Graphic Novels (NB: Alan Moore calls them comics, so we’re allowed to call
them comics) are increasingly becoming a fantastic medium for diverse storytelling. Award-winning author Nikesh Shukla grew up feeling less alone because of Spiderman, and is now the author of the Spiderman: INDIA-SEVA as well as multiple best-selling books including The Good Immigrant and Brown Baby. Lewis Hancox is the author of the acclaimed Welcome to St Hell: My Trans Teens Misadventures and its sequel. They chat with Robin Ince.  

Recorded in The Cosmic Shambles Forest of Science and Culture at the 2025 Latitude Festival.  

Support us by signing up at patreon.com/cosmicshambles or treating yourself to something at cosmicshambles.com/shop

Graphic Novels Panel - Live from Latitude 2025

Our second special from this year's Latitude Festival, again recorded backstage at the Speakeasy tent. Robin chats her Ladybird Guide to Consciousness with Dr Hannah Critchlow and science books with Dr Michael Brooks of Science(ish). We catch up with Matt Haig about Notes on a Nervous Planet and Jen Brister on her new Edinburgh show. As before, being a festival, there can be some background noise in some of these chats. Like Gospel choirs at full tilt.

Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles

Book Shambles - Latitude Festival 2018 Special - Part 2

First episode of six recorded live at Edinburgh Fringe, in this episode Robin chats to comedian and co-host of All Killa No Filla, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and comedian and DIY chef George Egg. They chat best books about serial killers, favourite cookery books, the precarious crossover of the two and home made Russian antennas.

Support the show, and The Cosmic Shambles Network at patreon.com/bookshambles. Lots of great rewards including extended episodes. There's an extra 15 minutes of this chat for instance. And be sure to check out the launch our new blog network, featuring Robin, Dean Burnett, Helen Czerski, Jon Butterworth and more at cosmicshambles.com/blogs

Book Shambles Live from the Edinburgh Fringe - Kiri Pritchard-McLean and George Egg

Canadian singer-songwriter Ben Caplan is on tour in Europe at the moment with his band and new musical Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, so he dropped by the studio to chat with Robin and Michael Legge, subbing for Josie again whilst she's on maternity leave. They chat of Jewish refugees, squeezing philosophy lines into songs, great music biographies by hard rockers and much more. And Michael does an ad for Mercedes for which we very much didn't get paid for.

Extended edition for Patreons as always. Please consider supporting the show at patreon.com/bookshambles so we can keep on making it!

Book Shambles - Ben Caplan

Since today is publication day for Robin Ince's book I'm a Joke and So Are You we've got a very special double episode. In a front room in Northampton Robin is joined by Alan Moore, subbing in as co-host for Josie Long this week, to chat with author of Drunken Baker Barney Farmer. They chat about all their new books, accents, Viz, Laurence Scott, HP Lovecraft and a whole lot more. Part Two will be out very soon.

As always, thanks to our Patreon supporters who have a whole 15 minutes of extra exclusive chat this week, and the same again in Part 2. Support the show at patreon.com/bookshambles

Book Shambles - Barney Farmer and Alan Moore - Part 1

International best selling author Ian Rankin returns to Book Shambles for a special episode recorded as part of our live run at the Edinburgh Fringe. He chats to Robin about Rebus, great music novels, being asked to ghost write Sean Connery's biography and how crime writers seek revenge on ex-lovers...

Support the show by leaving a review at Apple Podcasts or pledging as little as $1 a month on Patreon at patreon.com/bookshambles

Book Shambles - Ian Rankin - Live at the Edinburgh Fringe

We are back! Recorded live from the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, Robin and Josie are joined by actor Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme) who is currently winning acclaim for his lead turn in Death of a Salesman at The Young Vic. They chat about Arthur Miller and the potency of the Loman family being portrayed by an African American cast, bad accents in The Wire, Taylor Branch, Kate Grenville and more.

Support Book Shambles and the Cosmic Shambles Network by pledging as little as $1 a month at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended episodes, free tickets to events and much more!

Tickets for the West End transfer of Death of a Salesman can be found at salesmanwestend.com

Book Shambles - Wendell Pierce

Our guest this week was meant to be Lemn Sissay but a mix up with timings meant Robin and Josie found themselves alone in the studio for 40 minutes or so. So what better way to fill the time than catch up with what they've been reading since they last saw each other a couple of months ago! Jean Rhys, Alistair Humphreys, Shirley Jackson, Roger Deakin and more!

Support the podcast by pledging at http://patreon.com/bookshambles

Book Shambles - Robin and Josie Catch Up

Recorded live at this year's Blue Dot Festival after the play Signals, Helen Czerski is joined by Matthew Cobb, Suzie Imber and Chris Lintott to talk about life. What is life? What are its origins? Why is it on Earth? Where else might it be? What might it look like? Are we alone? What is the cosmological importance of squid rings?

Signals is on tour in the UK throughout October. Dates at cosmicshambles.com/signals

Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles

Science Shambles - The Origins of Life - Live from the Blue Dot Festival

Our first ever guest on Book Shambles was Stewart Lee, and with his new book, March of the Lemmings, just released he's back in the studio this week with Robin to chat about it. Given the new book is about Brexit, there's a lot of chat about Brexit, finding the comedy in, but also talk of Steve Jones, William Blake, Marvel comics and what Robin and Stew need to do to make sure they remain members of the metropolitan liberal elite...

To hear the extended edition of this, and all, episodes, support the podcast at http://patreon.com/bookshambles 

Pic by Steve Ullathorne

Book Shambles - Stewart Lee Returns Again

Author John Higgs is in the studio this week with Robin and Bec to talk about all things William Blake, which makes sense being that John has just written a new essay on him for the Tate Exhibition and as a major new book coming out next year about Blake. They also talk about AI, climate and the future, the subject of John's latest book The Future Starts Here as well as Elizabeth Taylor, Matt Haig and discover The Beatles were quite good.

Support the podcast at patreon.com/bookshambles to get extended editions of each and every episode. In this week's extended edition find out why Tomorrowland wasn't as bad as Bec thought it would be...

Book Shambles - John Higgs

The Cosmic Shambles Network creates and curates podcasts, digital content and live events for people with curious minds. People who want to find out more about our universe through science, art, history, philosophy, music, literature. People who believe ignorance is not bliss. People who want to keep on discovering and learning about our wondrous universe and who want to have a laugh while doing it. People who believe that it is indeed our curiosity that makes us human.  We believe we can never stop learning – science will never be finished and that’s exciting. The Cosmic Shambles Network brings together the world’s leading scientists, comedians, writers and performers to create entertaining content fuelled by curiosity. The approach is fun, real, accessible. Amongst the shambles there’s something for everyone.

Graphic Novels Panel - Live from Latitude 2025

The Cosmic Shambles Network

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