Hello and welcome to friends of! Today, a chat with Bobby Palmer, novelist and one-half of the absolutely marvelous Book Chat in which he and his co-host, Pandora Sykes, discuss books that have been published more than two years ago. I love this focus on what’s called the “back list” (there should be a better word for that, shouldn’t there?) and have discovered some gems via their monthly podcast. It was such a delight to hear more about Bobby’s reading (and writing!) life!
You’re the author of the beautiful novel Isaac and the Egg and you have another coming out next year called Small Hours that sounds like it’s going to be as equally gorgeous and moving. Is there a book that made you want to be a writer or a book that’s made you a better writer?
Firstly, thank you! I still find it weird that anyone can even read my book beyond my mum, so it’s even more thrilling to know that people are actually connecting with it.
I couldn’t point you to a specific book which made me want to be a writer in a wider sense, but I very strongly remember that I was reading Less by Andrew Sean Greer at the moment I decided to sit down and actually start trying to start a novel. That book is filled with so much life and love and humour and heart that I just thought, I want to write like this. So I started trying…
As for those that have made me a better writer, there are a number of books on the actual writing process which proved invaluable to me when first setting out as a novelist. One of my favourites is The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr, which is the best book on creating realistic characters you’ll ever read.
Then there’s A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, a book which dissects a number of classic Russian short stories, and is such a joy to read. But I’d read a phone-book if it was written by George Saunders, so I’m biased.
What’s the last book that made you laugh and/or cry?
The last book that made me laugh was I’m Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait. The last book that made me cry was Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. To be fair, that one made me laugh too. It’s my favourite book of this year – and I’m not going to do it a disservice by spoiling what it’s about.
Is there a memorable book you were assigned to read when you were in school?
Not quite school, but I was assigned Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf at university and it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that it changed my life. I never knew that a book could make you feel so deeply by doing so little, but could also be so inventive in playing with what a novel is supposed to be at the same time. It’s still my favourite book of all time.
Dog ear or bookmark?
Oh dog ear, every single time. I like my books to be beaten-up, dog-eared, underlined, you name it. If a book looks broken-in, it means it’s been enjoyed and returned to. That’s why I absolutely love it at a signing when someone hands me a copy of one of my own books which is in absolutely terrible condition. It’s nice to know it’s been loved.
I’m such a huge fan of your podcast, Book Chat! If you could have drinks with one of the authors of the books you and your co-host have chatted about, who would it be?
That’s a great question. We’ve featured such an eclectic mix of authors that it’s difficult to choose just one. I think in terms of wanting to bask in someone else’s genius, I’d love to sit down for a long dinner and copious conversation with Zadie Smith or Mohsin Hamid. But if we’re talking about who’d take you on the wildest night out, it would have to be Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin.
What’s your desert island book? (the book you reread every year, would never let anyone borrow, etc)
Wuthering Heights. Don’t judge me!
And what are you reading right now?
I’ve just finished Jaded by Ela Lee, which is coming out next year. It’s kind of like I May Destroy You crossed with Industry, this furious and funny and totally electrifying interrogation of our attitudes towards race, power and consent, set against the backdrop of high-flying law firms in the City of London. It’s a hard read at times, but it really is quite breathtaking.
Bobby Palmer is an author, journalist and co-host of the literary podcast Book Chat with Pandora Sykes. His debut novel, Isaac and the Egg, was an instant Saturday Times bestseller. His next book, Small Hours, will publish in March 2024. You can listen to Book Chat here and pre-order Small Hours here.
Thanks for reading! See you next Tuesday for another installment of missed connection.