In this episode Paul, Gwyn and Lara catch up with what has been inspiring them recently everything from dragons to hobbits via annihilation and exorcists.

Here is a bookshelf of the books we mention along the way: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-2?&new-list-page=true

These are the links for the exhibtions we mentioned:

The Word for World: the maps of Ursula K. Le Guin at the Architectural Association in Bedford Square, London https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/publicprogramme/whatson/the-word-for-world

Agatha Christie a major exhibition of the woman behind the books at the British Library in London from October 2026 https://events.bl.uk/exhibitions/agathachristie

Lewis Carroll at Exploring Surrey's Past https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/people/writers/lewis_carroll/

It is great to be back after an unintended extended break.In the first episode of the new series Paul chats with Professor Allan Howellsabout the 2024 Booker Prize winning novel ‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey. Thisleads to a conversation on of everything space exploration and beyond, withlots of book recommendations along the way.

We mention the 2016 exhibition at the Science Museum ‘Cosmanauts:the birth of the space age’. Sadly the book that accompanied the exhibition ishard to get hold of now but if you are interested in finding out more about ithere is a useful link https://artsandculture.google.com/story/wQXhbpPvWOZ3JQ

We also mention ‘Bringing Columbia Home’ which I was unableto find on Bookshop.org but is available here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bringing-Columbia-Home-Untold-Shuttle/dp/1948924617/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eyGsiegTJWVPSDum2CyREsKaWO_aw9J-DNhEB0kdUlfrxJGE8SND7Gxc3kgvDAjrmLC-mZJrbSVrPCKB65bdCw.wosPogPwjcem-OFn635ZceSdubiku3Roan67WIEnl3c&qid=1755526557&sr=8-1

As always here is a bookshelf with all the other books wementioned https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-5-episode-1

In this episode Paul talks to author Jennifer Kavanagh about her new book 'Thread of Life: My Russian Legacy'. The story of Jennifer's mother and grandmother which unfolds across the turbulent 20th Century from Russia to Latvia, Switzerland, Egypt and finally England. The book explores those threads of life which link the generations.

To find out more about Jennifer go to https://www.jenniferkavanagh.co.uk/ and as always here is a bookshelf with some of the books (or ideas) we mentioned in this episode https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-8-jennifer-kavanagh-thread-of-life-my-russian-legacy?

This is a special episode celebrating Wrexham Carnival of Words 2025 the 11th year of this wonderful book festival. There are interviews with our very own Holly Thorpe (1 min 15 secs), fabulous crime writer Elly Griffiths https://ellygriffiths.co.uk/ (6 mins 15 secs), debut novelist Kate Kemp (13 mins 35 Secs), author Harriett Evan (AKA Harriett K. Townson) https://www.harriet-evans.com/ (18 mins 49 secs) and our long awaited interview with Danielle Giles author of ‘Mere’ (27 mins 37 secs). This is just a small selection of some of the writers and authors who appeared but hopefully it gives a flavour of the variety and atmosphere of the Carnival. For more information see www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com

As always you can find and even buy some of the booksmentioned in this episode here https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-7-carnival-crime-and-convents%E2%81%A0?

In this episode Gwyn returns and joins Paul, Lara and Hollyin a far reaching chat about books and much more relating to the weird,witches, and liminal places and much more. There is also a brief glimpse thisyear’s Wrexham Carnival of Words www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com

We also mention the zine Weird Walk, you can find more informationhere https://www.weirdwalk.co.uk/

Here is a shelf of books we reviewed or mentioned https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-6-the-weird-the-wonderful-and-everything-in-between?

In this episode Paul speaks to Andrew Green about his book 'Voices on the Path, a history of walking in Wales'. A rich misture of drovers, long distance trails, pedestrianism and much more!

You can find Andrew's website at www.gw allter.com The recent episode of Clare Balding's Ramblings featuring Andrew can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027jy0

Here is a bookshelf of some of the authors and books mentioned in this episode https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-5-voices-on-the-path-a-history-of-walking-in-wales?

In this episode Paul, Lara and Holly finally get together to discuss their favourite reads of 2024 and what they are looking forward to reading in 2025.

Along the way they talk about:

James A Pearson https://jamesapearson.com/

Dead Ink Books https://deadinkbooks.com/

Adventurous Ink https://adventurousink.co.uk/

Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses https://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/site/fenns-whixall-and-bettisfield-mosses-nnr/

Here is a bookshelf with some of the books we mention in this episode:

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-4-poppies-poetry-and-pasternak?

After being away for a short while Bookylicious the podcast is back. In this episode Paul's wife Adrienne takes over the microphone to ask him some searching questions about books past , present and future. We cover a lot of ground from early childhood book memories to book marketing and everything in between! There is also a short preview of some of the exciting episodes to come...

As always you can find a bookshelf with some of the books we mentioned here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-3-question-time?

Paul and Lara are joined by ilustrator Laura Jet to chat about books and illustration, graphic novels and comics, judging books by their cover. As always the conversation drifts into a diversity of horror, nature writing and much much more.

Here is a bookshelf of some of the books we discussed https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-2-a-gallimaufry-with-illustrator-laura-jet?

We also discussed https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Shaun-Tan/The-Arrival/16260122 and https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Bryan-Talbot/Alice-in-Sunderland--An-Entertainment/577680

In this episode Paul is in conversation with Welsh writers Alis Hawkins and Mike Parker. Alis is a crime writer and author of the Teifi Valley Coroner series and the Oxford Mysteries series. Mike is a writer and broadcaster and he is author of Map Addict, On the Red Hill and All Along the Wide Border and much more! The conversation starts inevitably with Wales and hiraeth and then ranges widely from the meaning and origins of community, the invasion of the motor car, the value of libraries and archives and much more.

You can find out more about Alis here https://alishawkins.co.uk/ and Mike here https://www.mikeparker.org.uk/index.html

You can find out more about their books and buy some of them here https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-4-episode-1-alis-hawkins-and-mike-parker?

Holly, Lara and Paul chat about some of the books they are reading and highlights of the 10th Wrexham Carnival of Words www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com

The Womens Prize for Fiction 2024 longlist also gets a mention https://womensprize.com/announcing-the-2024-womens-prize-for-fiction-longlist/

If you would like to download and read the University of Sheffield Creative Writing Society’s latest anthology edited by Holly you can find it here https://uoscreativewritingsoc.wordpress.com/our-anthology/

And yes! We do talk about blue cheese and Dorset Knobs, Thomas Hardy’s favourite snack. To order your own Dorset Knobs go to www.moores-biscuits.co.uk

As always you can find all the books we discussed on our Bookshop.org bookshelf here  https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-8-carnival-reads-and-blue-cheese?

We also now have a new Instagram page @bookyliciouspodcast so please come and follow us. If you used to follow out old page bookyliciouspod you will need tomove over to our new one.

Lara and Paul talk to Paul Clifton about his new poetry collection ‘1988, a poetic diary of a Wrexham author’. They chat about the creative process, how do poems emerge and reach their final form and Paul reads some of his work.

If you would like to buy Paul’s work go here https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Paul-Clifton/author/B006VE1EFO?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Paul and Lara also mention ‘Les Miserables’ by Victor Hugo and ‘Strands’ by Jean Sprackland

Paul, Lara and Holly talk some more about audiobooks based on Patricia Bracewell’s recommendations. They also discuss Thomas Hardy’s women, is “romantasy” a genre, BB’s Little Grey men (gnomes) and nature writing and much more!

Go to our bookshelf for some of the books mentioned in this episode.  https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-6-thomas-hardy-romantasy-gnomes-and-nature?

For the first time ever Paul, Holly and Lara gathered in the library stacks in Wrexham and not on Zoom to record this episode. That’s why it is a slightly longer episode than normal but the conversation was too good to cut! We cover everything including audiobooks, Les Miserables, whether Wombles and Moomins share the same DNA, the joys and pitfalls of genre fiction including sci-fi.

