Standard Issue Podcast

Cats in space, dogs in graveyards and other animal biographies come to the fore as Hannah chats with Kimberlie Hamilton, children's author of Rebel Cats; Brave Tales of Feisty Felines and Rebel Dogs: Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds, both of which have new pride of place on the Dunleavy bookshelf. Suzy K Quinn reveals all the Lies We Tell Mothers, which is handily also the title of her latest book (sorry, but it's time to wave ta-ra to that pineapple induces labour myth). Jen's rightly fuming about the racism once more rearing its ugly head in football in Jenny Off The Blocks, and in Dunleavy Does Dystopia the team get hot under the (book)flaps about why a film as dull as 2018's Fahrenheit 451 even got made. Plus, there's deep fried Home Office idiocy, sexy pavement lichen and evil avocados in the Bush Telegraph, and some startling new research leaving Mick agog in Sexism of the Week. Tuck in.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jen catches up with mega-author Dorothy Koomson, who tells her about her 15th book, Tell Me Your Secret. They chat bodily autonomy for women, violence, the "perfect" victim, and Casualty - because of course they did.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week busy bee Mick chats to Dani Beckett of UK campaign organisation Abortion Rights about what's currently what in England, Scotland and Wales and how BoJo's new Cabinet might impact this and – surprise! – not in a positive way. She also catches up with comedian Anna Drezen to talk about her Edinburgh Show Okay, Get Home Safe!!, and hobbit erotica, among other things. Hannah chats to Dr Shirin Hirsch about Disrupt, the People's History Museum's exhibition marking 200 years since the Peterloo Massacre, an in Jenny Off The Blocks, Jen's raging about the Forbes 100.Since we're up in Edinburgh, there's no Bush Telegraph or Dunleavy Does Dystopia this week, but we'll be back to normal next time. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We wanted to do a homelessness special in the summer, because it’s a situation that gets a lot of attention at Christmas, but is a grim reality for many people all year round.Mick talks to absolute powerhouse Bianca Robinson, CEO of CEO Sleepout, about getting big businesses to help people on the streets, the reality of rough sleeping and how we can all do our bit. She and Hannah also met up with Sabrina Cohen-Hatton a leading fire officer and psychologist, author of the brilliant book The Heat of the Moment, and an ambassador for The Big Issue. She told us about her time spent sleeping rough as a teenager, the dangers facing rough sleepers all year round, why she's so proud to be talking about The Big Issue and, again, what we can all do to help. (On which note, Bianca has some cracking recommendations for which charities could do with an injection of your hard-earned, but buying The Big Issue is an excellent place to start.)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jen chats to author Katie Hale about her new book I Am Monster, partly inspired by Robinson Crusoe and Frankenstein, as well as the current global political bin-fire. They chatted about said bin-fires, about societal concepts around femininity and motherhood, and writing complex female leads. And dogs, there are a few dogs, too. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Orange is The New Black has come to an end and we chat its seventh and final series, as well as its legacy, in this month's Outside The Box. We also talk Dark Money, I Am... and Catch-22. Plus, Hannah's finally caught up with Home and Mick watched something new on Netflix. Or maybe it was a fever dream. Either way, she tells us about it.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why don't more of us appreciate how interesting older women are? It's a question we put to author and social history fan Kate Thompson, who came to tell us about her new novel Secrets of the Homefront Girls and why, when you've written about real-life matriarchs, there's no going back. Rachel DeLoache Williams talks to Hannah about being taken in by a con woman, enduring a high-profile trial and her new book My Friend Anna. Jen's serving up a shit sandwich in Jenny Off The Blocks and there are smashed cafetieres all over the Bush Telegraph. Plus, Mick enjoys watching John Prescott - wait, what? - as Dunleavy Does Dystopia does Equilibrium. Have at it!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She's been a dinosaur-based pop singer, started conversations about depression and penned a musical about cancer. Now performance artist and writer Bryony Kimmings is at the Edinburgh Festival with her show I’m A Phoenix, Bitch, which tackles trauma and recovering from it – with trademark Kimmings' songs, warmth and comedy of course. She tells Mickey all about it, and they also talk mental health and the NHS, art on the school curriculum, climate change, creativity for all, and just how hard it is to be a theatre-maker.  I'm A Phoenix, Bitch is currently at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, 5.30pm.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do social media companies wield too much power or should we all take more responsibility for what we put online? It's a question The National Youth Theatre's new play F. Off is currently asking Edinburgh Fringe audiences. Hannah grabbed some time with Tatty Hennessy, one of the show's co-creators, to chat about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, being addicted to the internet and why boycotting social media might be too simplistic a response. Get yourself off Facebook and put this in your ears!F Off is on at the Belly Button, Cowgate - Underbelly, 2 – 25 August, 12.50pm (No performance 12 August)Tickets from www.nyt.org.uk or www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk priced from £10.Find out more at @NYTofGB. Photographs by Helen MurraySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Sindhu Vee, professional Loose Woman Andrea McLean and the boss herself Sarah Millican joined Mick and Jen for this In Conversation recorded at Kings Place back in May. Chat included socks for sex, old lady home perms, success at any age, not shitting for a month, and meeting Jon Bon Jovi covered in sanitary towels. Also contains excellent advice on how to handle both a spider and a shit friend. Next gigs:Edinburgh: Aug 11 and 12, Stand 1, 1.40pmKings Place, London: Sep 15, 4.30pmInfo here: www.standardissuepodcast.comSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices