For this episode we try something a bit different! While discussing the book Ultramarine with its author, Mariette Navarro and its English translator, Cory Stockwell you get to hear some live translation! Mariette discusses the inspiration behind the novel, how different it was to write it compared to the usual work she does in theatre, and how it feels to see her work translated into several languages. Cory tells us about his route into translating, the difficulties of translating English to French, and the unusual circumstances around how he came to translate the book.Books mentioned in the episode:Ultramarine by Mariette Navarro (tr. Cory Stockwell)The Defiant: A History of Football against Fascism by Chris LeeUltra: The Underworld of Italian Football by Tobias JonesThe Roaring Red Front: The World's Top Left-Wing Football Clubs by Stewart McGill & Vincent RaisonShy by Max Porter1312: Among the Ultras by James MontagueThe Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky ChambersTonight It's a World We Bury: Black Metal, Red Politics by Bill PeelAssembly by Natasha BrownChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

For this episode I'm joined by the author Deborah McFadyen to discuss her book Ren. We also talk about writing believable dialogue, writing in Scots, Glasgow as a literary city and more!Books mentioned in this episode:Severance by Ling MaThe Hole by José Revueltas, translated by Amanda Hopkinson and Sophie HughesDear Neighbour by Jane Claire BradleyMetabolize, If Able by Clay ADThis Is Not Miami by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie HughesBless The Daughter Raised By The Voice in Her Head by Warsan ShireCalatrava by Philip JodidoApastoral: A Mistopia by Lee D. ThompsonDeaf Republic by Ilya KaminskyThe Harrowing Ogf Hell by Evan DahlThe Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean PhilipsCatwoman: Lonely City by Cliff ChiangFairy Tale by Stephen KingPersuasion by Jane AustenWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëCandide by VoltaireTreasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonThe Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. MartinThe Hobbit by JRR TolkienNorthern Lights by Philip PulmanThe Lord of the Rings by JRR TolkienThe Young Team by Graeme ArmstrongTrainspotting by Irvine WelshBooks of Blood by Clive BarkerChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/

I'm joined for this episode by Chris Lee, author of The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism, as well as the man behind the podcast and website Outside Write (https://outsidewrite.co.uk/) We talk about the relationship between football and politics, the growth of left-wing fanbases, his favourite football books and more!The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism by Chris LeeSeverance by Ling MaUltramarine by Mariette Navarro, translated by Cory Stockwell Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World by Chris LeeIn Patagonia by Bruce ChatwinFootball Against the Enemy by Simon KuperHow Football Explains the World by Franklin FoerSoccer Vs. the State: Tackling Football and Radical Politics by Gabriel KuhnThe Ball is Round: A Global History of Football by David GoldblattWorking Class Heroes: The Story of Rayo Vallecano, Madrid's Forgotten Team by Robbie DunneCalcio: A History of Italian Football by John FootUltra: The Underworld of Italian Football by Tobias Jones1312: Among the Ultras: A Journey with the World’s Most Extreme Fans by James MontagueErbstein: The Triumph and Tragedy of Football's Forgotten Pioneer by Dominic BlissA Social History of English Cricket by Derek BirleyA Season With Verona by Tim ParksThe Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinnissMorbo: The Story of Spanish Football by Phil Ball Tor! The Story of German Football by Uli HesseAngels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina by Jonathan WilsonMatchdays: The Hidden Story of the Bundesliga by Ronald RengScheisse! We’re Going Up!: The Unexpected Rise of Berlin’s Rebel Football Club by Kit HoldenRen by Deborah McFadyenChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

