Episodes
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In this S2 Finale episode, we are delighted to bring you an interview with an author who, we feel, wholly embodies the Storyshaped ethos - the brilliant SF Said. SF's writing is immersive, absorbing, mind-expanding, and thrilling, crafted with care and passion; truly, the best sort of writing, which also happens to be for children (though, as SF says, 'children's literature includes children, but excludes no-one'). We're delighted to get a chance to sit down with SF, whose thoughts on the power and value of children's literature, the importance of making stories available to all children, and the profound impact that stories have on the minds, hearts, and lives of those who consume them, are truly worth hearing - so come and spend an hour with us!
And a quick housekeeping announcement from your hosts:
We'll return in a wee while with a special bonus Q&A episode, where we'll answer some brilliant questions sent in by listeners, and after that we'll be taking a hiatus from Storyshaped while we sort out one or two pesky things (like life, family, and work!) But rest assured, Storyshapers: we, like the Terminator, will be back. Thank you all for listening, rating, reviewing, sharing, and sitting down with us over the past two seasons, while we've asked a variety of excellent people: Are you Storyshaped? We can't wait to get back to it, just as soon as we can. While you're waiting for our return: please help yourselves to our back catalogue and any bonus episodes we release, and do continue sharing, rating, and reviewing the show, as it really does help us to keep producing it for you.
But for now: have some fantastic Storyshaped chat with the brilliant SF Said.
Books mentioned in this week's episode include SF's own:
Varjak Paw
The Outlaw Varjak Paw
Phoenix
Tyger (all published by David Fickling Books)
And the stories which shaped him include:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill
The work of William Blake
Comics, including:
Marvel
Asterix
Tintin
Peanuts
Mad Magazine
Calvin & Hobbes
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and various artists (incl. Dave McKean)
Cages, written and illustrated by Dave McKean
A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K Le Guin
His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman
Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman
Skellig, by David Almond
Journey Back to Freedom, by Catherine Johnson
The Essays of C.S. Lewis
The Letters of JRR Tolkien
The work of George MacDonald, including The Princess and the Goblin
The work of William Morris
The work of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957)
Film and TV:
Star Wars
Star Trek
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We had a fascinating chat with the amazing Ann Sei Lin this week on the podcast, where we got an insight into the stories that have been shaping her since her earliest days. Ann's fantastic debut, Rebel Skies, is an amazing story about what makes a human, all told through the fabulous surrounds of a Japanese-folklore inspired fantasy world complete with skyships, dragons, and living origami. It's a truly memorable debut and we were so pleased to get a chance to discuss it with Ann, and to find out more about the stories that helped her to become an author and create such a rich, immersive story world. We hope you're not afraid of heights...
Books mentioned this week include Ann's own:
Rebel Skies (Walker Books)
Rebel Fire (Walker Books)
And the stories which have shaped her include:
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd
The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux
The work of JRR Tolkien
The work of Terry Pratchett
The work of Robin Hobb
The work of Robert Jordan
The work of Julie Kagawa
The Twelve Kingdoms (manga), by Fuyumi Ono
His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman
Orihima and Hikoboshi - a Japanese folktale
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Immortal Rain (manga), by Kaori Ozaki
The Shadow Skye trilogy, by Joseph Elliott
Lonely Castle in the Mirror, by Mizuki Tsujimura
Yellowface, by RF Kuang
Babel, by RF Kuang
Sixteen Souls, by Rosie Talbot
Catfish Rolling, by Clara Kumagai
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Susan had the chance to sit down with brilliant debut author Alice Ross this week, where they discussed Alice's novel The Nowhere Thief and Alice's journey to becoming an author, as well as SO MANY wonderful books and stories which shaped her into the author she is today. Alice is as big a fan of Diana Wynne Jones as we are here on the podcast, but as well as the work of the incomparable DWJ, there are loads of other fantastic stories mentioned here - each one a portal to an amazing world of story. Strap in, and join us as we get Storyshaped!
