The Book Club: inside the world of competitive Scrabble episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 26, 2026 · 49 MIN

The Book Club: inside the world of competitive Scrabble

from Best of the Spectator

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Stefan Fatsis, whose classic Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble is 25 years old this year. Stefan tells me how a journalistic project turned into a quarter-century obsession, how dramatically tournament Scrabble differs from the living-room game, why we’re still having the same arguments over word lists … and how it has become a family story for him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Stefan Fatsis, whose classic Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble is 25 years old this year. Stefan tells me how a journalistic project turned into a quarter-century obsession, how dramatically tournament Scrabble differs from the living-room game, why we’re still having the same arguments over word lists … and how it has become a family story for him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

The Book Club: inside the world of competitive Scrabble

0:00 49:40

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Best of the Spectator?

This episode is 49 minutes long.

When was this Best of the Spectator episode published?

This episode was published on March 26, 2026.

What is this episode about?

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Stefan Fatsis, whose classic Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble is 25 years old this year. Stefan tells me how a journalistic project turned into a...

Can I download this Best of the Spectator episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!