Literature podcast collab episode! I'm joined for this episode by Ben from the Beyond The Zero podcast (@beyondzeropod) to discuss Australian Literature. We talk about his favourite Aussie authors, the state of the Aussie book market, which is the capital of Oz literature and more!Books mentioned in this episode:Raven Smith’s Men by Raven SmithPortnoy’s Complaint by Philip RothParadais by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie HughesHurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie HughesStill Born by Guadalupe Nettel, translated by Rosalind HarveyThe Death of Artemio Cruz, translated by Alfred MacAdamFalling Hour by Geoffrey D. MorrisonMan-eating Typewriter by Richard MilwardThe Garden of Seven Twilights by Miquel de Palol, translated by Adrian Nathan WestThe Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith KerrPossum Magic by Mem FoxOliver Twist by Charles DickensThe Muddle-Headed Wombat by Ruth ParkHarp in the South by Ruth ParkThe Treehouse Series by Andy GriffithsCharlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald DahlLooking for Alibrandi by Melina MarchettaThe Dry by Jane HarperThe Young Desire It by Kenneth MackenzieWater Under the Bridge by Sumner Locke ElliottFairyland by Sumner Locke ElliottThe Girl Green as Elderflower by Randolph StowTo the Islands by Randolph StowThe Suburbs of Hell by Randolph StowVisitants by Randolph StowN by John A. ScottGravity’s Rainbow by Thomas PynchonThe Snow Kimono by Mark HenshawOut of the Line of Fire by Mark HenshawWaypoints by Adam OustonGrimmish by Michael WinklerThe Netanyahus by Joshua CohenOur Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowellPoguemahone by Patrick McCabeAny Day You Can Die by Thommy WaiteThe Shepherd’s Hut by Tim WintonThe Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism by Chris LeeChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Carauna: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

Back with another episode after another unexpected break! In this one I talk to Rick Harsch, author of The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas and the man behind Corona/Samizdat Press. We discuss the problem of the every growing TBR, how Rick wrote Eddie Vegas, how he decides what to publish and more!Books mentioned in this episode:The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschPoguemahone by Patrick McCabeThe Prague Orgy by Philip RothEl Llano in Flame by Juan Rulfo, translated by Stephen BeechinorThe Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism by Chris LeeRen by Debroah McFadyenOmon Raby Victor Pelevin, translated by Andrew BromfieldSend Nudes by Saba SamsThey by Kay DickThe Man Whose Wife Was The Moon by Mike RussellAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonApastoral, A Mistopia by Lee D. ThompsonA Bended Circuityby Robert S. StickleyAbel and Cain by Gregor von RezzoriThe Revenant by Michael PunkeThe Big Sky by A.B. GuthrieAnatomy of a War by Gabriel KolkoHell In A Very Small Place: The Siege Of Dien Bien Phu by Bernard B. FallMoby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman MelvilleJourney to the End of the Night by  Louis-Ferdinand CélineCynicism Management by Bori PraperPendulum Pet by Bori PraperVerbatim by Jeff BurseyUnidentified Man at Left of Photo by Jeff BurseyOrbo and the Godhead by Luke DevlinAnotomia del Abismo by Roberto SegrovBedraggling Grandma with Russia Snow by Joãs ReisElena Knows by Claudia Piñero, translated by Francis RiddleThe Seven Madmen, The Flamethrowers by Roberto ArltThe Appearance of Death to a Hindu Woman by Rick HarschThe Periplus of Spur Tank Road by Rick HarschThe Assassination of Olof Palme, A People’s Novel by Rick HarschA Brief Life by Juan Carlos OnettiSchlock: Featuring Russia Cop by David R. LowThis Is Not Who I Am: Our Authenticity Obsession by Emily BootleSolenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu, translated by Sean CotterJerusalem by Alan MoorePhilip Roth: New Perspectives on an American Author, edited by Derek Parker RoyalOur Share Of night by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowellMy Struggle by Karl Ove KnausgårdChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

