Book Club Live

At Durham Book Festival 2023, we were joined by Durham author Christopher ‘Pip’ Fallow to hear his extraordinary story. Pip was destined to join his father and brothers down the pit, but the closure of his County Durham village’s mine in the 1980s saw him at the back of the dole queue like so many of his contemporaries. Dragged Up Proppa is the story of a lost generation who were prepared for a life that had disappeared by the time they were ready for it. It explores some of the most important issues affecting Britain today: from levelling up and the north-south divide, to social mobility and class. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Gala Theatre in Durham as part of Durham Book Festival, October 2023. Chaired by Michael Chaplin. Produced by New Writing North.  

At Durham Book Festival 2023, we welcomed Natasha Solomons and Isabelle Schuler to Durham to chat about how they have read, researched and written between the lines, re-examining the women from Shakespeare we thought we knew...Natasha Solomons is the author of seven internationally best-selling novels. Fair Rosaline – a powerful 'untelling' inspired by Romeo and Juliet – is her latest work.Isabelle Schuler is a Swiss-Hawaiian-American actress, writer and former bookseller. Lady MacBethad tells the origin story of Lady Macbeth, and is Isabelle's debut novel.This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Gala Theatre in Durham as part of Durham Book Festival, October 2023. Chaired by Natalie Ibu, Northern Stage. Produced by New Writing North.  

Our autumn book club event with The Bound welcomed bestselling author Francis Spufford to Newcastle, to celebrate his new novel Cahokia Jazz. Join Anna Disley and our live audience as they quiz Francis about his latest page-turner: a thrilling tale of murder and mystery in a city where history has run a little differently...Hosted by New Writing North and The Bound Bookshop, chaired by Anna Disley and recorded in front of a live audience at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.

For our summer book club event we celebrated the publication of Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding - a Newcastle-born author whose 'multi-layered, propulsive debut thriller' features a cast of seven unforgettable characters... and a healthy dose of female rage. We hear about some of Rose's inspirations, influences, and how she came to write a story of murder and mystery set in her own home city.Hosted by New Writing North and The Bound Bookshop, chaired by Ann Cleeves and recorded in front of a live audience at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.

Bestselling author Jennifer Saint joins us to talk about her latest mythological re-imagining: Atalanta. Following the success of her first two novels, Ariadne and Elektra, Jennifer discusses the oft-forgotten Atalanta and her formidable story. Jennifer also describes the lifelong pull of the classics on her imagination, and some of the books that have made and inspired her.Hosted by New Writing North and The Bound Bookshop, chaired by Rebecca Wilkie and recorded in front of a live audience at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle.