PODCAST · arts
Diving In
by Virginia Seymour and Louise Jones
Diving In is a conversation you will want to be part of - Louise and Virginia have been best friends since university - they share a passion for story telling and read loads of good books. Make yourself a cup of tea and listen in as they share the books they’ve been loving, and also the films, TV series, podcasts and articles they’ve enjoyed.
Episodes
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85: Bram Stoker’s merry band of men set off to save England from the threat of vampires with A LOT of help from a woman!
Louise and Virginia dive into the famous gothic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, set against the backdrop of Victorian England and the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania. They discuss the fascinating themes of religion, sexuality and gender. Virginia takes us to the history of the principality of...
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83: All Around the World: Translated Books
Louise and Virginia travel by book to Brazil, Japan, Skiathos and India in this conversation about four very different books translated into English. How wonderful it is to be absorbed in a book that was originally written in Japanese, Katharevousan Greek, Kannadan or Portuguese, and to absorb…
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82: Burnt at the Stake: Witch Trials, Ignorance, Fear, and Superstition
Louise and Virginia dive deep into historical witch trials, told through four fictional stories, based on real events from the 17th and 18th centuries. They discuss the fact that much of the ignorance and prejudice against women in particular, sadly remains in the 21st century. On a lighter note...
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81: A Mélange of Books
Louise and Virginia discuss five very different books. Two very character-driven, interior novels, two set on a dream island, and one classic set during the first French Revolution. They also discuss two great shows currently streaming. Books The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout Welcome to...
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80: Five Mothers – impactful, present and absent
Louise and Virginia discuss five completely different books this time, some recent releases, and one old. They randomly chose to read books without any planned theme this time, but interestingly all five books feature mothers who impact their children in very different ways. Books Time of the…
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79: The Changing Preoccupations of a local Treasure, Tim Winton
Louise and Virginia discuss two big novels by Western Australian Living Treasure, Tim Winton, which reflect his, and our, changing concerns over a 35 year period. There’s much to think about here. On a lighter note Virginia has a new member of her family who is causing chaos! Lou and Virginia…
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78: A Useful Idiot (and we’re not talking about a British Royal here)
Louise and Virginia had a lot of fun and laughs discussing the first two novels in William Boyd’s trilogy. Gabriel’s Moon and The Predicament are both great stories about an accidental spy set against the background of actual events in the 1960s, and there was much to discuss. They also talk…
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77: American Greats
Louise and Virginia loved discussing two authors who are surely two of America's great literary treasures. Books The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Sula by Toni Morrison Other things Curtis Brown Creative writing courses, London Television Welsh television series The One that Got Away ( 2025)...
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76: Jonathon Coe, A master observer of the State of the Nation
Louise and Virginia discuss two Jonathon Coe books, both of which reflect life, politics, culture, and society in the United Kingdom, past and present, as Coe always does so brilliantly. Books Middle England by Jonathon Coe Bourneville by Jonathon Coe Other things ‘Personal Curriculum Tok’...
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75: Teen Sleuths, Cringe Parents and Dysfunctional Families
Louise and Virginia dive deep into all thing’s books for Teen Readers, books categorised ‘Young Adult’ but marketed to teenagers. They discuss the creation of the category, whether publishers should provide some sort of classification system, or content advice as well as four great books and one...
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74: We’re Back! With a Scoop and a Pile-on
Louise and Virginia have finally made it back to the Podcast Studio (Virginia’s dining room) after a gap of more than 18 months, and despite having forgotten how to do a podcast they somehow managed to review two new excellent Australian books that both have a journalist as the central character....
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73: The Ghost of Charles Dickens sitting on Barbara Kingsolver’s Shoulder
Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into Barbara Kingsolver’s Pullitzer Prize winning and compelling novel Demon Copperhead and talk all things Charles Dickens as well as adding some shameful new entries to the infamous Ick Register. Books Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1838 Hard Times, by...
