Simon Mayo's Books of the Year

Simon Mayo, Matt Williams

podcasts@bauermedia.co.uk

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Booking Overview

A recurring books-focused Q&A/show featuring bestselling and highly visible authors in conversation with Simon Mayo and Matt Williams. It’s a strong platform for writers seeking serious, audience-friendly author visibility—especially around craft, inspiration, and standout reads.

Metrics

Episodes: 308

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Neutral

Location: United Kingdom

Contact Information

podcasts@bauermedia.co.uk

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Simon Mayo - Co-host of “Simon Mayo's Books of the Year,” inviting the world’s finest authors in for a chat/Q&A.

Matt Williams - Co-host of “Simon Mayo's Books of the Year,” inviting the world’s finest authors in for a chat/Q&A with Simon Mayo.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high
Typical Credentials:  
Established authors with mainstream visibility—e.g., international or bestselling writers, frequently also known as public figures (comedians/actors) or prominent literary authors.
Required Achievements:  
bestselling author status, major published novels/books, strong media/public profile, recognition for writing craft (author interviews centered on process and influences)

Recent Guest Discussions

Dawn French - Writing Routine; Favourite Reads; Influences For Her New Novel ‘enough’; Personal Inspirations; Family And Life Experiences; How She Sees Her Book As A Film.

Dawn French - Her New Novel ‘enough’; Personal Inspirations; Teenage Crushes; Shared Love Of Barcelona; Family Recipes; Themes Drawn From Family Loss; Father’s Suicide And Her Mum’s Death/agency Over Life’s End.

Matt Haig - Books He’s Been Enjoying; Brontes; His Book-shelf Setup; Favourite Book-to-film Adaptation; Writing Risks And A Mentor.

Recent Topics

Literature, Books, Authors, Book Culture, Writing

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
Simon Mayo's Books of the Year
:

Elizabeth Strout

July 08, 2026

Pulitzer Prize winning author, Elizabeth Strout, joins Simon and Matt for a chat about her brilliant new novel, 'The Things We Never Say'.She talks about her writing routine, inspirations, listening to conversations, making every word count - and - why returning to characters and worlds is so enjoyable. They also discuss writing about covid, and the joy of discovering what your book is about halfway through writing it! Here's the blurb for Elizabeth's novel:Artie Dam is a man with a secret. H...

Dawn French Q&A

July 01, 2026

Comedian and author Dawn French joins Simon and Matt for our Q&A episode. We learn about her writing routine, favourite snacks, her love for Kae Tempest's writing, the people she always shares her book with first - and - who she'd invite to her fantasy dinner party. We also surprise Dawn with a question from the poet, Donna Ashworth! Remember you can email us anytime: booksoftheyear@yahoo.com

Dawn French

June 24, 2026

Comedian, actor and bestselling author Dawn French joins Simon and Matt for a natter about her new novel, 'Enough'. She talks about her personal inspirations for the story, white crows, teenage crushes (Donny Osmond VS David Cassidy) and how she sees her book a as a film. There are some deep and poignant moments too - where Dawn talks about her father's suicide, and her Mum's death - specifically the agency her mum had over the end of her life. They also chat about a shared love of Barcelona,...

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