The Bibliofilles

Hosted by Sophie and Chaya
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The Bibliofilles began, as all great modern love stories do, on Facebook during Lockdown. Sophie asked for a recommendation. Chaya prescribed The Song of Achilles. A DM became a dialogue; a dialogue became @thebibiliofilles; and now, finally, a podcast. Chaya is a barrister, Sophie a former editor. We read across all genres and trends, from classics and non fiction, to contemporary fiction, romantasy and everything in between. The Bibliofilles: The Podcast is life through books, where we get to ruminate beyond the reviews and reels, with thematic episodes, academic deep dives, classics, cult favourites and viral sensations. There will be a book club built for those of us who never quite fit the mould. (with a twist, naturally).

  1. 6 days ago

    What Really Happens Inside Cults?

    What's the difference between a community and a cult? According to researchers and survivors not as much as you'd think. In this episode of The Bibliofilles, we're going deep on one of the most fascinating, disturbing and frankly addictive topics out there: cults. We cover the psychology of why ordinary, intelligent people join them, the language that keeps them in, and why the world we live in now has made all of us more vulnerable than ever. We discuss: •⁠  ⁠Hannah Murray's (Skins, Game of Thrones) memoir The Make Believe — and how a Reiki healer in LA sent her down a rabbit hole she nearly didn't come back from •⁠  ⁠Ruby Frankie, Eight Passengers and the cult of influencer culture and how it ended with her in prison •⁠  ⁠Cultish by Amanda Montell — how the language of cults is already inside your Instagram feed, your fitness studio and your political news feed •⁠  ⁠The BITE model — the framework built to explain exactly how cults control behaviour, information, thought and emotion •⁠  ⁠Cult fiction: The Girls (Emma Cline), The Heart Goes Last (Margaret Atwood), Station 11, Arcadia and more •⁠  ⁠One of our hosts' own family connection to EST — the therapy cult John Denver helped make famous The uncomfortable argument at the centre of all of this? It's already happened to you. 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts 📚 Join our Substack for exclusive bonus content ⭐ Like, comment, subscribe it genuinely makes a difference #Cults #TrueCrime #BookTok #Psychology #HannahMurray #CultPodcast #BookRecommendations #AuthorInterview #Memoir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 6 Jul

    Jodie Harsh: The Story I Couldn't Keep Inside

    She's been sober for 16 years. Before that, she was deep in London's club scene, doing d*ugs with celebrities, DJing alongside Alexander McQueen, and watching people around her not make it out alive. In this episode, DJ, producer and author Jodie joins us to talk about her debut memoir "You Had to Be There: An Odyssey Through Noughties London, One Night at a Time" and she does not hold back. We talk about: •⁠ ⁠Sneaking into the London Astoria at 15 with a fake ID and finding her "tribe" •⁠ ⁠Falling into a*diction on the dance floor and getting sober at 25 •⁠ ⁠Losing friends to a*diction, including Amy Winehouse a year after she got clean •⁠ ⁠Structuring her entire memoir around the clubs that raised her Astoria, Turnmills, Fabric, Pasha •⁠ ⁠Why she refused to read any other memoirs while writing her own •⁠ ⁠Getting "discovered" by a literary agent she didn't even know she had Plus a rapid-fire book recommendations round covering Elena Ferrante, Donna Tartt, Barbara Kingsolver and Sarah Waters. This is glamour, grief, queerness, addiction and recovery no filter, no spin. 📚 Subscribe to our Substack for the bonus tier from this episode she's spilling things we can't put on YouTube Jodies Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Had-Be-There-Noughties-ebook/dp/B0F6TM7XST/ref 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. #BookClub #BookTok #BookRecommendations #Memoir #Addiction #Sobriety #LondonNightlife #BookTok #PodcastClips #AuthorInterview #RecoveryJourney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 29 Jun

    Why Are We All Obsessed With Unhinged Women

    We sat down with the incredible Imani Thompson to talk about her debut novel Honey and wow, did it deliver! 🍯📚 We talked about how she crafted Yrsa as a loveable, relatable, yet terrifying protagonist (think Villanelle from Killing Eve), why she leaned so heavily into humour to explore such dark themes, and how she wove critical race theory and Afropessimism naturally into a propulsive, page-turning plot. We also get into the real world inspirations behind the book from incel culture and the manosphere to Audre Lorde's landmark essays on anger and the influence of Jamaica Kincaid's writing. Imani also opens up about her experience working at Daunt Books while editing the manuscript, her late night writing process, and gives us a very exciting first look at her second novel, set in Dorset and inspired by the Bibby Stockholm asylum seeker barge. Before the interview, Sophie and Chaya also sit down to discuss this month's classic pairing Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and why its themes of race, colonialism, and female identity connect so powerfully with Honey. In this episode we chat about: 📖 What inspired Honey & the creative process behind it 😤 Female rage, the manosphere & incel culture in fiction 🎓 Cambridge as a setting & intersectionality in literature 🌊 Why we paired it with Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys ✍️ Imani's late night writing habits & what's coming next 🗓️ Next Month's Book Club Picks: - People in Love by Claire Daverley - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler 📌 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe and leave us a review it really helps! 🎧 Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. #BookClub #ImaniThompson #Honey #FemaleRage #BookTok #BookRecommendations #CampusNovel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 22 Jun

