Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Live from Baileys HQ, Ashley James joins Vick Hope to discuss how motherhood transformed her perspective, the realities of class in modern Britain, and the rise of the “trad-wife” movement. Ashley is a broadcaster, author, DJ and advocate who first appeared on our screens in the early days of Made in Chelsea back in 2012, and has since gone on to be a feminist campaigner and social commentator. He...

The UK’s bestselling poet, Donna Ashworth, joins Vick to discuss why ‘Instapoetry’ should not be dismissed, finding herself in the words of Sylvia Plath and the power of a midlife muse.  Donna started her social media accounts in 2018 in a bid to create a 'safe' space for women to come together and connect, but her love of all things wordy quickly became the focus, and a past love for poetry was r...

Award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave makes a confession about her book “borrowing”, and explains why a 50 year old book about photography should be mandatory reading for young people before they join social media.  Kiran’s first novel for adults, The Mercies, became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. It won a Betty Trask Award, was longlisted for the Jhalak Prize a...

Skins and Game of Thrones star Hannah Murray talks about the journey to writing her new memoir, early acting fame and why a love story with a merman had her spellbound to the end. Hannah worked as an actor for over a decade, cast as Cassie in E4’s Skins at the tender age of 16, and later as Gilly in HBO’s Game of Thrones, alongside numerous other roles for theatre, TV and film. During her early ac...

Pioneering businesswoman Emma Grede defends the work-life balance honesty which has ignited recent online debates, and shares her passion for getting more women talking about money and power.  Emma is the Co-Founder and CEO of Good American, a B-Corp certified brand setting new standards for inclusivity in fashion, and a Founding Partner of SKIMS, now valued at $4 billion and recognised as one of...

Holly Jackson – aka the “Taylor Swift of books” – tells Vick about how she laughs at her bad reviews, her love of funny books about murder and what fans can expect from the second series of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Holly is a superstar of crime fiction. She has sold over 10 million copies of her books worldwide, with translations in 45 different languages, a loyal following and a highly enga...

Chef, broadcaster, and food and travel writer, Romy Gill, tells Vick about her experience as a first generation immigrant to the UK, the food that punctuated the 24 hour train journeys of her childhood, and how Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks inspired her own writing. Born in West Bengal, India, Romy first learned to cook from her mother – famous for her aloo parathas and using every unloved scrap of p...

South African broadcaster, author, world-champion dancer and star of Strictly , Oti Mabuse tells Vick about her love of spicy romance novels, her rejection of tokenism and why she loves audiobooks.  Oti captured the hearts of the British public on Strictly Come Dancing , and is the only dancer to have won the show twice in a row - in 2019 and 2020. She’s presented and judged on a whole host of pri...

Award-winning football presenter and broadcaster Kelly Cates talks about finding new opportunities in midlife, her love for the way Marian Keyes captures female conversation and why deep down she is a terrible gossip.  Kelly has been a familiar and much-loved face in sports broadcasting for over 27 years, covering everything from the Premier League to the World Cup and the Olympics. Known for her...

Bestselling crime writer Karin Slaughter reveals the gruesome storytelling culture she grew up in and why she thinks Wuthering Heights’ Cathy is “kind of a whiny bitch”.  Karin is one of the world’s most well-known and popular crime writers. Since publishing her debut novel, Blindsighted , in 2001, she has gone on to sell more than 40 million copies of her books internationally, including the huge...

Engineer, author and broadcaster Roma Agrawal talks to Vick about reclaiming her body after childbirth, centring the knowledge of non-western cultures and why engineering is more creative than you think.  Roma is best known for working on the design of The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest tower, and is a judge for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, sponsored by Findmypast. She has given talks...

Fresh from her recent Traitors appearance, author and former barrister Harriet Tyce talks to Vick about the brilliance of female crime writers, her biggest literary crush and THAT moment with Rachel in the confessional at the Traitors castle. Harriet left behind a career in criminal law to complete a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. In 2019, she published her debut nov...

To kick off a new season of Bookshelfie, author, model, entrepreneur and women’s rights activist Charli Howard talks to Vick about finding confidence in your 30s, dating disasters and the therapeutic process of writing her latest book. Charli’s coming-of-age memoir, Misfit, was published in 2019, which followed her rise in the modelling industry, her battle against body shaming and the normalisati...

