Tea and Tattle

Thank you to everyone who has supported Tea & Tattle Podcast over the years. Although I am hanging up my podcasting cap, I hope you will join me for the Tea & Tattle Book Club, Tea Reads and bookish chats on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mirandamills

This week, I’m in conversation with the writer Jini Reddy about Jini’s latest book, Wanderland, which is a beautiful blend of nature writing and memoir. In Wanderland, Jini chronicles the year she spent exploring Britain’s countryside and her search for what she terms the ‘magical other’ in nature, as well as her connection to the spiritual, unseen dimension to the landscape. I thought Wanderland was a fascinating, heart-felt book that celebrates curiosity and kinship with the natural world, and I so enjoyed talking to Jini about her travels through Britain and what she learnt about herself, as well as the land, during her quest. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/144 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This week on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the award winning writer, Evie Wyld, to discuss Evie’s latest novel, The Bass Rock, which is a darkly gripping story about three women separated by time but connected by place, trauma and female rage. Sarah is a young woman accused of witchcraft in the 1700s; Ruth marries a widower after World War Two and moves to a large, isolated house that looks out on the Bass Rock in North Berwick, and in the modern day Viv visits Ruth’s house after her death and sorts through family memorabilia as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her father. I so enjoyed chatting to Evie about her writing process and how some of her own family history inspired The Bass Rock. I was also interested to learn about how the #MeToo movement influenced Evie’s writing and the true events that inspired the fictional stories of violence against women that are woven throughout the novel, making The Bass Rock such a moving and unforgettable read. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/143 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This week on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the award-winning novelist, poet and playwright, Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Kiran has written many bestselling novels for children and young adults, including The Girl of Ink and Stars and The Deathless Girls. I was so excited when Kiran’s debut adult novel, The Mercies, was published at the start of this year. The Mercies is a gripping historical fiction story inspired by the true events of the 1621 witch trials that took place on a remote Norwegian island called Vardø. The novel begins with a real storm that occurred on Christmas Eve in 1617 and which caused almost all the men of Vardø to be drowned as they were out fishing. Through her book,  Kiran imagines the lives of the women of the island in the days following the storm and the events that led to the witch trials a few years later. The Mercies is told through the eyes of two women: Maren, whose father, brother and fiancé, are killed in the storm, and Ursa, a young woman recently married to a man who is summoned to Vardø to discover whether witchcraft operates on the island. As Ursa adjusts to her strange new life, she and Maren become increasingly drawn to each other, but the close knit Vardø community is fracturing around them, with families and alliances torn apart, and suspicions and accusations lead to deadly consequences for many of the island dwellers. I had a wonderful time chatting to Kiran about how she first stumbled on the idea for The Mercies and the painstaking research she did for the novel .  Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/142 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Friday on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the author Ingrid Persaud to discuss Ingrid’s debut novel, Love After Love, which is set in Trinidad and New York City and tells the story of an unconventional family: Betty, her son Solo and their lodger Mr Chetan. When a revelation about the past shatters the bonds between Betty and Solo, all three characters must learn how to embrace themselves for who they truly are and to live a life on their own terms, guided by self-compassion and love. Love After Love reads like a love letter to Trinidad and is heart-breaking tale of motherhood, friendship and family.  I so enjoyed chatting to Ingrid about how winning a short story prize began her career as a novelist, as well as the inspiration behind her book and why she loves writing about food in fiction.  Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/141 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Tuesday on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the bestselling author, Kate Eberlen, to discuss Kate’s new book, Only You, which is a joyous love story set in Rome, Blackpool and London.  In Only You, Alf and Letty meet at an Italian language class in Rome, and they gradually fall in love over pasta, gelato, poetry and dance. Both Letty and Alf have secrets they’ve left behind in Britain, however, and when the past catches up with the present, Alf must prove to Letty that she is still the only person for him. Only You transported me to glorious, sun-soaked Italy as I read, and it’s the perfect escapist read for right now. I had such a fun time chatting to Kate about our mutual love for ballet and ballroom dancing, as well as how she started her career as a writer and why Italy inspires so much of her work.  Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/140 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

