The Writers' Cafe

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week, we’re joined by the brilliant, hilarious and empowering Stephanie Yeboah to chat about her second (fictional) novel, Doing It for the Plot — a laugh-out-loud romcom about Cassie, who’s sworn off men with podcasts, men with more followers than her, and men who are ‘in between jobs,’ only to sign up to an app for hiring escorts… as a laugh – only to find herself falling for the man on the other side of the arrangement.Stephanie is a multi-award-winning content creator, and one of the UK’s most influential body-positivity voices! Join us as we get into the realities of London’s abysmal dating scene, being plus-size in a world that doesn’t always make space for you, parentified eldest daughters, friendship, catfish tales, dating icks, green flags and so much more.Expect plenty of laughs, honest conversations and a few dating horror stories along the way!If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Steph's work can be purchased with us here:Doing It For The Plot: Chaotic Energy: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/chaotic-energy-by-stephanie-yeboah/

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week's visitor to the cafe is the wondeful Shannon Sanders! Shannon is an award-winning American author and an attorney, whose debut novel, The Great Wherever, follows a woman who inherits her late father's share of a haunted Tennessee farm. It is a multigenerational family saga narrated in part by the family's own ghosts. Shannon is also the author of the linked story collection Company, which won the 2024 LA Times Book Prizes' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize. Join us as we discuss all things family legacy, gentrification, storytelling, and the ghosts--literal and otherwise--that never quite let go.Denise's Bookseller review: “Wow! I was completely invested in every character from start to finish! This is a wonderful, wry family saga about Aubrey Lamb, a directionless 30-something-year-old who's just lost her father and her relationship in the same breath - and then inherits his stake in a Tennessee farm tangled up in old secrets. The twist is that the story is narrated in part by the family's ancestors, who linger on the land watching, gossiping, and correcting the record. Sanders grounds the novel with genuinely complex, funny and flawed characters, and it makes readers think about just how true it is that storytelling is a form of immortality. Moving between generations and time periods, it's ultimately a book about grief, inheritance, and how we come to understand ourselves through family we didn't choose. I laughed, I cried, and devoured this book in a single sitting!!"If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Shannon's work can be purchased with us here:The Great Wherever: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/the-great-wherever-by-shannon-sanders/Company: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/company-by-shannon-sanders/

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week's visitor to the cafe is the incredibly insightful Robin Givhan! Robin is Pulitzer Prize winning fashion and culture critic, best known for her work at The Washington Post. Her new book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh, is the first major biography of the late designer - tracing his rise from Rockford, Illinois to becoming the first Black artistic director at Louis Vuitton, and situating his story within a broader reckoning over race, taste, and exclusivity in the fashion industry. Join us as we discuss who gets to define culture; the role of social media in shaping fashion; sneaker culture; legacy; and the designers who paved the way before Virgil!Denise's Bookseller Review: "This is an incredibly insightful read, mapping out the tremendous waves Virgil Abloh--the first Black designer to serve as artistic director at Louis Vuitton--made in the fashion industry, while also giving kudos to those who came before him. I loved how much Robin's writing shines with the admiration so many felt for Abloh. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this; it makes discourse around the fashion industry feel really accessible, while still offering plenty to think about. I was particularly interested in the section exploring the impact of sneaker culture amongst men, and the misogyny that exists even within sneakerland--a subculture that has often felt far less accessible to women. A fascinating and thoughtful read!" If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Robin's work can be purchased with us here:Make It Ours: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/make-it-ours-crashing-the-gates-of-culture-with-virgil-abloh-by-robin-givhan/

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week's visitor to the cafe is the hilarious and loving Jessica George! We were absolutely overjoyed and excited to have Jess with us for an evening event wherein we discussed her novel: Love by the Book!Bookseller Review: "I don’t believe in reserving romance for romantic relationships.” Jessica George’s books always seem to find me when I need them most! An endearing ode to the intimacy of true, female friendship; an ode to growing up, apart, and together again; an ode to all of life’s bumps and curves; to feminism, to women’s rights to stand firm in decisions pertaining to our bodies. Love by the Book is an endearing, chaotic novel with many twists. It’s as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking, and explores the ways our friends help us discover our own previously unexplored depths.George delves into the complexities of female friendships — from stumbling on shaky legs when attempting to form friendships in adulthood, to friendship breakups and makeups. I loved everything about this book, I couldn’t put it down once I started! The characters are so real to me, they burst with life, humour and beauty! I was rooting for them every step of the way!" - Denise.If you like the sound of this live event, then more information can be found on our website, featuring all of our immensely exciting events coming up: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/events/Signing up to our mailing list is a great way to ensure you never miss out on the great writers coming through our doors: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/join-our-mailing-list/If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Jessica's work can be purchased with us here:Love by the Book: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/love-by-the-book-by-jessica-george/Maame: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/my-name-is-maame-by-jessica-george/

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week's visitor to the cafe is the wonderfully wise Virginia Evans! We were absolutely thrilled to have Virginia with us for an evening event wherein we discussed her Women's Prize shortlisted novel: The Correspondent! Bookseller Review: "I loved this book SO much! I genuinely did cry! Unbelievable that it's a debut. A portrait of a woman, and a life, so cleverly, sensitively, beautifully done. Give this book to friends! Enjoy it for yourself! A wonderful book." - Fleur.If you like the sound of this live event, then more information can be found on our website, featuring all of our immensely exciting events coming up: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/events/Signing up to our mailing list is a great way to ensure you never miss out on the great writers coming through our doors: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/join-our-mailing-list/If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Virginia's work can be purchased with us here:The Correspondent: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/Women's Prize Shortlist 2026 Bundle - 15% Off Total Price:https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/womens-prize-shortlist-2026-bundle-15-off-total-price/

Welcome to Season 3 of The Writers' Cafe! Brought to you from the award-winning indie, Sevenoaks Bookshop!This week's visitor to the cafe is the delightful Tina Andrews! We were absolutely overjoyed to have Tina with us for a lunchtime event wherein she discussed her latest novel: Queen Charlotte Sophia: A Royal Affair! If you like the sound of this live event, then more information can be found on our website, featuring all of our immensely exciting events coming up: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/events/Signing up to our mailing list is a great way to ensure you never miss out on the great writers coming through our doors: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/join-our-mailing-list/If you are new to The Writer's Cafe pod: Inspired by our own in-shop cafe of the same name and the conversations about books, life, literature, and so much more every single day - as well as the literary salons of old where gossip thrived - this podcast seeks to highlight and celebrate the best writers and voices every episode with a warm, detailed conversation about their work and craft.Tina's work can be purchased with us here:Queen Charlotte Sophia: https://sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/queen-charlotte-sophia-a-royal-affair-by-tina-andrews/