The Waterstones Podcast

In her latest book, eminent historian and author, Mary Beard, presents a thematic approach to the role of Roman Emperor. What did it mean to be at the head of the empire, what daily work was involved, and what did it mean to have access to his inner circle? We sat down to talk about Roman dining, statues and coins, and why this period of history holds such fascination to people living today.

Well-known to fans of The Young Ones, Bottom, or any number of alternative comedy shoots from the 1980s onwards, Adrian Edmondson’s anarchic comedy of violence has surprising roots in an unsettled childhood. We sat down to talk about boarding school, found family and why the whole comedy thing was a bit of an accident.

No matter how you feel about them, there’s no doubt that the Royal Family still play a crucial role in our national identity - but how did we get to where we are? And how much do we really know about the Kings and Queens of our past? We sat down with comedian and writer David Mitchell to discover why the early Kings were just successful bullies, why royal succession is a bit like losing your mobile phone, and why Magna Carta is important for many reasons, but doesn’t get you off wearing a face mask or paying your council tax.

The cause of more dropped jaws than almost any other entertainer, Miriam Margolyes shared a lifetime of hilarious incident in her first memoir, This Much Is True. Thankfully, she has plenty more to say, and in Oh Miriam! we have more hilarity, but also reflection, emotion, and a healthy dose of passion too; all of which is on display in our exclusive conversation with her.

Former Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winner Katherine Rundell has turned to fantasy to create her latest fictional world. The Archipelago is a cluster of magical islands where humans live alongside the creatures of myth, but the magic is under threat. We sat down to speak about a childhood of adventure, standing on the shoulders of giants, and what readers can expect from this exciting new trilogy.

It was amusing at first when Naomi Klein found people would confuse her with fellow author Naomi Wolf. But when her namesake started to develop increasingly extreme views during the COVID pandemic, it required more attention, and opened up a mirror-world of conspiracy, misinformation and shifting ideologies. In a fascinating conversation with the author of No Logo we discuss why what Doppelgänger depicts is such a pressing issue for us all, and how to get back to what really matters.

The Wren, The Wren, the new novel from Booker Prize-winner Anne Enright, continues her examination of themes around motherhood, family relationships and connection. As we sat down to talk about it, we discussed how it is really a novel about its characters and an investigation into what language is trying to do, and what happens when it reaches its limits.

From her debut novel 23 years ago, Zadie Smith has held both readers and critics in rapt attention. That debut was of course White Teeth, which went on to become a multi award-winning bestseller, and whilst the novels that have followed have taken readers to different parts of the world, she has for many been an essential chronicler of life in London. Her new novel, The Fraud, is set once again in our capital city but in a surprise to some, including the author herself perhaps, it is set during the Tichborne Case of 1873, making this her first historical novel. We spoke to discover what it was about this case and those involved in it that caused her to give in to the genre she had avoided so assiduously.

Anyone who’s had the chance to meet a favourite author at an event knows that it can add something really special to the books you love; and book festivals offer the opportunity to do it again and again. In a special episode of the podcast we head to the Edinburgh International Book Festival to meet authors Josie Long, Monica Heisey, Will McPhail, Brandon Taylor and K Patrick, as well as readers too, and discover what makes it so special.

The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize returns for its second year and our booksellers have once again identified the most exciting new writing talent out there. We spoke with all six authors about how it feels to hand over that all-important manuscript for others to pass judgement on, discover how much autobiography feeds into their work, the kind of research it takes to create fiction, and that trickiest of questions: where does the inspiration and compulsion to write come from? Find all the books here.