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Alice's own:
The Nowhere Thief (Nosy Crow)
And the books and stories which shaped her include:
The Mr Men books, by Roger Hargreaves
The work of CS Lewis
The work of Roald Dahl
The work of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Ramona and Beezus, by Beverly Cleary
Malory Towers, by Enid Blyton
Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, by Ursula Moray Williams
Charmed Life, by Diana Wynne Jones
The Lives of Christopher Chant, by Diana Wynne Jones
The Magician's Nephew, by CS Lewis
The Homeward Bounders, by Diana Wynne Jones
Hidden Turnings, ed. Diana Wynne Jones
(inc. The Walled Garden, by Lisa Tuttle)
Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce
Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones
Reflections: On the Magic of Writing, by Diana Wynne Jones
Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
The work of Holly Jackson
One of Us Is Lying, by Karen McManus
This Book Kills, by Ravena Guron
The Thief of Farrowfell, by Ravena Guron
The work of Anne Rice
Lockwood and Co., by Jonathan Stroud
The work of Stephen King
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We had the *most* fun this week sitting down with one of the Queens of Children's Historical Fiction (that's her official title, right), Ally Sherrick! We chat all things writing and story, including how much research Ally's rich, immersive novels take; where her love of history came from; what historical period she hasn't written about (yet), and what might be coming next from her talented pen. This episode was a wonder. Ally is a generous, inspirational, fascinating and truly wonderful podcast guest, and we hope you'll enjoy listening to our chat as much as we enjoyed recording it. Now! Let's get Storyshaped.
Find Ally online at her website
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Ally's own (all published by Chicken House):
Black Powder
The Buried Crown
The Queen's Fool
Vita and the Gladiators
And the stories that shaped her include:
Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard
My Naughty Little Sister, by Dorothy Edwards and Shirley Hughes
Charlie and Fred - stories made up by Ally's (wonderful) dad!
Just-So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling, especially The Elephant's Child
The Highwayman, by Alfred Noyes
Le Petit Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken
Black Hearts in Battersea, by Joan Aiken
Nightbirds on Nantucket, by Joan Aiken
A Small Pinch of Weather, by Joan Aiken
A Necklace of Raindrops, by Joan Aiken
A Traveller in Time, by Alison Uttley
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, by Penelope Lively
Carrie's War, by Nina Bawden
The Wake, by Paul Kingsnorth
The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we're talking to Alan Titley - emeritus professor, scholar, author, dramaturg, teacher, folklorist, journalist, seanchaí (storyteller) - about the stories that shaped him. This discussion was fascinating; we could have listened to Alan all day! Come with us and hear him talk about his earliest days of being told stories by a pipe-smoking teacher, right up to the scholarly work that went into creating his edition of the ancient Irish battle epic. Táin Bó Cuailgne (published as 'The Táin', illustrated by Eoin Coveney, published by Little Island, 2023). Alan's Storyshaped life has a unique depth and breadth, and it was a privilege to get a window into it. Come and join us!
Books mentioned in this week's episode include some of Alan's own:
Amach (An Gúm, 2004)
The Táin, ill. Eoin Coveney (Little Island, 2023)
Leabhar Nóra Ní Anluain (Cló Iar-Chonnacht)
And the stories that shaped him include:
The New Testament of the Bible
Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes
Comics including The Beano, The Dandy, Topper, Rupert the Bear
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
The work of Jack Kerouac
The work of DH Lawrence
The short stories of Frank O'Connor
The Touch/An Teagmháil, by Liam O'Flaherty
The Majesty of the Law, by Frank O'Connor
The work of Seosamh MacGrianna
The work of W.M. Thackeray
The work of Jane Austen
The work of Pádraic Ó Conaire
The work of Seamus Delargy and the Irish Folklore Commission, including:
Leabhair Seán Uí Chonaill/Seán O'Connell's Book
The work of W. Somerset Maugham
The work of Thomas Kenneally
Cré na Cille, by Máirtín Ó Cadhain
(Alan's translation: The Dirty Dust, Yale University Press, 2015)
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Spend an hour with Sinéad and our guest, Victoria Williamson, as we take a stroll through the stories that have shaped one of the most prolific and imaginative children's authors writing today. Victoria's work ranges from emotionally charged stories for older children and young teens, right down to fantastical adventures for younger readers, never failing to enthral and captivate, and it was a pleasure to sit down with her and chat all things story. We talk about the 'hero's journey', her career as a teacher, the many far-flung places her work has brought her to, her commitment to social justice and other causes close to her heart, and what authorly ambitions she has yet to achieve. Come and join us, and find out how Victoria is Storyshaped.