For this Tea & Tattle April Special, my Mum has joined me on the podcast to share books we’ve been reading recently, as well as recommended books for parents and children to read together, from picture books, to YA fiction, to adult books. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/bookchat1 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Tuesday on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the author and editor Marina Kemp, to discuss Marina’s debut novel, Nightingale, which was also published under the title ‘Marguerite’ in America. I thought Nightingale was one of the best first novels I’ve read, with its beautiful, evocative prose and haunting story. Drawing on her own experience of the dynamics between patient and carer, Marina wrote the story of a young nurse, Marguerite, who leaves Paris to care for an elderly man, Jerome, who is coming near the end of his life at a large, remote house in the French countryside. Dealing with her own secrets and grief, Marguerite welcomes the solitude of her new position, but she gradually becomes acquainted with other members of the village: Suki, a muslim woman who feels ostracised within the small community, Henri, a farmer who is desperately trying to hide a secret of his own, and his increasingly suspicious wife, Brigitte.  Nightingale is an exquisite story of love and loss, and I so enjoyed talking to Marina about the inspiration behind her book, as well as the realities of caregiving and why language, choice and dignity are such important themes in her book.  Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/139 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Friday on Tea & Tattle, I’m joined by the internationally renowned speaker, author and podcaster, Layla Saad to discuss Layla’s bestselling book ‘Me and White Supremacy,’ which is a manual that guides people who hold white privilege to dismantle that privilege, educate themselves on how to combat racism, establish a life-long practice of anti-racism and engage in respectful conversations on race and white privilege.  Layla is a respected authority on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation and social change. Driven by her desire to become a good ancestor, Layla started the #MeAndWhiteSupremacy hashtag on Instagram, which was a 28 day challenge that encouraged people holding white privilege to examine ways in which racism still operates and to examine their own (often unconscious) complicity within a society that allows white supremacy to exist. A hundred thousand people downloaded Layla’s free workbook that accompanied the challenge, and its enormous success led to her book, which dives even deeper into the topic and has many guided journaling prompts and questions. This Tea & Tattle episode is structured a little differently and is longer than normal, because I really wanted to give as much space as possible to this extremely important topic, and I so appreciated how generous Layla was with her time. Reading Layla’s book was an eye-opening, humbling experience for me, and I hope our conversation today will encourage anyone who holds white privilege to read Layla’s book, as well as to investigate the many free resources, as well as courses, that she shares through her instagram, website and podcast. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/138 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Tuesday on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the Belgian food writer and photographer, Regula Ysewijn, to discuss Regula’s latest cookbook, Oats in the North Wheat From the South, which provides recipes for classic British bakes and the history behind them. Regula was one of the first guests I had on Tea & Tattle in the early days of the podcast, when we chatted about her book, Pride & Pudding, which was packed full of recipes for traditional British puddings. It was a real delight to have Regula back on Tea & Tattle today, learning about more delicious sweet treats and the history of afternoon tea.  This episode is perfect for anyone who feels in need of a bit of comfort baking inspiration at the moment. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/137 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Friday on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the art critic and author, Laura Cumming, to discuss Laura’s brilliant book, On Chapel Sands, which is a fascinating investigation into family history and family secrets. In her book, Laura recounts her mother’s kidnapping one autumn afternoon in 1929 from a beach near Chapel St Leonards in Lincolnshire. Laura’s mother, Betty (as she was called as a child), was missing for five days before being found, but she lost all memory of the incident and only found out about the kidnapping when she was in her sixties.  Laura, intrigued by this mystery, as well as other curious circumstances surrounding her mother’s childhood, began looking for clues in old family photographs. On Chapel Sands is an account of Laura’s investigations and her remarkable revelations. The book is a beautiful portrait of a particular time, family and place, and it’s also a moving tribute to Laura’s mother. The story is told through Laura’s poetic prose, as well as through photographs and artworks of particular significance, and it’s Laura’s discerning eye and microscopic analysis of images that bring so many surprising truths to light. On Chapel Sands is a marvellous read for anyone interested in family history, and I had a wonderful time chatting to Laura about how she came to write this account of her mother’s  early life. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/136 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Tuesday on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the fabulous Lucy Worsley to discuss Lucy’s latest novel for young adults, The Austen Girls. Lucy Worsley is an historian, writer, television presenter and the Chief Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces, with her office situated at Hampton Court Palace.  Lucy is the author of several bestselling books, including the captivating biography of Jane Austen, Jane Austen at Home. Her historical stories for children aged 11-14 are also hugely popular, and I loved The Austen Girls, which tells the story of Jane Austen’s favourite nieces, Anna and Fanny, and the difficult decisions they must make as they approach womanhood and look ahead to the prospect of balls and marriage proposals. Tasked by their Aunt Jane to be the heroines of their own lives, both Fanny and Anna must decide the kind of women they wish to become. I highly recommend The Austen Girls for anyone who is homeschooling during lockdown, as  - as well as being a fun, gripping story that both children and adults can enjoy - The Austen Girls also gives a fascinating perspective on the domestic sphere of women in Georgian England. The novel, of course, also provides some excellent background to Jane Austen’s world, and it’s a lovely read for any Janeite. I had a fabulous time chatting to Lucy about her love for Jane Austen and how she came to write this novel about the Austen nieces. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/135 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

