Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Feminist campaigner and founder of Sex Ed Matters, Laura Coryton discusses the power of sisterhood, the books which have inspired her campaigning and why sex education in schools still needs to evolve. In 2014, Laura led the petition ‘Stop Taxing Periods’ to end tampon tax, which gained over 300,000 signatures and support from major political figures including Barack Obama. The campaign successful...

Body positivity influencer and feminist writer Megan Jayne Crabbe discusses female hunger, moving beyond the ‘male saviour’ narrative and learning to accept her race, sexuality and place in the body positivity movement.  Megan is best known for changing the narrative of how women feel about their bodies. She’s amassed over 1.3 million followers on social media, and has built her platform by creati...

Queen of Irish comedy Joanne McNally kicks off the second instalment of Bookshelfie series eight talking about her love for Bridget Jones, and why she’s drawn to stories about break-ups and revenge. Joanne is known for her sharp wit and self-deprecating humour, and her hotly-anticipated new show Pinotphile , which is selling out venues across the UK and Ireland, tackles everything from dating disa...

Accomplished writer and this year’s Chair of Judges for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction Kit de Waal talks to Vick about her memoir, the value of audiobooks and why we need to see more writing about women in mid life.  Kit de Waal has written novels for adults and young adults, short stories and her memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes was published in 2022. Her debut novel My Name is Leon...

Historian and award-winning biographer Anne Sebba talks about her incredible career interviewing everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to the Duchess of Windsor and the process of writing her newest book: The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival. Anne Sebba began her career as a Reuters correspondent based in London and Rome. She has written eleven works of non-fiction, mostly about iconic...

Recorded live at Bailey’s HQ in London, singer-songwriter, rapper, producer and Women’s Prize 2025 longlisted author Neneh Cherry discusses her career, the power of women and the process of writing her deeply personal memoir, A Thousand Threads .  Neneh first achieved global success in 1988, with 'Buffalo Stance', a groundbreaking mix of music genres. She has released six critically acclaimed stud...

Pioneering broadcaster, journalist and author Charlene White discusses the danger of banning books, dealing with grief and loss, and her interest in what home means to others.   Charlene began presenting ITV News in 2008 and in 2014 became the first Black woman to present ITV News at Ten. She’s also one of the presenters of daytime show, Loose Women , and helmed the show's first all-black panel sp...

Broadcaster, disability inclusion and accessibility specialist, and social entrepreneur Shani Dhanda discusses the power of audiobooks, the importance of kindness and why accessibility benefits us all.  Shani Dhanda is one of the UK's most influential disabled people, and was named Number 1 on The Shaw Trust’s Disability Power 100 List in 2023. Shani has been recognised with multiple honours and a...

Actor and screenwriter Emer Kenny tells us why all pain is useful - whether it be heartbreak or rejection -  and why being a mentor to other creatives is so important. Emer Kenny is an actor and writer who made her acting debut in the BAFTA-nominated single drama Coming Down The Mountain in 2008. She began to write for the screen soon after, honing her skills on BBC’s Eastenders and Holby City , w...

Journalist, author and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon discusses the journey to writing about her own mental health, why we need political balance, and her aversion to misery books.   Bryony has written six Sunday Times bestselling books, including the number one bestsellers Mad Girl and You Got This . Her latest book Mad Woman is the eagerly anticipated follow-up which explores a crucial q...

Author, Actor and Director Eimear McBride on the delayed gratification of her first novel, the  ‘classic combination’ of sex and death and why we should celebrate  female writers tackling difficult topics and themes.  Eimear trained as an actor before writing her first novel, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing , which took nine years to find a publisher but subsequently won the 2014 Women’s Prize for F...

Bestselling author Jojo Moyes discusses her passion for libraries, the importance of staying silly and how to build complex characters aka the ‘kick the dog’ test. Jojo Moyes is a novelist and screenwriter. Her books include the bestsellers Me Before You, After You and Still Me, The One Plus One, The Giver of Stars, Someone Else's Shoes and her short story collection Paris for One and Other Storie...

