Author's Afterword
Join me each second and fourth Monday of the month, when I'll be in conversation with an author about one (occasionally more) of their books. We'll be taking a fairly deep dive, looking at the background, the topics, writing, and the nitty gritty. Expect spoilers and frequent discussions of the endings. Formally called The Worm Hole Podcast
Episodes
Charlie and Clémence Michallon (Our Last Resort) discuss Clémence's epic multi-thousand-a-day writing streak and how she cuts sentences that don't work, often not replacing them, also Charlie's discomfort with the idea of the morally grey aspect of the novel and Clémence's thoughts that we think of morality in the context of the book/show, and fictional pets staying alive beyond the pages.
Please note that the book under discussion...
Charlie and Nikki May (This Motherless Land) discuss her childhood in Lagos and moving to England, various ways Nikki's story changed over time (quite a lot!), the Nigerian women's relay team of 1992, and the upcoming TV adaptations of both This Motherless Land and Wahala.
Please note that there is some swearing in this episode.
General references:
About the Nigerian Women's Relay team win at the 1992 Olympics
Rocks (2019)
Nikki ma...
Charlie and Jim C Hines (Kitemaster) discuss how his story developed over a number of years, including wonder and physics reasoning in the book, his excellent study of grief (and humour in that context), and his unique and choices in regards to the book world's belief system of an afterlife.
Please note there is some very mild swearing in this episode, as well as discussions of cancer and death. Please also note, on a very differen...
Charlie and Julie Kagawa (Fateless) discuss video games, working with fate and destiny, Julie's brilliant world building and magic system, and the decisions she made about where to end the book.
General references:
Charlie and Julie's pre-show chat (which is the reason Charlie knows Julie meant Final Fantasy X)
My episode with Samantha Sotto Yambao is 122
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Julie Kagawa: The Iron Fey
Julie Kaga...
Charlie and Maggie Stiefvater (The Listeners) discuss the lesser-known history of the US hosting Axis diplomats in luxury hotels, the arrangements made to swap diplomats one for one, including disability and mental illness in such a story, Maggie's main character's dachshunds and their relationship to the man they never let pet them, the era-aligned game that Maggie created, and much more.
General references:
Shiver (film adaptatio...
Charlie and Emily Slapper (Everyone I Know Is Dying) discuss her phenomenal book that looks at a young woman spiralling from mental illness. This involves discussing romantic relationships when one is depressed, the affect of parents, the affect of society, and not using labels.
General references:
I spoke to Samantha Sotto Yambao in episode 122
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Emily Slapper: Everyone I Know Is Dying
Sylvia ...
Charlie and Michael Stewart (Black Wood Women) discuss the persecution of Irish people in the 17th century, the loss of and possible reintroduction of wolves in Britain, and 17th century hippies.
Please note that there is discussion of drugs in this episode.
General references:
The Bronte Writing Centre
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Elizabeth Fremantle: Honey And The Sting
Ian D Rotherham: Yorkshire's Forgotten Fenlands
M...
Charlie and Paul McVeigh (I Hear You) discuss Paul's time writing stories for the BBC, being an emotional writer, and a traumatic medical experience that has had a big effect on some of his work.
Please note there are two incredibly mild swear words in this episode.
General references:
BBC Writers Room, now BBC Writers
Paul's play is called Big Man
Paul's blog post about tips from Heather Larmour
Books mentioned by name or extensiv...
Charlie and Sophie Jo (Red Flags) discuss healthy relationships particularly in the context of young people and in terms of values and hobbies. They also delve into popular media from the '90s and 2000s as included in Sophie's book.
General references:
Love Respect
10 Things I Hate About You
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
The OC
Girls
Normal People TV adaptation
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Sally Rooney: Conversations With...
Charlie and Carmel Harrington (The Stolen Child) discuss her stunning thriller wherein the reveal is given at the start and we have to find out the how and the why, a boy stolen as a child and now he's found his way home...
Please note we mention abuse, kidnapping, and prostitution.
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Carmel Harrington: The Stolen Child
Carmel Harrington: The Nowhere Girls
J R R Tolkien: The Lord Of The Rings
R...
Charlie and Samantha Sotto Yambao (Water Moon) discuss her UK debut - yay! - exploring the concepts of fate and choice, the process of evolving the romance, and, we catch up on the lives of Sam's dogs.
A transcript is available on my site
General references:
Ticket link for the podcast live events
Sam joined me to discuss The Beginning of Always in episode 50
Sam joined me to discuss Before Ever After, Love and Gravity, and A Dream...
Charlie and Amy Jordan (The Dark Hours) discuss the Irish police force, the Garda, in the 1990s, particularly where it involves sexism. They also discuss the effects on a relationship of being a member of the police, and the way trauma can influence extreme actions.
A transcript is available on my site
General references:
The New York Times review (paywall)
Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Amy Jordan: The Dark Hours
Release ...
Charlie and Amy Engel (I Did It For You) discuss her literary thriller wherein the killer did it but it isn't that simple, wherein both the victim's and killer's families are given empathy, and wherein the sister of the victim and the brother of the killer start a romance.
Please note that whilst there are no references to detailed violence, this episode looks at various issues surrounding murder cases.
Charlie and Nydia Hetherington (Sycorax) discuss the witch Shakespeare's Prospero hates so much and Nydia's reimagining slash prequel to The Tempest. This involves conversation about chronic illness, attitudes to women in regards to the occult, and on a seemingly unrelated subject, the tendency of pirates to leave problematic people on isolated islands.
A transcript is available on my site
General references:
W H Auden: The Sea And...
Charlie and Gill Paul (Scandalous Women) discuss Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann, and the way the 1960s publishing industry treated women.
A transcript is available on my site
General references:
My other episodes with Gill are 42 and 86
The Love Machine (movie)
Some of Richard Osman's words on the subject can be found here
Once Upon A Time In America
Lady Boss trailer
Mad Men
Feud: Capote Vs His Swans
Cold Blooded: The Clutter F...
Charlie and C J Wray (The Excitements) discuss the WW2 women her book about fun-loving nonagenarians is based on and her views on modern and historical adoption as an adoptee herself. We also discuss the Peter Jones (John Lewis) department store, using Morse Code, and Diamond Doris, a jewel-thief who got away with quite a bit.
Please note there are a couple of mild swear words in this episode. Please also note we talk of the First ...
Charlie is joined by Alex Hay, Lucy Barker, Stacey Thomas, and a wonderful audience at Goldfinch Books in Alton. You want a writing deep dive? You've got it!
Please note that this episode has a whispered swear word in it - we were all adults!
The next live event will be at P&G Wells in Winchester on Friday 4th April. Tickets are available here If you can't click the link, go to pgwells.co.uk
Full show notes and a transcript to foll...
Charlie and Maggie Brookes (The Prisoner's Wife) discuss her stunning story which was inspired by a real happening - a woman who hid in plain sight as a British soldier in a prisoner of war camp.
A transcript is available on my site
General references:
Maggie's previous episode with me is episode 92
Now The War Is Over
Time Watch
All Our Working Lives
The Sphinx, Maggie's poem version of The Prisoner's Wife
Colditz
The party episod...
Charlie and Éric Chacour (What I Know About You) discuss Egypt in the 1970s for the Levantine community and LGBT people, the famous French-Egyptian singer Dalida, Romeo and Juliet, Éric's use of the second person, and author and translator working together on writing that had been in place for 15 years.
A transcript is available on my site
General references: Dalida's Helwa ya Baladi
Books mentioned by name or extensively: Éric Cha...
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