The Worm Hole Podcast

Charlie and Manda Scott (Any Human Power) discuss her book in terms of its Shamanist contexts, her informed ideas for how we can change and thus improve the UK political system, and playing Dungeons And Dragons with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon. We also discuss Mass Multiplayer Online gaming in the context of both Manda's book and, briefly, ourselves - this is an episode wherein two gamers meet. A transcript is available on my site General references: Historical Writer's Association Accidental Gods Podcast Thrutopian Writer's Association Ursula K Le Guin's original quotation, "We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable - but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art" is from her speech in acceptance of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, 19th November 2014 Chauvet Cave artwork The writer Charlie couldn't remember is Max Porter, his book is Grief Is The Thing With Feathers World Of Warcraft Guild Wars 2 Doom The Accidental Gods membership program Books mentioned by name or extensively: Isabel Harman: Why We Get The Wrong Politicians Manda Scott: Any Human Power Manda Scott: Boudica Max Porter: Grief Is The Thing With Feathers Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 11th March 2024; published 22nd July 2024 Where to find Manda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:50 What was the very initial thought or kernel of this book? 08:52 What Manda would like to see happen in order to start accomplishing the environmental and political goals put forth in Any Human Power 14:13 Lan - why is she dead? 18:00 About the 'spirit guides' in the book, discussing crows 22:02 Lan not stopping the story thread in which Kaitlyn dies 25:42 Manda delves into all the political change in the book and her thoughts on our real UK world in this context 37:10 How far we're meant to like/connect with the characters and how flaws are important 41:16 At the end we have the sense of cycles; do we see a chance for things to change for Lan later on? 43:43 Manda talks about one of her influences, Taiwan's government system 46:22 Talking Manda's use of World Of Warcraft (WoW) in the book, which devolves into a short gaming conversation 50:21 Manda played D&D with Terry Pratchett and Fay Weldon - details 53:07 About Manda's podcast, Accidental Gods 56:30 What Manda's writing now, including book 2 Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Elissa Soave, Jenni Keer, and Chloe Timms for a general bookish chat. This one is big on writing, branding, and marketing, and, if Charlie dares says herself, is one of the most fun episodes of this entire show. Please note there is a mild swear word in this episode. A transcript is available on my site General references: Confessions Of A Debut Novelist Groundhog Day Elissa episode with me is number 80 Elissa's episode on Chloe's podcast Chloe's writer's club The Lake House Books mentioned by name or extensively: Chloe Timms: The Seawomen Daphne Du Maurier: Rebecca Elissa Soave: Ginger And Me Elissa Soave: Graffiti Girls Eliza Clark: Penance Guillermo del Toro: The Shape Of Water Janice Galloway: Collected Stories Janice Galloway's The Trick Is To Keep Breathing Jenni Keer: The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place Jenni Keer: At The Stroke Of Midnight Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood: The Testaments Roget's Thesaurus Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 7th March 2024; published 15th July 2024 Where to find Elissa online: Twitter Where to find Jenni online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Chloe online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:21 What is your genre and what does it do, what's it for? 11:31 If you wrote in another genre, which would it be? 17:47 How is your social media strategy? 27:22 What's the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 33:01 If you could have written someone else's book, which book would you choose? 37:17 What is the best writing advice you've ever been given? 43:56 All three tell us what they're currently writing, soon publishing (in two cases), and Elissa also tells us about her November 2024 release Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Charlie and Jacquie Bloese (The Golden Hour/The Secret Photographs) discuss early erotic photography, Victorian erotic stage performances, and the beginnings of bicycle use for women which had a huge impact on female agency. Please note there are mentions of suicide and abuse in this episode A transcript is available on my site General references: The photograph of Marie Berin Marion Sambourne's diary I can recommend the keyword phrase 'early bicycle wear women' for lots of pictures of the outfits Jacquie describes Wikipedia's article on the history of women cycling (bicycling and feminism) Books mentioned by