LBF podcast line-up unveiled

The London Book Fair (LBF) has unveiled its 2020 live podcast programme, featuring authors including David Mitchell, Lynda La Plante, Cressida Cowell, Janne Teller and Abigail Dean.

Returning for the second time after launching last year, live podcasts will record on LBF’s Fireside Chat Stage across the event from 10th–12th March.

Kicking off the program, bestselling author David Mitchell will be in conversation with “The Waterstones Podcast” ahead of releasing his new novel, Utopia Avenue (Sceptre, June 2020), on Tuesday 10.30am to 11.15am. “The Waterstones Podcast” will return on the final day (Thursday), interviewing Childrens‚Äô Laureate Cressida Cowell (How to Train your Dragon) in an invitation-only event on Thursday 12th March, 10.30am to 11.30am. Grazia contributing editor Hattie Crisell and former editor-in-chief of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman (Clothes and Other Things That Matter, Octopus April 2020) will also host "In Writing with Hattie Crisell and Alexandra Shulman" on Tuesday 1.15pm to 1.45pm about why writers write and "how to do it better" according to its synopsis.

Radio 4 Extra‚Äôs “Telling Tales” will interview Lynda La Plante ahead of releasing new novel, Buried (Zaffre, April 2020), on Wednesday 11th March from 2.30pm to 3.15pm. The Midas PR “Midas” podcast will also record its first-ever episode exploring book industry trends hosted by journalist and Sky producer Ben Munro-Davies from 11.45am to 12.45pm.

On the final day, "The Comma Press podcast" will talk to two contributors to its new anthology, Europa28: Writing by Women on the Future with Danish author Janne Teller and Irish actress, director and writer Lisa Dwan, in conversation with the collection's co-editor, Sophie Hughes and translator Annie McDermott from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Podcast about how to write a bestselling novel, "The Bestseller Experiment" will interview author Abigail Dean about her path to the nine-way auction of her debut novel. The Podcast Theatre will also host the UK Book Blog Awards @ LBF at 3.30pm and award Book Podcaster of the Year for the second time after the category was added last year.

LBF director Jacks Thomas said: “We‚Äôre thrilled to have such a fantastic range of talented podcasters and brilliant authors taking part in the Fireside Chats at The Podcast Theatre at LBF this year. This ever-growing channel is fundamental to the book industry, and we also look forward to celebrating the Book Podcaster of the Year at the UK Book Blog Awards.”