For this Tea & Tattle Easter Special, my Mum has joined me on the podcast to chat about our favourite Easter books and springtime traditions. We’re sharing some of the picture books that filled my Easter book basket as a child, as well as our favourite films and extracts from much loved poems and stories. I hope you’re able to enjoy this long weekend as much as possible, and I wish you all health and happiness in the weeks ahead. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/easterspecial Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast Episode Links The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Hayward (ebook only). Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Hare and the Easter Eggs by Alison Uttley. Two Are Better Than One by Carol Ryrie Brink (out of print). Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace (ebook only). Extract from A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman. Shiny Pennies and Grubby Pinafores by Winifred Foley. Caldicott Place by Noel Streatfeild. A Vicarage Family by Noel Streatfeild. Easter Parade film. Easter Bonnet song. Harvey film. Find Tea & Tattle on instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This Friday on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the writer, Alice Vincent, to discuss Alice’s memoir, Rootbound, which is a beautiful exploration of the restorative qualities of nature. Reeling from an unexpected breakup, Alice found herself increasingly drawn to planting up pots on her urban balcony and to exploring the wider world of horticulture, engaging in community gardening projects near her home in London, researching the history of women and plants and plotting travel abroad around botanic gardens to visit. As Alice gained greater knowledge in nurturing and growing plants, she also began to question what a life well-lived meant to her, beyond the many trappings of the millennial generation. Rootbound takes the reader month by month through a year in which Alice gardened herself out of heartbreak, found new love and embraced independence. Rootbound is a wonderful read for anyone who finds solace from the natural world, and I had such a fun time chatting to Alice about her growing love for horticulture and the research that went into her book. Episode Links Rootbound by Alice Vincent (ebook and audiobook versions). Modern Nature by Derek Jarman. Find Alice Vincent on Instagram and Twitter. Find Tea & Tattle on Instagram at @teaandtattlepodcast. Read my blog, Miranda’s Notebook. Happy Listening!

This Tuesday on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the ceramicist and author, Elizabeth Macneal, to chat about her Sunday Times bestselling book, The Doll Factory, which is a brilliant novel about love, obsession, art and freedom in Victorian London. The Doll Factory met with tremendous success when it was first published last year, and the paperback edition has just been published, so I was delighted when Elizabeth agreed to come on Tea & Tattle to celebrate the paperback release. The Doll Factory tells the story of Iris, a young woman who paints china doll heads hour after hour in a shop in London, but yearns to escape her life of drudgery and become an artist. A twist of fate introduces Iris to Louis Frost, a fictional member of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and Iris agrees to model for Louis on the condition that he teaches her how to paint.  Catapulted into a new life filled with creativity, romance and a chance at independence, Iris is oblivious to a threatening figure who hovers in the background, observing her actions. Silas Reed is a taxidermist who wavers dangerously between reality and delusion. After a brief encounter with Iris, he develops an all-consuming passion for her, and as his mind gradually unravels, aspects of his past life are revealed that show that Silas has the power to put an end to all of Iris’s hopes and ambitions. In order to escape his carefully laid trap, Iris must use the utmost of her strength and courage to break free. The Doll Factory is a captivating read with brilliantly drawn characters, and I had a wonderful time chatting to Elizabeth about truth and delusion, the male gaze in art and Victorian society, female ambition and so much more. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/teareads32 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

Episode Summary For this Tea Reads March Special, I've invited my Mum to join me on the podcast for a Mother-Daughter Book Chat. As I we can’t go outside and enjoy a lot of cultural pursuits at the moment, I thought it would be fun to dedicate Tea Reads episodes during this difficult time to plenty of bookish chat. Do put the kettle on and join my Mum and me for a cosy discussion, featuring lots of ‘happy books.’ Episode Links Meet Mr Mulliner by P. G. Wodehouse. Internet Archive. Francine Raymond website. Her books are available here. Ten Poems About Baking by Helena Nelson. The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley. Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley. Dress in the Age of Jane Austen by Hilary Davidson. A Place Called Home by Cath Kidston. The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston. Letters from Longstock by Geoffrey Snagge (out of print). Geraldene Holt’s Cake Stall by Geraldene Holt (out of print). Diary of a French Herb Garden by Geraldene Holt (out of print). Geraldene Holt’s website. Marram by Leonie Charlton. On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming. Find Tea & Tattle on instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/teareads32 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you! Happy Listening!

