Tom's Book Club

Thomas Watters
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Tom’s Book Club is a weekly books podcast featuring in-depth conversations with leading contemporary authors. Each episode features a focused, in-depth conversation with the authors behind the most talked-about new fiction, exploring the ideas, craft, and real-world questions that shape their work. Recent guests include Booker Prize winners George Saunders and Howard Jacobson, alongside bestselling writers and emerging voices from across the literary world. Subscribe for thoughtful author interviews, new book recommendations, and a closer look at the stories everyone’s talking about. Have a guest suggestion or enquiry? I'd love to hear from you: tomsbookclubpod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Isabel Allende on Storytelling: A Masterclass in Crafting Stories

    Isabel Allende joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about Storytelling: A Masterclass in Crafting Stories, her guide to the art and craft of writing after more than 50 years as a writer. One of the world’s most widely read and celebrated authors, Allende is best known for The House of the Spirits, her acclaimed debut novel, as well as books including City of the Beasts, Paula and A Long Petal of the Sea. Her work has sold more than 77 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages. In Storytelling, Allende draws on decades of experience as a writer to explore where stories come from, how characters develop, finding your voice, overcoming fear and what makes a story emotionally powerful. In this conversation, she discusses the lessons she has learned throughout her writing career and what she has discovered about storytelling after more than two dozen novels. If you’re interested in Isabel Allende, creative writing, writing advice, novel writing, storytelling, literary fiction, character development or the writing process, this episode offers an unusually personal insight into the craft from one of contemporary literature’s most accomplished authors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Isabel Allende on Storytelling: A Masterclass in Crafting Stories

  2. 6d ago

    Derek Owusu on The Recovery House

    Derek Owusu joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss his powerful new novel, The Recovery House — a moving and darkly funny story about mental health, creativity, faith, friendship and finding a way back to yourself. Jamal is a gifted young writer who wakes in a recovery house after a devastating mental breakdown. Surrounded by other patients dealing with their own struggles, he begins to find unexpected friendship, humour and connection. As music, literature and spirituality become ways of making sense of his experiences, the boundaries between illness, inspiration, God and madness begin to blur. Derek discusses how much, or how little, of his own experiences made it into the book, as well as the role of humour, the importance of music - including The Cranberries’ Zombie - his relationship with faith, discovering reading in his twenties, and how he unexpectedly became a writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Derek Owusu on The Recovery House

  3. Sep 15

    Emily St. John Mandel on Exit Party

    Emily St. John Mandel joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss her new novel, Exit Party, a gripping and unsettling novel about parallel worlds, political division, surveillance, freedom, art and the possibility of a different future. Set in 2031, Exit Party takes us to an America at war with itself, where the Republic of California has declared independence and a seemingly ordinary party in Los Angeles becomes increasingly strange. Ari, recently released from prison, finds herself caught between different versions of reality, before the novel opens up into a second America where many of society’s greatest problems have been solved - but at the cost of constant surveillance and conformity. Emily talks about where the novel began and the challenge of creating two radically different versions of America. We discuss the book’s exploration of militias, civil conflict and the ways people become accustomed to extraordinary circumstances. We also talk about Ari, a character Emily first introduced in The Singer’s Gun, the novel’s shifting perspectives and experimental structure; and how form, doubling and parallel worlds allow Emily to explore different versions of reality. Emily also discusses the role of art and creativity in Exit Party, the connections between this novel and her wider body of work, and the recurring characters and ideas that link her novels together. Tom’s Book Club is an independent books podcast featuring conversations with contemporary authors about their books, writing and creative process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Emily St. John Mandel on Exit Party

  4. Sep 8

    Meg Mason on Sophie, Standing There

    Meg Mason joins Tom’s Book Club to talk about her new novel, Sophie, Standing There a funny, candid and bittersweet story about loneliness, friendship, obsession and the unexpected ways we find connection. Meg is the author of the international bestseller Sorrow and Bliss, and in this conversation she discusses the creation of Sophie Pattison, a kind and deeply lonely woman whose life begins to change when she rediscovers the work of an author she hasn't read in years. We talk about loneliness and Meg’s own experiences of it, the emotional power of books and podcasts, and the parasocial relationships we can develop with writers we’ve never met. We also explore the world of book festivals and literary events, including the real authors who appear in the novel, Meg’s experiences of the publishing and literary world, and the inspiration behind some of the book’s funniest moments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Meg Mason on Sophie, Standing There