After another unexpected break, Chatting Lit is back! In this episode, I speak to Palmer Smith about her book The Butterfly Bruises, a collection of poems and short stories, available to buy directly from the publisher here: https://pressdionysus.com/product/palmer-smith-the-butterfly-bruises/Palmer and I discuss the relationship between her short stories and poems, Southern Gothic literature, her relationship to the two main settings of her work (NYC and the American South) and more!Books mentioned in this episode:The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschThis Is Not Who I Am: Our Authenticity Obsession by Emily BootlePersepolis by Marjane SatrapiJews Don't Count by David BaddielSchlock: Featuring Russia Cop by David R. LowBullshit Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It by David GraeberHomesickness by Colin BarrettPedro Páramo by Juan RulfoEl Llano in Flames by Juan RulfoPoguemahone by Patrick McCabeThe Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabeEat Pray Love: One Women’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth GlibertThe Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. LewisRikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard KiplingBecause of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamilloThe Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith KerrOn the Road by Jack KerouacThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenThe Age of Innocence by Edith WhartonInterview with the Vampire by Ann RiceChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

For this episode I'm joined by the musician, writer and visual artist Jarboe (https://www.thelivingjarboe.com/) to discuss her process of writing lyrics and prose, the vinyl reissue of her album Sacrificial Cake, the relationship between her different artforms and more!Books mentioned in this episode:The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschThe Passenger by Cormac McCarthyThe Gallow’s Pole by Ben MyersLonesome Dove by Larry McMurtyMercia’s Take by Daniel WilesThe Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez (translated by Megan McDowell)Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez (translated by Megan McDowell)Lanny by Max PorterThe Death of Francis Bacon by Max PorterThe Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan KarunatilakaThis Is Not Why I Am: Our Authenticity Obsession by Emily BootleFlower Factory by Richard FosterThe Flower Ornament Scripture: A Translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra by Thomas ClearyRemembrance of Things Past/In Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustThe Feast to Forget Time by JarboeChatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

I'm back! After a longer than planned 'season break' I'm here to discuss the work of Sally Rooney with Natalie Beech, co-founder of the Feminist Fiction (@feminist.finction) book club and co-host of the podcast of the same name! We discuss the recurrent themes in Rooney's work, what we like/dislike about it, if she is the 'voice of millennial women' and more!Books mentioned in this episode:Fup by Jim DodgeSwamplandia by Karen RussellWhat a Shame by Abigail BergstromConvenience Store Woman by Sakaya Murata (translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)Fix The System, Not The Women by Laura BatesThe Anatomy Lesson by Philip RothNormal People by Sally RooneyMr Salary by Sally RooneyConversations With Friends by Sally RooneyBeautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally RooneySorrow and Bliss by Meg MasonActs of Desperation by Meg NolanLuster by Raven LeilaniA Little Life by Hanya YanagaharaShuggie Bain by Douglas StewartChatting Lit artwork and logo design by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/

For this episode I speak to Joe Carducci about his screenplay collections Wyoming Stories and Western Stories, as well as his book about Western films, Stone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture. We discuss some of his favourite Westerns, why people still watch Westerns today, and how film making has changed over the years.Books mentioned in this episode:Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy RockwellThe God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyThe Passenger by Cormac McCarthyStella Maris by Cormac McCarthySalt Lick by Lulu AllisonFlake by Matthew DooleySwamplandia! by Karen RussellThe Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonStone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture by Joe CarducciWestern Stories by Joe CarducciWyoming Stories by Joe CarducciRock and the Pop Narcotic: Testament for the Electric Church by Joe CarducciEnter Naomi: SST, L.A. and All That... by Joe CarducciThe Film Till Now: A Survey of World Cinema by Paul RothaWestern Films: A Complete Guide by Brian GarfieldMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

