This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by writer, science populariser and theoretical, Carlo Rovelli. He joins us to talk about the new English translation of his first book, Anaximander. They all also discuss the singular genius of the philosophers of the past, the importance of questioning our reality, the significance of a typewriter in his writing career, and his admiration for the theoretical physicist John Wheeler. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and plea...
Mar 08, 2023•52 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by English writer and national treasure, Julian Barnes. He joins us to discuss the paperback publication of his most recent novel, Elizabeth Finch. Nihal and Julian also discuss his 'controlled' friendship with novelist Anita Brookner, how his worldview has been shaped by his french perspective, why Olympic women rowers move him to tears, and why the British need to honestly address their imperial history. Don't forget to subscribe so...
Feb 22, 2023•47 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Paul Harding. Paul joins us to discuss his brand new novel, This Other Eden. We also hear how the pressure of winning a prize affects the writing process, why Paul prefers to keep his personal politics side-lined in his fiction, what success means to him, and why he sometimes sits to read the Oxford English Dictionary Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a r...
Feb 08, 2023•47 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to author, TV presenter, Sunday Times bestseller and beloved chef, Nadiya Hussian. They discuss her new cookbook, Nadiya's Everyday Baking. They also delve into the effectiveness of cooking to deal with grief, how food connects us with our memories, how Nadiya picked up her cooking skills, and the relevance of a set of false teeth in her family. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really d...
Jan 25, 2023•41 min
Happy New Year! Our first episode of the year features best-selling author, Jane Fallon, talking to Nihal Arthanayake about her brand-new novel, Just Got Real. Two also discuss the joys of editing a first draft, the pressure of achieving a best seller, Jane's fascination with the theme of revenge, and the importance of 'believability' in her novels. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more abou...
Jan 11, 2023•39 min
As we approach the new year, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments on the Penguin Podcast with part two of our Best of the Penguin Podcast. We're joined by Jarvis Cocker, Asma Khan, Lisa Jewell, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Ian McEwan. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Dec 28, 2022•28 min
As we approach the end of 2022, we're revisiting some of our favourite moments on the Penguin Podcast this year. In part one, we're joined by Alison Hammond, Claire Fuller, Michael Rosen, Sinead Moriarty, and Damon Galgut live from this year's Hay Festival. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and please do leave us a review – it really does help us. And finally, to find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts . Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Dec 14, 2022•32 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by Malorie Blackman, author of the critically acclaimed and internationally renowned Noughts and Crosses series. She joins us to talk about her new memoir, Just Sayin': My Life In Words. Malorie also discusses her approach to, and the challenges of writing a memoir, having a positive attitude toward failure, how institutional racism affects health care, her experience of being asked for a ticket at her own event, and the importance of writing you...
Nov 30, 2022•36 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal is joined by author, screenwriter, booker winner and one of Britain's best-loved writers, Ian McEwan. He joins us to talk about his brand new novel, Lessons. Ian also discusses the delight of discovery when writing, the experience of total emersion while creating, the challenge and bliss of writing a long novel like Lessons, why a larval rock is important to him, and the special relevance of a mountain goat. Don't forget to follow the show so you never mis...
Nov 16, 2022•47 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, from the Southbank Centre we bring you the live launch event of Greta Thunberg's The Climate Book. 'The Climate Book brings together an unprecedented collective of over 100 experts, activists and witnesses to tell the biggest story in the world: how and why our planet is changing.' Copyright © Southbank Centre Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast,...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 11 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, we break down the publishing process. Host Leena Norms is joined by Penguin author, Derek Owusu, his agent Crystal Mahey-Morgan and editor Tom Avery. With Derek's debut novel as the anchor, they break down the process of finding an agent, acquiring a book, editing, and everything in between. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www....
Nov 02, 2022•30 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie talks to best-selling author, Salley Vickers. Salley joins us to talk about her latest novel, The Gardener. Isy and Salley also discuss psychoanalysis and its benefits, her affection towards children and their curiosity towards the mysteries of life, the power and different layers of silence, and how gardening during lockdown helped with the writing of her latest book. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a rev...
Oct 19, 2022•33 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Derek Owusu talks to playwright and poet, Yomi Sode. Yomi joins us to discuss his debut poetry collection, Manorism. Derek and Yomi also discuss the influence of Caravaggio and the double standards of celebrating the art and the artist, the power of stillness to create reflection, how pop culture influences poetry, and cultural appropriation and the ways in which we perpetuate and endorse it. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do l...
Oct 05, 2022•51 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, our new host Athena Kugblenu talks to bestselling author and screenwriter, Gabrielle Zevin. Gabrielle joins us to discuss her latest novel, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. They also discuss literature and gaming, why we need to merge our online selves with our real-life selves, the importance of love in friendships, how our identities shift depending on where we are and who we're talking to, and the importance of failure when it comes to creativity. Don't fo...
Sep 21, 2022•30 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake talks to former journalist and best-selling novelist, Robert Harris. Robert joins us to discuss his latest work of epic historical fiction, Act of Oblivion , out now in hardback. He also discusses his observations on the static nature of history and humanity, how journalism informs his ability to write fiction, the potential of a simple idea to inform an entire novel, the irrationality of politics, and the UK’s shifting perspectives on the mona...
Sep 07, 2022•42 min
This week on the penguin podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by bestselling author, Lisa Jewell. Lisa joins the Penguin Podcast to discuss her latest novel, The Family Remains, the long-awaited sequel to her New York Times best-seller, The Family Upstairs. They also discuss Lisa’s development from writing relationship novels to psychological thrillers, why a nameplate from outside her childhood bedroom is so important, her experiences in an abusive relationship, and how liberation helped her decide to...
