Secret Life of Books
Sophie Gee and Jonty ClaypoleEvery book has two stories: the one it tells, and the one it hides.The Secret Life of Books is a fascinating, addictive, often shocking, occasionally hilarious weekly podcast starring Sophie Gee, an English professor at Princeton University, and Jonty Claypole, formerly director of arts at the BBC. Every week these virtuoso critics and close friends take an iconic book and reveal the hidden story ... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 164 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksEducationArts | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
T.S. Eliot was a mid-west American living in London in the first decades of the 20th century, who wrote Dickens-inflected poems about fog, wind, damp evenings and the general gloom of English life (if you were a young, neurotic, over-educated, Americ... more
SLoB Book Club is back as Sophie and Jonty dive into Charles Dickens’ Bleak House with the help of special guest Bret Walker, SC – one of Australia’s most renowned lawyers.
Dickens’ sprawling vision of a nation caught in the fog of corruption, in whi... more
Nobody expects the Victorian wombats! Given the title, listeners won’t be hugely surprised to hear there are goblins in today’s episode, but wombats!?!?
Yes, the sleeper hits of this episode are our round, furry friends from Australia. Or, as the poe... more
In April 1819, the poet John Keats, aged 23, told his brother George that he was done with poetry. A few days later, he smashed out the first poem in what is arguably the greatest streak in literary history, with "La Belle Dame Sans Merci." This was ... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- Sophie
One of the best podcasts on books I have found. Exploring context, history and themes in an interesting and fascinating way. Well done Sophie and Jonty!
Apple Podcasts5Janette SP
Australiaa month ago - Amazing podcast
I’m completely addicted and live in fear of the day I finish the entire back catalogue.
Apple Podcasts5Egg91Australia2 months ago - Love Books
Thsi is a great podcast. Both Gee & Jonty are brilliant! I have just listened to the Bronte & Woolf series & I have already read the books & biographies of the writers but still learned so much. This podcast is such a joy & the presenters are such a blast! Love it! Love it!
Apple Podcasts5JoanMCTAustralia2 months ago - Superb
Thanks to both of you for such a brilliant series of podcast episodes. I really enjoy the ways in which you exchange your views and appreciate the amount of preparatory work you must do. The episodes on school life have been superb. I look forward to the college / uni novels.
Apple Podcasts5PineGroveCharlie
United Kingdom2 months ago - Wonderful
I spent 30 years as a high school literature teacher and I am learning so much from this podcast. The hosts delve deeply into each work they focus on. Intelligent and vibrant discussions ensue. I look forward to each episode.
Apple Podcasts5myodharm
United States2 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #70 | United States/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #212 | United States/Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #8 | United Kingdom/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #24 |  Canada/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #31 | United Kingdom/Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #71 | Canada/Arts |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About Secret Life of Books
What is Secret Life of Books about and what kind of topics does it cover?
Two close friends and critics take iconic books and pull back the curtain on their backstories: the people, motives, scandals, and hidden meanings that shape what we think we know. Each week they pair close-reading analysis with personal recollections, bringing literature to life through lively dialogue, playful framing devices, and context-rich discussion of authors, publishing history, and cultural moment. A distinctive element is the blend of rigorous analysis with warm rapport and accessible storytelling, plus recurring formats like theme-focused episodes and author-context deep-dives—often punctuated by affection for the craft of reading and teaching. The show's approachable, intellectually curious angle makes it a standout for listene... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Secret Life of Books?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Secret Life of Books. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Secret Life of Books and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Secret Life of Books get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Secret Life of Books, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Secret Life of Books?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Secret Life of Books, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Secret Life of Books have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Secret Life of Books has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Secret Life of Books?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Secret Life of Books:
1. Chat 10 Looks 3
2. The Bookshelf
3. The Book Show
4. Backlisted
5. Zero to Well-Read
How many episodes of Secret Life of Books are there?
Secret Life of Books launched 2 years ago and published 164 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Secret Life of Books?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Secret Life of Books?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Secret Life of Books from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Secret Life of Books?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Secret Life of Books. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Secret Life of Books?
Recent guests on Secret Life of Books include:
1. Janice Hadlow
2. Namwali Serpell
3. Autumn Womack
4. Devoney Looser
5. James Runcie
6. Colm Tóibín
7. Rowan Tomlinson
8. Hermione Lee
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.