Chiltern Voice Book Club

Robin joins Antonia to talk about his dark, compelling second novel The Guest House, written in lockdown with a new baby. Along the way we talk representation, diversity, becoming the person you want to be and being the person you wish your child-self had been able to see - and musical theatre. Of course.I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Whitney HoustonGimme Gimme Gimme - ABBABills Bills Bills - Destiny's ChildHold On - AdeleSo Sorry - Lola YoungWe Don't Talk about Bruno from EncantoEx Wives - from Six the MusicalSay You'll Be There - Spice GirlsI Try - Macy GrayI will Follow Him - from the Sister Act soundtrackI'm Here - Cynthia Erivo, from The Color Purple soundtrackGood as Hell - Lizzo

Sarra joins Antonia to celebrate her latest novel, the warm, immersive and wonderful London, With Love. The Sarra Manning line takes us on a trip through Sarra’s prolific and enduring writing career, with stops at Just Seventeen, London before Crossrail, Noel Streatfeild, music, dogs, selecting great reads for Red Magazine and so many more. A joy.Jennifer She Said - Lloyd Cole and the CommotionsGirl VII - St EtienneWest End Girls - Pet Shop BoysWrapped Up In Books - Belle and SebastianMoving On Up - Primal ScreamLiza Minelli - Losing My MindBar Italia - PulpPerfect Day - Lou ReedRight Back Where We Started From - Maxine NightingaleWaterloo Sunset - The KinksLloyd, I’m Ready to be HeartbrokenTonight the Streets are Ours - Richard Hawley

Julie joins Antonia to talk about her beautiful debut novel, That Green Eyed Girl, about New York in the 1950s, about writing dreams and process and heartbreak - and answers openly and honestly the perennial question, What took you so long? A must-listen.I’m Coming Home - Tom JonesBeast of Burden - Rolling StonesYoung Americans - David BowieStreets of Fire - Bruce SpringsteenTrouble in Mind - Marianne FaithfullWhat Becomes of the Brokenhearted - Jimmy RuffinAin't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi TerrellMy Funny Valentine - Chet BakerSeventeen - Janis Ian23rd Street Lullaby - Patti ScialfaFour Tops - Reach OutBurce Springsteen - Stolen Car

Fiona ’s writing career, from journalism (Fiona was the last journalist in the UK to interview Michael Jackson before he died), to Faber Academy, to her fifth novel, Into The Dark, provides the framework for a far-reaching and wide-ranging conversation encompassing love, loss, fear, survival and joy. Join us xAlways Something There to Remind Me - Sandie ShawI Can See Clearly Now - Johnny NashLike a Prayer - MadonnaCarey - Joni MitchellAtomic - BlondieBillie Jean - Michael JacksonShine -Take ThatShallow - Bradley Cooper/Lady GagaTitanium - David Guetta fest. SiaThe Man Comes Around - Johnny CashSee you Again - Wiz Khalifa/Charlie PuthDancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen

Prolific novelist, OBE, the first female chair of the Royal Society of Literature, Professor of Creative Writing and champion of new writers Maggie Gee joins Antonia to talk about her fourteenth novel, The Red Children. This is a conversation about writing, longevity, disappointment, love, war and hope - but above all, it’s a chance to enjoy the company of a writing icon and beautiful human being. Join us xMack the Knife - Lottie Lenta Kurt Weill, sung by Lotte Lenta Sheep may safely graze - Bach, played by Leon Fleisher What a fool believes - Aretha FranklinJazzman by Carole King, TapestryUntil You Come back to me - Aretha FranklinBess, you is my woman now - Miles DavisMerry Christmas Mr Lawrence, instrumental - SakimotoBe thankful for what you’ve got - William Devaughn Summertime by Rebecca Ferguson. Do you want to dance? - Bette MidlerBenny and the Jets - Elton John Saturday in the Park - Chicago These Foolish Things - Thelonius Monk solo pianoOh Happy Day: Aretha Franklin, Live at New Bethel

