Explicitly Literary: sex writing in books • Episode #175

From lightening and dragons in Iron Flame to trembling mountains in A Court of Thorns and Roses, from Sally Rooney’s Connell and Marianne to Ice Planet Barbarians - sex in books has gone mainstream. From serious high-brow literature to warm and cozy rom-coms, what do we want or need from writers when it comes to including sex in their books?

To consider the matter Kate is joined by critic Elizabeth Morris (Crib Notes), and author Alex Allison’ (The Art of the Body and Greatest of All Time)

We'll be bringing you our recommendations for books we think push all the right buttons,once we’ve figured out what those are. 

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Booklist

Greatest of All Time by Alex Allison

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

Mrs Caliban by Rachel Ingals

The Literary Review's Bad Sex Awards

The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin

Pax by John Harvey

The River Capture by Mary Costello

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith

The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante

I Love Dick by Chris Kraus

All Fours by Miranda July

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Elmet and Hot Stew by Fiona Mosley

Tampa by Alyssa Nutting

Isaac by Curtis Garner

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Lullaby by Leïla Slimani

The Country of Others and Watch Us Dance by Leïla Slimani

The Bear by Marianne Engel

The Snow Ball by Brigid Brophy

Busy Being Free by Emma Forrest