10 of the best literary podcasts for book lovers

Nothing compares to reading a book, but literary podcasts do offer their listeners different ways to enjoy them, from hearing an author’s voice and getting the lowdown on the latest novels to discovering some magnificent lost gem you’ve never heard of.

The trick here is to be selective when choosing which episode to listen to, as it’s only as good as the author on it.

Confessions with Giles Fraser

UnHerd columnist and Anglican priest Giles Fraser’s interviews with “interesting, well-known people”, many, though not all, of whom are authors, focus on “how their beliefs shape who they are”. Turkish novelist Elif Shafak talks about agnosticism, faith and doubt, and why populism is the “fake” answer to real problems, while Susan Hill reveals how unresolved grief over the deaths of her mother, her fiancé and her baby daughter played into her ghost stories.

Good for: Serious in-depth discussion.

Duration: Just under an hour.

“But to write a novel from the perspective of Melania would be to spend your time and energy pondering what it’s like to be married to Donald Trump,” Curtis Sittenfeld tells Nihal Arthanayake, apropos of her latest novel, Rodham. Paul McCartney — yes, that one, and author of children’s story Grandude — explains why the thought of meeting Bob Dylan made him nervous, and Bernardine Evaristo talks about growing up poor in a mixed-race household, one of eight children.

Good For: Keeping up with new publications.

Duration: Just over half an hour.

Perfect for “literary nosy parkers”, Daisy Buchanan visits writers at home for some deep-delving into their bookshelves. David Nicholls stacks his books alphabetically with Amis up top (he’s got a ladder), while Philippa Perry has read every Jane Austen novel at least 20 times. Check out the new mini spin-off too, Shelf Isolation, about good books to get through lockdown, kicking off with Sara Pascoe.

Authors discuss the topics du jour with hosts literary agent Carrie Plitt and academic Octavia Bright. Does debut novelist Kiley Reid think social media is destroying our ability to read? What does Garth Greenwell have to say about why intimacy is so important in these socially distanced times? And Topeka School sensation Ben Lerner argues for the power of therapy in fiction. Shorter “minisodes” cover anything from Brexit to TS Eliot.

Good For: Authors takes on current affairs.

The Irish journalist Caroline O’Donoghue discusses vintage chick-lit in a refreshingly lightweight tone. Valley of the Dolls? “You should probably have some kind of drink with it,” says her guest, the writer Ella Risbridger. “Oh yeah, I was so drunk reading so much of this,” agrees O’Donoghue. The Thorn Birds? “Colleen McCullough, not a nice lady, I did some research … she was a bitch.” Guests and titles vary, but O’Donoghue remains the star.

Good For: Not taking itself too seriously.

James Naughtie hosts; listeners put questions to authors. Was anger or art the impetus for The Handmaid’s Tale?, Margaret Atwood is asked (by Eimear McBride). What diagnosis would a psychologist give Eleanor (Oliphant)?, Gail Honeyman is asked. How much research did Colson Whitehead do on enforced sterilisation when plotting The Underground Railroad?

Good For: Authors high, low and every brow.

Ever been tempted to read The Journal of a Disappointed Man by W. N. P. Barbellion? Or Excellent Women by Barbara Pym, or The Blessing by Nancy Mitford? What about Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service? John “Unbound” Mitchinson, journalist Andy Miller and guests use a jocular chat-show format to discuss the books that got away, and lots of banter .

Good For: Hearing original blurbs of obscure books.

Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year

Radio presenter Mayo and former BBC sidekick Matt Williams invite authors from Adele Parks to Sophie Hannah, from Lee Child to Jung Chang, to plug their books and chat about whatever takes their fancy. Followed by a Q&A, with the authors giving their favourite author recommendations. Parks likes Muriel Spark; Hannah prefers Agatha Christie.

Good For: A few laughs along the way.

Duration: Anything from 15-50 minutes.

Frank Skinner’s Poetry Podcast

On Philip Larkin: “A lot of people talk about representation. Women want to see more women in strong positive roles; people of colour likewise. I feel represented by a weedy, unattractive, grumpy bloke who seems to have a sparkling inner life.” On Famous Bigshots by Caroline Knox: “I don’t actually know why I love it completely and I don’t completely know what it means, but sometimes love is blind.”

Good For: Heartfelt takes on poems.

The Slightly Foxed Podcast

You’re sitting at a well-scrubbed kitchen table in “cosy Hoxton Square” with SF editors Gail Pirkis, Hazel Wood and friends, a dog at your feet, wine on the go, yakking about “off the beaten track” books. Topics covered include the power of the English countryside, the connection between the parochial and the universal, and why royal biographies and novels can be so gripping.

Good For: More rarified listening.