Rippling Pages: Interviews with Writers

It's a summer of sport, and I am here for it!

Ashton Politanoff is here to talk to me about his novel, DAD HAD A BAD DAY (Daunt Books)

Ashton's novel is an articulate exploration of masculinity, its patiently crafted unraveling narrative, and its loyal homage to the sport of tennis.

Here's some fun facts about Ashton.

Ashton Politanoff is a frequent contributor to NOON, edited by Diane Williams. He is a former Division I tennis player, and his childhood coach was Robert Lansdorp, who is credited with coaching Pete Sampras and Maria Sharapova. Politanoff’s first novel, You’ll Like It Here, was published in 2022 by Dalkey Archive Press. He is an English professor at Cypress College, and lives in Los Angeles.

In the episode, we'll be talking about (im)perfect role models and father figures, the challenges of writing about your passion, how to write narrative tension, and yes, of course, and tennis.

A reading list of books Ashton mentions in this episode are available to buy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/july-s-reads-2026?&new-list-page=true&bkshp-astro=t

Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages Patreon and become a Page Rippler!
https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi

Chapters 
- 1.15 - Pete Sampras and Maria Sharipova?
- 2.10 - watching Wimbledon
- 4.15 - Who is Ned and why tennis?
- 5.45 - setting a novel in a tennis club
- 7.40 - Did Ashton feel like he had to write this novel
- 10.15 - Ned's relationship with his son. 
- 11.50 - Tough challenges of writing sons
- 15.10 - fathers and sons and sports.
- 17.45 - Ashton's own tennis career
- 19.30 - different fraternal and paternal relationships
- 20.30 - Rippling Pages Bookshop
- 21.45 - Writing key smalls scenes
- 27.00 - Writing tension
- 32.25 - Ned's relationship with his wife.
- 37.30 - Writing about tennis!
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I had the absolute pleasure hosting Alice Hattrick up in Leeds for a special edition of the Rippling Pages at Leeds Literature Festival.

I'm a huge fan of Alice's first book, ILL FEELINGS (Fitzcarraldo Editions), so I was obviously really excited to get stuck into their next book, FANCY WORK (Fitzcarraldo Editions), for this special live edition of the Rippling Pages. 

That book indeed weaved (auto)biography, science art history, reportage, and polemic to explore the impact of chronic illness on theirs and their mother’s lives. Alice applied some of these innovative techniques to FANCY WORK.

Alice explores the life and work of the incredibly influential Morris family and the arts and craft movement. Alice finds and traces evidence and ephemerality related to the life and work May Morris and their gender non-conforming partner, M.F. 

Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages. 
https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi

Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages:
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod

Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how:
https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages 

Chapters

0.15 - Introduction to the event
02.15 - How Alice was enjoying Leeds
03.00 - What is the book about?
05.00 - Who are the Morris Family?
9.00 - How the Morris's went back in history. 
13.10 - Embroidery as labour
14.50 - Alice's reading.
22.45 - Why write history in this way?
26.05 - Making money from embroidery/writing
28.05 - How to uncover history
34.45 - Alice writing about feelings
40.00 - Alice's relationship with their mum. 
43.00 - Alice's mum is an embroider 
47.00 - Love in Alice's novel
47.30 - Rippling Pages Patreon Prize.

 

Reference Points

Walter Benjamin
Judith Butler
Ill Feelings (2021: Fitzcarraldo Books) - Alice Hattrick
Feeling Backward: Loss and the Politics of Queer History - Heather Love  (2007:Harvard University Press)
Queering the Subversive Stich (2020: Bloomsbury Publishing) - Joseph McBrinn
José Esteban Muñoz
The Subversive Stitch (1984:Bloomsbury Publishing) - Rozsika Parker 
The Log Books (2026: Faber) - Tash Walker and Adam Zmith

Welcome to an episode of Ask the Host, i.e. with me, Liam!

This the podcast where writers get real about writing, but today, we’re getting real about podcasting!

In today’s episode of Ask the Host, we’re finding out:

- What’s the difference between the live coffee conversations and remote interviews>
- My summer book preview and reading list?
- Where have we been for Leeds Lit Fest? What is the hottest new literary salon on the scene? And looking forward to my event with Alice Hattrick
- What’s the origin story of the podcast?

Enjoy and let me know if you’ve got any questions when you leave a review of my show!

