Confessions of a Book Collector

David sits down with bestselling poet and playwright Nikita Gill as she prepares for the release of Styx: The River, the latest novel in her epic reimagining of Greek mythology.Nikita reveals why she was drawn to Styx: a powerful goddess eclipsed by her thousands of siblings, whose story allowed her to explore the very modern pressures of being an eldest daughter. From carrying everyone else’s burdens to swallowing your own rage and longing to be truly seen, Nikita explains the experiences that shaped her version of the goddess, and why Styx ultimately became a love story about sisterhood, chosen family and finding your place in the world.She also takes David back to where the series began, with the extraordinary origins of Hekate: a story that first appeared to her as a recurring dream and refused to leave her alone until she wrote it. Nikita reveals why she scrapped her first attempt and started again in verse, why she begins her stories with the ending and works backwards, and what drives her to bring mythology’s overlooked women to the centre of their own stories.Plus, Nikita shares what it’s been like taking her bestseller Hekate from page to stage, before revealing what’s on her collector shelf.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

What happens when falling in love means walking away from the life you thought you were called to live?This week on Confessions of a Book Collector, David is joined by Stephanie Sy-Quia, author of Goldsboro's Fresh Ink book of the month choice: A Private Man, to uncover the remarkable family story behind her debut novel.Inspired by the revelation that Stephanie’s grandfather had been a Catholic priest before leaving the Church to marry her grandmother, A Private Man explores a love caught between faith and conscience, and the enormous cost of choosing a different life.Stephanie discusses turning a painful family secret into fiction, why she wanted to take both love and religious vocation seriously, and how she made theology sexy. She and David also explore the upheaval of the 1960s, feminism and Vatican II, the shame surrounding those who left the priesthood, and shares her honest experience of writing your first novel. Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

This week, David has some rather exciting news to share.After months of work behind the scenes, Goldsboro Books is getting ready to begin not one, but two new chapters, each taking the business somewhere new, whilst staying true to the love of books, collecting and bringing readers together that has shaped Goldsboro since the very beginning.David reflects on how far Goldsboro has come since he and Daniel started the business in 1999, why physical bookshops and spaces for readers matter more than ever, and what it means to keep looking forward in an industry (and a world) that has changed enormously.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

With thousands of new books published every year, how do you decide what’s actually worth reading?In this episode, Goldsboro Books co-founder and literary agent David Headley does the choosing for you, sharing 12 new and upcoming books that have caught his attention. From gripping crime and clever thrillers to ambitious debuts, historical fiction and unforgettable stories from some of the biggest names in publishing right now.Whether you’re looking for your next page-turner, want to discover a brilliant new voice or simply need some inspiration for your reading pile, there should be something here to tempt you.The only question is: how many will end up on your TBR pile?Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this special episode, we take you inside this year’s Capital Crime Festival with five brilliant panel discussions featuring some of the biggest names in crime and thriller writing.From 2mins 15s  The Rebels Behind The Hero: see Lee Child and Andrew Child  in conversation with Stig Abell about building and breaking the rules of crime fiction as they celebrate 31 books with Jack Reacher.From 18mins 37s  One of the family: Closed circles and amateur sleuths, the dark yet entertaining draw of terrible things happening to ordinary people with Janice Hallett and Jeremy Vine in conversation with Mark Edwards about the danger lurking beneath seemingly idyllic locations and creating high-stakes thrillers that race against time..From 27mins 55sBuilding A Legacy: David Headley interviews Jeffrey Archer in celebration of his 50 year career as an author and his timeless influence on the next generation of writers, readers and booksellers. Special edition copies of Jeffrey's latest book Adam & Eve are available now at Goldsboro Books.From 47 mins 35 Closed Communities and Secrets That Fester. From insular parishes to prized garden plots, isolated coastlines to divided city streets, Jane Casey, Liz Nugent & Ardal O’Hanlon join Brian McGilloway to uncover why Ireland’s closed communities make the perfect breeding ground for crime fiction.From 1hr 7mPossibly our funniest panel of the weekend: From Scene to Sentence: Rob Parker, Nadine Matheson and T M Payne in conversation with Lisa Howells about the versatility of the procedural crime novel.Early bird tickets for Capital Crime 2027 are selling fast and on sale now.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