    Looksmaxxing | Has Wellness Gone Too Far?

    When does wellness become a problem? This week on The Bibliofilles, we're diving into one of the most urgent cultural conversations of the moment looks maxing and optimisation culture and exploring it through the lens of literature. From viral influencers using extreme methods to "engineer" attractiveness, to the Fitbit-ification of reading via Goodreads targets, we unpack how the obsession with maximising every aspect of life is quietly making us miserable and why fiction saw it all coming. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Rouge by Mona Awad 👉 https://amzn.to/4uBKo73 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 👉 https://amzn.to/44gkf2Z The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 👉 https://amzn.to/4fOQddP Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 👉 https://amzn.to/4ozSWdn Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 👉 https://amzn.to/4ovIFPe Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding 👉 https://amzn.to/4oAQ9At Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy 👉 https://amzn.to/4uOMOiV We also discuss the backlash to Steven Bartlett optimisation obsession, the incel-to-mainstream pipeline of looks culture, and why reading itself has been infected by optimisation thinking. Perfect for: fans of feminist literary criticism, cultural commentary, book recommendations, and anyone who's ever felt exhausted by the pressure to self-optimise. 🎧 Subscribe on Substack for extended essays and exclusive bonus content including our viral extra with Maggie O'Farrell! 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Notropics ⁠https://londonnootropics.com⁠ #looksmaxing #looksmaxxing #beautystandards #malegaze #botox   #glowup #manosphere  #podcast #trending #bookish #books #filler #lipfiller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 15 Jun

    Sarah A Parker: I Risked Everything

    Chaya sits down with the author of the moment New York Times, Sunday Times, Australian and New Zealand bestseller Sarah A. Parker for the most emotional, raw and revelatory interview The Bibliofilles has ever recorded. We're diving into When the Moon Hatched and the newly released sequel The Ballad of Falling Dragons in a completely spoiler-free deep dive that will leave you absolutely wrecked (in the best way). In this episode, Sarah opens up about: - The real man who inspired Kahn yes, he exists, and yes, he gave up his entire career for her - Why she built her entire world behind closed eyelids before writing a single word - The devastating personal grief that gave birth to the dragon moon concept - Her powerful stance on female rage, suppressed identity, and protecting your creative bubble - Why she refuses to look at Goodreads and why you probably shouldn't either Super fans join live with burning questions, including: - What is Kaydence actually an allegory for? - Does Elwyn share Raven's complicated relationship with rain? - Will we ever get side character books set in this world? - How many books are left and is book three already written? This is not just a fantasy podcast episode. This is a masterclass in storytelling, trauma, creativity, and what it means to write a legacy. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0008710333/ The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker 👉https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ballad-Falling-Dragons-romantasy-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0DB3GT6YL #moonfall #romantasy #fantasybooks #booktok #bookpodcast #podcastrecommendations  #newpodcastepisode  #podcastersofinstagram  #bookrecommendations  #currentlyreading #bookobsessed #bookishcommunity #bookboyfriend #books #reading #bookworm #newrelease Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 8 Jun

    The Truth About the Off Campus Obsession

    Off Campus has become one of the biggest TV sensations of 2026, taking over streaming charts, BookTok and social media feeds around the world. In this episode we discuss the hit adaptation of Elle Kennedy's bestselling romance series and why audiences have become completely obsessed with Garrett, Hannah, Dean and the Briar University crew. We explore the show's addictive storytelling, its portrayal of consent and healthy relationships, the representation of sexual assault and trauma, and why so many viewers are calling it a cultural turning point for romance on screen. Key topics: • Off Campus review and reaction • Consent and healthy masculinity • Sexual assault representation in television • Romance books vs romance adaptations • The rise of New Adult fiction • Elle Kennedy's publishing journey • BookTok and the romance boom • Why Off Campus has become a global phenomenon • Our favourite characters and storylines Articles discussed: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2026/05/11984138/off-campus-sexual-assault https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clypz87rqy1o https://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/off-campus-sexual-assault-rom-com/ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/may/29/off-campus-tv-show-series-prime-video-global-hit #OffCampus #ElleKennedy #BookTok #RomanceBooks #PrimeVideo #BookPodcast #TheBibliophiles #NewAdultRomance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 5 Jun

