Confessions of a Book Collector

Lottie Moggach: The Era That Sparked Our True Crime Obsession

David sits down with bestselling author Lottie Moggach to discuss her fourth novel, Mrs Pearcey, a story rooted in a real Victorian murder that took place in her own grandmother’s kitchen in Camden. Lottie shares how the case captured her imagination for years, from the shocking details of the crime to the way it was reported in the press at the time. Rather than stepping inside the mind of the killer, she chose to explore the world around her, shining a light on the birth of sensationalist journalism and the public’s growing appetite for true crime. Lottie talks about the blurred lines between fact and fiction, the challenges of writing historical crime,  growing up in a family of writers, and how living with a story for years can shape the final novel.

Francis Spufford On Why Fantasy Makes History Feel More Real

This week on Confessions of a Book Collector, we’re joined by the brilliant Francis Spufford to talk about his genre-bending new novel set in Blitz-era London. Blending history with fantasy, Francis explores a city under pressure, where bombs fall, angels appear, and time-travelling fascists threaten the fragile course of history. At the heart of it all is Iris, a fiercely ambitious and refreshingly modern heroine navigating a world in flux. We dive into why the Blitz remains such a powerful setting, how small moments can shape the fate of history, and why writing fantasy can sometimes reveal deeper truths than realism. Francis also shares his journey from non-fiction to fiction, his love of story-driven writing, and the literary influences that shaped him, from C. S. Lewis to J. R. R. Tolkien.

Harriet Tyce: Playing with Truth and Lies

Bestselling author and The Traitors icon Harriet Tyce joins us to talk about her latest instant Sunday Times bestseller, Witch Trial, [https://goldsborobooks.com/products/witch-trial] a chilling courtroom thriller she insists is best read with the lights on. Harriet takes us inside the story behind the book, from juries and modern-day witchcraft to the unsettling question at its core: who is really telling the truth? We explore what draws her to themes of power, truth and deception, the unexpected parallels between fiction and real life, and how her own experiences, from law to reality TV, have shaped her writing.It’s also an honest look at the realities of being a bestselling author: the pressure, the self-doubt, and the process of learning to trust your own voice.

George Clarke: The Bookshop That Changed Everything

In our first episode of series 6, we welcome architect, TV presenter and soon-to-be bookshop owner, George Clarke. George is best known for George Clark's Amazing Spaces and The Restoration Man, but long before the television cameras and the buildings, George was a boy growing up in Sunderland and who discovered the power of books. That love of reading has stayed with him, so much so, that he is now returning to his home city to create a new cultural bookshop. George talks about how the buildings he walks in tell their own stories, the books that stayed with him, and how one experience in a bookshop changed the course of his life.

Welcome To Series 6 Of Confessions of A Book Collector

In our sixth series of Confessions of a Book Collector, David sits down with more remarkable writers and storytellers whose lives have been shaped by books in very different ways. In this short teaser, discover who’ll be joining him for conversations about the stories that changed them. If you love books, stories and the people behind them, join us for the new series every Saturday.