrics, and observational prose that gets to the heart of being a woman in the world today.
Rebecca’s book choices are:
**The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
**Women Who Run with The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estès
**All Fours by Miranda July
**Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa
**Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Listen back to all previous seasons of the podcast for even more book recommendations, and subscribe now to be the first to hear when we return for season nine.
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Rachel Parris Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Comedian, actor and improviser Rachel Parris discusses why people can be so wrong about Jane Austen, the knotty complexities of female friendship and her love for crime fiction.
Rachel is officially a member of the British comedy elite – she has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, and Mock the Week, and was BAFTA-nominated for her satirical sketches on BBC's The Mash Report, which have garnered over 100 million views online. She’s a regular on BBC Radio 4 where she can be heard on Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and, formerly, The Now Show. Rachel hosts the comedy podcast How Was It For You?, with her husband, Marcus Brigstocke; and another podcast for the Children’s Book Project called The Power of a Book, where guests share the children’s stories that mean the most to them. On the stage, she is a co-founder of Austentatious – a Jane Austen themed improv comedy show in the West End.
Her debut novel, Introducing Mrs Collins, is a tale of love, loss, and second chances, for anyone who’s wondered if there’s more to the sensible character we met in Pride and Prejudice.
Rachel’s book choices are:
**Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
**Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
**The Names by Florence Knapp
**My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
**The Lost by Claire McGowan
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Clare Balding Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Broadcasting legend Clare Balding tells us why the Celebrity Traitors’ castle was the perfect place to finish writing her latest book, how the author of a ‘bonkbuster’ that was banned from her school became the person who got Clare into novel-writing, and the animals and women in literature who have captured her imagination.
Clare grew up in the countryside surrounded by horses and dogs, reading everything from Jilly Cooper to Henry James. A keen rider, she competed as an amateur flat jockey during her teenage years, winning Champion Lady Rider in 1990. She is now one of Britain’s leading broadcasters, receiving the BAFTA Special Award and RTS Presenter of the Year Award for her expert coverage of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is an ardent campaigner for better coverage of women’s sport. Clare hosts her much-loved Ramblings series on Radio 4, taking her across the British Isles exploring its landscape and its storytelling. She is also a bestselling and award-winning author of numerous books and children’s novels, including her autobiography, My Animals and Other Family, which won the National Book Award for Autobiography of the Year. Her debut novel for adults, Pastures New, is a love letter to the countryside and the kindness of small communities, told with Clare’s characteristic warmth and wit.
Clare’s book choices are:
**Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
**Riders by Jilly Cooper
**The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
**Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
**Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org- every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Angela Scanlon Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Irish broadcaster, podcaster and author Angela Scanlon discusses why Marian Keyes was so inspirational to her, how an unexpected honeymoon reading choice had her bawling, and why choosing not to get your nails done is a radical act.
Angela is best known for hosting shows on the BBC and RTÉ as well as her weekend breakfast show on Virgin Radio. Her first major documentary, Oi Ginger! aired in 2014, trending worldwide and showcasing her ability to dig deep into a subject matter. The success of the show led to a follow-up series, Angela Scanlon: Full Frontal, where she tackled taboo subjects such as extreme makeovers, fitness and nudity. Since beginning her work with the BBC, Angela has hosted The One Show and cult classic Robot Wars alongside Dara O’Brien, as well as coverage of T In The Park and the BAFTAs. In 2022 Angela published her debut book Joyrider: How Gratitude Can Help You Get The Life You Really Want. Part memoir, part self-help guide, Joyrider sees Angela chart her own journey into the world of self-development. This year has seen Angela launch the Get A Grip podcast, alongside co-host Vicky Pattison. Described as the ultimate group chat, Angela and Vicky discuss everything from motherhood and navigating newly-wed life to pop culture, internet drama and much more. She’s also the founder of jewellery brand frkl. and the online community, Hot Messers.
Angela’s book choices are:
**Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
**Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
**A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride
**Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
**I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Sian Eleri Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

Radio 1 DJ Sian Eleri discusses her love for Welsh language writing, the power of a creative vocabulary and why home is such a complicated subject.
Sian is one of the biggest music tastemakers at BBC Radio 1 and shares her love for music across three shows at the station – Future Artists, Power Down Playlist and Chillest Show – as well as hosting a weekly show for Selector Radio, a global station celebrating British music. Named Music Week’s Rising Star in 2021, Sian has judged some of the UK’s biggest music prizes, including the AIM Independent Music Awards, the Youth Music Awards, the Welsh Music Prize, the BRITs and the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, which she presented to this year’s winner Sam Fender. She is also the host of The Voice Wales in her native Welsh language, which is returning soon for season two. Sian previously presented the BBC Three series Paranormal, Rolling Stone UK’s Future of Music, and is currently filming a documentary series about the Welsh artist, Gwen John, for BBC Cymru.
Sian’s book choices are:
** Llyfr Glas Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros
** Notes On An Execution by Danya Kukafka
** I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
** Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
** Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Lily King Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

