Stig Abell's Guide to Reading

For a whole year on his train to work, Stig Abell read books from across genres and time periods. Then he wrote about them, and their impact on our culture and his own life.

In this brand new podcast, Stig talks to guests about their favourite books and tries to get to the bottom of what makes them so good. Episodes focus on a range of genres, from Crime to Classics, from Poetry to Shakespeare's Plays. It's a lively and funny celebration of the power of words, as well as a guide to discover new books to love and remind you of the ones that you already do.

The podcast accompanies Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING, published by John Murray Press on 12th November 2020.

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Episodes

Season 1, Episode 8 - Shakespeare with Simon Callow

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this concluding episode of Season 1, Stig is joined by the remarkable actor, writer and director Simon Callow for a riveting discussion about Shakespeare’s works. From the plays - Simon’s choice TITUS ANDRONICUS and Stig’s favourite HAMLET - to the sonnets, the pair discuss the bard’s astonishing writing, recite their favourite sonnets and make their ‘desert island’ picks. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A ...

Dec 17, 2020•40 min

Season 1, Episode 7 - Historical Fiction with Suzannah Lipscomb

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In today's episode, Stig chats to historian, author and presenter Suzannah Lipscomb about Historical Fiction. From 14th century France in Maurice Druon's THE IRON KING (Book 1 in The Accursed Kings series) to 20th century India with Rohinton Mistry's A FINE BALANCE and everything in-between, join Stig and Suzannah for a fascinating discussion about the great writers of historical fiction and their favourite books. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig'...

Dec 10, 2020•37 min

Season 1, Episode 6 - English Classics with Sam Leith

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this episode, Stig chats to author and journalist Sam Leith about two English Classics: Geoffrey Chaucer's THE CANTERBURY TALES and Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. In addition, they discuss whether so-called 'classics' are actually enjoyable to read, the characters they love to hate, and which of Chaucer's famous pilgrims they'd go for a pint with! The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING...

Dec 03, 2020•36 min

Season 1, Episode 5 - Poetry with Hollie McNish

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. This week, Stig is joined by author and poet Hollie McNish to discuss all things Poetry. From HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN POEM by Kate Clanchy to the works of Emily Dickinson, as well as favourite children’s poems, Shakespeare’s plays and the connection between writing poetry and learning the guitar! The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING, published by John Murray Press on 12th November 2020....

Nov 26, 2020•38 min

Season 1, Episode 4 - Non Fiction with James O'Brien

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this episode James O'Brien, bestselling author of HOW TO BE RIGHT and HOW NOT TO BE WRONG, joins Stig to talk about Non Fiction books. Choosing Anthony Burgess's LITTLE WILSON AND BIG GOD and Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING, James and Stig also chat about their love of historical fiction and whether books really can change the world. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING, published by John ...

Nov 19, 2020•38 min

Season 1, Episode 3 - Modern Literary Fiction with Kit de Waal

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this episode Stig talks to Kit de Waal, bestselling author of MY NAME IS LEON, about Modern Literary Fiction. Chatting about Donal Ryan’s STRANGE FLOWERS and OFFSHORE by Penelope Fitzgerald, they discuss everything from what ‘literary fiction’ really means, to how important life experience is when becoming a novelist. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING, published by John Murray on 12th...

Nov 12, 2020•35 min

Season 1, Episode 2 - American Classics with David Baddiel

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this episode, Stig discusses American Classics with comedian and writer David Baddiel, author of THE DEATH OF ELI GOLD. Join Stig and David as they discuss RABBIT, RUN by John Updike and CANNERY ROW by John Steinbeck, amongst others; find out which character Stig admires most in all of fiction, and what book David considers to be “the greatest novel of the twentieth century”. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28:...

Nov 05, 2020•53 min

Season 1, Episode 1 - Crime with Lucy Foley

Welcome to Stig Abell’s Guide to Reading. In this episode Stig is joined by Lucy Foley, bestselling author of THE HUNTING PARTY and THE GUEST LIST, for a lively discussion about Crime books - from AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie and the SHERLOCK HOLMES series by Arthur Conan Doyle, to du Maurier’s REBECCA and Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD. The podcast is an accompaniment to Stig's book THINGS I LEARNED ON THE 6.28: A GUIDE TO DAILY READING, published by John Murray on 12th November 2...

Oct 29, 2020•35 min

Trailer - Introducing Stig Abell's Guide to Reading

Stig Abell announces his new podcast, "Stig Abell's Guide to Reading," launching October 2020. Each week, he'll speak with different authors about their favorite books, exploring various literature types from American classics to crime fiction. The podcast, coinciding with his book, aims to uncover the joy and meaning found in reading.

Oct 13, 2020•1 min

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