Ben Markovits, author of "The Rest of Our Lives"

In this episode of Lit with Charles, I sit down with Benjamin Markovits to discuss his latest novel, The Rest of Our Lives. This beautifully reflective book follows Tom, a middle-aged father who, after dropping his youngest daughter at college, keeps driving, embarking on an unplanned journey that forces him to confront the unresolved trauma of an affair, a failing marriage, and a mysterious health condition. Blending the themes of a road trip novel, midlife crisis, and personal reckoning, Markovits crafts a story that is much more than the sum of its parts—meditative, intimate, and profoundly moving.

Markovits, a British-American novelist and former professional basketball player, has a long and acclaimed bibliography, including You Don’t Have to Live Like This, which won the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction in 2016. In this conversation, we explore his own transatlantic upbringing, how his writing is influenced by his experiences, and why midlife transitions make for such compelling literary themes. The Rest of Our Lives is set for release in the UK in late March, and I wholeheartedly recommend adding it to your reading list.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram (@litwithcharles) to keep the literary conversations going. Let’s get more people listening—and reading!