SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS

Host Elena Lappin visits novelist Tessa Hadley at her Cardiff home to discuss ALONE WITH A BOOK, a collection of essays 'On Reading, Writing and Looking'. Hadley reflects on the risk of failure in art, how she found her own fiction by writing from lives adjacent to hers, and how books become woven into a reader’s personal imagination; the episode ends at Cardiff bookshop Book Space Cardiff. This is the first episode in the podcast's new special series, WRITERS AT HOME.

Tessa Hadley discusses her new book, 'Alone with a Book,' which explores her journey as a writer and her relationship with literature. The conversation delves into themes of failure and success in writing, the importance of personal experiences in storytelling, and the profound connection between literature and life. Hadley reflects on her childhood, her growth as a reader and writer, and how understanding the stories of others enriches our own narratives. In this engaging conversation, Tessa Hadley explores the intricate relationship between history and fiction, the nuances of happy endings in literature, and the profound influence of motherhood on her writing. She reflects on how reading shapes personal identity and the dialogue that occurs between readers and authors. The discussion also delves into the curation of literary works and the vibrant literary scene in Cardiff, highlighting the importance of local bookshops in fostering a love for literature.

takeaways

Without risk, you can't have the achievement of the right thing.
Writing fiction requires a willingness to make a fool of yourself.
The best writing captures the new shapes of the present.
You can only write the novels that are in you.
Confidence in writing comes from understanding literature deeply.
Historical novels face the challenge of mediating past experiences.
Writing about the present is a struggle against familiarity.
The essence of storytelling lies in capturing the moment.
Understanding others' stories is part of being human and empathetic.
Life reveals its shape as we grow older. Getting the now right is crucial for storytelling.
Literature often intertwines history with contemporary themes.
Happy endings can be complex and layered in literature.
Motherhood influences a writer's perspective and authority.
Reading shapes our identity and personal narratives.
The dialogue with a book is a conversation with the author.
Curating literary works can reflect personal tastes and values.
Local bookshops play a vital role in community engagement with literature.
The industrial history of a place can inform its literary culture.
Exploring the past can illuminate present narratives.

sound bites

"Without risk, you can't have the achievement."
"I could listen to you read your entire book."
"You can only write the novels that are in you."
"The story of a life is revealed by its ending."
"What does this book say?"
"Motherhood was part of growing up and taking authority."
"It's a dialogue between the reader and the author."
"I didn't want to include any negative reviews."
"It's all about the industrial revolution and coal."
"This bookshop lifts everything and shines."
"This is a treasure of a bookshop in Cardiff."

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of a Writer
10:54 The Nature of Failure and Success
20:20 Growing Up with Literature
29:50 Understanding Life Through Stories
33:29 The Intersection of History and Fiction
36:23 Exploring Happy Endings in Literature
39:05 The Influence of Motherhood on Writing
41:40 The Impact of Reading on Personal Identity
47:02 The Dialogue Between Reader and Author
49:07 Curating Literary Works for Reflection
51:14 A Journey Through Cardiff's Literary Scene

Keywords: Tessa Hadley, Alone with a Book, writers at home, fiction writing, reading, literary criticism, novel writing, Cardiff, art, a woman's writing life, writing in the present
SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS is a unique conversation with each author, about the stories behind their books.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out more about each episode, and to engage with our conversations with authors
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A Private Man with Stephanie Sy Quia
Stephanie Sy Quia talks to host Elena Lappin about her debut novel, A Private Man, and the personal history that shaped it. The conversation moves between family memory, Catholicism, generational trauma, dementia, and the challenge of writing fiction that feels emotionally precise without becoming extractive.We discuss how she turned a real family lineage into art, why she wrote from the public edges of family history rather than interrogating relatives directly, and how teaching Shakespeare fed back into her novel writing. She also reflects on care work, the aging of the baby boomer generation, and why she writes about the hard-to-categorize parts of life.
Key topics
A Private Man as a novel shaped by family history, Catholicism, and forbidden love
Writing about relatives without being extractive or forcing personal testimony
The emotional and ethical tension of claiming a family story as your own
The Notre Dame fire as an influence on a key scene in the novel
How generational trauma and family memory can belong to more than one person
The contrast between poetry and prose, and how she keeps every sentence purposeful
Margaret and David as characters shaped by community, institution, and sexual restraint
Vatican II, Catholic reform, and the disappointment of unrealized hope
Writing historically specific male sexuality through institutional life, boarding school, and war
Dementia, care, and the intimacy of witnessing the end of a life
How teaching Antony and Cleopatra informed her sense of romantic and emotional dynamics
Why she is drawn to slippery, hard-to-label identities and experiences
Timestamps
(00:00) Family history, generational trauma, and why not to be extractive
(01:15) Introduction to Stephanie Sy Quia and A Private Man
(02:24) Notre Dame fire inspiration and a scene between grandson and grandmother
(06:39) Cathedral restoration, sacred materials, and the idea of stone “singing”
(08:05) Reading from the novel ends and the interview begins
(09:07) Her family background: priest grandfather, theologian grandmother, and exile
(11:27) Writing from public family history instead of interrogating relatives
(13:52) Poetry versus prose and making every word earn its place
(15:21) Margaret and David: community, desire, and different relationships to Catholicism
(18:05) Hope, cynicism, and the failure of Vatican II to deliver change
(20:16) Writing a male character through institutional British masculinity
(22:42) Sex, war, and the high stakes of intimacy in an earlier era
(23:39) Writing her grandmother through memory, truth, and preemptive grief
(25:41) Teaching Antony and Cleopatra and bringing its energy into the novel
(27:05) Food, passion, and why the novel makes the reader feel hungry
(28:25) Aging, caregiving, and the demographic burden on younger generations
(30:54) Why she writes: slippery identities, care, and frankness about decline
Notable quotes
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“I was very keen not to be too extractive about how I gathered family information.”

