Lit with Charles

Welcome to Lit With Charles, a podcast on all things literary! I'm Charles Pignal, and every fortnight I’m asking guests about the four books which have made the biggest impact on their lives and work. If you're like me, you love literature – but maybe aren't always sure what you should be reading. The aim of this podcast is to make literature exciting and accessible; in each episode writers, artists, and other interesting people are giving real recommendations, to help you discover new books and authors off the beaten track. Here at Lit With Charles, every book has a story to tell.

Lit with Charles is a arts podcast hosted by Charles Pignal, with 118 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Charles Pignal hosts Lit with Charles, a arts show with 118 episodes published.

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  Lit with Charles

  Dream Houses, Elk Hearts, and Reading Spreadsheets

  Sep 27, 202630 min

  This week, Charles and Liv discuss Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Kamel Daoud’s controversial novel Houris, exploring the Algerian Civil War and the strange story surrounding the book. They also uncover the time Hunter S. Thompson terrified Jack Nicholson with an elk heart, before answering a listener question: how do you decide what to read next? From obsessive reading spreadsheets to simply trusting the universe, Charles and Liv reveal their very different – or perhaps surprisingly similar – systems. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

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  Lit with Charles

  James Bond, Werewolves, and Reading 100 Books a Year

  Sep 20, 202629 min

  This week, Charles and Liv discuss Ian Fleming’s For Your Eyes Only, Clarice Lispector’s strange and brilliant The Hour of the Star, and why some books are better read like poetry. They also uncover John Steinbeck’s unpublished werewolf novel and debate whether authors’ work should ever be published against their wishes. Plus, they answer a listener question: what would you change about contemporary book culture? From endless “best books” lists to the pressure to read 100 books a year, Charles and Liv have a few complaints. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

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  Lit with Charles

  Sartre, Spies, and How to Read More

  Sep 13, 202626 min

  Welcome to a new season of Lit With Charles , and a new format, as Charles is joined by co-host Liv for a weekly conversation about books, reading and the literary world. This week, they discuss Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit , Javier Marías’s Tomás Nevinson , and the surprising history of the CIA using literature as Cold War propaganda, including Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago . Plus, they answer a listener question: how do you encourage someone to read more? From putting down your phone to simply choosing books you actually enjoy, Charles and Liv share their best advice.

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  Episode #2

  Santanu Bhattacharya, author of "Deviants"

  Jul 24, 202649 minS4

  This week, Charles is joined by acclaimed novelist Santanu Bhattacharya. Santanu is one of the most exciting emerging voices in contemporary British fiction. Raised in India and now based in London, with eight cities across three countries in between, he is the author of the acclaimed novels One Small Voice and Deviants (2025). His writing explores identity, belonging, family, masculinity, and queer experience with remarkable warmth, intelligence, and emotional depth. Together, they explore queer literature and LGBTQ+ life in India, the impact of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and the relationship between politics, identity and fiction. Santanu also shares his journey to becoming a novelist, the books and writers who shaped him, and what Pride means to him today. A fascinating conversation about writing, queer history, Indian literature and the stories that help us understand a changing world.

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  Lit with Charles

  Sir Ben Okri, author of “The Famished Road” and “Waking the Warriors”

  Jul 15, 202649 min

  Today, Charles speaks with one of Britain’s most esteemed authors, the novelist and poet Sir Ben Okri. Sir Ben first shot to international fame in 1991 with The Famished Road , which won the Booker Prize that same year, making him the youngest-ever winner at the time, at just 32. Since then, he has published more than twenty books spanning novels, poetry, short stories, essays and plays, including Songs of Enchantment , Astonishing the Gods , Dangerous Love , The Age of Magic and The Freedom Artist . In 2023, he was knighted for services to literature. In this episode, Charles speaks with Sir Ben about his life and remarkable literary career, as well as his newest novel, Waking the Warriors . The book follows three unlikely heroes – Mel, Rosa and Apibus – as they set out to find a witch who can wake a group of sleeping warriors and save their city from a foreign invasion. Waking the Warriors is out now, available online and from bookstores. Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let’s get more people listening – and reading!

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