What makes fear contagious? Why do we cling to ritual? And can we ever really trust our memories?Bestselling author and Capital Crime Festival Genre-Bending Book of the Year winner Erin Kelly joins David Headley for one of our most intriguing conversations yet.Together they discuss the power of collective belief, how rituals give us a sense of control, the books that changed Erin, and the storytelling techniques behind some of today's smartest psychological suspense novels. Aspiring writers won't want to miss Erin's candid advice on plotting twists, dissecting your favourite novels and the writing techniques she's honed over her long career.They also delve into Erin's new gothic thriller, The Night Stairs. A haunting tale of Catholic school myths, mass hysteria and the secrets we carry with us long after adolescence.Whether you're a reader, writer or simply curious about why people behave the way they do, this is an episode that will stay with you.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Is anyone ever truly a villain?Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes has spent nearly two decades helping other authors find their readers. This year, it's finally her turn.In this episode, David sits down with Stephanie to explore the darker side of Victorian England – a world where women could be institutionalised for almost anything and dangerous secrets had devastating consequences.Inspired by her home in a former Victorian asylum, Stephanie discusses the real history behind her debut Thornby Manor, the enduring appeal of gothic fiction, and why she believes human nature is far more complicated than heroes and villains.Plus, she shares what it was really like going from publishing professional to debut author, navigating rejection, finding an agent, and experiencing the submission process from the other side for the very first time.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Award-winning journalist and novelist Saima Mir joins David Headley to talk about crime, justice, identity and the experiences that shaped her bestselling Jia Khan series.Drawing on her years reporting from courtrooms and covering the aftermath of the Bradford riots, Saima reflects on what happens when communities lose faith in the institutions meant to protect them, and why she has always been interested in the forces that push people towards the choices they make.She also discusses code-switching and the pressure to be “authentic”, creating a British Pakistani female crime boss in a patriarchal world, and why Bradford became such a powerful presence in her fiction. Plus, Saima is refreshingly candid about the realities of earning a living as a novelist, publishing’s reluctance to talk about money, and why she believes storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Recorded live at Capital Crime Festival 2026, David Headley is joined on stage by one of Britain's most celebrated crime writers, Clare Mackintosh.With the release of her latest thriller, It's Not What You Think, Clare takes audiences behind the scenes, revealing how she carefully constructs twists, plants misdirection and plans every emotional beat of a reader's journey.Together they discuss why human psychology matters more than crime itself, the challenge of writing politically charged fiction, how her years as a police officer continue to shape her novels, and the pressure of following up bestselling books that readers have come to expect the impossible from.From plotting "bookish whiplash" to balancing suspense with humour, this is a fascinating conversation about the craft of storytelling with one of the genre's finest writers.2027 early bird tickets for Capital Crime Festival are on sale for a limited time at www.capitalcrime.org/ticketsAnd you can buy signed copies of Clare's latest thriller, It's Not What You Think at Goldsboro Books.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this deeply personal conversation, 90's pop idol Anthony Kavanagh (known as Kavana) joins David Headley to go beyond the headlines of Pop Scars and explore the writing journey itself. Learning how vulnerability became his greatest strength on the page, Anthony reflects on the unexpected challenges of revisiting his past.They discuss writing through addiction and grief, why humour was essential when tackling life's darkest moments, the chapter he almost couldn't write, and how putting his story into words changed the way he viewed his younger self.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode, David Headley sits down with bestselling thriller writer, former British diplomat and clinical psychologist Chris Merritt to explore the remarkable experiences behind his new spy thriller, Octagon.From living through rocket attacks in Iraq and navigating the tensions of Jerusalem, to treating trauma and PTSD in the NHS, Chris reveals how real-world conflict, psychology and intelligence work have influenced his writing.They discuss nuclear terrorism, the secrets of crafting believable spies, why trauma is fundamentally about storytelling, and how Chris transformed a career spanning diplomacy and psychology into one of the year's most ambitious thriller series.Plus, Chris shares the books that inspired him, the thriller he considers close to perfect, and why readers can't seem to stop turning the pages of Octagon.Secure signed copies of Octagon from when Chris visited the bookshop to record this episode.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Lucy Vine has spent years making readers laugh with bestselling rom-coms. But under the pen name Elly Vine, she's now embracing murder and a very different kind of female rage.In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, Lucy talks about why so many women are drawn to crime fiction, the surprising link between humour and suspense, and how The Lottery Winners Club was inspired by the idea that women aren't always allowed to express anger openly.We also explore the challenge of writing under two names at once, her obsession with twists and red herrings, the books that terrified her as a child, and the strange reality of being nine books into a writing career while still feeling convinced you'll never finish the next one.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Crime writer Chris McDonald joins Confessions of a Book Collector to discuss his new private investigator novel, The Wrong Man, and why readers remember how a book made them feel long after they've forgotten the plot.Chris shares how a chance conversation on a Manchester football pitch convinced him that ordinary people could become authors, why he secretly wrote his first novel without telling anyone, and how an image of a body on an ice rink stayed in his head for a decade before becoming a book.The conversation explores the enduring appeal of fictional detectives, the influence of American noir, building a crime festival from scratch with Stockport Noir, and how music shaped both his writing and his reading life.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Bestselling author Sarah Vaughan joins David Headley on Confessions of a Book Collector to discuss power, privilege, politics, morally difficult characters and the emotional truths hidden beneath public lives.From her years as a political journalist during the Blair era to the explosive success of Anatomy of a Scandal and its Netflix adaptation, Sarah reflects on the strange timing that turned the novel into a cultural phenomenon.David and Sarah also explore why “nice” characters rarely make compelling fiction, the books that shaped her as a reader and writer and why she’s fascinated by characters under pressure.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode, David reflects on one of the greatest pleasures of reading: discovering a remarkable book before the rest of the world catches up.David also shares some of the upcoming and recently published novels he’s most excited about, including literary fiction, crime, fantasy and speculative fiction that readers will soon be pressing into each other’s hands with the words: “You have to read this.”Listen now.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Go behind the scenes of this year’s Capital Crime Festival as David sits down with Festival Director Lizzie Curle to uncover what it really takes to create London’s biggest celebration of crime and thriller fiction.From programming standout events and welcoming bestselling authors to building the unique atmosphere readers return for year after year, Lizzie shares an insider’s look at the festival, a few exclusives, and the events she’s most excited for this June. Plus, why the crime and thriller community continues to be one of the most passionate and welcoming worlds in books.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