    How Do You Follow a Global Phenomenon Like Hamnet? | Maggie O'Farrell

    Maggie O'Farrell joins The Bibliofilles to discuss her extraordinary new novel, Land. In this wide-ranging conversation, Maggie explores the Irish history, mythology and landscape that inspired the book, the lasting legacy of the Great Hunger, and why the land itself becomes a living character in her fiction. We also discuss historical research, writing authentic historical novels, family, memory, grief, parenthood, and the stories of ordinary people caught inside major historical events. Maggie shares insights into her bestselling novels Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait, reveals how Irish myths shaped her storytelling, and explains the fascinating real-world history behind Ireland's sacred wells and folklore. We also go behind the scenes of adapting Hamnet for the screen, writing a screenplay, collaborating with filmmakers, and experiencing the journey from novel to Oscar-winning adaptation. Topics covered: Land by Maggie O'Farrell Historical fiction writing The Irish Great Hunger Irish mythology and folklore Hamnet adaptation The Marriage Portrait Researching historical novels Family, memory and trauma Writing process and creativity Novel writing vs screenwriting If you enjoy conversations about books, literature, writing, historical fiction and storytelling, subscribe to The Bibliofilles for more author interviews and literary discussions. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Land by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4x5CeGF Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 👉 https://amzn.to/4vo2hHj Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4vlCuj2 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4x2nF6N 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics https://londonnootropics.com #MaggieOFarrell #Land #Hamnet #TheMarriagePortrait #DemonCopperhead #BarbaraKingsolver #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #BookTube #BookTok #ReadingCommunity #BooksBooksBooks #FictionBooks #IrishHistory #IrishLiterature #WritersLife #BookLovers #TheBibliofilles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 5 Jun

    We Read The Most Unhinged Reviews Of Our Favourite Books

    When was the last time you read a book… without checking the reviews first? In this episode, we read the funniest, harshest, and most unhinged one-star reviews including brutal takedowns of classic books we love. It’s hilarious… until it isn’t. Because beneath the chaos, there’s a bigger question: Are we still thinking for ourselves or letting the internet decide what we like? 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Pride and Prejudice 👉 https://amzn.to/4eKSxSn The Great Gatsby 👉 https://amzn.to/4eILoSE Frankenstein 👉 https://amzn.to/4efizx6 Crime and Punishment 👉 https://amzn.to/4n1AbyS Wuthering Heights 👉 https://amzn.to/3R79kVS The Divine Comedy 👉 https://amzn.to/3OGUPaJ 1984 👉 https://amzn.to/48vrC9j Everything’s Fine 👉 https://amzn.to/4cB4Orf A Prayer for Owen Meany 👉 https://amzn.to/4vTHJrc Never Let Me Go 👉 https://amzn.to/48Y62dK Wolf Hall 👉 https://amzn.to/4ud7UaL The Bell Jar 👉 https://amzn.to/3OM9KAs A Little Life 👉 https://amzn.to/4mZm3Gf A Discovery of Witches 👉 https://amzn.to/4wbQFsm Empire of Pain 👉 https://amzn.to/4mTBOyx Still Life 👉 https://amzn.to/4tNDJXV The Song of Achilles 👉 https://amzn.to/4cTfMr0 Penance 👉 https://amzn.to/4ueNNZF 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics https://londonnootropics.com Discount code for 20% off  Biblio Discount Code For Bubble BIBLIO15: https://bubble.onelink.me/nnib/signup?deep_link_sub2=BIBLIO15.T&Cs £15 off first childcare booking. Not valid in conjunction with other promo codes or account credit. Valid until 01.11.26. #books #booktok #booktube #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #bookish #bookrecommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About

The Bibliofilles began, as all great modern love stories do, on Facebook during Lockdown. Sophie asked for a recommendation. Chaya prescribed The Song of Achilles. A DM became a dialogue; a dialogue became @thebibiliofilles; and now, finally, a podcast. Chaya is a barrister, Sophie a former editor. We read across all genres and trends, from classics and non fiction, to contemporary fiction, romantasy and everything in between. The Bibliofilles: The Podcast is life through books, where we get to ruminate beyond the reviews and reels, with thematic episodes, academic deep dives, classics, cult favourites and viral sensations. There will be a book club built for those of us who never quite fit the mould. (with a twist, naturally).

Information

  • Creator
    Hosted by Sophie and Chaya
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Bibliofilles. All rights reserved.

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