Clarice Lispector's Água Viva is the subject of this episode of Backlisted. Like several of Lispector's remarkable novels, this slim book caused a sensation when first published in her native Brazil in 1973. Exquisitely written and daringly abstract, it stands as one of its author's masterpieces with Near to the Wild Heart (1943), Family Ties(1960), The Pass ... Show More
Feb 10
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Dr Rowan Williams, theologian, poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury, joins Andy and John for a thoughtful and moving discussion of Till We Have Faces (1956), the last novel by C.S. Lewis. This episode was recorded in London in June 2025. Although not as well-reviewed as his p ... Show More
1h 12m
Jan 27
The Sacred and Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch
Ian Patterson, author of Books: A Manifesto , returns to Backlisted for a joyful discussion of Iris Murdoch and her sixteenth novel The Sacred and Profane Love Machine (1974), the winner of the Whitbread literary award for fiction. For reasons that will be obvious, the talk soon ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2020
Ep 240: Saving the world, one series at a time
Reader and author KJ Dell’Antonia picked up a lot of the wrong books during a difficult time in her life, and those experiences changed her perspective on a hotly debated literary topic: trigger warnings. She talks with Anne about that shift, moving beyond bedtime reading, covert ... Show More
44m 36s
Oct 2019
Ep 204: Nonfiction that reads like a thrilling novel
Today Anne talks books with David Krohse, an Iowa reader who’s woven a love of literature into all aspects of his life — the waiting room of his chiropractic practice, the bar with a group friends, and quality time spent with his wife. David loves larger than life nonfiction, esp ... Show More
42m 12s
Mar 2019
Ep. 61 | Australia and the Surrounding Archipelago
For March, Jaclyn and Kendra, with special guest Winnie Loo, talk about women writers from Australia and the surrounding archipelago! Find a full version of the show for this episode on our website.
Use code READINGWOMEN15 to get 15% off your purchase in our Reading Women Store. ... Show More
42m 24s
Nov 2019
Ep 208: The underappreciated art of literary forgery
Charlie Lovett joins Anne to discuss the enduring power of not only stories but the books themselves, how books connect people of all ages, and of all times, how we can preserve literature for future generations, the joy of a book as a physical object, the art of literary forgery ... Show More
50m 4s
Nov 2019
Ep 210: Book gifts are the BEST gifts
Break out the wrapping paper, because our yearly WSIRN holiday recommendation episode is here! Listeners wrote and called in to let us know who they wanted to give the gift of reading to this Winter, and today, Anne is joined by Holland Saltsman of The Novel Neighbor in St Louis ... Show More
57m 7s
Apr 2019
Ep 180: Rearranging your life to read 600 books a year
Today’s guest is reading speed-demon Liberty Hardy, professional book nerd and host of Book Riot’s All the Books podcast. Together, Liberty and Anne are going deep into a book labyrinth, discussing truly committed bookworm questions like “how do you avoid back strain while readin ... Show More
55m 57s