Book Off!

About Book Off!

A fun, upbeat, accessible show about brilliant books, writing and culture. Each episode sees two authors go head to head in a war of the words, championing a book they love and think we should all read...but only one can win. This book podcast features an incredible array of authors from across the globe and some amazing, and sometimes unexpected, book recommendations. #books #bookpodcast #authors #writers #booklovers #writing #literature #bookrecommendations #bookworms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Book Off!

Category

arts · arts · fiction

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

1 Feb 2019

Latest episode

24 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

180 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Oct 2026

   Emily St John Mandel and China Mieville

   Bestselling authors, China Mieville and Emily St John Mandel go head to head in a war of the words... They join Joe Haddow for a chat about their work, inspirations and new novels. 'The Rouse' by China Mieville is a sprawling, epic saga (1200 pages in length). He talks to Joe about what can be achieved in a long novel, how the writing process is different, how he kept continuity - and - why it has taken 20 years to write. 'Exit Party' by Emily St John Mandel is a dystopian novel of crimes committed and loves lost across worlds and decades. She talks about why she set it in a very near future, bringing characters back from previous novels and 'The Mandelverse'. THE BOOK OFF 'Monkey Beach' by Eden Robinson VS 'Sleight' by Kirsten Kaschock And here's a little more info on our guests' brilliant books: 'The Rouse' by China Mieville Maur’s life has been shaped by an unbearable loss. But in the aftermath of what is an apparently ordinary tragedy, deeper, stranger questions arise . . . Their answers may lie within the dark heart and darker history of an old soldier who shares Maur’s obsessions – and is violently pursued by the same unknown, unquiet forces. So begins The Rouse, a masterpiece unlike any other: at once a sprawling saga of the bloody twentieth century, and the intimate story of two lives, their loves, regrets and secrets – and a terrifying journey into infinite mystery. 'Exit Party' by Emily St John Mandel Los Angeles, 2031: The first spring after the collapse of the United States, peacekeeping troops withdraw from the city, the Jacaranda trees blossom, and the curfew is finally lifted. Ari Waker and her roommate pass the gauntlet of bomb-sniffing dogs, the shanty towns, and the Red Cross tents as they walk across Silverlake to a party. The mood is ecstatic inside the apartment, people drink and dance, a woman wears a silver dress, pleated like tinfoil. And then: A shift. A bewildered twin, an uncanny doppelganger stumbles through the crowd and out into the night, and Kareem, the party’s host, vanishes into thin air. As Ari Waker unravels the mystery of this inexplicable night, Emily St. John Mandel unfurls a story that takes us from a future America splintered by civil war to the seaside cliffs of Greece where weapons dealers hide in an elegant resort, and from the domed city of Paris to a colony on the moon. An unforgettable literary feat, Exit Party is a novel about the price of safety, the perils of the surveillance state, a requiem for a world not unlike our own, and a breathtaking story of resilience in the face of cataclysmic change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   16 Oct 2026

   Charlie Higson and Vaseem Khan

   Two brilliant writers and humans - Charlie Higson and Vaseem Khan - join Joe for a Book Off (and a Bond Off!) Both are writing contemporary novels - in the world of James Bond - for the Ian Fleming estate. Charlie has previously written Young Bond novels - but has recently published 'King Zero' - his first adult novel featuring James Bond. Vaseem is writing the character of Q - who appears in the Fleming Novels and, of course, on screen too (played namely by Desmond Llewlyn and Ben Wishaw) Vas was told to write something that was 'halfway between Richard Osman and Mick Herron' - so no pressure then! The two authors chat about their love of Bond, bringing Fleming into the 21st Century, finding new audiences...and whether they might ever work together!? They also recommend us some brilliant books too! THE BOOK OFF 'Jurassic Park' by Michael Crichton VS The 'Gormenghast' Trilogy by Mervyn Peake And here's a little more info on our guests' new books: 'King Zero' by Charlie Higson Le Chiffre. Dr No. Goldfinger. James Bond has faced them all. But now the world is changing, and even 007 has no idea what’s coming for him… It starts with a murdered agent in the Saudi desert. Only a traitor could have known enough to bring him down. But even James Bond can’t guess at the secret that was worth killing him to keep. As Bond follows the trail across the globe, he doesn’t realise the countdown has already begun. And hiding in the shadows is a man with more power than he could ever have imagined. Prepare for a villain unlike any before. Prepare for KING ZERO. 'The Man With The Golden Compass' by Vaseem Khan Dismissed from MI6's Q Branch, where he developed weapons and field technology, Major Boothroyd (aka 'Q') has found a new lease of life as an amateur detective in his sleepy hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. Fresh from successfully solving the murder of his childhood friend, Q is now hired by the police to re-examine the unsolved killing of Lawrence Noble, a tech millionaire turned online antique dealer. Why was Noble tortured before his death? What is the significance of the circular golden object inscribed with mysterious runes found by his body? As Q investigates, danger stalks those around him, and he soon finds himself dragged into a chilling conspiracy where past and present meet in a way he could not possibly have imagined . . . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Elif Shafak and Donal Ryan

   Award-winning authors, Donal Ryan and Elif Shafak, join Joe Haddow for a war of the words. Elif's new novel - 'In One Brief Moment All Eternity' - is an imaginative re-telling of Flaubert's 'Madame Bovary' - told from 30 different characters. Some of them are based on real-life people, whilst others are completely made up (and not necessarily human!) Donal's latest novel - "Where Are The Kings" - is a poignant coming-of-age story set in rural Ireland. It follows a young boy, navigating the tragic loss of his mother. The authors discuss their books and the inspirations behind them, as well as touching on themes of grief and loss. They also talk about art, literature - and the awful stats of how many libraries are closing in the UK (and around the world). THE BOOK OFF 'Johnny Got His Gun' by Dalton Trumbo VS 'Homer-Haunted' by Henry Power 'Where Are The Kings' by Donal Ryan Something terrible has happened to Jack but no one seems to want to talk about it. His uncles can tell him about everything from quantum physics to how to hunt for deer, but they can’t seem to tell him anything about their own sister or why Jack doesn’t feel sad for her in the way he should, or why Grandad tries to shoot Jack’s dad when he gets out of the hospital. Still, there’s work to be done in the oily wonderland of his uncles’ garage; there’s his beautiful aunt Rose to hypnotise him and his loving grandparents to console him; then there’s JJ, who wants to fight him one day and save him the next. But with so many questions, in a family with so many secrets, it is difficult for Jack to understand the person he is becoming. How can a simple boy learn to become a king? 'In One Brief Moment All Eternity' by Elif Shafak During a time of great turmoil, Gustave Flaubert created literature's most scandalous heroine: Madame Bovary. He then poisoned her with arsenic. But what if, 175 years later, Emma – and the women history overlooked – could seize the quill from his hands and tell a different story? In One Brief Moment All Eternity is a luminous reinvention of an iconic male writer, told through the eyes of the women – real and fictional – who shaped him: a devoted nursemaid, an Egyptian dancer and a passionate, jealous lover who refuses to be forgotten. Through their voices, visionary author Elif Shafak creates both an intimate portrait of a great artist and an epic meditation on storytelling itself: who gets remembered, who gets erased, and how can literature endure through political upheaval, war and injustice? When the world feels broken, how do we find the hope to carry on? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on Book Off!

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• David McCloskey
• Paul Vidich
• Wendy Holden
• Jane Thynne
• Linwood Barclay

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

26 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Book Off!

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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