{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/6a46a7672d7a15a97937ad1f?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Jo Spain on Never to Be Found, Jōhatsu & the Japanese Art of Vanishing","description":"<p>Philippa sits down with the brilliant <strong>Jo Spain</strong> — 13 bestselling thrillers already published, translated into 17 languages, TV writer and producer — to talk about her extraordinary new novel <em>Never to Be Found</em>, which sparked a bidding war from some of the biggest names in television before it was even published.</p><p><strong>🎙️ Jo Spain on Never to Be Found</strong></p><p>In Japan, up to 100,000 people every year voluntarily evaporate from their lives — a phenomenon known as <em>jōhatsu</em>. Entire industries exist to help them do it, providing new identities, documents, and a clean start. Veronica Paige has brought this concept to Britain, running a business disappearing people — until she discovers she's helped a murderer vanish.</p><p>Jo and Philippa discuss:</p><ul><li>How a lunchtime article led to the entire concept of the book — and why Jo raced to write it before anyone else could</li><li>The once-in-a-career bidding war: Sam Mendes' production company, Amazon MGM, and <em>The Walking Dead</em>showrunner Angela Kang all in pursuit of the same book</li><li>Why Jo always writes books for the love of them and scripts for the money — and why those two things are entirely separate</li><li>The three categories people fall into when they hear about jōhatsu: those who want to vanish, those horrified by abandonment, and those who think they'd be brilliant at making people disappear</li><li>How Veronica justifies what she does — and the moral question at the heart of the book</li><li>Why layers matter more than first drafts, and what it looks like from the outside when Jo is deep in the editing stage</li><li>Her dream writing location: the coast path between Moville and Greencastle in Donegal — where the Wi-Fi barely works and the day takes its time</li><li>Her nightmare: a writer's room, surrounded by other writers, expected to create on demand</li><li>The pressure of reader expectations for twists — and why she's made peace with the fact that she can't please everyone</li><li>BookTok: how she joined to keep an eye on her children and ended up addicted, embarrassing them daily, and discovering her last three books there</li><li>What she's reading: <em>The Calamity Club</em> by Kathryn Stockett, the latest Jane Harper, and <em>London Falling</em> by Patrick Radden Keefe</li></ul><p><strong>Biscuit answer:</strong> A committed biscuit addict who has written an entire novel powered by ginger nuts. Current favourite: shortcake with sultanas, dunked, and firmly classified as healthy eating.</p><p>💬 <strong>Get in touch</strong></p><p>Quick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | <a href=\"mailto:quickbookreviews@outlook.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">quickbookreviews@outlook.com</a></p><p><em>Quick Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers.</em></p>","author_name":"Philippa Hall"}