Career advice you can’t get anywhere else. Deep-dive interviews deconstructing work, writing, & success with the women leading our cultural landscape.
“I find it as I go along”: Molly Aitken on her career as a writer
I could tell, as soon as I encountered Molly’s work for the first time, that I’d just discovered a new favourite writer.
I can’t remember the last time I raced through a book as quickly as I did Bright I Burn—her latest novel—nor the last time I was so eager to read a book that hadn’t even been finished yet (Molly’s current work-in-progress). It was a true joy to have had such a moving exchange.
—
IN THIS EPISODE, you’ll learn... 👇
Why the right idea can sometimes take years to produce
What it’s like being edited by the iconic New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman
Why she stopped writing (and how she returned to it)
The framework that changed her approach to social media
How to keep your creative well from running dry
... and so much more!
—
Molly Aitken is the author of the Irish bestseller Bright I Burn, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Prize. Her first novel is The Island Child. Molly’s short fiction has been published in The New Yorkerand Ploughshares. Molly is completing a PhD in Creative Writing and History.
You can follow Molly at @molly.aitken (https://www.instagram.com/molly.aitken) and order Bright I Burn here (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623545/bright-i-burn-by-molly-aitken).
——
Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe
14 Oct 2026
“I’m leaning into that”: The Postscript
Each month, between interviews, I hop on the mic to share a new episode of The Postscript: a Women of Letters segment featuring a life update from me + a behind-the-scenes look at my conversations with our recent guests—in this episode, Tajja Isen, Erika Burke Rossa, and Kerry Docherty.
IN THIS EPISODE, I talk about... 👇
The late feminist icons Gloria Steinem and Dolly Parton
The version of success I’m now prioritizing in my plans for the future
How to reset your days around an anchor point
Why I feel like less of an outsider in Croatia now
My review of Ann Patchett’s Whistler
.. & so much more!
The namesake WOMAN OF LETTERS hat is here. Designed in-house, with worldwide shipping. Make it yours: womenof.co/products/namesake-hat (https://womenof.co/products/namesake-hat). 🛍️
—
Jana M. Perkins, PhD, M.Sc (http://M.Sc)., M.A., is an award-winning scholar and the director of Women of Letters. Her research has garnered over a quarter of a million dollars in funding from leading institutions across North America and the UK, including the University of Cambridge and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). As an academically trained data scientist with a background in classical literary scholarship, her expertise extends across disciplines to yield the unique analytical frameworks which characterize her approach. Her forthcoming first book (https://janajm.com/deep-literacy-digital-time), co-authored with Miranda Brun Hickman, will be published by Routledge.
Visit her online at janajm.com (http://janajm.com) or @janajm (https://www.instagram.com/janajm) on Instagram.
——
Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe
2 Sept 2026
“I’m never going to forget that”: The Postscript
Each month, between interviews, I hop on the mic to share a new episode of The Postscript: a Women of Letters segment featuring a life update from me + a behind-the-scenes look at my conversations with our recent guests—in this episode, Helen Betya Rubinstein, Stefanie O’Connell, and Téa Obreht.
IN THIS EPISODE, I talk about... 👇
Officially launching the Women of Letters merch collection (and what it took to develop)
How Croatians think about vacation
Why I can’t recommend AOC’s immensely empowering series on egg-freezing highly enough
One of my favourite acts of micro-feminism + how I use it
The advice I always give on how to maximize inbound opportunities
Life on the road
.. & so much more!
The namesake WOMAN OF LETTERS hat is here. Designed in-house, with worldwide shipping. Make it yours: womenof.co/products/namesake-hat (https://womenof.co/products/namesake-hat). 🛍️
—
Jana M. Perkins, PhD, M.Sc (http://M.Sc)., M.A., is an award-winning scholar and the director of Women of Letters. Her research has garnered over a quarter of a million dollars in funding from leading institutions across North America and the UK, including the University of Cambridge and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). As an academically trained data scientist with a background in classical literary scholarship, her expertise extends across disciplines to yield the unique analytical frameworks which characterize her approach. Her forthcoming first book (https://janajm.com/deep-literacy-digital-time), co-authored with Miranda Brun Hickman, will be published by Routledge.
Visit her online at janajm.com (http://janajm.com) or @janajm (https://www.instagram.com/janajm) on Instagram.
——
Song: “Walk Through the Park,” by TrackTribe
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 7 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
13
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Women of Letters
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Women of Letters?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