  5. Sep 1

    Kate Atkinson on Our Noble Selves

    Kate Atkinson joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Our Noble Selves, her new historical novel set in post-war Britain against the backdrop of the 1951 Festival of Britain. It’s the summer of 1951, and Britain is trying to put the darkness of the Second World War behind it. Former foreign correspondent and war reporter Harry Flynn joins the eccentric team preparing the Festival of Britain, while attempting to rebuild his life after the war. But when a woman he's been seeing goes missing, Flynn finds himself under suspicion and drawn into an investigation involving a cast of unforgettable characters. In this conversation, Kate Atkinson talks about the real history behind Our Noble Selves, including the extraordinary and often eccentric details of the Festival of Britain. She discusses her writing process and how she creates characters, including one inspired by television cook Fanny Craddock. We also explore Kate’s approach to humour and why even a novel dealing with the aftermath of war can be funny. Kate Atkinson is one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists. Her debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize. Her bestselling historical novels include Life After Life, A God in Ruins, Transcription and Shrines of Gaiety. She is also the author of the Jackson Brodie crime novels, including Case Histories and Death at the Sign of the Rook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Kate Atkinson on Our Noble Selves

  6. Aug 25

    Patrick Ryan on Buckeye

    Patrick Ryan joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Buckeye, his acclaimed debut novel about love, war, grief, family and the secrets that can shape generations. Set in the small town of Bonhomie, Ohio, Buckeye begins in May 1945, as the Second World War comes to an end. A chance encounter between Margaret Salt and hardware-store owner Cal Jenkins sets in motion a story that unfolds across generations, bringing together two couples - Cal and Becky, and Margaret and Felix - whose lives become intertwined in unexpected and sometimes devastating ways. In this conversation, Patrick Ryan talks about the inspiration behind Buckeye and the role his own family history played in the novel. We discuss the different ways people experience and process war, the lasting effects of trauma, and the complicated relationship between grief and forgiveness. Patrick also talks about his writing process, getting advice from Ann Patchett and why editing is far more fun than writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Patrick Ryan on Buckeye

  7. Aug 18

    Avni Doshi on The First House

    Avni Doshi joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss The First House, her dark and hypnotic second novel about marriage, motherhood, divorce, power and transformation. The novel begins with a woman being told by her husband that he wants a divorce. Convinced that they have had an almost perfect marriage, she is left to pick through the ruins of their shared life while caring for their two young daughters. As the summer unfolds, memories of her marriage begin to shift, warning signs emerge, and the boundaries between reality, mythology, astrology and the natural world start to blur. In this conversation, Avni Doshi talks about the inspiration behind The First House, creating an unnamed and flawed narrator, and exploring the power dynamics within marriage and family. We discuss patriarchy, motherhood, midlife, astrology, mythology and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Avni Doshi on The First House

  8. Aug 15 ·  Bonus

    Behind The Books: Patrice Lawrence, Waterstones Children's Laureate

    In this special episode of Tom’s Book Club: Behind The Books, Tom talks to Patrice Lawrence, the newly appointed Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2026–2028, about children’s books, reading, representation and the power of stories to make young people feel seen and heard. Patrice Lawrence is the award-winning author of Orangeboy, Needle, Is That Your Mama?, Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush and Our Story Starts in Africa. A decade after the publication of Orangeboy, she takes on one of the most important roles in British children’s literature. In this conversation, Patrice discusses what it means to become Children’s Laureate, her plans for the role, and the importance of children seeing themselves reflected in books.  Patrice also reflects on her own childhood reading, the books that shaped her, the realities of writing for children today, and why she still feels guilty about an encounter with a Doctor Who companion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Behind The Books: Patrice Lawrence, Waterstones Children's Laureate
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About

Tom’s Book Club is a weekly books podcast featuring in-depth conversations with leading contemporary authors. Each episode features a focused, in-depth conversation with the authors behind the most talked-about new fiction, exploring the ideas, craft, and real-world questions that shape their work. Recent guests include Booker Prize winners George Saunders and Howard Jacobson, alongside bestselling writers and emerging voices from across the literary world. Subscribe for thoughtful author interviews, new book recommendations, and a closer look at the stories everyone’s talking about. Have a guest suggestion or enquiry? I'd love to hear from you: tomsbookclubpod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas Watters
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Thomas Watters
  • Show Website
    Tom's Book Club