name or extensively: Jacquie Bloese: The Golden Hour Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 3rd April 2024; published 8th July 2024 Where to find Jacquie online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:26 The whys of this book and the inspiration, particularly in the context of the photography 03:56 More about the model written about by Linley Sambourne, who committed suicide, and how Jacquie was influenced by it 05:47 Why Jacquie chose Brighton, and why she chose the Victorian period in that context also 09:00 About the female photographer, Marie Bertin, that Jacquie mentioned 09:58 About Holywell Street in London 11:30 The women points of view of The Golden Hour - Ellen, Clem, and Lily 16:23 Harriet (Harry) Smart and the music halls/theatres 20:28 More about The Vigilant Association 24:08 How Jacquie plotted her book and kept all the secrets straight in her mind 28:34 How Ottile had a bigger role in previous drafts 31:46 The importance of the questions of sexuality 34:53 Ellen and Reynold's mother, her story and the significance of her story 38:05 Women! Cycling! And the importance of cycling for women at the time 42:09 About Jacquie's inclusion of cats and the way they influenced the book 44:35 What Jacquie's writing now, her book that includes silent films Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Alex Hay, Stacey Thomas, and Lucy Barker for a general bookish chat with a concentration on the writing. The trio toured together as debuts and we get to witness just how well they work together. A transcript is available on my site General references: Downton Abbey Ocean's Eleven Mary & George (Julianne Moore) Zsolt's Instagram post on The Revels Euphoria Fear The Walking Dead Pride And Prejudice Persuasion Books mentioned by name or extensively: Alex Hay: The Housekeepers Isabella Beeton: Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management Stacey Thomas: The Revels Lucy Barker: The Other Side Of Mrs Wood Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: Recorded 18th January 2024; published 1st July 2024 Where to find Alex online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Stacey online: Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Lucy online: Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:44 How the trio's debut novelist tour came about 05:42 Anecdotes about the tour 08:37 Will you do another tour? 09:40 Last discussion on the tour 10:39 What is historical fiction, what does it do, what's it for? 20:51 Was there anything particular that you liked in research but couldn't include in your book? 31:25 What is the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 34:25 If your book was to be adapted who would you want cast in it? 37:46 Tell us more about what you're writing at the moment Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Charlie and Liz Fenwick (The Secret Shore) discuss the women cartographers who were fundamental in the Allies winning the Second World War and the way women at university at the time had to choose between their career and having a family. We also discuss Liz's love of Cornwall, her use of Dorothy Sayer's Gaudy Night, and we go back a few times to the people who were involved in the secret flotillas that preceded the Normandy landings. A transcript is available on my site General references: My previous interview with Liz is episode 35 Liz's TikTok plot walk on Frenchman's Creek The Woman's Hour episode including women's intuition Books mentioned by name or extensively: Daphne Du Maurier: Frenchman's Creek Dorothy Sayers: Gaudy Night Ernie Pyle: The Best Of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches Liz Fenwick: A Cornish Stranger Liz Fenwick: The Returning Tide Liz Fenwick: The Path To The Sea Liz Fenwick: The River Between Us Liz Fenwick: The Secret Shore Liz Fenwick: A Portrait Of You Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: recorded 25th March 2024; published 24th June 2024 Where to find Liz online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 01:45 You'd wanted to write about the secret flotillas for a long time? 02:58 Women's work in cartography in the Second World War 05:48 Furthering this discussion we go to Liz's character, Merry, or Dr Tremayne, and begin a discussion on what Liz left out of this book 09:42 More about Merry's work in the context of how a woman had to choose between a career and having a family, particularly in the context of Oxford University 16:06 Merry's mother, Elise, including her story in The Secret Shore 19:46 The romance in the book, including the love story 23:00 Liz's love and use in her novels of Frenchman's Creek, Cornwall 25:06 Ridifarne! 27:01 Is heart or head more important? 