Lit with Charles

Charles Pignal
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Welcome to Lit With Charles, a podcast on all things literary! I'm Charles Pignal, and every fortnight I’m asking guests about the four books which have made the biggest impact on their lives and work. If you're like me, you love literature – but maybe aren't always sure what you should be reading. The aim of this podcast is to make literature exciting and accessible; in each episode writers, artists, and other interesting people are giving real recommendations, to help you discover new books and authors off the beaten track. Here at Lit With Charles, every book has a story to tell.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Sarvat Hasin, author of "Strange Girls"

    This week on Lit With Charles, Liv — who has worked on the podcast for quite a while now — steps in to interview novelist and dramaturg Sarvat Hasin, author of the new novel Strange Girls. Sarvat is a British-Pakistani writer based in London. She studied Politics at Royal Holloway before completing a Master’s in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford. Prior to Strange Girls, she published This Wide Night (longlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature), You Can’t Go Home Again, and The Giant Dark, which won the inaugural Mo Siewcharran Prize. Strange Girls follows two friends, Ava and Aliya, who meet at university and form an intense friendship built around books, ambition, and a shared sense of being outsiders. Years later, after growing apart, they reunite in London for a friend’s hen weekend — where old tensions, buried resentments, and unresolved feelings begin to surface. In their conversation, Liv and Sarvat talk about obsession and intimacy in female friendships, the politics of who gets to tell a shared story, and what happens when the person who once knew you best becomes someone you can no longer quite face. It was a brilliant conversation — I hope you enjoy listening. Sarvat’s four books were: The Secret History, by Donna Tartt (1992) Angels in America, by Tony Kushner (1991) Hera Lindsay Bird, by Hera Lindsay Bird (2016) Mr Fox, by Helen Oyeyemi (2011) Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    39 min

  2. 2 MAR

    Philippa Malicka, author of "In Her Defense"

    It was such a pleasure today to interview a novelist I have known for many years, though not at the time as a novelist at all. Philippa Malicka and I first met about fifteen years ago in Delhi, when we were both living in India, long before writing became part of her public life. She has since published her debut novel, In Her Defense, a gripping and psychologically astute story that interrogates loyalty, truth, and the complicated narratives we construct around guilt and innocence. The novel was recently selected as a monthly pick by Reese’s Book Club, an endorsement that has had a remarkable impact on the book’s visibility and sales. It is also fair to say that I was fascinated by our discussion, which explored the uneasy space between responsibility and devotion, as well as the four books that have helped shape her literary path from our days in Delhi to writing this bestselling novel. It was wonderful to have this conversation with Philippa , and I hope you enjoy listening to our chat. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    41 min

  3. 23 FEB

    Leïla Slimani, author of "The Country of Others" & "Watch Us Dance" (Re-release)

    Leïla Slimani, author of "The Country of Others" & "Watch Us Dance" Leila Slimani is a highly acclaimed French-Moroccan author who has written some absolutely fantastic novels over the last few years. She burst into the mainstream consciousness when she won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in France in 2016 for her second novel Chanson Douce, which was translated into English in 2018 as The Perfect Nanny in the US, or Lullaby in the UK. She followed this up with non-fiction work as well as a fantastic trilogy which is two-thirds finished, called  “Le Pays des Autres” (The Country of Others) in which the second novel “Regardez-nous danser” (Watch Us Dance) has just been translated into English. In today’s episode, Leïla and I discuss, as always, the four books which have most influenced her writing – spanning all the way from early childhood literary beginnings, all the way to some very contemporary picks. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    46 min

  4. 16 FEB

    Ask Me Anything: My Reading Life

    In this relaxed Q&A episode, Charles answers listeners’ questions about his reading life, from how he structures his days around books to the different rhythms that shape how he approaches “easy” versus “demanding” reads. He shares his flexible methods, whether that means devouring a page turner in one long sitting or slowly metabolising a dense classic in small, manageable bursts. The conversation moves through travel habits, why he still prefers physical books over a Kindle, and the slightly chaotic reality of keeping notes while reading. Charles also reflects on his favourite Russian author, the challenge and reward of tackling big novels, and the myth of daily page targets, including his own extreme “big reading days.” He touches on becoming a parent and the environment he hopes to create around books, before revealing the story behind a hidden novel he once wrote purely for the joy of the process. A candid, thoughtful glimpse behind the scenes for fellow readers and the reading-curious alike. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    27 min

