Always Take Notes

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#127: Katie Kitamura, novelist Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

Rachel and Simon speak with Katie Kitamura. Born in California to Japanese parents, she wrote her first book, "Japanese for Travellers: A Journey Through Modern Japan", in her early 20s. Her debut novel, "The Longshot", about a mixed martial arts fighter, was published in 2009; "Gone to the Forest", a tale of family drama in an unnamed colonial country, followed in 2012. "A Separation", published in 2017, was a finalist for the Premio von Rezzori literary prize. "Intimacies", her latest novel, was longlisted for the National Book Award and recommended by Barack Obama. We spoke to Katie about "Intimacies", adapting fiction for the screen and the importance of finding the right register.

You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, on Instagram @alwaystakenotes, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

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#126: Alex Kay-Jelski, editor-in-chief, the Athletic UK Jan 25, 2022

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Simon and Rachel speak with Alex Kay-Jelski, the editor-in-chief in the UK of sports website the Athletic. Alex, previously sports editor of the Times and the Daily Mail, set up British operations for the Athletic in 2019, hiring well-known names from other publications (and new young journalists) in a move that shook up the sportswriting scene. Originally established in 2016, the Athletic had 1.2 million subscribers as of December 2021, and this month was acquired by the New York Times for $550m - £400m (we recorded this interview before news of the acquisition broke). We spoke to Alex about committing to sports journalism in his teens, his years at the Daily Mail and the Times, and launching the Athletic with its roster of celebrated football journalists. The piece on the sacking of Frank Lampard discussed in the interview is available here (subscription required).

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#125: Elif Shafak, novelist Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

Rachel and Simon speak with award-winning novelist Elif Shafak. The author of 12 novels and 7 works of non-fiction, her work has been translated into 55 languages. "The Forty Rules of Love" (2009) was chosen by the BBC as one of 100 novels that have shaped the world; "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the RSL Ondaatje Prize in 2019; her latest novel, "The Island of Missing Trees", was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards in 2021 and chosen for Reese Witherspoon's influential book club in November. We spoke to Elif about writing in both Turkish and English, "The Bastard of Istanbul" and the accusation that she had "insulted Turkishness" and why heavy metal is the perfect music to write to.

This episode is sponsored by Writing Magazine, who are offering our podcast listeners 20% off any of their courses throughout the whole of December and January. To claim your discount, simply email: writingcourses@warnersgroup.co.uk with the code PODCAST20 and the course you’d like to enrol on. For full course details, visit their website: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-courses

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#124: Howard Jacobson, novelist Dec 28, 2021

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Simon and Rachel speak with novelist Howard Jacobson. Born in Manchester, Howard spent his early career as an academic and published his first novel, "Coming from Behind," in 1983. He has now written sixteen novels and six works of non-fiction, and won the Booker Prize for "The Finkler Question" in 2010 (he was also shortlisted in 2014 for "J".) His most recent novel is "Live a Little" and his memoir "Mother’s Boy - A Writer’s Beginnings" will be published in March 2022. We spoke with Howard about finding his voice and publishing his first novel as he turned 40, winning the Booker Prize, and the utility of shame and failure as a writer.

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#123: Marianne Tatepo, commissioning editor, Ebury Press Dec 14, 2021

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Rachel and Simon speak with Marianne Tatepo. Currently commissioning editor for Ebury Press and Pop Press, part of Penguin Random House UK, she publishes non-fiction books, with a particular interest in lifestyle, memoir, wellbeing and food. In January 2022 she will take up a new post as publishing director at Square Peg, another PRH imprint. In June 2020 Marianne founded the Black Agents and Editors’ Group (BAE), a publishing community and mentoring network; later that year she was named as one of the 150 most influential people in British publishing by the Bookseller. In April she became the first guest editor of the magazine and was also named as one of their rising stars. We spoke to Marianne about her decision to study for a master’s degree in publishing, her experience of the industry and why she founded BAE.

