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The Book Show

ABC Australia
Climate Change
Booker Prize
Literature
Jane Austen
Love
Writing Process
Immigration
Australia
World War II
Mental Health
Australian Literature
Identity Politics
Prophet Song
Percival Everett
Orbital
Parenting
Motherhood
International Space Station
London
James

Your favourite fiction authors share the story behind their latest books.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes463Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArts

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Artwork for The Book Show

Latest Episodes

Liane Moriarty reveals why she finally wrote the Big Little Lies sequel after being very resistant. And Garth Nix combines mystery with science fiction in his latest novel, Massif.

After the success of the Big Little Lies TV adaptation starring Ree... more

Indian author Vikas Swarup explains the key to his success with Slumdog Millionaire; he believes his new book has a winning premise too. Plus venture capitalist turned novelist Jessy Wu's Good Intentions.

Former Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's debut ... more

In Sophie, Standing There bestselling author Meg Mason channels the good and bad of writers' festivals and author fandom. Plus, Bobuq Sayed's journey from Afghanistan to the US via Perth; their novel No God But Us is about two gay men in Istanbul and... more

Discover why the forests sing in Fierceland, Omar Musa's Miles Franklin Literary Award winning novel.

Poet, visual artist, hip-hop musician and author Omar Musa finds magic in Italian beads, vengeful ghosts and the sound of the Borneo forest in his ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Meg Mason
Author of Sophie Standing There
Fourth Estate (publisher)
Episode: Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss follow up is about obsession
Boruq Sayed
Author of No God But Us
Ultimo Press
Episode: Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss follow up is about obsession
Omar Musa
Author of Fierceland, Miles Franklin winner for 2026
Author
Episode: Omar Musa celebrates his 2026 Miles Franklin win for Fierceland
Dave Eggers
American writer, founder of McSweeney's
McSweeney's
Episode: Dave Eggers draws on his lifelong friendships in Contrapposto
Maria Takolander
Australian writer, author of The End of Romance
Text Publishing
Episode: Dave Eggers draws on his lifelong friendships in Contrapposto
Steve MinOn
Queensland-based writer and author of First Name, Second Name
Author
Episode: We've read every book on the 2026 Miles Franklin shortlist. Who will win?
Josephine Rowe
Author of Little World
Author
Episode: We've read every book on the 2026 Miles Franklin shortlist. Who will win?
Konrad Muller
Author of My Heart at Evening; former diplomat
Author
Episode: We've read every book on the 2026 Miles Franklin shortlist. Who will win?
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Palestinian-Egyptian author; lawyer and academic
Author
Episode: We've read every book on the 2026 Miles Franklin shortlist. Who will win?

Host

Claire Nichols
Host of The Book Show; engages authors with thoughtful, in-depth questions and contextual knowledge.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 256 ratings
  • The Book Show

    One of two of the best podcasts around about reading and authors. Love it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Itsallhistory
    Australia6 months ago
  • Love the show and host

    Great interviews of great books 😉

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nat Fig
    Australia10 months ago
  • Brilliant show

    I love this show and the passion and knowledge of the program host Claire Nichols. Her ability to tap in to all different authors is amazing. One of my go to shows.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Paula Rogers
    Australiaa year ago
  • Fave Australian book podcast

    Been a fan since the beginning but especially enjoying the My Biggest Book series. Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    shmonblah
    United States2 years ago
  • Love the show!

    I’m really enjoying listening to your show. Your interviews are always insightful and you manage to engage so warmly with your subjects. I’m also particularly loving the music that’s used, so congrats also to whoever is on the controls behind the scenes. Thankyou!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    All the time on the world
    Australia6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some episodes have sparked discussions about coverage balance and pacing.
Shows are described as a go-to for book lovers and industry professionals alike.
Guests consistently deliver insightful, well-prepared interviews.
Listeners praise the host's warmth and depth of literary knowledge.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#126
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#4
Australia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#17
Australia/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#34
Poland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#84
Sweden/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#85
Poland/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Omar Musa celebrates his 2026 Miles Franklin win for Fierceland
Q: Can you tell me how you found out, Omar?
He was informed by a judge while on a research trip in the Southern Philippines, which he recounts as a surreal moment leading to the celebration of his book.
Spritz and bubble tea with Andrew Sean Greer and Naomi Ishiguro
Q: What drew you to combine urban fantasy with themes of diaspora and belonging in Rainshadow Orphans?
Ishiguro says she wanted a world that could be fun and magical for younger readers while still engaging with serious questions about identity, belonging, and migration, blending influences from Japanese folklore, anime, and wider diasporic experiences.
Spritz and bubble tea with Andrew Sean Greer and Naomi Ishiguro
Q: You first went to the Tuscany residency as a young man. Tell me how you found yourself there.
Greer explains it was around 2005 when a baroness invited him to her villa, a trip that felt odd at the time but proved life-changing and became a pivotal grounding for his later writing in that locale.
Mick Herron and the losers, misfits and boozers of Slow Horses
Q: How did the TV adaptation come about, and what was your role in the writers room?
The rights were optioned early, and although he didn't expect to be in the writers room, he found the process energizing and collaborative, with faithful adaptations that kept the characters' tone.
Steve Toltz rolls the dice in his new dark comedy
Q: What sparked the idea of using a dice roll to decide the fate of the children in the novel?
Toltz says the device is a way to test how freely characters make life-changing choices and to examine the human impulse to assign meaning to chance, while also creating a darkly funny yet tender tone.

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 The Book Show

What is The Book Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A literary discussion show that centers on fiction and its creators, featuring long-form conversations with prize-winning authors, innovative storytellers, and emerging voices. Topics span thematic analysis of recent novels, writing process, cultural heritage, memory, and how real-world contexts—politics, history, and social issues—inform storytelling. Noteworthy moments often emerge from blending craft notes with personal anecdotes, exploring art, identity, and the imagined worlds authors build. The format tends to favor thoughtful, in-depth interviews that appeal to avid readers, book industry professionals, and potential sponsors seeking author-facing storytelling with strong listener engagement.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Book Show?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Book Show. 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 The Book Show and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Book Show get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Book Show, 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 The Book Show?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Book Show, 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 The Book Show have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Book Show 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 The Book Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Book Show:

1. The Bookshelf
2. Sydney Writers' Festival
3. Chat 10 Looks 3
4. A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard
5. Secret Life of Books

How many episodes of The Book Show are there?

The Book Show launched 9 years ago and published 463 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 The Book Show?

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 The Book Show?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Book Show 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 The Book Show?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Book Show. 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 The Book Show?

Recent guests on The Book Show include:

1. Meg Mason
2. Boruq Sayed
3. Omar Musa
4. Dave Eggers
5. Maria Takolander
6. Steve MinOn
7. Josephine Rowe
8. Konrad Muller

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.

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