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72: This Is A Bit Embarrassing… (books we’ve never read)
Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun to do an episode on books that they feel a bit embarrassed to have never read (until now). There were a lot of books to choose from, but they discuss four in this conversation. During this chat they also create an Ick Register for authors who use words...
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71: The Next Diving In Book Club – Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt
Louise and Virginia have a great conversation about a lovely Western Australian novel. Salt River Road by the very talented debut author Molly Schmidt captures the large Tetley family at the worst time of their lives. Their wife and mother, Elena, has died after a long illness and left them all...
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70: A Spotlight on Early Australia
Louise and Virginia have a conversation about two books with many overlaps, one fiction and one non-fiction, and reflect on the fact that none of this information was taught in the classroom when they were at school. Books Killing for Country by David Marr Edenglassie by Melissa Lukashenko TV…
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69: It's the very best time of year! It’s new release time and there is a publishing frenzy.
Virginia and Louise dive into four new releases some of them from our favourite authors! They also encourage everyone to get their hands on Salt River Road by Molly Schmidt for a bookclub deep dive episode coming up. Books The Fraud, Zadie Smyth, 2023, Hamish Hamilton Penguin Normal Rules Don’t...
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68. Literary Scandals, Hoaxes and Controversies
Louise and Virginia have finally had a conversation about six literary controversies/hoaxes/scandals and it’s a lot of fun! This is a Topic they both find fascinating so it was great to select three stories each and dive in. Authors Norma Khouri John Hughes Carmen Mola Antonio Mercero Agustin...
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67. It’s that Time of Year Again!
Virginia and Louise have read a swag of newly released books both well-known authors and others new - and only some with the hype they deserve. Books Yellowface R F Kuang Harper Collins 2023 Crook Manifesto Colson Whitehead 2023 The Sitter Angela O’ Keefe Queensland University Press 2023 Old…
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66. Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo
This time it’s Louise’s turn to talk about the massive French classic that she has been reading, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Louise tells Virginia about a very impertinent act by the original translator of the novel, and they discuss the aspects that Louise loved and some that she...
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65. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Streaming Au Coeur de Peloton/Tour de France: Unchained Arnold SBS on Demand Rogue Heroes ABC iView Dangerous Remedy Podcast Strict Scrutiny
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64. Deep and Fragile Connections with a Natural World
Virginia and Louise immerse themselves in the meadows, riverbanks, orchards, high tides and deep snow to explore the deep connection and chasms between community, environment and climate change, in the emerging genre and precious language of eco-fiction. Books The Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019...
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63. Capturing the Zeitgeist with some Fantastic New Releases
Virginia and Louise are excited to share some must-read new releases including compelling stories about activist guerilla gardeners, true crime podcasters, writers rooms, surveillance and murder as well as the pitfalls and power dynamics of modern relationships, social media, dating apps and late...
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62. If You’re Going to San Francisco...
Louise and Virginia jet off to San Francisco in the episode, where they discuss the origins of the City and County, and why it became the home and haven for people wanting to discard façades and identities they may have held in their home towns. They also discuss the original gold rush and the...
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61. This Book is Cancelled!
Louise and Virginia do a deep dive into the very contentious topic of Cancel Culture and the trend of cancelling books and authors. They also touch on the subject of banning books (and indeed burning books), which always have the opposite effect of that sought. Virginia and Lou both have very...
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60. Walking the Streets of Tokyo with the characters from great fiction set in that city
Louise and Virginia have been immersed in some armchair travel to Tokyo, which has made them both very keen to travel there. These four books are great to read if you have a trip to Japan on your horizon or your bucket list. They also discuss some fabulous TV series to get streaming, a podcast…
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59. Books for Younger Readers
From soccer teams, eerie forests, dysfunctional families and loyal companions, Louise and Virginia ventured back into the world of books for younger readers. Books A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin – Lothian Hachette Football Fever by Kristin Darell - Penguin Take Me with You When You Go by David...
