Unknown Pleasures with Sophie Mackintosh

Live while I'm alive, sleep when I'm dead with Sean O'Brien

In this episode, Rob chats to celebrated polymath writer, Sean O'Brien about short stories, cold spots in houses, postwar bomb sites as playgrounds, ghost stories and Hull. Rob and Kate come to you from the infamous pod yet again after a long break to talk Piers Morgan (gross, we hate him), British winters, park running, bad habits in writing, poetrypoetrypoetry, getting old and sports massages.

Letting the light in with Clare Fisher

In this episode, Rob chats to novelist and short story writer, Clare Fisher about writing things that won't sell, PhDs in failure, Lydia Davis, and being a southern softie living in Leeds (Leeds Leeds). Rob and Kate again come to you live from the infamous Salford pod in the even more infamous Media City. They chat about experimental fiction, Irish writers (again!), famous writers working shit jobs, that awful Rose Tremain interview in the TLS and writing the impossible.

Unknown Pleasures with Sophie Mackintosh

In this episode, Rob chats to Booker longlisted novelist and short story writer, Sophie Mackintosh about Joy Division, distrust of technology, the Booker prize (obvs) and being a bit goth. Rob and Kate come to you live from the infamous Salford pod. They chat about the US election, the art of grumbling, the Wu Tang Clan, quantum physics (I know!)and the crazy government PREVENT policy keeping us from reading revolutionary literature.

Literary fiction is an illusion with Joanne Harris

In this episode, Rob chats to Joanne Harris about Norse myths, Child ballads, video games, graphic novels and the perils and joy of having your book optioned by Hollywood. Joanne also talks about the "illusion" of literary fiction. "Plot is the engine that drives the car" (we like her). Rob and Kate have a silly conversation about Canadian sketch comedy, Ramsbottom, gothic tales and AFC Wimbledon. Rob sings a stupid song.

The Blancmange antidote with Kevin Duffy from Bluemoose Books

In this episode, Rob chats to Kevin Duffy from Bluemoose Books about the trials of independent publishing, the effects of Brexit on writers, the problem with agents, getting your authors pinched, assemby line blancmange books pumped out by big publishing and Hebden Bridge. Rob and Kate talk about Not the Not the Booker prize, Jacob Rees-Mogg, William Shatner singing O Canada, Feminism and Jeremy Clarkson. Rob forgets to edit out the bit where he wishes Boris Johnson dead (I don't really).