Multi-exit entrepreneur, investor and one of the UK’s most influential business figures, Debbie Wosskow OBE discusses the gender pay gap in writing, her fearlessness in asking men for money, and why the Women’s Prize Trust is so important.
Debbie is best known for founding the home-swapping platform Love Home Swap and co-founding the women’s network AllBright. She has built and scaled multiple successful businesses, advised the UK government on the sharing economy and now co-chairs the Invest in Women Taskforce, driving hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into female-led companies.
A former board member at the Women’s Prize Trust, Debbie is Executive Chair of The Better Menopause, a company that produces science-backed nutritional supplements for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, a Board Member of The Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and a Non-Executive Director at Channel 4. She is also the co-author of the business bestseller, Believe, Build, Become - How to Supercharge Your Career.
Debbie was awarded an OBE in June 2016 for services to business & received Freedom of the City of London 2019.
Debbie’s book choices are:
** All my Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
** Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt
** Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
**Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
** We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.
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S8 Ep18: Bookshelfie: Alice Loxton
Presenter and author Alice Loxton discusses how fiction can help us understand the past – particularly when it comes to women’s stories; finding humour in classic literature; and her companionship with figures from history.
Alice is passionate about bringing history to mainstream, younger audiences, and she has over three million followers on social media, where her videos educate on British history, heritage and art. She has worked with many organisations including 10 Downing Street, The Royal Academy, English Heritage, The National Gallery, Tate, BBC, ITV, and Microsoft, and she writes about history for publications including The Times, Telegraph and Spectator. She’s an ambassador for the National Trust, a mentor for The King’s Foundation 35 Under 35 Network, and a patron of The British Pilgrimage Trust.
Alice’s book Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives was a Sunday Times bestseller and Blackwell’s Book of the Year 2024. Her new book, Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen, sees her follow in the footsteps of Eleanor of Castile’s funeral procession, bringing to life the formidable character of this lesser-known royal.
Alice’s book choices are:
** Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
** Secret Voices by Sarah Gristwood
** Through England by Side Saddle by Celia Fiennes
** The Tower by Flora Carr
** Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.
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S8 Ep17: Bookshelfie: Kemi Rodgers
Presenter, DJ and radio host Kemi Rodgers is excited to head back to the jungle for the new series of I’m A Celebrity and shares what books she’ll be packing for the journey.
Kemi is best known for her work on Capital Radio and as a co-host for I'm a Celebrity: Unpacked on ITV2 alongside Joel Dommett. Kemi’s love for music extends beyond radio – her expertise led her to produce a documentary for Warner Music, and she’s a familiar face at festivals and events, where she frequently DJs. She often hosts art events and shares her passion for history in her own social series, History with Kemi, making history accessible and engaging for her audience.
** Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
** Friends that Invest by Simran Kaur
** Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
** The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
** The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.
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S8 Ep16: Bookshelfie: Thangam Debbonaire
Chair of Judges for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Baroness Thangam Debbonaire explains why the prize is so important; the enduring importance of democracy for women worldwide; and her formative years working in a communist bookshop.
Thangam is a Labour Member of the House of Lords, where her key interests include arts policy, international cultural partnerships and diplomacy, copyright and AI. A former Labour MP, she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from September 2023 until May 2024. Before parliament, Thangam worked for 25 years on the protection from - and prevention of - violence against women and girls, both nationally and internationally. She was recently announced as chair of the judging panel for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, sponsored by Findmypast.
Thangam’s book choices are:
** The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
** My Ántonia by Willa Cather
** Democracy: Eleven writers on what it is, and why it matters (ed. Margaret Atwood)
** Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina
** My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s Bookshelfie Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.
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S8 Ep15: Bookshelfie: Nikki Amuka-Bird
Actor Nikki Amuka-Bird discusses her awe for Zadie Smith, the need for humour in books about difficult conversations and her relationship with playing “mean” characters.
Nikki is an actor whose career spans across film, television, and stage. She was born in Nigeria and grew up in Antigua before moving to the UK to attend boarding school. She studied at LAMDA – the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art – and quickly fell in love with the craft, before beginning what would become a stellar stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nikki has starred in a number of critically acclaimed roles in both British and international productions. She is perhaps best known for her work in television, with standout performances in Luther & the adaptation of Zadie Smith’s NW, which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Nikki also appeared in the BBC adaptation of Small Island by Andrea Levy, winner of the 2004 Women’s Prize for Fiction, and most recently as the lead in UKTV’s I, Jack Wright. Her impressive filmography spans a wide array of roles, from starring alongside Rachel Weisz in Denial, to working with director and producer M. Night Shyamalan in Knock at the Cabin.
Nikki’s book choices are:
** The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
** A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
** The Secret History by Donna Tart
** Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
** Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season eight of the Women’s Prize’s BookshelfiePodcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years.
Don’t want to miss the rest of season eight? Listen and subscribe now!
You can buy all books mentioned from our dedicated shelf on Bookshop.org - every purchase supports the work of the Women's Prize Trust and independent bookshops.
Recorded May 2025. This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.
The podcast that asks women with lives as inspiring as any fiction, to share the five books by women that have shaped them. Join Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, and her inspirational guests as they celebrate the best books written by women, sharing their creativity, voices, and perspectives. The Women’s Prize for Fiction is the biggest celebration of women's creativity in the world and has been running for over 30 years. Sit back and enjoy.
Ireland