Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Miranda July is a multi-award-winning director, writer, filmmaker and artist and in this episode she opens up about ageing, reaching her creative limit and reading with every meal.   Miranda has written, directed and starred in three feature films as well as over a dozen short films. Her first major film production, Me and You and Everyone We Know , won six awards including the Caméra d’Or at the...

Television presenter and broadcaster, Ria Hebden discusses the importance of identity, how books can inspire massive career changes and why the sky's the limit for her. Ria is the official Entertainment presenter on ITV’s Lorraine, having interviewed  everyone from Robbie Williams to Harrison Ford, to Kim Cattrall, Shania Twain and John Boyega. Her infectious energy and iconic smile make her a TV...

Former swimmer and entrepreneur Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell discusses her career, details her love of the water, and lays bare the pressures within her former swimming world. Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell is a former elite athlete with a career spanning over 10 years, swimming for both Great Britain and Kenya. She is a former world number one and British champion, winning the 50m and 100m breast...

Victoria Prew is an entrepreneur and CEO of fashion rental company HURR, in this episode she explains how she saw a gap in the market for rented luxury fashion and leaned in. Victoria Prew is the CEO and co-founder of HURR Collective , the global home for circular fashion, a community of first-movers, committed to environmental responsibility, setting the tone for the next generation to follow. Fr...

Entrepreneur and pioneering businesswoman Edwina Dunn OBE discusses the need for role models, the perils of seeking perfection and the importance of female spending. Edwina leads The Female Lead, which is an active community of 8 million women, underpinned by an educational foundation, and focused on celebrating the achievements and diversity of women who shape our world. Using data to understand...

Ann Akinjirin is an actress, writer, director and producer working across screen and stage and is currently starring in the BBC’s new adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five .  Ann is best known for her recurring roles in BBC 1 /HBO’s The Strike Series playing ‘DS Vanessa Ekwensi’ and ‘Dee’ in BBC Two’s Trigonometry . More recently, Ann played 'Bobbi' in Marvel Studios series Moon Knight on Di...

Award-winning British-Turkish novelist and 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted author Elif Shafak reveals the five books that have shaped her life and career. Elif has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels, including The Island of Missing Trees , shortlisted for the Costa Award, British Book Awards, RSL Ondaatje Prize and 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction.  Elif holds a PhD in political s...

Best-selling food writer, stylist, and author, Anna Jones explains how Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess gave her the confidence to just be herself in the kitchen.   Anna is the voice of modern vegetarian cooking and the author of the bestselling One: Pot, Pan, Planet, A Modern Way to Eat, A Modern Way to Cook and The Modern Cook’s Year . She’s a Sunday Times bestseller and the winner...

Historian, author and broadcaster Suzannah Lipscomb shines the spotlight on women throughout history who are too often missed from books.  A distinguished historian, Suzannah is Professor Emerita at the University of Roehampton, Senior Member at St Cross College, Oxford, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries.  She has written and edited seven books, most recen...

A New York Times bestselling author, Kristin Hannah’s books are beloved the world over and read by millions. Listen as she discusses the art of creating empathy with readers and the importance of putting women at the centre of stories.  Kristin is the author of 25 novels, including historical fiction masterpiece The Nightingale , which has now sold millions of copies worldwide and has been transla...

Bestselling author Kiley Reid delves into her favourite books with Vick and discusses motherhood, morals and money. Kiley’s debut novel Such A Fun Age was an instant hit making the New York Times Best Seller list, and probably more excitingly, Reece Witherspoon’s book club reading list.   Despite this success, in her 20s Kiley had always thought of writing as just a hobby turning to other jobs suc...

Award-winning writer, poet and performer Hollie McNish chats about becoming a feminist, swearing in french and why she’s bored of taboos. Hollie is the author of five poetry collections, a new adaptation of the Greek tragedy Antigone, and the co-writer of Offside , a play about the history of women’s football. She was the first poet ever to record an album at Abbey Road studios and she regularly t...

