Missing Perspectives has officially launched its refreshed video podcast Booksmart, with its debut episode soaring to #1 on Spotify’s Arts Charts for over a week and reaching #11 across all Spotify charts, amassing more than 150,000 listeners for the inaugural episode. QBD Books has joined as a bookselling partner of the show.
Hosted by journalist and head of editorial and operations Sunny Adcock and social and partnerships lead, Allie Daisy King, Booksmart blends a book club format with in-depth conversations featuring some of the world’s most beloved authors. The series is produced by Pivotal Conversations, bringing cinematic production value to literary conversations.
The podcast launches at a moment when reading culture has never felt more culturally dominant – from the domination of Heated Rivalry and People We Meet On Vacation, and the wave of book-to-screen adaptations captivating global audiences. Booksmart taps directly into these conversations, offering smart, funny, and nuanced takes on the stories shaping Gen Z and millennial women.
Beyond the charts, Booksmart has already proven its power to build real-world communities. Missing Perspectives recently hosted an over-capacity Booksmart event at Sydney-based bookstore Romancing The Novel, bringing together leading readers, BookTok creators and literary voices for an evening of conversation, connection and cultural commentary.
“Celebrating the relaunch of Booksmart at Sydney’s most charming bookstore, Romancing The Novel, alongside an intimate group of fellow booklovers, creators, and fangirls was nothing short of a dream come true,” said Adcock.
“We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful community out the gate. The whole event felt like girlhood personified. Also having such incredible event partners meant the world to us, such as; QBD Books, Apres Studio, Tiny Store, Mecca, Zonzo, Karma Drinks, Pan Macmillan, and Romancing The Novel,” added King.
QBD Books has signed on as a launch sponsor for the podcast, marking the beginning of a dynamic partnership that extends beyond podcast advertising into live community experiences, in-store events and editorial storytelling.
“This is about more than a podcast product offering,” said Missing Perspectives founder Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks. “It’s about creating a literary ecosystem for young women, online and offline. We’ve seen what happens when you take smart cultural commentary and give it a community. Hitting #1 in our first week shows the appetite is there and we want to capitalise on the huge demand.”
“Booksmart represents exactly where modern reading culture is heading – smart, opinionated, community-led and deeply connected to the stories shaping young women today. At QBD Books, we see firsthand the power of BookTok, book clubs and in-store events to bring readers together. Partnering with Missing Perspectives allows us to extend that energy beyond our shelves and into a cultural conversation that is already resonating at scale. This is about showing up where readers are, and helping build something that lives both online and in real life,” Natasha Ritz, GM of digital transformation at QBD Books.
Missing Perspectives looks forward to expanding the Booksmart community through further live recordings, writers’ festival appearances, in-store events and brand collaborations across publishing, fashion, beauty, travel and entertainment.
You can find Booksmart on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
