Backlisted Podcast: Winter Reading Special 2022

Winter Reading Special Kickoff

• 🎙️ The Backlisted podcast hosts, John Mitchinson, Andy Miller, and Nikki Burch, return for their first episode of 2022, a "Winter Reading Special."
• 📚 The episode features a discussion of books read over the Christmas break, covering poetry, history, fiction, and science.
• 💡 A special book quiz, contributed by a 7-year-old listener named Edie, kicks off the show, testing the hosts' knowledge of classic children's literature.

Poetry Selections

• 📖 Andy Miller highlights "The Kids" by Hannah Lowe, a poetry collection exploring themes of teaching, adolescence, and generational connections, noting its recent Costa Poetry Award win.
• 📝 "Men Who Feed Pigeons" by Selima Hill is presented as a collection of short, impactful poems that require space for reflection, exploring friendship and illness.
• 🎤 Victoria Kennefick's debut collection, "Eat or We Both Starve," is discussed for its powerful and provocative exploration of Irish history, female identity, and food, with a focus on its thematic coherence as a volume.

Deep Dives into History and Fiction

• 🌍 John Mitchinson enthusiastically reviews "The Dawn of Everything" by David Graeber and David Wengrow, a sweeping re-examination of human history that challenges traditional narratives of societal development.
• 📜 Olga Tokarczuk's novel "The Books of Jacob," a Nobel Prize winner, is introduced as an immersive and ambitious work set in 18th-century Poland, praised for its detailed portrayal of diverse communities and its masterful translation.
• 🗣️ Nikki Burch discusses "Love in Five Acts" by Daniela Crin, a translated novel that offers a sparse and psychologically nuanced look at the romantic lives of five women navigating middle age.

Exploring Language and Identity

• 📜 "The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English" by Hana Videen is recommended for its accessible exploration of Anglo-Saxon language and culture, drawing from the author's popular Twitter account.
• 🎭 The poetry collections are noted for their distinct styles and themes, with a particular emphasis on the strength of contemporary women poets and the impact of reading poetry as a cohesive volume.
• 📚 The hosts encourage listeners to explore the discussed books through libraries or their affiliated bookshop, highlighting the value of reading as both a solitary pleasure and a shared experience.