Iconic, beloved children’s author and national treasure Dame Jacqueline Wilson kicks off series 7 of Bookshelfie with Vick Hope.  In her long and illustrious career Jacqueline has written over 100 books,  sold over 40 million copies in the UK alone and been translated into 34 languages. She has been the children’s laureate, winner of many awards and for years was the most borrowed author from Brit...

Bestselling writer Monica Ali, finishes off this season with an in-depth chat about the books that she loves, the responsibility she takes on as a writer and how she overcame a shattered self confidence. Monica Ali shot to fame with her literary phenomenon Brick Lane 20 years ago. She has since written four other books, Alentejo Blue, In the Kitchen, Untold Story and Love Marriage. She is a Fellow...

Designer Kit Kemp MBE takes Vick on a literary journey from 1490 to 2022 and explains how she’s built her signature style, and her confidence.  Kit is a British interior designer and Founder and Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels and the Kit Kemp Design Studio. Kit’s signature style combines traditional elements with contemporary flair, resulting in spaces that are both inviting and visually str...

Award-winning broadcaster Anita Rani tells Vick about finding a new confidence in her 40s, taking Woman's Hour to Glastonbury and why she needed to write her own story.  Well known as one of the lead presenters on BBC One’s Countryfile, and a range of shows for both Channel 4 and the BBC, Anita has covered topics from family budgets and waste plastic, to Bollywood and the Partition of India. Anita...

Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK Kenya Hunt discusses her love of the essay, the multiplicity of motherhood and the importance of blazing your own trail.   Kenya is an award-winning American journalist who has now been working in the UK for a decade. Her career spans working for some of the most influential women's publications on both sides of the Atlantic, from her post-graduate days as an Assistant E...

Actress Tanya Reynolds talks about why being an introvert is a superpower, her final Sex Education scenes and when books come into your life and act like medicine.  Tanya is perhaps known best for her scene-stealing role as Lily Iglehart in the Emmy award-winning Netflix show Sex Education , but has been gracing our screens with roles in Outlander, Death in Paradise and more recently 2020’s film a...

Author, broadcaster, comedian and classicist Natalie Haynes joins Vick to chat about her love for Greek Mythology and why there’s an appetite for female-focused stories. Natalie is a Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020 shortlisted author for her novel In A Thousand Ships , which retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective. Her book Stone Blind tackles the story of Medusa through...

Scandal star Kerry Washington opens up about the revelations in her new memoir, why she’s ditching feelings of shame and how sharing your most vulnerable self is actually the most empowering thing you can do. Kerry Washington is a celebrated actor, director, producer, activist and a Shondaland superstar. Kerry received widespread public recognition for her role as Olivia Pope on the hit ABC drama...

Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Naomi Klein reveals how she had to write herself into her new book to rediscover her voice.  Naomi Klein is a bestselling author, with nine critically acclaimed books which include The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything . In 2018 she was named the inaugural Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair at Rutgers University and is now Honorary...

World famous classicist Prof Mary Beard covers ageism, feminism, university fees, the role of children’s books, why men are obsessed with the roman empire and of course, her favourite books. She is also a television and radio presenter, trustee of the British Museum and the author of more than 20 books on classical history, feminism and academic life, including the bestsellers Pompeii , SPQR and W...

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell Horner discusses the history of girl power, Anne Boleyn and why her family are her proudest achievement. Geri is an accomplished singer, writer, producer and actress who is widely recognised for her iconic place in British pop culture as an original member of the record breaking girl group The Spice Girls. As ‘Ginger Spice’ Geri played a formative role in the band...

Comedian London Hughes joins Vick from LA to discuss her new memoir, how she tried to climb into a TV set aged five and why she’s found greater success in America than the UK. London is a stand up comedian, TV writer,  presenter and now a rising star in Hollywood. You may have seen her as a guest on numerous TV panel shows, or in her Netflix special To Catch a Dick , which was based on her critica...

Nadiya Hussain joins Vick at The Women’s Prize Live Festival  to talk about family values, fig trees and why she’s so open about her mental health.  Nadiya Hussain is a  renowned British TV chef, author, presenter, and baker. Of course she is known and loved as the winner of the sixth season of The Great British Bake Off in 2015. Since then, she has gone on to become a TV presenter, hosting her ow...