Confessions of a Book Collector

Felix Mosse is a novelist, script editor and Associate Director of Criterion New Writing, one of London’s foremost programmes for emerging playwrights. Before turning to fiction, he spent 16 years as a professional actor, including playing Marius in Les Misérables.
Felix joins David Headley to discuss the unexpected pause that led him away from the stage and towards The Mistral, the first instalment in his epic fantasy trilogy and an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
He shares how more than 150 lore documents helped him construct a world powered by a mysterious natural force, why its climate change parallels only emerged through the editing process and what his years as an actor and script editor taught him about character, dialogue and rewriting.
Felix also reflects on the extraordinary response to his debut, why he believes writers should demand honesty from their editors and the biggest influences on his approach to fantasy.
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David sits down with bestselling poet and playwright Nikita Gill as she prepares for the release of Styx: The River, the latest novel in her epic reimagining of Greek mythology.
Nikita reveals why she was drawn to Styx: a powerful goddess eclipsed by her thousands of siblings, whose story allowed her to explore the very modern pressures of being an eldest daughter. From carrying everyone else’s burdens to swallowing your own rage and longing to be truly seen, Nikita explains the experiences that shaped her version of the goddess, and why Styx ultimately became a love story about sisterhood, chosen family and finding your place in the world.
She also takes David back to where the series began, with the extraordinary origins of Hekate: a story that first appeared to her as a recurring dream and refused to leave her alone until she wrote it. Nikita reveals why she scrapped her first attempt and started again in verse, why she begins her stories with the ending and works backwards, and what drives her to bring mythology’s overlooked women to the centre of their own stories.
Plus, Nikita shares what it’s been like taking her bestseller Hekate from page to stage, before revealing what’s on her collector shelf.
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What happens when falling in love means walking away from the life you thought you were called to live?
This week on Confessions of a Book Collector, David is joined by Stephanie Sy-Quia, author of Goldsboro's Fresh Ink book of the month choice: A Private Man, to uncover the remarkable family story behind her debut novel.
Inspired by the revelation that Stephanie’s grandfather had been a Catholic priest before leaving the Church to marry her grandmother, A Private Man explores a love caught between faith and conscience, and the enormous cost of choosing a different life.
Stephanie discusses turning a painful family secret into fiction, why she wanted to take both love and religious vocation seriously, and how she made theology sexy. 
She and David also explore the upheaval of the 1960s, feminism and Vatican II, the shame surrounding those who left the priesthood, and shares her honest experience of writing your first novel. 
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This week, David has some rather exciting news to share.
After months of work behind the scenes, Goldsboro Books is getting ready to begin not one, but two new chapters, each taking the business somewhere new, whilst staying true to the love of books, collecting and bringing readers together that has shaped Goldsboro since the very beginning.
David reflects on how far Goldsboro has come since he and Daniel started the business in 1999, why physical bookshops and spaces for readers matter more than ever, and what it means to keep looking forward in an industry (and a world) that has changed enormously.

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With thousands of new books published every year, how do you decide what’s actually worth reading?
In this episode, Goldsboro Books co-founder and literary agent David Headley does the choosing for you, sharing 12 new and upcoming books that have caught his attention. From gripping crime and clever thrillers to ambitious debuts, historical fiction and unforgettable stories from some of the biggest names in publishing right now.
Whether you’re looking for your next page-turner, want to discover a brilliant new voice or simply need some inspiration for your reading pile, there should be something here to tempt you.
The only question is: how many will end up on your TBR pile?
Send Me Your Book Confessions — share your favourite books, collecting stories, questions and reactions to episodes.