The Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast presents a sequence of discussions with former and current Windham-Campbell Prize recipients, centered on their preferred books and plays. The conversations are hosted by Michael Kelleher.
In this episode, Mike chats with Gwendoline Riley, the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prize winner for Fiction, regarding Mark Van Doren’s expansive, American, and endlessly re-readable examination of Shakespeare. Also, a strong Top 5 survey of Shakespeare’s plays makes an appearance!
Gwendoline Riley was born in London. She is the author of seven novels, including First Love, My Phantoms, and most recently, The Palm House. In 2018, the Times Literary Supplement named her as one of the twenty best British and Irish novelists actively contributing to the field today. She won the 2026 Windham-Campbell Prize for Fiction.
The Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast is a program of The Windham-Campbell Prizes, managed by Yale University Library’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
The Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast is produced by Literary Hub
Presented by Michael Kelleher
Theme music composed by Dani Lencioni
Produced and edited by Drew Broussard
