Ep 37: Totally Elemental with Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Chair of Glasgow 2024 WorldCon

Fantasy Book Swap

Ali’s choice: The Boggart by Susan Cooper. Ali’s edition with cat tax.

Esther’s choice: Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll

Elle’s novel A Kind of Spark was adapted by CBBC. Several members of the cast are neurodiverse.

Information about dyspraxia here

Elle McNicholl’s website

Esther and Ali mention a lot of books and other media! Hilary McKay’s Casson family books, Terry Pratchett’s Only You Can Save Mankind, the spinning room in Poltergeist, You’re Wrong About… podcast on the Amityville horror and the CBC podcast on the satanic panic.

The history of Castle Stalker with photos

Greyfriars Bobby monument and the story

Candlemakers Row. I think the red shop is the bookshop.

Glasgow Necropolis

Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh which features in Lari Don’s book First Aid for Fairies. It’s an injured centaur that Helen looks after first.

Andy The Highlander

Romance book recommendations

• Olivia Dade
• Talia Hibbert
• Helen Hoang

Thanks so much to Esther! Find out more about Glasgow 2024 Worldcon here.

Thanks for listening! Thanks to Steve for the production assistance. Steve’s band, The Late Returns, are playing a gig supporting Bone Records at The Brunswick, Hove on Friday! Unfortunately, it’s sold out. Thanks to Danny for the idents and to Jack Sadler-Johnson for the use of his beautiful track Bliss.

Follow me on Instagram and Bluesky @alisonbaker01.