Find Victoria online via her website
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Victoria's own:
The Boy With the Butterfly Mind
The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle
Hagstorm
War of the Wind
The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams
And the stories that shaped her include:
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien
Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
The work of Stephen King
The work of Monica Dickens
The Tripods, by John Christopher
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4, by Sue Townsend
The Hardy Boys (and later iterations), originally created and written by Franklin W. Dixon
Maps, atlases, and books about travel
The work of Jane Austen, the Brontes, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens
Harry Potter, by JK Rowling (these books set Victoria on the road to becoming a children's writer)
Treasures of the Snow, by Patricia St John
The Chrysalids, by John Wyndham
The work of MR James
Victorian Gothic Stories and Ghost stories (in general)
Rivet Boy, by Barbara Henderson
Euro Spies, by Lindsay Littleton
Haarville, by Justin Davies
Into the Faerie Hill, by HS Norup
The Silver Road, by Sinéad O'Hart
TV influences include:
Star Trek
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Join us this week for an absolutely nerd-licious chat with the BRILLIANT Louie Stowell, whose writerly output is too great to be enumerated. She has written an abundance of non-fiction titles, created a treasure trove of tales about Kit and her friends (in the library, in the lake, and in the wood, among other spots), placed the glittering Otherland in its proper place in the pommel of her sword, and gifted us the marvellous LOKI series - truly the crowning jewel in her hoard. This was one of the most fun chats we've had on Storyshaped - you don't want to miss it!
Find Louie online at her website
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Louie's own:
The Dragon in the Library
The Monster in the Lake
The Wizard in the Wood
Otherland
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Taking the Blame
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Ruling the World
And the stories which shaped her include:
Norse Myths that Shaped the Way We Think, by Carolyne Larrington
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, by Alan Moore
Comics including:
Superman and Batman
The Dark Knight Returns
2000 AD
Oink
Halo Jones
Bumble and Snug, by Mark Bradley
The Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
The City and the City, by China Miéville
The Books of Magic, by Neil Gaiman and various artists
The Expanse (series), by James S.A. Corey
Chutzpah, by Jan Mark
Hairs on the Palm of the Hand, by Jan Mark
Just William, by Richmal Crompton
The Tripods, by John Christopher
Space Hostages, by Nicholas Fisk
The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
Paradise Lost, by John Milton
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
The Light Between Worlds, by Laura E. Weymouth
Other media:
A BBC Radio Play of The Lord of the Rings
The Ring Cycle by Wagner (TV Production)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)
Hannibal (TV series)
The Walking Dead (TV series)
Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (book and TV series)
Classic KitKat advertisement from the 1980s - No Rest for the Wicked
The best version of LOTR ever (according to Louie)
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A slightly different vibe for today's Storyshaped! We're sitting down with Rebecca Schiller - smallholder, parent, memoirist, creative writing teacher, neurodivergent person, and author, for a wonderful chat about her recent ADHD diagnosis, creativity (and permission to enter into creativity), parenthood, the art of writing a memoir, the beauty of children's literature, and how vital it is for children to feel empowered by the things they read. We also make some pit-stops along the way, where Rebecca traces the influence of some very important books, ones that shaped and affected the course of her life and career. We'd love you to come with us on this bookish ramble, where we'll find out how Rebecca is Storyshaped.
Find Rebecca online at her website
Follow Rebecca on Instagram
Rebecca founded the Mothers Who Write community
More information on the courses Rebecca runs for writers and creatives
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Rebecca's own:
Earthed: A Memoir (published as A Thousand Ways to Pay Attention in the United States)
Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan
Amazing Activists Who Are Changing Our World, illustrated by Sophie Beer
And the stories which have shaped her include:
The Peter and Jane books, published by Ladybird
Stories from the Bible
The Wild Other, by Clover Stroud
Anne of Green Gables, by LM Montgomery
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit
The Regeneration Trilogy, by Pat Barker
Life Class, by Pat Barker
The Skylarks' War, by Hilary McKay
This Must Be the Place, by Maggie O'Farrell
Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell
Shopaholic Ties the Knot, by Sophie Kinsella
Also mentioned: Five Children on the Western Front, by Kate Saunders
The Passion, by Jeanette Winterson
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Well, this was a hoot - as you'd expect from a guest like Jenny McLachlan, author of the BRILLIANT, bestselling ROAR books, as well as Dead Good Detectives, Stink (Worst. Fairy. Ever) and a whole load more. Jenny began her writing career with amazing YA books, before graduating into equally amazing Middle Grade novels and early readers - so, she has written across the ages, and with equal aplomb in all. She's funny, her characters are memorable, her stories are equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, and this chat was exactly the same. Come with us as we get to know the powerhouse that is Jenny McLachlan, and find out her answer to our perennial question: Are You Storyshaped?
