Introducing Typecast
We're thrilled to introduce you to Typecast - the show where we cast our favourite books into film.
The Rare Birds Book Club podcast has been a dream project for the team and we're so excited to finally share it with you!
Join us each episode as we dive back into our favourite books and attempt to cast their film adaptations, making great observations and our own unique suggestions along the way. It’s the novels you love like you’ve never heard them talked about before.
About Typecast
“Why don’t we just talk about hot men under the guise of a literary podcast?” Probably the most unusual mission statement ever, but seemingly the one which launched typecast - the Rare Birds Book Club weekly podcast that casts books into film. Hosted by Rare Birds Book Club founder, Rachel Wood, and two of her friends Roxane de Rouen and Florence Vincent, typecast explores some of our favourite current (and classic…) fiction, dissecting each character, plot and romance whilst deciding who would play these roles in the hypothetical movie adaptations.
Launching on 1st April with the first episode, the typecast trio will kick-off by casting a former Rare Birds Book Club pick, Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney. Founder Rachel wanted the format to be light, engaging and most importantly un-putdownable…well the podcast version of that. "We summarise and discuss the book in question, create our casting call for the book's key characters, then put our suggestions forward and debate the merits of each. It's part serious, part silly, and (we hope!) a refreshing way to have a conversation about the books we love best."
Available on Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify and iHeart Radio, as well as coming to Google Play very soon, each episode lasts around 45 minutes and each season holds 8 episodes. Alongside Sally Rooney there will be a number of RBBC’s other favourite authors discussed, from Sally Thorne to Jane Austen. Each episode will hear the trio dive back into their favourite books and attempt to do them justice with their casting expertise – making ‘great’ observations and ‘unique’ suggestions along the way. "It’s the novels you love like you’ve never heard them talked about before."
Those with a Rare Birds Book Club subscription will recognise a few masterpieces from previous months’ reads, but any bibliophile … or movie buff, or person who has ever been SURE that the right Mr Rochester has yet to be cast… will live, laugh and love through this podcast. It does however give an insight into why Rachel has chosen so many of the books she has for RBBC members. “We wanted to find a playful way to talk about the classic books we loved and the books we're selecting for the book club. The idea for trying to cast the characters is a silly game we've played for years about the series finale episode on Eligible; it's a modern day retelling of Pride & Prejudice and we love to debate who would be the ideal contemporary casting for a modern-day Mr. Darcy. The idea just evolved from there.”
One thing is for sure, Mr Rochester will never be the same again…
Meet your hosts
Rachel Wood
Rachel Wood is the founder of Rare Birds Books and a passionate advocate for women’s fiction. Born in Canada, Rachel has spent the last decade living in Edinburgh. She has an MSc in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and a serious sweet tooth.
Florence Vincent
Flo is a writer, reader and amateur casting enthusiast who lives in Edinburgh. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and has worked as a script writer and storyliner for the BBC. She is currently working on her first novel.
Roxane de Rouen
Roxane has studied Creative Writing at the University of Southern California and the University of Edinburgh. She is a freelance writer living in Edinburgh and the co-host of Typecast. Roxane is currently working on her first novel. Also, rumour has it, she’s Australian.