Award-winning author Lily King joins us from the road during her book tour to explore how women finding themselves and love are such big topics in her favourite books. Plus, she tells us the novels she returns to over and over again for comfort; and why Virginia Woolf has been such an important writer in her life.
Lily has written six novels which have been published in 28 languages. Her 2020 novel, Writers & Lovers, won the New England Society Book Awards, was a New York Times Notable Book and was chosen as a top-ten best book of 2020 by The Washington Post, NPR, People Magazine, and The LA Times. Her 2014 novel Euphoria won the Kirkus Award, the New England Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Award, as well as being named one of the 10 Best Books of the year by The New York Times Book Review. Her latest novel, Heart the Lover, was released in October and was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Lily’s book choices are:
** It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume
** To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
** I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
** Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
** The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Debbie Wosskow Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

Multi-exit entrepreneur, investor and one of the UK’s most influential business figures, Debbie Wosskow OBE discusses the gender pay gap in writing, her fearlessness in asking men for money, and why the Women’s Prize Trust is so important.
Debbie is best known for founding the home-swapping platform Love Home Swap and co-founding the women’s network AllBright. She has built and scaled multiple successful businesses, advised the UK government on the sharing economy and now co-chairs the Invest in Women Taskforce, driving hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into female-led companies.
A former board member at the Women’s Prize Trust, Debbie is Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, a company that produces science-backed nutritional supplements for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, a Board Member of The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and a Non-Executive Director at Channel 4. She is also the co-author of the business bestseller, Believe, Build, Become - How to Supercharge Your Career.
Debbie was awarded an OBE in June 2016 for services to business & received Freedom of the City of London 2019.
Debbie’s book choices are:
** All my Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
** Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt
** Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
**Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
** We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Alice Loxton Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Presenter and author Alice Loxton discusses how fiction can help us understand the past – particularly when it comes to women’s stories; finding humour in classic literature; and her companionship with figures from history.
Alice is passionate about bringing history to mainstream, younger audiences, and she has over three million followers on social media, where her videos educate on British history, heritage and art. She has worked with many organisations including 10 Downing Street, The Royal Academy, English Heritage, The National Gallery, Tate, BBC, ITV, and Microsoft, and she writes about history for publications including The Times, Telegraph and Spectator. She’s an ambassador for the National Trust, a mentor for The King’s Foundation 35 Under 35 Network, and a patron of The British Pilgrimage Trust.
Alice’s book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives was a Sunday Times bestseller and Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2024. Her new book, Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen, sees her follow in the footsteps of Eleanor of Castile’s funeral procession, bringing to life the formidable character of this lesser-known royal.
Alice’s book choices are:
** Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
** Secret Voices by Sarah Gristwood
** Through England by Side Saddle by Celia Fiennes
** The Tower by Flora Carr
** Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Kemi Rodgers Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

Presenter, DJ and radio host Kemi Rodgers is excited to head back to the jungle for the new series of I’m A Celebrity and shares what books she’ll be packing for the journey.
Kemi is best known for her work on Capital Radio and as a co-host for I'm a Celebrity: Unpacked on ITV2 alongside Joel Dommett. Kemi’s love for music extends beyond radio – her expertise led her to produce a documentary for Warner Music, and she’s a familiar face at festivals and events, where she frequently DJs. She often hosts art events and shares her passion for history in her own social series, History with Kemi, making history accessible and engaging for her audience.
** Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
** Friends that Invest by Simran Kaur
** Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
** The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
** The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bookshelfie: Thangam Debbonaire Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Chair of Judges for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Baroness Thangam Debbonaire explains why the prize is so important; the enduring importance of democracy for women worldwide; and her formative years working in a communist bookshop.
Thangam is a Labour Member of the House of Lords, where her key interests include arts policy, international cultural partnerships and diplomacy, copyright and AI. A former Labour MP, she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from September 2023 until May 2024. Before parliament, Thangam worked for 25 years on the protection from - and prevention of - violence against women and girls, both nationally and internationally. She was recently announced as chair of the judging panel for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, sponsored by Findmypast.
Thangam’s book choices are:
** The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
** My Ántonia by Willa Cather
** Democracy: Eleven writers on what it is, and why it matters (ed. Margaret Atwood)
** Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina
** My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

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