28:16 Liz's use of Dorothy Sayers' Gaudy Night and the character of Peter Wimsey 31:19 The real people in the book and how Liz made it all happen 33:38 All about Maurice Cohen and the mouse 35:22 The sacred wells in Cornwall 38:14 All about Liz's plot walks, which she releases to TikTok 41:03 Does it feel strange when you're not writing about Cornwall? 44:10 Liz's next book, A Portrait Of You Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Celebrating 100 episodes of this podcast, Charlie is joined by Gill Paul, Elizabeth Fremantle, Amanda Geard, and Maggie Brookes for a general bookish chat. We get all philosophical about genre, discuss film adaptations (Elizabeth’s Firebrand is out), whose books we wish we could have written, and best fan encounters. A transcript is available on my site General references: Firebrand - the UK release date it 14th June A Royal Affair House Of The Dragon Netflix's The Queen's Gambit Amanda's interview with me on The Moon Gate is episode 84 Elizabeth's appearance on BBC Front Row The Irish Times' article on Amanda's house (includes a photo of the room we discuss) Father Ted The Historical Novel Society 2024 Conference Books mentioned by name or extensively: Amanda Geard: The Midnight House Amanda Geard: The Moon Gate Diana Gabaldon: Voyager Dodie Smith: I Capture The Castle Elizabeth Fremantle: Queen's Gambit Elizabeth Fremantle: Disobedient Elizabeth Fremantle: The Sinners (working title) Gill Paul: The Secret Wife Gill Paul: Another Woman's Husband Gill Paul: The Manhattan Girls Gill Paul: A Beautiful Rival Gill Paul: Scandalous Women Jenny Ashcroft: Echoes Of Love Kerry Fisher: The Secret Child Maggie Brookes: The Prisoner's Wife Maggie Brookes: Acts Of Love And War Maggie O'Farrell: I Am, I Am, I Am Paula McLain: The Paris Wife Walter Tevis: The Queen's Gambit Buy the books: UK || USA Release details: Recorded 26th September 2023; published 26th February 2024 Where to find Elizabeth online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Amanda online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Gill online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Maggie online: Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Discussions 02:36 What is historical fiction - what does it do, what it is for? 06:09 If you wrote in another genre, what would it be? 08:29 If your book was to be made into a film or TV show, who would you want cast in it? 13:03 Can you describe your latest book without talking about the plot at all? 15:47 If you could have written someone else's book, whose would you choose? 18:38 What's the weirdest thing anyone's said about one of your books? 22:43 What's the best reader or fan encounter you've had? 26:11 Have you ever been mistaken for another author? 28:55 What is the best interview you've had excluding this podcast? 32:53 What is the best writing advice you've ever been given? 37:27 Can you remember any particularly interesting fact that you discovered in research that you couldn't include in your book? 42:48 What bookish event are you looking forward to in the next couple of years? 45:52 What is everyone's next book? (Except Gill - she mentioned hers earlier.) Photo credit: Gill Paul, JP Masclet, Amanda Geard, Lyn Gregory Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Charlie and Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ (Dazzling) discuss Igbo mythology, the differences between polygamy and monogamy in Igbo culture, and the social impacts of colonialism and military coups in Nigeria. Chịkọdịlị also talks about having her characters bother her when she's trying to shower, finding literature in rubbish heaps, and needing a literary residency - please let her know if you've one to spare! Please note there are mentions of rape and general violence in this episode. Where to find Chịkọdịlị online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:43 The starting point of Dazzling 04:54 The original narratives and the hows and whys of Chịkọdịlị's choices in terms of points of view and tenses 07:41 Why Chịkọdịlị doesn't have a favourite character and how she knows her characters 09:23 Is Chịkọdịlị writing a sequel? Shhh... 14:13 Chịkọdịlị tells us about how she worked on world building, which includes information about her childhood in Nigeria and how it compared to her initial years in the UK. She also discusses colonial and Christian impacts on Igbo culture 22:03 Why it was important to include the lack of family - Chịkọdịlị talks about polygamy in her culture and the differences between that and a one-mother family 29:08 The spirits and Igbo mythology in the book 34:32 Chịkọdịlị's use of the leopard society, which is a factual society, and who they were in reality 39:47 The 'lost girls' in the book - the whys and hows and the connections to reality. And the 'use' of menstruation 44:15 The inclusion of politics and its importance - looking at the civil wars and coups 47:04 Bringing the Harmattan into what Chịkọdịlị's been saying 49:25 What Chịkọdịlị is writing now Photo credit: The Visual Team.

