<b>Every book has two stories: the one it tells, and the one it hides.<br></b><br>The Secret Life of Books is a fascinating, addictive, often shocking, occasionally hilarious weekly podcast starring Sophie Gee, an English professor at Princeton University, and Jonty Claypole, formerly director of arts at the BBC. <br>Every week these virtuoso critics and close friends take an iconic book and reveal the hidden story behind the story: who made it, their clandestine motives, the undeclared stakes, the scandalous backstory and above all the secret, mysterious meanings of books we thought we knew.<br><br>-- To join the Secret Life of Books Club visit: www.secretlifeofbooks.org<br>-- Please support us on Patreon to keep the lights on in the SLoB studio: https://patreon.com/SecretLifeofBooks528?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink<br><br>insta: https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast/<br>youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretlifeofbookspodcast/shorts<br><br><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Secret Life of Books
Claim This PodcastHosted by Jonty, Sophie
Published by Sophie Gee and Jonty Claypole
Podcast Authority
Beta
Podcast Overview
<b>Every book has two stories: the one it tells, and the one it hides.<br></b><br>The Secret Life of Books is a fascinating, addictive, often shocking, occasionally hilarious weekly podcast starring Sophie Gee, an English professor at Princeton University, and Jonty Claypole, formerly director of arts at the BBC. <br>Every week these virtuoso critics and close friends take an iconic book and reveal the hidden story behind the story: who made it, their clandestine motives, the undeclared stakes, the scandalous backstory and above all the secret, mysterious meanings of books we thought we knew.<br><br>-- To join the Secret Life of Books Club visit: www.secretlifeofbooks.org<br>-- Please support us on Patreon to keep the lights on in the SLoB studio: https://patreon.com/SecretLifeofBooks528?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink<br><br>insta: https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast/<br>youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretlifeofbookspodcast/shorts<br><br><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/21/2024
Unlock The Full Podcast Authority Score Report
See how your podcast performs across key metrics
Podcast Authority
BetaRecommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Unlock comprehensive insights including:
- • YouTube presence analysis
- • Social media reach metrics
- • RSS compliance scoring
- • Podcast 2.0 features
- • Technical standards
Detailed Analytics
- Complete breakdown of all 19 authority metrics
- Personalized recommendations for each metric
- Industry benchmarks and comparisons
- Technical RSS feed analysis and compliance scoring
Growth Strategies
- Step-by-step action plans for improvement
- Quick wins to boost your score immediately
- Pro tips from successful podcasters
See how your show performs across every key metric
High authority scores make your podcast more attractive to industry leaders and influencers who want to appear on credible shows.
Sponsors look for podcasts with proven authority and engagement. Your score demonstrates your podcast's value to potential partners.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses helps you make data-driven decisions to expand your listener base effectively.
1 verified contact email on file for Secret Life of Books
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
September 22, 2026
Secret Life of the River Thames
Hosts Sophie and Jonty explore the River Thames' profound influence on classic London literature, revealing its role as a central artery for countless writers.
September 18, 2026
Secret Life of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Host Sophie and guest Jonty explore how literary classics inspired the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's impactful artistic movement.
September 15, 2026
Secret Life of the British Museum
Hosts Sophie and Jonty explore the British Museum's controversial history and its impact on English literature, interviewing experts on its contested artifacts.
154 total episodes available with 141 transcripts
Recent guests on Secret Life of Books
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Maggie O'Farrell
Guest
Ben Alderson-Day
Guest
Charlotte Higgins
Guest
Emily Wilson
Guest
Pasquale Toscano
Guest
Mary Beard
Guest
Inside a recent episode
A glimpse into Secret Life of Books — read a snippet, or sign up to download the full transcript.
From the episode
Secret Life of the River Thames
Published · Transcript excerpt
[…] I swam once under that bridge. Had you been drinking? No. It's a long story but I was making a documentary with some divers and they told me it was very clean and we all went in for a swim. Oh, lovely. So thanks for the jog. I'll do a little bit of history. Yeah, please do. So nobody knows where the word Thames comes from. Yep. There are many theories. There are many theories. It's linked to words and other Indo-European languages and It often turns up in other languages. Sounds like Thames often mean dark or muddy. So it's thought that it probably just means sort of muddy river or dark river. […]
Deep-dive analytics for Secret Life of Books
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Secret Life of Books ?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Where this data comes from
Each source has its own observation date. These dates do not mean all data was checked at once.
- RSS feed
- Last successful check: . Refresh timing varies with show activity.
- Apple Podcasts ratings (US)
- Snapshot recorded: . Collected periodically from the US storefront.
- Spotify ratings
- Snapshot recorded: Date unavailable. Collected periodically; platform observation dates may differ.
- Transcript
- Generated: . Generated for processed episodes; availability varies.
- Advertiser analysis
- Analyzed: . Extracted from episode descriptions when analyzed.
Transcript and advertiser dates refer only to “Secret Life of the River Thames”, published . They are not dates for the whole catalog.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.