The Conversation with Nadine Matheson

Camilla Balshaw, acclaimed author of the award winning memoir Named joins Nadine Matheson for a captivating conversation about the complexities of identity, naming, and storytelling. Camilla shares her unique journey of reclaiming her name and the cultural significance behind it, while also delving into the challenges of writing a memoir that resonates with readers. They discuss the cultural clash...

Candice Carty-Williams , Sunday Times bestselling and award winning author of Queenie, People Person , and creator of the BBC/Netflix series Champion sits down with Nadine to talk about her new novel, Queenie Is Working On It , the sequel to her 2019 debut. Candice shares her journey of bringing Queenie back to life, exploring the character's growth and the challenges she faces in her 30s. During...

Saima Mir returns to  The Conversation  to mark the release of  Deliverance , the closing chapter of her Jia Khan trilogy, following  The Khan  and  Vengeance . Two crime writers, both working from lived heritage, sit down to talk about what it actually feels like to let a character go. In this episode: Ending a trilogy  — the strange grief of finishing a series...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube In this episode of The Conversation Coffee Break, Nadine Matheson sits down with debut author Leigh Radford to discuss hwe gripping new novel, One Yellow Eye . Leigh shares the inspiration behind his story, which intertwines themes of love, grief, and the haunting spectre of a zombie apocalypse. As they delve into the emotional complexities of writing about...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube In this episode of The Conversation, Nadine Matheson welcomes the talented debut author V.A. Vazquez , who shares her unique journey from a middle school teacher, off-Broadway producer to debut author. Victoria (V.A. Vazquez) opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of her debut novel, The Death Row Club , which explores the lives of the children of seria...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube On this week's episode, we ask if the publishing industry is "blowing the bloody doors off" author rights. From Michael Caine's voice getting cloned for an epic audiobook to Hachette and Studiocanal's book to film deal, plus 250 UK publishers signing a massive AI licensing deal, we ask if any of this is good for authors. 00:00 Intro 01:04 Hachette/Studiocan...

In this episode of  The Conversation , I sit down with novelist, poet, and Shakespeare scholar Juliano Zaffino for a candid conversation about creativity, perseverance, publishing, and the stories that stay with us. Juliano’s debut novel,  The Steps , is a haunting and deeply human family ghost story that follows a man who falls in love with a grieving widow and becomes entwined in the l...

What does it take to survive 25 years on the front line of British policing and come out the other side as a Sunday Times bestselling author? In this episode of The Conversation, Nadine Matheson sits down with John Sutherland , former Metropolitan Police Commander, hostage negotiator, mental health advocate, and author of the acclaimed crime fiction trilogy featuring detectives Alex Lewis and Pip...

Nadine is joined by three brilliant Black British crime writers for a special live edition of The Conversation. Together they explore the dark, thrilling, and deeply human world of crime fiction and what it means to be writing it right now. Guests: Remi Kone : TV producer ( Killing Eve, Spooks ) and author of the DI Leah Hutch series. Her second book, Just Kill , is out now. Mel Pennant : Solicito...

Watch The Conversation Live: Crime Writers Special Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 7pm: YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Live This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson is joined by the talented Elle McNicoll , bestselling author of the new novel Unapologetic Love Story. Elle shares the inspiration behind her book, which explores the life of a neurodivergent podcaster and her relationship with a surly j...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we discuss why the publishing industry is pointing fingers at libraries for declining author incomes, but we wonder about the reasons they aren't talking about. Plus, have you heard of Elias Thorne? We talk about AI's repetition problem and why that may be good news for authors. And we revisit the thorny issue of book lists - after we criticised...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson welcomes the insightful Deepa Anappara , journalist, creative writing lecturer and author of the award-winning debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line . Deepa joins Nadine to discuss her latest book, The Last of Earth , a historical novel set in 1869 that explores the complexities of imperialism through the eyes of its characters. In this captivat...

