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Bookends with Mattea Roach

CBC
Grief
Identity
Literature
Family Dynamics
Mental Health
Cultural Identity
Canadian Literature
Chronic Pain
Poetry
Immigration
Canada
CBC
Graphic Novels
Friendship
Franz Kafka
Jackie Kay
Philip Roth
Mirrors
Toronto
Storytelling

When the book ends, the conversation begins. Mattea Roach speaks with writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read.

PublishesDailyEpisodes155Founded19 years ago
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Artwork for Bookends

Latest Episodes

Anne Kim has it all. She’s a high-powered tax lawyer, lives in a beautiful apartment in New York and has the perfect boyfriend to boot. She’s the pride of her parents, Korean immigrants in small-town Alberta who worked day and night to keep the famil... more

A famous crime writer who gets her inspiration from years of working on real cases at the medical examiner’s office. That’s the story of Patricia Cornwell, the bestselling author of the Kay Scarpetta series. Her new memoir, True Crime, is all about t... more

The winner of the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize is the Vancouver-based writer Larah Luna. Larah’s story, A Season of Crows, is about a small town learning to live with a huge murder of crows that passes through the town. Born in the Philippines and rais... more

Books can be revolutionary. That’s the message of Azar Nafisi’s celebrated memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran, which is about her experience teaching forbidden literature to young women in Iran. Although it was published nearly 23 years ago, Azar’s memo... more

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
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Recent Guests

Patricia Cornwell
Award-winning crime writer known for the Kay Scarpetta series and her memoir True Crime
Author
Episode: A forensic thriller writer autopsies her own life
Larah Luna
Winner of the CBC Short Story Prize for A Season of Crows
CBC Books, Writer
Episode: Accepting the unknown … and a giant flock of crows
Azar Nafisi
Iranian American writer and teacher, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran and Read Dangerously
Author
Episode: Literature, liberation and Lolita in Iran
Sharon Bala
Author of Good Guys, novelist focused on philanthropy and NGOs
Author
Episode: Exploring the shady side of charity organizations
Grant Ginder
Author of So Old, So Young
Author, So Old, So Young
Episode: Can our friendships age with us?
Jo Nesbø
Norwegian author
Author
Episode: Should you be afraid of the wolf hour?
Caro Claire Burke
Author of Yesteryear
Author, Yesteryear
Episode: Would a tradwife influencer survive in 1855?
Ben Lerner
Author of Transcription
Author
Episode: How do we restore our sense of wonder in media?
Carrianne Leung
Author of Wonderland Road
Author, Wonderland Road
Episode: What does dystopia look like in the suburbs?

Host

Mattea Roach
Host of the show, known for interviewing authors and leading discussions on books and ideas.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Brilliant

    The podcast is great and Mattea is brilliant. The variety of books and authors is refreshing. Keep it coming.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Molinatoronto
    Canada23 days ago
  • Love the thoughtful conversation!

    Mattea is an excellent host and interviewer! They always ask such interesting questions. My favourite podcast by far!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WilliamFrancis
    Canada4 months ago
  • Ian McEwan

    Congratulations on the great questions that fuelled a fascinating conversation with the master novelist of our time,Ian McEwan. I just finished his latest novel and found the interview enhanced my reading experience. Keep it up!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Connie49
    Canada4 months ago
  • Terrible

    I live in the US as do many many of your readers, Louise. I didnt appreciate your negativity re the US or the tone of your remarks. I didn’t listen all the way through. I enjoy your books. I will keep reading them but I’d rather think of you as what I have imagined and not what I just heard. Very disappointing. I detected the same attitude with Mattea as well. We as citizens of our great country the USA aren’t graced with the options that our leaders choose to make.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Kirkieblue
    United States5 months ago
  • Excellent

    I’ve always enjoyed listening to programs like this where the authors are interviewed ..it provides tremendous insight into the kind of writing that they do. I really really like Mattea Roach’s interview style. It’s intelligent. It’s easy to listen to. I think she’s doing a marvellous job ….you can tell she’s a very bright person. Gratifying to hear one of the authors that she’s interviewed compliment her on her questions and her style. I think that’s super.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pametc
    Canada7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Fans appreciate the breadth of guests and depth of literary discussion.
Listeners praise the host for intelligent, well-prepared questions and engaging interviews.
Some listeners feel the host occasionally injects personal viewpoints; others see growth in interviewing style over time.
There is demand for access to older episodes or archives and strong appreciation for the show's literary focus.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#4
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#10
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#166
Australia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#60
New Zealand/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#90
Israel/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#125
South Africa/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Accepting the unknown … and a giant flock of crows
Q: Can you share with us what this story is about?
The story centers on a small prairie town where crows gather in unusually large numbers, provoking curiosity and unease before the community starts to interpret the event as a form of collective meaning-making tied to grief and memory.
Can our friendships age with us?
Q: What takeaway would you want readers to have after finishing the book?
I hope readers feel the crush of time and the grace needed to allow friends to change and grow into new roles, which is essential but hard to balance in long-standing relationships.
Can our friendships age with us?
Q: What did you want to explore with Richie's addiction and sobriety journey in the book?
I wanted to treat addiction with complexity and empathy, showing how long-term friends can pigeonhole someone into a role and how that constraint can become destructive unless the person can redefine themselves within the group.
Can our friendships age with us?
Q: What about Light Years spoke to you and fed your writing of So Old, So Young?
Light Years offers an incisive study of time and how life bends around a marriage, and its style—scene-driven with long arcs—inspired the way I structured So Old, So Young to cover twenty years in a tight, dramatic frame.
Can our friendships age with us?
Q: Why did you want to explore that kind of intimate relationship among friends instead of focusing on family or romantic ties?
I felt friendship is an endless well of material that's more complicated than families or romances, and it lets me examine agency, memory, and how people change together over time.

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 Bookends

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

A thoughtful literary interview show where each episode centers on a author or writer, exploring craft, themes, and the world they create. Conversations blend deep literary analysis with personal story, often touching on memoir, cultural context, and the ethics of storytelling. Notable strengths include a diverse roster of guests across genres and an interviewer known for insightful, well-researched questions that bring out both craft and perspective. Potential listeners may be drawn to rigorous literary discussion, interest in book culture, and recommendations across contemporary and classic titles.

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Which podcasts are similar to Bookends?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Bookends:

1. Ideas
2. Q with Tom Power
3. The Sunday Magazine
4. Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud
5. The Current

How many episodes of Bookends are there?

Bookends launched 19 years ago and published 155 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 Bookends?

Recent guests on Bookends include:

1. Patricia Cornwell
2. Larah Luna
3. Azar Nafisi
4. Sharon Bala
5. Grant Ginder
6. Jo Nesbø
7. Caro Claire Burke
8. Ben Lerner

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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