Overdue

Among the literary podcasts from across the pond, Overdue – a podcast themed around all the books you should have read by now – is a firm favourite. Each week, American hosts Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getting focus on a single book they have just read for the first time, from across a range of popular, literary and genre fiction, obscure cult classics, young adult and children’s literature. There are episodes on everything from Little Women and Les Miserables to Americanah and Station Eleven. One of the benefits to tuning in late to such a long-running podcast is the wealth of episodes in their archives  – at the time of publishing there are well over three hundred to choose from.

The podcast has a relatively structured format – the hosts often quote from interviews and give background information before turning to the books themselves yet still makes time for some silly intros and singing. It’s not without its biases, but Overdue is an accessible, high-quality production. So whether you want to sound like you’ve actually read Pygmalion or just want some more chatter about an old favourite, there’s an hour-long episode of Overdue out there for you.

Binge Mode: Harry Potter

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a deep dive into one topic, then Binge Mode: Harry Potter is the podcast equivalent of plunging off an Olympic ten-metre platform. It is the second ‘season’ of a podcast format pioneered by hosts Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion, who began with Binge Mode: Game of Thrones, releasing one podcast on an episode, or in this case, a few chapters, every weekday. Binge Mode’s approach is intense and highly structured, with recaps, segments and complex interviewing of details from every book in the series, sometimes reaching over 90 minutes in length.

From the outset, the hosts trade quips, howl with innuendo, and indulge in some hilarious speculation (my new favourite theory is that Minerva ‘McGalleon’ McGonagall is running a Quidditch betting racket). There’s an infectious enthusiasm to the whole production. It has a few issues, most of them subjectively in-world. Rubin is a fan of Snape; Concepcion has a habit of trying to see magic from the Dursleys’ point of view; the exploration of a ‘theme’ in what can be just a handful of chapters at times seems a bit redundant. Otherwise, it’s an addictive revisiting of a legendary series, with plenty of laughs to boot.

 

Mostly Lit

Mostly Lit is one of the most listened-to book podcasts out there, and for good reason. The show was named by The Guardian as one of the best podcasts of 2017 and has picked up multiple awards for their discussion of books and pop-culture. The hosts Raifa Rafiq, Alex Reads and Derek Owusu give listeners a refreshing break from the dense and often snobby discussion within and around the publishing industry; which is surprising given that, via the success of the podcast, they have become insiders themselves.

Although always light-hearted and open, the discussions of the podcast are valuable for their ability to  challenge the bestsellers and promote literature which doesn’t get showcased by most media. The hosts give a new millennial perspective on literature and the literary industry as people of colour in an infamously white and middle-class dominated industry. In 2018, each host was included in a list of 40 game-changers and innovators within the publishing industry by the FutureBook 40.

A great introduction to the podcast would be their most recent episode from the Cheltenham Literary Festival.

The Stinging Fly

The Stinging Fly Podcast is created by the team behind one of Dublin’s largest literary publications. The show is hosted by Sally Rooney, the new editor of The Stinging Fly; a writer gaining reverential status as one of Ireland’s most lauded contemporary writers after the phenomenal success of her award-winning debut Conversations with Friends and her second novel Normal People.

The show typically lasts an hour and new episodes are released every month. Rooney is joined each month by a new Irish writer who selects a short story from The Stinging Fly archives which they read an excerpt from and discuss. The conversation is always interesting and engaging, providing insights into and engaging with the thriving and talented Irish literary scene. This podcast is perfect for writers and literature students who are interested in not just the realisation of story and the construction of narrative, but also the skill of interpretation and analysis.

A fantastic first episode to listen to is Emilie Pine reading and discussing Julian Gough’s essay ‘How to Edit Your Own Last Writing’ along with host Sally Rooney.