Award-winning author David Goodman returns to The Conversation for a Coffee Break to talk about his second spy thriller, Solitary Agents , the follow-up to his debut A Reluctant Spy. David won the McDermid New Blood Award and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and in this conversation, he gets honest about how lucky he was to have finished his second book before that happened. We get into the premise...

What does it take to walk away from a West End career, start over as a novelist and then have every major publisher turn you down before landing a three-book deal? In this episode of The Conversation, Nadine Matheson sits down with Felix Mosse , former West End actor (Les Misérables, The Book of Mormon), TV and film script editor, and now debut author of the epic fantasy The Mistral . Felix is ref...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson is joined by the talented author Foluso Agbaje, whose new novel The Talk of the Party invites readers into the glamorous yet tumultuous world of high society Lagos. What does it take to leave a corporate career and survive the chaos of the publishing world. Foluso Agbaje reflects on her journey from childhood storytelling to becoming a published autho...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we're expanding on our discussion from the last episode about the depressing HarperCollins report on children's reading habits. Author and teacher Cailean Steed joins us to break down the underlying data and explain exactly how hyper-fixating on rigid literacy metrics is actively destroying the sheer joy of reading for kids. Plus, we talk about -...

In this episode of 'The Conversation Coffee Break', I sit down with the brilliant bestselling thriller author Lucy Clarke to talk about her brand new book The Surf House , a gripping, sun-soaked thriller set on the stunning shores of Morocco. Lucy shares the fascinating story of how she went from advertising executive to internationally published author , what it was like to be invited into the wr...

We're re-releasing this conversation with Marcia Hutchinson , and what a moment to do it. Since we first spoke, Marcia has won the Discover Prize at the British Book Awards 2026  and  landed a shortlist spot for the Women's Prize for Fiction all for her debut novel,  The Mercy Step . Oh, and The Observer called her one of the debut novelists to watch in 2025. Not bad, Marcia. Not ba...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson is joined by the insightful former Lynne McEwan , who also writes as Eva McCrae for a conversation that covers two remarkable careers, the craft of storytelling, and why the truth about crime always begins somewhere ordinary. In this episode, they discuss Lynn's journey from a successful career as a newspaper photographer to writing compelling cr...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson welcomes the uniquely talented Will Carver , an author known for his darkly original fiction. In this episode, they dive deep into Will's latest novel, Bad Influence, a gripping tale that explores the murky waters of social media and its impact on youth culture. Bad Influence follows two young friends from different social backgrounds who stumble upon...

Welcome to Conversation Coffee Break! In this episode, Nadine Matheson sits down with crime writer Martyn Waites , writing under the pseudonym C.B. Everett, to chat about his brilliant new book, The Final Chapter . The Final Chapter is a bold, genre-defying meta-thriller, two complete novels in one. It follows C.B. Everett (yes, Martyn's own pseudonym!) as he's asked to edit a mysteriously reappea...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson is joined by the talented Lulu Taylor , a Sunday Times bestselling author known for her captivating novels. With 15 books to her name, including six that have hit the bestseller list, Lulu's latest work, A Legacy of Secrets , explores the intricate dynamics of family relationships and the weight of inherited secrets. In this engaging conversation, Lul...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube On today's episode of Adventures in Publishing-land, we congratulate Tariq on not one but two new Longlistings, and struggle to understand a story about new research that suggests a heavy focus on literacy skills in schools is actively undermining the motivation to read for fun. Plus, the TikTok books charts have launched! What effect will they have on the...

This week on The Conversation Coffee Break, Nadine Matheson chats with the multifaceted author Gavin Bell , whose highly anticipated novel 138 Main Street is set to release on May 7, 2026. Gavin, who also writes under the pseudonyms Mason Cross and Alex Knight, shares the intriguing story behind his latest work and the unique challenges of writing under multiple identities. In this episode, Gavin...

This week on The Conversation, Nadine Matheson sits down with the inspiring Aisha Hassan , author of the poignant debut novel When the Fireflies Dance . In this engaging discussion, Aisha reveals her unique journey from a career in banking to becoming a storyteller, sharing her insights on the writing process and the importance of perseverance. Aisha opens up about the challenges of writing her fi...