Storyshaped

Annnnnd here you go! Part Two of our long-awaited* Questions and Answers episode, where we tackle some of the fiendishly difficult queries sent in by listeners, including: 'Were you introduced to any new authors in doing the podcast?' (SPOILER: yes!), 'Should stories for children always end with hope?' (SPOILER: no spoilers 'ere, you've got to listen), and 'what are your predictions for the next 5 years?' (SPOILER: *spooky music*)These episodes were so much fun to record and release, and we hope you enjoy the window into our podcast's production and planning (haphazard, at best), and that you get a sense of the magic that makes it work. Enjoy! And we're back next week with a brilliant author interview - don't miss it!*I mean, chances are SOMEONE was waiting for it...

We're nothing if not PROFESSIONAL and TIMELY around here... Oh, yes! *cough*Yeah, all right. So, on occasion, we do slip up a bit with the whole 'organisational skills' stuff. Here we have Part 1 of a 2-part episode, in which we attempt to answer the fiendishly tricky questions sent in by listeners. The fact that these questions were sent in so long ago that neither of us can remember exactly when? Psssshaw. Surely irrelevant. (But seriously: thanks to the listeners who sent in these questions, not just for the questions themselves, but for their patience in waiting for the answers!)We tackle things like: what we've learned since becoming podcasters and what we wish we'd known before we started (spoiler: LOADS); books we'd recommend from the past three years (spoiler: ALSO LOADS); whether our definitions of 'Storyshaped' have changed since we started podcasting (spoiler: A BIT), and loads more. There'll be part 2 of this episode next week, and then after that we'll be back into the guest interviews (and spoiler: they're AMAZING). For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy our Q and A episode: Part 1!

Get settled into your favourite chair, a glass of whatever pleases you in hand, and come with us on a journey through Joan Aiken's tiny masterpiece, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. In it, we discuss not only Aiken's book, but also make mention of The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, and lots of other snowy, wintry children's stories.This year, 2024, marks Joan Aiken's centenary - she would have turned 100 years old in September - so it's doubly appropriate that we salute the end of the year with a trip through one of her best loved books. Have you got your ice-skates on? Let's go - and watch out for the wooooooooooooolves....

Today's episode is a chat with the brilliant Cariad Lloyd - podcaster extraordinaire (make sure to check out her award-winning and brilliant shows Sara and Cariad's Weirdos Book Club and Griefcast), actress and improv genius, parent, comedian, and author. We were delighted to have her join us on Storyshaped for a heartfelt and hilarious discussion about the stories which have shaped her throughout her remarkable life. Get settled... grab a cup of something delicious... and enjoy!Books mentioned in this week's episode include Cariad's own:You Are Not AloneThe Christmas Wish-TastropheAnd the books which shaped her include:The Moomins series by Tove JanssonThe Harry Potter series by JK RowlingThe Redwall series by Brian JacquesThe work of Judy BlumeThe Brambly Hedge books by Jill BarklemThe Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid BanksThe work of Anne FineThe Lord of the Rings by JRR TolkienThe Collected Work of the Brothers GrimmShogun by James ClavellThe Asterix comics by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, Jean-Yves Ferri, Didier ConradThe Tin-Tin comics by HergéBallet Shoes by Noel StreatfeildThe work of Terry Pratchett, including Carpet People, Diggers, and TruckersMansfield Park by Jane AustenThe Grimwood series by Nadia ShireenBilly and the Pirates by Nadia ShireenClarice Bean by Lauren ChildThe work of John BurninghamOn-screen stories include:Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1995)Some Like it Hot (1959)The Ricki Lake Show (1993 - 2004)Neighbours (1985 - present)The Simpsons (1989 - present)And... the Stephanie Burgis books Sinéad mentions are: A Most Improper Magick (Bk 1); A Tangle of Magicks (Bk 2); A Reckless Magick (Bk 3), available via Piccadilly Press or your fave bookseller! More information is available here: stephanieburgis.comOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

In this S2 Finale episode, we are delighted to bring you an interview with an author who, we feel, wholly embodies the Storyshaped ethos - the brilliant SF Said. SF's writing is immersive, absorbing, mind-expanding, and thrilling, crafted with care and passion; truly, the best sort of writing, which also happens to be for children (though, as SF says, 'children's literature includes children, but excludes no-one'). We're delighted to get a chance to sit down with SF, whose thoughts on the power and value of children's literature, the importance of making stories available to all children, and the profound impact that stories have on the minds, hearts, and lives of those who consume them, are truly worth hearing - so come and spend an hour with us!And a quick housekeeping announcement from your hosts:We'll return in a wee while with a special bonus Q&A episode, where we'll answer some brilliant questions sent in by listeners, and after that we'll be taking a hiatus from Storyshaped while we sort out one or two pesky things (like life, family, and work!) But rest assured, Storyshapers: we, like the Terminator, will be back. Thank you all for listening, rating, reviewing, sharing, and sitting down with us over the past two seasons, while we've asked a variety of excellent people: Are you Storyshaped? We can't wait to get back to it, just as soon as we can. While you're waiting for our return: please help yourselves to our back catalogue and any bonus episodes we release, and do continue sharing, rating, and reviewing the show, as it really does help us to keep producing it for you.But for now: have some fantastic Storyshaped chat with the brilliant SF Said.Books mentioned in this week's episode include SF's own:Varjak PawThe Outlaw Varjak PawPhoenixTyger (all published by David Fickling Books)And the stories which shaped him include:The Cat in the Hat, by Dr SeussThe Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryOn Liberty, by John Stuart MillThe work of William BlakeComics, including:MarvelAsterixTintinPeanutsMad MagazineCalvin & HobbesWatership Down, by Richard AdamsThe Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and various artists (incl. Dave McKean)Cages, written and illustrated by Dave McKeanA Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K Le GuinHis Dark Materials, by Philip PullmanNoughts and Crosses, by Malorie BlackmanSkellig, by David AlmondJourney Back to Freedom, by Catherine JohnsonThe Essays of C.S. LewisThe Letters of JRR TolkienThe work of George MacDonald, including The Princess and the GoblinThe work of William MorrisThe work of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957)Film and TV:Star WarsStar TrekOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

