The Waterstones Podcast

Latest Episodes:

35. WORDS with Susie Dent & Eley Williams Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Join us in dictionary corner as we chat to Countdown's Susie Dent about her love of language and her new book, Word Perfect, which shares the stories behind a word for every day of the year. We also speak with writer Eley Williams about her novel, The Liar's Dictionary, and enter the murky world of the mountweazel. A truly treat for logophiles everywhere.

Books mentioned: Word Perfect, The Liar's Dictionary, Attrib. and other stories

34. MY STORY with Chanel Miller Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

When Chanel Miller published her memoir it was the first time that many people discovered that she was Emily Doe, the Stanford sexual assault survivor, whose victim impact statement had gone viral. As her book comes out in paperback we spoke to her about her she set down in words the awful experience of assault, the criminal justice system and the aftermath. Contains discussion of sexual assault, so listener discretion is advised.

Books mentioned: Know My Name

33. PURPOSE with Jay Shetty Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

After three years as a monk in India, Jay Shetty set off to bring wisdom to the world using the modern tools of the internet and the ability to make what he'd learned go viral. With many looking at their lives afresh during lockdown and beyond we spoke to him about finding the right path in life, what we mean by purpose and why a life in service of others is the key to fulfilment.

Books mentioned: Think Like A Monk

32. RAMBLING with Adam Buxton Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

In this extended episode we go for a ramble with Adam Buxton, back to an eighties childhood, boarding school, Bowie, Baadad! And also to confront recent grief after the loss of both parents. In this frank and honest conversation we look at family relationships, emotional connection and also get to hear a truly great Bowie impression.

Books mentioned: Ramble Book

31. LIFE with Paul Nurse Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

It doesn't matter how you fared in biology at school, Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse is here with the perfect book to understand biology in five steps. We spoke with him about the moment he first became fascinated by how life works, the luck and mistakes that led to his great discoveries, and the family secret that revealed a genetic surprise much closer to home.

Books mentioned: What is Life?

30. DIVISION with Elif Shafak Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Even before the turmoil of 2020, the last few years have seen the rise of populist politics, people split into tribes, and the disintegration of constructive discourse around the topics that affect all of our lives. In this age of division, what can we possible do to maintain our sanity? We sat down with Booker Prize-shortlisted author Elif Shafak to look at some of the reasons for our current state of affairs and to ask what needs to change for a more positive future.

Books mentioned: How To Stay Sane In An Age Of Division, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World

29. TRESPASSING with Nick Hayes Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

A love of the natural world has always suffused the graphic novels of Nick Hayes but his latest book takes things even further as he trespasses the English countryside in order to explore the limits and absurdities of the property law that excludes us from much of the country we live in. As lockdown eases and we yearn to get out again we spoke to him about the importance of making that connection with nature and what we can do to ensure that we all have access to it.

Books mentioned: The Book of Trespass, Woody Guthrie, Cormorance.

28. CHILDREN with Nathan Bryon, Dapo Adeola, Sharna Jackson & Liz Hyder Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

A celebration of the best new talent in children's writing and illustration, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize has recently announced its winners. In this episode we enjoy chats with all four of them about the importance of children's literature and the books that helped form them as readers, writers and illustrators. Join Nathan Bryon, Dapo Adeola, Sharna Jackson and Liz Hyder for a trip back to childhood and a look ahead to a rosy future for kids everywhere.

Books mentioned: Look Up!, High Rise Mystery, Bearmouth

27. EXPECTATIONS with Emma Gannon Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

We all grow up with a sense of the expectations our family or, indeed, wider society might have of us: grow up, get a job, buy a house, get married, have kids, settle down. And yet every single one of those has been challenged by millennial life. Emma Gannon is well-known for her observations on modern working life and in her debut novel, Olive, her eponymous heroine dares to articulate that she doesn't want to have children, only to find that it remains taboo. We spoke with Emma about choosing to be child-free, choosing fiction to express it, and the special bonds of female friendship.

Books mentioned: Olive

26. DOING IT RIGHT with Pandora Sykes Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

The millennial generation have grown up with more choice available than ever before and the encouragement always to be living your best life. So why, for so many, does it feel like they're getting modern life all wrong? With her essay collection How Do We Know We're Doing It Right? Pandora Sykes examines everything from authenticity, binge-watching and modern working lives to 'that dress'. We spoke with her about capturing a moment and what the changes of 2020 have hopefully taught us about living better lives when we emerge on the other side of it.

Books mentioned: How Do We Know We're Doing It Right?

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