Aug 24, 2022•57 min
This week on the penguin podcast, Derek Owusu is joined by Booker and Costa shortlisted novelist, Nadifa Mohamed. Nadifa joins us to discuss her latest novel, The Fortune Men, a fictional account of the life of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, who was wrongly convicted and executed in 1952. They also discuss Nadifa's love for travelling, her interest in cars and which model she gifted herself, how fact informs her fiction and the importance of including flaws in characters. Don't forget to follow the sho...
Aug 10, 2022•31 min
This week, we bring you the live-streamed episode of the Penguin Podcast, featuring Nihal Arthanayake talking to writer, rapper and campaigner, Darren McGarvey about his most recent work, The Socal Distance Between Us. Clear and insightful, together they discuss the roles of anger and optimism in positive social change, the power of emotional range in persuasiveness, how beneficial real life conversation is for cooperative dialogue, the class and equality issues in the U.K, and the distance that...
Jul 27, 2022•45 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by author, radio presenter and pop legend, Jarvis Cocker. Jarvis talks to Issy about his first memoir, 'Good Pop, Bad Pop'. He also discusses why outer space and The Beetles were so influential to him, why he thinks everyone is creative, what he needs for his creativity, and what he wanted for Pulp as a revolutionary force. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find ...
Jul 13, 2022•57 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie joined by Irish book award winner and best-selling author, Sinead Moriarty. Sinead talks to Issy about her latest novel, Your, Mind, Ours, a novel about what it takes to create a 'blended' family. They also discuss why families are the primary focus within her novels, the importance of the first draft, the special note she has pinned above her work desk, and her inability to throw away her fluffy socks. Don't forget to follow the show so you never mis...
Jun 29, 2022•48 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by Booker Prize-winning novelist and playwright, Damon Galgut. Recording from the legendary literary festival at Hay, Nihal talks to Damon about his latest novel, The Promise, which was awarded the 2021 Booker Prize. As well as the intricacies of his novel, they also discuss how the rhythms of Jazz connect with Damon's internal and writing rhythm, his veneration of Bob Dylan, the legacy of South African apartheid, how a beach in Goa f...
Jun 15, 2022•41 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Derek Owusu is joined by presenter, TV personality, actress and children's author, Alison Hammond. Alison speaks to Derek about her brand new children's book, Black in Time: The Most Awesome Black Britons from Yesterday to Today. As well as Black British history, Alison and Derek also discuss Alison's profound love for bandanas, her recreating the atmosphere of Jamaica for wellbeing, the transporting power of Terry's Chocolate Orange, and the importance of inher...
Jun 01, 2022•35 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, new host Derek Owusu is joined by Poet, activist, musician, actor, presenter and children's author, Benjamin Zephaniah! Benjamin speaks to Derek about his journey into poetry and spoken word, the excitement at receiving a letter from Bob Marley, the life of his mother when she first came to England, existential fear and human mortality, and the importance of meditation and controlled breathing. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do...
May 18, 2022•36 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by restaurateur and author, Asma Khan. Asma speaks to Isy about her most recent work, her cookbook/memoir, Ammu. They also discuss food and its connection to memory, how revelatory the writing process was for her, how a pair of blue jeans changed her life, and the gentle expressions of love through cooking. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about th...
May 04, 2022•50 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by award-winning writer and poet, Hanif Abdurraqib Hanif speaks to Nihal about his most recent work of nonfiction, A little Devil in America , which won the 2021 Gorden Burn Prize. They also discuss how Hanif manages to write 25000 words a month, how important Soul Train was to Black American culture, his reasons for disliking the Academy Award-winning film, Green Book, and also what he feels went wrong with The Chapelle Show. Don't f...
Apr 20, 2022•34 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by debut novelist Bonnie Garmus. She speaks to Isy about her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, and also discusses her reluctance to change any keyboard she's grown used to, often still using it when the key have come loose, her passion for swimming, what she learnt as a copywriter, the usefulness of lies in society, and how she wrote her first short story when she was five years old. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an epis...
Apr 06, 2022•39 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Isy Suttie is joined by national treasure, poet and children’s author, Michael Rosen. He speaks to Isy about his experiences before and after contracting Covid, how to create more impactful life writing, what he now knows about death, and his yearning to understand the meanings of naughty words in Yiddish. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, vis...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min
This week on the penguin podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by theoretical physicist, futurist, and popularizer of science, Michio Kaku. Together they discuss string theory, the unifying threads of different religious beliefs, human curiosity and the barriers to scientific thinking. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. Hosted on Ac...
Mar 09, 2022•41 min
This week on the Penguin Podcast, Nihal Arthanayake is joined by renowned essayist and novelist, Pankaj Mishra, to discuss his new novel, Run and Hide. Together they discuss the meaning of art and the novel, the Tibetan landscape and the Himalayas, nostalgia, and wood-panelled train compartments. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, visit https://www.penguin.co.uk/podcasts.html. ...
Feb 23, 2022•30 min
Claire Fuller, who recently won the Costa Novel of the Year for her latest book, Unsettled Ground , joins Nihal Arthanayake on the podcast this week. Together they discuss the importance of music in her creative process, what she doesn't like about being a novelist and how a book by Miranda July might just have kickstarted her writing career. Don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode, and do leave us a review as it really does help. To find out more about the #PenguinPodcast, ...
Feb 09, 2022•36 min