We’re joined by Hallie Rubenhold, bestselling author behind The Five and Story of a Murder, and a writer who has reshaped how we think about some of history’s most infamous crimes. Known for shifting the focus away from sensationalised killers and back onto the lives of overlooked victims, Hallie explores what happens when we start questioning the stories we’ve always accepted as truth.We talk about the danger of “campfire retellings” in true crime, why history is often built on incomplete or biased perspectives, and how context can completely transform a narrative. Hallie shares what drove her to reclaim the stories of the women linked to Jack the Ripper, why she avoids focusing on the killer entirely, and how her latest work continues to challenge the way crime — and truth — are constructed.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Tom Rob Smith joins Confessions of a Book Collector to talk about writing a love story that doesn’t start at the beginning.Best known for Child 44, Tom has spent much of his career writing high-stakes, high-tension stories. But with his new novel, Twenty Years Together, he turns to something different: what happens when a relationship has already been built. This conversation centres on a question that sits at the heart of the book: do we actually want the future to look like the past?We also get into the reality of success after Child 44, why it doesn’t quite land the way you expect, and the difference between writing something “well” and writing something that actually means something to you.Secure a signed copy of Twenty Years Together at Goldsboro Books whilst stocks last.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

David Headley sits down with multi-award-winning crime author David Goodman to talk about A Reluctant Spy, the breakout thriller that launched the Goldsboro Crime Collective, and the years of writing that came before it.From Edinburgh to espionage, David shares how a lifelong love of sci-fi and spy fiction collided to create Jamie Tulloch and the brilliantly inventive “Legends Program.” They dive into writing under pressure (or avoiding it entirely), the reality of sudden success, and what happens when book two (and three!) are already in motion.Plus: the realities of publishing, blurbs, and why great stories aren’t bound by genre.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Jennie Godfrey returns as a champion of new voices, discussing Goldsboro’s Fresh Ink subscription and this month’s standout pick Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, a novel she knew would be “huge” from the very first pages, Following the remarkable success of The List of Suspicious Things, Jennie reflects on the reality of becoming a Sunday Times bestseller, the pressure of writing a second novel, and why success doesn’t always feel the way you expect it to.David and Jennie explore second book syndrome, learning to celebrate the moment, and the lasting impact readers can have on a writer’s journey.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

