Podcast
The Brit Lit Book Club
The ultimate British literature podcast for book lovers, literary travelers, and anyone who wants to know England’s greatest authors better. Hosted by Vanessa, a lifelong Anglophile and founder of The Book Club Tour: insider insights, historical context, and the stories behind the books. New episodes every Thursday.
Episodes
A.A. Milne & Winnie-the-Pooh at 100
Winnie-the-Pooh at 100: A.A. Milne, Christopher Robin, and the Real Hundred Acre Wood | Brit Lit Book Club Winnie-the-Pooh turns 100! In this birthday episode of the Brit Lit Book Club, Vanessa explores the story behind one of the most beloved children's books ever written: autho
Brit Lit Chit Chat - Sense & Sensibility Movie Review
We saw the new Sense and Sensibility on opening day, and we’re breaking it down. Vanessa is joined by Brittney from the Moms Talk Autism podcast for a spoiler-filled, book-lovers’ review of Georgia Oakley’s 2026 film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles. Both of us gre
Sense and Sensibility: What to Know Before the Movie
Sense and Sensibility: What to Know Before You See the 2026 Movie Sense and Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, opens in theaters October 16. Before you go, find out what Jane Austen’s first novel was really about. In this episode of the Brit Lit Book Cl
Frances Hodgson Burnett - Gardens and Transformations
Step through the door in the wall and into the world of Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author behind The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. In this episode of the Brit Lit Book Club, we look at why these classic children’s novels are far more psychologica
C.S. Lewis - The Most Reluctant Convert
C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert — The Untold Love Story, Loss, and Faith Behind Narnia Before he was the beloved author of The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis was a devout atheist who swore he'd never believe in God. In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, we trace the
Walking in Agatha’s Christie’s Footsteps: A Literary Tour of the English Riviera - An Interview our Tour Guides
She sold two billion books. She's been translated into over a hundred languages. She has a Russian rock band named after her. And yet — she always said that within ten years of her death, no one would remember her at all. In this episode, I sit down with Graham Kerr and Maria ("M
So you want to start reading the classics?
Do you have a classic sitting on your shelf that's been there for two years? Maybe someone gifted you Jane Austen, or you picked up a Brontë at a charity shop with the best intentions. And every time you walk past it, there's a little whisper that says: I should really read that.
Agatha Christie - The Queen of Crime
She sold over two billion books. Her play The Mousetrap has run in London's West End for more than seventy years without a single break. And she once vanished for eleven days in a mystery that has never been solved. Dame Agatha Christie wasn't just writing cozy puzzles — she was
J.M. Barrie and Peter Pan: The Boy Who Never Grew Up
What if the most beloved children's story in the English language was actually about grief? In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, we're exploring the extraordinary life of Scottish author J.M. Barrie — the man behind Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Neverland, and Captain Hook — and t
Interview with Alex Dold, Dr. of Outlander
What does it mean to fall through time and land in history class? If you've ever stayed up until 2am turning pages of Outlander, convinced you could practically smell the heather and hear the clash of broadswords at Culloden, today's guest has a very official explanation for why
Sir Walter Scott - The Man Who Invented Scotland
Sir Walter Scott - The Man Who Invented Scotland If you've ever lost yourself in the Highland landscapes of Outlander, stood misty-eyed at a ruined Scottish castle, or felt your heart catch at the sight of a man in a kilt, you have Walter Scott to thank for that. In this episode
James Herriot - Yorkshire’s Beloved Vet
What if the most profound literature isn't found in dark Gothic mansions or dramatic tragedy, but in the everyday work of a country veterinarian making rounds through the Yorkshire Dales? In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, we're heading north to meet James Herriot, the pe
Anne Brontë - The Forgotten Sister
Anne Brontë – The Forgotten Sister She's been called the forgotten Brontë — overshadowed by Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights, dismissed as the quietest and least talented of the three sisters. But Anne Brontë may have been the most radical Victorian novelist of
Daphne du Maurier: The Woman Behind Rebecca
The Brit Lit Book Club - Daphne du Maurier: The Woman Behind Rebecca Discover the dark, complex world of Daphne du Maurier, one of the 20th century's most brilliant and misunderstood writers. Join host Vanessa Hunt as she explores the life and legacy of the author who gave us one
The Hidden History of Book Clubs
What if the book club wasn't just a cozy tradition, but one of the most powerful tools for change in women's history? In this episode of the Brit Lit Book Club, we trace the story of women's reading communities from the salons of ancient Greece and 18th-century France all the way
Mary Shelley & the Birth of Frankenstein
