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The Waterstones Podcast

The Waterstones Podcast

Waterstones 193 episodes Latest Jun 9, 2026

Going beyond the book with a wide range of authors to discover the story behind the books we love.

Episodes

Lily King Jun 9, 2026 00:24:22 Through her writing about love, Lily King has made readers care deeply about her characters and what life does to them. A year on from Heart The Lover's publication and after a month as our fiction pick, we finally got to sit down with Lily to talk about writing love, being surprised and how she feels about making her readers sob uncontrollably.
Elizabeth Strout Jun 8, 2026 00:18:35 Having captivated readers with the eponymous Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton , Elizabeth Strout has moved down the coast from Maine to Massachusetts for her latest novel, and a new character for readers to meet. We sat down to speak with her about where Artie Dam came from, what he's wrestling with and why there are still things we never say.
Sathnam Sanghera Jun 3, 2026 00:25:04 George Michael managed to be both enigmatic and to share some of the most personal details about his life but superfan Sathnam Sanghera has looked a little closer to really appreciate the artistry and importance of one of pop's most enduring voices. We spoke with him about being a control freak, a defining era for music and why that voice is still so special to listen to.
Maggie O'Farrell Jun 1, 2026 00:24:33 Following the phenomenal success of Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell returns with Land, an epic novel of upheaval and loss beginning in 19th century Ireland, with its roots in Maggie's own family. We sat down to speak with her about such personal inspiration, the mapping of her narratives and what it really feels like to be on the Oscar's red carpet.
Siri Hustvedt May 22, 2026 00:26:00 When Siri Hustvedt lost her husband, Paul Auster, to cancer, her immediate instinct was to write. This, in fact, has always been her instinct and the resulting book, Ghost Stories, is an elegant patchwork of memories, letters and more that serve as a moving tribute to their relationship. We spoke with her about their first meeting, nearly losing him immediately, their years of partnership and the
Douglas Stuart May 19, 2026 00:25:36 When Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize with his debut, Shuggie Bain, it announced the arrival of a distinctive new voice in fiction. Now, after two novels set in his native Glasgow, his third takes us to the Isle of Harris for another close study of family dynamics, repressed emotion and the irrepressible urge towards self-expression. We sat down to speak with him about this change of location a
Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane May 6, 2026 00:36:16 Artist Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane have already blessed us with The Lost Words and The Lost Spells and their third project together is a field guide like no other. The Book of Birds asks us to really look and listen to a selection of birds whose future is under threat. We sat down with them both to discover more about the importance of drawing and painting from life rather than deat
Patrick Radden Keefe Apr 7, 2026 00:33:30 The investigative reporting of Patrick Radden Keefe has already given us non-fiction classics like Say Nothing and Empire of Pain. In London Falling, he turns his eye to the story of Zac Brettler, who plunged to his death from a luxury London apartment at the age of just 19. What his parents then discovered was an alternative life that had led their son through the capital’s dangerous underworld t
Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2026 Mar 17, 2026 01:00:22 For the first time ever, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize assembles our shortlisted authors and illustrators for a special interview in which we discover more about the joy of picture books, the nature of world building, and how they incorporate important and mature themes as readers get older. Ahead of our winners announcement on 26 March, sit back and enjoy the brilliant creativity of them
Antony Beevor Mar 10, 2026 00:27:06 The legends surrounding the figure of Rasputin are so well-trodden we may think we know the story, but how did a man born as a peasant come to find himself within the Tsar’s inner circle and how instrumental was he in the downfall of the Romanov dynasty. Luckily, we have historian Antony Beevor to answer every one of these questions and more. 
George Saunders Feb 17, 2026 00:22:57 Booker Prize-winner George Saunders takes us back to that space between life and death in his new novel, Vigil, leading to a fruitful conversation about providing comfort at the end of life, why repentance at the end might not make the difference and why he’s always happiest raising questions and providing no answers.
Julian Barnes Jan 20, 2026 00:20:52 Booker Prize-winner Julian Barnes has a bibliography that would keep a reader happy for many months, even years, but with mention that his latest book, Departure(s), might be his last, we were determined to speak with him about his approach to fiction, the passage of time, and the very special relationship between writer and reader.

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