David sits down with bestselling author Lottie Moggach to discuss her fourth novel, Mrs Pearcey, a story rooted in a real Victorian murder that took place in her own grandmother’s kitchen in Camden.Lottie shares how the case captured her imagination for years, from the shocking details of the crime to the way it was reported in the press at the time. Rather than stepping inside the mind of the killer, she chose to explore the world around her, shining a light on the birth of sensationalist journalism and the public’s growing appetite for true crime.Lottie talks about the blurred lines between fact and fiction, the challenges of writing historical crime,  growing up in a family of writers, and how living with a story for years can shape the final novel. Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

This week on Confessions of a Book Collector, we’re joined by the brilliant Francis Spufford to talk about his genre-bending new novel set in Blitz-era London.Blending history with fantasy, Francis explores a city under pressure, where bombs fall, angels appear, and time-travelling fascists threaten the fragile course of history. At the heart of it all is Iris, a fiercely ambitious and refreshingly modern heroine navigating a world in flux.We dive into why the Blitz remains such a powerful setting, how small moments can shape the fate of history, and why writing fantasy can sometimes reveal deeper truths than realism. Francis also shares his journey from non-fiction to fiction, his love of story-driven writing, and the literary influences that shaped him, from C. S. Lewis to J. R. R. Tolkien.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Bestselling author and The Traitors icon Harriet Tyce joins us to talk about her latest instant Sunday Times bestseller, Witch Trial, a chilling courtroom thriller she insists is best read with the lights on. Harriet takes us inside the story behind the book, from juries and modern-day witchcraft to the unsettling question at its core: who is really telling the truth?We explore what draws her to themes of power, truth and deception, the unexpected parallels between fiction and real life, and how her own experiences, from law to reality TV, have shaped her writing.It’s also an honest look at the realities of being a bestselling author: the pressure, the self-doubt, and the process of learning to trust your own voice.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In our first episode of series 6, we welcome architect, TV presenter and soon-to-be bookshop owner, George Clarke.George is best known for George Clark's Amazing Spaces and The Restoration Man, but long before the television cameras and the buildings, George was a boy growing up in Sunderland and who discovered the power of books. That love of reading has stayed with him, so much so, that he is now returning to his home city to create a new cultural bookshop.George talks about how the buildings he walks in tell their own stories, the books that stayed with him, and how one experience in a bookshop changed the course of his life.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In our sixth series of Confessions of a Book Collector, David sits down with more remarkable writers and storytellers whose lives have been shaped by books in very different ways.In this short teaser, discover who’ll be joining him for conversations about the stories that changed them.If you love books, stories and the people behind them, join us for the new series every Saturday.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

This episode is a pause.A look back at the books and conversations that shaped 2025.A look ahead to a bold, uncomfortable, exciting year in reading.And a reminder that five minutes a day is enough.Without books, the world gets smaller. With them, it stays human.I’ll be back in the spring.Until then — GO ALL IN.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

What if the magic of books was literally lethal? In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, David Headley sits down with Sunday Times bestselling author Georgia Summers to talk deadly ink magic and magical bookshops. We explore  her latest novel The Bookshop Below, a story where book thievery, secret societies and rival booksellers collide, and where owning the wrong shop can get you killed.Georgia also reflects on her journey through every layer of the book world, bookseller, librarian, editor, publisher, and now bestselling novelist, and why the magic of bookshops has never worn off.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

David Headley sits down with Philippa Gregory, the undisputed queen of historical fiction, to discuss The Berlin Traitor and the woman history loves to hate: Jane Boleyn. Drawing on new scholarship and decades of obsession, she reframes Jane not as a salacious villain, but as a brilliant survivor navigating the lethal politics of Henry VIII’s court. Philippa reflects on revisionist history, feminism, and why women in the past have been flattened into stereotypes by male historians. She reveals the extraordinary moment that reshaped her novel and explores how early reading and libraries shaped her own life from childhood.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

David Headley is joined by historical fiction titan, Bernard Cornwell OBE. From the enduring presence of Richard Sharpe to the creation of The Last Kingdom, Bernard reflects on how history and curiosity have shaped his writing life.Bernard opens up about why Sharpe still speaks to him after forty years, the challenge of writing around real history, and how a planned ending collapsed. From book collecting to acting on stage, enjoy this rare, personal insight into one of Britain’s most beloved historical novelists. Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

After nearly a decade away from writing novels, Joe Hill returned this year with King Sorrow, a bold, ferocious, genre-blurring epic that fuses horror, high fantasy, dark academia, rare books, and a Faustian bargain with devastating consequences.In this conversation, Joe joins David Headley to talk about writing a 900-page novel that never lets up, why big books have to move fast, and how six friends summoning a dragon becomes a story about power, complicity, and the stories we choose to live with. Along the way, they explore books bound in human skin, libraries as battlegrounds, the moral cost of comfort, and why genre labels matter far less than telling a great story. Plus, Joe reveals a major exclusive… only on Confessions of a Book Collector.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