This episode is sponsored by Writing Magazine, who have provided an exclusive discount for listeners of Always Take Notes. Download their digital magazine and try their introductory subscription offer at 3 issues for just £4.99 (worth £18). Claim this offer online at: https://pocketmags.com/offer/warners-group/atnwritingm
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, on Instagram @alwaystakenotes, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

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#122: David Baldacci, novelist Nov 30, 2021

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Simon and Rachel speak with bestselling American novelist David Baldacci. A former trial lawyer, after early attempts at screenwriting David published his first thriller, "Absolute Power", in 1996. A film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. David has now published 43 novels for adults; his books have sold 150 million copies worldwide, in over 45 languages and more than 80 countries. David's notable characters include Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller, and he has also published seven novels for young readers. We spoke to David about the origin and publication of "Absolute Power", balancing series and standalone novels, and negotiating a better deal with publishers.

This episode is sponsored by Writing Magazine, who have provided an exclusive discount for listeners of Always Take Notes. Download their digital magazine and try their introductory subscription offer at 3 issues for just £4.99 (worth £18). Claim this offer online at: https://pocketmags.com/offer/warners-group/atnwritingm
We’ve this year launched a new tier on the podcast’s crowdfunder on Patreon. Our most generous supporters now receive intimate mini-episodes in which past guests answer three revealing questions, as well as a two-month trial (worth $26) to the automated transcription service Otter.ai. If you’re a journalist, Otter is a great tool to organise interview audio. It can also capture conversations in in-person or virtual meetings, and it’s available in English across Web, iOS, Android, Zoom and Google Meet.

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#121: Hollie McNish, poet Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Rachel and Simon speak with the poet Hollie McNish. After rising to prominence online, she has published four collections of poetry: “Papers”, “Cherry Pie”, “Why I Ride” and “Plum”. “Nobody Told Me”, a collection of prose and poetry about parenthood taken from Hollie's diaries, was published in 2016 and won the Ted Hughes award for New Work in Poetry. In May she released “Slug...and other things I've been told to hate”, a bestselling poetic memoir. She has also recorded an album of poetry and music, co-written a play about the history of women's football in Britain, and has just finished a reimagining of “Antigone”. We spoke to Hollie about the difference between poets and spoken-word artists, launching a career in the artform, and how she deals with hostile critics.

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#120: Gary Younge, journalist and author Nov 02, 2021

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Rachel and Simon speak with journalist and author Gary Younge. Born in Hertfordshire to Barbadian parents, in his final year at university Gary won a bursary from the Guardian to study journalism at City University. He started working at the Guardian in 1993, and after reporting from all over Europe, Africa, North America and the Caribbean, he was appointed the Guardian’s US correspondent in 2003. In 2015 he returned to London where he became the Guardian’s editor-at-large. In 2020 he left the paper to take up a post at the sociology department at Manchester University. Alongside his journalism Gary has written five books, including "Another Day in the Death of America, A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives" and "The Speech, The Story Behind Martin Luther King’s Dream". We talked to Gary about his career at the Guardian, his non-fiction books and his decision to enter academia.

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#119: Tracy Chevalier, novelist Oct 19, 2021

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Rachel and Simon speak with novelist Tracy Chevalier. Tracy moved to Britain from America in the 1980s and worked in publishing before completing an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. She is now the author of ten novels, including "Girl With a Pearl Earring", which has sold more than 5m copies worldwide and been adapted into a film and a play as well as a forthcoming opera. We talked to Tracy about her rigorous research process, the usefulness (or not) of the label "historical fiction", and avoiding the temptation to repeat the same trick twice.

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#118: Alex Wade, libel lawyer, journalist and author Oct 05, 2021

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Simon speaks with Alex Wade, a libel lawyer, journalist and author. Alex began life at law firm Carter-Ruck and went on to work as a lawyer for national newspapers. A spell off the rails in his early 30s saw Alex reinvent himself as freelance journalist and take up boxing. His experience of the then-subterranean world of white-collar boxing led to his first book, "Wrecking Machine". Alex went on to write two books about surfing and, in 2016, his first novel, "Flack's Last Shift", was published. Alex now combines working as a media lawyer for the firm Reviewed and Cleared with writing, and, from his current base in the south of France, is working on a new book, "A Season on the Med", about football in the Mediterranean. Simon spoke to Alex about the business of helping authors, publishers, podcasters and broadcasters avoid being sued, as well as Alex's own colourful past.

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