Lewis’ human and superstar novelist Joanna Cannon joins Antonia to talk about her new novel, A Tidy Ending, about the beginning of her writing career, the joys and perils of early success, about resilience and perseverance and moving from writing as joy to writing as career. And, of course, the music. Please join us!These Boots - Nancy SinatraTo Sir With Love - LuluSpace Oddity - David BowieWelome Home - Peters, LeeDon’t Think Twice - Bob DylanTie A Yellow Ribbon - DawnBird on the Wire - Leonard CohenI do, I do, I do, I do, I do - ABBAAll Over The World - Françoise HardyTennessee Waltz - Eva CassidyAin’t That A Kick In The Head - Dean MartinI’m On My Way - The Proclaimers

Stephen joins Antonia to talk about his novel Sell Us The Rope, the novel Hilary Mantel wishes she had written. It’s 1907 and Stalin is in London for the 5th Congress of the Russian Communist Party… Sell Us The Rope is Stephen’s sixth novel - he’s been shortlisted for the Costa Novel Prize with Life! Death! Prizes! the title of which sums up this Book Club chat - except for the death bit, which we took out to make way for the punk rock and iconoclasm. Bring on the Booker.Dancing Queen- AbbaCloudbusting - Kate BushWaterloo Sunset - The KinksAlways on my Mind - Elvis PresleyHelp - The BeatlesDo Anything You Wanna Do - Eddie and the Hod RodsBurn the Heather - The Lounge SocietyLost Weekend - Lloyd Cole and the CommotionsSigh o’ the Times - PrinceSale of the Century - SleeperI feel love - Donna SummerPositively 4th Street - Bob DylanThe Emperor’s New Clothes - Sinéad O'Connor

Bestselling novelist Janice Hallett joins Antonia to talk about her phenomenally successful debut novel The Appeal, about how her life as a journalist and a screenwriter has fed into her work as a novelist, about how she uses music to trick herself into getting the writing done and about What Happens Now (including adapting her own work for the screen). Brand New Key - Melanie SafeTainted Love - Soft CellSave a Prayer - Duran DuranI Can’t Go For That - Hall and OatesBaby Driver - Simon and GarfunkelRather Be - Clean Bandit Fleetwood Mac - Little LiesThat’s Entertainment - The JamDo It Again - Steely DanHotel California - The EaglesAngie Baby - Helen ReddyWest End Girls - The Pet Shop Boys The Logical Song - Supertramps

Hannah joins Antonia to talk about The Codes of Love and its genesis as a short story, unlikeable characters, the importance of music, why we write (and why we don’t) and how we might just persuade ourselves to keep going.Tall Heights - Horse to WaterAngel Olsen - WindowsAne Brun - HaloAlvvays - Archie, Marry MeLaura Marling - GhostsFirst Aid Kit - EmmylouDaughter - CandlesEmily King - GeorgiaSufjan Stevens - Should Have Known BetterPhoebe Ryan - A Thousand WaysAlela Diane - EmigréLord Huron - The Night We Met

Laura Pearson, novelist and founder of The Motherload Book Club, brings a list of her favourite books to Book Club. We talk about titles, whether there’s a right time to write about disasters, the importance of small presses… We also talk about Laura’s own writing and her novels, Missing Pieces and Nobody’s Wife, and the life-changing turn of events in Laura’s own life that led to her third novel, I Wanted You To Know.Paperback Writer, The BeatlesGo Your Own Way, Fleetwood MacWatermelon Sugar, Harry StylesTrash, SuedeWake Up Boo, The Boo RadleysWe Didn’t Start the Fire, Billy JoelAlways Remember Us This Way, Lady GagaThunder Road, Bruce SpringsteenFamous Blue Raincoat, Leonard CohenFrank Mills, The LemonheadsNo Body No Crime, Taylor SwiftFast Car, Tracy Chapman

