Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah

In this bibliotherapy podcast interview, I interview author-illustrator Eliza Fricker (Missing the Mark) on neurodiversity, mental health, and how her daughter’s school breakdown led her to begin illustrating their experiences to process feelings of overwhelm, rage, disappointment, guilt, and isolation, later sharing the work online under a pseudonym and publishing the Sunday Times bestselling boo...

Today I’m exploring something that feels especially important right now: financial literacy, and more specifically, our relationship with money, value and financial wellbeing. I’m joined by author and financial expert Sarah Bennett-Nash, @@sarahbennettnash whose debut book More Money, More Life opens up a much-needed conversation about the beliefs, stories and inherited patterns that shape the way...

Hi everyone, excited to share my conversation with award-winning audio documentary maker and author Catherine Carr about how sibling relationships shape identity, drawing on Carr’s podcast Relatively and her new book 'Who’s the Favourite?'  Carr explains that her fascination wtih sibling dynamics began during the 2020 pandemic when people began to reach out to and reconnect with their si...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , I interview Sarah Fletcher, a British-American poet who grew up in the UK and later pursued poetry and a PhD researching physical pain and poetry. We discuss the power of poetry to heal through rhythm, sound, precision, memorability, and how physical pain is difficult to capture in language, often relying on metaphor, including militaristic framin...

In this episode, Theresa Lola, an accomplished poet and published author, shares her journey from growing up in Nigeria to becoming a published poet in the UK. She discusses her fascination with poetry, especially grief poetry, and how it helps in processing complex emotions. Theresa delves into her creative process, the power of language, and how her cultural heritage shapes her work. The convers...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , we sit down with Talya Bruck, a late-diagnosed neurodivergent drama therapist and the founder of Savanna Therapeutic Stories. Talia shares the inspiration behind her powerful therapeutic story series aimed at helping neurodivergent children navigate their experiences.  We dive into various topics discussed in her books, such as ADHD, autism, and p...

In this episode, Daisy Fancourt joins me to discuss her new book, 'Art Cure,' that explores the profound impact of arts on mental and physical health.  The conversation touches on various aspects of how engagement in creative activities, like music, literature, and even carnival arts, can serve as significant health pillars, much like diet, exercise, and sleep.  Daisy, a professor of psy...

Excited to share this reading - the foreward from my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading. I hope you enjoy it, and if you'd like to get a copy of the book, you can do so at all good bookstores or at this link with details of translated versions too: https://linktr.ee/booktherapy_by_bijal And do let me know your thoughts/reflections - I always write back!! Email us at bijal@bookt...

In this episode, we dive into the most buzzworthy and anticipated books shaping the literary landscape this year — a vibrant mix of fiction, nonfiction, history, philosophy, and genre-bending storytelling that reflects our cultural fascinations and anxieties. Join us as we explore towering new releases from acclaimed authors like Mario Vargas Llosa , Amitav Ghosh , Kate Quinn , and Sara Stridsberg...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , listeners are invited into a warm, fireside exploration of meaningful literary and bibliotherapeutic gifts for the festive season.  Grounded in the belief that stories can heal, soothe, and transform, this episode serves as a heartfelt guide for anyone seeking Christmas gifts that go beyond the material— literary gifts that hold space for growth,...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah I reflect on the most powerful, inspiring, and thought-provoking books of 2025 — the ones you’ll want to carry with you into 2026. From breakout literary fiction and moving memoirs to transformative nonfiction and hidden indie gems. I explore how these books can both entertain, and inspire personal growth for the year ahead. Whether you’re looking f...

In this week’s episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , we turn our attention to one of the most joyful yet underestimated genres in literature — the romantic comedy. So often dismissed as light or escapist, the rom-com is in fact one of the most powerful forms of emotional storytelling, offering laughter, tenderness, and deep psychological insight. We’ll explore how romantic comedy functions as...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , I explore how contemporary fiction and nonfiction depict love and relationships between humans and artificial intelligence.  Blending utopian and dystopian perspectives, I examine novels such as Klara and the Sun , Machines Like Me , and Frankissstein , alongside nonfiction works by thinkers like Sherry Turkle and Susan Schneider.  Utopian stories...