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“Family history both does and does not belong to you.”

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“I wanted to write about the process of caring for someone at the end of their life.”
SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS is a unique conversation with each author, about the stories behind their books.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out more about each episode, and to engage with our conversations with authors
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish debut novelist Djamel White joins host Elena Lappin to discuss his soulful novel All Them Dogs, a Booker Prize longlisted book set in contemporary West Dublin gangland. The conversation covers the author's love of reading, the raw voice and momentum of the novel, and the social and emotional forces shaping his vulnerable and violent young protagonist, Tony Ward.

Quote: “The only thing he knows what to do with a bad feeling is to turn it into anger.”

Key topics
Djamel White reads from All Them Dogs, introducing Tony Ward and the gritty, immediate voice that drives the novel.
White reacts to the Booker Prize longlisting, describing the experience as exciting, overwhelming, and stomach turning.
He talks about growing up without books in the house, and how school first introduced him to reading and stories.
The novel’s structure comes from Tony’s voice, with White explaining how the extended monologue creates an “all gas, no brakes” momentum.
White describes writing while managing a tattoo shop and finishing college, balancing a full degree with work after COVID.
Tony Ward returns to Dublin after five years away, trying to re-enter a criminal world that has moved on without him.
The discussion explores the collapse of moral codes in modern Dublin crime, and how capitalism, money, and survival have replaced older gangland loyalties.
White reflects on the housing crisis and young adult frustration in Ireland, noting how Tony’s instability mirrors a wider generational experience.
Motherhood and fatherhood are central themes, especially the different maternal figures in the book and the damaging absence of fathers.
White explains Tony’s anger, vulnerability, and arrested development, showing how fear, shame, and desire for belonging drive him forward.
Image, taste, and identity matter throughout the novel, from clothes and watches to music and aesthetic self-awareness.
White discusses literary influences, including Enda O’Brien, Joyce Carol Oates, and Carson McCullers.
Timestamps
00:00 - Is “Pray I’ll Be a Failure” a real song?
02:27 - Reading from All Them Dogs and the voice of Tony Ward
05:55 - Booker Prize longlisting and the emotional fallout
06:25 - Discovering books as the first reader in his family
08:18 - Writing a novel that feels like watching a movie
09:46 - Working in a tattoo shop while writing
11:00 - Tony Ward returns to a gangland that has moved on
14:28 - Dublin crime, old moral codes, and their collapse
16:24 - The housing crisis and a generation with little to show
16:51 - Tony’s narrow choices and emotional vulnerability
18:34 - Why Tony is in arrested development
19:30 - Anger as Tony’s engine and survival tool
21:05 - The mothers in the novel and what they reveal
22:43 - Fathers, absence, and family damage
24:27 - Grooming, mentorship, and boys drawn into crime
25:56 - Clothes, watches, and Tony’s aesthetic instincts
27:54 - Tony’s taste, identity, and the image-obsessed world
29:16 - Chekhov’s gun and why the book uses a policeman instead
31:16 - Books on the shelf: Enda O’Brien, Joyce Carol Oates, Carson McCullers
32:41 - Why Carson McCullers matters to White

SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS is a unique conversation with each author, about the stories behind their books.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out more about each episode, and to engage with our conversations with authors
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring Identity and Conflict in Eli Zuzovsky's Searing Debut Novel MAZELTOV
Host Elena Lappin speaks with writer and director Eli Zuzovsky about his novel Mazeltov, a queer coming of age story set in Israel against the backdrop of war and collective trauma. The conversation focuses on how conflict, family, religion, and language shape identity, and why Zuzovsky chose to tell a a personal story through an ensemble of voices.In this episode, Zuzovsky shares how the novel grew from his dislike of the lone-voice coming of age tradition into a more expansive, multi-perspective story. He also reads a passage from the book and discusses brokenness, diaspora, and queerness in a culture of masculinity.
MAZELTOV is published by Footnote Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books.
https://elizuzovsky.com
https://footnotepress.com/books/mazeltov/
Key topics
Eli Zuzovsky introduces Mazeltov as a debut novel set at a bar mitzvah party in Tel Aviv, against the onset of war
The book’s structure is built around multiple perspectives, including the grandmother Mémé, the protagonist Adam, and the Palestinian poet Khalil.
Zuzovsky reads from the chapter “The Shiksa,” narrated by Mémé, which captures the book’s mix of humour, fear of war, and emotional vulnerability.
The novel as an ensemble portrait rather than a single-boy narrative, with each character helping form Adam’s story.
Why the coming of age genre felt too narrow to Zuzovsky, and how he wanted a more communal, expansive model of selfhood.
War as background and texture, not just plot, with Zuzovsky describing it as unavoidable in Israeli and Palestinian life.
Adam’s relationship to diaspora and exile, including the tension between romanticising leaving and the ethical cost of staying.
Queerness and masculinity in Israel, and how Adam’s discomfort with national expectations mirrors Zuzovsky’s own experience.
Language as identity and escape, especially the differences between Hebrew, English, Arabic, and French.
Religion and Kabbalah as inherited cultural material, even for a secular writer, especially through ideas like brokenness and tzimtzum.

Quotes:
“Selfhood is not a one person show. It’s always an ensemble show.”
“What I can do as an artist is to try to interrogate what they do to the human psyche.”
“Brokenness is all around us, so we might as well start seeing the light and the beauty in it.”
SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS is a unique conversation with each author, about the stories behind their books.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out more about each episode, and to engage with our conversations with authors
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hunger & Thirst: An Exploration of Art, Memory, and the Paranormal

Host Elena Lappin in conversation with novelist CLAIRE FULLER about her latest novel Hunger & Thirst, weaving themes of art, memory, and the supernatural, in a 1980s setting. Claire Fuller shares insights into her creative process, her fascination with horror, and how her background as a sculptor influences her writing.
Key topics:

Claire Fuller’s transition from artist to novelist at age 40
The significance of physical books and the joy of making something tangible
How her novel explores the link between art and perception, especially through sculpture
The symbolism of the lithopedian—a calcified fetus—and its relevance to themes of trauma and the body
The importance of self-contained readings and moments that can stand alone from the main narrative
The influence of horror films like Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and The Stepford Wives on her storytelling
How visual detail shapes her prose and enhances storytelling
The role of domestic spaces and traces of the past in shaping identity and memory
Her approach to writing horror and the necessity of foreshadowing and buildup
Themes of interconnectedness, ghosts, and historical echoes in her characters’ lives
Her inspiration from place, notably Winchester and her childhood home—a bungalow
The emotional significance of personal memorabilia and the act of holding onto objects
Her advocacy for other writers through social media and her Substack newsletter
The enduring joy of creating physical books and the unique experience of writing in physical form
Timestamps:00:00 - The magic of making and sharing books across the world
00:34 - Claire Fuller introduces Hunger and Thirst and reads a fragment of her novel
01:34 - The significance of a standalone scene and its thematic relevance
06:23 - Why Hunger and Thirst encapsulates the novel’s themes and character development
08:08 - The symbolism of medical conditions like the lithopedian in her narrative
09:11 - The narrative layer of contemplating mortality and the question of being "ever gone"
10:15 - Visual storytelling and the influence of her artistic background
11:48 - Observing the world through a detailed, almost forensic lens
12:49 - The "Hamlet" space of ambiguity in her storytelling and horror influences
13:27 - The horror films Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, and The Stepford Wives and their thematic significance
15:09 - The appeal of domestic horror and slow-building tension in her work
16:38 - Character profiles: Ursula’s background and psychological makeup
17:46 - The relationship between memorabilia, memory, and storytelling
19:27 - The balance between inspiration and clutter in an artist’s physical environment
20:07 - The ethical and emotional considerations of reading private family letters
21:29 - How old photographs and ephemera inspire her writing and prompts
22:22 - The ghosts of strangers and the idea of collective memory—reflections from W. G. Sebald
23:47 - The role of horror in her storytelling and why it’s essential to her artistic expression
26:40 - How characters’ obsession with horror films serves as a reflection of their fears and anxieties
28:35 - The setting of the former crime scene house and the traces of the past in our environments
29:21 - Personal memories of living in a house full of history and its influence on her writing

https://clairefuller.co.uk

32:54 - Comparing her experience as a sculptor and novelist: the physicality of creation
34:22 - The flow state in sculpture versus writing—overcoming self-imposed barriers
36:26 - The surprising journey to becoming a published author and her early art-based roots
37:16 - The inspiration behind her depiction of Winchester and her use of place in storytelling
38:39 - The mysterious Vince character and the significance of early connections among characters
40:42 - Themes of lineage, traces, and the past’s influence on present identity
44:50 - Why Claire Fuller writes: a desire to create and make tangible objects in storytelling
SHOP TALK WITH WRITERS is a unique conversation with each author, about the stories behind their books.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to find out more about each episode, and to engage with our conversations with authors
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.