Tom's Book Club

Derek Owusu joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss his powerful new novel, The Recovery House — a moving and darkly funny story about mental health, creativity, faith, friendship and finding a way back to yourself. Jamal is a gifted young writer who wakes in a recovery house after a devastating mental breakdown. Surrounded by other patients dealing with their own struggles, he begins to find unexpected friendship, humour and connection. As music, literature and spirituality become ways of making sense of his experiences, the boundaries between illness, inspiration, God and madness begin to blur. Derek discusses how much, or how little, of his own experiences made it into the book, as well as the role of humour, the importance of music - including The Cranberries’ Zombie - his relationship with faith, discovering reading in his twenties, and how he unexpectedly became a writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily St. John Mandel joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss her new novel, Exit Party, a gripping and unsettling novel about parallel worlds, political division, surveillance, freedom, art and the possibility of a different future. Set in 2031, Exit Party takes us to an America at war with itself, where the Republic of California has declared independence and a seemingly ordinary party in Los Angeles becomes increasingly strange. Ari, recently released from prison, finds herself caught between different versions of reality, before the novel opens up into a second America where many of society’s greatest problems have been solved - but at the cost of constant surveillance and conformity. Emily talks about where the novel began and the challenge of creating two radically different versions of America. We discuss the book’s exploration of militias, civil conflict and the ways people become accustomed to extraordinary circumstances. We also talk about Ari, a character Emily first introduced in The Singer’s Gun, the novel’s shifting perspectives and experimental structure; and how form, doubling and parallel worlds allow Emily to explore different versions of reality. Emily also discusses the role of art and creativity in Exit Party, the connections between this novel and her wider body of work, and the recurring characters and ideas that link her novels together. Tom’s Book Club is an independent books podcast featuring conversations with contemporary authors about their books, writing and creative process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meg Mason joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about her new novel, Sophie, Standing There a funny, candid and bittersweet story about loneliness, friendship, obsession and the unexpected ways we find connection. Meg is the author of the international bestseller Sorrow and Bliss, and in this conversation she discusses the creation of Sophie Pattison, a kind and deeply lonely woman whose life begins to change when she rediscovers the work of an author she hasn't read in years. We talk about loneliness and Meg’s own experiences of it, the emotional power of books and podcasts, and the parasocial relationships we can develop with writers we’ve never met. We also explore the world of book festivals and literary events, including the real authors who appear in the novel, Meg’s experiences of the publishing and literary world, and the inspiration behind some of the book’s funniest moments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Atkinson joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Our Noble Selves, her new historical novel set in post-war Britain against the backdrop of the 1951 Festival of Britain. It’s the summer of 1951, and Britain is trying to put the darkness of the Second World War behind it. Former foreign correspondent and war reporter Harry Flynn joins the eccentric team preparing the Festival of Britain, while attempting to rebuild his life after the war. But when a woman he's been seeing goes missing, Flynn finds himself under suspicion and drawn into an investigation involving a cast of unforgettable characters. In this conversation, Kate Atkinson talks about the real history behind Our Noble Selves, including the extraordinary and often eccentric details of the Festival of Britain. She discusses her writing process and how she creates characters, including one inspired by television cook Fanny Craddock. We also explore Kate’s approach to humour and why even a novel dealing with the aftermath of war can be funny. Kate Atkinson is one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists. Her debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize. Her bestselling historical novels include Life After Life, A God in Ruins, Transcription and Shrines of Gaiety. She is also the author of the Jackson Brodie crime novels, including Case Histories and Death at the Sign of the Rook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Ryan joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Buckeye, his acclaimed debut novel about love, war, grief, family and the secrets that can shape generations. Set in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, Buckeye begins in May 1945, as the Second World War comes to an end. A chance encounter between Margaret Salt and hardware-store owner Cal Jenkins sets in motion a story that unfolds across generations, bringing together two couples - Cal and Becky, and Margaret and Felix - whose lives become intertwined in unexpected and sometimes devastating ways. In this conversation, Patrick Ryan talks about the inspiration behind Buckeye and the role his own family history played in the novel. We discuss the different ways people experience and process war, the lasting effects of trauma, and