Lit with Charles

Charles Pignal
  • 4.6 (8)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

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. 3d ago

    Sir Ben Okri, author of “The Famished Road” and “Waking the Warriors”

    Today, Charles speaks with one of Britain’s most esteemed authors, the novelist and poet Sir Ben Okri. Sir Ben first shot to international fame in 1991 with The Famished Road, which won the Booker Prize that same year, making him the youngest-ever winner at the time, at just 32. Since then, he has published more than twenty books spanning novels, poetry, short stories, essays and plays, including Songs of Enchantment, Astonishing the Gods, Dangerous Love, The Age of Magic and The Freedom Artist. In 2023, he was knighted for services to literature. In this episode, Charles speaks with Sir Ben about his life and remarkable literary career, as well as his newest novel, Waking the Warriors. The book follows three unlikely heroes – Mel, Rosa and Apibus – as they set out to find a witch who can wake a group of sleeping warriors and save their city from a foreign invasion. Waking the Warriors is out now, available online and from bookstores. 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!

  2. Mar 23

    Season 3 Finale: Charles & Olivia Reflect on the Highlights

    It was such a pleasure today to be joined by Olivia Kate Menzies - aka Liv - for this Season 3 finale, as we looked back on what has been a rich and varied run of conversations on Lit With Charles. Liv has played a key role behind the scenes this year – researching, preparing, and occasionally conducting interviews – so it felt only right to bring her in for a proper recap. In this episode, we revisit some of our standout moments: the interviews that stayed with us, the books by our guests that we most admired, and the recommendations that have gone right to the top of our TBR lists. We also touch on broader themes that emerged across the season, from the psychology of certain literary tropes to the changing nature of reading and travel today. We’ll be taking a little break before Season 4, where we’re going to be trying out a more conversational format, alongside a couple of very special interviews. So, you can expect more of Liv in the upcoming series! It was a pleasure to reflect on the season together, and I hope you enjoyed listening.

  3. Mar 16

    Andrew Miller, author of "The Land in Winter"

    It was such a pleasure today to speak with the novelist Andrew Miller, one of Britain’s most accomplished contemporary writers, whose career now spans more than three decades and ten novels. Andrew joined me from South Somerset in the west of England to discuss his latest book, The Land in Winter, recently shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Set during the brutal winter of 1962–63, the novel explores the emotional tensions within two marriages as a great freeze isolates a small community and forces its characters to confront truths about their relationships and themselves. It is also fair to say that I was fascinated by our discussion, which explored Andrew’s upbringing in the West Country, the moment at eighteen when he decided to become a writer, and the importance of landscape and weather in shaping fiction. We also discussed the four books that have helped shape his literary imagination, from James Salter’s beautifully written portrait of a marriage in Light Years to Tarjei Vesaas’s haunting Norwegian novel The Ice Palace. It was wonderful to have this conversation with Andrew, 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!

  4. Mar 9

    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!

  5. Mar 2

    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!

  6. Feb 23

    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!

  7. Feb 16

    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!

  8. Feb 9

    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)

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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
    115
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charles Pignal
  • Show Website
    Lit with Charles

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