Charlie and Sarah Marsh (A Sign Of Her Own) discuss the lesser-known aspect of Alexander Bell's work - teaching deaf children to speak - in terms of both the real history and the fictionalised character she created in order to explore the events. This includes snippets about the manufactured rivalry between the two inventors of the telephone; Bell's wife, Mabel Hubbard (who was deaf); the Deaf community in London in the late 1800s; and the way Sarah employs language - written, signed, spoken - to excellent effect. A transcript of this episode is available on the podcast website. Reuben Conrad's 1979 book is called Deaf School Child Wikipedia's page on Bell and Elisha Grey's rivalry Where to find Sarah online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:55 The inspiration for A Sign Of Her Own 03:27 Alexander Bell's work with deaf children, 'Visible Speech', and the reality of it all 07:08 The Deaf community in London at the time 08:13 The locations - America and London 09:21 The characters, particularly Sarah's fictional heroine, Ellen, and where bird names as surnames come into it 11:49 Talking about Mabel Hubbard, Alexander Bell's wife, who was deaf 13:24 The rivalry between Alexander Bell and Elisha Grey 15:30 The way Sarah uses different languages in her book 18:57 The romance in the book, between Ellen and Frank 20:48 Where Sarah sees Ellen going in her life beyond the book 22:34 Brief notes on what Sarah's writing now

Charlie and Natasha Solomons (Fair Rosaline) discuss Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, told from the perspective of Rosaline, wherein Romeo is a groomer and Juliet must be saved from him. We discuss as well Natasha's stylistic choices for her prose and the changes she made to the original ending. Please note that there is a lot of discussion of sexually predatory behaviour and some explicit language in this episode. Mark Scott's rephrasing of Charles Dibdin's argument can be found in his 1987 publication, Shakespearean Criticism, page 419 Natasha's I, Mona Lisa Natasha's Mr Rosenblum's List Ros Barber, The Marlowe Papers Pamela Butchart's To Wee Or Not To Wee Susan Calman's audiobook version of Pamela Butchart's To Wee Or Not To Wee Where to find Natasha online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:39 The inspiration for Fair Rosaline - Natasha's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet as being darker than it's portrayed 06:18 How we never see Rosaline in the original, and how Natasha changes this 07:01 Shakespeare's own thoughts on his characters, and Natasha's interpretations here 10:29 How Natasha borrowed from other Shakespearean Rosalines and Rosalinds 16:32 The importance of Juliet and her relative relevance in the book, and how Natasha considered different types of readers when she wrote 19:39 We start talking about the changes Natasha makes to the ending 20:44 Romeo's copying Tybalt - the balcony and roses not being Romeo's original idea in Fair Rosaline 21:57 The theme of roses and thorns 24:54 How Natasha wrote her prose - similar but not the same as Shakespeare's 28:12 How Natasha changes (or, as she says, 'made it more explicit') Friar Lawrence 32:45 The men being in on it 34:17 The importance of the convent and the theme of women's freedom 40:25 Tybalt's death and why Natasha made the choices she did 42:29 How Natasha wrote with her young daughter beside her on Zoom in lockdown 44:34 What Natasha's writing now: Cleopatra, with the Shakespearean influence again 47:18 There will be a play of Fair Rosaline!

