Bookcited!: A Libraries NI podcast for all things library

Writer and mapmaker Garrett Carr takes us off the beaten track — from Killybegs to Belfast, from borders to barrels — and into the hidden stories of people and places. Now based in Belfast where he teaches Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University. Garrett’s debut novel, The Boy from the Sea, was named an Observer Best Debut of 2025. [Music by Shane M.]

Jillian, Conor and Gatsby superfan Susan discuss a century of champagne, chaos and the American Dream - all set against the glittering backdrop of the Jazz Age. [Music by Shane M.]

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is the Book of the Month for October - let Jillian and Pete whet your appetite for the story as they discuss everything from faeries to magical buildings, via Dublin and Paris. [Music by Shane M.]

Three lives, one magical bookshop, and a story that spans generations — Jillian and Pete explore the charm and mystery of The Lost Bookshop in October’s Book of the Month Bookcited episode. [Music by Shane M.]

Dark humour, family secrets, and fierce storytelling as Elaine lets us go mad in our own way! Jillian and Pete talk to her about her new book set in her home turf of Athenry, Galway. Rich with history and drama, Elaine brings the story to life in her own imitable way. [Photo of Elaine Feeney, credit: Julia Dunin Photography; Music by Shane M.]

How a charity shop book led to Vera and Shetland. Peter and Jillian chat with crime queen Ann Cleeves about the lucky find that launched a TV empire, her love of coastal communities, and the stories behind the stories! [Music by Shane M.]

Set primarily in colonial Penang in 1921, The House of Doors is a richly layered historical novel that interweaves personal memory, political upheaval, and literary inspiration.   [Music by Shane M.]

Len came to public notice during lockdown with her popular Scots Word of the Day on TikTok which is now into its fifth year! Her passion for the Scots language along with her troubled past have inspired her to write enormously powerful and emotive performance poetry. Her first book of poems ‘Poyums’ recently won her a coveted award as British Discovery Book of the Year. Jillian and Peter chat to L...

Join Jillian and Peter as they talk all things crime with Linda, a retired school teacher who has found her second career as an author. She is onto the 9th book in her popular crime series based around Carrickfergus and Belfast featuring Detective Inspector Gawn Girvin. [Music by Shane M.]

Bringing Contemporary Fiction to Campus: A Conversation on Reading, Rest, and Relevance with University Librarian Jane O’Neill from McClay Library at Queens, Belfast as we welcome a new chapter in Student Wellbeing. [Music by Shane M.]

Mark Aldridge – a renowned Agatha Christie Historian – joins Jillian and Pete in this episode to talk about Agatha, her life, her writing and the lasting appeal of her novels – as well as divulging some little known facts about the Queen of Crime! [Music by Shane M.]

Join Emma as she chats to Jillian and Peter, sharing all about her writing journey as well as giving a health update following her recent diagnosis. Listen as she shares how she continues to write the captivating romances which she is well known for, whilst inspiring readers, juggling family and managing health challenges. [Music by Shane M.]

Stuck at home this year? At least the weather has been kind this summer and you can join Jillian and Peter as they travel the world in books from the UK to Italy, and the US to Cyprus. Get the Factor 50 on and retire to the garden for some dedicated reading time. [Music by Shane M.]

Everyone loves a puzzle! Join Jillian and Peter as author Janice Hallett talks about her unusual novels which challenge readers with the opportunity to piece together mysteries for themselves. Check Out The Examiner – her most recent novel. [Music by Shane M.]

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a heart-warming and whimsical debut novel that blends mystery, grief, and unexpected friendship, told partly through the perspective of a giant Pacific octopus! https://www.librariesni.org.uk/browse-read/online-book-club/discussion/august-2025/ [Music by Shane M.]

With penguins and the Antarctic being in the news recently Hazel Prior takes time out to let Jillian and Peter into the secrets behind her trilogy of ‘penguin’ novels featuring the formidable Veronica McCreedy. [Music by Shane M.]

Exclusive interview with Shelby Van Pelt, author of our Book of the Month Remarkably Bright Creatures. Shelby talks to Pete about escaping octopus’s, writing and the healing effect that reading can have.

Jillian and Peter have the pleasure of chatting to the bestselling author Joseph O’Connor! They talk about the writing of his acclaimed new trilogy featuring the Vatican, the Resistance and the Rome Escape Line during WW2, as well as the need for comprehensive research for the books with extended stays in Rome – well, someone has to do it!!  [Photograph - (c) Urszula Soltys. Music by Shane M.]

Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin is the author of the debut sensation that is her novel Ordinary Saints. Based in both Dublin and London the novel explores what can happen as the Church, grief, and queerness collide within a family. Niamh talks to Jillian and Peter about her writing process, bringing her characters to life on the page and how long-distance running helps. [Music by Shane M.]

Journalist Eimear McGovern reviews some Irish Fiction that has caught her eye recently. From Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell to The City Changes its Face by Eimear McBride via Long Island (Colm Toibin) and Wild Houses (Colin Barrett) she shares her thoughts on each with Jillian and Peter. [Music by Shane M.]

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig is a poignant and imaginative novel that blends magical realism with themes of grief, aging, and personal transformation. The story follows Grace Winters, a 72-year-old retired mathematics teacher living a quiet, grief-stricken life in Lincolnshire, England. Since the death of her husband Karl, Grace has been emotionally adrift, spending her days in solitude. Her l...

Carrickfergus author Adrian McKinty has lived abroad for a long time but enjoys revisiting his youth vicariously through the series he created featuring his alter ego Sean Duffy, an RUC Detective Inspector based in Carrick CID during the 1980’s. He joins Peter and Jillian for an entertaining chat around the ups and down of his writing life, writer's block, music (specifically Tom Waits and Dolly P...

Tim Hodkinson talks to Jillian and Peter about how his childhood passion for the Vikings and the Normans lead him into studying  Medieval History and ultimately into fictionalising stories based around that era. Old Norse, Medieval English and Celtic civilization all feature in his novels with ‘Sword of the War God’ and ‘Eye of the Raven’ being the latest in a string of his recent publications. [M...

Some of our favourite books are translations and Jillian and Peter take the opportunity to share some of their best reading recommendations of translated fiction.  [Music by Shane M.]