Bookwandering with Anna James

My guest this week is John Green, the author of many beloved books including Looking for Alaska, Turtles All the Way Done and of course The Fault in Our Stars. John’s adult fiction debut, Hollywood, Ending, is out tomorrow. John chose The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M Martin, specifically the 26th book in the series, Claudia and the Sad Goodbye. We talked about the joy of the babysitter’s club, writing about grief for young people, books within books, and the nature of fame. You can find John's and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is bestselling writer Saara El-Arifi. She’s the author of The Ending Fire trilogy, Cleopatra, and the Faebound trilogy of which the final installment, Earthbound, just came out. Saara chose Malorie Blackman’s iconic 2001 YA novel, Noughts & Crosses and we had a great chat about Saara’s experiences of reading it as a teenager and coming back to it as an adult and the profound effect it had on her as a reader and writer. You can find Saara's and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is writer and musician Emma-Lee Moss whose memoir, My Cantopop Nights, was published last month. You may also know her as Emmy the Great, the name Emma made music as until she retired it in 2023. Emma chose A Book of Magic Animals, the 1974 collection of folk tales and fairytales by Ruth Manning-Sanders, illustrated by Robin Jacques. We talked about being raised by stories of all kinds, how to write memoir honesty, and whether we have met each other in a previous life. You can find Emma's and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Amelia Tait, journalist and author of Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveler, her brilliant middle grade debut. Amelia chose Meg Cabot’s iconic 2000 novel The Princess Diaries and we talked about the enduring appeal of diary style books for tweens, Amelia’s own diaries, and of course the Anne Hathaway film.You can find Amelia's and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Lily King, author of several books including Euphoria, Writers & Lovers and Women’s Prize shortlisted Heart the Lover. Lily chose Judy Blume’s 1972 novel It’s Not the End of the World and we chatted about why it was the book that made Lily want to be an author, the magic of Judy Blume, and why it’s all about emotion not plot when Lily’s writing. You can find Lily's and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Alice Slater, former bookseller, and author of Death of a Bookseller and Let the Bad Times Roll, which is out now in paperback. Alice chose Melvin Burgess’ seminal 1996 YA novel, Junk. We talk about looking at older books through a modern lens, unlikeable characters and second album syndrome as novelists. You can find Alice’s and my own books on my Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former children's laureate and poet Joseph Coelho joins me to talk about Raymond Brigg's beloved Christmas classic, The Snowman. We talk about festive traditions, some of Brigg's other work including When the Wind Blows, and about the importance of poetry for young people.You can find a selection of Joseph's books along with The Snowman and my own work at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debut novelist Rochelle Dowden-Lord joins me to talk about Kasper in the Glitter, Philip Ridleys' gloriously odd 1994 children's book that's illustrated by Chris Riddell. We talk about the importance of weird children's books, researching wine, and have a frank chat about our experiences of being published while working in the book industry. Please note this episode contains an instance of very strong language. Lush, Rochelle's Nero Prize shortlisted novel, is out now and you can find it alongside my books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookwandering-the-podcastThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lioness captain Leah Williamson and her co-writer and cousin Jordan Glover join me this week to talk about The Lord of the Rings. We talk about how Leah takes inspiration from Aragorn as the England captain, fancy dress family parties, and the Lost Lionesses of the 1971 Women’s World Cup who inspired their most recent book.  You can find The Wonder Team series, The Lords of the Rings and my own books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/acaseforbooksThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling author and founder of the Women's Prize Kate Mosse joins me this week to talk about Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 classic, The Secret Garden. We talk about pirate queens and little princesses, spiky girls and gardens, and how Kate chose who to include in her anthology.You can find Feminist History for Every Day of the Year, The Secret Garden and my own books at: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/acaseforbooksThe podcast is produced by Adam Collier with artwork by Hester Kitchen.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.