Find Jenny online:
www.jennymclachlan.com
Her Twitter
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Jenny's own:
Flirty Dancing
Love Bomb
Star Struck
Stargazing for Beginners
Sunkissed
Truly, Wildly, Deeply
The Land of Roar
Return to Roar
The Battle for Roar
Dead Good Detectives
Pet Quest
The Jumpy Bumpy Feeling
The Quack in the Kitchen
There's a Chicken in my Bookbag
Zoom to the Moon,
Stink: Worst. Fairy. Ever.
And the stories that shaped her include:
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
Topsy and Tim, by Jean and Gareth Anderson
Helpers, Alfie, Moving Molly, and Dogger by Shirley Hughes
The work of Jackie Collins
The work of Jilly Cooper
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
The work of Jane Austen
The work of Charles Dickens
The Beano comic
Pippin in Playland comic
Annuals: Twinkle, Bunty, Mandy
Bella magazine
Just Seventeen magazine
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
The work of Jacqueline Wilson
Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
Circe, by Madeleine Miller
The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker
Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep, by Philip Reeve
The work of M.G. Leonard (check out our podcast chat with M.G. here)
TV influences:
Succession
Game of Thrones
Saving Lives at Sea (TV documentary)
Print Media:
Joseph Coelho: I set out to find the happiness I felt as a child, and it worked
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We had great fun this week sitting down with award-winning author Jasbinder Bilan on the podcast! We discussed her formation in India and Britain, the importance of oral storytelling and family stories, and the stories that helped her to grow up to write beautiful, immersive, richly textured books which celebrate all facets of her heritage and culture. Come with us as we walk with Jasbinder through the landscapes of her life, and find out how she's Storyshaped.
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Jasbinder's own:
Asha and the Spirit Bird
Tamarind and the Star of Ishta
Aarti and the Blue Gods
Xanthe and the Ruby Crown
India Incredible India (illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti)
And the stories which shaped her include:
The wonderful stories told to her by her grandma, and the real-life stories experienced by her family - including the story of Oma the Wild Monkey, who took Jasbinder's brother up a tree!
Skyhawk, by Gill Lewis
The work of Emma Carroll
The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien
The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis
From Spare Oom to Ward Robe by Katherine Langrish
A collection of Greek myths, with Pegasus on the cover!
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, particularly an edition translated by Simon Armitage and illustrated by Clive Hickes-Jenkins
A wide range of mythology, and also stories told through songs
Journey to Jo'burg, by Beverley Naidoo
Wild Song, by Candy Gourlay
Stolen History: The Truth about the British Empire and How it Shaped Us, by Sathnam Sanghera
The Last Whale, by Chris Vick
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sinéad had the great privilege of sitting down with Leona Forde this week! Leona's the author of the brilliant Milly McCarthy series (Gill Books), including Milly McCarthy is a Complete Catastrophe (2023) and the forthcoming Milly McCarthy and the Irish Dancing Disaster. Leona is a teacher, a mam, and a very busy author, and we had a great chat about music, storytelling, her teaching philosophies, her writing process, and how she does it all. Settle in and let's find out together how Leona is Storyshaped!