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58: Buster - The Best Boy
Louise lost her beautiful Lagotto dog Buster, two months ago, and so today Virginia and Louise want to dedicate this episode to him and to celebrate the wonder and loyalty that is a dog. In this conversation they discuss four lovely dog-related books as well as a few other things they’ve been...
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57: New Releases by New (to us) Authors
Louise and Virginia have been reading some books by debut writers as well as a charming re-release from the 1960s. These are all great books which they enjoyed enormously. They also discuss a few other non-bookish things they’ve been diving into. Books A Helping Hand by Celia Dale Dirt Town by...
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56: The Diving In podcast girls are back with some new releases!
After a long break Virginia and Louise are excited to be back in their makeshift cushion studios to discuss some new releases by authors they absolutely love……. as well as some other popular culture they have been diving in to. Email [email protected] Instagram @diving_in_podcast…
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55. The Revenge of Cervantes – Book Club Part 2
Louise and Virginia conclude their dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 2 of Don Quixote, published over 10 years after Part 1, after an imposter had published a fake sequel. Virginia and Louise discuss several characters, the infamous cave…
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54. Tilting at Windmills – Book Club Part 1
Louise and Virginia dive into Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes in this Book Club episode. They discuss Part 1 of Don Quixote, first published in Spain in 1605 and regarded as the first modern novel. The conversation covers madness, quests, Shakespeare, naval battles, fools, heroes and the role…
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53. Hola nuestras queridas amigas!
Hello dear friends! Virginia and Louise share some truly excellent Spanish writers and stories in preparation for our up-coming deep dive into Don Quixote. Books The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon As I walked out one Midsummer morning – Laurie Lee The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway…
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52. Books We've Been Wanting to Read for Ages
Louise and Virginia chat about two books that they’ve been eagerly looking forward to. Louise went down the Crime route with a gripping detective story that spans Tokyo and London. Virginia finally got her hands on Nina Stibbe’s new novel and as also with Nina Stibbe, the book is a complete...
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51. Things That Go Bump in the Night
Louise and Virginia have been reading Ghost Stories, a new release and some classic collections. The Louise Erdrich novel is a must-read for book lovers, and the classic ghost stories are the perfect place to start if you love this genre. Louise and Virginia also announce the book they will…
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50: A Greek Chorus of Achilles and the Sisterhood
Virginia and Louise dive into the Greek Myths but barely scratch the surface. They also celebrate their 50th episode with a list of their 50 favourite authors Books The Theban Plays By Sophocles Antigone by Sophocles The Song of Achille by Madeline Miller The Penelopiad By Margaret Attwood Greek...
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49: Crime, Betrayal and Secrets in Colder Climes
Louise and Virginia are sweltering in the heat of a Perth summer so they are cooling down with books set in cold countries. This episode they head off to Iceland and Norway and there’s plenty of frosty chill. Books The Therapist by Helene Flood The Sorrow Stone by Kári Gíslason A Question of…
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48. Trojan Horses - Things Hiding in Plain Sight
Books Love Marriage by Monica Ali Brick Lane by Monica Ali The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe The Women of Troy by Pat Barker TV Series Hidden Assets – SBS Pieces of Her - Netflix Podcasts The Trojan Horse Affair with Hamza Syed and Brian Reed Soundtracking with Edith Bowman Movie Belfast
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47: Reading Over A Long Hot Summer
Louise and Virginia record their first bookish conversation for 2022, after an extra long break over a very hot Western Australian summer. Given the state of the world it’s no surprise that they both reached for some cozy crime books, as well as some other great reads. Lou also recommends a...
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46: Redemption and Dingo Noir
Welcome to the second Diving In podcast for the FANZA Fringe – Virginia and Louise review six wonderful books including Miles Franklin winner Amanda Lohrey’s The Labyrinth and the much anticipated We Were Not Men by Campbell Mattinson Email [email protected] Instagram @diving_in_podcast...
