In this episode, Rob chats to Joanna Walsh about mixing narrative forms, autofiction, the perils of using material from your own life in your work, hardback fetishes, Kafka’s letters, the beauty of the online relationship, and, oddly, Airbnb. Rob and Kate talk about the joy of quitting, going native, Janeane Garofalo, sex shops and douchbag commercials. Yes, you read that right.

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Links to stuff mentioned in the podcast:

The Seinfeld episode the much maligned jazz voice added to the theme song

The infamous Summer’s Eve douche commercial

• Guardian review of I love Dick
• The Letters Page
• BBC Front Row interview with Joanna Walsh
• AM Holmes in conversation with Kate Feld
• Douchebag by Sharon Olds

Namechecks:

AM Holmes, Janeane Garofalo, Claire Louise Bennett, Anne Carson, FC United, Sharon Olds, Jon McGregor (again), Chris Kraus, Anne Boyer, Vahni Capideo, Tony White, Andre Breton and Will Self (again)

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

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

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

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