My guest for this episode is Chris 'Frenchie' French, a music journalist for various print and online publications. We discuss how he got into music journalism, if things like the #metoo movement will make rock stars more cautious about what they tell in their autobiographies, and if in an age of social media and streaming there's still a role for professional music critics.Shoutouts for this episode go to Ben at Beyond The Zero podcast (@beyondthezeropod) and some of the publications Chris writes for: Astral Noize (@astralnoize) and Zero Tolerance (@zerotolerancemagazine)Books mentioned in this episode:America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonSalt Lick by Lulu AllisonWise Blood by Flannery O’ ConnorSwamplandia! by Karen RussellChamber Music by Will AshonThe Little Book of Ikigai: The secret Japanese way to live a happy and long life by Ken MogiA Seat at the Table: Interviews with Women on the Frontline of Music by Amy RaphaelSing Backwards and Weep: A Memoir by Mark LaneganWill Oldham on Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, edited by Alan LichtHunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie BrownsteinA Perfect Union of Contrary Things by Sarah Jensen with Maynard James KeenanCash by Johnny CashWhat Does this Button do? An Autobiography by Bruce DickinsonRun to the Hills: The Authorised Biography of Iron Maiden by Mick WallThe Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave GrohlThe Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson and Neil StraussThe Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Mötley Crüe and Neil StraussInside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick MasonHammer of the Gods by Stephen DavisSpaceships Over Glasgow: Mogwai and Misspent Youth by Stuart BrathwaiteMonsters of River and Rock: My Life as Iron Maiden's Compulsive Angler by Adrian SmithChronicles: Volume One by Bob DylanStone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture by Joe CarducciMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

In this episode I speak to the Australian author Thommy Waite @thommywaiteworld) about his book Any Day You Can Die. We discuss his writing process, his influences, Bookstagram, cancel culture and more!Shout-out for this episode goes out to fellow lit podcast Beyond The Zero @beyondthezeropod)Books mentioned in the episode:Stone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture by Joe CarducciEveryman by Philip RothThe Humbling by Philip RothSalt Lick by Lulu AllisonWise Blood by Flannery O’ ConnorStoner by John WilliamsButcher’s Crossing by John WilliamsGoalkeepers are Different by Bryan GlanvilleThe War of Art by Steven PressfieldThe Beach by Alex GarlandLolita by Vladimir NabokovThe Secret History by Donna TarttAmerican Psycho by Brett Easton EllisAmerican Dirt by Jeanine CumminsCatch-22 by Joseph HellerGrimmish by Michael WinklerA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaThe End of Alice by A.M. HomesWhere the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

For this episode I've assembled a crack team of book nerds to discuss 'the classics.: Megan (@feminist.fiction), Noah (@everyone_who_reads_), Seth (@wastemailinglist) and Matty (@theobliterature). We debate what constitutes a classic, which ones we love and loathe, and if we need to expand our notion of the term.Books mentioned in this episode:America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonOpen Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonWestern Stories by Joe CarducciWyoming Stories by Joe CarducciStone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture by Joe CarducciEveryman by Philip RothThe Awakening by Kate ChopinPedro Páramo by Juan RulfoThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëJane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyThe Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel PepysThe Wasteland by T.S. EliotThe Chrysalids by John WyndhamAnimal Farm by George OrwellNineteen Eighty-Four by George OrwellLord of the Flies by William GoldingMeasure for Measure by William ShakespeareRomeo and Juliet by William ShakespeareHamlet by William ShakespeareTwelfth Night by William ShakespeareThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest HemingwayFrankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary ShelleyBeowulfStory of the Eye by Georges BatailleThe Divine Comedy by Dante AlighieriThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D. SalingerTess of the d’Ubervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas HardyGreat Expectations by Charles DickensLittle Women by Louisa May AlcottThe Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel CervantesThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeOthello by William ShakespeareCrime and Punishment by Fyodor DostoevskyDracula by Bram StokerStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis StevensonThe Invisible Man by H.G. WellsA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EngleDune by Frank HerbertThe Silmarillion by J.R.R. TolkienThe Prince by Niccolò MachiavelliThe Art of War by Sun TzuCandide, ou l’Optimisme by VoltaireMeditations by Marcus AureliusPride and Prejudice by Jane AustenFar from the Madding Crowd by Thomas HardyThe Recognitions by William GaddisMoby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman MelvilleHeart of Darkness by Joseph ConradEpitaph of a Small Winner by Joaquim Maria Machado de AssisThe Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckEast of Eden by John SteinbeckOf Mice and Men by John SteinbeckCatch-22 by Joseph HellerThings Fall Apart by Chinua AchebePoetics by AristotleThe Republic by PlatoGo Set a Watchman by Harper LeeThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienThe Master and Margarita by Mikhail BulgakovHeart of a Dog by Mikhail BulgakovIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustUlysses by James JoyceThe Magic Mountain by Thomas MannThe Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois2666 by Roberto BolañoMason & Dixon by Thomas PynchonLincoln in the Bardo by George SaundersGravity’s Rainbow by Thomas PynchonToo Loud a Solitude by Bohumil HrabalThe Color Purple by Alice WalkerBeloved by Toni MorrisonThe Satanic Verses by Salman RushdieFlowers for Algernon by Daniel KeyesEqual Rites by Terry PratchettAny Day You Can Die by Thommy WaiteMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

