The former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard joins Vick for a live recording in Bedford Square Gardens from the Women’s Prize Live Festival. Julia Gillard served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013 after serving as Deputy Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010. She was the first and only woman to have held either of these offices in Australian history. Following her retirement from politics, Julia has been a visiting professor at the University of Adelaide and is currently the chair of the Global Partnership for Education, the Wellcome Trust and Beyond Blue, an Australian mental health and wellbeing organisation. Julia has also written several books exploring themes of misogyny, leadership and politics. Her memoir, My Story, was shortlisted for Biography of the Year by the Australian Book Industry Awards and was the highest selling politics-related book in 2014.  Julia’s book choices are: ** Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene ** To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ** The Secret River by Kate Grenville ** The Sun Walks Down by Fiona MacFarlane ** Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now!

Rosie Jones joins Vick Hope in front of a live studio audience where they celebrate different kinds of love, discuss Rosie’s favourite reads on holiday and uncover why Rosie will never get over A Little Life.   Rosie is a must-see act on the UK comedy circuit. Having fronted two travelogue series’ of her own for Channel 4, Mission: Accessible and Trip Hazard. Rosie can also be seen on countless hit television shows including Live At The Apollo, The Jonathan Ross Show, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Cats Does Countdown and The Last Leg, to name a few! Rosie is also an established writer and actor, having written on hit Netflix series Sex Education, she also both wrote and starred in Disability Benefits which was commissioned by Channel 4 as part of their 2022 Comedy Blaps collection.  2022 saw the release of Rosie’s second children’s book, The Amazing Edie Eckhart: The Big Trip which tells the story of a little girl with cerebral palsy.  Rosie’s book choices are: ** The Color Purple by Alice Walker   ** The List by Yomi Adegoke ** A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara ** Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens ** The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid  Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now!

