Episode 36 – Being Actively Consciously Sexually Actively Conscious with Monique Roffey

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In this episode, Rob chats to Monique Roffey about ditching editors, loveless marriages, unevolved sexual behaviour, parties turning into orgies, and her sexy book The Tryst. Rob and Kate talk rather boring stuff by comparison: Writing communities, Prose poetry and the Winter Olympics. It’s a bonkers one, this.

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Namechecks:

Tania Hershman (again), Jenn Ashworth (again, yawn), Joanna Walsh, Danny Denton, Kevin Barry, Granta, Simon and Schuster, Lisa McInerney, Rosie Garland, Julie Myerson, Rachel Cusk, Francesca Main, Zoe Margolis, Catherine Emm

Episode 35 – Preoccupied with disaster with Megan Hunter

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In this episode, Rob chats to Megan Hunter about the end of the world, fragments in literature, Communist theatre, motherhood, not finishing Nineteen Eighty-Four and her amazing debut novel The End We Start From. Rob and Kate talk sexy fiction, the writing process, George Saunders, angry eyebrows and loads of poetry guff.

This is the George Saunders article Kate talks about in this one.

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Namechecks:

Martin Kratz, George Saunders, Jon McGregor, Ocean Vuong, Kayo Chingonyi, Andrew McMillan, Eimear McBride, Monique Roffey, Rosie Garland, Maggie Nelson, Meg Rosoff, Patrick Ness, Mike Conley, Han Kang, Jenny Offil, David Markson, Anne Carson

Episode 34 – Moving relentlessly from one thing to the next with Jon McGregor

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In this Christmas episode, Rob chats to Jon McGregor about Male oppression, obsession with the number thirteen, the art of the letter and how he constructed his multi-layered, much lauded and Booker longlisted novel, Reservoir 13. Rob and Kate and discuss the hottest thing in literature at the moment, Cat Person. If you are a big fan of Christmas crackers, geese, or the patriarchy, you will not like it.

Special appearances by noisy security guard, mobile phone and (as you do) soil pipe. Enjoy!

Read Cat Person before you listen to it.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE END OF ALL THINGS.

Namechecks:

Chimene Suleyman, Andrew McMillan, Joe Dunthorne, Matthew Walton, Nicole Flattery, Shaun Usher, Simon Garfield, Leftlion magazine, Stinging Fly, Sally Rooney, Claudia Rankine, Layli Long Soldier, Colson Whitehead (again), Kristen Roupenian

Episode 33 – Questioning Reality with Joanna Kavenna

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In this episode, Rob chats to novelist and Orange Prize winner, Joanna Kavenna about the individual experience of reality, Baudelaire, George Osbourne, the British Class system and her latest work, The Field Guide to Reality. Rob and Kate Feld also argue about all things literary (and otherwise). Kate tells us what the UNESCO City of Literature designation means for Manchester and Rob forces the Times Literary Supplement Twenty Questions on her. Apologies in advance to The New Statesman.

Here is the Times Literary Supplement interview with Nicola Barker mentioned in the podcast.

(Interview with Joanna begins at 30:45)

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Namechecks:

Jerome de Groot, Martin Kratz, Mair Bosworth, Kit de Waal, Rodge Glass, Kapka Kassabova, Nicola Barker, Hilary Lawson, Roger Penrose, David Chalmers, Mary Midgley

Episode 32 – Modern Horrors with Jenn Ashworth and Richard V Hirst

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In this Halloween episode, Rob chats to writers Jenn Ashworth and Richard V Hirst about their latest collaboration, the spooky “The Night Visitors”. They also talk about horror, ghost stories, bus stations and Jenn talks about how her battles with Post partum psychosis. Rob and Kate Feld also chat about books, self-publishing, Stephen King and (randomly) argue about Magic Realism.

(Interview with Jenn and Richard begins at 22:24)

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Namechecks:

Ben Judge, Nathan Connelly, Adam Marek, Abondance Matanda, Stephen King (again), Nicola Barker, Colson Whitehead

Episode 31 – You can’t libel the dead with Adelle Stripe

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In this episode, Rob chats to debut novelist Adelle Stripe about Capote’s rules for the non-fiction novel, Andrea Dunbar, two pint books, indies v big boys and the perfect length (of book). Rob and new co-host, Kate Feld also chat about book stuff, lit nights, karaoke (why?) and the usual BS that tends to come up when they get together. Oddly, they don’t whinge about the UK in this episode even once.

(Interview with Adelle begins at 19:46)

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Namechecks:

Clio Barnard, Steve Finbow, Yuval Harari, Iosi Havilio, Joe Orton, And Other Stories, Kay Mellor, Shelagh Delaney, Basho, Tania Hershman, Kit de Waal, Andrew McMillan, Nathan Connelly, Naomi Frisby, Dorthe Nors, Wrecking Ball Press, Fleet Press, David Peace, Matthew Hamilton, Black Sparrow Press, Gwedoline Riley, Lara Pawson, Colson Whitehead, Virago Press, Ursula Doyle, Aitken Alexander agency, Matthew Hamilton

 

Episode 30 – The Manchester Literature Festival with Kate Feld and Fleshy Peaches with Helen McClory

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In this episode, Rob has his annual Manchester Literature Festival chat with Kate Feld (complete with a surprising and extended moan about British sport) and then interviews novelist and flash fiction guru and advocate, Helen McClory about chibbing, things to spend money on, San Francisco, the perils of independent publishing and her latest novel Flesh of the Peach.

↑↑ Kate Feld begins at 4:00 ↑↑
↓↓ Helen McClory begins at 43:53 ↓↓

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Namechecks:

Manchester Literature Festival: Jon McGregor, Megan Hunter, Joanna Kavenna, Reni Eddo Lodge, Steve Dearden, Dead Ink publishing, Kit de Waal, Zaffar Kunial, Will Self, Malika Booker, Howard Jacobson, George Monbiot, Jennifer Egan, Sarah Hall, John Banville, Michael McCormack, Harriet Harman, Comma Press, Kamila Shamsie, Jeanette Winterson, Dorthe Nors, Samantha Schweblin, Omar El Akkad, Andrew McMillan, Lisa McInerney, Sally Rooney, Joanna Walsh, Joanna Moorhead,

Helen McClory: Freight books

Episode 29 – Irons in the fire with Sarah Butler

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In this episode, Rob speaks to novelist, poet, novella writer, short story writer, mentor Sarah Butler about millenials, making a living as a writer, advances, tuition fees, navigating cities and the strangeness of having your book big upped by the Daily Mail. Loads of chat about her novels Before the Fire and Ten things I’ve Learnt about Love. This episode is for the writers, man.

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Namechecks:

Francesca Main, Rommi Smith

Episode 28 – Reversing the polarity with Gregory Norminton

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In this episode, Rob speaks to lecturer, novelist and short story writer Gregory Norminton about Linguistic diversity loss, Immortality, Star Trek, Social liberalism, Patriotism, The 6th great extinction and, oh yeah, his Omnium Gatherium of short stories as well as his upcoming (totally bonkers, but amazing sounding) upcoming novel.

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Namechecks:

Will Self, Andrew Miller, Helen Garnons-Williams, Jim Hinks, 4th Estate, Comma Press, Hilary Mantel, George Monbiot

Episode 27 – Hocus Pocus with Beth Underdown

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In this episode, Rob speaks to novelist Beth Underdown about Witches, Imps, Ghosts and other spooky things like Rochdale and Masterseses in Creative Writing. Obviously, Beth’s excellent debut novel “The Witchfinder’s Sister” comes up. Rob reads historical fiction and likes it.

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Namechecks:

Fat Roland, Joe Daly, Michael Joseph, Viking Books, Penguin Random House, Drake Books, Hilary Mantel, Margaret Atwood, Lionel Shriver