The Wandering Book Collector

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, longing and belonging, and home.

In this second edition, I speak with writer and journalist Bernardine Evaristo discussing her latest book Manifesto: On Never Giving Up, as well as looking back to her body of work, particularly Lara, a semi-autobiographical novel in verse, and her Booker-winning Girl, Woman, Other.

Also note, in 2021 Bernardine curated a new series called Black Britain: Writing Back (Penguin) of lost or hard-to-find books, now rediscovered, by black writers who wrote about black Britain and the diaspora across the last century. Check them out -- and consider supporting your local bookshop.

The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporters of this podcast:

Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.

TUMI — Creating world-class business, travel and performance luxury essentials.

Ultimate Library — Creating bespoke book collections to educate and inspire.

This edition was recorded in Singapore's performing arts centre Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, then I’d love you to leave a rating or a review.

To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice.

For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where’s next, and who’s up next, I’m across socials @michellejchan. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’ve missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power, they’re all gripping.

Thank you for listening!

All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home.

In this edition, I speak with the travel writer and biographer Sara Wheeler to discuss her book — Mud and Stars: Travels in Russia with Pushkin and Other Geniuses of the Golden Age. Among Sara’s body of work are O My America!: Six Women and their Second Acts in a New World, and books on the polar regions: The Magnetic North on the Arctic, and Terra Incognita on Antarctica. Her book Access All Areas is selected writings across two decades.

Please consider supporting your local bookshop.

The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporters of this podcast:

Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.

TUMI — Creating world-class business, travel and performance luxury essentials.

Ultimate Library — Creating bespoke book collections to educate and inspire.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love you to leave a rating or a review. To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice. Thank you for listening! For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where’s next, and who’s up next, I’m across socials @michellejchan. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’ve missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Bernardine Evaristo to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power to Maaza Mengiste to Kapka Kassabova.

All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home.

In this edition, I speak with the writer Mona Arshi to discuss her debut novel: Somebody Loves You, a coming-of-age story about a British girl, born to Indian parents, growing up in the suburbs of London. Mona’s novel follows a body of work in poetry, including Dear Big Gods, and before that Small Hands, which won the Forward Prize for best first collection.

Please consider supporting your local bookshop.

The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporter of this podcast:

Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love you to leave a rating or a review. To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice. Thank you for listening! For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where’s next, and who’s up next, I’m across socials @michellejchan. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’ve missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Bernardine Evaristo to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power to Maaza Mengiste to Kapka Kassabova to Sara Wheeler to Brigid Delaney to Horatio Clare to Rebecca Mead to Preti Taneja to Kathryn D. Sullivan to Emmanuel Jal to Jennifer Steil to Winnie M Li.

All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home.

In this edition, I speak with the writer Ariana Neumann to discuss her book, When Time Stopped: A memoir of my father’s war and what remains. It documents Ariana’s journey to discovering her family’s Jewish roots and their efforts to survive World War II in their homeland of Czechoslovakia, yet as so many were transported and murdered by the Nazis.

Please consider supporting your local bookshop.

The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporter of this podcast:

Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love you to leave a rating or a review. To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice. Thank you for listening! For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where’s next, and who’s up next, I’m across socials @michellejchan. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’ve missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Bernardine Evaristo to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power to Maaza Mengiste to Kapka Kassabova to Sara Wheeler to Brigid Delaney to Horatio Clare to Rebecca Mead to Preti Taneja to Kathryn D. Sullivan to Emmanuel Jal to Jennifer Steil to Winnie M Li to Mona Arshi to Tim Mackintosh-Smith to Karen Joy Fowler and Shannon Leone Fowler.

All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the travel/literary podcast The Wandering Book Collector with host Michelle Jana Chan. This is a series of conversations with writers exploring what's informed their books and their lives around themes of movement, memory, sense of place, borders, identity, belonging and home.

In this edition, I speak with the writer Anthony Sattin to discuss his book, NOMADS: The Wanderers Who Shaped Our World. It documents the history of people who’ve lived their lives on the move, beyond walls and beyond borders — exploring how and how much nomads have contributed to human progress and development.

Please consider supporting your local bookshop.

The Wandering Book Collector would like to thank the supporter of this podcast:

Abercrombie & Kent — Creating unique, meticulously planned journeys into hard-to-reach wildernesses and cultures.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love you to leave a rating or a review. To learn about future editions, please subscribe or hit “follow” on your podcast app of choice. Thank you for listening! For more on the podcast, book recs, what books to pack for where’s next, and who’s up next, I’m across socials @michellejchan. I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’ve missed any, do catch up. From Janine di Giovanni to Bernardine Evaristo to Afua Hirsch to Carla Power to Maaza Mengiste to Kapka Kassabova to Sara Wheeler to Brigid Delaney to Horatio Clare to Rebecca Mead to Preti Taneja to Kathryn D. Sullivan to Emmanuel Jal to Jennifer Steil to Winnie M Li to Mona Arshi to Tim Mackintosh-Smith to Karen Joy Fowler and Shannon Leone Fowler to Ariana Neumann.

All credit for sound effects goes to the artists and founders of Freesound.org and Zapsplat.com. All credit for music goes to the artists and founders of Soundstripe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.