Charlie and Lucy Barker (The Other Side Of Mrs Wood) discuss Victorian mediums both factual and fictionalised - their work, the spiritualism that led to their popularity, the social circles, the rivalry, the rumours of fraud, and the women's roles as early grief counselors. We also talk about the early days of the Suffrage movement and various aspects of the book's ending. Please note there is a very mild swear word in this episode. The Courtauld's exhibition of Georgiana Houghton's spirit paintings A preview of Tracy Ann Oberman's audio version of The Other Side Of Mrs Wood Lucy's blog post on the postal service in Victorian times One Night At McCool's Lucy's blog post on using Notting Hill Where to find Lucy online Blog || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:50 The real mediums who inspired the book: Agnes Guppy and Florence Cook 05:17 Lucy talks about how mediums in general were able to escape accusations of falsehood despite many being outed as frauds 08:53 The fickleness and loyalty of medium patrons 10:35 Why the Victorians were in to Spiritualism 14:00 The importance of the references to America throughout the book - America's own spiritualism 15:27 Mrs Wood, Miss Newman, and Miss Finch 19:07 The very early days of the women's suffrage movement 22:30 About Mrs Wood's circle of people 26:35 How Mrs Wood seeing herself as providing a service for grieving people, and the role of mediums in early grief counseling 29:34 The comedy in the book, and Lucy speaks briefly about her next book in the context of humour 30:58 Lucy's use of letters in the book, and Mr Clore's columns 33:23 The ending: why Lucy chose the ending she did for Mrs Wood and Mr Larson 35:32 Charlie thought it was going to be revealed that Miss Finch could really talk to spirits - Lucy discusses this point. Listen in! 37:24 The ending: Mrs Wood and Miss Finch and their terms 39:20 Lucy tells us about the locations in the book: Victorian-era Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove 42:32 Lucy gives us more information about her next book

Charlie and Jennifer Saint (Atalanta) discuss the forgotten story of the female member of the Argonauts - Jennifer's use of and changes to the various versions of the mythological story, including her usage of motherhood as a theme, Homer's thoughts on his women characters, the assault of Callisto, and the fact that Jason isn't much of a hero. Please note there are mentions of sexual assault in this episode. Episode 60 of this podcast is my interview with Jennifer about Elektra Jennifer's Elektra Jennifer's Ariadne The Argonautica Sarah Clegg's Women's Lore Cicero said, in the Tusculan Disputations, Book I, On The Contempt Of Death, section XXXIX: "If a child dies young, one should console himself easily. If he dies in the cradle, one doesn't even pay attention." Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad Where to find Jennifer online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:42 Why Atalanta, what drew you to her? 03:19 Why the first person in particular and how did you create Atalanta's voice? 06:31 The relevance of Atalanta's story to our present day, especially compared to Elektra 08:49 The unimportance of Jason (of the Argonauts) 10:07 Atalanta's growth as a person and her relative genderlessness 12:49 How and why Jennifer included motherhood in the way that she does (and how there are bad parents in Greek mythology) 17:54 Depending on the version of the story, Atalanta doesn't always meet Artemis - Jennifer talks about this and her choices for her story. We then move on to Callisto's story and the different versions of it 24:25 Jennifer talks about how Homer seems to have empathy for the women in his stories as part of a wider discussion as to the reception of the female characters in Ancient Greek society 27:49 How Jennifer approached writing the male characters, who revolve around Atalanta rather than the other way around 34:57 The ending - becoming lions would've been seen as a punishment in Ancient Greece, so how did Jennifer change this for her story? 38:02 Artemis' and Aphrodite's relationship 41:16 What's next - Jennifer's book on Hera 42:23 Might Jennifer ever write a 'regular' high fantasy novel?