Rebecca Lucy Taylor, AKA Self Esteem talks to Vick about pushing back against the male gaze, the healing power of her art and how to carry on as a female music artist in your 40s.  Rebecca is one of the UK’s most exciting breakout musical stars of the past decade. Performing as Self Esteem, she rose from cult favourite to mainstream hero following the huge success of her empowering, truth-telling...

Comedian, actor and improviser Rachel Parris discusses why people can be so wrong about Jane Austen, the knotty complexities of female friendship and her love for crime fiction.  Rachel is officially a member of the British comedy elite – she has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, and Mock the Week, and was BAFTA-nominated for her satirical sketches on BBC's The Mash Report,...

Broadcasting legend Clare Balding tells us why the Celebrity Traitors’ castle was the perfect place to finish writing her latest book, how the author of a ‘bonkbuster’ that was banned from her school became the person who got Clare into novel-writing, and the animals and women in literature who have captured her imagination. Clare grew up in the countryside surrounded by horses and dogs, reading e...

Irish broadcaster, podcaster and author Angela Scanlon discusses why Marian Keyes was so inspirational to her, how an unexpected honeymoon reading choice had her bawling, and why choosing not to get your nails done is a radical act.  Angela is best known for hosting shows on the BBC and RTÉ as well as her weekend breakfast show on Virgin Radio. Her first major documentary, Oi Ginger! aired in 2014...

Radio 1 DJ Sian Eleri discusses her love for Welsh language writing, the power of a creative vocabulary and why home is such a complicated subject.  Sian is one of the biggest music tastemakers at BBC Radio 1 and shares her love for music across three shows at the station – Future Artists, Power Down Playlist and Chillest Show – as well as hosting a weekly show for Selector Radio, a global station...

Award-winning author Lily King joins us from the road during her book tour to explore how women finding themselves and love are such big topics in her favourite books. Plus, she tells us the novels she returns to over and over again for comfort; and why Virginia Woolf has been such an important writer in her life. Lily has written six novels which have been published in 28 languages. Her 2020 nove...

Multi-exit entrepreneur, investor and one of the UK’s most influential business figures, Debbie Wosskow OBE discusses the gender pay gap in writing, her fearlessness in asking men for money, and why the Women’s Prize Trust is so important. Debbie is best known for founding the home-swapping platform Love Home Swap and co-founding the women’s network AllBright. She has built and scaled multiple suc...

Presenter and author Alice Loxton discusses how fiction can help us understand the past – particularly when it comes to women’s stories; finding humour in classic literature; and her companionship with figures from history. Alice is passionate about bringing history to mainstream, younger audiences, and she has over three million followers on social media, where her videos educate on British histo...

Presenter, DJ and radio host Kemi Rodgers is excited to head back to the jungle for the new series of I’m A Celebrity and shares what books she’ll be packing for the journey. Kemi is best known for her work on Capital Radio and as a co-host for I'm a Celebrity: Unpacked on ITV2 alongside Joel Dommett. Kemi’s love for music extends beyond radio – her expertise led her to produce a documentary for W...

Chair of Judges for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Baroness Thangam Debbonaire explains why the prize is so important; the enduring importance of democracy for women worldwide; and her formative years working in a communist bookshop.  Thangam is a Labour Member of the House of Lords, where her key interests include arts policy, international cultural partnerships and diplomacy, copyright...

Actor Nikki Amuka-Bird discusses her awe for Zadie Smith, the need for humour in books about difficult conversations and her relationship with playing “mean” characters.  Nikki is an actor whose career spans across film, television, and stage. She was born in Nigeria and grew up in Antigua before moving to the UK to attend boarding school. She studied at LAMDA – the London Academy of Music and Dra...

Columnist and writer Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett talks to Vick about motherhood, neurodivergence  and her love for quiet books which look at interior lives. Rhiannon is best known as a writer and columnist for The Guardian , co-founder of the feminist satire blog The Vagenda (later a book) and as a writer for Vogue, Elle and the Independent .  She’s also the author of multiple books. Her debut novel, T...