After a successful first season, the ‘Sleep Stories’ podcast is returning for season 2. With Durham Book Festival, we have commissioned writers Romalyn Ante, Naomi Booth and Sarah Hall to write exclusive new short stories focusing on the complex relationship women have with sleep at different stages of their lives. Each podcast’s episode/story will be introduced by a leading sleep scholar.
Romalyn Ante is an award-winning Filipino-born British poet, novelist, and former NHS mental health nurse. Her debut poetry collection, Antiemetic for Homesickness, was shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize in 2020, and her second collection, AGIMAT, was published in 2024. Her debut novel, The Left-Behind Child, was published in 2026.
Naomi Booth is the author of the novels Raw Content and Exit Management, and the short story collection Animals at Night. Naomi teaches Creative Writing at Durham University.
Sarah Hall has been twice nominated for the Booker Prize and is the first and only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice. She has written 10 highly acclaimed novels including, most recently, Helm. She lives in Cumbria.
The second season of Sleep Stories will be launching at Durham Book Festival on 11th October, 2-3pm. The writers will join Dr Diletta De Cristofaro to discuss their specially commissioned short stories.