Tickets to the Rippling Pages Live at Leeds Literature Festival with Alice Hattrick
https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/alice-hattrick-fancy-work/

Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages. 
https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi

Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages:
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod

Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how:
https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages 

 

Books
Jan Carson
Raoul de Jong 
John Eyck
Neil Griffiths 
Alice Hattrick
Stu Hennigan 
M. John Harrison - The end of everything 
Hanna Nordenhök - Caesaria
Agnes Lidbeck 
Fernanda Melchor 
Sara Mesa
Jake Morris Campbell - A journey onto the salt and ash
Flann O’Brien
The Rickard Sisters 
Keith Ridgway - Dooneen 
C.D. Rose
Guillermo Stitch - The Coast of Everything 
Saskia Vogel
Katie Whittemore
Alice Evelyn Yang - A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing

Let’s dust off the archives again and celebrate some of the guests we’ve had on the Rippling Pages

This time, we’re going back to a conversation that was had in 2022 with the writer, editor, and all around bookish good guy, Nicholas Royle.

I spoke to Nicholas about his wonderful book about book collecting, WHITE SPINES:THE CONFESSIONS OF A BOOK COLLECTOR

Chances are, if you’ve a penchant for second-hand books, you’ll have been or known about one of the many bookshops Nicholas visited to find the Picador books that he coveted.

We’re also celebrating Leeds Literature Festival. The book features Leeds bookshops, and Nicholas is in Leeds talking about the art of the short story with Alice Jolly and Naomi Booth. 

Get your tickets below

Tickets to me in conversation with Alice Hattrick. 
https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/alice-hattrick-fancy-work/

Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages. 
https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi

Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages:
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod

Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how:
https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages 

Reference Points

Writers and Books

AJ Ashworth
Andrea Ashworth
The Lake John Foxx (Nightjar Press)
M. John Harrison
Anna Kavan - Ice (Picador: 1967)
Alberto Manguel (editor) Black Water: The Anthology of Fantastic Literature (Picador: 1983)
Livi Michael - The Lake (Nightjar Press)
Alison Moore
Nicholas Royle - First Novel (Vintage: 2013)
Nicholas Royle - Counterparts (Penguin: 1995)
Nicholas Royle - Ornithology (Confingo: 2017)
Nicholas Royle - An English Guide to Bird Watching (Myriad Editions: 2017)
Nicholas Royle - Uncanny (Manchester University Press: 2003)
Per Wahlöö - The Lorry (Picador: 1972)
Conrad Williams

Artists

Paul Delvaux
Salvador Dali

Chapters
3.00 - when did he first see the white spines?
7.00 - what was special about the books
9.00 - why write this book
12.15 - Writing a quest
14.45 - is it about confession or obsession 
18.10 - giving second life to writers
19.35 - second hand bookshops 
24.55 - tactile nature of books 
26.09 - sharing names and uncanniness 
28.15 - two Nicholas Royles
30.30 - dreams and realities of being a writer
34.45 - nightjar press

The podcast for the world’s most interesting writers is going a little closer to home; we’re visiting Leeds and the North of England for a conversation about with Stu Hennigan about his novel, KESHED. 

Not only is it lovely to speak about some of the places I know really well, but also a bittersweet too, as Stu’s novel reminds of me of the people and places I’ve moved away from. 

What I loved about Stu’s novel, is its sheer vividness of its writing, combining, artfully, the vernacular and the obscene. It’s evocations of northern town and cities that are close to me, but also its unflinching approach to troubling subject matter.

Stu Hennigan is a writer, poet, editor, and musician based in Leeds, UK. His acclaimed book, Ghost Signs: Poverty and the Pandemic, became notable for its powerful documentary fo the  city's most deprived communities during COVID-19 lockdown. KESHED, published by Ortac Press, is his first novel. 

*this episode features strong language and discussion of sensitive themes!*

Tickets to me in conversation with Alice Hattrick. 
https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/alice-hattrick-fancy-work/

Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages. 
https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi

Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages:
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod

Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how:
https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages 

Stu’s Substack:
https://stuhennigan.substack.com

 

References
Writers
Martin Amis
Jenn Ashworth
Charles Baudelaire
Naomi Booth
James Clark 
Owen Jones
Alice Jolly
Alice Murphy-Pyle
Ben Myers
Annie Proulx

Music
Arab Strap
Jimi Hendrix 

Film and TV
The Royle Family
Ken Loach

Chapters

1.45 - Uncategorising KESHED
6.15 - What is KESHED about
8.45  - why is Sean in Leeds. 
9.55 - Is Sean a flaneur? 
16.05 - Sean’s voice 
19.20 - The importance of reading 
20.10 - On truth
25.25 - Liam’s personal response to the book. 
27.45 - Patreon shoutouts!
28.45 - Who is Mandy?
31.20 - Getting feedback on writing women
36.00 -the hard work of writing 
37.30 - Assuming readers are smarter than you
38.45 - Language is not a barrier 
40.15 - The market of writing