You will find the shelf with most of the books we discuss here https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-5-wombles-moomins-audiobooks-and-sci-fi?

For more information about Wrexham Carnival of Words 2024 go here www.wrexhamcarnivalofwords.com

For more information about Mary Oliver and Upstream https://maryoliver.com/bio/

If you want to get in touch please go to www.bookylicious.com

In this episode Paul speaks to Dave McCall AKA author David Ebsworth about his latest book ‘Blood Among the Threads’ a murder mystery set in Wrexham in 1876. For more information about Dave, his books and to sign up to his mailing list go here https://www.davidebsworth.com/

Other authors we discuss are Robert Harris https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/575.Robert_Harris  and Rosemary Sutcliff https://rosemarysutcliff.com/summaries-and-synopses-of-rosemary-sutcliff-books/

And if you are interested in the recent Slightly Foxed editions of Sutcliff’s works go here https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/a-set-of-rosemary-sutcliff-novels/

In this episode Paul and Lara chat about their Good Reads reading challenges for 2023 and select fiction and non-fiction favourites. They discuss their progress (or not?) Wrexham Carnival of Words long read for 2024 ‘Les Miserables’ by Victor Hugo. Plus a few suggestions for what Santa might consider bringing!

As always here is a bookshelf of some of the books we mention https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-3-2023-reading-challenge-review-les-miserable-and-christmas-wishes

Here are links for Slow Ways https://beta.slowways.org/ and Danny Robins Uncanny website https://www.dannyrobins.com/uncanny

If you want more information about Bookylicious go to www.bookylicious.com or https://www.facebook.com/Bookylicious

Email us at info@bookylicious.com

In this episode Paul interviews Sian hughes the Booker longlisted author of ‘Pearl’ in her beautiful bookshop Magpie Books in Malpas , Cheshire https://www.magpiebookshop.co.uk/

Sian talks about the long process of writing ‘Pearl, Old English poetry in the Cheshire dialect, being longlisted for the Booker prize, the Wales/Cheshire border and much more!

For more information about Sian here are a couple of sites with more information:

https://theindigopress.com/sian-hughes/

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/authors/sian-hughes

And as always here is our bookshelf.org bookshelf with some of the books we mention:

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-2-sian-hughes

Apologies because this was recorded on location the sound levels are a little variable but hopefully this won’t spoil your enjoyment.

In this episode Paul talks to Dani Robertson the Dark Sky Officer for Prosiect Nos Dark Skies Partnership in North Wales. She is author of ‘All Through the Night’ a book highlighting the issues of light pollution and what we can all do about it. Here are some links about Dani and Project Nos

https://www.discoveryinthedark.wales/project-nos

https://darksky.org/news/dani-robertson-monthly-star/

https://darksky.org/news/dani-robertson-monthly-star/

As always you can see books we talked about in our bookshop.org bookshelf ⁠https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-3-episode-1-dani-robertson-all-through-the-night

In this episode Gwyn reviews Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' and Paul feeds back on his viewing of the 1986 film of the book and the 2019 TV series.

Paul recommends some Medieval monastic sleuths to follow on from 'The Name of the Rose'.

For details of the books mentioned please check our bookshelf here https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bookylicious-series-2-episode-13-the-name-of-the-rose

In this show Paul and Holly chat about novels featuring libraries and librarians inspired by the Electric Literature reading list https://electricliterature.com/7-novels-that-reveal-librarians-behind-the-shelves/ From which emerges ‘The Name of the Rose’ by Uberto Eco as our book of the month.

Gwyn shares her favourite reads about magic and mysticism.

Paul and Holly discuss their current reads and hopefully we will inspire you in our varied choice!

All books mentioned can be found on our Bookshop.Org bookshelf https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/books-featuring-librarians-and-librarians-and-gwyn-explores-all-things-magical-and-mystical-bookylicious-series-2-episode-12

If you want to get in touch with us please email info@bookylicious.com we love to hear from you!