In this week’s episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , we explore the quiet, transformative power of love stories — and how the romance genre can become a profound tool for emotional healing. From the classic worlds of Jane Austen to the modern intimacy of Sally Rooney, and from the wisdom of Bell Hooks and Erich Fromm to the poetic tenderness of Alain de Botton, we look at how stories of love...

In this week’s episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , I explore Erich Fromm’s timeless classic The Art of Loving and reflect on what it can teach us about love in our modern world. I look at how Fromm’s vision of love — as a discipline, a practice, and a moral art — can help us navigate the challenges of connection in 2025, from digital intimacy to generational shifts in how we give and receiv...

In this opening episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , I trace love’s enduring role as literature’s greatest subject, and explore love not as sentimentality, but as a profound human discipline that shapes how we live, connect, and heal, from divine longing to intimacy, navigating loss and loneliness. I reflect on the paradox of modern loneliness: that the deepest ache is not the absence of oth...

Excited to share Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah is back with Season 4! In Season 4, I’ll be sharing my 40 best books of 2025 to read in 2026 across both fiction and non-fiction — and yes there are some surprise reads in there! We’ll also dive deep into the role of the romantic comedy in healing — and what it means to be a romantic hero: someone who, despite a hundred heartbreaks, can still say, “I...

In today's episode, we’re immersing ourselves in the gentle, contemplative, and often transformative world of Japanese literature . As we step into the season of spring , a time of renewal, impermanence, and quiet growth, I can’t think of a better literary tradition to explore. We'll be diving into both Japanese fiction and nonfiction that can support our emotional wellbeing, offer persp...

In today's episode, I explore the psychological depth of Dostoyevsky’s literature through the lens of bibliotherapy. Could the Russian novelist understand the human psyche more intimately than Freud himself? We examine key characters, existential themes, and the healing potential of Dostoyevsky’s work, comparing literary insight with psychoanalytic theory. From Raskolnikov’s guilt to Ivan Kar...

Dear Listener, Hello and welcome back to Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah —the podcast where books are more than stories—they're medicine for the soul. Today, I’m thrilled to share some of the spring and summer reads that I am most excited about reading this year. Whether you're seeking escape, self-discovery, or emotional renewal, this season’s fiction and nonfiction titles offer powerful...

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah , we explore how the shared experience of reading can become a profound path to healing. From grief support circles to juvenile justice programs and women's shelters, I share examples of settings where group bibliotherapy can be incredibly impactful. Discover how stories can break isolation, build empathy, and foster collective resilience.  Whe...

The concept of neurodiversity has gained widespread recognition over the past few decades, advocating for a shift in perspective from viewing neurological differences as deficits to acknowledging them as natural variations of the human brain. Neurodivergence encompasses conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and other cognitive...

In today's episode, inspired by the Netflix series Adolescence , I explore the emotional and social challenges facing today’s teenage boys and suggest a curated list of both fiction and nonfiction books to help parents better understand and support their children.  Drawing from key themes in the show—mental health, toxic masculinity, online influence, and emotional isolation—the episode pairs...

I hope you’ve been enjoying SEASON 3 of my podcast Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah so far! Episodes published to date discuss literary journaling and reflective practice with literacy coach and bookologist Stephanie Affinito, books that celebrate women writers with a specific focus on women’s empowerment and the rise of romantasy and it’s intersection with bibliotherapy with lots more valuable bibli...

Dear Listener, Join us as we explore the growing popularity of romantasy and its connection to bibliotherapy. Discover how these captivating narratives offer not only escapism but also emotional healing, resilience, and self-discovery. I hope you enjoy this selection! Any other books we should add? Let me know in the comments.  x Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io Support the show Don't forget...