Miranda July is a multi-award-winning director, writer, filmmaker and artist and in this episode she opens up about ageing, reaching her creative limit and reading with every meal.   Miranda has written, directed and starred in three feature films as well as over a dozen short films. Her first major film production, Me and You and Everyone We Know, won six awards including the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2016, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences in acknowledgement as a writer. In addition to her work in films, Miranda is a talented writer whose work often explores slices of ordinary life and  has been described as ‘wry, smart’ and ‘painfully alive’.  Her collection of short vignettes, No One Belongs Here More Than You, won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.  Her new book, All Fours, has just been published and follows the journey of a perimenopausal woman who upends her life, following an extramarital affair.  Miranda’s book choices are: ** One! Hundred! Demons! By Lynda Barry ** Acts of Infidelity by Lena Andersson ** The IHOP Papers, by Ali Liebegott ** Daughter by Claudia Dey ** Trans Sex by Lucie Fielding  Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Television presenter and broadcaster, Ria Hebden discusses the importance of identity, how books can inspire massive career changes and why the sky's the limit for her. Ria is the official Entertainment presenter on ITV’s Lorraine, having interviewed  everyone from Robbie Williams to Harrison Ford, to Kim Cattrall, Shania Twain and John Boyega. Her infectious energy and iconic smile make her a TV regular and favourite among viewers, also having hosted shows including All Around Britain on ITV, Sunday Morning Live on BBC One and the BAFTA Film Awards red carpet. Passionate about telling stories that celebrate diversity, champion women and inspire the next generation, Ria founded Wonder Women TV, a women’s network that elevates diverse women who work in Television and the Creative Industries in 2017, and has achieved several National Diversity Award nominations for her work.  Last year, Ria competed as a contestant on ITV’s Dancing on Ice and raised £30K for Lupus UK as a contestant on Celebrity Catchphrase and Celebrity Chase. Ria’s book choices are: ** Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ** Light is the New Black by Rebecca Campbell  ** The List by Yomi Adegoke ** Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez ** The Good Ally by Nova Reid Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Former swimmer and entrepreneur Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell discusses her career, details her love of the water, and lays bare the pressures within her former swimming world. Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell is a former elite athlete with a career spanning over 10 years, swimming for both Great Britain and Kenya. She is a former world number one and British champion, winning the 50m and 100m breaststroke in 2010.  She was the first Black woman to swim for the Great Britain team.  In 2023, she was honoured in Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work in Social Impact. Rebecca is also the CEO of the 10,000 Interns Foundation, a non-profit that champions underrepresented talent by creating paid internship opportunities. Prior to this, she founded and ran NKG, a creative strategy and media agency focused on social change projects.  Her first book These Heavy Black Bones is out in June. Rebecca’s book choices are: ** Tar Baby by Toni Morrison ** Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ** Educated by Tara Westover ** In The Wake by Christina Sharpe ** Animal by Lisa Taddeo Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Victoria Prew is an entrepreneur and CEO of fashion rental company HURR, in this episode she explains how she saw a gap in the market for rented luxury fashion and leaned in. Victoria Prew is the CEO and co-founder of HURR Collective, the global home for circular fashion, a community of first-movers, committed to environmental responsibility, setting the tone for the next generation to follow. From idea-in-head to multi-million pound fashion rental business, Victoria has trailblazed the way for young female entrepreneurs to build their businesses. Her accolades for entrepreneurship include Forbes 30 Under 30, and HURR ranks as one of the world’s 50 Top Startups, she’s also been featured in press around the world for her innovative business. Victoria is on a mission to remedy the bad habits of the fashion industry for a greener future without sacrificing quality and style.  Victoria’s book choices are: ** The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck by Beatrix Potter ** Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ** Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld ** The Long Game by Dorie Clark ** Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Entrepreneur and pioneering businesswoman Edwina Dunn OBE discusses the need for role models, the perils of seeking perfection and the importance of female spending. Edwina leads The Female Lead, which is an active community of 8 million women, underpinned by an educational foundation, and focused on celebrating the achievements and diversity of women who shape our world. Using data to understand the challenges women face, Edwina works with businesses and the government to create new, mutually beneficial models and policies for the workplace. She has most recently presented  her manifesto in When She’s In the Room: How Empowering Women Empowers the World, a data-based guide that presents a road map for us all to the world we want to see and one that will make the world work better for women and men. Edwina’s book choices are: ** The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton ** The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo ** Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout ** The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell ** Burntcoat by Sarah Hall Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Ann Akinjirin is an actress, writer, director and producer working across screen and stage and is currently starring in the BBC’s new adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five.  Ann is best known for her recurring roles in BBC 1 /HBO’s The Strike Series playing ‘DS Vanessa Ekwensi’ and ‘Dee’ in BBC Two’s Trigonometry. More recently, Ann played 'Bobbi' in Marvel Studios series Moon Knight on Disney+.  Ann set up her own theatre company Harts in 2010, of which she was Artistic Director until 2020. Ann is extremely passionate about creative accessibility within theatre and has worked as movement director for Deafinitely Theatre as well as with National Youth Theatre as a writer and director, creating shows for audiences inclusive of deaf and visually impaired members.  Ann’s book choices are: ** Secrets by Francine Pascal ** All About Love by bell hooks ** A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara ** Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner ** Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.

Award-winning novelist Elif Shafak shares her top five influential books, discussing empathy, gender identity in Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando,' embracing diversity in storytelling, the timely tale of 'Persepolis,' and the power of resilience and compassion in literature.

Best-selling food writer, stylist, and author, Anna Jones explains how Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess gave her the confidence to just be herself in the kitchen.   Anna is the voice of modern vegetarian cooking and the author of the bestselling One: Pot, Pan, Planet, A Modern Way to Eat, A Modern Way to Cook and The Modern Cook’s Year. She’s a Sunday Times bestseller and the winner and nominee for multiple accolades for her work. A believer that vegetables should be put at the centre of every table along with the joy of food and its ability to affect change in our daily lives. Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season seven of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of season seven? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.