Stay ConnectedWhat should I read next? Ask Penguin is the podcast where your quirkiest, trickiest, and most urgent book questions get answered. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, we bring bestselling authors and Penguin insiders to explore some of your favourite books and discover new ones that you are yet to read.
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Bestselling author William Boyd tells Nihal Arthanayake about his writing methodology; years of research before he even sits down to write. Known for writing novels which span continents and timescales, commissioned by the Fleming Estate to write a James Bond novel and working with David Bowie, Boyd is something of a phenomenon. He’s in the studio to talk about his latest novel, Love Is Blind, and brings with him objects that have inspired him, including a piano tuning hammer and a pistol. #PenguinPodcast
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Bestselling author Colm Tóibín tells Katy Brand why he returns to the theme of home again and again in his work and what it’s like writing about violence for the first time. Colm wrote ‘Brooklyn’, which was made into a feature film starring Saoirse Ronan, and has been nominated for the Booker three times. He brings objects into the Penguin studio that have inspired his new novel ‘House of Names’ including a Greek play and an opera CD. #PenguinPodcast
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Bestselling author Sebastian Faulks tells Nihal Arthanayake how he creates characters, harnesses history to build stories and how he came up with ideas for his new novel ‘Paris Echo’. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sebastian’s novel ‘Birdsong’ which has sold millions of copies and is taught as part of the National Curriculum. Sebastian also shares some objects that have inspired his writing including an original letter penned by Wordsworth.
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Journalist and novelist Viv Groskop joins Katy Brand in the Penguin studio to talk about her
Book ‘The Anna Karenina Fix’, a very funny memoir and self-help book which explains how Russian literature has some valuable life lessons. As a young child Viv believed her surname was Russian, which led her to studying, living there and becoming editor at large for Russian Vogue. She later found out she’s not the slightest bit Russian, but recounts what she learnt along the way from the country and its literature. Viv brings in a hedgehog, a make-up compact and an album by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers which inspired her writing.
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Biographer Claire Tomalin joins David Baddiel in the Penguin studio to chat about the art of writing about other people’s lives. She has written bestselling biographies including Mary Wollstonecraft, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen and has been called ‘one of the greatest biographers of our age’. Claire has now written about her own fascinating and surprising life and brings objects into the studio that inspired her including a plaster foot and a Samuel Pepys medal. #PenguinPodcast
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Bestselling author Jane Fallon joins David Baddiel in the Penguin studio to talk about her new book ‘Faking Friends’. Jane is an award-winning TV producer behind shows such as This Life and EastEnders and has written eight books – selling over a million copies. She talks to David about some of the objects that have been part of her creative process including a Christmas tree covered in very unusual ornaments and the cover of her first book ‘Getting Rid of Matthew’. #PenguinPodcast
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Caitlin Moran joins David Baddiel in the Penguin Studio. The critically acclaimed journalist and author penned her first book aged 13, has been writing for The Times since she was 18 and has had bestselling novels including ‘How to be a Woman’ and ‘How to Build a Girl’. She’s in to talk about her new book, ‘How to Be Famous’, and bringsobjects that have inspired her including: headphones; a Wolverhampton library ticket; a letter from Clive Anderson and a swimming costume (which she carries everywhere with her). #PenguinPodcast
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Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe joins Katy Brand in the Penguin studio to talk about her hilarious and moving memoir ‘This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare’. Gabourey’s breakthrough role was as Precious in the feature film and she’s since starred in TV shows American Horror Story, The Big C and Empire. Gabourey talks about what her sources of inspiration including a collection of NSYNC dolls and her beloved cat Aaron. She also reveals her constant fear of dinosaurs! #PenguinPodcast
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Arundhati Roy joins Kirsty Lang for a special live edition of the Penguin Podcast. Arundhati burst onto the international literary scene 20 years ago with her novel ‘The God of Small Things’. Since then she has written non-fiction books and essays on contemporary politics, culture, human rights and environmental issues. She returns to the fiction scene to talk about her second novel ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’. With her she brings objects which have inspired her including a newspaper article of an abandoned baby, a shroud and a photograph of an Indian shrine. #PenguinPodcast
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Author Salman Rushdie joins David Olusoga in the Penguin Studio. Salman’s 13 novels have won countless awards worldwide and his second novel ‘Midnight’s children’ won the Best of the Booker over its 40 year history. Salman talks about his latest novel, ’The Golden House’ bringing with him objects that inspired it, including a copy of The Satyricon by Petronius, and a photo of The Joker from Batman. #PenguinPodcast
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