Book Shambles

It's part two of our multi guest end of year special where we chat to all sorts of performers from our Christmas shows about the best things they read this year. In this all-star special there's recommendations from Robin Ince, Josie Long, Brian Cox, the Octavia Poetry Collective, Ben Moor, Chris Lintott, Suzi Gage, Suzie Imber, Hannah Fry, Grace Petrie, Matt Parker, Chris Stokes, Dr Karl, Helen C...

Each year we catch up with as many different people as we can at our Christmas shows to talk to them about their books of the year and this year is no different. In Part 1 we chat with Robin Ince, Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie, Sophie Scott, Jo Neary, Ginny Smith, Dean Burnett, Gecko, Hannah Critchlow and Philip Ball. Loads more to come next week too. Thanks for listening in 2018. Big plans for 2019....

Robin AND Josie are back in the studio together for a brand new batch of Book Shambles episodes. The first guest is Ariane Sherine, author of the new book Talk Yourself Better. They chat about her new book, and the experiences that led to it, plus look at Twitter, PD James, Lyne Reid, Tank Girl and much more. Support the show on Patreon (patreon.com/bookshambles) to hear extended episodes of the s...

Recorded live at the launch of Robin’s book ‘I’m a Joke and So Are You’ at Kings Place in London, this episode features some stand up from Robin and Josie, a performance from Grace Petrie, a conversation with Philippa Perry and an extended chat with Stewart Lee about comedy. Enjoy! Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

Robin is joined once again by guest co-host Natalie Haynes to chat to Jason Heller, the Hugo Award winning author of new book Strange Stars which looks at sci-fi's influence on the music of 70s. So there's plenty of chat about Bowie, Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and more. An extra ten minutes of chat this week for Patreon supporters to enjoy this week too so if you'd like to join them, head to patreon....

Robin and Josie took to the stage at the London Podcast Festival in September for an episode of Book Shambles. Their guests were scientists and authors Professor Mark Miodownik and Dr Kevin Fong. They chat about their own upcoming books, books of bad science, unfortunate barbecuing incidences, Josie's return from her daughter's birth and debate whether peanut butter is a liquid or not. Live at the...

Robin and author and cartoonist Martin Rowson just happened to be in Toronto at the same time so they recorded a Book Shambles Extra in a hotel room. Martin's got three books out of this year, including his graphic novel of The Communist Manifesto. They chat about that, the state of satire, politics, cartooning and much more. Support The Cosmic Shambles Network at patreon.com/bookshambles

When we originally announced we were doing a Book Shambles Live at QED Con in Manchester we were supposed to be joined by Mercury 13 and aviation legend Wally Funk, but sadly she had to pull out due to last minute illness. So joining Robin is author of Wally Funk's Race for Space, Sue Nelson and doing his best Josie Long impression, co-host for this week is Dallas Campbell. They chat about women i...

In our second Halloween special this year, Robin is joined by guest co-host Natalie Haynes and comedian, horror enthusiast and heir to Dennis Wheatley's library of occult books, Anna Savory. They chat about said library, favourite horror films and books, Agatha Christie's lack of respect, Shirley Jackson, MR James and why goats are upsettingly easy to kill. Extended edition, plus other goodies, av...

The first of two Halloween specials, Robin is joined by co-creator and co-writer of The League of Gentlemen and Ghost Stories, as well as many other things, Jeremy Dyson. Recorded live at the Ilkley Literature Festival they chat about what authors drew them into both horror and comedy and influences on the League. Plus there's talk of Stephen King, Robert Aikman, Arthur C Clarke and much more. If...

International best selling author Ian Rankin returns to Book Shambles for a special episode recorded as part of our live run at the Edinburgh Fringe. He chats to Robin about Rebus, great music novels, being asked to ghost write Sean Connery's biography and how crime writers seek revenge on ex-lovers... Support the show by leaving a review at Apple Podcasts or pledging as little as $1 a month on Pa...

A couple of days before Robin's new book I'm a Joke and So Are You hit shops, we went to a Waterstones in London where Robin and Josie had a chat about the book with a lovely audience. No guest, just Robin and Josie, popping by with new daughter, to chat about comedy, wit, the birth of Book Shambles and more. Robin also did a 15 minute intro and short stand up set that is available exclusive to Pa...

