Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Barbara Kingsolver, winner of the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction discusses her winning novel, Demon Copperhead and also shares the books that have inspired her impressive career. Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, poet, and activist. She has published over a dozen critically acclaimed books, including the bestselling novels The Poisonwood Bible , The Lacuna , and Flight Behavior...

Alex Scott MBE joins Vick at The Women’s Prize Live Festival  to talk about her journey to self-acceptance, dealing with online trolls and THAT World Cup moment in Qatar. Alex is a former professional footballer, presenter, and broadcaster. The former Arsenal Captain and England Centurion is also one of the nation’s most beloved presenters. In 2021, Alex began her new role as host of BBC’s Footbal...

Bestselling author Isabel Allende on her experiences of love, loss, gratitude and why we need to stay optimistic in uncertain times.  Isabel Allende is an author, philanthropist and activist. She is one of the most widely-read authors in the world, having sold more than 77 million books internationally. Born in Peru to Chilean parents, Isabel won worldwide acclaim in 1982 with the publication of h...

From home cook to food journalist and eventually chef and restaurateur, Ravinder Bhogal  reflects on her  own experiences as an immigrant in London and how it influenced  a ‘no borders’ kitchen in her own restaurant. Ravinder is a journalist, cook and owner of the incredible Jikoni restaurant in Marylebone, in west London. She started her career as a beauty writer for More magazine in the early no...

Live from Bailey’s HQ, Louise Minchin, former BBC Breakfast Presenter, endurance athlete, writer and podcaster reveals how she coping with her kids flying the nest, finding time to judge the Women’s Prize and she discusses her new book, Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women. Louise is someone whose warmth, empathy and journalistic prowess will be familiar to millions of people across the U...

Ruth Ozeki, winner of the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction discusses the power of meditation, the importance of writing beautiful lists and how novels eventually take on a life of their own.  Not only an award winning writer, Ruth is also a filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the author of five novels, The Book of Form and Emptiness , My Year of Meats, All Over Creation, A Tale for the Time Be...

In this very special bonus episode, Vick sits down with this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlisted authors, Jaqueline Crooks, Louise Kennedy, Barbara Kingsolver, Priscillla Morris, Maggie O’Farrell, and Laline Paull. The locations of their books span the globe, from Renaissance Italy and Northern Ireland during The Troubles, to opioid-infested Virginia and even an underwater world populated...

Comedian Josie Long joins Vick to discuss internal monologues, her big move to Scotland and how ADHD is changing the way she sees the world and herself. She may be best known for her standup comedy but she is also a podcaster, playwright, co-founder of the education charity Arts Emergency , and now an author, with her very own debut book , Because I don't know what you mean and what you don't - a...

Author, journalist and powerlifter Poorna Bell discusses love, loss, the depiction of South India in literature and female representation in the male-dominated world of sports. Poorna Bell is an award-winning journalist, author and powerlifter(!) who writes across mental and physical wellbeing, women and diversity. Poorna has published three works of non-fiction: Chase The Rainbow, In Search of Si...

Author, podcaster and multi-hyphenate Emma Gannon shares her wisdom, her books and explains why we need to reframe our definition of success. Emma Gannon is a Times bestselling author, broadcaster, speaker, novelist and host of the recently retired Ctrl Alt Delete podcast. She has been a columnist for The Times, Telegraph and Courier magazine and can now be found over on her Substack page The Hyph...

Join Vick Hope as she sits down with writer Irenosen Okojie to discuss wild imaginations and magical realism in literature and if imposter syndrome comes into play when you're a judge for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Irenosen’s intoxicating debut novel, Butterfly Fish , won the 2016 Betty Trask Award, and her highly acclaimed short story collections, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranc h have both be...

Mary Portas discusses books, poetry, her connection to nature and tells us what we can all do to help protect our planet and build our communities. Mary is one of the UK's most well-known and innovative people in business. She made her name turning Harvey Nichols into a global fashion destination, by the age of just 30 she was on the board of directors. At 37, she left corporate life to launch Por...

Dancer Motsi Mabuse kicks off season six with all the glamour, energy and determination you’d expect from a Strictly judge but she also shares the books that have helped her manifest the life she enjoys today. Mosti Mabuse is a world-class professional dancer and has been bringing fun to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom as a Judge since 2019. Originally from South Africa, Motsi started dancing a...