Susie joins Antonia live in the studio to talk about her beautiful new novel Loved and Missed, about family and loss and the superpower of kindness, the brilliance of Judy Garland, Susie’s writing career - and her wonderful song choices.Bob Marley - Redemption SongThe Pogues - Dirty Old TownBeyonce - Hold UpAmy Winehouse - Tears Dry on their OwnJudy Garland - Zing! Went the Strings of my HeartHoagy Carmichael and Ella Logan - Two Sleepy PeopleJanet Kay - Silly GamesJudy Garland - Old Man RiverJustin Hinds - Save a BreadChet Baker - Let’s Get LostStevie Wonder - Heaven Help Us AllLily Allen - Who’d Have Known

Imogen Hermes Gower and Antonia talk about Imogen's Women’s Prize shortlisted debut novel, The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, about the effect of a staggeringly successful debut on her life and writing, about writing courses and competitions and mermaids and writing historical fiction for a contemporary audience and Joan of Arc and - of course - Kate Bush. Paris 1919 - John CaleNeighborhood #2 (Laika) - Arcade FireSamson - Regina SpektorEmily - Joanna Newsom Remember - the Shangri-LasThe Crane Wife 3 - Marianne Faithfull and Nick CaveTheme de Yoyo - Art Ensemble of Chicago. The Disposition of the Linen - Michael Nyman from The Draftsman's Contract OSTAdios - Benjamin ClementineSay You Love Me - "Om" Alec KhaoliRunning Up That Hill - Kate BushLet It Go - Idina Menzel from the Frozen OST

Cathy joins Antonia to talk about Write It All Down, her generous, tender and constructive guide for anyone wishing to turn their own experiences into words on the page. We discuss Cathy’s first book, her memoir The Last Act of Love, about the death of her beloved brother Matty, and the path of her writing and teaching since then, which somehow led to the wonder of Write It All Down.Irish Rover,The Pogues and The Dubliners Mattie’s Rag, Gerry Rafferty Together in Electric Dreams, Giorgio Moroder and Phil Oakley Wish you were here, Pink Floyd Don’t Look Back in Anger, Oasis Common People, Pulp Cheek to Cheek, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Get Lucky, Daft Punk The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie Say a Little Prayer, Aretha Franklin Feeling Good, Nina Simone

Beloved book blogger (Years of Reading Selfishly, Two Fond of Books) and regular guest Clare Reynolds brings her gloriously voracious reading habit to the service of anyone looking to buy books for Christmas, and we settle once and for all the pressing question of which of us George Michael would have chosen if the universe had arranged itself differently.Elton John - Step Into ChristmasThe Pretenders - 2000 milesElvis - Blue ChristmasFreiheit - Keeping the Dream AliveEast 17 - Stay Another DayFrankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of LoveDavid Essex - Winter’s TaleHarry Connick Jr - It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like ChristmasNat King Cole - The Christmas SongThe Flirtations - Christmas Time is Here AgainThe Muppets - It Feels like ChristmasChris de Burgh - A Spaceman Came TravellingBoney M - Mary’s Boy ChildWham! - Last Christmas

Andy Miller 5th December 2021By overwhelming popular demand, Andy Miller (yes, he of The Year of Reading Dangerously and Backlisted Pod) returns to Chiltern Voice Book Club, this time bringing his Christmas record collection. Between his glorious Christmas music choices, Andy and Antonia talk all things Christmas - presents, family, arguments, exactly what The Wombles and The Sex Pistol have in common … and books. All the books. The Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas is ComingDarlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)The Flirtations - Christmas Time is Here AgainThe Sweet Inspirations - Every Day Will Be Like A HolidayABBA - Little ThingsThe Wombles - Wombling Merry ChristmasThe Waitresses - Christmas WrappingThe OJays - Christmas Just Aint ChristmasBig Star - Jesus ChristMargo Guryan - I Don’t Intend To Spend Christmas Without YouScritti Politti - Snow in SunTwice as Much and Vashti - The Coldest Night of the YearSolomon Burke - Christmas PresentsThe Beatles - Christmas Time Is Here Again

