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Bookends with Mattea Roach

CBC
Grief
Identity
Literature
Family Dynamics
Mental Health
Cultural Identity
Canadian Literature
Chronic Pain
Canada
Immigration
Poetry
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.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes171Founded19 years ago
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BooksArts

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Artwork for Bookends

Latest Episodes

You might be used to moving around … but you've probably never ended up in a town full of zombies, aliens and sad clowns. Jon Claytor’s new graphic novel, Nowhere, is about a young boy named Joel whose family is constantly moving. He’s trying to adju... more

Bad men, bee warned. Imani Thompson’s buzzy debut novel, Honey, follows a jaded PhD student named Yrsa. She’s bored with her work and frustrated with the culture at Cambridge … but when she accidentally kills a shady professor using a bee, she realiz... more

David Baerwald is a famous songwriter who’s worked with artists like Joni Mitchell and Sheryl Crow. But when he uncovered a family history filled with spies, music, and wartime secrets … David went from notes to novels and wrote a sweeping historical... more

If you just let go of everything that’s out of your control … can you truly be happy? Maria Semple tests that philosophy in her new novel, Go Gentle. The story follows Adora Hazzard, a Stoic philosopher in her 50s who lives a calm, mostly happy life ... more

Key Facts

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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

Imani Thompson
Author of Honey
Author, Honey
Episode: Can you justify killing bad men?
David Baerwald
Author of The Fire Agent; musician and composer
Author
Episode: The dazzling, dangerous world of a 20th century spy
Maria Semple
Author of Go Gentle
Go Gentle author
Episode: Why you shouldn’t go gentle into that good night
Maggie O'Farrell
Author of Land and Hamnet screenwriter
Author, Screenwriter
Episode: From Hamnet to Land, Maggie O'Farrell maps uncharted history
Karan Mahajan
Author of The Complex
Penguin Random House (author)
Episode: Can you make a family — and a country — great again?
Robert J. Sawyer
Canadian science fiction writer
Author of The Downloaded series
Episode: Sci-fi, survival and the final frontier
Conor Kerr
Author, Beaver Hills Forever
Author
Episode: Bookends highlights: Y’all know we’re Canada down
Marjane Satrapi
Graphic novelist and filmmaker known for Persepolis and Chicken with Plums
Author/Artist
Episode: Marjane Satrapi: In conversation with Eleanor Wachtel
Jordan Abel
Nisga'a writer and poet, author of Dad Era, previously Nishka
Self-employed/Writer
Episode: What does it mean to be a dad, anyway?

Host

Mattea Roach
Host of Bookends

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Better with time!

    Great guests; lots of inspiration for what to read. Also agree with several other reviewers on how the show host has improved: by letting the guests talk without too many interruptions/personal anecdotes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mmmmbirds
    Canada2 months ago
  • Brilliant

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Molinatoronto
    Canada3 months 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
    Canada7 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
    Canada7 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 States7 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Host is well-prepared, articulate, and makes complex topics accessible.
High-quality conversations with diverse authors and subjects.
A consistently engaging literary show with strong guest picks.
Thoughtful, intelligent interviews that let guests speak and ideas flourish.
Some listeners felt the host's approach can be too persistent; most praise the depth.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#4
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#14
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#197
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#115
Australia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#79
South Korea/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#140
South Korea/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Can you justify killing bad men?
Q: What drew you to Cambridge as a backdrop, and how did your own experiences shape Yrsa's world?
The author discusses drawing on personal observations of microaggressions and campus politics to create a realistic microcosm of power dynamics, showing how a minority student navigates a historically exclusive environment while unpacking broader sociopolitical themes.
Can you justify killing bad men?
Q: Honey is dark, provocative and one of this year's busiest debuts. Why flip the script with a female serial killer?
Imani explains that populating the narrative with a woman of color who hunts 'bad men' reframes power and violence from a male-dominated lens, highlighting the gendered dynamics of violence and ensuring the reader confronts the normalization of male violence while questioning complicity in systems of power.
Why you shouldn’t go gentle into that good night
Q: I want to ask a bit about genre in this novel. How did you manage to keep all the balls in the air?
By anchoring the characters in their journeys and then guiding the plot toward a clear ending twist, I could balance romance, mystery, and social commentary without losing momentum.
Sci-fi, survival and the final frontier
Q: Can you talk about what it was like to decide to undergo cancer treatment while writing, and how that influenced your fiction?
He explains that facing a terminal diagnosis reshaped the themes of his work, using fiction to process existential questions, and that he purposely integrated his real-life cancer experience into The Downloaded 2 to magnify the stakes and explore life, death, and technology from a personal perspective.
Can you make a family — and a country — great again?
Q: What fascinated you about the Mundell Commission protests and the late 80s/early 90s period in India?
Mahajan discusses how that era produced a 'prehistory of the present,' with movements like Hindu nationalism quietly gathering and the author's choice to highlight perspectives on the 'wrong side of history.'

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?

Listeners can expect deeply literary conversations that thread through history, culture, and contemporary society. Episodes feature authors and writers who scrutinize identity, memory, and place, often tying personal experiences to broader social themes, from diaspora and colonial history to gender, power, and technology. The discussions frequently blend rigorous literary analysis with intimate storytelling, offering behind-the-scenes writing processes, archival discoveries, and philosophical reflections that help potential readers decide what to read next. A notable strength is the host's ability to balance scholarly inquiry with approachable storytelling, drawing out nuanced insights without getting bogged down in jargon. Occasionally, gu... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with Bookends:

1. The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing
2. Ideas
3. Q with Tom Power
4. The Sunday Magazine
5. The Current

How many episodes of Bookends are there?

Bookends launched 19 years ago and published 171 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. Imani Thompson
2. David Baerwald
3. Maria Semple
4. Maggie O'Farrell
5. Karan Mahajan
6. Robert J. Sawyer
7. Conor Kerr
8. Marjane Satrapi

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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