Goalhanger is launching a new weekly podcast, The Book Club, on 17 February 2026, expanding its slate with a show focused on classic and contemporary fiction.
Hosted by historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook and producer Tabitha Syrett, The Book Club examines one book per episode, exploring its themes, ideas and historical context, as well as the life of the author behind it. Each episode concludes with a ranking, positioning the book within a wider literary canon and inviting listeners to reassess familiar works or discover new ones.
The show will air every Tuesday and marks the evolution of a format first introduced as members-only episodes within The Rest Is History. Those earlier discussions covered titles including In Cold Blood, L’Étranger and The Hobbit.
Sandbrook said the podcast builds on conversations he and Syrett have been having for years. “Tabitha and I have spent many happy hours debating our favourites while working on The Rest Is History,” he said. “I’m looking forward to taking listeners into these fictional worlds – from Middlemarch and Middle-earth to Wuthering Heights and Westeros – and exploring the real stories behind them.”
Syrett said the aim was to broaden the appeal of literary discussion without relying on formal criticism. “From the outset, I wanted The Book Club to move beyond traditional literary criticism, making books feel accessible, engaging, and rooted in the historical worlds that shaped them and their authors,” she said. “After three years producing The Rest Is History, it’s incredibly exciting to step in front of the mic.”
The first episode focuses on Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, published in 1847. Sandbrook and Syrett examine the novel’s initial reception and the controversy it provoked, including its depictions of cruelty, domestic abuse and its challenges to Victorian social and moral norms. The episode also considers the book’s continued relevance and discusses Emerald Fennell’s recent film adaptation.
Upcoming episodes will feature a wide range of titles, including Never Let Me Go, The Great Gatsby, The Secret History, Frankenstein, Hamnet, 1984, East of Eden, Normal People and Northern Lights.
The Book Club is the latest addition to Goalhanger’s podcast lineup, which includes The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Entertainment and Sherlock & Co. The company passed 750 million full-episode streams in 2025.
