Transatlantic Bookmarks

Ksenija Popović & Sue Graham Johnston

Welcome to Transatlantic Bookmarks, a weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we talk about contemporary fiction, classic literature, international books, literary prizes, adaptations, reading culture, and the ways books collide with everyday life. This is a podcast for readers who want thoughtful conversation without academic stiffness or internet performance. Some episodes focus on major new releases and award shortlists like the Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Others explore classics, books in translation, film and television adaptations, literary trends, and the human questions hiding inside fiction. New episodes every week. Find show notes, reading lists, and additional writing on Substack: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/

Episodes

  1. Can Great Art Survive Moral Compromise?

    1d ago

    Can Great Art Survive Moral Compromise?

    Can great art remain pure once the artist begins compromising with the world around them? Daniel Kehlmann’s The Director, shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize, revisits the life of legendary filmmaker G.W. Pabst and opens up a fascinating moral question: What happens when artists make peace with power? From Renaissance patronage to Hollywood studios to authoritarian regimes, artists have always depended on systems that were rarely innocent. So where do we draw the line between survival, ambition, compromise, and complicity? 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED: • The Director by Daniel Kehlmann • The Sisters by Jonas Khemiri • Isola by Allegra Goodman • Departure(s) by Julian Barnes • Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling • Anna Karenina and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy • Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak • The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez • The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand ✨ DEEPEN THE CONVERSATION Read our complete weekly breakdowns, curated reading lists, and additional essays over on our Substack. Join our community of mature readers: 💌 Our Substack & Show Notes: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/ 📚 EXPLORE OUR HOSTS' WORK & READING LISTS • Read Ksenija's Novels: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/p/publications • Ksenija on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449766.Ksenija_Popovi_ 🎙️ ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC BOOKMARKS A weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we bring you thoughtful, relaxed, and witty conversations about contemporary fiction, classic literature, award shortlists, and the human questions hiding inside the books we read. New episodes are released every Saturday. 👉🏻 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:44 What We’re Reading 06:42 The Director by Daniel Kehlmann 11:33 Historical Context of Artists and Power 18:05 Moral Dilemmas in Artistic Integrity 25:15 The Different Standards for Artists, Tech Bros, and Podcast Bros 30:00 Censorship in the Publishing Industry 39:03 The Nuances of Free Speech 41:06 Art, Politics, and the Artist's Responsibility 49:05 Does Great Art Require Angst? 51:14 The Compromises of Artistic Freedom 1:06:26 Book Recommendation

    1h 15m
  2. The Wuthering Heights Controversy: Is Hollywood Ruining Books?

    May 30

    The Wuthering Heights Controversy: Is Hollywood Ruining Books?

    Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is on streaming platforms, sparking a much bigger question: why do some books survive adaptation beautifully while others lose everything essential about them? In this episode, European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston look past the immediate film reviews to debate the broader reality of classic book adaptations. From public reception of the Brontë sisters to the screenplays that actually get it right, we ask if cinema is destroying the soul of contemporary fiction. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED: The Correspondent by Virginia EvansWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëThe Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan KunderaHamnet by Maggie O’FarrellNormal People by Sally RooneyLife of Pi by Yann MartelProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirThe Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafónOne Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García MárquezThe Favorites by Layne FargoLonesome Dove by Larry McMurtryButter by Asako Yuzuki 💌 Our Substack & Show Notes: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/ 📚 Read Ksenija's Novels: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/p/publications Ksenija on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449766.Ksenija_Popovi_ 🎙️ ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC BOOKMARKS A weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we bring you thoughtful, relaxed, and witty conversations about contemporary fiction, classic literature, award shortlists, and the human questions hiding inside the books we read. New episodes are released every week. 👉🏻 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:31 Catching Up on Democracy and Independence 02:31 The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 04:03 Ksenija’s Books 04:39 Wuthering Heights, the 2025 Adaptation 10:55 Do Adaptations Encourage Reading? 13:45 The Racial Component of Wuthering Heights and the 2011 Adaptation 16:08 Why Cathy Married Linton 18:02 The Reasons for Heathcliff’s Cruelty 19:08 Why Charlotte Brontë Renounced Wuthering Heights 22:53 Hollywood’s Relationship with Literature 25:36 The Best Author Is a Dead Author 27:23 The Drama Between Anton Chekhov and Konstantin Stanislavski 28:29 An Author’s Perspective on Adaptations 32:11 Why Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff Disappointed Ksenija 33:18 How Sue Discovered The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera 34:16 Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 35:47 Normal People by Sally Rooney and the Masterful Acting of Paul Mescal 38:06 Do Authors Write with a Movie in Mind? 41:59 Life of Pi by Yann Martel 43:22 Books That Shouldn’t Be Adapted 43:38 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 44:25 Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 45:27 One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 45:52 The Good and Bad of Audiobooks 47:46 Female Authors and Adaptations 50:20 Retellings of Classics: The Favorites by Layne Fargo 51:59 Clueless and Ten Things I Hate About You: The Playful Remakes of Jane Austen and William Shakespeare 53:37 Ksenija’s Favorite Wuthering Heights Adaptation 55:31 Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 57:37 Butter by Asako Yuzuki

    1 hr
  3. Is Women's Writing Still Relevant?

    May 23

    Is Women's Writing Still Relevant?

    The shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction is out, sparking a vital conversation: Does the term “women’s writing” still make sense today, and is a prize like Women's Prize for Fiction just DEI? From opposite sides of the Atlantic,  @ksenijapopovic  and Sue Graham Johnston dive deep into the cultural politics of literary prizes, whether male writing is still the default universal standard, and whether we need a corrective mechanism. We also share our personal favorite female authors and why their books made an impact on us. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED: • The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke • Heart the Lover by Lily King • The Correspondent by Virginia Evans • 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver • Secret History by Donna Tartt • The Goldfinsh by Donna Tartt • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy • The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric ✨ DEEPEN THE CONVERSATION Read our complete weekly breakdowns, curated reading lists, and additional essays over on our Substack. Join our community of mature readers: 💌 Our Substack & Show Notes: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/ 📚 EXPLORE OUR HOSTS' WORK & READING LISTS • Read Ksenija's Novels: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/p/publications • Ksenija on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449766.Ksenija_Popovi_ 🎙️ ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC BOOKMARKS A weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we bring you thoughtful, relaxed, and witty conversations about contemporary fiction, classic literature, award shortlists, and the human questions hiding inside the books we read. New episodes are released every week. 👉🏻 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:14 The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke 04:35 Heart the Lover by Lily King 05:33 The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 07:05 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff 07:24 Defining Women's Fiction 12:20 Women Read More 13:06 The Balkan Perspective 15:53 The American Perspective 19:59 The Disparity in Literary Awards 22:42 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and the Opioid Epidemic 33:20 Is Women's Prize for Fiction DEI? 41:55 Do We Read more Female or Male Authors? 46:04 The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy 47:39 Donna Tart's Goldfinch and Secret History 50:00 Ivo Andric's Short Story 53:20 Book Recommendations

    55 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

Welcome to Transatlantic Bookmarks, a weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we talk about contemporary fiction, classic literature, international books, literary prizes, adaptations, reading culture, and the ways books collide with everyday life. This is a podcast for readers who want thoughtful conversation without academic stiffness or internet performance. Some episodes focus on major new releases and award shortlists like the Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Others explore classics, books in translation, film and television adaptations, literary trends, and the human questions hiding inside fiction. New episodes every week. Find show notes, reading lists, and additional writing on Substack: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Ksenija Popović & Sue Graham Johnston
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ksenija Popović & Sue Graham Johnston
  • Show Website
    Transatlantic Bookmarks