https://www.suzifeay.com/ Recent Book Bag videos and blog posts from Suzi Feay. en-gb Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:41:32 +0000 https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/scarlett-thomas-chapter-2-suzis-book-bag/ bookbag-video-B7h5UC_Xg_Y Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Scarlett Thomas is the author of 'PopCo', 'The End of Mr Y', 'Our Tragic Universe' and other works of brain-bending fiction. In this second Book Bag chapter she joins Suzi to talk about her early crime novels, ethnobotany, fictional pets, Nietzsche, veganism, literary thrillers, and the pleasures of putting strange ideas into propulsive fiction. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/baggies-2025-and-the-year-in-review-join-suzi-as-she-looks-back-on-the-year-that-was/ bookbag-video-nhuj_6V613Q Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 2025 saw a lot of interesting guests in the bag. Suzi sums it all up for you in the Year in Review. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/after-hans-holbein-arrived-in-england-painting-would-never-be-the-same-again-elizabeth-goldr/ bookbag-video-UHUqSxGodZA Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Hans Holbein's masterpieces are world-renowned, but who was the man behind those brilliantly observed portraits of the Tudor court? Elizabeth Goldring drops into the Book Bag to discuss her marvellous new biography. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-discusses-the-launch-of-the-aftershock-review-in-manchester/ bookbag-video-mrvdjgDFX9Y Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Suzi discusses the launch of The Aftershock Review in Manchester issue two and recent literary events. Plus Chorley cakes and northern crisp flavours. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/sexing-up-the-haunted-house-leon-craigs-eerie-debut-the-decadence/ bookbag-video-fl70ga3JHP8 Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Rising star Leon Craig drops into the Book Bag to discuss moving from the short story to the novel form with her darkly delicious debut, 'The Decadence', a sharply modern take on the country house genre. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/did-jane-austen-ever-fall-in-love-suzi-and-paula-byrne-discuss-the-nuances-six-weeks-by-the/ bookbag-video-RyYbU0kJ_3s Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Did Jane Austen ever fall in love? Paula Byrne joins me in the Book Bag to discuss all things Austen and her excellent new novel 'Six Weeks By the Sea', an ingenious spin on the author's life. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/from-costume-designer-to-historical-novelist-sally-gardner-reveals-her-unique-writers-journe/ bookbag-video-6lp7xd3pfxk Wed, 17 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Prizewinning author Sally Gardner joins Suzi to discuss her new historical novel 'The Bride Stone', fairy tales, the French Revolution, and her top tip for creating rounded characters https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/musical-heroes-acting-royalty-and-comedy-legends-at-the-idler-festival-in-hampstead/ bookbag-video-Kx0YI8cBZS4 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Suzi hangs out at the Idler festival in Hampstead, tries a bit of Regency dancing, finds out about the sex in Jane Austen, remembers Britpop and meets musical hero Joe Boyd. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/i-chat-with-benjamin-markovits-about-trips-saul-bellow-and-nominated-novel-the-rest-of-our-l/ bookbag-video-KW7hYGux1Vc Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Benjamin Markovits joins Suzi to talk about road trips, basketball and Saul Bellow, and his witty, bittersweet new novel, 'The Rest of Our Lives' about a man who goes on a voyage of self-discovery across the US as he contemplates leaving his marriage. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/how-do-you-write-50-books-childrens-author-joseph-coelho-reveals-his-tricks/ bookbag-video-Fc_wtsbyACo Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Children's author and poet Joseph Coelho drops into the Book Bag to discuss his latest prizewinning book, 'The Boy Lost in the Maze', a brilliant contemporary re-working of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-chats-with-peter-stothard/ bookbag-video-1tYxHZEdnIg Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Seize the day! Why Roman poet Horace still rocks A lover of wine (Nunc est bibendum), women and the peaceful life, Horace had to tread carefully around Augustus Caesar. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/the-aftershock-review/ bookbag-video-HTKNEdKsQcw Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Suzi introduces the new poetry mag that's causing a stir, and remembers the Irish poet Niall McDevitt https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-visits-the-oxford-and-althorp-literary-festivals/ bookbag-video-JQFyy-C7lrc Tue, 27 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Who she met, who she interviewed and overall impressions of the events in question. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-talks-to-poet-rachel-spence-about-her-inspirations-yoga-venice-and-the-greek-myths/ bookbag-video-Xsn533ayvZM Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 'Living in Venice made me a better person' Poet and art writer Rachel Spence joins me in the Book Bag to discuss her latest collection, 'Daughter of the Sun', which contains tender poems on her mother's terminal illness and a sequence redeeming the villainous Medea. We talk Ruskin, Greek tragegy, Renaissance art and yoga https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/charlie-hill-chapter-2-we-learn-about-his-writing-process-and-more/ bookbag-video-pJifZw9zGio Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Charlie HIll returns to the Book Bag to discuss his new collection of wry psychogeographical essays, 'This Albion: Snapshots of a compromised land'. We chat about his journeys, photos and inspirations, his unique take on Britain, and his writing methods. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-chats-with-george-orwell-biographer-critic-and-novelist-dj-taylor/ bookbag-video-YSMu9S5FBTQ Sun, 16 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Suzi interviews George Orwell biographer, critic and novelist DJ Taylor about his methods, motivations and insights. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-chats-with-author-philip-womack-chapter-2-i-wrote-a-vampire-novel-aged-14/ bookbag-video-SjPhqaDH1H4 Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Coronation Chicken sandwiches, Narnia and playing the piano - children's fantasy author Philip Womack reveals his top writing tips, tweaks and post-creativity treats. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/the-baggie-awards-2024/ bookbag-video-cF6y7WbMuyc Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 The Baggie Awards are BACK! 🏆 Don't miss this revealing look inside Suzi's Book Bag! https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/the-obituary-of-the-famous-irish-poet-michael-longley/ bookbag-video-S1s2AFzy_2Y Mon, 27 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Suzi bids farewell to the great Irish poet Michael Longley, and discusses his lengthy career. A link to the poetic past has been broken, but the work lives on. https://www.suzifeay.com/videos/suzi-chats-with-jenny-downham-and-louis-hill-about-their-unique-collaboration-and-their-new/ bookbag-video-xtqLFjPfTug Sun, 05 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 How do a bestselling, prizewinning author and an actor collaborate on their first book together? Well, it helps if they're mother and son! https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/essex-dogs-rrrraarr/ bookbag-blog-essex-dogs-rrrraarr Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 During my stint at the Oxford Literary Festival 2026, I chaired 17 events, which nearly killed me. No, it was fun… but since many of the events involved two authors, the total list of books to read was 26 – … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/life-lessons-from-a-master/ bookbag-blog-life-lessons-from-a-master Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 There are bed books, train books, sofa books, kitchen table books, but only a special sort of disposable artefact is a bath book. A long soak is made even more pleasurable with a good read, but steam ruins the paper. … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/be-more-bernhardt/ bookbag-blog-be-more-bernhardt Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Last week I caught the last performance in Thames Ditton of the touring one-woman show ‘C’est La Vie: Sarah Bernhardt and Me’, and what a treat it was. Written and performed by Hilary Tones, the play opens wtih an apprehensive … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/deserts-of-vast-eternity/ bookbag-blog-deserts-of-vast-eternity Thu, 08 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Maggie, in the final story in ‘Mystery Lights’ by Lena Valencia, observes that ‘With something so impossible [the unexplained disappearance of a child], your brain filled those logical gaps.’ Characters grasp for explanations when faced with the inexplicable: alien abductions, … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/the-guy-from-villiers-street/ bookbag-blog-the-guy-from-villiers-street Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Streams of people trot down an unassuming thoroughfare running from the Strand to reach Embankment underground station, without ever stopping to consider its history. Close by Villiers Street are Duke Street, Buckingham Street and George Street, all commemorating the extraordinary … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/bodies-hard-and-soft/ bookbag-blog-bodies-hard-and-soft Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 A Greek fisherman hauls up a woman’s body in his net, but this is no murder mystery; C Michelle Lindley’s debut novel The Nude opns with the recovery of an ancient marble statue, a discovery which sets art historians across … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/lost-in-ibiza/ bookbag-blog-lost-in-ibiza Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 I interviewed Rebecca Frayn, along with her novelist father Michael, earlier in the summer at the wonderful Idler Festival, which takes place each year at Fenton House in Hampstead. I thought I’d put together a few comments on her novel, … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/oh-julian/ bookbag-blog-oh-julian Wed, 25 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Beyond sad to hear about the disappearance of Julian Sands, who is still lost at time of writing, having not returned from a snowy hike in Los Angeles. I was only chatting to him three months ago, at a party … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/bryant-and-may-forever/ bookbag-blog-bryant-and-may-forever Sun, 25 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000 In preparation for my Guardian interview with Christopher Fowler of 10 July regarding the winding-up of his long-running Bryant and May mystery series, I headed back to 2003 for their very first case. In Full Dark House (the press release … Continue reading → https://www.suzifeay.com/blog/who-the-heck-was-lothar/ bookbag-blog-who-the-heck-was-lothar Sun, 21 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000 Lockdown has impelled me towards books I might not have read under other circumstances. Long books, about complicated topics. Books that require a bit of thought. I had a copy of Simon Winder’s ‘Lotharingia’ (Picador) knocking about, having heard him … Continue reading →