Books mentioned in this episode include Leona's own:
Milly McCarthy is a Complete Catastrophe
And the stories that shaped her include:
The folktales and mythology she learned from her grandmother, Mrs Maureen Herbert
The music, traditional ballads and songs played by her father and her family members
The song Leona mentions is this one:
Dublin in the Rare Oul Times by the Dubliners
The Famous Five, by Enid Blyton
The Secret Seven, by Enid Blyton
Revolting Rhymes, by Roald Dahl
The Cremation of Sam McGee, by Robert W. Service
Under the Hawthorn Tree, by Marita Conlon McKenna
Across the Barricades, by Joan Lingard
The Herbalist, by Niamh Boyce
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry
Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
Foster, by Claire Keegan
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley, by Timothy White
Oi Puppies, by Kes Grey
Be Wild, Little One, by Olivia Hope and Daniel Egnéus
Fidget the Wonder Dog, by Patricia Forde and Rachel Saunders
The Little Bee Charmer of Henrietta Street, by Sarah Webb
A Game of Life or Death, by Triona Campbell
The Time Tider, by Sinéad O'Hart
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
All the Broken Places, by John Boyne
The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
Trespasses, by Louise Kennedy
Short Stories by Frank O'Connor
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week, we had the joy of sitting down with Vashti Hardy, author of some of our *favourite* books of all time, to discuss the stories that have shaped her life and her prolific career to date. This episode turned into a masterclass, as Vashti generously shared some of the tips, tricks and techniques that help her to create her wonderful work, and the love for books and stories just fizzes out of every word of this interview. Enjoy this wonderful, warm, and (we hope) inspiring chat with one of the most talented authors around and - if you enjoy it! - do please share it, and spread the word. Let's grow the Storyshaped community!
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Vashti's own:
The Brightstorm Chronicles (Brightstorm, Darkwhispers, Firesong, and Serpent of the Sands)
Wildspark
Crowfall
The Harley Hitch Series
The Griffin Gate Series
And the stories which have shaped her include:
My Naughty Little Sister, by Dorothy Edwards, ill. Shirley Hughes
The Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Rebecca's World, by Terry Nation
Mold and the Poison Plot, by Lorraine Gregory
Ghost Stories, by Pamela Oldfield
Chocky, and Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
The work of Marcus Sedgwick
The Cone Gatherers, by Robin Jenkins
Z for Zachariah, by Robert C. O'Brien
The Sisterhood, by Katherine Bradley
Her Dark Wings, by Melinda Salisbury
The Girl Who Broke the Sea, by A Connors
Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain, by Amy Jeffs
Movie influences include: Star Wars
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week, we're speaking with the lovely H.S. (Helle) Norup about the stories which shaped her, and it's a stroll through folklore, faerie hills, and fantastical worlds. Come with us as we talk about the differences between modern children's books and classic books from our childhoods, the intersections between languages and how one would go about translating 'lashings of ginger beer' into Danish, and a children's book so influential (and controversial) that it was discussed in parliament! Settle in, grab your hat, and get Storyshaped with us.
Find Helle online:
www.hsnorup.com
Twitter: H.S. Norup
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Helle's own:
The Missing Barbegazi (Pushkin Children's)
The Hungry Ghost (Pushkin Children's)
Into the Faerie Hill (Pushkin Children's)
And the books which shaped her include:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende
The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren
Ronja the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
Emil and the Detectives by Eric Kastner
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
The Famous Five by Enid Blyton
The work of Agatha Christie
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula le Guin
Dune by Frank Herbert
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Unraveller by Frances Hardinge
"Fairy tales are more than true - not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." Neil Gaiman, misquoting G.K. Chesterton
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we're sitting down with Julie Pike, the author of the fantastical, magical, exciting (and slightly gruesome-but-great!) MG novel The Last Spell Breather (OUP, 2019). We talk stories, spaces, the landscape of Wales, the far-flung destinations that Julie has ventured to, how she once possibly helped to save a life (!), the impact of social class on authors' self-perceptions, and how important it is to show children that there are no limits to what they can achieve. Please join us as we get to know Julie and her book, and discover how Storyshaped she is.
