The Waterstones Podcast
Welcome to the Waterstones Podcast, a chance to join authors in conversation as we go beyond the book to discuss the themes and ideas that fascinate us all.
Listen on Anchor, Spotify or iTunes via the links below or wherever you listen to podcasts. Video versions, when available, can be watched on Spotify, YouTube or right here.
Why all dystopias aren’t about our future at all, but our present moment.
The chart-topping viral superstar looks back on a life filled with music.
Inside the studio of one of our favourite children’s book authors and illustrators.
Race, class and sexuality over the course of seven decades.
What the Rillington Place murder trial tells us about 1950s Britain.
Small moments of joy from a life filled with food, travel, and home-making.
Comedian, television presenter, gardener, cage-fighter, AND world-renowned portraitist!
Six gunmen, twenty-six hostages, six days of tense stand-off, and one final assault that made history.
We all know money makes the world go round, but might it have shaped human history as we know it?
Unearthing the story of a mute patient in a 1960s psychiatric hospital.
Six of the most exciting new voices, chosen by our booksellers.
An exclusive chat with the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024.
A time travel romance about bureaucracy, Empire and cigarettes.
From the epic to the mundane and why there’s no such thing as a boring life.
Walking from coast to coast with the king of romantic comedy.
An epic narrative from cradle of humanity to vibrant future.
A group of women betrayed by a single man and the society that allowed it to happen.
Utopia meets dystopia in a crime thriller from the end of the world.
From poverty to millionaire trader and why he had to leave.
An incredible story of shipwreck, survival and a couple’s love.
A sparkling sequel sees Nina return to London once again with hilarious consequences.
Laughter is on the menu as we talk about a lifetime obsession with food.
Connecting to Shakespeare with a legend of British stage and screen.
Looking back on a fascinating life with the woman who changed the culinary landscape of the UK.
We’re not just thinking about it, we’re talking Roman Empire with a world authority.
A whistle-stop tour of royal history from the Dark Ages to Henry VIII.
A no-holds-barred chat with the ever-entertaining actress.
Journey with us to the Archipelago to meet creatures of myth and magic.
Take a trip into the mirror world of conspiracy theory and misinformation.
A journey into the past with one of the most celebrated writers of today.
Join us to discover what makes book festivals so special.
Hear from six exciting new voices, chosen by our booksellers.
When the best time of your life can also be the worst.
Inside the world of publishing for satire and thrills from the author of Babel.
Family, memory and black creativity with one of Britain’s most exciting new voices.
The International Booker Prize-winner on her new novel of the human senses and communication.
Family dynamics, fraught relationships and the yearning for home.
Lives from the 7th century to today, connected by St. Cuthbert.
An honest conversation about life, death, grieving and getting better.
Adapt to survive in the new novel from the internationally bestselling author.
Celebrating the return of events and the chance to meet your heroes.
Hear from all six shortlisted authors.
Why conversation and talking about the hard things is so important.
Fiction that speaks about the moment we're living through.
Neither brief, nor a history; inside the Booker-winning polyphonic spree.
From 'untranslatable' to award-winning translation.
Inside the ten year journey of a magical 'instant' classic.
H is for Hawk and P is for the perfect podcast to celebrate a modern classic.
How you write, print and narrate a 1,000 page, single-sentence novel.
The inside story of the winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Don't Panic! It's the 42nd anniversary of Douglas Adams's comic classic.
A friendship is tested by the fallout from a police shooting.
Ghosts of the past haunt a Peruvian home in a magical debut.
Community, family and life inside the north London heroin trade in a bold debut.
Sporting icons combine in a call for better education to beat racism.
A literary thriller from inside the world of publishing itself.
How a story of twin sisters living separate lives brought readers together.
A genre-defying journey into the dark that has everyone talking.
The inside story of the inaugural co-winner of the Merky Books New Writer's Prize.
A walk along historic Jermyn St with Stephen Fry, owner of ties.
Family, film-making and finding your path in life with Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey.
Inside the NHS during a pandemic to see what it really means to care.
A simple family holiday amidst a global catastrophe makes for an unforgettable novel.
We sit down for a 2 Michelin-starred bacon sandwich to talk pubs, perfection and brown sauce.
A bonus episode in which we get to speak to two stars of the hugely popular TV series.
An extended ramble taking in boarding school, Bowie and coping with loss.
Buried secrets burst forth in the latest novel from a familiar face.
We negotiate the labyrinth of online outrage to find hope for the future.
Making sense of millennial life, from authenticity to 'that dress.'
Confronting the taboo of those women who choose to remain child-free.
Be a kid again as we celebrate with the four winners of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
We stray from the public footpaths in our pursuit of natural connection.
Wise words to bring us together in this time of division and conflict.
Words of wisdom from psychotherapist Julia Samuel about dealing with change.
Why human connection is so important for mind, body and spirit; especially now.
Why reading literature in translation can only enrich your reading life.
A journey to the end of the world to see what we can learn about today.
A revolutionary new perspective on humankind, with the emphasis on KIND.
We look at some of our guilty reads and wonder if you should ever feel guilty for reading at all.
How do you make change stick? Or cope when change is forced upon you?
From page to stage or screen (or beyond); we look at the art of adaptation.
What can stories do that novels can't and why do some writers love them so?
Two mothers separated by 400 years of history; how different are they?
How do we form memories, how do we keep them, how do we escape them?
We confront fear in fact and fiction and find hope for the future.
We confront fear in fact and fiction and find hope for the future.
Lock the doors, close the windows, and maybe grab a friend for comfort.
Join us for an appreciation of the great outdoors. Whilst it lasts.
Music, film and social media madness; get your triple shot of culture here.
Where do communities meet in the 21st century and how can we connect better?
How do authors meet their characters? Why are we so bad at reading strangers?
Welcome to the Waterstones Podcast, a chance to hear authors going beyond the book.
What makes a great friend and how do you keep them in today's hectic world?
Is it achievable? Is it healthy to even try? And where might it lie in art?
If at first you don't succeed.. you know the rest. And we learnt the hard way.
You don't get to chose them and maybe that's why we love reading about them.
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