Diane Abbott is parliament’s longest serving Black MP. A political trailblazer, a passionate advocate for social justice and a writer. She kicks off series eight of Bookshelfie talking about Trump, feminism and navigating a world of social media trolls. Diane was the first Black woman elected to Parliament and has served Hackney and Stoke Newington for more than 35 years. In 2024 she became Mother...

Award-winning executive producer and broadcaster Kavita Puri on the importance of collecting untold stories, being an Elizabeth Strout groupie and why women always have been and continue to be complex characters. Kavita Puri is the creator, writer and presenter of the Three Million podcast on BBC Sounds, which won the Gold for Best New Podcast at the British Podcast Awards 2024, and the accompanyi...

Comedian Cariad Lloyd explains how she unexpectedly became part of the death community and why Half of a Yellow Sun should be part of the curriculum.  Cariad is an award-winning comedian, actor and writer. She is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast Griefcast and the smash-hit improv show Austentatious . She has starred in TV shows such as Alan Partridge, Peep Show, Inside No. 9 and f...

Space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock joins Vick to delve into her favourite science fiction books, tells us why dyslexic kids shouldn’t be pigeon-holed and explains why she encourages all children to reach for the stars.  Maggie is a space scientist and pioneering figure in communicating science, having spoken directly to over half a million people globally, 350,000 of whom are children.  She i...

Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern joins Vick to chat about how books making us less lonely, what inspires her work and the art of being an introverted extrovert.    Cecelia's debut novel PS I Love You was published in 2004 and went on to become an international bestseller and was adapted into a film starring Hilary Swank. Her second novel, Where Rainbows End , was adapted into the film Love, Rosie star...

Broadcaster Kate Humble explains the joy of living in the moment, the glory of nature and the importance of shunning the algorithms. Kate is a broadcaster specialising in wildlife and science programmes, including  Countryfile, Springwatch and Blue Planet Live. A champion of the environment, nature conservation and rural affairs, she is president of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and founded Hu...

Jodi Picoult is the number 1 New York Times bestselling author of 28 novels and short stories, and has also written several issues of Wonder Woman .  Approximately 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages.  Her book My Sister’s Keeper was made into a motion picture starring Cameron Diaz. Jodi is the recipient of many awards, including the 200...

British actress Corinna Brown tells us why representation is so important to her and through the poetry of Rupi Kaur, explains why you are more than just pretty.  Corinna best known for her role as Tara Jones in Heartstopper , the multi-award-winning, BAFTA nominated Neftlix adaptation of Alice Osman’s LGBTQ+ graphic novels which rose to the top ten most-watched English series on Netflix within tw...

Food writer and bestselling author Rukmini Iyer shares how her recipes bring families together, the importance of flavours and the joy of finding a delicious, easy solution to dinner. Rukmini is the bestselling author of The Roasting Tin series, which in five years has sold over 1.75 million copies worldwide. They’ve transformed the cookery space in the UK, leading the one-tin, one-pot, and one-pa...

Tracy Chevalier is an award-winning American-British novelist of 11 books, including the immensely popular Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a film, which was nominated for three Academy Awards.  Tracy has also edited anthologies such as Why Willows Weep , a collection of tales from the woods to raise money for the Woodland Trust, and Re...

Glamour UK’s Editor-in-Chief Deborah Joseph joins Vick to discuss feminism through the lens of magazines, the importance of representation and the need for perfectly imperfect women.  Deborah is an award-winning editor and journalist. Over the past seven years, she has directed Glamour’s transition from a print to a digital-first, beauty-first brand. Prior to that, she spent six years working for...

The former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard joins Vick for a live recording in Bedford Square Gardens from the Women’s Prize Live Festival. Julia Gillard served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013 after serving as Deputy Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010. She was the first and only woman to have held either of these offices in Australian history. Following her retire...

Rosie Jones joins Vick Hope in front of a live studio audience where they celebrate different kinds of love, discuss Rosie’s favourite reads on holiday and uncover why Rosie will never get over A Little Life .   Rosie is a must-see act on the UK comedy circuit. Having fronted two travelogue series’ of her own for Channel 4, Mission: Accessible and Trip Hazard . Rosie can also be seen on countless...