For anyone who's ever wondered what happens when you put two teachers who are also book lovers together, this one's for you! I'm joined by Archie Thorn, author of Home Time Blues, a fantastic book set in a high school in Scotland, which looks at many themes; the failure of education to inspire children; the impact a job you don't like can have on personal relationships; unsympathetic management cultures and more. We discuss these topics, what literature is on the Scottish curriculum, the debate as to whether or not Scots is a language or form of dialect and more!UK listeners can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Archie-Thorn/e/B09GVDTNKF?pldnSite=1US listeners can buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Time-Blues-Archie-Thorn-ebook/dp/B09GFZ19WSBooks mentioned in this episode:America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonThe Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschWestern Stories by Joe CarducciStone Male: Requiem for the Living Picture by Joe CarducciAny Day You Can Die by Thommy WaiteThe Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave GrohlThe Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der KolkMinor Characters by Joyce JohnsonKestrel for a Nave by Barry HinesA Sense of Freedom by Jimmy BoyleTrainspotting by Irvine WelshThe Young Team by Graeme ArmstrongBoys Don’t Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools by Matt Pinkett and Mark RobertsAnimal Farm by George OrwellThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldSunset Song by Lewis Grassic GibbonShout-out this month goes to my first ever guest, the recently married Kirstin Innes! (@kirstin.innes)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

This episode is one I've been trying to get set-up for a while, and it finally happened! I'm joined for this edition of Chatting Lit by Phillip Freedenberg and Jeff Walton, who are the author and illustrator of America and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic, a fantastic maximalist novel set in a dystopian America in the which the written word has been banned. We discuss the unique genesis of the book, the ability of literature to unite us, and how playing math rock is useful training for writing a novel with a complex structure!If you're interested in buying the book, it can be purchased here:  https://coronasamizdat.com/index.php?id_product=34&rewrite=america-and-the-cult-of-the-cactus-boots-a-diagnostic-by-phillip-freedenberg-illustrated-by-jeff-walton&controller=productShout-outs for this episode:Noah Clemons (@everyone_who_reads)Rick Harsh of Corona /Samizdat Press (@coronasamizdatbook) and https://coronasamizdat.com/index.phpBooks mentioned in this episode:The Melancholy of Resistance by Lászláó Krasznhorkai, translated by George SzirtesGrey Bees by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris DralyukDeath and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov, translated by George BirdPenguin Lost by Andrey Kurkov, translated by George BirdHouses by Borislav Pekić, translated by Bernard JohnsonElena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances RiddleThe Passenger by Cormac McCarthyStella Maris by Cormac McCarthyAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonThe Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas by Rick HarschLast Orgy of the Divine Hermit by Mark LeynerWhere The Sidewalk Ends by Shel SilversteinA Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'EngleThe Voynich ManuscriptThe Philosophy of Creativity by David MillerMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

