There's never enough time to read. But one of the greatest things about the Internet is the existence of a vast number of free podcasts on every subject imaginable, including, of course, literature of all kinds.
The world of the “Literary” podcast has plenty of its own niches. Some, like the hugely popular Serial, tell one long story over multiple episodes, and gain the kind of fan following that popular TV shows and fiction series do.
Others, such as Selected Shorts, feature famous actors reading short stories by well-known authors. There are those that tell true stories, such as The Moth, and Risk!
Then there are those podcasts where writers themselves appear, either to read out their work, or discuss their craft. We've picked a few of these for readers who would like to hear directly from the creators of their favourite literature.
Longform
Listen here
This one's for non-fiction readers. Journalists and writers of books and long-form articles come to discuss their specialisations, offer advice to aspiring writers, and share anecdotes. From war correspondents to television writers, you'll find them there. Longform regularly hosts interviews with writers at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Harper's, Vanity Fair, and more.
Pair with: The n+1 podcast
The Guardian Books Podcast
Listen here
This one is presented by The Guardian books editor Claire Armitstead, and features the most well-known writers from all over the world. There's Kazuo Ishiguro on his latest book, novelist Will Self and philosopher John Gray in conversation, Amit Chaudhuri on his reworking of the Odyssey paired with feminist economist Katrine Marçal. A range of delights, presented beautifully every week.
Pair with: The New Yorker Fiction Podcast
Poem of the day
Listen here
Classic and contemporary poems are read aloud by poets and actors, uploaded every day. This is a special one, considering that so much poetry comes alive by being read in a way that other genres don't necessarily do, but one does wish that the background music would be toned down. The internal rhythm and meter of poetry by writers as skilled as Emily Dickinson is music enough.
Pair with: The Scottish Poetry Library Podcast
Comic Vine
Listen here
This weekly podcast is all about the latest in comics, primarily on the page, but also on the TV and the in films. Comic creators come on to chat, discussions are hosted, and news, reviews, and recommendations are shared. Everything from Batman and Wonderwoman to the new Thor and the Age of Ultron. Definitely for you if you adore and follow superhero comics.
Pair with: Oh, Comics!
Midnight in Karachi
Listen here
Hosted by Mahvesh Murad, this podcast hostel by Tor.com features the best known amongst contemporary speculative fiction writers, including Kelly Link, Emily St. John Mandel, and Monica Byrne. Also worth listening to is Murad's last show on books, 89 chapters, where she interviewed George RR Martin, among others.
Pair with: SF Signal
The New York Public Library Podcast
Listen here
New York City's famous library has made public all the conversations it has staged, and these include writers such as comics writer Marjane Satrapi, fantasy author Neil Gaiman, and novelists Azar Nafisi and Elizabeth Gilbert. There's Salman Rushdie, Joyce Carol Oates, Cheryl Strayed, and Joan Didion - with the promise of many more to come, as they only started last October.
Pair with: NPR Book Tour
92Y/The Paris Review
Listen here
This is not technically a hosted podcast, but it is for you if you're interested in hearing enlightening conversations with some of the greatest contemporary writers around the world. The Unterberg Poetry Centre at 92nd Street Y, a New York-based cultural centre, in collaboration with The Paris Review has made available conversations that they have collaboratively hosted over the years, with people such as Ryszard Kapuściński, Iris Murdoch, Chinua Achebe, Paul Theroux, and Maya Angelou.
Pair with: Brainpickings on SoundCloud
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The world of the “Literary” podcast has plenty of its own niches. Some, like the hugely popular Serial, tell one long story over multiple episodes, and gain the kind of fan following that popular TV shows and fiction series do.
Others, such as Selected Shorts, feature famous actors reading short stories by well-known authors. There are those that tell true stories, such as The Moth, and Risk!
Then there are those podcasts where writers themselves appear, either to read out their work, or discuss their craft. We've picked a few of these for readers who would like to hear directly from the creators of their favourite literature.
Longform
Listen here
This one's for non-fiction readers. Journalists and writers of books and long-form articles come to discuss their specialisations, offer advice to aspiring writers, and share anecdotes. From war correspondents to television writers, you'll find them there. Longform regularly hosts interviews with writers at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Harper's, Vanity Fair, and more.
Pair with: The n+1 podcast
The Guardian Books Podcast
Listen here
This one is presented by The Guardian books editor Claire Armitstead, and features the most well-known writers from all over the world. There's Kazuo Ishiguro on his latest book, novelist Will Self and philosopher John Gray in conversation, Amit Chaudhuri on his reworking of the Odyssey paired with feminist economist Katrine Marçal. A range of delights, presented beautifully every week.
Pair with: The New Yorker Fiction Podcast
Poem of the day
Listen here
Classic and contemporary poems are read aloud by poets and actors, uploaded every day. This is a special one, considering that so much poetry comes alive by being read in a way that other genres don't necessarily do, but one does wish that the background music would be toned down. The internal rhythm and meter of poetry by writers as skilled as Emily Dickinson is music enough.
Pair with: The Scottish Poetry Library Podcast
Comic Vine
Listen here
This weekly podcast is all about the latest in comics, primarily on the page, but also on the TV and the in films. Comic creators come on to chat, discussions are hosted, and news, reviews, and recommendations are shared. Everything from Batman and Wonderwoman to the new Thor and the Age of Ultron. Definitely for you if you adore and follow superhero comics.
Pair with: Oh, Comics!
Midnight in Karachi
Listen here
Hosted by Mahvesh Murad, this podcast hostel by Tor.com features the best known amongst contemporary speculative fiction writers, including Kelly Link, Emily St. John Mandel, and Monica Byrne. Also worth listening to is Murad's last show on books, 89 chapters, where she interviewed George RR Martin, among others.
Pair with: SF Signal
The New York Public Library Podcast
Listen here
New York City's famous library has made public all the conversations it has staged, and these include writers such as comics writer Marjane Satrapi, fantasy author Neil Gaiman, and novelists Azar Nafisi and Elizabeth Gilbert. There's Salman Rushdie, Joyce Carol Oates, Cheryl Strayed, and Joan Didion - with the promise of many more to come, as they only started last October.
Pair with: NPR Book Tour
92Y/The Paris Review
Listen here
This is not technically a hosted podcast, but it is for you if you're interested in hearing enlightening conversations with some of the greatest contemporary writers around the world. The Unterberg Poetry Centre at 92nd Street Y, a New York-based cultural centre, in collaboration with The Paris Review has made available conversations that they have collaboratively hosted over the years, with people such as Ryszard Kapuściński, Iris Murdoch, Chinua Achebe, Paul Theroux, and Maya Angelou.
Pair with: Brainpickings on SoundCloud