Books mentioned in this week's episode include Julie's own:
The Last Spell Breather (OUP, 2019)
And the stories that shaped her include:
Chris Addison's blog 'Two Ways into a Theatre'
Brandon Sanderson's blogs on how to write magic systems:
Sanderson's First Law
Sanderson's Second Law
Sanderson's Third Law
An episode of Dr Who (with Tom Baker as the Doctor) which featured fish monsters:
Dr Who: Full Circle
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Lirael by Garth Nix
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
The books of Barbara Cartland, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer
A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis
A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis
A Reckless Magick by Stephanie Burgis
Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
The Cadfael Chronicles (series) by Ellis Peters
Star Trek
Mixed Magics by Diana Wynne Jones
Mysteries of the Unknown: Monsters, Ghosts and UFOs by Carey Miller, Christopher Maynard, Ted Wilding-White
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For this episode, get ready to giggle! We had so much fun talking to Sabine Adeyinka, where we discuss boarding school stories from Nigeria to the UK, the brilliance of comics, the vital importance of curiosity, and the direct inspiration Sabine can draw between the stories that shaped her as a young reader and the creative work she has gone on to make. Settle down and join us for an hour of pure bookish happiness, and find out how Sabine is Storyshaped.
Books mentioned in this episode include Sabine's own:
Jummy at the River School
And the stories that shaped her include:
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Malory Towers, by Enid Blyton
St. Clare's, by Enid Blyton
Aké: The Years of Childhood, by Wole Soyinka
The Beano comic
Tin Tin, by Hergé
Archie and Veronica (comic), created by Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame; ill. Ernest Shepard, Arthur Ransome, Charles van Sandwyck
Becoming, by Michelle Obama
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee
The books of Efua Traoré
Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Bible
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week, we lose the run of ourselves (verrrry slightly) as we sit down with an undisputed legend - Frances Hardinge. Frances is the author of ten acclaimed and brilliant novels for young adults, the winner of the Costa Book Award (only the second children's author to do so, besides Philip Pullman), and the wearer of an assortment of extremely excellent hats. We wish to put it on record that she wore her hat throughout our conversation - as is only right and proper! Come with us as we take a walk through the absolutely amazing literary landscape that has shaped and formed Frances and her books, and forgive our (alright, Sinéad's) excited fangirling. (She regrets nothing.)
Books mentioned in this episode include Frances's own:
Fly By Night
Twilight Robbery
Gullstruck Island
Verdigris Deep
A Face Like Glass
Cuckoo Song
The Lie Tree
A Skinful of Shadows
Deeplight
Unraveller
The stories that have shaped Frances include:
The Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
The Time of the Ghost, by Diana Wynne Jones
The Thirteen Clocks, by James Thurber
The Moomintroll series of stories, by Tove Jansson
Watership Down, by Richard Adams
The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden
The Girl in the Tower, by Katherine Arden
Her Dark Wings, by Melinda Salisbury
Leila and the Blue Fox, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston
And the collected work of H. Mills West (listen to the episode to find the touching reason why this writer's work is included.)
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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WELCOME TO SEASON 2!
Storyshaped is back - and we're landing with a bang. We open Season 2 with a Deep Dive into one of the most significant books in the lives of your fearless co-hosts - Pat O'Shea's The Hounds of the Morrigan. Fifteen years in the writing, this masterpiece of Irish children's literature was utterly formative for both Susan and Sinéad, and in this episode they rejoice in the opportunity to discuss it with one another. You'll hear about natural magic, talking donkeys, triple-aspect goddesses, beleaguered Garda Sergeants, mysterious bookshops, scrying glasses, Swapping Day, and so much more. Join us and be swept away by the magic of this wonderful book (which we do our best not to spoil - fingers crossed!) and get settled in for a new season of your favourite children's literature podcast.
Welcome back! We're so glad to be here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week - the final episode of Season 1, Storyshaped fans! - Susan and Sinéad are indulging themselves with a Deep Dive into one of the books that profoundly shaped both of them. We're discussing Susan Cooper's 1973 classic The Dark Is Rising, which is a book that Susan describes as being part of her soul. It's an incredible story about a boy named Will Stanton, who steps into his power as an Old One on his eleventh birthday - and it involves such a wealth of mythology, folklore, allusions to medieval texts, and other stuff that pleases our nerdy hearts, that this episode was the MOST fun to record. Please do come with us as we dive deep into this beautiful book, which has Storyshaped us both, and get ready to whisper with us:
When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track;
Wood, bronze, iron, water, fire, stone;
Five will return, and one go alone...
Many different editions of Susan Cooper's classic book exist, but this is a recent edition which might be easily accessible: The Dark Is Rising
Biographical details about Cooper's life and work are drawn from her website: The Lost Land of Susan Cooper
We draw on Heritage Artefacts of County Cork by Denis Power and Mary Sleeman (2022) for some of our insights into the mandala symbol
Referenced in the episode is this blog post: https://consolationofreading.wordpress.com/tag/piers-plowman/
We also make reference to A Guidebook to Piers Plowman by Anna Baldwin, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007
Susan draws on Britannic Myths by Steven O'Brien and Joe Machine (ill.) in our discussion of Herne the Hunter and Wayland Smith
The podcast dramatisation of The Dark is Rising can be found on Spotify here: BBC Sounds Robert MacFarlane The Dark is Rising Adaptation
And the brilliant Backlisted Podcast episode with Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris is here: Backlisted Podcast
Thank you all so much for listening to Season 1 of Storyshaped! We're delighted to have reached so many ears, and we hope to reach many more in Season 2 - we'll be back in 2023 with more guest interviews and lots more bookish joy. Until then: all our best wishes for the Festive Season to everyone who celebrates, however you celebrate, and whatever you're doing: make sure to find a nice quiet corner to curl up in with a good book.
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We have the splendid pleasure of speaking with Sharon Gosling this week on the podcast - yes, only the author of one of our absolute favourite books of 2022, The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott! The stories that shaped Sharon are wide-ranging and exciting, and our chat with her was fun, informative, and full of brilliant books. Come along with us as we take a walk through Sharon's Storyshaped life, and who knows? You might find she's Storyshaped in just the same way as you.
Books mentioned in this episode include some of Sharon's own:
The Diamond Thief, winner of the Redbridge Children’s Book Award 2014
The Ruby Airship
The Sapphire Cutlass
The Golden Butterfly
House of Hidden Wonders
The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott.
Her adult books have included The House Beneath the Cliffs and The Lighthouse Bookshop
And the stories that shaped her include:
Little Grey Rabbit, by Alison Uttley
Meg and Mog, by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski
Boys' Best Adventures (any books that helped you to survive in the wild)
The Circus of Adventure, by Enid Blyton
Amazon Adventure, by Willard Price
Beaver Towers, by Nigel Hinton
When Marnie Was There, by Joan Robinson
The Girl Who Ran Away, by Joan Robinson
The Flight of the Doves, by Walter Macken
Trixie Belden series, by Julie Campbell Tathem and others
The Hardy Boys, by Franklin W. Dixon (collective pen-name)
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
The Animals of Farthing Wood, by Colin Dann
Twenty-Five Years in the Word Mines, by Graham Joyce
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson
The novels of Terry Pratchett
Babel, by R.F. Kuang
The British Library collections of short stories
The novels and short stories of Shirley Jackson
The work of Kelly Link
Hag, edited by Carolyne Larrington
Folk, by Zoe Gilbert
Parnassus on Wheels, by Christopher Morley
A Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories, by Joan Aiken
The Faithless Lollybird, by Joan Aiken
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Today's guest is the BRILLIANT M.G. Leonard, author of some of the best books for young children available today. Her books have been personally inspirational to us, and M.G. herself is such a fount of inspiration, wisdom, and compassion - her insights into writing, the importance of stories, and how she used her own story to reshape her own life, is a must-listen. Come and join us, and find out how M.G. Leonard is Storyshaped.
Books mentioned in this week's episode include M.G.'s own:
Beetle Boy
Beetle Queen
The Battle of the Beetles
The Beetle Collectors' Handbook (non-fiction)
The Tale of a Toothbrush
The Highland Falcon Thief (with Sam Sedgman)
Kidnap on the California Comet (with Sam Sedgman)
Murder on the Safari Star (with Sam Sedgman)
Danger at Dead Man's Pass (with Sam Sedgman)
Sabotage on the Solar Express (with Sam Sedgman)
The Arctic Railway Assassin (with Sam Sedgman)
Twitch
Spark
The Ice Children
The stories which shaped her include:
Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Roald Dahl, The Twits
The Work of Enid Blyton
Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
E.L. Grant Watson, What to Look for in Autumn (Ladybird Book)
Elise Rousseau and Phillipe J. Dubois, A Short Philosophy of Birds
Our podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie
In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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