‘It seems in my mind well overdue that I should be writing to you in some sort of “fan letter” form and any time is as good as now. Having yesterday evening taken a long and uncomfortable budget airline flight back from Bucharest, where I had been attending a wedding, the only likely way to get through three tedious hours of hip cramping and fidgeting, was to turn to the podcasts I had downloaded on my phone, and there, frantically searching through, I was able to find some Slightly Foxed Podcast content I had downloaded for other journeys in mind. It was not the usual podcast episode however which I have been following and listening from the beginning and that I adore, but the conversation between Joanna Rakoff and podcast presenter Rosie Goldsmith. And so in true style of My Salinger Year, here I am with my own fan letter to you. (It’s safe to say I will be ordering my copy of this book very soon and one of the first things I did this morning was check if there were copies still left in stock.) Afterwards, I listened to an old favourite episode on Barabara Pym (thank you for helping me discover her!), and before I knew it, the pilot was announcing half an hour to landing. Perfect.
The podcasts are where I discovered your wonderful Quarterly, and where I turn to whenever I need some comfort and literary ideas, I can’t seem to top it in terms of everything I want out of a podcast! It was then through this I purchased my first edition from you, Cider with Rosie which I devoured, and later Dear Dodie from a trip to John Sandoe when visit London (I Capture the Castle is a favourite book of mine), it seemed a fitting place to buy it. I then was gifted a subscription and last year, I regifted this to myself and ordered Love Divine at the start of this year, which I devoured. I was also lucky enough to win a giveaway a few years back, and win a copy of Windswept, as part of your biography prize in 2021, which I still recommend to people today.
Your style, ethos and everything about Slightly Foxed is just wonderful and really I just wanted to thank you from a now 29 year old woman who was able to find great comfort in your podcast and publication whilst at home living in Devon and now in my own home in Bath, it’s seen me through my own coming of age story and I am so grateful. You have been instrumental in helping me discover new authors and read about books I wouldn’t normally look at. I’m a history PhD student so there are always nuggets I love to take away that get me thinking about my own research and it would be an absolute dream to contribute in some form one day – or even work for you!’
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