Charlie and Elizabeth Fremantle (Disobedient) discuss the formative life, and Elizabeth's fictionalisation, of Artemisia Gentileschi, a woman painter from the 17th century. Please note that there are many mentions of rape in this episode, and there is also a mention of animal death. The previous episodes with Elizabeth are episode 7 and episode 70 The exhibition at The National Gallery Judith Slaying Holofernes Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes Mary D Garrard's Artemisia Gentileschi Elizabeth's Queen's Gambit Firebrand Where to find Elizabeth online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:18 Why Artemisia, and the general inspiration for the book 04:40 Elizabeth talks about Artemisia's work in general, as well as her success in her lifetime 10:58 How much does your fictionalisation of Orazio Gentileschi align with what's known? 15:14 Where Artemisia worked on her father's paintings 16:47 The Stiatessi family and what we know about Artemisia's husband 20:12 About Zita, real name Tuzia 22:49 The fragments of translations in the book - listen in for some interesting facts! 25:56 The use of laundry and light coming through the laundry lines 28:21 The Nightingale (Ovid's Metamorphoses' Philomel and Procne) 31:19 About Beatrice Cenci and Elizabeth's next book 35:28 Asking Elizabeth about what Charlie feels is her defining element - her honing in to one or two specific elements - and how she may continue in this vein in future 40:42 Lola the dog, who is mentioned at the start of the novel 41:29 Release dates for Firebrand, the film of Queen's Gambit Photo credit: JP Masclet.

Charlie and Kristy Woodson Harvey (The Summer Of Songbirds) discuss whether we should like her character, Lanier (who stops her best friend and brother being together); the various plot threads she left out of the book (including alternative endings); and US summer camps (both Kristy's experiences, and the effect of the pandemic lockdowns). We also spend a good amount of time discussing the pre-actor's-strike announcement of an adaptation of Kristy's Peachtree Bluff series and her next two books. Kristy's The Wedding Veil Kristy's Christmas In Peachtree Bluff Friends & Fiction Kristy's interview with Susan M Boyer The announcement about the Peachtree Bluff adaptation on Kristy's website Where to find Kristy online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 02:14 The inspiration: a sailing trip at a summer camp Kristy went to with her family during the pandemic 06:49 So Lanier and Rich came first?... 08:02 How Kristy doesn't write in chronological order and how it ends up working well 12:01 How Kristy feels about Lanier 15:35 Why was important to write about Daphne's family and the problems there are there? 19:21 Why no narrator for Mary Stuart? 25:39 This book was originally longer (what got cut) 29:24 Kristy's childhood experiences of US summer camps 33:52 Why Kristy ends her book with a scene about Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart's children going to camp 34:51 Real camps that had to close due to the lockdowns 36:24 The concept of 'hard things' 40:27 Other endings Kristy had in mind for The Summer Of Songbirds 44:43 A sequel? 48:18 The on-hold Peachtree Bluff adaptation 52:16 What's next (A Happier Life, and and very, very brief peak at Kristy's 2025 book)

Charlie and Maggie Brookes (Acts Of Love And War) discuss the small group of British Quakers who went to aid refugees during the Spanish Civil War, the way the war tore families apart as people chose different sides, and why she ended her romantic thread differently than might be expected. All referenced media in this episode: Francesca Wilson's In The Margins Of Chaos Maggie Brookes' Acts Of Love And War Maggie Brookes' The Prisoner's Wife Buy Acts of Love and War and other books mentioned Where to find Maggie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:53 The initial inspiration: Professor Farah Mendlesohn's PhD on the Spanish Civil War 03:39 The very small group of Quakers, including Alfred Jacob, who went out to Spain from Britain to help refugees 07:02 The real life women in Maggie's book: Francesca Wilson, Kanty Cooper 09:30 How the Quakers got their supplies to Spain, and the refugee children's colonies 15:03 What happened to the refugees after the war 18:26 Maggie's fictional characters - Lucy, Tom, and Jamie and having two brothers on different sides of the war 22:20 People in Britain who thought Franco was right, and why they thought that, and we mention the non-intervention pact many countries agreed to 27:27 On why Maggie had one of the brothers die, and who was better for Lucy 29:59 The ending, Maggie leaving Lucy single 32:00 Maggie tells us about the inspiration of her first book, The Prisoner's Wife, and Maggie briefs us on what she's writing now Photo credit: Lyn Gregory Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Charlie and Stacey Thomas (The Revels) discuss English Civil War era witch hunting which includes the methods, the propaganda, and the awful theatre of it all. We also discuss Stacey's inclusion of actual witches in her narrative, and Stacey's recommendations of Wolf Hall and A Little Life. Witchfinder General James VI/I's Daemonologie Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life Bridget Collins' The Binding Stacey's episode on Witches Of Scotland I spoke to Amita Parikh in episode 72 Where to find Stacey online Twitter || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:20 What made you want to tell this story of a man who is a witch, and his role in the judgement of witches? 