The Bookshop Podcast

The Bookshop Podcast is a global literary podcast dedicated to books, authors, independent bookshops, and the world of publishing. Now in its fifth year, the show has become a trusted resource for readers, writers, and book lovers everywhere. Hosted by Mandy Jackson-Beverly , a writer, educator, and literary advocate, The Bookshop Podcast blends thoughtful conversation with a passion for books. Whether you're looking for your next great read, discovering new authors, or exploring the book industry, The Bookshop Podcast offers a welcoming space for anyone who loves books, storytelling, and literary culture. Music created by Brian Beverly.

The Bookshop Podcast is a arts podcast hosted by Mandy Jackson-Beverly, with 331 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Mandy Jackson-Beverly hosts The Bookshop Podcast, a arts show with 331 episodes published.

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  Episode #328

  Book Society: How A Bookshop And Wine Lounge Builds Real Community In Berkeley

  Sep 23, 202629 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I chat with Laura Guzman, founder of Book Society in Berkeley, California, which she co-owns with Sarah Wheat. After a much-needed break to reset from years of overwork, I'm back with a conversation that feels like a warm, smart antidote to burnout and isolation, and it’s set inside a very real place you can visit. A bookstore can sell stories, but it can also rebuild a neighborhood. Book Society is an independent, woman-owned bookstore and wine lounge in Berkeley, California. Laura shares the “why” behind creating a 21+ laptop-free space where people actually talk to each other again, and how her small-town library memories turned into a modern third place for the Bay Area. We also dig into the practical details: the long permit process, what it takes to curate a tight, always-changing selection of books, and how pairing books with a rotating wine menu makes both reading and wine feel more approachable. If you’re looking for an inclusive book community, you’ll love hearing how Book Society builds in non-alcoholic options so everyone can participate. From author talks and book clubs to restorative community rituals like Sunday in the Stacks, Laura explains what programming does best: it turns first-time visitors into regulars and strangers into friends. We also talk about bold growth ideas, including their shippable book-and-wine gift boxes, pop-ups and partnerships, traveling book club retreats, and the new Read to Lead program that brings leadership development into the book club experience. Subscribe for more conversations with authors and indie booksellers, share this with a fellow book lover, and leave a review wherever you listen. Book Society Here is the link to purchase Book Society's book-and-wine gift boxes I See You've Called In Dead, John Kenney Support the show The Bookshop Podcast Mandy Jackson-Beverly Social Media Links

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  Episode #327

  Jan Carson: Few And Far Between

  Jul 28, 20261h 2mS1

  Send us Fan Mail A plan to drain a lake sounds like a punchline until you remember it was real. In this episode, I’m joined by Belfast novelist Jan Carson to talk about Few And Far Between, her brilliant alternative history that asks what might have happened if a Northern Irish politician had actually tried to reshape Loch Neagh and “solve” unemployment and conflict with one giant engineering fantasy. From that single archival spark, Jan builds an archipelago, a would-be utopia, and a home that’s about to disappear again. We get into why Loch Neagh functions like a character and a warning. Jan connects the story’s blue-green algae crisis to the real environmental disaster unfolding on the loch today, and we discuss the messy triangle of farmers, politicians, and environmental campaigners, plus the uncomfortable question of who is expected to pay for cleanup. The conversation also moves into the novel’s deeper currents: toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and what Northern Ireland tries to submerge when moving on feels easier than facing what happened. Jan talks about writing parables without turning fiction into a lecture, grounding magical realism so it feels emotionally true, and structuring a book with multiple timelines plus a textbook thread packed with footnotes. She shares what 29 rewrites taught her about editing and what it was like recording the audiobook when footnotes refuse to behave. If you love literary fiction, climate fiction, Irish literature, and authors discussing the highs and lows of their writing process, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow reader, and leave a review wherever you listen. Support the show The Bookshop Podcast Mandy Jackson-Beverly Social Media Links

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  Episode #326

  How Eloisa James Turns Shakespeare Craft Into Witty Historical Romance

  Jun 30, 202642 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail A haunted abbey in the Scottish Highlands, a marriage of convenience, a pet piglet with a ribbon, and a heroine who is far sharper than she’s “allowed” to be. In this episode, I chat with Eloisa James, the New York Times bestselling author of historical romance (and Fordham Shakespeare professor Mary Bly ), to talk about The Last Lady B and the craft choices that make a love story feel witty, intimate, and impossible to put down. We start with the roots of desire, including Eloisa’s childhood on a Minnesota farm in a house full of literature plus a long list of forbidden pleasures. That push-pull of wanting what you can’t have becomes a blueprint for romantic tension on the page. From there, we get practical about writing: why she studies TV and comedy scripts to master timing, how Shakespeare trains a writer to land a joke inside character, and why she drafts dialogue like a script so it reads the way people actually speak. We also go deeper into what makes a romance scene truly charged, including the power of restraint, the emotional work behind “slow burn,” and why sensory details like fabric, lace, and the scent of a cravat can do more than paragraphs of explanation. Eloisa shares what it took to claim her romance career in academia, what she’s learned about genre bias, and why she believes you can’t write romance just to chase a payday. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow romance reader, and leave a review wherever you listen. Eloisa James The last Lady B , Eloisa James Support the show The Bookshop Podcast Mandy Jackson-Beverly Social Media Links

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  Episode #325

  Christina Pascucci Ciampa: Building A Mission Driven Feminist Bookshop

  Jun 16, 202632 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I chat with Christina Pascucci Ciampa, founder and owner of All She Wrote Books, an intersectional, inclusive, feminist, and queer independent bookstore in the Boston area. Shelf space is never neutral, and Christina has built a bookstore that treats that truth as a daily practice. We talk about how a mission-driven shop becomes a real refuge for readers who rarely feel represented in mainstream recommendations. Christina shares her path from a decade in corporate marketing and sales to launching the store as a pop-up, then growing it into a community-centered bookshop with events, thoughtful curation, and a team empowered to lead. We get honest about the stress of small business ownership, what delegation really looks like, and why strong leadership is the difference between burnout and sustainability. We touch on radical bookstores, community safety, and the modern challenges of organizing in an online world. We also dig into gaps in the publishing industry, the ongoing pullback in LGBTQ+ support, and why small independent presses and zines are crucial when big marketing dollars decide what gets attention. Finally, we land on reading as an empathy muscle, including a powerful recommendation, So Many Stars by Caro De Robertis, and why balancing heavy nonfiction with restorative fiction can keep you engaged without going numb and teach us empathy. All She Wrote Books So Many Stars, Caro De Robertis Subscribe for more conversations with authors and booksellers, share this episode with a fellow reader, and leave a review wherever you listen. Support the show The Bookshop Podcast Mandy Jackson-Beverly Social Media Links

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  Episode #324

  Writing In A Second Language Can Set You Free

  May 29, 202630 minS1

  <p>Send us Fan Mail</p><p>In this episode, I’m joined by <b>Cecile Pin,</b> the acclaimed author of <b>Wandering Souls</b>, to discuss her latest novel, <b>Celestial Lights</b>, and the deeper questions it raises about identity, ambition, and what we sacrifice when we decide who we want to become. <br/><br/>Cecile takes us from her multicultural upbringing in Paris and New York City to her study of philosophy in London. We dig into how living between cultures can give a writer real creative range. We also get specific about craft: what it me...

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