The Waterstones Podcast

We sat down with our beloved Waterstones Children's Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce to discuss the magic of movie sets, the power of Shakespeare, the importance of reading for children and much more as we celebrate his brand new middle grade adventure The Blockbusters! A hilarious, globetrotting adventure, in which a boy bearing a striking resemblance to a huge movie star joins a film crew on location in hope of tracking down his runaway brother....

Continuing a conversation begun with his first novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, we sat down with Ocean Vuong to discuss his new book, The Emperor of Gladness, which sees a wayward young man unexpectedly caring for an elderly woman with dementia. In another fascinating conversation we see how unlikely friendship, memory and a unique look at America's working class combine in this tale of second chances.

From dismissal of symptoms to one-size-fits-all surgical solutions, women's healthcare comes under the spotlight in Naga Munchetty's important new book, It's Probably Nothing. We spoke with her about her own personal journey and the stories shared through dozens of conversations with women and men in order to better understand why women's health has been so poorly supported in the past and what might improve things in the future.

Robert Macfarlane's latest book is his most personal and political yet, asking a question which may sound simple, but which forces the reader to look at rivers in a profoundly different way to simply being matter for human use. In this conversation he takes us from the cloud forest of Ecuador, to the industrially clogged waterways of India before sending us down the white waters of Canada and returning home to the source of a chalk stream near his home. Also telling the stories of three people whose proximity to death is radically altered by their encounters with these rivers, we hope that after listening, your answer to that bold question will be a resounding yes!

Jack Fairweather brings the same rigour and narrative flair that won him the Costa Book of the Year award for The Volunteer, to his new book, The Prosecutor, which tells the story of Fritz Bauer, a gay German Jew, who retuned to West Germany on a mission to prosecute Nazi war criminals and found himself opposed on all sides in forcing the German people to reckon with their past. Join us for a fascinating conversation about personal responsibility, public prosecution, and the personal cost to a very determined man.

Completing a trilogy of outstanding books that examine the efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to account, Philippe Sands blends memoir, travelogue, detective story, and courtroom drama to stunning effect again with 38 Londres Street. We’re delighted to share his conversation with author Nick Harkaway, from their recent event at Waterstones Piccadilly, in which he shares the personal, the political and the legal facets of this intriguing journey.

Hallie Rubenhold helped readers to see the Ripper murders from an entirely new perspective with The Five, which assiduously assembled the lives of his victims. With The Story of a Murder, she does the same again with the case of Dr Crippen, shining new light on a case most know for a couple of lurid details. What happened to Crippen’s first wife, what was the nature of his marriage to his victim Belle Elmore, and how involved was his mistress, Ethel La Neve? Join us for more fascinating insight into a true crime classic.

Spring is Michael Morpurgo’s first non-fiction book for adults in almost 40 years and the book itself is a portrait of waiting for the seasons to change. In a fascinating conversation he expertly leads us through the landscape he has lived in for over four decades, to share his appreciation of those green shoots, migrating birds and flowing waters that when observed properly, teach us so much about flourishing youth, nurturing growth and why it is so important to have a connection with nature.

Jessie Burton uses her literary skills to enchant and entertain younger readers in her new novel, Hidden Treasure, which is a luminous tale of fortune and loss set on the banks of the River Thames. We sat down to speak with her about the magic of mudlarking, her family history and the power of friendship.

Natasha Brown’s Assembly was a debut that announced the arrival of a fresh new voice in fiction and her latest, Universality, shows her wielding words as weapons in a tale of power, privilege and taking control of the narrative. We sat down with her to discuss writing without constraints, perceptions of reality and what universality means.