I'm joined in this episode by Gemma who's a bookseller at Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights (https://mrbsemporium.com/) , an independent bookshop in Bath here in the UK. We discuss the reading spas which Mr B's is famous for, how to balance selling 'commercial' books with more literary ones, how working as a bookseller has changed Gemma's own reading habits and more! Books mentioned in this episode: Still Life by Sarah WinmanTo Paradise by Hanya YanagiharaOpen Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonPlain Bad Heroines by Emily M. DanforthDoggerland by Ben SmithWe Are Completely Besides Ourselves by Karen Fowler JoyIslands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal FlynNaturalia: Reclaimed by Nature by Jonathan JimenezThe Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique RoffeyThe Last House on Needless Street by Catriona WardThe Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerPandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myth by Natalie HaynesThe Children of Jocasta by Natalie HaynesCirce by Madeline MillerAriadne by Jennifer SaintPandora by Susan Stokes-ChapmanThe Storytellers by Mark RubinsteinMythos by Stephen FryThe Power by Naomi AldermanAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonShout-outs as to the various indie bookshops, put forward by the following listeners:Pegasus Book Exchange in Seattle, Washington (@pegasusbookexhange), nominated by Ryan (@defryereads)Little Shop of Heroes in Dunfermline, Fife (@littleshopofheroes), nominated by Gemma (@gemmawithabook)Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire (@scarthinbooks) and Rhyme & Reason in Sheffield, South Yorkshire (https://rhymeandreasonbooks.wordpress.com/, nominated by Marika (@mybookcorner)Arcadia Books in Spring Green, Wisconsin (@arcadiabooks), nominated by Steve (@fullbeardlit51_15)Gibson's Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire (@gibsonsbookstorenh), nominated by Andrew Merritt (@metafictionameathead)Burley Fisher Books in London (@burleyfisher) nominated by Zoe (@jenniferqueenie)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

This episode sees me combine two of my loves: books and nature! I'm joined by George Steedman Jones,  host of the Coffee with Conservationists podcast (@coffee_with_conservationists) (which I totally get the name of wrong in the episode, sorry George!), who is studying for a BA in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University.We discuss the popularity of nature writing in the UK, if eco-dystopias are good or bad for engaging people with climate change, and if as readers we need to be more environmentally aware of the impact our hobby can have on nature.Books mentioned in the episode:Home Time Blues by Archie ThornThe Stone Raft by José SaramagoGathering Moss by Robin Wall KimmererGrounded by Ruth AllenThe Peregrine by J.A. BakerDark Skies by Tiffany Francis-BakerThe Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert WhiteExtraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup ThygesonThe Inside Out of Flies by Erica McAlisterEntangled Life by Merlin SheldrakeThe Home Place: Memoirs of a Coloured Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew LanhamFresh Banana Leaves by Jessica HernandezBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererSilent Spring by Rachel CarsonSpirals in Time by Helen ScalesThe Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-WellsThe Living Mountain: A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland by Nan ShepherdThe Salt Path by Raynor WinnBird Therapy by Joe HarknessThe Butterfly Isles by Patrick BarkhamRaptor by James Macdonald LockheartThe Urban Birder by David LindoThe Missing Lynx by Ross BarnesDoggerland by Ben SmithThe New Wilderness by Diane CookHavergey by John BurnsideH is for Hawk by Helen McDonaldShout-out this episode goes to Nature is Metal (@natureismetal)Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo design and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

In this episode I finally speak to someone on the frontline of getting books into people's hands- Matt from QueerLit (https://www.queerlit.co.uk/), Manchester's LGBTQ+ bookshop! We discuss the failure of major book retailers to engage with LGBTQ+ audiences, why diversity in books is important and Matt gives some tips for any budding bookshop owners!The shoutout for this episode is a delayed one from last time, and goes out to @isabelsreadsBooks discussed in this episode:The Postmortal by Drew MagaryCain by José SaramagoHome Time Blues by Archie ThornThe Transgender Issue by Shon FayeThe Song of Achilles by Madeline MillerThe Outrage by William HusseyIron Widow by Xiran Jay ZhaoJack Cafery series by Mo HayderThe Sparsholt Affair by Alan HollinghurstThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidIn Every House, On Every Street by Jess HitchmanShuggie Bain by Douglas StuartIn The Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaHeartstopper series by Alice OsmanNoah Can’t Even by Simon James GreenNoah Can’t Ever by Simon James GreenYou’re The One That I Want by Simon James GreenThe Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodGideon The Ninth by Tamsyn MuirCall Me By Your Name by André AcimanChatting Lit logo design/artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdegisn)Music by Tom Caruana https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/music