What does it take to write one of the most enduring novels in human history at eighteen years old, in the middle of a volcanic winter, surrounded by grief? In this episode of the Brit Lit Book Club, we dive deep into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, tracing the extraordinary life beh
How to Start a Classics Book Club
Starting a Classics Book Club: Tips, Traditions & Literary Travel with Keri & Liz Have you ever dreamed of starting a classics book club but didn't know where to begin? In this episode, I sit down with two friends who started my personal book club, Keri & Liz, to talk all things
My Review of the New Wuthering Heights Movie
Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights (2026) has arrived and the internet has opinions. So do I. In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, we're stepping away from the page and into the cinema to review the most talked-about British literary adaptation of the year. Starring Margot
Wuthering Heights: Everything You Need to Know Before the New Movie Comes Out This Week
Wuthering Heights: Everything You Need to Know Before the New Movie Comes Out This Week The new Wuthering Heights movie starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is coming soon, and whether you've read Emily Brontë's classic or not, this episode will prepare you for what you're abo
Interview with Essie Fox, Author of "Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights"
Join author Essie Fox for a haunting conversation about Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights, a Gothic reimagining of Emily Brontë's masterpiece told from Catherine Earnshaw's ghostly perspective. In this special episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, Sunday Times bestselling
Beatrix Potter - Author, Illustrator, Farmer, Conservationist, Scientist
Beatrix Potter - Author, Illustrator, Farmer, Conservationist, Scientist Discover the untold story of Beatrix Potter—far more than just the beloved author of Peter Rabbit. In this episode, host Vanessa reveals how Potter was a pioneering scientist, savvy entrepreneur, Lake Distri
Elizabeth Gaskell - Voice of the Working Class
Discover Elizabeth Gaskell: Victorian Literature's Voice for Social Reform | The Brit Lit Book Club Join host Vanessa as we explore the life and revolutionary works of Elizabeth Gaskell, the Victorian author who gave voice to England's working classes during the Industrial Revolu
Brit Lit Chit Chat with Brittney from Moms Talk Autism
This week on the Brit Lit Book Club Podcast, I'm doing something a little different! Instead of our usual author deep-dive, I'm joined by my friend Brittney for a chatty, catch-up style episode about all the literary adventures we've been having. We're sharing all the details fro
The Importance of Performing Shakespeare - An Interview with Michael Anderson from The Happiness Playbook
Why Performing Shakespeare Still Matters: A Conversation with Michael from Take Note Troupe Why do we still perform Shakespeare 400 years after his death? In this special interview episode (the first for The Brit Lit Book Club) we sit down with Michael, director of Take Note Trou
Christmas Through the Ages: From Shakespeare, to Austen, to Dickens
Journey through 300 years of British Christmas traditions with The Brit Lit Book Club! Discover how Christmas was celebrated in Shakespeare's England, Jane Austen's Regency world, and Charles Dickens' Victorian era. From the twelve days of Tudor revelry and the Lord of Misrule to
Dickens and His Illustrators - The Artists Who Drew Victorian Christmas
Dickens and His Illustrators: The Artists Who Drew Victorian Christmas Ever wonder who first gave visual form to Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Fezziwig's famous ball? Discover the fascinating world of Victorian book illustration and the artists who shaped how we vi
Charles Dickens & A Christmas Carol - More Than Holiday Spirit
Charles Dickens & A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens's Revolutionary Ghost Story Discover the untold story behind Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol in this deep dive into Victorian literature's most influential work. More than just a holiday tale, A Christmas Carol was a radica
Charles Dickens: The People’s Author
Charles Dickens: The People's Author - The Brit Lit Book Club Join us for an in-depth exploration of Charles Dickens, the literary rock star of Victorian England! In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club, we dive into the life and works of the author behind A Christmas Carol, Ol
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre - The Governess Who Changed Everything
Episode 6: Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre - The Governess Who Changed Everything Discover why Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was more than just a Gothic romance—it was a revolutionary manifesto for women's equality disguised as a love story. In this episode of The Brit Lit Book Club,
The Brontë Sisters - Growing Up Wild
The Brit Lit Book Club - Episode 5: The Brontë Sisters - Growing Up Wild Step into the windswept world of the Brontë sisters—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne—three isolated children who transformed childhood fantasies into some of the most passionate and psychologically complex novels
Perfect for
- Book club members seeking deeper discussion topics
- Travelers planning to visit Britain
- Students and teachers exploring classic British novels
- Anyone preparing for The Book Club Tour experience