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Celine Saintclare's debut novel explores the life of a 'Sugar,Baby' in London Jan 10, 2024

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The protagonist of Celine Saintclare's Sugar, Baby is pretty disillusioned with her life: She's 21 and still at home, she has few friends and she feels like she'll never live up to her religious mother's expectations. But when she crosses paths with a London socialite, Agnes is introduced to a glamorous lifestyle bankrolled mostly by sex work and social media posts. In today's episode, NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento speaks with Saintclare about how the novel explores power dynamics, female friendships and social inequalities.
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Olympic runner Caster Semenya's memoir tackles gender stereotypes in sports Jan 09, 2024

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When she was only a teenager, South African runner Caster Semenya won gold at the 2009 World Championships. But she was soon faced with intense scrutiny over her gender and testosterone levels and forced to endure intrusive questions and tests about her eligibility to compete. In her new memoir, The Race to Be Myself, Semenya opens up about having her skill and merit challenged on a global stage and choosing self-love over it all. She speaks with Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes about breaking down expectations for women athletes, and raising her own daughters with that experience in mind.
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Booker Prize winner 'Prophet Song' is a dystopian tale of Irish authoritarianism Jan 08, 2024

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Early on in today's interview with author Paul Lynch, he says he was careful not to specify whether his dystopian novel Prophet Song is set in the future. Instead, the gripping tale of an Irish family sticking together through the fall of democracy focuses on the present moment and the personal relationships affected by it. In today's episode, Lynch speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the power of fiction to break through the noise of news and social media – and the weight of his own platform after winning the Booker Prize.
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Novels by Barbara Kingsolver and Daniel Mason excavate history for new meanings Jan 05, 2024

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Today's episode is all about two books that find parallels across long stretches of time. First, an interview with Barbara Kingsolver and former NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro about Kingsolver's novel Unsheltered, which finds striking similarities between an 18th century "utopian" community and 2016 America. Then, NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Daniel Mason about his novel North Woods, which follows the inhabitants of a plot of land across hundreds of years.
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'The House of Doors' is a novel about romance, secrecy and colonialism in Malaysia Jan 04, 2024

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The new novel by Tan Twan Eng, The House of Doors, is a project of historical fiction immersed in the culturally rich island of Penang in the 1920s. A once revered, now flailing British writer arrives to visit a friend and find inspiration for a new book. What he uncovers – secret affairs, a murder trial, and deeply complicated relationships – proves to be more than he expected. In today's episode, NPR's Ari Shapiro asks the author about using the real writer W. Somerset Maugham as his protagonist, and about what writing from the perspective of the Brits reveals about imperialism.
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In 'A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens,' debt takes on many meanings Jan 03, 2024

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Hugo Contreras, the protagonist of Raul Palma's new novel, is a babaláwo; he can cleanse evil spirits. Except he doesn't really believe in the whole thing. So when he's able to strike up a deal with a debt collector – get rid of the ghosts in his house in exchange for a clean slate – he assumes he can mostly fake it. In today's episode, Palma joins NPR's Scott Simon to discuss A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens, and how the concept of debt – not just financial, but personal, too – stirs up a lot of trauma for Hugo.
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Anne Enright's 'The Wren, The Wren' is a family story about poetry and betrayal Jan 02, 2024

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Phil McDaragh is a great Irish poet; he was also a lousy husband and father, abandoning his family to pursue his writing. In Anne Enright's new novel, The Wren, The Wren, three generations of women in the McDaragh family contend with the absent patriarch's complicated legacy. Enright spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about writing fiction about a great writer, and how the poet's bad behavior in his personal life impacts the McDaragh women's own passions, years down the road.
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In 'The Fraud,' Zadie Smith takes on historical fiction and the Tichborne case Jan 01, 2024

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In the 19th century, a butcher living in Australia claimed to be the long-lost heir of a British fortune. The Tichborne trial, which sparked much controversy and even more attention in Victorian England, is at the center of Zadie Smith's new novel, The Fraud. In today's episode, the author tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly how she became captivated by the outrageous lies the man told in court, and how the way his believers still dug their heels and supported him echoes the state of politics in the 21st century.
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In 'The World Central Kitchen Cookbook,' José Andrés collects recipes with impact Dec 30, 2023

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After wars, natural disasters and all kinds of emergencies, the World Central Kitchen — the organization founded by chef José Andrés — flies in to help feed people. A new cookbook now brings forth some of the recipes the nonprofit relies on to comfort and nourish those affected. In today's episode, Andrés speaks with Here & Now's Scott Tong about the importance of working in community with local restaurants and chefs when serving an area, prioritizing the familiar flavors and cuisine, and making delicious food an essential part of humanitarian aid.
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Books by Raghavan Iyer and CrossCultureKev celebrate curry and chai recipes Dec 29, 2023

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Today's episode focuses on two books that go deep on two culinary traditions: curry and chai. First, famed chef and author Raghavan Iyer spoke with NPR's Ari Shapiro about On The Curry Trail, which traces the origins and impact of curry around the world. Iyer, who died shortly after the interview, gets candid about his career making Indian food accessible to Americans. Then, Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes speaks with Kevin Wilson — known online as CrossCultureKev — about The Way of Chai and the spiritual practice behind the delicious drink.
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