In this episode I speak to Sam from Charco Press, the UK award-winning publisher, who specialise in Latin American literature. We discuss how Charco started, how the literary world needs to move from the Latin American Boom, and Sam gives some great advice for anyone thinking of starting up their own publishing house!No shout-outs for this episode as I stupidly forgot to record them!Books mentioned in this episode:Never Did the Fire by Diamela Eltit, translated by Daniel HahnCatching Fire: A Translation Diary by Daniel Hahn (Untranslated series)Homesick by Jennifer Croft (Untranslated series)Fate by Jorge Consiglio, translated by Carolina Orloff and Fionn PetchThe Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada, translated by Chris AndrewsDead Girls by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermottThe President’s Room by Ricardo Romero, translated by Charlotte CoombeThe Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona MacintyreFireflies by Luis Sagasti, translated by Fionn PetchResistance by Julián Fuks, translated by Daniel HahnOccupation by Julián Fuks, translated by Daniel HahnElena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances RiddleBrickmakers by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermottHavana Year Zero by Karla Suárez, translated by Christina MacSweeneyA Perfect Cemetery by Federico Falco, translated by Jennifer CroftTrout, Belly Up by Rodrigo Fuentes, translated by Ellen Jones Music by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/Chatting Lit logo design and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

For this episode I'm joined by my dear friend Holly Cruise (@hollyzonebooks & @hollyzonehistory) of the Queer Girl Film Club podcast (@queergirlfilmclub) to discuss comics and graphic novels! We discuss what we love and dislike about the artform and industry, if 'graphic novel' is just a snobby term to make comics more appealing to literary types, and our favourites!Shout-outs for this episode go to:Zoe (@jenniferqueenie)Robert (@rocinante.lit)Comics mentioned in the episode by Holly and I:I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino and Izumi KiriharaDragman by Steven ApplebyFlaming Carrot by Bob BurdenMaus by Art SpiegelmanThe Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvieSaga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona StaplesFun Home by Alison BechdelBlankets by Craig ThompsonAlice in Sunderland by Bryan TalbotCity of Glass: The Graphic Novel by Paul Karasik and David MazzucchelliPalestine by Joe SaccoSafe Area Goradze by Joe SaccoThe Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie AdlardGiant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman and Max SarinLumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson and Brooklyn AllenBitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De LandroPrism Stalker by Sloane LeongDykes to Watch Out For by Alison BechdelAre You My Mother? By Alison BechdelThe Secret of Superhuman Strength by Alison BechdelOnce and Future by Kieron Gillan and Dan MoraPhonogram by Kieron Gillan and Jamie McKelvieGemma Bovery by Possy SimmondsUzamaki by Junji ItoStar Wars: Darth Vader by Kieron Gillan and  Salvador LarrocaStar Wars by Jason Aaron, John Cassady, Simone Bianchi, Stuart Immonen, Mike Deodato Jr., Mike Mayhew, Leinil Francis Yu, Jorge Molina and Salador LarrocaPreacher by Garth Ennis and Steve DillonThe Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick RobertsonThe Punisher: MAX by Garth Ennis, Lewis Larosa, Leandro Fernández, Doug Braithwaite, Goran Parlov, Lan Medina and Howard ChaykinY: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia GuerraPaper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff ChiangDeadly Class by Rick Remender and Wes CraigLow by Rick Remender and Greg TocchiniBlack Science by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera and Dean WhiteWatchmen by Alan Moore and Dave GibbonsBatman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian BolandJimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris WareBeasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill ThompsonMy Favourite Thing is Monsters by Emil FerrisEast of West by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta and Frank MartinPyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy DelisleSpinning by Tillie WaldenOn a Sunbeam by Tillie WaldenKill Six Billion Demons by Tom Parkinson-Morgan (aka Abbadon)Palomar by Gilbert HernandezLocas by Jaime HernadezSafe Area Goražde by Joe SaccoSpider-Gwen by Jason Latour and Robbi RodriguezMs. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian AlphonaGotham Central by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael LarkChew by John Layman and Rob GuilloryHellboy by Mike MignolaWonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff ChiangI Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken NiimuraTransmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick RobertsonHellblazer by Jamie Delano and Rick VeitchFables by Bill WillinghamMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/musicChatting Lit logo design and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)

