The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine | Review | Waterstones Irish Book of the Year 2025

In this special bonus episode, Lucy is joined by Stacey from @whatstaceyreadnext to discuss The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine—a sharp, moving, and freshly released novel set in Belfast.⚠️ Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault as it relates to the themes in the book.‼️ As we discuss the full book there are spoilersBoth Lucy and Stacey bring local insight to the conversation, exploring the novel’s themes, setting, and characters with care and excitement. With its powerful storytelling and distinct voice, they share why they’re hopeful this book will make the Booker longlist.Lucy also reports back from a recent event with Wendy Erskine at the Belfast Book Festival, where Wendy shared details about The Benefactors.📊 Help Pick Our Next Book!Head to our socials and vote in this week’s polls to help us choose our next book club read:📸 Instagram post & story polls🎧 Poll on this Spotify episodeThe more places you vote, the more power your vote has!📅 What’s NextOur next full episode drops Monday, and we’ll be reviewing Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon—the book YOU voted for!🌊 Then in two weeks, we kick off our Eden’s Shore mini-series, starting with Chapter One: Sea.💬 Connect With UsWe want to hear what you think of The Benefactors, Glorious Exploits, or the Eden’s Shore mini-series.📩 [email protected]📒 Goodreads📸 Instagram🐦 Twitter/X📘 FacebookFollow us, share your thoughts, and stay tuned for the next chapters!