In the first decades of the 20th Century, a growth in literacy and the availability of paperback and hardback books created a culture of mass participation on literary reading that was unprecedented. Nicola Wilson's new book Recommended, a history of the Book Society, tells the story of Hugh Walpole, JB Priestley and Cecil Day Lewis amongst others and how they created the first mass book club which sent monthly recommendations to lower middle class and working class readers. Here we hear from Nicola and explore the era of mass literary culture and also the pushback from more elitist cultural gatekeepers and literary critics. A must listen for anyone interested in Britain's social and cultural modern history.
I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:
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