Tom's Book Club

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Liz Moore discusses her gripping novel The God of the Woods, shortlisted for the 2026 British Book Awards in the Crime & Thriller category.Set in a remote American summer camp, the novel begins with the disappearance of a teenage girl — fourteen years after her brother vanished in the same wilderness. As the search unfolds, long-buried secrets surrounding the powerful Van Laar family begin to surface, raising questions about what really happened, and who might be responsible.In this conversation, Liz Moore explores the origins of the novel, her approach to writing across multiple timelines and perspectives, and the challenges of inhabiting such a wide cast of characters. She also discusses research, character creation, and the real-life influences behind the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Lily King discusses her novel Heart the Lover, now shortlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction.The novel follows a writer whose intense friendship with two magnetic figures in her youth continues to shape her life years later. Moving across time, Heart the Lover explores love in its many forms and the lasting impact of the choices we make. In this conversation, Lily King talks about the origins of the novel, its distinctive structure, and being surprised by readers reactions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Yael van der Wouden discusses her debut novel The Safekeep, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025.Set in the Netherlands in the years after the Second World War, The Safekeep follows Isabel, whose ordered, solitary life is disrupted by the arrival of her brother’s enigmatic girlfriend. As the summer unfolds, desire, tension, and long-buried secrets rise to the surface, leading to a powerful and unsettling revelation.In this extended conversation, Yael van der Wouden talks about unlikeable narrators, being surprised by her characters and how it felt to win the Women's Prize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Brian Bilston discusses his latest book, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside: An Alternative Guide to Writing and Enjoying Poetry.Known for his witty, widely shared verse, Brian reflects on the state of poetry in 2026, his decision to step away from Twitter, and why he has chosen to remain (semi) anonymous. The conversation also explores how humour and accessibility shape his work and includes a reading from the new book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Charlotte Runcie discusses her sharp and darkly funny debut novel Bring the House Down, which is the Indie Book of the Month pick for April.Set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Fringe, the novel follows a notorious theatre critic whose scathing review sparks an unexpected and deeply personal act of revenge. As the story unfolds, what begins as a witty premise becomes a deeper exploration of criticism, power and grief.In this conversation, Charlotte talks about the real-life inspiration behind the book, why it could only take place in Edinburgh and the pressures of putting creative work into the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Erin Somers discusses her incisive and incredibly funny novel The Ten Year Affair.The book follows Cora, a married mother who forms an instant connection with another parent at a baby group. Rather than act on it, she allows the relationship to unfold in her imagination, but as the fantasy deepens, it begins to reshape how she sees her own life, her marriage, and the small frustrations of domestic routine.In this conversation, Erin explores writing desire without action, the role of humour in depicting marriage and motherhood, and how the novel captures the anxieties and absurdities of modern life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, David Szalay discusses his 2025 Booker Prize-winning novel Flesh, a sweeping, provocative portrait of one man’s life shaped by desire, chance, and consequence.The novel follows István, a young boy growing up in Hungary in the late 1980s, whose life is irrevocably altered by a tragic youthful affair. From a quiet apartment block to the rarefied world of London’s elite, we trace István’s journey across decades, as ambition, intimacy, and the pursuit of status pull him in conflicting directions.In this conversation, David reflects on winning the Booker and whether it fill influence his writing, the prolific use of the word 'okay', and what István would have made of the story.If you’re interested in contemporary literary fiction, Booker Prize winners, or novels that explore identity, ambition, and the long shadow of early decisions, this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Tom speaks to Claire Lynch about her powerful debut novel A Family Matter, a story that moves between two generations of the same family and explores love, secrecy, and the lasting consequences of the past.Set partly in 1982, the novel follows Dawn, a young wife and mother whose life changes when she forms a relationship that challenges the rigid expectations of the time. Decades later, her daughter Maggie begins to uncover the truth about what really happened and why her mother disappeared from her life.Claire and Tom discuss the real historical cases that shaped the novel, domestic detail in fiction, reader responses to the book, and what it means for a debut novel to win the 2025 Nero Gold Prize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novelist and journalist John Lanchester joins Tom to discuss his new novel Look What You Made