Podcast Archives - Books And Travel

Blood, Wine, And Sacrifice: Folk Horror Inspired By England’s Biodynamic Vineyards With J.F. Penn And Natalie MacLean

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

What would you sacrifice for the perfect vintage? Can ancient pagan rituals and biodynamic winemaking create something truly extraordinary—or terrifying?

In this conversation from the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast with Natalie Maclean, award-winning author J.F. Penn discusses the inspiration for her folk horror novel Blood Vintage, set in the vineyards of Somerset, England.

We explore the dark side of viticulture, from poisonous plants and blood sacrifices to the hard realities of small-scale winemaking and the mysterious practices of biodynamic agriculture.

J.F. Penn is the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, crime, horror, short stories, and travel memoir. Jo lives in Bath, England and enjoys a nice G&T.

New Zealand wine memories. Pinot Noir tours in South Otago, including Mount Difficulty and Peregrine Vineyard, paired with wild venison and legendary Bluff oysters
The birth of Blood Vintage. How a tour of Woodchester Valley vineyard, frost candles, and a note in the ancient Domesday Book sparked a dark story
English wine’s climate change renaissance. How warming temperatures are making England’s sparkling wines competitive with Champagne.
Inside biodynamic winemaking, inspired by a visit to Limeburn Hill Vineyard, Chew Magna, Somerset. From burying cow horns to dynamisation rituals and creating a self-contained ecosystem
The dangers and romance of viticulture, and for more on this, check out the interview with Caro Feely, The Taste of Place.
Folk horror and the ‘terroir’ of terror. Exploring the question at the heart of the book: What would you sacrifice to create (or taste) the perfect vintage?

You can find Blood Vintage on all platforms in all formats now.

This discussion was first broadcast across two episodes on Unreserved Wine Talk with Natalie Maclean in Oct 2024 [Blending biodynamics and suspense; Wine and folklore]. You can also watch the full interview on video.

Mexico’s Day Of The Dead With Luisa Navarro

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Why is Mexico’s Day of the Dead such a beautiful way to remember our loved ones who have died? What are the elements that go into the altar? How can tourists respectfully experience the tradition?

In this fascinating conversation, Luisa Navarro, founder of Mexico in My Pocket and author of Mexico’s Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life through Stories and Photos, shares her personal journey from rejecting her Mexican heritage to celebrating it, while revealing the true beauty and meaning behind one of Mexico’s most misunderstood traditions.

Luisa Navarro is the founder and CEO of Mexico in My Pocket, and the author of Mexico’s Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life through Stories and Photos.

Luisa’s childhood struggle with being Mexican American and how she transformed from rejecting her culture to becoming its passionate advocate
The true meaning behind Día de los Muertos, its indigenous Aztec origins, and how it differs completely from Halloween
The significance of ofrendas (altars), including sugar skulls, pan de muerto, marigolds, and photographs of deceased loved ones
How different days honor different types of deaths
Traditional foods like pan de muerto, café de olla, and how families share meals with both the living and the dead
How to respectfully experience Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico while avoiding appropriation and understanding the difference between authentic traditions and commercialized parades

You can find Luisa at MexicoInMyPocket.com and Mexico’s Day of the Dead book here.

Egypt Beyond the Pyramids And Glimpsing The Future In History With Sean McLachlan

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

What’s it really like to be an archaeologist in the Middle East? How can modern travelers experience Egypt beyond the pyramids and tourist traps? What will survive from our digital age when future archaeologists dig through our ruins, and how does studying ancient civilizations change the way you see the world today?

Canadian ex-archaeologist and award-winning author Sean McLachlan shares insights from 25 years of full-time writing and decades of travel through Egypt, Morocco, and the Middle East.

Sean McLachlan is a Canadian ex-archaeologist and the multi-award-winning author of history, travel, and fiction. His books include The Masked Man of Cairo Historical Detective series, the Moroccan Mysteries, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi series, Toxic World.

