Book Shambles

It’s the 50th episode of Book Shambles which just happens to coincide with the launch of the Cosmic Shambles network. Well, we say coincide, we orchestrated it entirely. Anyway, Robin and Josie have a chat about Robocop and what they’ve been reading lately before we take a walk down memory lane with some highlights from the first 49 episodes. Check out the CSN at cosmicshambles.com

The Costa Book of the Year is announced this week, so we’re joined by the chair of the judging panel, writer and historian Kate Williams. She chats with Robin and Josie about judging the prize, great sci-fi books, history’s great diaries and the perils of historical accuracy in fiction. The Cosmic Shambles network launches next week, sign up now at cosmicshambles.com

Josie and Robin are joined by writer Johann Hari to talk about all manner of things. From his new book, ‘Chasing the Scream’ and rebuilding trust with readers, to the work of Rebecca Solnit, Simon Ings, Peter Ackroyd and more. This is a bonus episode, free to all with no charge to our Patreons. Subscribe to the all new Cosmic Shambles which is launching soon at cosmicshambles.com

Comedian James Acaster is in the guest chair this week to talk about the arts scene in Kettering, great comedians’ biographies, Dave Eggers and dealing with a drop in your Uber rating. And Book Shambles is expanding. Cosmic Shambles is coming soon and you can sign up for free at cosmicshambles.com

Storyteller Philip Ridley joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about his own art, plays, books and more as well as his early comic book influences, reading to escape and the problems with genre. Also Robin and Josie still haven't read Ulysses. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Scientist, Author and Broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts sits down with Robin and Josie this week to talk about the challenges of turning science TV shows into popular science books and why she should read more fiction. There’s also chat about Stevie Smith poems leading to hypothermia, great new pop biology books and some Carl Sagan controversy. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list fo...

Writer and performer Alice Lowe (and her delightful baby) join Robin and Josie this week to talk about writing dark fiction and horror whilst pregnant, including her film Prevenge. There’s also chat around the work of Patti Smith, Angela Carter, Tom Robbins and, of course, Kurt Vonnegut. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, h...

A Christmas Special of Book Shambles! Robin and Josie chat about their favourite books of the year and then we caught up with twenty of the guests backstage at Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium show about their favourite books of the year including Simon Le Bon, Chris Hadfield, Brian Cox, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ben Goldacre, Helen Czerski and many more! All Patreon proceeds from this episode wi...

We kick of part 2 of season 4 with Robin and Josie joined by writer and actor Ralf Little. Ralf controversially brings up his love of video games before taking aim at Tolkien all via discussions of the great work of Caroline Aherne, Terry Pratchett, Paul Merton and others. And remember Cosmic Shambles LIVE hits the road to Aus/NZ next year! cosmicshambleslive.com

It’s a Book Shambles EXTRA mini episode this week. Josie is on tour in the US, but we couldn’t miss the chance to catch up with great Danish writer Janne Teller who happened to be in Cambridge at the same time as Robin. They chat about her new book War as well as the existential classic Nothing, plus the work of Vonnegut (obviously), Thomas Hardy, Albert Camus and more. And remember Cosmic Shamble...

Robin and Josie are joined by writer, comedian and musician John Dowie this week to talk about his upcoming book, The Freewheeling John Dowie as well as seeing Spike Milligan live, Terry Pratchett, stand up in the 70s and a whole lot more. And remember Cosmic Shambles LIVE hits the road to Aus/NZ next year! cosmicshambleslive.com

Writer and sometime stand up Nat Luurtsema joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about her own catalogue of work, the nature of stand up and living in Watford. Nat also brought along a big bag of books to chat about including works by Stephen King, Paul Sangster and a bundle of filmmaking textbooks.

The day before the US election, Robin and Josie sat down with writer, comedian and activist Alexei Sayle. There's talk of Alexei's new paperback and his entire back catalogue of work, plus that of Sinclair Lewis, Graham Greene, Saki and what the hell is going on with the world these days.

Actor, humorist and author Nick Offerman sits down with Josie and Robin this week to talk about his new woodworking book ‘Good Clean Fun’. But they also find time to get into the joys of fish and chips in Margate, the work of George Saunders, Daniel Clowse and Jon Ronson and why some people are disappointed to find out Nick’s and Ron Swanson’s politics aren’t exactly similar. And don't forget, we'...

Physicist, writer and broadcaster Dr Helen Czerski joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about the science of every day things, which just happens to be what her new book, ’Storm in a Teacup’ is all about. There’s also love for the work of Richard Fortey, Grayson Perry, Bruce Chatwin and more. And there’s also a special announcement this week. Robin and Josie are off on tour with Cosmic Shambles...

Writer of both science fact and science fiction, Simon Ings joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about his new book 'Stalin and the Scientists'. They also dive into everyone's favourite science fiction authors including Phillip K Dick, JG Ballard, Frank Herbert and a whole lot more.

Philosophical discussion abounds this week as Robin and Josie are joined by author of, amongst many great books, ‘At the Existentialist Café’, Sarah Bakewell. They wander through the work of Bertrand Russell, Albert Camus, Mervyn Peake and many more besides before arriving at the conclusion that basically we should just all reread ‘The Great Gatsby’ more often than we do.

This week Josie and Robin are joined by writer, performer and comedian Noel Fielding. There's talk of Richard Braughtigan, Flann O'Brien and everyone's favourite pop-up books. Also lots of stuff we had to bleep out so we didn't get sued...

We're back and kicking off Season 4 with one of the greatest writers in history. Alan Moore joins Josie and Robin to talk about the release of his new opus, Jerusalem as well as some of his epic back catalogue plus the work of HP Lovecraft, David Foster Wallace, Chuck D and more... Patreon supporters will also get an exclusive bonus hour with Alan talking about the process of creating Jerusalem.

This week sees the World Premiere of No’s Knife at The Old Vic in London. A selection of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Texts for Nothing’, it’s conceived and performed by one of our former Shambles guests, Lisa Dwan. So two days before the first preview Robin sat down backstage with Lisa for a fascinating in depth chat about all things Beckett. From being true to the text to the musical rhythm of his language...

As a prelude to Season 4 of Book Shambles, here is the final free podcast we recorded at the Latitude Festival this summer. Robin and Josie go second hand book shopping on the Book Bus with 'The Dylan Thomas Guy', Jeff Towns. And Robin sits down to chat books with poet Joshua Idehen, comedian and author Mark Watson and the team from the Guilty Feminist podcast, Sofie Hagen and Deborah Frances-Whit...

Author Evie Wyld joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about her own novels plus the perils of going to a book club meeting when your own work is the book of the week. There's also chat of Tim Winton, Alison Bechdel, Stephen King and more. And somehow no-one mentions Jean Rhys.

Songwriter and performer David McAlmont joins Robin and Josie this week as he awaits the final results from his Art History degree, due that very afternoon. They talk of the great books of art as well as the work of John Baldwin, AA Milne, Truman Capote and, of course, Jean Rhys.

The man behind everything from Zippy and Sweep to goblins from the Labyrinth, Ronnie Le Drew, joins Robin and Josie this week. There's much chat of puppets, naturally, via the work of Roald Dahl, Simon Callow, Anna Kemp and others plus Ronnie's own upcoming autobiography on Unbound.

In Part 2 of the Science Shambles specials from the Blue Dot Festival from Jodrell Bank, Robin and Josie tackle the issue of evolution and bananas before we chat about scientific delight in all things bookish with a bumper lineup of guests. There's science presenters and writers Dallas Campbell and Ginny Smith, immunologist Sheena Cruickshank, astronomer Paul Abel, the team from ScienceGrrl, impre...