Doing what it says on the podcasting tin - ‘giving new life to old books’ - Backlisted is a wonderful show, now a couple of years into its run, presented by influential literary world book-lovers John Mitchinson and Andy Miller.
John is co-founder of Unbound, the world’s first crowdfunding publisher and Andy is author of ‘The Year of Reading Dangerously’. Together they drive Backlisted and it is not only the best and most entertaining books podcast I have ever heard but the proud winner recently of Podcast of the Year too.
Each show John, Andy and invited in-the-know guests chat about a book from yesteryear and bring it and the author back to life for a whole new audience. Often books that had dropped out of mind and well overdue a fresh look.
There are now over 100 Backlisted episodes to enjoy and each show will uncover something new and exciting about the book in question.
Since I started listening some months ago, my world has been opened up yet again to the brilliant Anita Brookner, Elizabeth Taylor and Ian Fleming, and Backlisted has also introduced me to many previously passed-by books and authors - from Harpo Marx to Toni Morrison.
There have been great episodes on Louis MacNeice’s Autumn Journal - a beautiful read - and James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, but each one is a mine of literary information and a word window on great writing.
Each podcast John and Andy also tell us what they have been reading for their own enjoyment and that too is always a roller-coaster ride into world of books.
If you love reading, or even if you don’t and just love life, then Backlisted is a must. Please check it out if you haven’t already, and get a love of life from old books.
Backlisted at: https://www.backlisted.fm