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45: Sleuthing, Heartbreak and Hoarding- a chat about 6 great books.
Welcome to the FANZA Fringe – Virginia and Louise from the Diving In podcast in Australia are thrilled to be part of the fringe program for FANZA, the charitable Foundation for Australian and New Zealand Arts. The psychological consequences of hoarding and a murderous small town in New Zealand…
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44: Our Book Club Pick: The Hero's Quest - Brothers and Stowaways
Virginia and Louise do a deep dive into The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, 2021, Penguin Random House.
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43. Women Locked Up (In Prisons Real and Imagined)
By complete coincidence Louise and Virginia read five books which all feature women who are either locked away or are prisoners of their minds. In spite of the serious-sounding themes of the books they spent most of this conversation in puddles of laughter, providing plenty of bloopers material....
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42: New Releases and Literary Coincidences
Louise and Virginia have been devouring more new releases which have revealed several small coincidences. They also chat about a few non bookish things they’ve been diving into recently. Books The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, 2021, Penguin. Love and Virtue by Diana Reid, 2021 Ultimo...
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41: Hot Off The Press!
Louise and Virginia have been reading several new releases and loving all of them. They chat about seven very different books in the conversation and there are plenty of laughs. Books The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, 2021, Penguin RandomHouse Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally...
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40: Reading Around the World - Books in Translation
Louise and Virginia have been reading some small but gripping books that have been translated into English; perhaps the ultimate type of ‘own voices’ reading. By complete coincidence they ended up in the same parts of the world. Books: Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us by Joseph Andras and...
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39: Mad About Maggie O'Farrell
Virginia and Louise loved reading Hamnet for Episode 21 ‘Twin Tales’, so decided to do a deep dive into Maggie O’Farrell’s back catalogue. They discuss four of her earlier novels, all fantastic, as well as a few other things they’ve been diving into. Books After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell,...
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38: Legal Thrillers for Legal Eagles
Today’s books are all crime books set in the legal world. Some are brand new, one is an oldie, but all are great. Email [email protected] Instagram @diving_in_podcast Virginia’s Instagram @virginia_reads Louise’s Instagram @louise_cooks_and_reads Song ‘Diving In’ – original music and…
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37: The Book Swap
Louise and Virginia thought it might be fun if they each chose a book for the other, and in this episode they reveal what they thought of the books they were given. They also discuss some great podcast episodes, a couple of books they’ve each finished recently, and an excellent period costume…
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36: Wuthering Heights Book Club
Louise and Virginia dive into ‘pleasurable terror’ and explore Wuthering Heights for Book Club. They have some controversial views about Heathcliff and Cathy, take a deep dive into why we love all things gothic, and also discuss some new-release Gothic fiction. Email [email protected]...
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Swandive 5 - Louise chats with Polly Phillips, author of 'My Best Friend's Murder'
Louise takes a Swandive with Polly Phillips, author of award winning novel ‘My Best Friend’s Murder’ published by Simon & Schuster. Email [email protected] Instagram @diving_in_podcast Virginia’s Instagram @virginia_reads Louise’s Instagram @louise_cooks_and_reads Song ‘Diving In’ –...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Diving In is a conversation you will want to be part of - Louise and Virginia have been best friends since university - they share a passion for story telling and read loads of good books. Make yourself a cup of tea and listen in as they share the books they’ve been loving, and also the films, TV series, podcasts and articles they’ve enjoyed.
HOSTED BY
Virginia Seymour and Louise Jones
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Diving In have?
Diving In currently has 91 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Diving In about?
Diving In is a conversation you will want to be part of - Louise and Virginia have been best friends since university - they share a passion for story telling and read loads of good books. Make yourself a cup of tea and listen in as they share the books they’ve been loving, and also the films, TV...
How often does Diving In release new episodes?
Diving In has 91 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Diving In?
You can listen to Diving In on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Diving In?
Diving In is created and hosted by Virginia Seymour and Louise Jones.
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