Sean’s previous archaeology career in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, including dangerous moments
The reality of archaeological fieldwork vs. Hollywood portrayals, from Roman bath games to 3000-year-old fingerprints
His Masked Man of Cairo detective series set in 1919 Egypt during the independence movement
Hidden gems in Egypt beyond ancient sites: Islamic Cairo, desert oases, Coptic monasteries, and the new museums
Practical travel advice for Egypt and the Middle East, including cultural sensitivity and safety tips
His post-apocalyptic fiction and thoughts on what will survive from our civilization for future archaeologists

You can find Sean at SeanMcLachlan.net and his books here on Amazon.

Facing Fears And Finding Resilience In Midlife: Long-Distance Walking With Zoe Langley-Wathen

Podcast, Travel Memoir, Walking

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

Have you ever considered a radical change to mark a new chapter in your life? What fears hold you back from taking on a huge challenge, like walking for weeks on your own? Zoe Langley-Wathen talks about conquering her fears on the 630-mile South West Coast Path, and how it led to an even bigger goal: to walk the entire coastline of Great Britain.

Zoe is the author of 630 Miles Braver: Midlifing on the South West Coast Path. She’s also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an award-winning teacher, and host of the HeadRightOut podcast.

Why Zoe chose the South West Coast Path to mark a rite of passage into midlife
The beautiful highlights and the brutal, challenging aspects of the 630-mile trail
Overcoming fears of walking and wild camping solo
Practical advice on training, managing physical pain, and preparing for a long walk
How the experience built lasting resilience and changed her life trajectory
Zoe’s next epic adventure with her husband: walking the 7,300-mile coastline of Great Britain

You can find Zoe at HeadRightOut.com

You can find my tips on long-distance multi-day solo walking in my book, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, and more pilgrimage resources here.

Writing Partition: Merryn Glover on History, Home, and the Hill Stations Of India

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

How does a childhood spent in the Himalayas of Nepal and India shape a life and a love for the mountains of Scotland? How can fiction help us understand the complex, painful history of India’s Partition? I discuss all this and more with the award-winning author, Merryn Glover.

Merryn’s nomadic “third culture kid” upbringing with missionary parents in Nepal and India
The experience of attending an international boarding school in a North Indian hill station.
The history of Indian Hill Stations like Mussoorie, from their origins in the British Raj to modern-day holiday destinations.
Weaving the complex history of India’s Independence and Partition into her novel, A House Called Askival.
The perspective of writing about India as both an insider to the international community and an outsider to the wider culture.
How her childhood in the Himalayas influenced her love for her current home in the mountains of Scotland.
Recommended travel books

You can find Merryn at MerrynGlover.com

British Pilgrimage: On This Holy Island With Oliver Smith

Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | Email | TuneIn | RSS

What makes a place sacred, and can you find spiritual transformation without traveling thousands of miles? Why do ordinary English villages and Scottish islands continue to draw seekers from around the world? Award-winning travel writer Oliver Smith talks about British pilgrimage sites from Lindisfarne to Iona, and Walsingham to Glastonbury, and how these ancient places still draw even secular pilgrims today.

Oliver Smith is a multi award-winning travel writer and author of The Atlas of Abandoned Places, and On This Holy Island: A Modern Pilgrimage Across Britain.

The double lives of pilgrimage places, and how ordinary locations can offer transcendent experiences
Lindisfarne’s tidal causeway
The tension between commercial tourism and genuine spiritual seeking at sacred sites
Iona’s remote Scottish island setting and the challenging journey required to reach it
Walsingham’s remarkable history from medieval powerhouse to modern multicultural pilgrimage destination
Why Glastonbury might be Britain’s best pilgrimage
The philosophy of traveling deeper not further, and finding extraordinary meaning in familiar places

You can find Oli at OliverSmithTravel.com

You can find more Pilgrimage Resources here, as well as my book, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways.

Podcast

Follow Jo Frances Penn