The Waterstones Podcast

The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2025 shortlisted authors are here! Meet Catherine Airey (Confessions), Gurnaik Johal (Saraswati), Niamh Ní Mhaolieoin (Ordinary Saints), William Rayfet Hunter (Sunstruck) Lisa Ridzén (When The Cranes Fly South) and Lucy Steeds (The Artist). Join us for a free-flowing conversation abo

What do you do when you've already sold over 36 million copies of your Horrible Histories books? You write the kind of book that you, as a reader, would kill to read. And Terry Deary's first love was always murder mysteries, so this year he brings us his first: Actually, I'm Murderer. We sat down with him to discover m

Known for her pioneering work as an intimacy co-ordinator on shows such as Normal People and I May Destroy You, Ita O'Brien has distilled her practice into a book that has something to say to anyone about the role of intimacy in their lives. In a frank and honest conversation that covers why guidance was desperately ne

We sat down with our beloved Waterstones Children's Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce to discuss the magic of movie sets, the power of Shakespeare, the importance of reading for children and much more as we celebrate his brand new middle grade adventure The Blockbusters! A hilarious, globetrotting adventure, in which a bo

Continuing a conversation begun with his first novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, we sat down with Ocean Vuong to discuss his new book, The Emperor of Gladness, which sees a wayward young man unexpectedly caring for an elderly woman with dementia. In another fascinating conversation we see how unlikely friendship,

From dismissal of symptoms to one-size-fits-all surgical solutions, women's healthcare comes under the spotlight in Naga Munchetty's important new book, It's Probably Nothing. We spoke with her about her own personal journey and the stories shared through dozens of conversations with women and men in order to better un