SSoP Podcast Season 8: So Many Exciting Destinations! Starts 28 August!

SSoP Podcast Season 8: So Many Exciting Destinations! Starts 28 August!

Friday, 14 August, 2026

We’re delighted to announce that Season 8 of the Strong Sense of Place podcast kicks off on Friday, 28 August!

We’ve put together an itinerary of fascinating destinations with a journey to every region of the globe. Pack your bags (metaphorically speaking) for Europe and the land down under, the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, two US states with very different personalities, South Korea, and more. Plus, an unexpected (potentially silly) theme episode.

Prepare to immerse yourself in the food, sights, sounds, and scenery of far-flung destinations around the world. No passport required! But be sure to pack your curiosity in your carry-on and leave room for lots of books!

Transcript — SSoP Podcast Season 8: 10 Exciting Destinations! Starts 28 August!

 

Denmark — 28 August

woman with blonde hair standing on a dock by the water drying her face with a towel
Wild swimming in Denmark. Photo courtesy of Daniel J. Schwarz/Unsplash+.

Australia - 11 September

a young woman holding a wombat in a hug looking at the camera
Wombat! The cutest animal in Australia? Photo courtesy of David Clode/Unsplash.

Boarding School — 25 September

Stonyhurst College, a Jesuit boarding school in Lancashire, England. Photo courtesy of Michael Starkie/Unsplash.

Michigan — 09 October

two shiny muscle cars on the street of Detroit
Classic muscle cars in Detroit. Photo courtesy of Victor Crespo/Unsplash.

South Korea - 23 October

a narrow allow with an arch made of pink cherry blossom trees
Cherry blossoms in Yeojwacheon Stream, Jinhae, South Korea. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Shenaniganery — 06 November

a retro photo of a man listening to the radio and holding earphones over his dog's ears
Definitely getting up to some shenanigans! Photo courtesy of Everett Collection/Shutterstock.

Caribbean — 22 January

an overhead view of a wooden boat stretching out into very clear turquoise blue water
Oh, to be in Tobago, splashing near the Buccoo Reef! Photo courtesy of markmsjoseph/Shutterstock.

San Francisco — 05 February

a view from under the golden gate bridge looking up at the arches from a sand beach
The Golden Gate Bridge is endlessly photogenic. Photo courtesy of Keith Wong/Unsplash.

Edinburgh — 19 February

dark stone buildings that flow higgeldy-piggeldy up the hills of old town edinburgh
The higgeldy-piggeldy sandstone buildings of Edinburgh's Old Town. Photo courtesy of Carlos Peinado/Unsplash.

Dinner Party — 05 March

a long wooden dining table set with formal dinnerware and silver with a sparkling chandelier overhead
Bon appetit! Prepare for conversational combat. Photo courtesy of Joey Zhou/Unsplash.

The new season kicks off on Friday, 28 August! Subscribe to our show in your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

 

Subscribe

Subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a must-read book or thrilling destination!

Apple Podcasts Google Spotify Stitcher Google Play RSS Feed

If we're not available on your favorite podcast-listening platform, send us an email!

Top image courtesy of Ryan Loughlin/Unsplash.

Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!

keep reading

There's so much to recommend a trip to Jamaica. Where else to eat some callaloo, sip smooth Blue Mountain coffee, walk in the footsteps of pirates, sing with the rebels of reggae, and splash in the warm Caribbean?
Cuba has a tough history, but the island itself is welcoming, a candy-colored dreamscape of pastel buildings, lush greenery, sparkling beaches, and friendly people — plus rum cocktails and dancing in the streets.
Stunning windswept landscapes, a rebellious national spirit, an affinity for smart tartan plaids, a predilection for ghost stories, and an appreciation of a wee dram o' whisky. Scotland is all this and so much more.
With its craggy coastline, screaming wind, gorgeously rugged scenery, and adorable (deadly) animals, Tasmania is just as fantastical as you'd expect an island at the edge of the world to be. Batten down the hatches.
Private schools can be like a psychology experiment about what happens when you jam x-number of kids into an enclosed environment and crank up the stress. It's agony for the characters, and such good fun for us.
Writer Elizabeth Held has great taste in books. Her newsletter 'What To Read If' is a welcome arrival in our email each week. In this post, she recommends novels that combine boarding school with creepy happenings.

sharing is caring!

Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter

Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
Sign up for our free Substack!
follow us
write to us
about us
strong sense of place logo
strong sense of place logo
legal stuff

Content on this site is ©2026 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.