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Artwork for What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books

What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books

Nathan Whitlock
Celebrity Redemption Arcs
Misogyny In Media
The Walrus
Publishing Industry
Canada
Britney Spears
Rob Lowe
Pop Culture Feuds
Girls, Interrupted
Identity
Toronto
Literary Fiction
Martha Baillie
Mental Health
The Go-Go's
Writing Process
Covid-19
Addiction
Canada Reads
Combat Sports

In each episode of What Happened Next, author Nathan Whitlock interviews other authors about what happens when a new book isn’t new anymore, and it’s time to write another one. This podcast is presented in partnership with The Walrus.thewalrus.ca/podcasts/what-happened-next/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes161Founded3 years ago
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BooksArts

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Artwork for What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books

Latest Episodes

My guest on this episode is Dennis Bock. Dennis is the author of the short story collection Olympia and the novels The Ash Garden, The Communist’s Daughter, Going Home Again, and The Good German. His work has won the CAA Jubilee Award, the Danuta Gle... more

My guest on this episode is Kate Cayley. Kate has published two short story collections and three collections of poetry. She has won the Trillium Book Award, the Mitchell Prize for Poetry, and an O. Henry Prize, and been a finalist for the Governor G... more

My guest on this episode is Adriana Barton. Adriana is an author and journalist whose writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Boston Globe, Western Living, Vancouver magazine, and elsewhere. Her debut book is Wired for Music: A Search for Hea... more

My guest on this episode is Gabrielle Drolet. Gabrielle is a journalist, essayist, and cartoonist whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Globe and Mail, New York Times, The Walrus, VICE, Teen Vogue, and more. Her essays on disability have bee... more

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Recent Guests

Kate Cayley
Author of Property and other works
Coach House Books
Episode: Kate Cayley
Adriana Barton
Author and journalist whose writing has appeared in major publications
Independent author/journalist
Episode: Adriana Barton
Gabrielle Drolet
Journalist, essayist, and cartoonist; author of Look Ma, No Hands, A Chronic Pain Memoir
Writer and cartoonist; contributed to The New Yorker, Globe and Mail, New York Times, The Walrus, Vice, Teen Vogue
Episode: Gabrielle Drolet
Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross
Author, editor at The Capilano Review; debut book The Longest Way to Eat a Melon (Sarabande Books, 2025)
The Capilano Review; Sarabande Books
Episode: Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross
Miriam Toews
Author of Fight Night, Women Talking, A Truce That Is Not Peace, and others
Author
Episode: Miriam Toews
Ira Wells
Author and journalist; writes on culture and politics
Independent writer; publications include The Guardian, The New Republic, The Walrus, etc.
Episode: Ira Wells
Meredith Hambrock
Author of She's a Lamb and Other People's Secrets; writer and TV contributor
ECW Press; author
Episode: Meredith Hambrock
Ethan Lou
Journalist
Globe and Mail (Opinion Editor, Business Section)
Episode: Ethan Lou
Zalika Reid-Benta
Author of Frying Plantain and River Mumma, discussed in intro
Penguin Canada (River Mumma)
Episode: Zalika Reid-Benta

Host

Nathan Whitlock
Host and interviewer focusing on author careers and the publishing ecosystem; often discusses long-running projects, the rewards and quirks of multi-book careers, and the publishing landscape.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts
#184
Canada/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Merilyn Simonds
Q: How do you navigate the tension between a proposal and the reality of the manuscript during edits?
Editors can imagine a different book than what you intend; the key is finding an editor who sees the same book you see and can help bring it out, while staying true to the work you want to do.
Merilyn Simonds
Q: When did Walking with Beth begin to feel like a book, and what was the turning point in your process?
It started as scattered pieces that I laid on the floor and walked around, but midway through I realized the conversations and aging questions deserved a structured form, which helped it become a coherent book.
Miriam Toews
Q: What was the moment you realized the book's life was changing, in terms of tours, accommodations, and recognition?
The guest recalls tours becoming more comfortable over time, the shift from ramshackle events to hotel stays with publicists, and the oddness of early success that gradually normalized, though the memory remains surreal.
Miriam Toews
Q: Totally superficial question, how long has it been since you personally had to ask for a blurb?
The guest reflects that blurbs have not been needed as much recently, with marketing taking a larger role, but acknowledges past experiences of asking for blurbs and the difficulty of that ritual.
Ethan Lou
Q: Was it a challenge while writing that book to be writing about something that could unfold with enormous changes, and how did you navigate that?
Lou explains that he aimed for a balance between timely reporting and enduring storytelling, accepting some changes while structuring the work to be accessible to readers who aren't crypto experts.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A long-running author interview series that centers on the realities of writing and publishing after a debut, with guests ranging from fiction writers to memoirists and literary critics. Episodes commonly explore the author's career arc, editing and publishing cycles, shifts between genres, and how personal experience and broader cultural moments shape a writer's next project. Conversations often blend practical craft notes with candid reflections on success, reader reception, and the evolving publishing landscape, making it a strong fit for listeners who want behind-the-scenes insight into how books are built, marketed, and sustained over multiple titles. Notable throughlines include the tension between early buzz and long-term craft, the ... more

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1. Bookends with Mattea Roach
2. The Book Review
3. Q with Tom Power
4. Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud
5. The LRB Podcast

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this podcast launched 3 years ago and published 161 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Kate Cayley
2. Adriana Barton
3. Gabrielle Drolet
4. Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross
5. Miriam Toews
6. Ira Wells
7. Meredith Hambrock
8. Ethan Lou

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