The Waterstones Podcast

After the completion of her seasonal quartet, readers will have been wondering where Ali Smith might take us next and it shouldn't be a surprise that a writer who had so successfully captured our present moment should seek to extend her gaze just a little further into an all too imaginable near future. Gliff forms the first part of a two book sequence, followed next year by its sister novel, Glyph...

From his mega-selling debut, to viral superstardom and a career-renaissance that continues to this day, Rick Astley ’s life has always been filed with music. We sat down to speak with him about first singles, making tea for Pete Waterman and why, despite the hardships, gratitude is so important.

Sometimes you want a second helping, and so it is with Stanley Tucci . After speaking with him about his memoir Taste, we were delighted to chat again about his new book, What I Ate In One Year (and related thoughts). Not just a chance to share some of his favorite food, but also the importance of friends, family, and making the most of every moment. Pull up a chair and join us.

Since winning the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2015 with his debut picture book, Blown Away, we have been big fans of the work of Rob Biddulph . So when the chance came to visit his studio and find out more about not only his latest book, I Follow The Fox, but also about his process and passions, we leapt at the chance. Featuring foxes, imaginary friends and over two thousand post-it notes...

With a narrative that stretches over seven decades, the new novel from Alan Hollinghurst doesn’t just give us the intimate details of a man’s life, but allows us to see the shifting tectonics of Britain’s social and political landscape from the 1960s to the present day. We sat down with the author to discuss boarding schools, an actor’s life, and the brutal power of micro-aggressions.

Following her bestselling classic, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, ⁠Kate Summerscale now transports the reader to 1950s Britain and the murders at Rillington Place, in The Peepshow. We spoke with her about using her journalistic skills to uncover new theories, the drive to understand the motivations of murderous men, and how individual cases can serve as a window onto society as a whole.

The ability to appreciate even the smallest moments of joy in our busy lives can be the difference between just another day and a truly memorable one. This spirit infuses the latest book from Nigel Slater , a collection of meditative moments that touch all of our senses so we sat down with him to talk about the perfection of plain crisps, the art of packing a suitcase, and the warm hug of walking...

When you have a world-renowned portraitist like Joe Lycett in the building, you get easels, paints and canvas out and indulge in a bit of dual-portraiture. We sat down with the mischievous comedian to discuss the unfinished genius of Truss’s premiership, where his activism comes from and why even those of us who think we can’t paint, actually can*. *subjective NB: Given the visual nature of this i...

The Iranian Embassy siege of 1980 was one of those ‘where were you when it happened?’ moments, but beyond the explosive live footage of the SAS assault that ended things, what of the previous six days of tense standoff and the lives of the 26 hostages and the 6 armed men who held them? Ben Macintyre writes narrative history like no-one else and after extensive research and interviews with those wh...

The sound of change jangling in our pockets may be less familiar in these days of contactless payment, but we all know how important money can feel in our lives. But might it actually have shaped human history? From the very beginnings of money as a concept, through ideas like credit, forecasting, and cryptocurrency, to its connections to literary classics and great works of art, economist David M...

After creating the irresistible anti-hero Grace in How To Kill Your Family, Bella Mackie returns with more familial dysfunction, more unlikeable characters and, yes, more murder in What A Way To Go. We sat down to discuss the lives of the super wealthy, her fascination with the appeal of true crime, and finding humour in the darkest of places.

Clare Chambers knows how to hook readers, with her previous novel, Small Pleasures, winning The British Book Awards 2022 Pageturner Book of the Year. She looks set to do it all over again with her latest, Shy Creatures, which unearths the story of a mute patient in a psychiatric hospital. We sat down to talk about factual inspiration, the influence of lockdown on even this period piece, and why hu...

After introducing us to legal dogsbody Gary Thorn in The Satsuma Complex, comedian Bob Mortimer returns with its sequel, The Hotel Avocado. We sat down with a nice slice of Battenberg cake to discuss death row meals, memories of his days as a South London solicitor and the correct ratio of marzipan to cake.

Ferdia Lennon’s riotously funny debut disarms from the very first page. With a setting of Syracuse in 412 BC but a very modern Irish vernacular, readers will enjoy every minute they spend with best friends Gelon and Lampo as they seek to stage a performance of Euripides with a group of captured Athenian soldiers. We spoke with him about finding the right voice, has fascination with the classics, a...

Chris Whitaker 's previous novel, We Begin At The End, was a multi-award-winning smash with readers, who fell in love with its characters and pressed copies on friends so as to have someone to discuss it with. He’s done it again with All The Colours of the Dark, which again features characters that will get under your skin, a plot so propulsive the pages fly past, and a story that doesn’t rele...

The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize is powered by our brilliant booksellers, whose keen eye for the most exciting new talent makes it a thrilling short list every year. In this third year, we spoke with authors from around the globe about having the support of booksellers, the release of seeing years of work finally realised and how specificity in their stories builds bridges with all readers. Enj...

Hot from winning the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024, we spoke with V. V. Ganeshananthan about her novel, Brotherless Night, which took over 15 years to complete. Exhaustive research, an incendiary setting, and characters that capture your heart. We spoke with her about the politics of civil war, the time it takes to write and the support you need along the way.

The concept of following Brooklyn with a sequel took even the author by surprise, but after 15 years the story of Eilis continues in Long Island. We spoke with Colm Tóibín about his rigorous approach to avoiding the tedious, his long working relationship with editor Mary Mount and his connection to his hometown Enniscorthy in County Wexford, Ireland.

Some debuts are so assured and so distinctive that you just have to know more about what went into their creation. Kaliane Bradley ’s The Ministry of Time is one such debut. We sat down with her to discover how the book was originally meant to be something else entirely, the inspirations behind its brilliant plot, and how she managed to balance comedy and trauma in such an entertaining read.

With a novel that spans twenty years, marked by three celestial events and characters with their feet firmly on the ground, we sat down for a fascinating conversation with former Waterstones Book of the Year author, Sarah Perry . How do faith and science intersect, what do we really mean by love, friendship and family, and when our orbits bring us back together how do we mark this significance?

On 12 Aug 2022, over 30 years after a fatwa had been ordered against him, Salman Rushdie was attacked as he was about to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua​ Institution. By his own admission, he shouldn’t have survived such serious injuries. So what was it that helped him to persevere and how has it changed his outlook on life. We spoke with him about the hard work of recovery, the need to wr...

Fresh from breaking hearts with the TV adaptation of his bestselling One Day, David Nicholls came in to talk to us about his new novel, You Are Here, which introduces us to Marnie and Michael, two souls on an epic walk, on the precipice of a new friendship, and maybe more. We sat down to talk about his love of walking, music and, well... love.

Not many writers would be brave enough to take an American classic like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and rework it from a new perspective, but then Percival Everett isn’t like most writers. We sat down to talk about giving fresh voice to one of American literature’s most important characters, the whole concept of ‘black voices’ and what drives his prolific output.

With African history having largely been told through a western lens, Zeinab Badawi travelled to over 30 countries in the continent of her birth over the course of 7 years, speaking with historians, archaeologists and academics in order to give them voice and weave an epic narrative from the cradle of humanity to a vibrant future.

Rejoice! For Marian Keyes is back with another hilarious novel which follows Anna Walsh's move from New York back to Ireland, leaving expensive beauty products and easy access to HRT behind, for a moving confrontation with her past - and some small-town politics. We spoke with her about the surprisingly personal inspiration for this new tale, changing your personal narrative and what it takes...