The Hypothetical Bookshelf

The episode we take a look at the five books on Courttia Newland's hypothetical shelf. Courttia Newland is the author of nine books including his debut, The Scholar and the story collection, Cosmogramma. His work has appeared in many anthologies and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He is the co-editor of the seminal IC3 The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, spanning poetry, to short fiction, memoir and essays. As a screenwriter he has co-written for the awarding winning BBC series Small Axe and The Woman in the Wall. He has a PhD in Creative Writing from Kingston University and his latest novel, A River Called Time, was published in 2021 shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award Science Fiction Book of the Year in 2022. His collection of essays, The Art of Opposition: On Hope, Resilience, and Creative Expression Beyond the Mainstream comes out with Faber and Faber in July 2026.What will his five books be? Listen in to find out...I did promise to mention the name of the short story I discussed, when I remembered what it was called, so... we also spoke about 'Dark Neighbourhood' the title story of the collection of the same name, by Vanessa Onwuemezi published by Fitzcarraldo Editions.Send us Fan MailSupport the showHosted by Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone. Music by Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Artwork by Esmé Conaghan.Check out Bookshop.org for books from the podcast and further news on Instagram.

This episode we hear the five books on the hypothetical shelf of the prize-winning author, essayist, poet and podcaster, Heidi James. Her critically acclaimed novels include: The Mesmerist’s Daughter, Carbon, Wounding, So The Doves, and most recently, The Sound Mirror which has been described as ‘An exhilarating, heart-rending work’ by The Irish Times and as ‘An exceptional novel’ by The Guardian. She hosts the wonderful podcast, First Graft, inspiring and supporting all creatives with their first draft anxieties. She lectures in Creative Writing and English Literature and hosts writing and artists retreats in Sussex.Send us Fan MailSupport the showHosted by Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone. Music by Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Artwork by Esmé Conaghan.Check out Bookshop.org for books from the podcast and further news on Instagram.

This episode we hear the five books on the hypothetical shelf of the bestselling author, Hester Musson. Hester's debut novel, The Beholders, was a Times bestseller, a Sunday Times historical book of the month and shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown in 2024. Her second novel, The Night Hag, was published in February 2026. Send us Fan MailSupport the showHosted by Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone. Music by Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Artwork by Esmé Conaghan.Check out Bookshop.org for books from the podcast and further news on Instagram.

The Hypothetical Bookshelf launches with the talented, award-winning Deepa Anappara. Deepa grew up in Kerala, southern India, and was an award-winning journalist in cities including Mumbai and Delhi. Her debut novel, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, was named as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Guardian, and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. It has been translated into over twenty languages. Deepa is also the co-editor, with Taymoor Soomro, of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture. Her second novel, The Last of Earth, came out earlier this year.Listen for Deepa's five books, see bookshop.org for links to books discussed.Send us Fan MailSupport the showHosted by Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone. Music by Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Artwork by Esmé Conaghan.Check out Bookshop.org for books from the podcast and further news on Instagram.