Bookshelfie: Women’s Prize Podcast

Artist and performer anaiis explains how books influence her songwriting, the impact motherhood has had on her creative practice and why bell hooks has reframed her understanding of love. Born in Toulouse, France, anaiis grew up on the move. She was raised between Dakar, Dublin, and California, eventually settling in London where she lives now. Influenced by the work of Black thinkers and artists like Ella Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, bell hooks, Alice Walker and more, anaiis makes lush, genre-fluid music that explores themes like belonging, connection and motherhood. In 2018 she released her debut single, ‘Nina’, and since then her career has soared, seeing her release multiple albums, and share a stage with the likes of Erykah Badu and Daniel Caesar. Last year she released the album Devotion and the Black Divine to critical acclaim, and this summer she announced a worldwide tour and put out two singles: ‘Sunshine’ and ‘P4P’, each representing joy and rage respectively, and marking a continuation of her creative journey.anaiis’ book choices are: 07:39 Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie14:49 Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown21:36 Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler30:40 All About Love by bell hooks38:58 Mornings in Jenin by Susan AbulhawaYou can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. Every week on Bookshelfie, Vick Hope is joined by inspirational women to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction, the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world, is run by the Women’s Prize Trust, the charity building a better future by championing women’s writing. Don’t want to miss the rest of season nine? Follow or subscribe now!This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Women’s Prize Trust

A double bill for Toni Morrison in bestselling author Tayari Jones’ book picks – she explains why she’s her favourite author; the need for deep, ferocious crying when reading; and her unexpected guilty pleasure – a good old murder mystery.Tayari is the internationally bestselling author of five novels, including An American Marriage, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2019. It was also an Oprah’s Book Club selection, was included on Barack Obama’s summer reading list and has been published in two dozen countries, selling over 350,000 copies in the UK alone.Tayari was born and lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently professor of Creative Writing at Emory University, and an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.Her most recent novel, Kin, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and has been named a Best Book of the Year so Far. It’s another Oprah Book Club Selection; Oprah called it, “a masterpiece of a novel that will live with you long after you turn the last page.” Tayari Jones is a mentor for Originators 2027 – the Women’s Prize Trust’s mentorship and development program, dedicated to supporting emerging women fiction writers from across the United States, presented by CHANEL. Find out more here. Tayari’s book choices are: 09:56 Jazz by Toni Morrison17:14 Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison24:13 Faithful Place by Tana French29:53 The Colour Purple by Alice Walker36:33 Pachinko by Min Jin LeeYou can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. Every week on Bookshelfie, Vick Hope is joined by inspirational women to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction, the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world, is run by the Women’s Prize Trust, the charity building a better future by championing women’s writing. Don’t want to miss the rest of season nine? Follow or subscribe now!This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Bestselling author Lousie O’Neill explains why she decided to set up daily dates around the world, how it inspired her new memoir and her journey to acceptance around addiction.*Listener/viewer note - this episode contains reference to eating disorders and disordered eating*Louise grew up in Clonakilty in the heart of the rugged coastline of West Cork in Ireland. After stepping away from a career in the fashion industry, she returned home to dedicate her time to writing her first novel, Only Ever Yours, a dystopian feminist story which went on to win The Bookseller‘s inaugural YA Book Prize in 2015. This success was quickly cemented following the release of her second critically acclaimed YA novel, Asking For It, which was voted Book of the Year at the Irish Books Awards the very same year, and spent 52 consecutive weeks in the Irish top 10 bestseller list. In the decade that followed she’s written three novels for adults and a YA feminist re-imagining of The Little Mermaid, and has not one but two more titles being published this year. Her latest novel, Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? came out in April, and her first memoir, A Bigger Life, is published this month by HQ.Louise’s book choices are: 12:43 How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned from Things Going Wrong by Elizabeth Day18:28 Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes25:30 Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 35:14 The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron42:39 The Vanishing Half by Brit BennettYou can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. Every week on Bookshelfie, Vick Hope is joined by inspirational women to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction, the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world, is run by the Women’s Prize Trust, the charity building a better future by championing women’s writing. Don’t want to miss the rest of season nine? Follow or subscribe now!This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Comedian, actor and improviser Rachel Parris discusses why people can be so wrong about Jane Austen, the knotty complexities of female friendship and her love for crime fiction. Rachel is officially a member of the British comedy elite – she has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, and Mock the Week, and was BAFTA-nominated for her satirical sketches on BBC's The Mash Report, which have garnered over 100 million views online. She’s a regular on BBC Radio 4 where she can be heard on Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and, formerly, The Now Show. Rachel hosts the comedy podcast How Was It For You?, with her husband, Marcus Brigstocke; and another podcast for the Children’s Book Project called The Power of a Book, where guests share the children’s stories that mean the most to them. On the stage, she is a co-founder of Austentatious – a Jane Austen themed improv comedy show in the West End. Her debut novel, Introducing Mrs Collins, is a tale of love, loss, and second chances, for anyone who’s wondered if there’s more to the sensible character we met in Pride and Prejudice.Rachel’s book choices are: **Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver**Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen**The Names by Florence Knapp**My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante**The Lost by Claire McGowanVick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org – every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Irish broadcaster, podcaster and author Angela Scanlon discusses why Marian Keyes was so inspirational to her, how an unexpected honeymoon reading choice had her bawling, and why choosing not to get your nails done is a radical act. Angela is best known for hosting shows on the BBC and RTÉ as well as her weekend breakfast show on Virgin Radio. Her first major documentary, Oi Ginger! aired in 2014, trending worldwide and showcasing her ability to dig deep into a subject matter. The success of the show led to a follow-up series, Angela Scanlon: Full Frontal, where she tackled taboo subjects such as extreme makeovers, fitness and nudity. Since beginning her work with the BBC, Angela has hosted The One Show and cult classic Robot Wars alongside Dara O’Brien, as well as coverage of T In The Park and the BAFTAs. In 2022 Angela published her debut book Joyrider: How Gratitude Can Help You Get The Life You Really Want. Part memoir, part self-help guide, Joyrider sees Angela chart her own journey into the world of self-development. This year has seen Angela launch the Get A Grip podcast, alongside co-host Vicky Pattison. Described as the ultimate group chat, Angela and Vicky discuss everything from motherhood and navigating newly-wed life to pop culture, internet drama and much more. She’s also the founder of jewellery brand frkl. and the online community, Hot Messers. Angela’s book choices are: **Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes**Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy**A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride**Trespasses by Louise Kennedy**I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora EphronVick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.