  5. 9 FEB

    JR Thornton, author of "Lucien"

    Invention and re-invention are themes that are set deep in the American psyche and the American novel. My guest today is the American novelist JR Thornton, author of the upcoming novel “Lucien” to be published next month. It’s a tale of intrigue, set at Harvard, in the modern day, where a freshman artist is dazzled by his Euro-glamorous room-mate, and led down a tempting path of forgery and deceit. Imagine “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, meets “The Goldfinch”, also by Donna Tartt, and you’re halfway there. In the book, JR Thornton, himself a Harvard alumnus, evokes the immense privilege that remains in certain pockets of these high-powered universities and the desperation of many outsiders to fit in.  In our interview, JR Thorton talks about the four books that helped shape his literary path, and specifically this book, so if you’re in the market for recommendations of great books about re-invention, re-emergence and revenge, you’re in the right place! Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading! JR Thornton's four books: The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (1844) The Great Gatsby (1925) Brideshead Revisited (1945) The Bell Jar (1963)

    36 min

  6. 2 FEB

    Lucy Caldwell, author of "Devotions"

    In this episode, I’m joined by Lucy Caldwell, ahead of the publication of her new short story collection Devotions, due out in April 2026. We may be early to the party, but this conversation offers a rich introduction to a book that explores love, loss, longing, and the everyday objects and rituals we turn into acts of devotion. From a Belfast theatre troupe taking an experimental Hamlet to New York, to stories that edge into the metafictional and the uncanny, Devotions is a collection of intimate, luminous portraits of desire and regret. Our conversation unfolds as something of a masterclass in writing. Lucy reflects on her life and work, from growing up in Belfast during the Troubles in an ecumenical family, to building an acclaimed literary career marked by depth, empathy, and formal curiosity. We talk about how and why she writes, her path to international recognition, and the four books that shaped her literary imagination. Thoughtful, generous, and quietly inspiring, this is an episode especially rich for readers and writers alike. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading! Lucy Caldwell’s four books: Lorrie Moore, Self-Help (1989) Lucia Berlin, A Manual for Cleaning Women (2015) James Joyce, Dubliners (1914) Richard Adams, Watership Down (1972)

    1h 2m

  7. 26 JAN

    Michelle Steinbeck, author of "Favorita"

    Content warning: this episode discusses sexual assault and feminicide in detail and may be distressing for some listeners. Please take care while listening and step away if needed. In this episode, I’m joined by Swiss novelist Michelle Steinbeck to discuss her haunting second novel Favorita, newly translated into English, and the urgent subject of feminicide, the murder of women, often by men. Through literature, we explore how gendered violence, authoritarian power and historical memory intertwine. Favorita follows Fila, a young woman who uncovers the possibility that her mother, once the ringleader of a collective of sex workers, was murdered by a shadowy network of fascists. Moving between post-war Italy and the present, the novel blends surreal, ghostly imagery with political realism to examine how violence against women reverberates across generations. Our conversation explores writing with ghosts, literature as resistance, and the importance of giving narrative shape to erased lives. Steinbeck reflects on fascist afterlives, memory, and the ways the past continues to shape women’s bodies and choices today. Michelle's four books were: Paolo Falconi: La Bella Elvira (1947) Leanne Shapton: Guest Book (2019)  Maggie Nelson: Jane A Murder (2005) Goliarda Sapienza: The Art Of Joy (1994) Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    45 min

  8. 22/12/2025

    Best Books of 2025

    In today’s episode, I look at the 5 best books that I’ve read in 2025. I’m pleased to say that this is an eclectic list of books which covers a lot of different genres so there’s something for everybody! What are some of the best books that you’ve read this year?  Thank you so much for listening this year and see you in 2026! Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

    25 min
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About

Welcome to Lit With Charles, a podcast on all things literary! I'm Charles Pignal, and every fortnight I’m asking guests about the four books which have made the biggest impact on their lives and work. If you're like me, you love literature – but maybe aren't always sure what you should be reading. The aim of this podcast is to make literature exciting and accessible; in each episode writers, artists, and other interesting people are giving real recommendations, to help you discover new books and authors off the beaten track. Here at Lit With Charles, every book has a story to tell.

Information

  • Creator
    Charles Pignal
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charles Pignal
  • Show Website
    Lit with Charles

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