David Headley sits down with bestselling author Pierce Brown for a conversation that spans rejection, resilience, world-building, and rare books.Pierce reflects on the years before Red Rising (when more than 130 agents turned him down) and how a moment of creative risk helped change everything. He also shares the unexpected moment of inspiration that sparked the tone of Red Rising and what’s next for Darrow.A warm, candid conversation full of inspiration for readers, writers, and collectors alike. Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

BBC Presenter and Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet,  shares the remarkable inspiration and writing process for her new book The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid, human history of Afghanistan told through the people who worked inside its most iconic hotel.They explore how a single building became a witness to decades of hope, heartbreak and resilience, and why the everyday lives of waiters, chefs and housekeepers can reveal more about a country than any headline.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Former deputy editor of the Independent on Sunday, James Hanning, takes us behind the scenes of The Bookseller of Hay, his immersive portrait of Richard Booth, the man whose eccentric brilliance (and spectacular unruliness!) turned Hay-on-Wye into a world-famous literary destination.We talk about Booth’s larger-than-life personality, his love–hate relationship with the Hay Festival, his spectacular mischief, and the contradictions that made him both impossible and irresistible. James also shares how his upbringing and his instinct for “getting to the bottom of things” shaped this book and career.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, David sits down with acclaimed novelist, journalist and broadcaster Sebastian Faulks to explore the restless creative energy that drives his work.Sebastian discusses his latest release, Fires Which Burned Brightly: A Life in Progress,  a collection of essays born from his lifelong compulsion to write.From the childhood books that first sparked his imagination to the literary heroes and signed first editions he treasures today, this is an honest look at the writer behind the words.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

She’s the biggest female voice in fiction right now, and a bestselling author of more than 20 novels, we’re delighted to share this brilliant interview with Kristin Hannah.From the remarkable way she writes her books to revealing a major exclusive - we hope you’ll enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

This episode opens with a reflection on the newly launched Go All In campaign, part of the National Year of Reading 2026, a nationwide push to get Britain reading for pleasure again. Backed by the National Literacy Trust and the Department for Education, the initiative aims to reignite our love of books at a time when fewer children and teenagers are reading for fun.From there, we turn to someone who has spent a lifetime thinking about why books matter. Ian Patterson, poet, translator, academic, and author of Books: A Manifesto or How to Build a Library, joins to reflect on what it means to live among books. From parting with his 6,000 volume library to rediscovering the emotional and intellectual worlds that books hold, Ian speaks with warmth, wit and deep humanity about why reading is not a luxury, but a way of being alive.Together, we explore the promise each book holds and why, even in a digital age, our shelves might just be the truest mirrors of who we are.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this special episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, David sits down with the brilliant actor and author Richard Armitage, a true bibliophile whose life has always been shaped by story. We talk about his new novel The Cut, and how childhood memories and early experiences helped inspire it. Richard reflects on reading aloud as part of his creative process, the rhythm of language he learned from music and Shakespeare, and the emotional truth he searches for in every line. From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to Dostoevsky, from The Shining to The Lord of the Rings, this is a conversation about the books that built him.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

We’re back with our biggest series yet! In this premiere episode, David reveals the remarkable guests lined up for Series 5 and shines a light on three standout novels from this summer, books that have already secured a place on his “best of the year” list.These are stories you won’t want to miss - listen now and discover your next great read.And get special editions of all the incredible books featured, right here. Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

Confessions of a Book Collector returns soon for its fifth (and most thrilling!) series. Tune in for a first look at the legendary authors, collectors, and surprise guests who’ll be sharing their stories.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

We close this series of Confessions of a Book Collector with a sparkling conversation with one of Britain’s best-loved storytellers, Adele Parks MBE.Over the past 25 years, Adele has written 25 novels spanning romance, historical fiction, family drama and psychological thrillers - and she’s still brimming with ideas. In this episode, Adele reflects on her extraordinary career, the nerves and excitement that come with every new book, and the unwavering support that’s helped her along the way.She also gives us a first look at her brand-new novel Our Beautiful Mess - our Crime Collective Book Club pick for September - a gripping family drama full of secrets, twists and danger.A joyful, energised finale to the series, celebrating a writer at the very top of her game.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