This week on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by Abi Daré, to discuss Abi’s extraordinary debut novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, which won the Bath Novel Award and soared straight into the New York Times bestseller list on its publication earlier this year. I was mesmerised by The Girl with the Louding Voice. Its protagonist is a fourteen year old Nigerian girl, Adunni, who fights for the right to decide her own destiny. After the death of her Mother, Adunni is forced to give up her chance at education and becomes the third wife of a wealthy man in her village. After a tragic incident, Adunni is secretly sold as a housemaid to a family in Lagos. Even in the hardest of circumstances, however, Adunni never gives up on her dream to go to school and become a teacher so that she can educate other girls like her, and in doing so, give them a future. The Girl with the Louding Voice draws attention to the horrors of child labour and domestic slavery that continue to operate, both in Nigeria and around the world, but it is also a story full of hope, courage and female solidarity, and Adunni’s voice carries an unforgettable tale. I had such a wonderful time talking to Abi about the inspiration behind her book and how she wrote Adunni’s distinctive first person narrative. Links: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (ebook and audiobook versions). A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Find Abi Daré on Instagram and Twitter. Find Tea & Tattle on Instagram at @teaandtattlepodcast. Read my blog, Miranda’s Notebook. Read the full show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/132 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

This week on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by Jane Healey, to discuss Jane’s debut novel, The Animals at Lockwood Manor, which is a brilliant Gothic story set during World War Two. I was swept along by Jane’s suspenseful prose and the story of Hetty Cartwright who, at the outbreak of war, is given the responsibility of overseeing the evacuation of the mammal collection of the Natural History Museum to Lockwood Manor, an enormous house in the English countryside that is owned by the imperious Lord Lockwood. Strange events start to occur almost as soon as Hetty arrives at the manor; her precious stuffed charges are moved and even taken, and she senses a malign presence within the house. It is only her blossoming friendship with Lord Lockwood’s daughter, Lucy, that provides solace for Hetty, and when the two women realise their friendship has grown into love, Hetty becomes even more anxious about how to keep herself, the museum collection and Lucy safe against the encroaching darkness that lies buried at the heart of Lockwood Manor. This is a brilliant listen for anyone who enjoys Gothic fiction and is looking for the next page-turning read. Episode Links The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey. The Dublin Murders. Find Jane Healey on Instagram and Twitter. Find Tea & Tattle on Instagram at @teaandtattlepodcast. Read my blog, Miranda’s Notebook. Happy Listening!

Today on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the writer, Francesca Wade, to discuss Francesca’s group biography, Square Haunting, which documents the lives of five extraordinary women who all lived in Mecklenburgh Square in Bloomsbury, London at a pivotal point in all of their lives.  The poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.), the writer Dorothy L Sayers - famed for her Lord Peter Wimsey mystery books - the classicist and translator Jane Ellen Harrison, the historian and broadcaster Eileen Power and, finally, one of the most famous members of the Bloomsbury group, Virginia Woolf, were all occupants of this single square in Bloomsbury. Francesca Wades writes engagingly and convincingly of how these women found ‘a room of their own’ in Bloomsbury and how they were trailblazers ahead of their times, forging exceptional careers and seeking to live, work and love on their own terms.  I sat down with Francesca on a rainy afternoon in Bloomsbury and had a wonderful time chatting about her research into the lives of these remarkable women. This is a brilliant listen for anyone interested in London’s history, particularly in the inter-war years, and in women’s struggle for equality and intellectual freedom. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/130 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!

Today on Tea & Tattle Podcast, I’m joined by the author, Katherine May, to discuss Katherine’s latest book, Wintering, which is a fascinating blend of memoir, self-help guide and glorious nature writing. In Wintering, Katherine describes the frozen, desolate state that can occur in the mind and body after a period of stress, trauma or illness. By drawing parallels to the natural world and the incredible transformations that nature undergoes to survive the cold, Katherine shows how to both accept and withstand your own periods of wintering. In her book, Katherine interviews a range of people who have weathered extreme cold as well as times of extreme hardship. Katherine draws lessons from their experiences and blends these shared tales with her own poetic prose as she describes her adventures in swimming in the sea in freezing temperatures, travelling to witness the Northern Lights and battling her own demons of insomnia and anxiety. I found Wintering a deeply comforting, hopeful and beautiful book that I’m sure will become an annual read for me. But much as Wintering is a fabulous choice for a winter read, it’s also an excellent book to curl up with as the thaws of March expose and sustain the first signs of spring and new life, which have been gathering strength and waiting for their moment of renewal and growth all through the darker months of winter. Episode Links Wintering by Katherine May. The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May. The Best Most Awful Job edited by Katherine May. Inferno by Catherine Cho. The Hungover Games by Sophie Heawood. Katherine May’s website. Find Katherine May on Instagram and Twitter. Find Tea & Tattle on Instagram at @teaandtattlepodcast. Read my blog, Miranda’s Notebook. Read the show notes: teaandtattlepodcast.com/home/129 Get in touch! Email: teaandtattlepodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @teaandtattlepodcast If you enjoy Tea & Tattle, please do rate and leave a review of the show on Apple Podcasts, as good reviews help other people to find and enjoy the show. Thank you!