Manchester-based independent publisher, Comma Press, has just launched a brand new podcast, creating a new space for readers to further engage with their work.
The first series of the podcast focuses on the best-selling short story anthology Protest: Stories of Resistance, which features writers like Kit de Waal, Alexei Style and David Constantine.
The collection offers a wide range of content and styles and this breadth will be reflected in the podcast’s diverse and interdisciplinary set of guests. From scientists and philosophers to historical consultants and the authors themselves, the podcast will be a space to discuss the writer’s influences, and the themes of contexts of each of the stories.
The first episode focuses on LGBTQ rights and is released on the anniversary of the Section 28 march in Manchester. In it, Em Temple-Malt, Louise Wallwein and Juliet Jacques, author of Trans: A Memoir, discuss gay culture in Manchester.
With long episodes and in-depth discussions, the podcast brings out another side to each story and is a welcome addition to a growing number of podcasts from Manchester.
For readers looking for other similar podcasts, Manchester’s The End Of All Things podcast is a good place to start. In each episode, hosts Rob Cutforth and Kate Feld interview a writer about their work. Examples of guests include Joanna Walsh, author of Worlds From Word’s End, Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure and Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13.
If the discussion-based format of the new Comma Press Podcast sounds good to you, you might also like the Mostly Lit podcast. Each week, hosts Alex Reads, Raifa Rafiq and Derek Owusu discuss a new topic within literature. Highlights include guest appearances from Arundhati Roy, Guy Gunaratne and Yrsa Daley-Ward.
For anyone looking for something shorter to listen to, American Public Media’s The Slowdown is a great podcast to subscribe to. Each day, US poet laureate Tracy K. Smith reads and discusses a contemporary poem from poets like Ada Limón or Safia Elhillo. With each episode about five minutes long, it’s a great opportunity to take a moment to yourself and get to know a diverse range of new poetry.
