Book Shambles

Comedian James Acaster is in the guest chair this week to talk about the arts scene in Kettering, great comedians’ biographies, Dave Eggers and dealing with a drop in your Uber rating. And Book Shambles is expanding. Cosmic Shambles is coming soon and you can sign up for free at cosmicshambles.com

Storyteller Philip Ridley joins Josie and Robin this week to talk about his own art, plays, books and more as well as his early comic book influences, reading to escape and the problems with genre. Also Robin and Josie still haven't read Ulysses. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Scientist, Author and Broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts sits down with Robin and Josie this week to talk about the challenges of turning science TV shows into popular science books and why she should read more fiction. There’s also chat about Stevie Smith poems leading to hypothermia, great new pop biology books and some Carl Sagan controversy. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

Writer and performer Alice Lowe (and her delightful baby) join Robin and Josie this week to talk about writing dark fiction and horror whilst pregnant, including her film Prevenge. There’s also chat around the work of Patti Smith, Angela Carter, Tom Robbins and, of course, Kurt Vonnegut. And if you haven’t signed up to the mailing list for Cosmic Shambles, our new adventure launching in January, head to cosmicshambles.com

A Christmas Special of Book Shambles! Robin and Josie chat about their favourite books of the year and then we caught up with twenty of the guests backstage at Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium show about their favourite books of the year including Simon Le Bon, Chris Hadfield, Brian Cox, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ben Goldacre, Helen Czerski and many more! All Patreon proceeds from this episode will be donated to St Mungo's Help For Homeless People charity. cosmicshambles.com is coming in 2017. Sign up to the mailing list now.

We kick of part 2 of season 4 with Robin and Josie joined by writer and actor Ralf Little. Ralf controversially brings up his love of video games before taking aim at Tolkien all via discussions of the great work of Caroline Aherne, Terry Pratchett, Paul Merton and others. And remember Cosmic Shambles LIVE hits the road to Aus/NZ next year! cosmicshambleslive.com

It’s a Book Shambles EXTRA mini episode this week. Josie is on tour in the US, but we couldn’t miss the chance to catch up with great Danish writer Janne Teller who happened to be in Cambridge at the same time as Robin. They chat about her new book War as well as the existential classic Nothing, plus the work of Vonnegut (obviously), Thomas Hardy, Albert Camus and more. And remember Cosmic Shambles LIVE hits the road to Aus/NZ next year! cosmicshambleslive.com

Robin and Josie are joined by writer, comedian and musician John Dowie this week to talk about his upcoming book, The Freewheeling John Dowie as well as seeing Spike Milligan live, Terry Pratchett, stand up in the 70s and a whole lot more. And remember Cosmic Shambles LIVE hits the road to Aus/NZ next year! cosmicshambleslive.com

Writer and sometime stand up Nat Luurtsema joins Robin and Josie this week to talk about her own catalogue of work, the nature of stand up and living in Watford. Nat also brought along a big bag of books to chat about including works by Stephen King, Paul Sangster and a bundle of filmmaking textbooks.

The day before the US election, Robin and Josie sat down with writer, comedian and activist Alexei Sayle. There's talk of Alexei's new paperback and his entire back catalogue of work, plus that of Sinclair Lewis, Graham Greene, Saki and what the hell is going on with the world these days.