talking about books and doing what you love — a conversation with @bookishbyellen

One thing about me is that I love the bookish online community. Posting about the books I’m reading on Instagram has given me confidence, a TBR longer than I’d care to admit, and, most importantly, the opportunity to talk with some truly remarkable people. Everyone I have spoken to, from authors to influencers, readers to publishers, has united in my love for literature and restored my faith in humanity. And this week was no different, thanks to my conversation with Ellen — the creator of the Bookish by Ellen podcast.  

Bookish by Ellen is for readers by a reader. Despite being relatively new, it has already made its mark on the bookish space through interviews with authors and other Bookstagram creators that discuss the latest releases, shed light on writing processes and spread general book-related merriment — if you don’t know, get to know! I discovered Ellen after seeing Emily Tudor — author of one of my favourite reads from last year, Replaying the Game — post about her podcast interview, and after watching it in its entirety, I fell in love with the whole interview format. It was chatty, personal, insightful and a credit to Ellen as the host and creator.  

Some of you may know Ellen from her Bookstagram account (@bookishellenn). With over 9000 followers, her aesthetically pleasing posts and relatable content make her a must-follow creator. However, her love for reading didn’t start here, ‘I remember vividly falling asleep when I was younger to David Walliams or the Harry Potter audiobooks,’ Ellen told me, ‘when I grew up a bit, I kind of fell out of love with it until 2022 when It Ends With Us got big.’ Since then, her reading journey has led her to new favourites, including Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh and Into the Dark by Jessa Hastings, a book that Ellen praises for ‘truly encapsulating the pain of losing someone too young.’

 When discussing the inspirations behind the creation of the Bookish by Ellen podcast, Ellen touched on combining her love for talking with her love for books. ‘It's a bit soppy, but it's true; as someone with ADHD, I love to talk. Growing up, certain people made me feel bad about it, and it became a real insecurity of mine. It's something I've come to terms with, and it's something I can't and shouldn't have to change!’ Now, not only does Ellen get to sit down and talk with interesting people — something she says is her favourite part of hosting a podcast — but we all get to watch the interviews! Everyone’s a winner!

Making the leap to do something you feel passionate about can feel scary, but Ellen is such a wonderful example of how good things can be if you do. The joy that radiates from every conversation she has for her podcast is inspiring, uplifting and makes you want to pick up a book! I asked Ellen what advice she’d give to someone thinking about starting a new creative endeavour and she emphasised the importance of making something that you love and care about first and foremost. ‘Don't feel like you need to conform to what everyone else is doing. As long as you enjoy it and are proud of it, that's all that matters!

In the future, listeners of the Bookish by Ellen podcast can expect more exciting guests and interesting conversations. Having pre-filmed until mid-March, Ellen was pretty secretive about the specifics of upcoming episodes (the suspense is, in fact, killing me), but she did say that fans of romance author Emma Lucy should be prepared! Right now, you can listen on Spotify and YouTube, but stay tuned for Bookish by Ellen to become available on Apple Podcasts and as transcriptions online.

The bookish world is what it is because of creative and kind people like Ellen. It was an honour to get to talk with her, and I can’t wait to see what she achieves as time passes. You can keep up with Ellen by following her on Instagram here — https://www.instagram.com/bookishellenn and here — https://www.instagram.com/bookishbyellen/

Links to listen to the Bookish by Ellen Podcast -

Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/1jLhQxb2fUZC8dyQSExZZV?si=0ee539c1d5d84d50

YouTube — https://youtube.com/@bookishbyellen?si=FUHES3SvRFcXDcYH

This article was written by Jess, who you can follow on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/thatromancebook for more bookish content