What Are You Reading Now?

This week, Esme and Kareem are joined by journalist and author Kieran Yates, whose acclaimed debut All the Houses I’ve Ever Lived In explores what home means in modern Britain — from damp flats and mouldy walls to joy, resilience and belonging. Kieran talks about the realities of the UK housing crisis, from the absurdity of housemate auditions to landlords who turn off the hot water, and why imagi...

Elise Bell—arts writer and broadcaster (The Guardian, Dazed, Kinfolk, It’s Nice That, Prospect; BBC Radio 4 & LBC)—joins Esme and Karine to talk reading lives, erotic art, and the books that crack us open. Fresh from the Venice Biennale (and gearing up for groupie duty), Elise traces her path from Tabloid Art History to Erotic Art: An Opinionated Guide (Hoxton Mini Press): why “erotic” is broa...

This week, Esme and Kareem are joined by writer, policy expert, and campaigner Gracie Mae Bradley for a rich conversation about reading as refuge, writing toward liberation, and the everyday work of solidarity. Gracie traces her bookish beginnings (shoutout to school libraries and handwritten letters from authors), why short stories feel like home, and how fiction lets her hold complexity without...

In this episode of What Are You Reading Now? we sit down with writer and creative consultant Uju Asika , author of Bringing Up Race and Raising Boys Who Do Better . Uju shares her journey with books and reading, from childhood favourites to the stories that continue to inspire her today. We talk about her writing process, the power of representation in literature, and how books shape the way we th...

In this episode of What Are You Reading Now? we welcome writer and storyteller Aniefiok Ekpoudom , whose debut book Where We Come From: Rap, Home and Hope in Modern Britain explores the cultural and social history of British rap. Aniefiok joins Kareem and Esme to talk about his lifelong love of reading - beginning with fantasy adventures, comic books, and Benjamin Zephaniah at school - through to...

People-pleasing. Burnout. Boundaries that keep getting crossed. This week, Esme and Kareem sit down with author, artist, and boundary-whisperer Natalie Lue ( The Joy of Saying No ) for a candid, funny, and deeply moving conversation about reclaiming your time, energy, and self-respect. Natalie shares how blogging transformed her life, the surprising health diagnosis that proved the power of listen...

Writer, romantic, and reluctant TikTok star — Lucas Oakeley joins us this week to talk fiction, masculinity, and why books are the best way to challenge everything you think you know. Lucas has written for everyone from Vogue and The Guardian to Eater and GQ , but it’s his TikTok book reviews and men’s book club that made him a surprise internet sensation. Now he’s making his authorial debut with...

In this brilliant debut episode of What Are You Reading Now? , Esme and Kareem are joined by writer, journalist, and sex worker activist Frankie Miren , author of The Service and Morbid Obsessions . From tarot readings and rescue goats to book obsessions and feminist manifestos, nothing is off the table. Frankie opens up about her deeply personal journey through reading and writing, how sex work a...