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The Waterstones Podcast

The Waterstones Podcast

Waterstones 193 Episodes Sep 14, 2026

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

Episodes

Ann Patchett
Ann Patchett Sep 14, 2026 00:27:11 After losing her best friend, Ann Patchett poured all that love into her new novel, Whistler. Bringing platonic love to the fore, alongside the unearthing of the past and a reckoning with our own mortality; we sat down to speak with her about what it means to love and to lose, what she's learned as a bookseller about reading and why the most important thing for any writer is getting your posture r
Xand van Tulleken
Xand van Tulleken Sep 9, 2026 00:41:05 50% of people in the UK take supplements and the consumer blood-testing industry is now a $128 billion business. But does any of it work? In an increasingly confusing world Xand van Tulleken wanted to cut through the noise to sort fact from fiction. Two years later, his new book, Make Me Well, shares the results. We sat down with him to discover what wellness means, what works (and what doesn'
Rebecca F. Kuang returns!
Rebecca F. Kuang returns! Sep 7, 2026 00:25:38 In her most personal novel yet, Rebecca F. Kuang transports readers to Taipei, where Yale student Lily is working on her Chinese language to better connect with her Chinese family, only for loss to appear suddenly and change her perspective. In a fascinating discussion we spoke with Rebecca about linguistic relativity, getting grief wrong and falling foul of flat listings with clever camera angles
Kate Atkinson
Kate Atkinson Sep 1, 2026 00:25:59 Kate Atkinson's latest novel beautifully combines her skills in historical detail and crime caper plotting for a story which assembles a motley crew of misfits attempting to curate 1951's Festival of Britain. We sat down to speak with her about the allure of the period, how she creates character and why bringing joy to readers is still what drives her.
Rebecca Perry
Rebecca Perry Aug 25, 2026 00:23:28 Join us as we celebrate Rebecca Perry as the author of this year's Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize-winner, May We Feed The King. Over a glass of bubbly, we discuss the connections between her curator character and the art of writing, playing with the tropes of historical fiction, and her love of cats.
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson Aug 20, 2026 00:34:24 Jon Ronson's latest journalistic adventure begins with a series of text messages from his son which then leads to an odyssey from reality TV, to influencers, to America's disenfranchised men to paint a portrait of masculinity in crisis as only he can. We spoke with him about where his work ethic comes from, being a slave to the algorithm and how many turrets is too many turrets.
Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman Jul 1, 2026 00:25:49 When Alice Oseman created the first volume of Heartstopper on her own, she couldn’t have foreseen what a phenomenon it would become. As the final volume hits shelves and the Netflix adaptation concludes with the film Heartstopper Forever, we were delighted to spend some time with Alice to reflect on all those years of work, the incredible fans and maybe even what might come next.
Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer Jun 23, 2026 00:17:36 Andrew Sean Greer writes the kind of novels that you want to press into others' hands when what they need is a book filled with charm, comedy and a sense of romance. After the trials of his hapless author Arthur Less in his eponymous Pulitzer Prize-winning Less, Greer’s latest novel transports us to Villa Coco in Tuscany for a summer we will never forget. We sat down to speak with him about ho
Meet the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026 Shortlist Authors
Meet the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026 Shortlist Authors Jun 18, 2026 01:12:16 The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Shortlist is here and it's time to meet the class of 2026. With books that take us from modern America to medieval Europe, from magical realism to modern satire, from private lives to open houses - these are the writers that have most excited our experience booksellers and we can't wait for you to discover your own favourite. Join us for a freewheeling conversat
Lily King
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
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
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.

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