Actor Ophelia Lovibond shares the moment - aged 10 - when she knew she was going to be an actor, and which book inspired her to make the decision. Ophelia began honing her skills in a youth theatre club at the age of ten. Since then she has been working for over two decades, taking a variety of roles, including Apple’s Trying , BBC’s Roadkill , Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy , CBS’s Elementary ,...

Labour MP Lisa Nandy gives her advice on how we can all stay hopeful and keep progressing even in dark political times. Lisa was first elected as the Labour MP for Wigan in 2010. During her time in Parliament, she has served on the front bench in a number of roles and is currently serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. She is also the co-founder of the thin...

Author and Women’s Prize founder director Kate Mosse reveals the books that have shaped her and also makes an exciting announcement: the intention to launch a new annual book prize, the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. Kate is the author of ten novels and short story collections, her books have sold more than 8 million copies worldwide and her fiction has been translated into 38 languages. She has a...

Gillian Anderson is an award-winning film, television and theatre actor, producer, activist and author who rose to international fame playing FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files . She has had countless notable roles - from Lady Dedlock in Bleak House , Margaret Thatcher in The Crown to DSU Stella Gibson in the BBC crime series The Fall ,  sex therapist Jean Milburn in Sex Education and mo...

Broadcaster Cherry Healey brings in books that spark discussions on the perimenopause, divorce, sibling bonds, feminism and the art of manifesting.  Cherry Healey started her onscreen career as a presenter for numerous lifestyle documentaries for BBC Three focusing on her own life - Cherry Gets Married, Cherry Has a Baby and Cherry Gets Pierced , to name just a few.  She now presents Inside the Fa...

Green MP Caroline Lucas and Vick Hope discuss feminism and Green Party principles and reveal which book from the list would benefit the Prime Minister. Caroline Lucas is the UK’s first Green MP,  first elected as Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion in 2010. She served as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012, and co-leader from 2016 to 2018.  She is a passionate c...

Historian Lucy Worsley sits down with Vick to talk about forgotten women, fan fiction from the 1930s and the misunderstandings around beloved crime writer Agatha Christie. Lucy Worsley OBE is a British historian, author, television presenter and chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces. Lucy has written numerous history books including: Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow ; Jane Austen at...

Sunday Times bestselling author Candice Brathwaite reveals how she found her voice, why the UK was long overdue an inclusive book on motherhood and how - if you let it - social media can stifle your best work.  Candice’s debut book I’m Not Your Baby Mother was described by the Observer as ‘an essential exploration of the realities of black motherhood in the UK’. She is also the founder of Make Mot...

Author and journalist, Dawn O’Porter joins Vick Hope to discuss everything from old Hollywood to Spice Girl Mania and reveals why she’s no longer hungry for fame. Dawn is a renowned broadcaster, novelist and journalist. She has made documentaries about everything from free love to childbirth, is the co-founder and director of refugee charity Choose Love and designs dresses for Joanie Clothing. Daw...

2012 Women’s Prize winner Madeline Miller joins Vick Hope and explains why as a writer, you have to be your own biggest cheerleader. Madeline is a New York Times bestselling author and Women’s Prize for Fiction winner. Her debut novel The Song of Achilles came out in 2011 after a whopping 10 years of blood, sweat and tears, which all became worth it with its phenomenal success. Her next novel, Cir...

Activist, broadcaster, author and founder of Mother Pukka, Anna Whitehouse delves into the underbelly of the internet and the fight for flexible working. Anna’s campaign, Flex Appeal has been quoted in parliament, featured on national TV and seen her lead lycra-clad flash mobs around UK town centres. Anna is also a columnist for Grazia, is co-presenter of the Dirty Mother Pukka Podcast, hosts her...

For another very special bookshelfie episode, Noor Murad chats to Vick live from Wilderness Festival. The unbelievably talented Bahraini-British chef discusses the contradictions between private and public life in a Muslim country. After gaining work experience in Germany and New York, plus studying at the Culinary Institute of America for three years, Noor Murad eventually met Israeli chef Yottam...