Storyshaped

We have the splendid pleasure of speaking with Sharon Gosling this week on the podcast - yes, only the author of one of our absolute favourite books of 2022, The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott! The stories that shaped Sharon are wide-ranging and exciting, and our chat with her was fun, informative, and full of brilliant books. Come along with us as we take a walk through Sharon's Storyshaped life, and who knows? You might find she's Storyshaped in just the same way as you.Books mentioned in this episode include some of Sharon's own:The Diamond Thief, winner of the Redbridge Children’s Book Award 2014The Ruby Airship The Sapphire CutlassThe Golden ButterflyHouse of Hidden WondersThe Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott. Her adult books have included The House Beneath the Cliffs and The Lighthouse BookshopAnd the stories that shaped her include:Little Grey Rabbit, by Alison UttleyMeg and Mog, by Helen Nicoll and Jan PienkowskiBoys' Best Adventures (any books that helped you to survive in the wild)The Circus of Adventure, by Enid BlytonAmazon Adventure, by Willard PriceBeaver Towers, by Nigel HintonWhen Marnie Was There, by Joan RobinsonThe Girl Who Ran Away, by Joan RobinsonThe Flight of the Doves, by Walter MackenTrixie Belden series, by Julie Campbell Tathem and othersThe Hardy Boys, by Franklin W. Dixon (collective pen-name)Little Women, by Louisa May AlcottThe Animals of Farthing Wood, by Colin DannTwenty-Five Years in the Word Mines, by Graham JoyceWhy Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette WintersonThe novels of Terry PratchettBabel, by R.F. KuangThe British Library collections of short storiesThe novels and short stories of Shirley JacksonThe work of Kelly LinkHag, edited by Carolyne LarringtonFolk, by Zoe GilbertParnassus on Wheels, by Christopher MorleyA Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories, by Joan AikenThe Faithless Lollybird, by Joan AikenOur 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.

Today's guest is the BRILLIANT M.G. Leonard, author of some of the best books for young children available today. Her books have been personally inspirational to us, and M.G. herself is such a fount of inspiration, wisdom, and compassion - her insights into writing, the importance of stories, and how she used her own story to reshape her own life, is a must-listen. Come and join us, and find out how M.G. Leonard is Storyshaped.Books mentioned in this week's episode include M.G.'s own:Beetle BoyBeetle QueenThe Battle of the BeetlesThe Beetle Collectors' Handbook (non-fiction)The Tale of a ToothbrushThe Highland Falcon Thief (with Sam Sedgman)Kidnap on the California Comet (with Sam Sedgman)Murder on the Safari Star (with Sam Sedgman)Danger at Dead Man's Pass (with Sam Sedgman)Sabotage on the Solar Express (with Sam Sedgman)The Arctic Railway Assassin (with Sam Sedgman)TwitchSparkThe Ice ChildrenThe stories which shaped her include:Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret GardenRoald Dahl, The TwitsThe Work of Enid BlytonAstrid Lindgren, Pippi LongstockingWilliam Shakespeare, MacbethE.L. Grant Watson, What to Look for in Autumn (Ladybird Book)Elise Rousseau and Phillipe J. Dubois, A Short Philosophy of BirdsOur 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.

This week, Susan and Sinéad are welcoming two authors for the price of one - sisters Katharine and Liz Corr are here to tell us all about their marvellous books and also the stories that shaped their lives. Come with us as we talk about the shaping power of the stories of Star Trek, the power of historical fiction and classical heroes (and anti-heroes), the wonder of Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising, and how significant are the stories we're told about our family and our history. We also discuss the importance of feisty heroines, and how much they owe to Anne-with-an-E Shirley. Let's get Storyshaped!Among the books mentioned this week are Katharine and Liz's own:The Witch's KissThe Witch's TearsThe Witch's BloodA Throne of SwansA Crown of TalonsDaughter of DarknessQueen of Gods (forthcoming 2023)And the stories that shaped them include:The Peter and Jane Ladybird Reading Scheme books, written by William Murray and illustrated by Robert AytonThe Hobbit, by JRR TolkienThe Pied Piper of Hamelin, written by Robert Browning and illustrated by Kate GreenawayThe Water Babies, by Charles KingsleyThe Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. LewisThe Dark is Rising, by Susan CooperThe Grey King, by Susan CooperThe novels of Isaac AsimovPride and Prejudice, by Jane AustenLord of the Rings, by JRR TolkienThe Gormenghast Trilogy, by Mervyn PeakeGods, Men and Monsters by Michael Gibson and Giovanni CaselliThe myth of PerseusMythologica, by Stephen Kershaw and illustrated by Victoria Topping (erroneously referred to as 'Mythipedia' in the episode!)Twilight, by Stephenie MeyerThe novels of Terry PratchettOur 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.