Chiltern Voice Book Club celebrates the launch of Sunburnt Saints, an anthology of climate change fiction, with interviews and song choices from some of the contributors, as well as from Andy Leach and Hannah Persaud, founders of Massive Overheads. The anthology is available from Big Green Books - order a copy online. Andy Leach - Richard Thompson, When the Saints Rise Out of Their GravesHannah Persaud - Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue RaincoatSophie Power - Prince, Sign of the TimesAnna Vaught - Steve Harley, Cockney Rebel - Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)Katie Willis - Madonna, La Isla BonitaGiselle Leeb - Michael Kiwanuka, One More NIghtJames Woolf - Bob Dylan, Licence to KillIan Critchley - Kate Bush, CloudbustingMatt Thomas - Neil Young, Wonderin’Rachael Smart - Billy Joel, Uptown Girl

In this super-spooky Hallowe’en special, the prizewinning, bestselling Queen of Horror Catriona Ward joins Antonia to talk about the fascination of horror - why we read it and why she writes it. Encompassing an unusual childhood, the curse of the second novel, the writing of her Stephen King-championed breakthrough novel, working as Executive Producer on the film adaptation with The Imaginarium, love, loss and creation, this is a wise and generous tour through the mind of a writer at the top of her game. Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of her ShoesBilly Joel - The Downeaster ‘Alexa'Minnie Riperton - Les FleursGuns N Roses - Don’t CryBrandon Flowers - CrossfireNine Inch Nails - HurtRobyn - Dancing on my ownLeonard Cohen - I’m Your ManBlondie - Heart of GlassJoan Baez - Diamonds and RustPeter Gabriel and Kate Bush - Don’t Give UpNoel Coward - Marvellous Party

Tammy - with her alter-egos Tamar Cohen and Rachel Rhys - joins Antonia to talk about beginning her writing career, the carcasses she has hidden in her laptop, Richard and Judy’s orange sofa, and exactly how she has managed to write fourteen novels in eleven years. Courage, compassion -and news of a new Rachel Rhys title coming next year!Edith Piaf - Non, je ne regrette rienShirley Bassey - The Girl from Tiger BayMadness - It Must Be LoveLeonard Cohen - So Long, MarianneDexy’s Midnight Runners - Come On, EileenRoxy Music - AvalonThe Smiths - Heaven Knows I’m Miserable NowDiana Ross - Ain’t No Mountain High EnoughSoft Cell - Say Hello, Wave GoodbyeAbba - Dancing QueenOtis Redding - Try a Little TendernessAmy Winehouse - Back to BlackNina Simone - Feeling Good

Proud Liverpudlian Sarah Moorhead talks about the beliefs and passions that drove her genre-defying debut Witness X, about writing before and after publication, about justice, fragility, peace - and the village it takes to nurture a writer.The Beatles - Paperback WriterJohnny Cash - You Are My SunshineEcho & The Bunnymen - Bring on the Dancing HorsesSting - FragileI Want to Break Free - QueenJust Can’t Get Enough - Depeche ModeThis Woman’s Work - Kate BushI’m Still Standing - Elton JohnFamiliar - Agnes ObelHalo - BeyoncéWhere Is the Love? - Black Eyed PeasYou’ll Never Walk Alone - Judy Garland

Gareth talks about his writing beginnings (including meeting Diana Wynne Jones), his first publications, The Embers of War trilogy, the value of science fiction to the future of humanity - and happiness. All My Stars Aligned - St VincentOnce in a Lifetime - Talking HeadsIt Must Be Love - Labi SiffreSunday Morning - The Velvet UndergroundDowntown Train - Tom WaitsOh, Maker - Janelle MonáeL.A. Woman - The DoorsSuperstition - Stevie WonderWhat a Wonderful World - Joey RamoneBecause the Night - Patti Smith