the complicated relationship between grief and forgiveness. Patrick also talks about his writing process, getting advice from Ann Patchett and why editing is far more fun than writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avni Doshi joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss The First House, her dark and hypnotic second novel about marriage, motherhood, divorce, power and transformation. The novel begins with a woman being told by her husband that he wants a divorce. Convinced that they have had an almost perfect marriage, she is left to pick through the ruins of their shared life while caring for their two young daughters. As the summer unfolds, memories of her marriage begin to shift, warning signs emerge, and the boundaries between reality, mythology, astrology and the natural world start to blur. In this conversation, Avni Doshi talks about the inspiration behind The First House, creating an unnamed and flawed narrator, and exploring the power dynamics within marriage and family. We discuss patriarchy, motherhood, midlife, astrology, mythology and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Tom’s Book Club: Behind The Books, Tom talks to Patrice Lawrence, the newly appointed Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2026–2028, about children’s books, reading, representation and the power of stories to make young people feel seen and heard. Patrice Lawrence is the award-winning author of Orangeboy, Needle, Is That Your Mama?, Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush and Our Story Starts in Africa. A decade after the publication of Orangeboy, she takes on one of the most important roles in British children’s literature. In this conversation, Patrice discusses what it means to become Children’s Laureate, her plans for the role, and the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in books. Patrice also reflects on her own childhood reading, the books that shaped her, the realities of writing for children today, and why she still feels guilty about an encounter with a Doctor Who companion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debut author Katie Huttlestone joins Tom's Book Club to discuss A Healthy Appetite, a darkly funny and unsettling novel about cancer, recovery, desire and what we might sacrifice to survive. Hannah has spent a decade living with cancer. Now in her thirties, with her future seemingly disappearing before her, she's given the chance to take part in a clinical trial that could save her life. But when the treatment begins to work, Hannah's appetite returns, first for meat, despite being a committed vegetarian, and then for much more. In this episode, Katie Huttlestone talks about writing "recovery horror", drawing on her own experience of cancer, and exploring what happens after survival. We discuss Hannah's changing relationship with her body, sex and desire and the complicated reality of relying on the NHS while recognising its flaws. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Booker Prize-winning author Samantha Harvey joins Tom's Book Club to discuss her acclaimed novel Orbital, a luminous story set aboard the International Space Station that explores time, humanity and our fragile place in the universe. Recorded in 2024, the morning after Samantha Harvey's Booker Prize win, this episode revisits a conversation about the inspiration behind Orbital, writing about space, finding wonder in the everyday, and how one of the year's most celebrated novels came together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead joins Tom's Book Club to discuss Cool Machine, the gripping final instalment in his acclaimed Harlem Trilogy. In this episode, Colson Whitehead talks about bringing the Harlem Trilogy to a close, creating one of his most memorable characters in Ray Carney, researching New York's criminal underworld, writing about ageing, art and restitution, and whether he'd ever return to these characters. He also reflects on becoming the only living novelist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice, and the influence Star Wars has had on his writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Mason joins Tom's Book Club to discuss Country People, his witty and richly imagined new novel blending folklore, family life and the strange stories communities choose to believe. In this episode, Daniel talks about the inspiration behind Country People, creating the warm but wonderfully hapless Miles Krzelewski, writing unforgettable eccentric characters, and why humour plays such an important role in his fiction. He also discusses local legends, our desire to believe the unbelievable, and how his work as a psychiatrist informs his writing. Daniel Mason is the author of North Woods, The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier, while his story collection A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debut novelist Aisling Rawle joins Tom's Book Club to discuss her acclaimed novel The Compound. Set inside a mysterious reality television competition in the desert, The Compound blends literary fiction, satire and suspense to explore consumerism, inequality, entertainment and our fascination with watching others. Aisling discusses the origins of the novel, the reality TV shows that influenced her writing, creating the character of Lily, the novel's links to Animal Farm, writing the first draft in just six weeks, and why the story's mysteries are left deliberately unresolved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a literary critic actually do? How are books chosen for review? And do reviews still matter in the age of Goodreads, BookTok and social media? In this special Behind The Books episode of Tom's Book Club, Tom speaks to Laura Hackett, Deputy Literary Editor and Fiction Editor at The Times and The Sunday Times, about life as one of Britain's leading literary critics. Laura discusses the reviewing process, how she approaches a new novel, writing positive and negative reviews, dealing with authors' reactions, and the changing role of criticism in 2026. Behind The Books is our monthly bonus series exploring the wider literary world through conversations with the people who shape it, from booksellers and critics to editors, translators and illustrators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling author Dave Eggers joins Tom's Book Club to discuss his new novel, Contrapposto. Spanning almost seven decades, Contrapposto follows Cricket and Olympia, two friends united by a love of art and a belief that they can change the world. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dave Eggers discusses creativity, the power of art, the parallels between painting and writing, creating one of his favourite ever characters, and why this novel was more than twenty years in the making. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bobby Palmer joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss his new novel Main Characters, an ambitious love story told entirely through the eyes of friends, family, flatmates and strangers. In this episode, Bobby discusses the inspiration behind Main Characters, why he had wanted to write a love story for many years, and how he approached telling a relationship entirely through the perspectives of other people. He talks about creating dozens of narrators, writing humour, family and friendship, and the challenge of building two central characters who never tell their own story. Bobby Palmer is the author of Isaac and the Egg, a Waterstones Paperback of the Year, and Small Hours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling novelist and President of the Royal Society of Literature Elif Shafak discusses literature, storytelling and the writing life. In this wide-ranging conversation, Elif reflects on the books that have guided her through difficult times, growing up between cultures, writing in both English and Turkish, and why stories can cross borders more easily than people can. She discusses her acclaimed novel There Are Rivers in the Sky, the experience of being put on trial following The Bastard of Istanbul, and the challenge of inhabiting voices as varied as sex workers, archaeologists and even a fig tree. Elif also opens up about her unusual writing process, why she writes amid a "hullabaloo" of noise, her thoughts on artificial intelligence and literature, and her forthcoming novel, In One Brief Moment All Eternity, which she describes as "the novel I always wanted to write." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women's Prize-winning author and palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke joins Tom's Book Club to discuss The Story of a Heart, the book that won the 2025 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. Following the announcement of this year's Women's Prize winners, we're revisiting this conversation with Rachel about the extraordinary true story of Keira, a young girl whose donated heart saved another child's life. Rachel discusses how she first discovered the story, the families at its centre, and the remarkable history of heart transplantation. She also reflects on balancing medicine with storytelling, the emotional challenges of writing about grief and hope, and the response the book has received from readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of Behind The Books, a new series exploring the people and professions that shape the literary world, Tom is joined by independent bookseller Katie Clapham. Katie is the co-owner of Storytellers Inc. and the author of Receipts from the Bookshop, a diary of a year spent running a bookshop on the Lancashire coast. Released to coincide with Independent Bookshop Week, this conversation explores the realities of bookselling: choosing what to stock, recommending books to customers, the economics of running an independent bookshop, and why bookshops remain such important parts of their communities. Whether you're a book lover, aspiring bookseller, or simply curious about what goes on behind the scenes of the book world, this episode offers a fascinating insight into life in an independent bookshop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer discusses his new novel, Villa Coco. Set in the Tuscan countryside, the novel follows a young American who finds himself working for an eccentric ninety-year-old Baronessa and drawn into a world of friendship, mystery and unexpected adventure. Andrew talks about the real-life experiences that inspired the book, writing comedy, creating memorable characters, balancing charm with emotional depth, and why he wanted to write a novel that brings readers joy. He also reflects on the influence of Graham Greene, whether there could be another Arthur Less novel, and what it was like to win the Pulitzer Prize for Less. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Maggie O’Farrell discusses her new novel Land, a haunting historical novel set in post-Famine Ireland about memory, buried histories, family and survival. Maggie talks about the delayed train journey that first sparked the idea for the book, the real family history that informed the story, researching cartography and the Ordnance Survey, and writing a novel shaped by folklore, ghosts and the lingering scars of the Great Hunger. Plus, Maggie reflects on the extraordinary journey of Hamnet from bestselling novel to Oscar-nominated film adaptation, including her experience co-writing the screenplay and attending the Academy Awards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.