We had a fascinating chat with the amazing Ann Sei Lin this week on the podcast, where we got an insight into the stories that have been shaping her since her earliest days. Ann's fantastic debut, Rebel Skies, is an amazing story about what makes a human, all told through the fabulous surrounds of a Japanese-folklore inspired fantasy world complete with skyships, dragons, and living origami. It's a truly memorable debut and we were so pleased to get a chance to discuss it with Ann, and to find out more about the stories that helped her to become an author and create such a rich, immersive story world. We hope you're not afraid of heights...Books mentioned this week include Ann's own:Rebel Skies (Walker Books)Rebel Fire (Walker Books)And the stories which have shaped her include:The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk KiddThe Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston LerouxThe work of JRR TolkienThe work of Terry PratchettThe work of Robin HobbThe work of Robert JordanThe work of Julie KagawaThe Twelve Kingdoms (manga), by Fuyumi OnoHis Dark Materials, by Philip PullmanOrihima and Hikoboshi - a Japanese folktaleThe Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterImmortal Rain (manga), by Kaori OzakiThe Shadow Skye trilogy, by Joseph ElliottLonely Castle in the Mirror, by Mizuki TsujimuraYellowface, by RF KuangBabel, by RF KuangSixteen Souls, by Rosie TalbotCatfish Rolling, by Clara KumagaiOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Susan had the chance to sit down with brilliant debut author Alice Ross this week, where they discussed Alice's novel The Nowhere Thief and Alice's journey to becoming an author, as well as SO MANY wonderful books and stories which shaped her into the author she is today. Alice is as big a fan of Diana Wynne Jones as we are here on the podcast, but as well as the work of the incomparable DWJ, there are loads of other fantastic stories mentioned here - each one a portal to an amazing world of story. Strap in, and join us as we get Storyshaped!Books mentioned in this week's episode include Alice's own:The Nowhere Thief (Nosy Crow)And the books and stories which shaped her include:The Mr Men books, by Roger HargreavesThe work of CS LewisThe work of Roald DahlThe work of Laura Ingalls WilderRamona and Beezus, by Beverly ClearyMalory Towers, by Enid BlytonGobbolino the Witch's Cat, by Ursula Moray WilliamsCharmed Life, by Diana Wynne JonesThe Lives of Christopher Chant, by Diana Wynne JonesThe Magician's Nephew, by CS LewisThe Homeward Bounders, by Diana Wynne JonesHidden Turnings, ed. Diana Wynne Jones(inc. The Walled Garden, by Lisa Tuttle)Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philippa PearceFire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne JonesReflections: On the Magic of Writing, by Diana Wynne JonesHowl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne JonesThe work of Holly JacksonOne of Us Is Lying, by Karen McManusThis Book Kills, by Ravena GuronThe Thief of Farrowfell, by Ravena GuronThe work of Anne RiceLockwood and Co., by Jonathan StroudThe work of Stephen KingOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

We had the *most* fun this week sitting down with one of the Queens of Children's Historical Fiction (that's her official title, right), Ally Sherrick! We chat all things writing and story, including how much research Ally's rich, immersive novels take; where her love of history came from; what historical period she hasn't written about (yet), and what might be coming next from her talented pen. This episode was a wonder. Ally is a generous, inspirational, fascinating and truly wonderful podcast guest, and we hope you'll enjoy listening to our chat as much as we enjoyed recording it. Now! Let's get Storyshaped.Find Ally online at her websiteBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Ally's own (all published by Chicken House):Black PowderThe Buried CrownThe Queen's FoolVita and the GladiatorsAnd the stories that shaped her include:Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne and E.H. ShepardMy Naughty Little Sister, by Dorothy Edwards and Shirley HughesCharlie and Fred - stories made up by Ally's (wonderful) dad!Just-So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling, especially The Elephant's ChildThe Highwayman, by Alfred NoyesLe Petit Prince, by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThe Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan AikenBlack Hearts in Battersea, by Joan AikenNightbirds on Nantucket, by Joan AikenA Small Pinch of Weather, by Joan AikenA Necklace of Raindrops, by Joan AikenA Traveller in Time, by Alison UttleyThe Ghost of Thomas Kempe, by Penelope LivelyCarrie's War, by Nina BawdenThe Wake, by Paul KingsnorthThe Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary SutcliffOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ieIn the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.