02:23 Stacey's interest in James I and his favouritism of different male courtiers 04:22 The theatrical elements of the book 05:58 The torture of the accused 'witches' that led to fantasy stories being created 08:51 The influence of the printing press and propaganda pamphlets on the public's thoughts about accused women 10:02 About knot magic 12:09 The importance of having actual witches in the book and the impact of religion 14:32 Stacey's interest in taxidermy and Althamia's experience 16:41 Althamia's impact on the novel 17:54 The themes of grief and guilt in the book 20:51 Castor and Pollux 22:20 The writing style and narrative voice, and Stacey recommends Wolf Hall and A Little Life 25:24 All about Will and how he fits into the story 30:44 Is John Rush a witch?... And the fact he's left at large at the end 34:40 The initial execution scene did not originally happen... 35:57 Althamia says "Happy endings are beyond most people" and talks of proper endings - how does Stacey see The Revels in that sense? 39:15 Modern day apologies for witch hunters by the church 42:02 What Stacey's working on now (this turns into a lengthy discussion on debutantes and their publicity machines With thanks to Jawnson.

Charlie and Celina Baljeet Basra (Happy) discuss the experiences undocumented migrants to Western Europe face, French film director Jean Luc Goddard's seminal film Bande À Part, Indian talkshow Koffee With Karan, and Celina's particular usage of Umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. The Abduction Of Europe A review of 'Park', the 2017 exhibition curated by Celina Bande À Part Bruce Bégout's Le Park Uski Roti There are no clips of the discussed Koffee With Karan episode on YouTube, but if you've the right channel, it is from 7th November 2010 Where to find Celina online Website || Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:48 Why Celina wanted to tell this story: inspiration from a distant relatives' migration from India to Italy 05:24 Celina's highly unique narrative structure (fragmented) and how she used it to further achieve her aims 09:45 Would there have been a way for Happy's life to improve, if what happened to him at the end didn't happen? 12:07 The real riot of exploited migrants that was mentioned in the book 14:36 The character of Europe and the way Celina created a woman from a continent 19:32 The importance of the presence of Happy's family in the novel 21:20 The phrases of Italian vocabulary included that shows us where Happy is in his learning about his new life 24:35 Wonderland - the real one in Jalandhar and Celina's fictionisation of it 28:53 The inclusion of Jean Luc Goddard's Bande À Part 34:35 The inclusion of Indian talkshow Koffee With Karan 40:22 Why Celina included the other narrative voices of Harbir and Zhivago at the end 43:37 What's next Photo credit: Lilian Scarlet.

Charlie and Rachel Abbott (Don't Look Away) discuss young carers and the guilt they can feel, trafficking in Cornwall - both fact and fiction - and having her series' policewoman staying in the background of the story rather than take the spotlight. (We talk about that a couple of times, I loved it!) Please note that there are mentions of suicide in this episode. And So It Begins Stranger Child Come A Little Closer Sleep Tight About the trafficking at Newlyn Harbour in late 2019 Where to find Rachel online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:40 The inspiration for Nancy and Lola's story 03:15 Nancy's feeling of guilt as a young carer who failed to save her mother 06:23 The way Rachel really fleshes out the non-police characters in her thriller 11:05 How long Lola will be in prison 13:48 Research Rachel does in terms of the police 16:55 How important is policewomen Stephanie (the linking factor of the books) compared to Nancy (one of this book's victims)? 20:18 Stephanie is written in the third person and Nancy is in the first person... 22:20 Why set the book in Cornwall, and why create a fictional village in Cornwall 25:36 The trafficking in the book and real situations 29:34 How Rachel goes from one plot to many - the expansion 33:15 How Rachel uses technology in her books as opposed to finding tech makes things too easy 35:03 What's next for Stephanie King, book 4 in the series? 41:26 Was there anyone that Rachel's editing agent didn't like, or did really like? 43:26 Rachel's current work on her next Tom Douglas book Photo credit: Andrew Crowley.