Me Do, a darkly comic story about marriage, resentment, and the unsettling power of storytelling. When a North London woman starts noticing the intimate details of her own marriage appearing in the year’s biggest TV drama, she begins to wonder who has betrayed her and who really owns a shared life.In this episode, John talks about the origins of the novel’s brilliantly uncomfortable premise, writing flawed characters, the advantages of being married to a fellow novelist and gives advice for aspiring writers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss his new novel Howl.In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Jacobson explores the emotional and political landscape that shaped the book, set in the fraught aftermath of October 7th. The novel follows Ferdinand Draxler, a London headteacher struggling to make sense of a world, and a self, that suddenly feels unstable.Howard and Tom discuss writing fiction in response to real-world crisis and the role of humour in dark times. They also talk about Marty Supreme, whether the Booker Prize changes how you see your own career and if Howard will ever be done with writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tom’s Book Club, Tom speaks to journalist and author Sophie Elmhirst about Maurice & Maralyn: A Whale, a Shipwreck, a Love Story, the remarkable true story that captured readers and critics alike.Winner of the Nero Gold Prize last year, Maurice & Maralyn is a gripping and deeply human work, exploring the extraordinary lives of a British couple stranded on a raft in the middle of the Pacific for 118 days. As this year’s Nero Awards ceremony approaches next week, we’re revisiting this standout conversation.Sophie discusses how she uncovered the story, the challenges of shaping real lives into compelling narrative, and what drew her to Maurice and Maralyn in the first place. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Novelist Lee Cole joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss his novel Fulfillment, a sharp and quietly powerful story about family, class and the fault lines of contemporary American life.The novel follows half-brothers Emmett and Joel, who couldn’t be more different: Emmett is a single, blue-collar warehouse worker, while Joel is a married academic and published writer. When the two find themselves back together in their Kentucky family home for the first time in years, old tensions begin to surface — just as Joel’s wife, Alice, starts to yearn for a different kind of life.In this extended conversation, Cole discusses the importance of humour in his work, writing about the textures and tensions of contemporary America, and the challenge of stepping back from the analytical mindset and actually living in the moment.Fulfillment is out now in paperback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and peacebuilding practitioner Dr Nussaibah Younis joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss her debut novel Fundamentally.The novel follows Nadia, an academic who escapes a painful breakup by taking a UN job in Iraq, where she’s tasked with helping to deradicalise ISIS brides. Amid the bureaucratic absurdity of aid work, she forms an unexpected bond with Sara, a young British woman who joined ISIS at just fifteen — a relationship that begins to challenge Nadia’s assumptions, loyalties and sense of belonging.In this extended conversation, Younis talks about drawing on her own experience working in Iraq and about the decision to adapt that material into fiction. She also reflects on humour, politics, and what novels can do that policy papers cannot.Fundamentally comes out in paperback this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and foreign policy specialist Chloe Dalton joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about her debut book Raising Hare, a tender and unexpected story about caring for a wild leveret and the fragile bond between humans and nature.In this conversation, Dalton reflects on finding a newborn hare alone in the countryside and the experience of raising it by hand. She discusses attention, responsibility, and what it means to coexist with the natural world, as well as how the book came to be written.Raising Hare is Chloe Dalton’s debut and is out now in paperback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Booker Prize-winning novelist George Saunders joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about his new novel Vigil and his long-standing fascination with the space between life and death.In this extended conversation, Saunders discusses writing Vigil, a novel that follows the final hours of KJ Boone, a powerful oil tycoon and architect of climate-change denial, as he’s visited by a series of ghosts. The conversation also touches on storytelling, the pressure that comes with success, and the role music has played in his writing life.George Saunders is the author of Lincoln in the Bardo (winner of the Booker Prize), Tenth of December, and Liberation Day, and teaches creative writing at Syracuse University.Vigil is out now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom’s Book Club is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with some of the most interesting writers working today. Hosted by Tom Watters, each episode offers an in-depth interview with an author about their latest book, looking at how it came to be written, what it’s trying to say, and the world it reflects. It's a space for writers to talk about their work, their influences, and the ideas behind the fiction. New episodes weekly from the 3rd of February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.