Liam Bishop having a coffee with the world's most interesting writers to inspire your reading and writing on the podcast where writers get real about writing.
Keith Ridgway writing personal maps of cities and love stories of a sort
I got to sit with one of the most interesting and inventive writers working today: Keith Ridgway, the Goldsmith’s Prize shortlisted writers!So, today, we really are having a coffee with one of the world’s most interesting writers as I speak to Keith about his latest novel, Dooneen.
On late night walk through London, a man suddenly finds himself in an uncanny version of Dublin and at a distance from his lover. How does he reconcile this place that once appears to be like home then isn’t?
These are the questions at the heart of Keith Ridgway’s novel, Dooneen.
Keith has been described by The Times as one of Ireland’s best writers, in a country that isn’t short of them.’ His previous novels include, A Shock, which won the 2021 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction, and Hawthorn and Child. His first novel The Long Falling was filmed by Martin Provost as Ou Va La Nuit. He’s won several French literary prizes too.
If you fancy getting more from the Rippling Pages, including an exclusive Patreon only podcast on what makes the openings of books so good, why not consider suscribing here!https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi And buy all the books mentioned on the show. Buying from this link supports indie bookshops and the Rippling Pages as I get a very small commission from every book sold through this link.
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod
Chapters
3.45 - is this a love story 6.10 -Mootie and Mew’s relationship09.00 - What is this version of Dublin. 11.15 - Keith’s personal relationship with Dublin15.20 - Terror 19.20 - Mootie the silent but important character26.00 - pathos and trust28.15 - rippling pages bookshop29.20 - is Mew dead36.10 - other writers of influence41.00 - Liam O’Flaherty46.30 - Why end Dooneen in tunnels
BooksSamuel BeckettAnna Burns - Milkman (Faber and Faber)Charles Dalton - With the Dublin Brigade (2014, Mercier Press)Kazuo Ishiguro - The Unconsoled (1995, Faber and Faber)James Joyce Ferenc Karinthy - Metropole (1970)Anna Kavan - Ice (1967)Liam O’Flaherty - The InformerJames Plunkett - Strumpet CityKeith Ridgway - A Shock (2021, Pan MacMillan)George Saunders - Lincoln in the Bardo (2017, Bloomsbury)Kurt Vonnegut
24 Sept 2026
Deb Olin Unferth on awe and writing the bottom of the ocean and outer space
We're going to the bottom of the ocean and to outer space for this near-future literary escapade about when the world is no longer habitable.
Deb Olin Unferth joined me from Austin, Texas, to talk about her latest novel, Earth 7. Deb's novel is inventive in its world-building, taking us into the cosmos, its exploration of human and non-human relationships, and capacity for both fear and wonder for what the future might hold for humans.
Deb has quite the. C.V. She’s the author of seven books, including novels Barn 8 and Vacation, and the memoir, Revolution, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics’ Circle Award. She’s published graphic novels, story collections, and her writing has also appeared in Harper’s, the New York Times, Paris Review, Granta, and McSweeney’s. She’s also received Guggenheim Fellowships and Pushcart Prizes.
So a good episode if you're wanting to see a writer pushing their boundaries and modes and picking up awards and fellowships along the way
If you fancy getting more from the Rippling Pages, including an exclusive Patreon only podcast on what makes the openings of books so good, why not consider suscribing here!https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi And buy all the books mentioned on the show. Buying from this link supports indie bookshops and the Rippling Pages as I get a very small commission from every book sold through this link.
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod
Chapters0.17 - Introduction to Deb's work.2.40 - the capacity of Deb's novel3.30 - Why Deb went to space.7.20 - the fate of humans12.20 - the mother daughter relationship19.20 - How would Deb's dad respond to this book20.45 - the idea of hope26.15 - the rippling pages patreon27:45 - where are the other earths34.15 - The importance of Deb's research.39.00 - How does love fit into the novel. 42.00 - cynicism and feeling hopeful.
Books and WritersSamantha Harvey - OrbitalBarn 8 - Deb Olin UnferthPascalClancy Martin
20 Aug 2026
Louisa Bello on sheer determination to get published and being inspired by a friend
What company Louisa Bello is! A story about an agent, a publisher and a pub and sheer determination to get published, andtaking a friend’s experience of schizophrenia to inspire your first novel.
Louisa Bello is here to talk about WHERE THE SHADOW’S END (époque Press) What I loved about Louisa’s novel, however, is its commitment to, indeed, presenting a panoply of voices and identities in its inner city suburbs. But also it’s fierce commitment to exploring the mental health of a troubled man trying to negotiate his way through this community.
Louisa herself is a British-Nigerian who was raised in south-London, but has lived all over the world. She’s led creative workshops for Africa Writers at the British Library, and served as a trustee for the Pelican Post. This novel is her first and was longlisted for the Pat Kavanagh Prize for Writing Excellence, and supported by an Arts Council Grant.
Please note that today’s episode features discussions of schizophrenia and mental health
Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages Patreon and become a Page Rippler!https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi
Buy all the books here!:https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/louisa-bello-reading-list?&new-list-page=true&bkshp-astro=t
Chapters1.30 Living in Ecuador 2.27 - leave a five star review2.58 - A story based on a friend’s experience of schizophrenia 6.10 - Diverse London community8.35 - an agent, a publisher, and a pub13.50 - Sam’s trauma and loneliness 22.30 - How Louisa researched voice hearing29.15 - Other London writers and trauma34.45 - Louisa’s next novelReference Points
Films- Crazywise (2016: Phil Borges and Kevin Tomlinson)
Books- Bernadine Evaristo - Carl Jung- Mel Robbins- Zadie Smith - White Teeth
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