Charlie and Karen Hamilton (The Contest) discuss the specifics of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the vast support crews, her ridiculously privileged holidaying characters and where their requests are based in reality, and why everyone is obsessed with toilets. We then move on to an extensive discussion of the thriller aspect of Karen's book and whether, even though there is one killer in her book, there are in fact more. Erick Kivelege's Climbing Kilimanjaro With Africa's Top Guide Kilimanjaro Porters Society Where to find Karen online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:14 Mt Kilimanjaro and luxury travel 05:26 How climbing the mountain goes - the specifics of it 15:30 Karen's characters - Florence, Jacob, and Hugo 24:55 The grief in the book and the whole contest of two groups climbing Kilimanjaro 26:54 The violence and discussing who the killer is, and the associated theme of isolation 36:31 Ethical Getaways and BVT merging and the effect on Florence and Jacob 39:34 What's next (brief) Photo credit: Emma Moore.

Charlie and Radhika Sanghani (I Wish We Weren't Related) discuss having alopecia, healing from being a people pleaser and self-empowerment in general, and her comic novel which includes an ex-fiance turned future brother-in-law, and a father who died, was not dead, but then died - true fictional story. Radhika's book also includes beloved cats, so we talk about cats too. Asha Bhosle Pema Chödrön Marian Williamson talking about choosing between love and fear Radhika's novel 30 Things I Love About Myself Where to find Radhika online Twitter || Instagram Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:35 The inspiration, in particular the theme of healing from alopecia 04:39 The characters, in particular Saraswati in Bollywood 08:14 Satya Auntie, and spirituality, in particular Buddhism and what Marian Williamson teaches about all our decisions being due to love and fear 12:37 On character Reeva's people pleasing and our own! 15:27 Reeva's trauma from her accident 17:36 Reeva's speech at her father's funeral 19:21 The choices made in regards to Reeva and Nick's relationship 21:34 The importance of including a second funeral, this time for someone Reeva knew and loved 22:55 Cats! All the cats! 25:52 What Radhika wanted to say about family 27:14 What's next Photo credit: SEBC Photography.

Charlie and Gill Paul (A Beautiful Rival) discuss the working lives of and rivalry between businesswomen Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, and the antisemitism in the US during WW2. We also discuss our views of Wallis Simpson. We spoke about Gill's book The Second Marriage (Jackie And Maria in the US) in episode 42 The Powder And The Glory Lindy Woodhead's Warpaint Cosmetics And Skin Gill's Another Woman's Husband Wendy Holden's The Duchess Where to find Gill online Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram || TikTok Where to find Charlie online Website || Twitter || Instagram Discussions 01:03 Why these women? 02:20 Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein hated each other but they never met... 02:59 Elizabeth's and Helena's backgrounds 07:28 The work Arden and Rubinstein put in to become successful 10:30 How Gill wrote her versions of Elizabeth and Helena 11:29 Elizabeth Arden's snobbery 13:46 The antisemitism in the West despite those countries going to war, particularly that coming from Arden 17:49 Irene Delaney, Elizabeth's forgotten 40-year-long PA 20:34 Moving factual events round to suit the narrative 22:24 Elizabeth employed her rival's ex-husband! 24:14 Advertisements and selling the companies 28:03 Helena Rubinstein's first husband was the publisher of Lady Chatterley's Lover 29:40 Rubinstein created the idea of skin types 32:39 The Suffragettes apparently wore lipstick on their marches, and talking about Gill's next book 34:53 What other people might Gill write about in future 36:33 Discussing our views of Wallis Simpson