I’m really excited about our guest today – speaking to us is Ben from the brilliant Bath-based Bookshop Band. The Bookshop Band started in 2010 and write songs inspired by – you’ve guessed it – books, and I’ve been wanting to get them on the podcast for a long time. They’re about to embark on their first tour of the US, so if you’re based in or around New York, New Mexico, or Colorado, you’ll have a chance to catch Ben and Beth at one of several locations between now and the first week of February.
I spoke to Ben about their upcoming tour, how they started out, their songwriting process, and more.
Photograph by Owen Benson
You can listen to the episode here,
or Spotify, or iTunes,
or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast:
The Paris Wife, by Paula McLane
The Book of Dust, by Philip Pullman
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce
All The Lonely People, by David Owen
Oh My Gods, by Alexandra Sheppard
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss
, by Rajeev Balasubramanyam
The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, by Anstey Harris
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman
Unscripted
, by Claire Handscombe
(A note on my book links: they usually take you to Amazon, and I get a few pence per sale at no extra cost to you if you click them and buy from there, which will help me make this podcast viable long-term. But better than Amazon, who are, let’s be honest, not the greatest, is Blackwells or Waterstones, or, even better, your local independent bookshop. If you live in the US or elsewhere further afield, you can find UK books at Book Depository (also owned by Amazon) at a good price and with no postage cost, or sometimes at Wordery.com, or you can buy them from Amazon US, or, even better, an independent bookshop.)
*****
Links mentioned in the podcast episode:
The Open Book - a bookshop holiday
A Critic Sells Books Down by the Seashore — New York Times article calling the Bookshop Band “not just good but achingly good”.
*****
Support Claire on Patreon to get bonus content and personalised book recommendations.
Buy Brit Lit Podcast merch to show your love for your podcast and help support it.
Pre-order Claire’s novel, Unscripted.
Sign up to Claire’s newsletter to get updates on her writing, as well as recommendations for books and podcasts.
For daily news and views from British books and publishing, follow the Brit Lit Blog.
Questions? Comments? Need a book recommendation? Email Claire at [email protected]
*****
The Brit Lit Podcast
Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Website
Claire
Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Novel
The Bookshop Band