In this episode I look back on my favourite reads of 2021, with listeners/friends contributing theirs too! This was recorded in one take, unedited, so here it is, warts and all!Shout-outs go to my dear friend Andreas of the band Saint and the Sinners (@saintandthesinners), as well as all the book podcasts I listen to:How's The Water? (@howsthewaterpodcast)The Wee Scottish Book Club hosted by @scott.you.reading and @scottiesandbooksBooks of Some Substance (@booksosubstance)Canonical (canonicalpodcast)Beyond the Zero (@beyondthezeropod)Concavity Show (@concavityshow)Mid Lit Podcast (@midlitpod)The Last Sisyphus (@thelastsisyphus)Two Girls One Book (@twogirlsonebookpod)Top reads of 2021 from listeners/friends:Megan (@feminist.fiction)- Open Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonGrace (@gracieaward)- In the Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoLeonie (@leolovesherstories)- Open WaterBrolin (@brolincanread)- Mason & Dixon by Thomas PynchonLorna (@lornaments)- Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Vaxxers by Sarah Gilbert & Catherine GreenDeborah (@booksinbrum)- Piranesi by Susanna ClarkeGreg (@storymusing) The Eighth Life: (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischwili, No Friend But The Mountains by Behrouz Boochani, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, Assembly by Natasha BrownMiles  (@aboard_the_inconvenience) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck(no name) (@bookmarkcuriosities): Ashes of the Amazon by Milton Hatoum, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, How to be Good by Nick Hornby, Swing Time by Zadie Smith, The Bell Jar by Sylvia PlathEuan (@euancurrie)- Ghosted by Jenny Ashworth, Asylum Road by Olivia SudjicTravis (@meyers_megafictional_musings): Wittgenstein’s Mistress by David Markson and Disobedience by Michael DrinkardMatty Markwood (@theobliterature): The Satanic Verses by Salman RushdieHarry (@byssheplease_): East of Eden by John SteinbeckAndy Merritt (@andysavagestrength) American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Inherent Vice by Thomas PynchonMy picks of the year:Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas PynchonThe War of the Poor by Éric Vuillard, translated by Mark PolizzottiSoviet Cities by Arseniy KotovThe Peterloo Massacre by Joyce MarlowHavana Year Zero by Karla Suárez , translated by Christina MacSweeneyOutlawed by Anna NorthRed Rosa by Kate EvansThe Class Ceiling by Sam Friedman and Daniel LaurisonSeveneves by Neal StephensonShow Them a Good Time by Nicole FlatteryMen Who Hate Women by Laura BatesThe Employees by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin AtkinInvisible Cities by Italo Calvino, translated by William WeaverResistance by Julián Fuks, translated by Daniel HahnOccupation by Julián Fuks, translated by Daniel HahnRing Shout by P. Djèlí ClarkHarvestman: 23 Untitled Poems & Collected Lyrics by Steve Von TillAnimal by Lisa TaddeoWhat’s in it for Me: Self-interest and Political Difference by Thomas ProsserTrout, Belly Up by Rodrigo Fuentes, translated  by Ellen JonesAmerica and the Cult of the Cactus Boots: A Diagnostic by Phillip Freedenberg, illustrated by Jeff WaltonIn the Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoAscend Ascend by Janaka StuckyPiranesi by Susanna ClarkeCrow: From the Life and Songs of Crow by Ted HughesDjinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa AnapparaOpen Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonMusic by Tom Caruana: https://tomcaruana-teasea.bandcamp.com/musicChatting Lit logo design and artwork by Emma Morris (@emmamorrisdesign)