From stage to page, murder-mystery author Jamie West has cracked the code to self-publishing success. His Murder at the Matinee was shortlisted for the 2025 CWA Whodunnit Dagger Award, and his novels have climbed the Amazon bestseller charts.By night, Jamie works backstage on some of London’s biggest West End shows. By day, he’s built a thriving career as a self-published author.From shaping his covers and marketing campaigns to building a loyal readership, Jamie explains why he chose the indie route over traditional publishing, and shares his advice for anyone wishing to take the same path.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this uplifting episode, David sits down with Florence Knapp, author of one of 2025’s biggest debut novels, The Names. Together they explore how the smallest shifts in your routine and the most ordinary decisions can alter the entire course of your life. Listen now, to this truly joyful episode.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

From touring Europe as a musician, to a 12 year career in publishing working with some of the world’s biggest authors - Hattie William’s is now a celebrated debut author whose novel Bittersweet has secured a six figure deal with Orion Fiction.Set in the heady, complex world of London publishing, Bittersweet explores a toxic age-gap relationship, the messy beauty of female friendship, and the hidden wounds that shape our choices.Hattie opens up about how the story and characters arrived, and her history as a reader. We discuss everything from Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath to friendship, grief, ambition, and emotional dependency - plus the unexpected joy of writing strong, surprising friendships.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

If you’ve ever wondered how a book club works, and how the books are chosen, then this is for you.In this special episode, David turns the page back to where it all began 20 years ago, from PREM1ER’s humble origins to the powerhouse book collecting community it is now.Find out how it all started, why it’s so popular with readers and revisit some of the standout titles that have shaped its story - from the very first pick to recent international bestsellers.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

What happens when a brand strategist discovers they can craft award-winning novels? International bestselling author Lex Noteboom joins David to share his incredible journey from his science fiction podcast The Deca Tapes (which landed him multiple book deals in the UK and US) to creating his latest novel, The Man with a Thousand Faces.Lex reveals his intense world-building writing process, including creating an entire fictional country with its own political systems and maps. Discover when he first realised he could be an author, his biggest fiction influences, and his unique approach to writing bestselling novels.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode we speak to international bestselling author, Will Carver, known for his dark, genre-defying thrillers. Will has been described as ‘arguably the most original writer in Britain’, and if you’ve read his work, you’ll understand why. He’s written mind-bending novels including Good Samaritans, Nothing Important Happened Today and many more, which blend gritty crime, sharp satire and physiological suspense.Our conversation explores Will’s highly anticipated new novel Kill Them With Kindness, a dark, funny and speculative thriller described as ‘widely original’ and ‘slightly bonkers'. We go behind the scenes to uncover how he creates his mould-breaking thrillers, and take a peek at his personal book collection that’s shaped his writing.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, David Headley sits down with publishing trailblazer and founder of Orenda Books, Karen Sullivan. Celebrating ten years of her fiercely independent publishing house, Karen shares the story behind Orenda’s rise. From championing fiction in translation, to building a loyal community of readers and authors. Expect candid chat about the challenges facing publishers today, the risk and reward of translated fiction, why branding matters, and what makes a book truly stand out in a crowded market.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode of Confessions of a Book Collector, David Headley sits down with the wildly talented Beth Lewis to explore her stunning new novel, The Rush - a gripping historical crime thriller set during the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898. Beth shares what drew her to this icy, lawless frontier and why she chose to spotlight the extraordinary women who braved it. From real-life inspiration and wild west research (including actual gold panning!) to the craft of building unforgettable characters, Beth opens up about her creative process, queer representation in fiction, and the beauty of writing women who refuse to be overlooked. Whether you're here for the history, the mystery, or the pure love of books, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

In this episode, David sits down with the inimitable Joe Abercrombie - renowned epic fantasy author and film editor.With his signature humour and insights, Joe discusses building a reimagined medieval Europe, creating complex characters (such as his irresistible vampire, badass librarian and undead knight), whilst sharing the inspiration and journey behind his gripping new trilogy, The Devils.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.

British-Nigerian Emmy nominee Remi Kone - known for hit TV shows like Killing Eve and Spooks - joins us to talk about her leap from the screen to the page. In this intriguing episode, Remi explores her love of reading and top book recommendations (possibly the most we've ever had on an episode!), and takes us behind the scenes of her breathtaking debut crime thriller, Innocent Guilt.Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.