In Part 2 Robin, Alan and Barney continue their chat. They delve into the Alan's final comic book EVER, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest, try to work out what consciousness is, chat about Robin's new book as well as John Higgs, Camus and more. Also everyone misremembers a BBC theme tune. If you become a Patreon supporter you could listen to another exclusive extra 15 minutes for...

Since today is publication day for Robin Ince's book I'm a Joke and So Are You we've got a very special double episode. In a front room in Northampton Robin is joined by Alan Moore, subbing in as co-host for Josie Long this week, to chat with author of Drunken Baker Barney Farmer. They chat about all their new books, accents, Viz, Laurence Scott, HP Lovecraft and a whole lot more. Part Two will be...

Canadian singer-songwriter Ben Caplan is on tour in Europe at the moment with his band and new musical Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, so he dropped by the studio to chat with Robin and Michael Legge, subbing for Josie again whilst she's on maternity leave. They chat of Jewish refugees, squeezing philosophy lines into songs, great music biographies by hard rockers and much more. And Michael does...

Another of our live shows from the Edinburgh Fringe and this time Robin is chatting to Sofie Hagen and Martin Mor. They talk about Sofie writing her own book at the moment, Martin's favourite counter culture magazines of the 1980s plus dinosaur erotics, Oliver Sacks, Hunter S Thompson and plenty more. This was the first of our live shows in Edinburgh and there was a bit of an issue with the sound...

Another episode recorded live at the Edinburgh Fringe, this time Robin is joined by comedians Jen Brister and mere hours after finding out he was nominated for the Comedy Award, Alex Edelman. They chat about which books inspired their comedy, Jane Austen, Janne Teller, graphic novels,  lesbian fiction, Jewish fiction and how Robin helped Alex through a medical crisis many Edinburgh's ago... Suppor...

First episode of six recorded live at Edinburgh Fringe, in this episode Robin chats to comedian and co-host of All Killa No Filla, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and comedian and DIY chef George Egg. They chat best books about serial killers, favourite cookery books, the precarious crossover of the two and home made Russian antennas. Support the show, and The Cosmic Shambles Network at patreon.com/booksham...

Recorded live at Latitude, it's a Book Shambles - Science Shambles crossover. Robin Ince hosts a discussion about The Magick of the Future, which is to say, what scientific discoveries and technological advancements are so incredible they seem like magic? Robin is joined by author John Higgs and scientists and broadcaster Dr Suzi Gage and Dr Lucy Rogers. You can support the show at patreon.com/boo...

With Robin out of the country, and Josie on maternity leave, producer Trent Burton is taking up the hosting duties for a week. Which is appropriate as our guest for this Book Shambles Extra is author and journalist Mat Oxley. Mat is one of the world's leading motorcycle writers, and motorcycling racing is Trent's 'other world'. They chat about Mat's books including his latest Speed: The One Genuin...

Our second special from this year's Latitude Festival, again recorded backstage at the Speakeasy tent. Robin chats her Ladybird Guide to Consciousness with Dr Hannah Critchlow and science books with Dr Michael Brooks of Science(ish). We catch up with Matt Haig about Notes on a Nervous Planet and Jen Brister on her new Edinburgh show. As before, being a festival, there can be some background noise...

It's the first of a number of specials we recorded at this year's Latitude Festival. On this first episode we've got a bit of a focus on poetry. Robin chats to host of The Verb, Ian McMillan, poet Luke Wright, the Octavia Poetry Collective, punk poet, musician and Josie Long's primary school classmate Brigette Aphrodite and comedian and author Jonnie Bayfield. There's chat of Dylan Thomas, Melvyn...

Our second episode recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall, Robin is once again joined by guest co-host Sarah Kendall, with this week's special guest mathematician, author and broadcaster Dr Hannah Fry. They chat about Hannah's upcoming book Hello World, books on AI and the internet, air crash investigations, butter, baby food and making bad decisions based off of junk maths. Hear an extended editi...

One year ago, we were doing Festival Shambles at Latitude with the great Barry Crimmins who sadly passed away earlier this year. Previously only available as a Patreon exclusive, here is the chat he had with Robin that night as part of one of our live shows. Sign up and pledge at patreon.com/bookshambles

The last recorded, but the first released, of the four episodes we recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in June. Robin is joined by guest co-host Sarah Kendall and special guest comedian and broadcaster Adam Buxton. They chat about David Bowie's top 100 books, Viz, faking a book report, Judy Blume and more. A bonus 20 minutes of this chat is available exclusive to Patreon supporters. Sign up and...