Meet the Judges: Bobby Palmer
Meet the judges! We chatted with the lovely Bobby Palmer about all things books. Podcaster, author and journalist who has written extensively for household titles, such as Time Out, GQ, Esquire, and Cosmopolitan. He also hosts the well-loved podcast Book Chat alongside fellow author and journalist, Pandora Sykes. His debut book, Isaac and the Egg, came out in 2022.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE ONLINE READING COMMUNITY?
There’s a real sense of togetherness and positivity which you don’t find elsewhere. It’s this brilliant feeling that every time a book succeeds, it’s a win for books and readers as a whole – which means there’s so much support for emerging authors.
WHAT BOOK FIRST SPARKED YOUR LOVE FOR READING?
When I was little I was obsessed with The Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart, illustrated by Chris Riddell. It was the first time I felt like I’d discovered a whole other world in books, and as a kid who spent all of his time drawing pictures and writing stories, it was the first time I was inspired to try and create some worlds of my own.
WHAT DEBUT AUTHOR SHOULD WE BE KEEPING OUR EYES ON?
I’ve just finished Shark Heart by Emily Habeck and was blown away by it. It’s got this brilliantly weird premise: a newly-married man gets told by his doctor that he’s got a year until he turns into a great white shark. But what could have been a gimmick turns into this stunning, heartbreaking exploration of love and grief and what keeps us going. It’s truly incredible – I can’t wait to see what Emily writes next.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL INSPIRED TO WRITE?
I love spending time outside and spend a lot more time outdoors now that I’ve got a very hyperactive dog. If I ever feel blocked creatively, I’ll head to the woods and walk and work out the kinks inside my own head. My next book, Small Hours, is kind of an ode to that reconnective power of nature.
IF YOU COULD GO FOR DINNER WITH A CHARACTER, WHO WOULD YOU PICK AND WHY?
Washington Black, from Esi Edugyan’s brilliant novel of the same name. He’s been on a lot of adventures, so he’d have a lot of stories to tell.
DO YOU HAVE ANY READING RITUALS?
I love reading on trains, actually. If I ever have a long train journey coming up, I get excited because it’s a great opportunity to read, uninterrupted.
ALL TIME FAVE READ
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
CURRENT READ
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors.
NEXT ON TBR
Jaded by Ela Lee.