Bookylicious

In this episode Paul and Gwyn start by exploring some recent booklists: The Guardian 100 Best Novels of All Time https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time The New York Times https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/2242661799/2578911479 Hay Pleasure List https://www.hayfestival.com/the-pleasure-list/ This leads to a 'rabbit hole' lead...

In this episode Paul and Gwyn chat about things created 150 years ago in 1876 including the publication of the Dewey Decimal Classification system; Daniel Deronda by George Eliot and The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll. Gwyn also steps through the wardrobe into the land of Narnia. In the episode we mention Mike Batt's musical version of the Hunting of the Snark which you can find here ht...

This is a re-edited version of our original Series 1 Episode 6 The team discuss the Western and discover some surprising things. Paul interviews Anna North https://www.annanorth.net/ about her novel Outlawed which takes a new and exciting approach to the Western genre.

In this episode Paul and Gwyn reflect of some of theirrecent reading and what they turn to if they are not sure what to read next. Asalways the conversation is diverse from Margaret Thatcher and the IRA tomonsters and dystopian fiction via the Third Reich! Here is a nookshelf of some of the books we mention https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-5-dystopia-and-monsters-of-many...

In this especially celebration of the festive season Paul, Gwyn, Lara and Holly explore the dark side of Christmastide. The thumbnail for this episode shows the Jólaköttur, a giant Icelandic Jule Cat that Gwyn mentions. Our festive reading leads to a chat about the feminine in fantasy literature. We also share some of our favourite reads of the year and of course briefly celebrate Jane Austen'...

In this episode Adrienne asks Paul probing questions about crime fiction, why is it so popular and what keeps us coming back for more? Theses are the books and authors we mention https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-3?&new-list-page=true You can find the Shedunnit podcast is here https://www.shedunnitshow.com/ And details of next year's Agatha Christie Exhibition at...

In this episode Paul, Gwyn and Lara catch up with what has been inspiring them recently everything from dragons to hobbits via annihilation and exorcists. Here is a bookshelf of the books we mention along the way: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-2?&new-list-page=true These are the links for the exhibtions we mentioned: The Word for World: the maps of Ursula K. Le Gu...

It is great to be back after an unintended extended break. In the first episode of the new series Paul chats with Professor Allan Howellsabout the 2024 Booker Prize winning novel ‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey. Thisleads to a conversation on of everything space exploration and beyond, withlots of book recommendations along the way. We mention the 2016 exhibition at the Science Museum ‘Cosmanauts:the...

In this episode Paul talks to author Jennifer Kavanagh about her new book 'Thread of Life: My Russian Legacy'. The story of Jennifer's mother and grandmother which unfolds across the turbulent 20th Century from Russia to Latvia, Switzerland, Egypt and finally England. The book explores those threads of life which link the generations. To find out more about Jennifer go to https://www.j...

This is a special episode celebrating Wrexham Carnival of Words 2025 the 11th year of this wonderful book festival. There are interviews with our very own Holly Thorpe (1 min 15 secs) , fabulous crime writer Elly Griffiths https://ellygriffiths.co.uk/ (6 mins 15 secs) , debut novelist Kate Kemp ( 13 mins 35 Secs) , author Harriett Evan (AKA Harriett K. Townson) https://www.harriet-evans.com/ (18 m...

In this episode Gwyn returns and joins Paul, Lara and Hollyin a far reaching chat about books and much more relating to the weird,witches, and liminal places and much more. There is also a brief glimpse thisyear’s Wrexham Carnival of Words www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com We also mention the zine Weird Walk, you can find more informationhere https://www.weirdwalk.co.uk/ Here is a shelf of books we r...

In this episode Paul speaks to Andrew Green about his book 'Voices on the Path, a history of walking in Wales'. A rich misture of drovers, long distance trails, pedestrianism and much more! You can find Andrew's website at www.gw allter.com The recent episode of Clare Balding's Ramblings featuring Andrew can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027jy0 Here is a bookshel...

In this episode Paul, Lara and Holly finally get together to discuss their favourite reads of 2024 and what they are looking forward to reading in 2025. Along the way they talk about: James A Pearson https://jamesapearson.com/ Dead Ink Books https://deadinkbooks.com/ Adventurous Ink https://adventurousink.co.uk/ Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses https://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/site...

