Speaking of Stories

The first episode of Speaking of Stories is out, a new English-language podcast from Swedish publisher Bonnierförlagen. One Swedish and one international author whose worlds somehow connect meet to talk about hot topics of interest to them both. The conversation starts with what the two authors have in common, but from there it can go wherever the moment takes them. No script, no musts.

The first episode  features Ryan Gattis from the U.S. and Jens Lapidus from Sweden. Both write about gang culture and outsiders, but Gattis’ stage is Los Angeles in 1992, while Lapidus books are set in Stockholm.

“Every year, Bonnierförlagen brings a number of international authors to Sweden,” says Stephanie Tärnqvist, project manager and executive producer for Speaking of Stories. “The podcast is a way of extending the excitement and inspiration from these visits. Finding the perfect match between two writers has been a fun challenge. We believe that listeners will truly appreciate the different pairings, which in some cases will be quite unexpected.”

Speaking of Stories is a collaboration with online retailer Adlibris. Henrik Johnsson is producer for the first episode, which is available at Acast and iTunes.

“We at Acast are very proud that Bonnierförlagen chose us as a partner and distribution platform,” says Öjje Holt, commercial director for Acast. “The concept is incredibly exciting and is a perfect match for our focus on premium content.”

The second episode will pair U.S. author Caroline Kepnes with Swedish author Denise Rudberg in a conversation about stalkers, social media and New York. The episode will be available in January.