After being away for a short while Bookylicious the podcast is back. In this episode Paul's wife Adrienne takes over the microphone to ask him some searching questions about books past , present and future. We cover a lot of ground from early childhood book memories to book marketing and everything in between! There is also a short preview of some of the exciting episodes to come... As always you...

Paul and Lara are joined by ilustrator Laura Jet to chat about books and illustration, graphic novels and comics, judging books by their cover. As always the conversation drifts into a diversity of horror, nature writing and much much more. Here is a bookshelf of some of the books we discussed https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-2-a-gallimaufry-with-illustrator-laura-jet ?...

In this episode Paul is in conversation with Welsh writers Alis Hawkins and Mike Parker. Alis is a crime writer and author of the Teifi Valley Coroner series and the Oxford Mysteries series. Mike is a writer and broadcaster and he is author of Map Addict, On the Red Hill and All Along the Wide Border and much more! The conversation starts inevitably with Wales and hiraeth and then ranges widely fr...

Holly, Lara and Paul chat about some of the books they are reading and highlights of the 10th Wrexham Carnival of Words www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com The Womens Prize for Fiction 2024 longlist also gets a mention https://womensprize.com/announcing-the-2024-womens-prize-for-fiction-longlist/ If you would like to download and read the University of Sheffield Creative Writing Society’s latest anthol...

Lara and Paul talk to Paul Clifton about his new poetry collection ‘1988, a poetic diary of a Wrexham author’. They chat about the creative process, how do poems emerge and reach their final form and Paul reads some of his work. If you would like to buy Paul’s work go here https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Paul-Clifton/author/B006VE1EFO?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=...

Paul, Lara and Holly talk some more about audiobooks based on Patricia Bracewell’s recommendations. They also discuss Thomas Hardy’s women, is “romantasy” a genre, BB’s Little Grey men (gnomes) and nature writing and much more! Go to our bookshelf for some of the books mentioned in this episode.   https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-6-thomas-hardy-romantasy-gnomes-and-natur...

For the first time ever Paul, Holly and Lara gathered in the library stacks in Wrexham and not on Zoom to record this episode. That’s why it is a slightly longer episode than normal but the conversation was too good to cut! We cover everything including audiobooks, Les Miserables, whether Wombles and Moomins share the same DNA, the joys and pitfalls of genre fiction including sci-fi. You will find...

In this episode Paul speaks to Dave McCall AKA author David Ebsworth about his latest book ‘Blood Among the Threads’ a murder mystery set in Wrexham in 1876. For more information about Dave, his books and to sign up to his mailing list go here https://www.davidebsworth.com/ Other authors we discuss are Robert Harris https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/575.Robert_Harris  and Rosemary Sutcliff htt...

In this episode Paul and Lara chat about their Good Reads reading challenges for 2023 and select fiction and non-fiction favourites. They discuss their progress (or not?) Wrexham Carnival of Words long read for 2024 ‘Les Miserables’ by Victor Hugo. Plus a few suggestions for what Santa might consider bringing! As always here is a bookshelf of some of the books we mention https://uk.bookshop.org/li...

In this episode Paul interviews Sian hughes the Booker longlisted author of ‘Pearl’ in her beautiful bookshop Magpie Books in Malpas , Cheshire https://www.magpiebookshop.co.uk/ Sian talks about the long process of writing ‘Pearl, Old English poetry in the Cheshire dialect, being longlisted for the Booker prize, the Wales/Cheshire border and much more! For more information about Sian here are a co...

In this episode Paul talks to Dani Robertson the Dark Sky Officer for Prosiect Nos Dark Skies Partnership in North Wales. She is author of ‘All Through the Night’ a book highlighting the issues of light pollution and what we can all do about it. Here are some links about Dani and Project Nos https://www.discoveryinthedark.wales/project-nos https://darksky.org/news/dani-robertson-monthly-star/ http...

In this episode Gwyn reviews Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' and Paul feeds back on his viewing of the 1986 film of the book and the 2019 TV series. Paul recommends some Medieval monastic sleuths to follow on from 'The Name of the Rose'. For details of the books mentioned please check our bookshelf here https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-2-episode-13-the-nam...